NJPW: The New Beginning In Osaka 2020 Review (February 9th, 2020)

NJPW: The New Beginning in Osaka

February 9th, 2020 

1) Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, & Yuji Nagata vs. Tomoaki Honma, Toa Henare, Togi Makabe, & Ryusuke Taguchi 

This is Nakanishi's last match in Osaka before retirement so there's a lot of legends in this one from Nagata to Honma to Taguchi. This was a simple, feel good opener as Kojima gets the pinfall with an assist from Nakanishi in his Osaka farewell. 

Match rating - **1/4

2) Roppongi 3k (Sho & Yo) (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru - IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title Match 

Sho & Yo are so consistent as a team and they delivered another super solid effort here. Desperado & Kanemaru targeted the knee of Sho and worked it from bell to bell which built the comeback of R3k that resulted in them retaining the titles. Good stuff all the way around. 

Match rating - ***1/2

Post match, Taguchi comes out with a basketball. Asks Rocky Romero to team with him to challenge R3k for the junior tag titles. Rocky accepts and holy hell this is gonna rule. Rocky & Taguchi are such solid veteran hands and after Rocky's insane BOSJ performance last year I am super stoked to see him mix it up with the two men he's had under his wing for years. 

3) Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay vs. Guerillas of Destiny, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi 

Soooo admittedly and obviously, Bullet Club is not what it used to be and is way past it's heyday but to be honest, I still sorta fuck with it. Whether it's full of all stars or not, or the concept is burnt out or not, everyone currently in the group has a great grasp on the schtick and I enjoy it no matter how cringe it can be sometimes. But none the less, this went about how you'd expect. The faces win and BC attacks them immediately after the bell. I love the Tana/Ibushi tandem, I hope they can spice up the tag title scene over the next few months. 

Match rating - **3/4 

4) Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi

The two main events from Sapporo collide here in tag action and it's great fun. Ospreay and Sabre still have some unfinished business so the fire is still under that and Okada is Okada and he's perfect for hot finishing sequences so when you bring that to tag form it's sick. Nothing crazy here, but real good tag match with a nice closing stretch.

Match rating - ***1/2 

5) Jay White vs. SANADA 

To preface this, I actually skipped this match on my original watch through of this whole show so that probably tells you where I stand with these two. But they honestly turned this into a fairly enjoyable match. Although Sanada has become less interesting to me as time has gone on, Jay has grown on me and despite some overbooking/interference this had some good exchanges near the end. Sanada loses and officially is 6 months without a victory, that's rough. Maybe they can pull a good story out of that!

Match rating - ***

6) Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Ryu Lee - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match

The epic feud continues here between the freshly returned and crowned IWGP Junior Champion Takahashi and the former Dragon, Ryu Lee. This was just as awesome, if not more so than all their previous encounters. It started off differently with a stiff chop battle that went a good 5 or so minutes, something not normal for the junior style especially in the year 2020. Lots of crazy spots thrown in here too though to keep with the tradition of both these men being completely out of their minds against one another. After a barnburner, Takahashi retains. I actually liked this a little more than his match with Ospreay at WK last month that also got rave reviews. Match of the night.

Match rating - ****1/2

7) Jon Moxley (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki - IWGP US Heavyweight Title Match 

From the moment this erupted on the second night of Wrestle Kingdom, I was insanely excited. An absolute dream match and the start of it with Moxley going up the ramp and challenging Suzuki to come get him which ensued a chair duel was the perfect kick off to a great brawl that played to both men's strength. A death rider onto a chair ends it with Mox retaining after a 15 minute slugfest. 

Match rating - ****

8) Testuya Naito (c) vs. KENTA - IWGP Heavyweight and IC Title Match 

Naito made history at Wrestle Kingdom becoming the first ever double champion in New Japan history. He also FINALLY defeated Okada after years of falling short. For those reasons, this first defense is super important. The start of a new era and the question of if Naito can stand the test of time against a newly motivated, and villainous KENTA. I found myself very enthused heading into this which I don't think I would have believed if you told me 8 months ago. But KENTA joining BC envigorated so much more interest in him after the age began to show in his initial return and honestly, how could anyone expect the Kenta from 14 years ago to show up? But regardless the KENTA of 2020 has sunk his teeth into a new dynamic and I think it's awesome whether the opinions on it are split or not. The Bullet Club frontman brought his cohorts to the ring with him only for them to be booted and the first 15 mins of this match end up being a cat/mouse game by KENTA with an insanely slow build which can either sit wrong or right with me but I loved it here. Now admittedly the climax out of this control sequence didn't quite hit me right, I did enjoy the Hiromu spot where he interfered to save Naito from a Jay White assault considering what's to come between them. The final 10 minutes of the match ruled with the action picking up and Naito getting busted open which added to the drama as he bled profusely in the process of putting KENTA down for the three count. This was an overall good match, but not the epic I thought it could be heading into it and even in the opening moments. Still a great first defense for Naito none the less as he bleeds for his spot as double champion. 

Match rating - ***3/4

Post match, Naito challenges stable mate Hiromu Takahashi to the annual Heavy vs Jr champion match at the upcoming Anniversary show. YESSSSS. CANNOT WAIT to see those two go all out as I'm sure they will for such a big match.

2020 Match Rating Archive/Best Matches of the Year Tracker

You know the drill. Anything worth a look/around ***1/2 or over gets logged here. Updated regularly, follow @ThePWTruth on Twitter for notifications!

JANUARY:

Riho (c) vs. Nyla Rose vs. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida - AEW Women's Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 1/1/20 - ***3/4

Jon Moxley vs. Trent? - AEW: Dynamite - 1/1/20 - ***1/2

The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega vs. PAC, Pentagon Jr, & Fenix - AEW: Dynamite - 1/1/20 - ****

Jon Moxley vs. Lance Archer (c) - IWGP United States Title Match/Texas Death Match - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 14 - 1/4/20 - ***1/2

Will Ospreay (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi - IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title Match - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 14 - 1/4/20 - ****1/2

Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kota Ibushi - IWGP Heavyweight Title Match - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 14 - 1/4/20 - ****1/2

El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Roppongi 3k (Sho & Yo) - IWGP Jr Tag Title Match - NJPW: WrestleKingdom 14 - 1/5/20 - ***3/4

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Juice Robinson - IWGP United States Title Match - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 14 Day Two - 1/5/20 - ***1/2

KENTA (c) vs. Hirooki Goto - NEVER Openweight Title Match - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 14 - 1/5/20 - ****

Chris Jericho vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW: WrestleKingdom 14 - 1/5/20 - ****

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito - IWGP Heavy/IC Title Match - NJPW: WrestleKingdom 14 - 1/5/20 - ****3/4

Shingo Takagi & EVIL vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto - NJPW: New Year Dash - 1/6/20 - ****

Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis - WWE: NXT UK Takeover Blackpool - 1/12/20 - ***1/2

Kay Lee Ray (c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven - NXT UK Women's Title Match - WWE: NXT UK Takeover Blackpool - 1/12/20 - ***3/4

Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin - WWE: NXT UK Takeover Blackpool - 1/12/20 - ****

Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (c) vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster vs. Grizzled Yung Vets (Zack Gibson& James Drake) vs. IMPERIUM - Ladder Match for NXT UK Tag Titles - WWE: NXT UK Takeover Blackpool - 1/12/20 - ****1/4

The Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. LAX vs. Best Friends - AEW: Dynamite - 1/15/20 - ***3/4 

PAC vs. Darby Allin - AEW: Dynamite - 1/15/20 - ****

Pete Dunne & Matt Riddle vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster - WWE: NXT - 1/15/20 - ***3/4

Isaiah Scott vs. Lio Rush vs. Tyler Breeze - WWE: NXT - 1/15/20 - ***3/4 

Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt - Strap Match - WWE: Royal Rumble - 1/26/20 - ****1/4 

FEBRUARY:

Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shingo Takagi - NEVER Openweight Title Match - NJPW - 2/1/20 - ****

Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Will Ospreay - British Heavyweight Title Match - NJPW: New Beginning in Sapporo - 2/2/20 - ****1/4 

Angel Garza vs. Isaiah Scott - WWE: NXT - 2/5/20 - ***1/2

Shingo Takagi, EVIL, & BUSHI (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, & Robbie Eagles - IWGP Trios Title Match - NJPW: Road to New Beginning - 2/6/20 - ****

Roppongi 3k (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru - IWGP Jr Tag Title Match - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/9/20 - ***1/2

Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr & Taichi - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/9/20 - ***1/2

Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Ryu Lee - IWGP Jr Title Match - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/9/20 - ****1/2

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki - IWGP US Title Match - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/9/20 - ****

Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. KENTA - IWGP Heavyweight Title Match - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/9/20 - ***3/4

Becky Lynch vs. Asuka - WWE: Raw - 2/10/20 - ***1/2

Hangman Page & Kenny Omega (c) vs. Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky - AEW Tag Team Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 2/12/20 - ***3/4

Riho (c) vs. Nyla Rose - AEW Women's Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 2/12/20 - ***3/4

Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Will Ospreay - British Heavyweight Title Match - Rev Pro: High Stakes - 2/14/20 - ****1/2

Keith Lee (c) vs. Dominik Dijakovic - North American Title Match - WWE: NXT Takeover Portland - 2/16/20 - ****1/4

Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai - Street Fight - WWE: NXT Takeover Portland - 2/16/20 - ****

Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano - WWE: NXT Takeover Portland - 2/16/20 - ****

Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish (c) vs. Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne - NXT Tag Team Title Match - WWE: NXT Takeover Portland - 2/16/20 - ****1/4

Jon Moxley vs. Jeff Cobb - AEW: Dynamite - 2/19/20 - ***1/2

Hangman Page & Kenny Omega (c) vs. Lucha Bros - AEW Tag Team Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 2/19/20 - ****1/4

Cody vs. Wardlow - Steel Cage Match - AEW: Dynamite - 2/19/20 - ***3/4

Kenny Omega vs. PAC - Iron Man Match - AEW: Dynamite - 2/26/20 - ****1/2

Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara - AEW: Revolution - 2/29/20 - ***1/2

Hangman Page & Kenny Omega (c) vs. The Young Bucks - AEW Tag Team Title Match - AEW: Revolution - 2/29/20 - ***** - MOTY CONTENDER

Cody vs. MJF - AEW: Revolution - 2/29/20 - ****

PAC vs. Orange Cassidy - AEW: Revolution - 2/29/20 - ***1/2

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Jon Moxley - AEW Title Match - AEW: Revolution - 2/29/20 - ***3/4

MARCH:

The Dark Order vs. Colt Cabana, Christopher Daniels & Scorpio Sky - AEW: Dynamite - 3/4/20 - ***1/4

PAC vs. Chuck Taylor - AEW: Dynamite - 3/4/20 - ***1/4

Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin & Jon Moxley - AEW: Dynamite - 3/4/20 - ***1/4

Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak - WWE: Elimination Chamber - 3/8/20 - ****

Masato Tanaka (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita - DDT K-OD Title Match - DDT: Judgement - 3/20/20 - ***3/4

APRIL:

Daniel Bryan vs. Sami Zayn (c) - Intercontinental Title Match - WWE: WrestleMania 36 - 4/4/20 - ***1/4

John Morrison vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jimmy Uso - Ladder Match - WWE: WrestleMania 36 - 4/4/20 - ****

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins - WWE: WrestleMania 36 - 4/4/20 - ****

The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles - Boneyard Match - WWE: WrestleMania 36 - 4/4/20 - ****1/4

Finn Balor vs. Fabian Achner - WWE: NXT - 4/22/20 - ***1/4

Timothy Thatcher & Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish - WWE: NXT - 4/22/20 - ***1/4

Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara - AEW: Dynamite - 4/22/20 - ***1/4

Darby Allin vs. Cody Rhodes - AEW: Dynamite - 4/29/20 - ****

Lance Archer vs. Dustin Rhodes - AEW: Dynamite - 4/29/20 - ***3/4

MAY:

Johnny Gargano vs. Domonik Dijakovic - WWE: NXT - 5/6/20 - ***1/4

Jon Moxley vs. Frankie Kazarian - AEW: Dynamite - 5/6/20 - ***1/4

Kenny Omega & Matt Hardy vs. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara - AEW: Dynamite - 5/6/20 - ****

The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) (c) vs. Lucha House Party (Gran Metallik & Lince Dorado) vs. John Morrison & The Miz vs. The Forgotten Sons - WWE: Money in the Bank - 5/10/20 - ***3/4

Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Seth Rollins - WWE Championship Match - WWE: Money in the Bank - 5/10/20 - ****

Kenny Omega & Matt Hardy vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) - AEW: Dynamite - 5/13/20 - ***1/2

Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara - AEW: Dynamite - 5/20/20 - ***1/4

The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, The Young Bucks) & Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Santana, Ortiz, & Jake Hager) - Stadium Stampede Match - AEW: Double or Nothing - 5/23/20 - ****1/2

JUNE:

Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest - WWE: NXT Takeover In Your House - 6/7/20 - ****

Charlotte (c) vs. Io Shorai vs. Rhea Ripley - WWE: NXT Takeover In Your House - 6/7/20 - ****

Edge vs. Randy Orton - WWE: Backlash - 6/14/20 - ****1/4

JULY:

John Morrison vs. Matt Riddle - WWE: Smackdown - 7/3/20 - ***1/2

Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (c) vs. Private Party - AEW Tag Team Title Match - AEW: Fyter Fest N2 - 7/8/20 - ***3/4 

Lance Archer vs. Joey Janela - AEW: Fyter Fest N2 - 7/8/20 - ***1/2

The Young Bucks & FTR vs. Lucha Bros, Butcher & Blade - AEW: Fyter Fest N2 - 7/8/20 - ****

Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy - AEW: Fyter Fest N2 - 7/8/20 - ****

Shingo Takagi (c) vs. SHO - NEVER Openweight Title Match - NJPW: Dominion - 7/12/20 - ****

Kevin Owens vs. Buddy Murphy - WWE: Extreme Rules - 7/19/20 - ***1/2

The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura - Tables Match for the WWE Tag Team Titles - WWE: Extreme Rules - 7/19/20 - ***1/2

Cody (c) vs. Eddie Kingston - TNT Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 7/22/20 - ***3/4

The Young Bucks vs. Butcher & Blade - Falls Count Anywhere Match - AEW: Dynamite - 7/22/20 - ***3/4

AUGUST:

The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, & FTR vs. The Dark Order - AEW: Dynamite - 8/5/20 - ****

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Darby Allin - AEW World Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 8/5/20 - ***3/4

TJP, ACH, & Alex Zayne vs. PJ Black, Blake Christian & Misterioso - NJPW: Strong - 8/14/20 - ***1/4

Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher - WWE: NXT Takeover XXX - 8/22/20 - ***1/4

Sonya Deville vs. Mandy Rose - WWE: SummerSlam - 8/23/20 - ***

Seth Rollins vs. Dominic - Street Fight - WWE: SummerSlam - 8/23/20 - ***3/4

Sasha Banks (c) vs. Asuka - Raw Women’s Title Match - WWE: SummerSlam - 8/23/20 - ****

Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton - WWE Championship Match - WWE: SummerSlam - 8/23/20 - ****1/4 

Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki - NEVER Openweight Title Match - NJPW: Summer Struggle - 8/29/20 - ****

Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori - IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title Match - NJPW: Summer Struggle - 8/29/20 - ***1/2 

Zack Sabre Jr & Taichi (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi - IWGP Tag Title Match - NJPW: Summer Struggle - 8/29/20 - ***1/2

Big E vs. Sheamus - WWE: Payback - 8/30/20 - ***1/2

SEPTEMBER:

The Young Bucks vs. Jurassic Express - AEW: All Out 2020 - 9/5/20 - ***3/4

Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (c) vs. FTR - AEW World Tag Team Title Match - AEW: All Out 2020 - 9/5/20 - ****1/4

Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy - Mimosa Mayhem Match - AEW: All Out - 9/5/20 - ****

Jon Moxley (c) vs. MJF - AEW World Title Match - AEW: All Out - 9/5/20 - ****1/4

Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor - NXT Championship Match - WWE: NXT - 9/8/20 - ***1/2 

Rhea Ripley vs. Mercedes Martinez - Steel Cage Match - WWE: NXT - 9/8/20 - ***3/4

Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) vs. LAX/Proud & Powerful (Santana & Ortiz) - Parking Lot Fight - AEW: Dynamite - 9/16/20 - ****1/4

Minoru Suzuki vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night One - 9/19/20 - ****1/4

Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night Two - 9/20/20 - ****1/2

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Eddie Kingston - AEW World Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 9/23/20 - ***3/4

Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night Four - 9/24/20 - ****

Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn - Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship - WWE: Clash of Champions - 9/27/20 - ****1/4

Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night Five - 9/27/20 - ****

Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night Five - 9/27/20 - ****1/4

OCTOBER:

Damian Priest (c) vs. Johnny Gargano - North American Title Match - WWE: NXT Takeover 31 - 10/4/20 - ***3/4

KUSHIDA vs. Velveteen Dream - WWE: NXT Takeover 31 - 10/4/20 - ***3/4

Santos Escobar (c) vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott - Cruserweight Title Match - WWE: NXT Takeover 31 - 10/4/20 - ****1/4

Io Shirai (c) vs. Candice LeRae - NXT Women's Title Match - WWE: NXT Takeover 31 - 10/4/20 - ***3/4

Finn Balor (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly - NXT Title Match - WWE: NXT Takeover 31 - 10/4/20 - ****1/4

Brian Cage vs. Will Hobbs - AEW: Dynamite - 10/7/20 - ***1/2

Brodie Lee (c) vs. Cody - Dog Collar Match for the TNT Title - AEW: Dynamite - 10/7/20 - ***3/4

Jeff Cobb vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night 13 - 10/10/20 - ****1/4

Will Ospreay vs. Taichi - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night 13 - 10/10/20 - ****

Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night 13 - 10/10/20 - ****1/4

Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night 13 - 10/10/20 - ****3/4

AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Seth Rollins - WWE: Raw - 10/12/20 - ***1/4

Will Ospreay vs. Jeff Cobb - NJPW: G1 Climax Night 15 - 10/13/20 - ***3/4

Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Night 15 - 10/13/20 - ***3/4

Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Finals - 10/18/20 - ***1/2

Kota Ibushi vs. SANADA - NJPW: G1 Climax 30 Finals - 10/18/20 - ****1/4

Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, & Raul Mendoza vs. Isaiah Scott, Jake Atlas, & Ashante Adonis - WWE: NXT - 10/21/20 - ***1/4

Penta El Zero M vs. Rey Fenix - AEW: Dynamite - 10/21/20 - ****

Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, & YOSHI HASHI (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & DOUKI - NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title Match - NJPW: Road to Power Struggle - 10/23/20 - ****

Jay Lethal vs. Tracy Williams - ROH Pure Title Tournament - ROH TV - 10/23/20 - ***3/4

Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks - Hell in a Cell Match for the Women’s Title - WWE: Hell in a Cell - 10/25/20 - ****1/2

Io Shorai (c) vs. Candice LeRae - TLC Match for the NXT Women’s Title - WWE: NXT Halloween Havoc - 10/28/20 - ****

Kenny Omega vs. Penta El Zero M - AEW: Dynamite - 10/28/20 - ****1/4

WALTER (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov - NXT UK Title Match - WWE: NXT UK - 10/29/20 - *****

NOVEMBER: 

Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page - AEW: Full Gear - 11/7/20 - ***1/2 

Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara - AEW: Full Gear - 11/7/20 - ***1/2

FTR (c) vs. The Young Bucks - AEW World Tag Team Title Match - AEW: Full Gear - 11/7/20 - ****1/2 

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Eddie Kingston - “I Quit” Match for the AEW World Title - AEW: Full Gear - 11/7/20 - ****1/4

The Young Bucks (c) vs. Top Flight - AEW World Tag Team Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 11/18/20 - ***1/2

Cody Rhodes & Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage & Ricky Starks - AEW: Dynamite - 11/18/20 - ***

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne - Ladder Match - WWE: NXT - ***3/4 

El Desperado vs. DOUKI - NJPW: BOSJ 27 - 11/29/20 - ***1/2

Master Wato vs. SHO - NJPW: BOSJ 27 - 11/29/20 - ***1/4

Taiji Ishimori vs. BUSHI - NJPW: BOSJ 27 - 11/29/20 - ***1/2

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Robbie Eagles - NJPW: BOSJ 27 - 11/29/20 - ****1/4

Jeff Hardy vs. Elias - Symphony of Destruction Match - WWE: Raw - 11/30/20 - ***

AJ Styles vs. Keith Lee vs. Matt Riddle - WWE: Raw - 11/30/20 - ***1/4

DECEMBER:

DOUKI vs. Yuya Uemura - NJPW: BOSJ 27 - 12/2/20 - ***1/4

Hiromu Takahashi vs. SHO - NJPW: BOSJ 27 - 12/2/20 - ****

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Kenny Omega - AEW World Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 12/2/20 - ****1/4

Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, & Big E vs. Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, & Dolph Ziggler - Pat Patterson Tribute Match - WWE: Smackdown - 12/4/20 - ***1/4

Candice LeRae, Raquel Gonzalez, Toni Storm, & Dakota Kai vs. Shotzi Blackheart, Io Shorai, Rhea Ripley, & Ember Moon - War Games Match - WWE: NXT War Games - 12/6/20 - ***3/4

Leon Ruff (c) vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest - NXT North American Title Match - WWE: NXT War Games - 12/6/20 - ***3/4 

Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish vs. Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch & Pat McAfee - War Games Match - WWE: NXT War Games - 12/6/20 - ***1/4 

The Young Bucks vs. Jack Evans & Angelico - AEW: Dynamite - 12/9/20 - ***1/2

Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado - NJPW: BOSJ 27 Finals - 12/11/20 - ****3/4

Kenny Omega (c) vs. Laredo Kid - AAA Mega World Championship Match - AAA: TripleMania - 12/12/20 - ****1/4

Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, & The Blade vs. Lance Archer, Evil Uno, & Stu Grayson - AEW: Dynamite - 12/30/20 - ***1/2

TO BE CONTINUED. . . . . . . . . . . 

WWE: NXT on USA Review - December 11th, 2019

Coming off a hot Survivor Series showing that boosted them over AEW in the weekly ratings war, can NXT keep the momentum?

1) Lio Rush (c) vs. Angel Garza - Cruserweight Championship Match

Okay, so, this match answered my opening question right of the bat - yes. This is easily one of the best WWE/NXT matches of 2019 and one of, if not the best cruserweight title match since the title's reintroduction. No offense to Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, or even Buddy Murphy, but these two crushed this title match. Lio Rush is just such a good dickhead and Angel Garza is super easy to love. Rush jumping Garza before the lights even came on during the ring introductions fucking RULED. And set the tone for a way more aggressive cruserweight title match than we are used to. This had what most of them lack - urgency. A reason to stay glued to your screen. And they kept from bell to bell along with a hot, wild ass finishing stretch to boot with a bunch of false finishes for a very responsive crowd. I am FIRED ~ UP ~. Angel Garza wins a banger via submission to become the new cruserweight champion. I want a rematch, god dammit.

Match rating - ****1/4

Shayna Basler video package airs talking about her match with Rhea Ripley next week, she says she's just another trend of the week that will fall to her.

Finn Balor promo is next and it's GOOD. He runs down Keith Lee and Tommasso Ciampa in route to their match later on to determine who faces Adam Cole for the NXT Title.

2) Cameron Grimes vs. Raul Mendoza

Cameron Grimes is Trevor Lee's WWE incarnation for those who didn't know and its... weird. But the booking of it match wise has been good so far. He stomped everyone in quick matches for a few weeks only for KUSHIDA to beat him last week. This led to Grimes having a breakdown and attacking KUSHIDA backstage. Which leads us here where Raul Mendoza scores an upset win in an extremely short amount of time thanks to KUSHIDA coming down and distracting Cameron Grimes. Ready for that rematch!

3) Travis Banks vs. Jackson Ryker

Thank the lord this was short and thank the lord Banks won. That's all.

4) Mia Yim vs. Dakota Kai

First off, Mia Yim rules. That was the big highlight of this. Kai won the match which was fairly short, but decent. After the match, Yim snapped and suplexed Kai off a balcony through two tables in dangerous fashion in the crowd. DANGEROUS. So sick, though.

4) The Singh Brothers vs. Fandango & Tyler Breeze

This was honestly pretty fun. Fandango almost killed one of the Singh brothers with a powerbomb on the apron at one point which was brutal. Breezango wins.

Match rating - **

6) Bianca Belair vs. Kayden Rose

Squash for Bianca. Luv her. Bye.

7) Finn Balor vs. Keith Lee vs. Tommaso Ciampa - #1 Contender's Match

This was super fun, especially towards the end with the exchanges they came up with. However to me, it just couldn't match the Garza/Rush match from earlier. Which is a super weird thing to think about when you look at both on paper. I hate to say it but I feel like Finn being on coast mode until the finishing stretches typically drags his matches down. Keith Lee ruled all around here and Ciampa was fine. The big highlight wasn't one person, but moreso the various spots near the end. Very innovative finish with Finn getting the win. God help us during his match with Cole, I hope they both bring their A game.

Match rating - ***1/2

NXT on USA Review - October 2nd, 2019

Wednesday Night Wars are on and underway. I admittedly watched AEW live and just caught the NXT replay, but I'm reviewing them both and posting at the same time.

I haven't watched NXT since Takeover 25 so I have a little catching up to do but let's get to it!

1) Adam Cole (c) vs. Matt Riddle - NXT Title Match

Insane choice for an opener, but it was definitely the right move because the crowd was red hot and ate every bit of this up. We all know the story going into this without even really having to look into it, Cole is the cocky, smug reigning champ and Riddle is the vicarious challenger. The fans eat it up and Cole & Riddle give us one hell of a bombfest that hit every marker for the 15 minutes or so they were in the ring. Amazing energy and not one mis-step. Awesome contest with Cole retaining by use of his cast despite multiple moments where it felt like Riddle was gonna come out on top. Much better than Cole/Gargano at Takeover 25 oops.

Match rating - ****1/4

Post-match, I get goosebumps as FINN GOD DAMN BALOR returns to NXT. He comes to the ring and simply says "As of now, Finn Balor is NXT" and Cole scurries away. This is gonna rule. It's what Balor needed and will be a huge boost to my interest (and I'm sure others' interest) in NXT on Wednesday nights.

Velveteen Dream comes out and declares his intent on getting the North American Title from Roderick Strong.

NEXT WEEK: Drew Gulak defends the Cruserweight Title against Lio Rush

2) Mia Yim vs. Io Shorai

AEW: Dynamite on TNT Review - October 2nd, 2019

It's AEW's first live broadcast. on TNT from Washington, DC - SOLD OUT.

The Wednesday night Wars begin ~~~~

1) Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara

Interesting, but sorta logical choice for the first ever Dynamite. Including one the biggest names in Cody to kick things off makes sense, but looking on paper a Cody/Guevara match isn't very appealing. They somehow really busted out a great, high energy opener here though which ended with a handshake/moment that will be remembered as an epic piece of foreshadowing.

Match rating - ***1/2

And after the match, Cody's arch rival for months and the man he will challenge at Full Gear, the first PPV since the AEW TV era next month, CHRIS JERICHO hits the ring for a god damn beatdown. Oh, he's also the AEW Champion how must I forget. Good stuff to get Jericho in during the first half hour.

2) Brandon Cutler vs. MJF

This was essentially just a showcase for MJF. I'm really excited that Cutler got the job and chance to work with AEW bc of his association with the Bucks. The Cutler Bros ruled in a circa 2009-10 era PWG so this is well deserved. I doubt he will ever be more than a quick sprint guy and that is fine because he's a very solid base esp in this position. MJF goes over and looks good.

Match rating - **

3) PAC vs. Hangman Page

As you probably know, this was supposed to happen back at Double or Nothing in May, but PAC pulled out for Dragon Gate or disagreements or whatever reason. BUT he is here now and we get this match. Hangman is still a big hit or big miss for me. Here, he was decent enough however PAC was what really shined to me just because he's such a good villain right now. This was solid though, super hard hitting and urgent - exactly how it should have been.

Match rating - ***1/2

4) Riho vs. Nyla Rose - AEW Women's Title Match

This match is to crown the first ever AEW Women's Champion. Both women get good responses. I am admittedly pretty unfamiliar with both, but I left a fan of them both. Very good first display for what the women's division will be in AEW despite not being a barnburner like I'm sure some had hoped. But definitely a fantastic first showing for both women in my opinion, as someone who was unfamiliar with both. RIHO wins and is my new favorite wrestler <3

Match rating - ***1/4

5) Chris Jericho, Ortiz, & Santana vs. The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega

Lord have mercy. So, the match was whatever. Basic wild Elite six man tag. All the angles, the finish and post match was the must see part of this. Jon Moxley runs down to beat the hell out of Kenny Omega and put him through a glass table during the middle of the match to hype their upcoming bout at Full Gear. Eventually, the bad guys go over and we proceed to get a segment that I never expected to ever see in my life, much less get excited over. Jericho and his LAX buddies proceed to continue to take advantage of the 3 on 2 advantage on the Bucks. Cody Rhodes runs down because ELITE/BULLET CLUB 4 EVER only to get lowblowed by the man who shook his hand earlier Sammy Guevara. DUSTIN RHODES is out next cause he ain't having that shit. Dustin cleans house only to get taken out by.... JACK SWAGG-- I mean.. JAKE HAGER. What the fuck. This was so hype. I admittedly I always oddly liked Jake in WWE under the name Jack Swagger, and just felt he was under utilized and this debut felt like a total rebirth. He clears everyone out to an insanely hot and responsive crowd.

Jericho, Ortiz, Santana, Guevera, and Hager all stand tall to close the show and it looks like we have our first stable in AEW!

Final thoughts: They tried to cram a lot in here to get every character and a feud a good start on this big first night and with that in mind, it felt a litle cramped at times, but that will shake out in the next few weeks (I'm writing this in retrospect). The ending of this left me insanely stoked to see what comes next and all in all, this was the best episode of wrestling TV in a long time and definitely felt like the start of a new era.

AEW: Fyter Fest 2019 Review - June 29th, 2019

Saturday, June 29th, 2019

Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, & Alex Marvez

1) Christopher Daniels vs. CIMA

As a SoCal/Dragon Gate mark, this was a really hype opener choice. These two go back even further than So Cal or Dragon Gate though, with 20 years of history this is something that will be looked back on in 10-20 years when AEW is (hopefully) rolling super strong and developing a legacy. This was a simple little action packed match that did just what it should. They didn't try to steal the show or go to the long, they busted this 10 minute or so match out and hit the road. Great showing for CIMA with a huge meteora for the win.

Match rating - ***

2) Nyla Rose vs. Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki 

This honestly exceeded my expectations. Not familiar at all with any of those women, plus a rough moment or two early made me doubt, but boy did they make a believer out of me. They got this crowd on it's feet with a number of crazy exchanges and nail biting near falls. Nyla Rose got made into a star with an insane showing here despite taking the pin fall to Rohi.

Match rating - ***1/2

Excalibur welcomes Kip Sabian to the commentary team. He faces the winner of the upcoming four-way match!

3) Hangman Page vs. MJF vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Jungle Boy

These are four vastly different individuals, but this meshed super well and makes me have strong faith in the depth of AEW's roster. All four of these guys in particular can be stars in completely different capacities and we got to see a glimpse of it all here. Hangman Page gets a big victory despite working with an injured knee.

Match rating - ***1/4

4) Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin 

It's crazy seeing Darby Allin in a slot like this. The Seattle native is one of the most unique characters in today's game and on this night he debuted a theme song by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal which aptly fits his vibe as he carried a body bag with Cody's name on it to the ring. Despite all this praise to Allin, I never expected this to be as good as it was. I think it's about time everyone stop knocking Cody because he took Allin to a 20 minute draw here and it ruled from start to finish. The work on Cody's arm and Darby's back was superb. The coffin drop on the apron spot was insane. This was just all around great and they worked the final few minutes super well. Stoked for the re-match!

Match rating - ***3/4

Post-match, Shawn Spears shows up and wraps a fucking steel chair around Cody's head. This made headlines being the first head shot with a chair in ages and god damn it was rough. Cody needed 20 staples afterwards.

5) The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr, Rey Fenix, & Laredo Kid

I'm a sucker for these matches and this was no different. So much insanity and fun. They some manage to do something new and innovative every time, and in this case, they established a new name in Laredo Kid. What a fucking debut. But yeah, this was exactly what you'd expect. Craziness and on the edge of your seat action from beginning to end.

Match rating - ****1/4

6) Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela

Moxley's first main event in America since leaving WWE and he & Janela gave us a match that lived up to its billing. Tables, barbed wire, and thumbtacks were among the weapons used in a contest built around the deathmatch daredevil of the independents 10 years ago against the young man in that role now. This did a good job of establishing where Moxley's character will go in the company as well as Janela's, which is super important with him being a fresh face.

Match rating - ****

Post-match, Kenny Omega brutally attacked Moxley to hype their upcoming match in August.

NJPW: Best of the Super Juniors 26 Review Thread

Starting off behind as usual, going to be keeping this an archive for all the matches from the 2019 BOSJ that I watch/review.

Marty Scurll vs. Jonathan Gresham - Night One - 5/13/19

I'm so glad Gresham got this opportunity and although I was super sour on Scurll near the end of his run in BC, he's back on his own and actually pretty enjoyable again especially in matches like this. Gresham keeps everything grounded and from being wacky and it's great. Just a pure back and forth wrestling match. The crowd seems to be taking really kindly to Gresham so I think he came out of this looking well despite taking the loss.

Match rating - ***1/4

Shingo Takagi vs. SHO - Night One - 5/13/19

This is a match that had extreme heading in. R3K and Bushi & Shingo have been embroiled in an awesome feud for the junior titles for the past few months. Shingo is undefeated and SHO is determined to beat him despite having the disadvantage in experience, size & momentum. This made for an incredible match that more than delivered in the expectations that everyone held for it. In fact, it's my favorite NJPW match this year so far and that's saying something. Matches like this make the BOSJ feel so important and matches like this make stars. SHO is the future. And Shingo? If his Dragon Gate and independent resume didn't already solidify him as one of the best in the past decade, his run in New Japan right now most definitely is and I think that will be one of the big stories of this whole tournament.

Match rating - ****3/4

Dragon Lee vs. Taiji Ishimori - Night One - 5/13/19

Crowd was completely burnt out heading into this one and so was I. Sho & Shingo tore it down in the semi-main and there was no way they were going to follow this. None the less, it was still a good little match. Ishimori gets his win back over Dragon Lee finally, but BARELY. Lee hit a dvd on Ishimori in the corner that was NASTY as fuck. I honestly don't see how Ishimori came out of it unscathed.

Match rating - ***1/2

Rocky Romero vs. Robbie Eagles - Night Two - 5/14/19

I mainly watched this because I'm excited to see Rocky Romero back in high stakes action. He's so underrated. This is Rocky's first BOSJ appearance in three years and Robbie's first apperance ever. They work a pretty smart match here showcasing Eagles' tunnel vision ability as he focused on Rocky's leg from the jump. They went back and forth and played that into the finish with a 450 on Rocky's leg before locking him in a submission to tap him out. Big win for Robbie.

Match rating - **3/4

Will Ospreay vs. BUSHI - Night Two - 5/14/19

This started off slow, but picked up for the second half. Ospreay's neck was the focal point of things and they milked a 20 count really well following a brutal DDT on the apron. Ospreay fights back and hits all his stuff on BUSHI for the win. My prediction is Ospreay and Shingo in the finals of this whole thing.

Match rating - ***

Bandido vs. El Phantasmo - Night Two - 5/14/19

A really fun sprint that gave both fairly new talents a chance to properly showcase what they could do and I think it went over really well.

Match rating - ***1/4

Dragon Lee vs. SHO - Night Three - 5/

Another banger from SHO here. Huge match for him as he's challenging the champion and even though he doesn't take the win, it felt like he was going to on several occasions due to how well they executed everything and the atmosphere the crowd created.

Match rating - ****

Bandido vs. YOH - Night Four - 5/16/19

Neither of these men had won in the tournament at this point so there was a real sense of urgency in this one. Both guys kept it simple and crisp and this was a perfect little undercard match. Bandido rules, YOH rules. The depth of this tournament RULES. Fun stuff.

Match rating - ***1/4

Will Ospreay vs. Rocky Romero - Night Four - 5/16/19

Okay, here we go. So the first few days of the tournament were fun and had a banger or two, but as we crawl closer into the tournament, we get a number of must-see matches that I think are on the level they are due to the stories built and told within the tournament itself, including this one. Rocky is in this tournament with something to prove after a few years away and he takes Ospreay to the absolute brink here and it's nuts. This would be just the start of an inspirational run from Rocky and god damn it's awesome. Ospreay triumphs in the end after a clinic.

Match rating - ****1/4

Dragon Lee vs. Jonathan Gresham - Night Five - 5/18/19

Simple little 10 minute match here. Mainly watched bc I'm a Gresham stan, it saddens me this didn't get more time, but you can't win 'em all and gotta keep the champ looking strong after he gave SHO so much the night before. Still good fun, though.

Match rating - **1/2

Shingo Takagi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru - Night Five - 5/18/19

Shingo is looking to roll undefeated through this tournament so that story creates a lot of good matches. Kanemaru had Taichi run interference here and it made for a great comeback for Shingo that the crowd popped for. Another W for the Dragon.

Match rating - ***1/2

Will Ospreay vs. YOH - Night Six - 5/19/19

Ospreay's on a killer streak just like Shingo with something to prove. YOH has the pressure of how insane of showing SHO had against Shingo in his big main event and boy, he delivered. Not quite on the same level, but he was fiery as fuck and Ospreay gave him probably his best singles match.

Match rating - ***3/4

Shingo Takagi vs. Marty Scurll - Night Seven - 5/22/19

This was really similar to the Kanemaru match that Shingo had, except less good because it's Scurll and smh. But anyway, it still was good because Shingo is good and made me dislike Scurll a little less if he would work this way more often.

Match rating - ***1/4

Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo - Night Seven - 5/22/19

An absolute movezfest. Phantasmo's best showing in the tournament so far and another performance from Ospreay that makes him look like the ace that he is on a mission to become.

Match rating - ****

Will Ospreay vs. Bandido - Night Eight - 5/23/19

Dream match here and it fucking delivered. These two are just out of this world athletes and they were running at 100 here. This was everything you'd expect from these two. Ospreay is on a hot ass streak and Bandido more than pulled his weight in arguably his biggest match in the tournament.

Match rating - ****1/4

Dragon Lee vs. Shingo Takagi - Night Eight - 5/23/19

Shingo is undefeated. Dragon Lee is the champion of the division this tournament is based around. This is the most vulnerable Shingo has looked and it is a hell of a ride. Watch this match.

Match rating - ****1/4

Dragon Lee vs. Titan - Night Nine - 5/24/19

Korakuen Hall is hot and this was some fun friendly lucha that gave Titan an extremely good showing. This was a sleeper match in the tournament for me so definitely give it a look if you have a chance because these two have some history and you can tell they know each other well.

Match rating - ***3/4

Rocky Romero vs. El Phantasmo - Night Nine - 5/24/19

Okay. So. Phantasmo had a bombfest against Ospreay. That's fine. But this. I never expected him to be able to put on such a stellar match like this against Rocky Romero in the year 2019. Rocky and his run to prove himself to himself has won the hearts of Japan and they are screaming his name from start to finish and the drama he & Phantasmo created is unreal. One of, if not, THE best match of the tournament. Must watch.

Match rating - ****1/2

Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay - FINALS - 6/5/19

Although, I don't review every single match of this tournament and still have a few I'm going to go back and watch, I think it's safe to say that you can tell who the two stand-outs were. Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay. Every match they had was either must-see or worth a viewing and they elevated every person they stepped in the ring with, as well as themselves. Both men had something to prove. Shingo had his undefeated streak to keep in tact in his first big singles run in NJPW. Will Ospreay had mental battles to overcome and a mission to put Junior division back on the level it should be while also showing he could fill the void that Omega, Kushida, and others had left. And when time for the finals came, that mission also turned into proving that unlike everyone else, he wasn't afraid of Shingo Takagi. So with all that in mind, New Japan really picked the most perfect final they could to a tournament that is already an all timer and what would better way to end an all time great tournament than with the best match of the entire calendar year. With all the backstory and the ability of these two, there was virtually no way this could be anything, but amazing however I don't think many expected the absolute classic that this would become with a super hot crowd and big fight energy. This match will be a standard bearer for future Best of the Super Junior tournaments, a game changer for Takagi AND Ospreay, and a game changer for the entire junior division. My favorite match of the year and my first five star rating of 2019. Watch this match.

Match rating - *****

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Be sure to check out my match rating archive with ratings for all the good-great matches I've watched this year by clicking here!