411’s DGUSA Bushido: Code of the Warrior 2011 Review

Masato Yoshino vs. AR Fox
This was the first match in a series of matches tonight between American stars and DG talent.

Excellent, no sound to start the match. They started with some mat work, but Yoshino ended that with a Sick Kick. Fox came right back with his running up the turnbuckle moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Fox started working over Yoshino with holds (color me surprised). FUCK THE WORLD: Huge editing cut and all of a sudden Yoshino has Fox in an octopus abominable stretch, and there is still no sound. What a joke. Fox quickly comes back with a Finlay roll, and a 450 Splash for a near fall. ANOTHER HUGE CUT, and Yoshino hit his top rope dropkick. Sound is finally here. Yoshino hit torbelino and locked in Sol Naciente. Fox passed out (or tapped out) and Yoshino got the win.

I haven’t attempted to re-watch this match since a week after it first aired, but I don’t think the sound has been fixed yet. I can’t really judge the match until I see it properly.

The Spiked Mohicans came out to confront Yoshino. Ricochet mocks Yoshino for losing the tag title belts to them, and then they jump Yoshino. PAC ran in to make the save. Ricochet says PAC looks ready for a fight, so we get…

PAC vs. Brodie Lee
This was the second match in the series of American stars vs. DG talent.

PAC quickly dropkicks Lee and hits a beautiful corkscrew somersault plancha. Tozawa jumps PAC on the outside, which allows Lee to get the heat. In the ring, Lee hits a hurricanranna and suicide dive, which pops the crowd. Dastardly heel tactics right there. Lee beats PAC around the ring, but PAC comes back with a stiff kick. Lee dodged a ring apron moonsault and took PAC down again with a big right hand. Back in the ring, Lee gets some more heat on PAC. Lee distracted the ref, while Tozawa attacked PAC on the outside. Tozawa throws PAC back into the ring into the waiting hands of Lee. Tozawa blantantly interferes from the outside, but the ref does nothing. PAC gives Tozawa a baseball slide, and sends Lee to the outside. PAC to the ring apron: ASAI MOONSAULT. PAC hits a springboard dropkick and a middle turnbuckle corkscrew plash for a nearfall. PAC goes for another springboard move but Lee gives him a big boot in mid-air. PAC avoids the Liger bomb but eats a superkick. PAC comes back with an enzugiri and huge German suplex. PAC kicks Lee’s head off, but Lee comes right back with a half-nelson suplex. TRUCK STOP: 1…2…PAC KICKS OUT! Lee sets PAC up on the top rope, and hits a DRAPING SPIKE DDT: 1…2…PAC KICKS OUT AGAIN! Lee sets up for the Liger bomb, but PAC gets a nearfall with a roll up. PAC kicks Lee’s head off, and hits a Shooting Star Press. Back to the top rope: CORKSCREW SHOOTING STAR PRESS: 1…2…3!

Very strong match here. These two had excellent chemistry and produced some really fun action.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Tozawa tries to jump PAC, but PAC saw it coming. Rich Swann then came out for their match. Swann says he wants a Rap Battle, but Tozawa says that the people would rather listen to him sing…and TOZAWA IS SINGING! I have no idea what Tozawa was singing but it was BEAUTIFUL! Swann superkicked him and the match starts.

Akira Tozawa vs. Rich Swann
Third match in the DG vs. US match series.

They start out fast and furious. Swann fakes a dive to the outside as Tozawa recovers from his performance being interrupted. Swann got some shots in the ring. They started brawling on the floor, and Tozawa was able to hot shot Swann on the steel steps. Tozawa threw a chair at Swann in front of the referee. The ref didn’t seem to mind. Tozawa brought Swann back in the ring to work him over. Tozawa started dry humping Swann in the corner. Okay. Swann came back after that with a standing hurricanranna (Tozawa was on the top turnbuckle). Swann followed that up with a somersault plancha. Swann went for a crossbody, but Tozawa turned into a gutbuster. Tozawa with a backdrop driver: 1…2…NO! Swann came right back with a handspring ace crusher. Swann went for a jumping 450, but Tozawa rolled out of the way. Swann avoided a big German suplex and hit a Trouble in Paradise. Swann followed that up with a cartwheel splash: 1…2…NO! TOZAWA WITH A BIG EVEREST GERMAN: 1…2…NO-SWANN KICKED OUT! Swann with a crucifix pin: 1…2…3! SWANN WINS!

A fun fast paced match. Swann’s timing and execution has improved so much. Tozawa was his usual great self, but I wish he was getting a stronger push in DGUSA.
Match Rating: ***1/4

BxB Hulk comes right out for his match with Gargano…The pacing of this show (every match bleeds into the next match) is a nightmare.

BxB Hulk vs. Johnny Gargano
The final match in the DG vs. US series. Swann was the first American born star to win a match in the series.

They start with some crowd pleasing, back and forth action. Gargano got an advantage first and locked in a Cloverleaf variation, but Hulk made the ropes. The ref got distracted at one point, which allowed Hulk to kick Gargano in the balls. Hulk started to go to work on Gargano after that. Hulk dropkicked Gargano out of the ring, and worked him over some more. Hulk then spit some wine in Gargano’s face. Gargano came back with some chops but Hulk cut him off quickly with some stiff kicks. Hulk brought Gargano back in the ring, still in complete control of the match. Standing Shooting Star Press: 1…2…NO! Gargano finally came back with his nifty rolling kick and his slingshot spear through the ropes. Double Stomp from Gargano! Hulk tried to go for a hurricanranna, but he got caught with a Demon Bomb. Gagrano followed that up with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Gargano delivered some forearms, but Hulk cut him off with some more stiff kicks. Standing Corkscrew senton from Hulk: 1…2…NO! They started trading some big moves and kicks. Eventually, Gargano hit a big lariat and both men went down. Gargano hung Hulk up in the ropes and hit a nice superkick. Gargano went to the tope, but Hulk got up and knocked him out with a spinning kick. Hulk to the top rope: SUPER POWERSLAM: 1…2…NO! Gargano came back with a Lawn Dart, Superkick, and a Hurt’s Donut: 1…2…NO! TRANSITIONED INTO THE GARGANO ESCAPE: BXB HULK TAPS OUT!

Another fantastic match from Johnny Gargano. Hulk’s heel character is a huge improvement over his happy go-lucky dancing character. Gargano winning gives him a lot of momentum going into his title shot at Freedom Fight.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Pinkie Sanchez vs. Sabu [South Philly Street Fight]
These two had a sloppy brawl back at Way of the Ronin, so it is only natural that DGUSA books the match again…sigh. I actually really like Pinkie, but Sabu’s style is cliché and it doesn’t entertain as much because he has (understandably) slowed down so much

Sabu’s hair is growing back. Pinkie jumps Sabu from behind and the two start brawling. Sabu took Pinkie down with a lariat and hit a slingshot sommersault legdrop. Pinkie wiped him out with a suicide dive. Pinkie went for another suicide dive but Sabu threw a chair at him as he came through the ropes. Sabu then hit the Triple Jump Plancha. Sabu brought a table in the ring. Sabu brought Pinkie back into the ring, but Pinkie hit a snap DDT. Sabu got back up and threw another chair in Pinkie’s face. Sabu went to the top rope, but Pinkie threw a chair at Sabu’s ass. Another chair to Sabu’s face. Sabu came right back with an Arabian Facebuster. Sabu followed that up with an Arabian Facebuster through a table. Sabu locked in the camel clutch, but Pinkie refused to tap. Sabu hit Pinkie in the back with a chair repeatedly, and then locked in the Camel Clutch again: Pinkie tapped.

This match was not good. They didn’t botch anything but they didn’t sell anything either and the crowd didn’t really care.
Match Rating: **

Sami Callihan and Arik Cannon jumped Sabu after the match. AR Fox tried to make the save, but he was no match. Jon Davis ran in and single handedly took out the D.U.F. Davis launched Pinkie out of the ring onto Callihan and Cannon. That looked awesome.

Yamato© vs. Chuck Taylor [Freedom Gate Title]
Taylor earned this match by pinning Sami Callihan in a four way match that also involved Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino. The stipulation of that match was that the winner would get to book any match fir his stable. That was Taylor’s first singles win in DGUSA during 2011, obviously making him a prime contender for challenging for the World Title. Yamato recently had his head shaved at the Dragon Gate: Gate of Destiny PPV.

Yamato couldn’t get the upperhand early, which put Chuck over for being able to hang with Yamato as they exchanged holds. Taylor actually applied a Figure Four early which popped the crowd. Taylor stayed in control for a few more minutes with submissions. Yamato escaped and the two men started trading chops in the corner. Taylor’s chest was welted up and bleeding after that exchange. Yamato got control briefly, but Taylor hit Sole Food and his beautiful somersault plancha. Taylor started choking out Yamato with a camera wire on the floor. Taylor rolled Yamato back in the ring and hit a top rope dropkick. Taylor tried to make Yamato tap with a leg lock after that, but Yamato made the ropes. Yamato came back with a big boot and a brainbuster: 1…2…NO-transitioned into a crippler crossface…Taylor makes the ropes. Taylor came right back with a powerbomb and a Rock Bottom: 1…2…NO! Taylor to the top rope and went for a moonsault, but Yamato rolled out of the way. Taylor landed on his feet, and started to sell a leg injury. BUT HE WAS PLAYING POSSUM: SMALL PACKAGE: 1…2…NO! Taylor tried for an Awful Waffle but Yamato escaped and went for Galleria. Taylor escaped that and hit an AWFUL WAFFLE: 1…2…3! BUT YAMATO’S LEG WAS ON THE ROPES! The referee awards Taylor the belt, but everyone else knows that Yamato’s leg was on the ropes. The referee asks Gargano if the leg was on the ropes, and Gargano tells the ref the truth. The match is restarted. Taylor hits a superkick bit gets caught in a Gallerria: 1…2…TAYLOR KICKS OUT! Yamato locks in another crossface, and Taylor is forced to tap. Gargano appears distraught and Taylor steals the belt.

This was a really good match, but the ending holds it back from being great to me. The match seemed to be the first two-thirds of a great title match that put Taylor over strong as a championship worthy wrestler, but the ending distracted from that story and turned the audience’s attention to the much less productive Gargano/Taylor sibling rivalry story. I don’t dislike the Ronin breakup story entirely, but I definitely do not like it coming at the expense of a World Title match. Yamato and the championship come across as props in the Gargano/Taylor feud.
Match Rating: ***1/2

***The next two paragraphs offer more analysis of the match but they contain Freedom Gate Title spoilers for the Freedom Fight iPPV***

Also, this rivalry doesn’t feel organic the way it would if Taylor just lost an ultra-competitive match to Yamato, and then by having Gargano defeat Yamato at Freedom Fight. In the current scenario, Yamato looks like a less deserving champ for getting phantom pinned by Taylor, Gargano looks like a less legitimate Champ for defeating Yamato, and Taylor’s feelings as being the “real champ” aren’t really that warranted because it was still only a phantom pin. In other words, none of them are as over as they could and should be. If Taylor lost clean to Yamato in a great match, Taylor would get over as a main eventer, and Yamato would be more over as champ for defending in a competitive match. Then Gargano would be more over as champ when he is the one who defeats Yamato. Taylor would then naturally feel pissed off at Gargano for accomplishing what he could not. Taylor’s jealously for Gargano’s success would write itself, without coming at the expense of the title.

I get that DGUSA is trying to give Taylor a somewhat legitimate reason for feeling that he should be the champ, but any good that comes from that is counterproductive if it distracts from the World Title and makes Yamato and Gargano look like less deserving champions. This rivalry comes across like there are writers pulling the strings to make Gargano and Taylor feud. Rivalries in wrestling come across better when the decisive results in the ring dictate the tension.

***End of Freedom Fight Spoilers***

The Spiked Mohicans of Blood Warriors (Ricochet & CIMA)© vs. The Dirty Ugly Fucks (Sami Callihan & Arik Cannon) [United Gate Titles]
D.U.F. have defeated the Dark City Fight Club, Masaaki Mochizuki & Susumu Yokosuka, and AR Fox & Yamato in DGUSA to earn this title match. This is their first main event in DGUSA. Both teams are heels, which makes it a strange choice for a main event. I guess they had no choice after the shenanigans at the end of the Freedom Gate match.

The ref was distracted early and Brodie Lee came in and delivered a big boot to Callihan. Ricochet then hit a big handspring somersault plancha. B.J. Whitmer ran and chased Brodie away. Callihan then hit a suicide dive on everyone. Cannon and Callihan spit beer in CIMA’s face. The crowd did not seem to care about that or the D.U.F. in general. The Mohicans started working over Callihan after that. Callihan started to get pumped up and slapped CIMA in the face. Callihan finally tagged Cannon, and the crowd went…mild. The crowd finally woke up after a great exploder suplex from Cannon on Ricochet. Ricochet came back with a standing shooting star for a nearfall. Sami got CIMA in the Stretch Muffler but Ricochet made the save. Ricochet hit a reverse hurricanranna on both Cannon and Callihan (separately). Cannon recovered and killed Ricochet with a lariat, but CIMA hit Cannon with a backstabber. Callihan took out CIMA, but Ricochet hit Callihan with a lionsault for a nearfall. All four men traded some stiff strikes until Cannon hit a big brainbuster on Ricochet: 1…2…NO! CIMA then hit Cannon with a Schweign and Ricochet followed that with a 630 Splash: 1…2…3

This was a good, but not great, main event. The crowd took forever to get into the match. The heel vs. heel dynamic probably didn’t help, but eventually the crowd rallied behind the DUF. CIMA and Ricochet are an excellent choice to carry DGUSA’s tag division going forward and I hope they hold the belts for the majority of 2012.
Match Rating: ***1/2

The 411: This was a frustrating show in a number of ways. The main event was fine but it wasn’t up to the standards of DGUSA main events. I detailed extensively my concerns with the Freedom Gate Title match, and that is definitely the main source of my frustration. DGUSA arguably has as much talent as any promotion in the world but the lack of logic in the booking (especially how title challengers are determined) at times frustrates me to no end. Things don’t seem to be getting better on that end as Mochizuki and Yokosuka were given a tag title shot for the January Wrestlereunion show. They have had one tag match in DGUSA previously, and they lost it. How does it make sense that they get a title shot? If DGUSA expects fans to treat every show like a PPV, every title match needs to be properly built up and made to feel important.
Final Verdict: Thumbs in the Middle, leaning Up (mostly for the very good first half of the show).

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