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Wrestling’s 4R’s 10.12.12: WWE Raw, ROH on Sinclair & New Japan iPPV Reviewed
How the 4R’s of wRestling Work!
Here is a quick explanation of the 4R’s. The column will run TWO times a week, THREE if there is a PPV to review. We will group our feelings on the shows in various categories: The Right, the wRong and the Ridiculous. The Right is stuff that worked very well: a great promo, a great match and so on. PuRgatoRy is a section between the right and wrong. It shows equal traits from both sides that cannot be ignored and need discussed. It is not a bad place per say, as things can get remedied or go the wrong way the very next week. The wRong is what it sounds like: bad matches, bad or boring promos and so on. The Ridiculous is stuff that had no right on TV: Stupid angles and so on. And there is always a possibility of a 5th R, which is as bad as they come. This column is supposed to be analytical, and at the right time very critical of the shows, it was the whole reason it was created. This is not a “mark” column, nor a “smark” column, our goal is to analyze the show from many different fronts, reward the good and call out the bad. We will not apologize for our opinions, they are as they are, whether positive or negative.
Let’s rock…
QUICK THOUGHTS: New Japan Pro Wrestling’s King of Pro Wrestling iPPV
By: LARRY CSONKA
* CHAOS (Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka and Tomohiro Ishii) defeated Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Strongman via pin [**]
* Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov) defeated Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA) via pin [***½]
* Low Ki defeated Kota Ibushi via pin to win the IWJP Jr Heavyweight Title [****]
* Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) defeated Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via pin to win the IWGP Tag Team Titles [***½]
* Yujiro Takahashi defeated Tetsuya Naito via referee stoppage [**]
* Katsuyori Shibata and Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Wataro Inoue and Togi Makabe via pin [***]
* Kazuchika Okada defeated Karl Anderson via pin [****]
* Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Hirooki Goto via pin to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Title [***¾]
* Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Minoru Suzuki via pin to retain the IWGP Title [*****]
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Some quick thoughts on what was an awesome show. New Japan Pro Wrestling made their world wide debut on iPPV this past weekend, and if this is any indication of what they are going to deliver, they can stay for a long time to come. This was an amazing PPV, and honestly the BEST show I have watched this year. For $25 I got a TON of great pro wrestling, I got title changes and I also not only got the best show of the year, I got the best match of the year in Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki. The match is amazing, and the best thing about it is that it didn’t feel like they were working for the epic match, it just happened, and it was spectacular. Yes, I did go the full boat on the match. I watched it three times so far, and I never felt differently on the extra viewings. Hiroshi Tanahashi is the best wrestler in the word right now, always delivering and delivering big. The right match,the right crowd, it all just came together perfectly.
Add onto that I got to watch guys I like and am happy for as they find new success (Alex Koslov, Ales Shelley, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer), a real singles break out performance by Karl Anderson, the continued greatness of Kazuchika Okada (seriously, this guy used to be fucking OKATO on TNA) and Kazushi Sakuraba getting away from MMA and into wrestling again, and it was just excellent.
This is a spectacular show at an easy to manage price (again, $25), I had NO iPPV issues when I watched the first time (live at 4AM or so) and I got exactly what I wanted overall. New Japan Pro Wrestling has an iPPV buyer for a long time to come if they are going to deliver anywhere close to this level.
Final Score: 9.5
By: Shawn S. Lealos
ROH Television 10.06.12:
QUICK RESULTS:
* Adam Cole def. Tadarius Thomas (Survival of the Fittest Tournament)
* Rhett Titus and B.J. Whitmer def. WGTT
* SCUM defeated C&C Wrestling Factory (Tag Team Championship)
Adam Cole vs. Tadarius Thomas – I didn’t understand at first why Tadarius Thomas was in this match. The Survival of the Fittest was supposed to be the best of Ring of Honor fighting for an automatic title shot, and Thomas is new. But, by the time the match was over with, he looked like the real deal. The kid has some nice, inventive moves that ROH fans love and really took it to the television champion. This is the way to build talent, letting them fight a hard fought competitive match with an upper card guy. Cole won, as he should have, but he had to work at it. This was a nice opening match for the tournament.
WGTT vs. B.J. Whitmer and Rhett Titus – This all started when Rhett Titus came out and asked Fusion DS to leave the match, so he could get revenge against the WGTT. They left, and after Jim Cornette agreed to the match, Titus introduced his new partner B.J. Whitmer. Whitmer got the win with a roll up and then WGTT beat down both men to get their heat back. It was a nice way to introduce the new Rhett Titus tag team and Nigel McGuiness did a good job of re-introducing the four-time tag team champion to a new audience who might not know him. I love WGTT as bad guys and this gives them a solid team to feud with now.
R.D. Evans – I love bad guy managers and while I think Evans has a little ways to go in his promos, I liked this week’s hints he gave out. The best part was the things he didn’t say. See, Tomasso Ciampa has a blown out knee, so he is out for a while. However, in this promo, Evans said that an injury won’t keep them down and that “his man” will still fight in the Survival of the Fittest tournament. Anyone who follows professional wrestling knows this means Evans is replacing Ciampa, and while I hate the fact Ciampa is hurt (he’s still one of my favorites), I hope this brings him back with Prince Nana to battle Evans when he heals up.
Kevin Steen and Michael Elgin – There was a huge promo where Kevin Steen and Michael Elgin had words. Steen listed out why he doesn’t like Elgin, which comes down to the fact that Steen always wants to steal the show, but a couple of months back, Elgin and Davey Richards stole the show. He also pointed out that he has SCUM behind him but Elgin’s House of Truth partners aren’t there for him. Elgin then said “actions speak louder than words” and attacked all three men. The numbers game took control, and while Roddy Strong refused to help Elgin, the Disciples of Truth and Rhino finally saved him.
SCUM vs. C&C Wrestling Factory – The match was decent enough, but never really felt like a world championship tag team match. I love Jimmy Jacobs having the title, but Steve Corino has really slowed down lately. I will admit, this was one of Jacob’s better performances since returning to ROH, but there is something lacking in his work as well. C&C looked great, as usual, and looked like they could have pulled out the win if not for the intentional DQ. But, C&C have now beaten the Briscoe Brothers, World’s Greatest Tag Team and SCUM, which tells me their time is coming. I did like Michael Elgin saving C&C after the match, despite Truth screaming from the entrance.
Mike Mondo and Maria – Ok, I think Maria was pretty funny in this sketch as she talked about how gross Mike Mondo is. Then he shows up and kisses her again and she was great after the fact. However, a storyline based on a face who has now molested a heel’s girlfriend twice is just demented.
Nothing
The first two matches were better than the main event, and Ring of Honor came back from their Road Rage break in nice fashion. I love how Jim Cornette did not show his face and the Kevin Steen-Michael Elgin promo was great. SHOW RATING: 6.5 |
By: Tony Acero
WWE RAW 10.08.12:
QUICK RESULTS
– Ryback Defeated Primo and Epico [NR]
– Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara Defeated The Prime Time Players [**]
– Sheamus Defeated Wade Barrett via DQ [***]
– Team Hell No Defeated Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio [***]
– Team Rhodes Scholars Defeated Santino Marella and Zack Ryder [**]
– Eve Defeated Kaitlyn [NR]
– CM Punk fought Vince McMahon to a No Contest [**1/2]
STATE OF THE WWE ADDRESS: My biggest complaint about Vince’s first moment on TV was the fact that he didn’t really address anything within the WWE. Sure, he started that way, but this was truly just another vehicle for the Punk heel turn. The difference, however, is that I actually cared. Not to say that Foley and Bret didn’t do well in their roles, but this all seemed much more different and much more personal. It felt more behind the curtain and Heyman was also perfect. His facial expressions were top notch. The slap came out of nowhere and was just vicious. This, of course, lead to McMahon going crazy and demanding a match. My immediate response was that it was ridiculous and some cheap way to get us excited as fans…then the match happened.
And a match it was! Wow, it was great! There was something. I was talking to Greg DeMarco about it and he claimed the reason why I liked it was because, “It was the most ‘Attitude Era’ Raw in several years.” Was this the reason? I tend to agree, but this isn’t me wishing that those days were back. No, it just shows that when passion and some bad assery are involved – as well as emotional investment – it makes for good television. This entire thing as odd as to how exciting it was. I felt like a kid again. This was the first time that I felt Punk was going to be “taught a lesson” and the first time that I felt he SHOULD be taught a lesson. Was it the McMahon character, the McMahon insert, or just the fact that it was more vicious than most things we’ve seen? I’m still not sure I know the answer, but it was a great moment and a pretty solid RAW .
WADE VS SHEAMUS: Expectations were high, here, and they could have gone the easy route and just let Sheamus demolish Wade, but they went the right route and let them fight. And boy what a fight it was! These two went balls to the wall, and left welts! Wade’s eye and Sheamus’ gut showed some harsh blows to each men, and it wasn’t just random fighting. Psychology was involved, and moreover, it proved that – at least for the past two weeks – Sheamus has had the best matches on RAW, both against very different wrestlers. This should help to dissuade any naysayers that this man is overrated. Good shit.
CESARO Any match with Kidd almost always gets an automatic Right from me. He’s an unsung hero that deserves more. Even with that considered, Tyson has a spot on the roster as of now, and Cesaro beating him doesn’t hurt him since there’s nothing to hurt. Cesaro is higher on the food chain, and Kidd will make him look great. As he did here.
DIVAS: Ok, the wrestling wasn’t all that great, but it wasn’t bad either! This is in the Right because a) there’s a focus on the Divas with an actual storyline and b) They look like they know what they’re doing! If they aren’t that great in the ring; it’s not that big of an issue as long as there is improvement. They will not be able to improve without actually practicing their craft. I don’t know how long this will last, and I can only hope that soon there will be improvement, but for now I will applaud actual efforts.
THANKS FOR COMING, CENA.: So Cena came back after two weeks gone and I can’t say that I missed him. He brought back the cheesy humor that he actually has left aside for a few weeks now, and talked about a man’s nipples….He also said nothing new here other than the fact that he’s still around and he’s going to be at Hell in the Cell. This would mean even less by the end of the show. So, this was essentially a waste of time.
OPERATION REPAIR RYBACK: After last week’s fiasco of Tensai and Ryback’s match, it appears they’ve gone into slight repair mode with Ryback. I’m not saying he was damaged by the moment, but WWE seems to think so and has resorted back to the job squad rather than giving him another big opponent to handle before possibly going up against CM Punk. It’s nothing too large to complain about, but does have me worried. Can Ryback handle a big match? We have yet to find out…
BRODUS/TRUTH/KIDS: I won’t complain too much about this, even though it was nonsensical. Vince interrupting it pretty much is laughing at us because it’s obvious he knows how ridiculous it is. This is the type of segment that should be there for the live audience, not for the TV watching audience, but it was small enough not to matter.
TAG TEAM, BACK AGAIN: I’m not opposed to Rey and Sin Cara winning the tag match between the PTP, but I didn’t expect it, even though I should have…At any rate, this is in puRgatory, mainly because the match kind of sucked. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but it was boring. I find it funny that Rey is made to be the one with speed and agility, when he’s the more broken down dude. Anyways, it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good, and I’m excited to see them go against Rhodes and Sandow – it was just there.
SCHOLARS VS DUMMIES: Another match where the winners weren’t in question, and again, it wasn’t anything special. A means to an end, was what this match was, really. Afterwards, the Job Squad 2012 came out and proceeded to look completely out of their element. Fine for what it was, but nothing spectacular.
NOTHING
NOTHING
Completely surprised at how good this episode was. It wasn’t the greatest, but it WAS a complete 180 from last week. We had solid matchups with Bryan/Kane and Del Rio/Ziggler, Sheamus and Barrett, and even CM Punk and McMahon. We had minimal squash matches, and nearly everything (save for the dancing segment and Cena) was with reason and lead to something. Not every episode needs to be TOP NOTCH, but it DOES need to lead to something, and this most definitely did. SHOW RATING: 8.0 |
YEAR IN REVIEW (PPV) by Csonka:
TOP PPVs:
* New Japan Pro Wrestling’s King of Pro Wrestling iPPV – 9.5
* Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur iPPV 8.4
* TNA Destination X – 8.3
* DGUSA Open the Ultimate Gate 2012 iPPV – 8.2
* DGUSA Mercury Rising 2012 iPPV – 8.1
* WWE Extreme Rules – 8.0
* EVOLVE 13 iPPV – 8.0
* ROH Border Wars iPPV – 8.0
* WWE WrestleMania 28 – 7.9
* DGUSA Enter the Dragon Gate 2012 iPPV – 7.8
* TNA Hardcore Justice – 7.7
* DGUSA Untouchable 2012 iPPV – 7.6
* ROH Best in the World iPPV – 7.5
* ROH 10th Anniversary iPPV – 7.4
* TNA Slammiversary – 7.4
* ROH Showdown in the Sun: Night One iPPV – 7.4
* EVOLVE 12 iPPV – 7.3
* TNA Sacrifice – 7.2
* EVOLVE 16 iPPV – 7.1
* WWE Money in the Bank – 7.0
* EVOLVE 17 iPPV – 7.0
* EVOLVE 14 iPPV – 7.0
* EVOLVE 11 iPPV – 7.0
* ROH Boiling Point iPPV – 7.0
* WWE Summerslam – 6.9
* EVOLVE 15 iPPV – 6.8
* TNA No Surrender – 6.7
* WWE Night of Champions – 6.6
* TNA Victory Road – 6.5
* TNA Against All Odds – 6.5
* WWE Over the Limit – 6.5
* CZW Down with the Sickness iPPV 5.0
* TNA Genesis – 5.0
* WWE Royal Rumble – 5.0
* WWE No Way Out – 4.9
* WWE Elimination Chamber – 4.0
* TNA Lockdown – 3.0
TOP PPV MATCHES:
* From NJPW King of Pro Wrestling iPPV – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki [*****]
* From The ROH Showdown in the Sun: Night Two iPPV –ROH Title Match: Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin [****¾]
* From WWE Over the Limit – WWE Title Match: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan [****½]
* From WWE WrestleMania 28 – Hell in a Cell: The Undertaker vs. Triple H [****½]
* From DGUSA’s Untouchable 2012 – CIMA and AR Fox vs. El Generico and Samuray Del Sol [****½]
* From WWE Night of Champions – WWE Title Match – John Cena vs. CM Punk [****¼]
* From DGUSA’s Enter the Dragon Gate 2012 iPPV – I QUIT Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Chuck Taylor [****¼]
* From TNA Slammiversary – Tag Team Title Match: Kaz and Daniels vs. Kurt Angle and AJ Styles [****¼]
* From WWE Extreme Rules – World Title Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus [****¼]
* From DGUSA’s Mercury Rising 2012 – Low Ki, BxB Hulk and Akira Tozawa vs. Ricochet, PAC and Mazaaki Mochizuki [****¼]
* From EVOLVE 11 iPPV – Fit Finlay vs. Sami Calihan [****¼]
* From TNA Destination X – TNA Title Match – Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode [****¼]
* From NJPW King of Pro Wrestling iPPV – Low Ki vs. Kota Ibushi [****]
* From NJPW King of Pro Wrestling iPPV – Kazuchika Okada vs. Karl Anderson [****]
* From TNA No Surrender – AJ Styles and Kurt Angle vs. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian [****]
* From TNA Hardcore Justice – Bound for Glory Series Ladder Match – AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe [****]
* From TNA Hardcore Justice – TNA Title Match – Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode [****]
* From DGUSA’s Enter the Dragon Gate 2012 iPPV – Open the United Gate Tag Team Title Match: AR Fox and CIMA vs. Rich Swann and Ricochet [****]
* From WWE Extreme Rules – John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar [****]
* From WWE Money in the Bank- WWE Title Match: Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk [****]
* From WWE Extreme Rules – WWE Title Match: Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk [****]
* From EVOLVE 11 iPPV – Low Ki vs. El Generico [****]
* From EVOLVE 13 iPPV – El Generico vs. Sami Calihan [****]
* From DGUSA’s Untouchable 2012 – Open the Freedom Gate Title Match – Johnny Gargano vs. Akira Tozowa [****]
* From DGUSA’s Mercury Rising 2012 – Open the Freedom Gate Title Match – Johnny Gargano vs. Masato Yoshino [****]
* From DGUSA’s Open the Ultimate Gate 2012 – Open the United Gate Tag Title Match: Chuck Taylor vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet and Masato Yoshino [****]
* From DGUSA’s Open the Ultimate Gate 2012 – Akira Tozowa vs. Masaaki Mochizuki [****]
* From WWE WrestleMania 28 – WWE Title Match: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho [****]
* From The ROH Best in the World iPPV – Hybrid Fighting Rules: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly [****]
* From The ROH Showdown in the Sun: Night One iPPV – Last Man Standing Match – Kevin Steen vs. El Generico [****]
* From TNA Sacrifice – AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle [****]
* From TNA Destination X – Last Man Standing Match – AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels [****]
* Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur iPPV – Ladder Match: Gran Akuma vs. Icarus [****]
* From EVOLVE 17 iPPV – Samuray Del Sol vs. El Generico [****]
* From EVOLVE 15 iPPV – Samuray Del Sol vs. El Generico [****]
* From EVOLVE 14 iPPV – Samuray Del Sol vs. El Generico [****]
* From DGUSA’s Enter the Dragon Gate 2012 iPPV – I QUIT MATCH: Johnny Gargano vs. Chuck Taylor [****]
* From DGUSA’s Enter the Dragon Gate 2012 iPPV – Open the United Gate Tag Team Title Match: AR Fox and CIMA vs. Rich Swann and Ricochet [****]
* From EVOLVE 17 iPPV – Ricochet vs. AR Fox [***¾]
* From WWE Night of Champions – Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler [***¾]
* From WWE No Way Out – WWE Title Match – CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Daniel Bryan [***¾]
* From TNA Destination X – Bound For Glory Series Match: Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe [***¾]
* From TNA Slammiversary – X-Division Title Match: Austin Aries vs. Samoa Joe [***¾]
* Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur iPPV – Campeonatos de Parejas Match: Chuck Taylor vs. Johnny Gargano © vs. The Young Bucks [***¾]
* From NJPW King of Pro Wrestling iPPV – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hirooki Goto [***¾]
* Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur iPPV – Lucha de Apuesta: Mask vs. Hair Match: Hallowicked vs. Tim Donst [***¾]
* Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur iPPV – Eddie Kingston, Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Soldier Ant & Green Ant defeated 17, The Shard, assailANT, combatANT, deviANT [***¾]
* From TNA Sacrifice – Austin Aries vs. Bully Ray [***¾]
* From TNA Lockdown – Bobby Roode vs. James Storm [***¾]
* From WWE Over the Limit – World Title Match – Sheamus vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio [***¾]
* From WWE WrestleMania 28 – The Rock vs. John Cena [***¾]
* From The ROH Best in the World iPPV – ROH World Title Match: Davey Richards © vs. Kevin Steen [***¾]
* From The ROH Border Wars iPPV – ROH World Title Match: Davey Richards © vs. Kevin Steen [***¾]
* From The ROH Showdown in the Sun: Night One iPPV – ROH World Title Match: Davey Richards © vs. Roderick Strong vs. Eddie Edwards [***¾]
* From TNA Victory Road – Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy [***¾]
* From TNA Against All Odds – TNA X-Division Title Match: Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley [***¾]
* From The ROH 10th Anniversary iPPV – Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole vs. Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly [***¾]
* From DGUSA’s Mercury Rising 2012 – El Generico vs. Lince Dorado vs. Rich Swann vs. Cima vs. Chuck Taylor vs. Samurai Del Sol [***¾]
* From EVOLVE 12 iPPV – Fit Finlay vs. Jon Davis [***¾]
* From EVOLVE 12 iPPV – AR Fox vs. Sami Calihan [***¾]
* From EVOLVE 13 iPPV – Low Ki vs. Jon Davis [***¾]
* From EVOLVE 13 iPPV – DGUSA Open the Dream Gate Title Match: Johnny Gargano vs. AR Fox [***¾]
* CZW Down with the Sickness iPPV – Title Unification Ladder Match: AR Fox (CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion) vs. Dave Crist (CZW Wired Television Champion) [***¾]
NEW PODCASTS:
Thoughts From The Man Cave – Sex Tapes Edition: Larry Csonka joins the Man Cave for another glorious look at the state of pro wrestling. We’ll start with all things WWE, looking at Vince McMahon’s return to TV, CM Punk’s pairing with Paul Heyman, and everything else going on in the company. Then we’ll preview this weekend’s TNA Bound For Glory event, running down all the matches and giving our thoughts on the build and the possible fallout. And yes, we discuss the Hulk Hogan sex tape. You can listen to the show at this link.
Thoughts From The Man Cave: UFC 153 Preview – UFC on FX 5 Review: Samer Kadi joins the Man Cave to review UFC on FX 5 and preview UFC 153. First we’ll look back on this past Friday’s UFC on FX card where we’ll wonder why Dana White is so insecure, talk about whether or not Travis Browne’s injury changed the outcome, and Samer will praise his favorite fighter Mike Pierce. Then we’ll look at UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar and talk about every aspect of the main event accept the technical aspect of the actual fight. Finally we’ll preview the rest of the main card, which is very strong from top to bottom. You can listen to the show at this link.
Bad Movie Review Club: Nude Nuns With Big Guns: 411’s Sean Comer joins the Man Cave and 411’s Jeremy Lambert for the October edition of the Bad Movie Review Club. This month we tackle Nude Nuns With Big Guns, which is as awesome as the title sounds. We’ll review the movie scene-by-scene, spot the Robert Rodriguez rip-offs, and even pitch Nude Nuns With Big Guns 2. This has been my favorite movie to review thus far and I encourage everyone to check out the movie. Plus we’ll unveil our November pick for the Bad Movie Review Club. You can check out the show at this link.
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