Weekly Watchlist 026 - December 8 2024

Whats up my fellow dedicated observers of preordained hostility?

It's been a good week here at Wrestling Vault HQ, a nice break from the fast paced month of November as the holidays start to roll around and things no doubt pick up once again. I'll take whatever victories I can. The DPW library is in the current year, I dig back to a match I've watched far too many times, and I try to understand why so many people want to hear my voice! 

This, and so much more (mileage may vary) in this weeks review!

 

Weekly Roundup

Here's what I watched this week;

Tapping Out

As I sit her on the Friday before this review drops, drafting the last bit of my reviews before I call it for the night, I'm overwhelmed by the response "Tapping Out" has received. At the time of writing this, Part 1 sits at 51 views, making it the most popular post on my blog. With one view less to its name, is Weekly Watchlist #011, featuring WALTER and Dragunov for the NXT UK title at 50 views. Trailing in third is Weekly Watchlist #015, featuring Mankind and Shawn Michaels with 37. I know this may not seem like a lot, but the fact that these reviews have had months to get that many views, and this single post has almost eclipsed them both in less than a week is insane to me. 

If you've checked out my open, honest reflection on my attempt at chasing my wrestling dreams, thank you. If not, there's links all over my blog for it right now so it's not difficult to find. 

Part 2 will drop this Tuesday and part 3 will drop the following Tuesday, 7am, as per usual. Any and all feedback is encouraged and welcomed. I'm planning on doing more audio posts in the future so I want to know what everyone thinks of my first foray into the audio game.

WWE Deadline 2024

NXT's Deadline was this past saturday and I almost forgot about the show until it almost started! How long has it bee since there was 3 wrestling shows over 3 weeks like this? Probably pretty recently, but my brain can be as god as a Goldfish's sometimes, bear with me. (Editors note, he (I) forgot that this post will be going live the same day as WWE's Saturday Nights Main Event, thus making it 4 big shows in a row. He (I) may still comment on it next week. Please do not be alarmed.) A decent show overall that had some fun matches but, by and large, only served to remind me that it's good I don't watch NXT anymore. It's nothing like the black and gold brand I fell in love with years ago.

The mens Iron Survivor match opened the show and there were only 4 men in this match, as Eddy Thorpe was apparently taken out the week before so there was a vacant slot that would be filled by the end of the match. I thought Vic Joseph, who is really, really starting to get on my nerves every time I watch an NXT show, spoiled that it would be Thorpe before the match even started but no, he didn't. Silly me. Oba Femi was the mystery man and won the match, really happy Femi gets a shot at the title and I really, really hope he wins it. Je'Von was great, to no surprise, Frazer pulled double duty and was good, Page and Lee were there too.

Lola Vice and Jaida Parker had an NXT Underground match that was just not good. I really don't get the whole point of these NXT Underground matches. As a concept, I love it. It's WWE's attempt at Bloodsport. The only problem is, WWE can't do Bloodsport because nothing about their company or how their wrestlers are trained to wrestle translates to shoot style matches. There are exceptions, and I'm sure Vice would be one, but when they keep doing the same "go outside the ring for X, brawl at ringside because Y" it becomes derivative and could have easily been a street fight (again) or some other stip. All this did was limit Parker and water down an already weak gimmick match. Hard pass. 

Fraxiom and the Catch Crew had a really fun tag team match. Frazer and Axiom are making a really solid case for them being one of the best teams NXT has seen in a while, at least since the UE was running the show, and this match is another great example. I wish Frazer would let the rib injury and the fact that he's working twice in one night affect him more, especially when he's hitting 450's and still working at a pretty good pace, but I was able to enjoy it nonetheless. Borne and Heights were really good for the NQCC. I'd seen some highlights of their work, especially Tavion Heights' work while he was in NOAH for a bit earlier in the year and they've really impressed me. Hope they keep the ball rolling. 

Trick and Ridge... man... I really don't know, man. Working Ridge's actual, real reputation for injuring people in the ring as a bit of his heel character is kinda grim, especially considering Big E was nearly paralyzed but I've been told that's water under the bridge so what do I know. Trick... god, I feel bad for him. He's been able to organically build himself up to being NXT's most popular guy and was able to break away from Carmelo as his own guy, but I can't really say I see him as champion material. I know "champion material" is kinda subjective and really, they made a smart call giving it to the guy who was blowing the roof off the building every time his music hit, but he's kinda a case of "and then the bell rings" and I can't shake that feeling. Anyways. Not a great match. A sleeper in a bad way. 

Deadline was able to redeem itself with the womens Iron Survivor match in the main event. This was really, really fun and all five women showed out for this match. Wren Sinclair was the scrappy underdog in this match, sort of a similar role to Trick in last years match, except it was pretty obvious she wasn't just going to sweep the match in the last 30 seconds. She was in the ring with 4 stars of the womens division, with Sol Ruca, Zaria, Gulia and Stephanie Vaquer putting on a fantastic match that turned into a crazy sprint at the end. Kudos to all involved, this was great.

Kevin Blackwood vs. Titus Alexander - DPW Live 4 - 01/20/2024

Get jump'd, pal! DPW

Man, it feels great to finally be in the year 2024 for DPW.  For a long time it felt like I was never going to get caught up, like I was just treading water in the "early years" and I was going through the shows way too slow. But here we are, one show after the second anniversary and the first of 2k24. I'm excited and ready to see what this year holds for DPW.

I was hoping I'd be able to find a match from one of the DPW shows as I haven't talked about them in a while and was hoping something would be review worthy. This Blackwood and Alexander match was a bit of a sleeper hit for me, one I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did.Blackwood is someone I've enjoyed in DPW in the past, and Alexander had a fantastic tag match alongside Bryan Keith going against the team of Jake Something and Speedball Mike Bailey, the silent debut of Speedball x Something. 

Alexander does some schtick when he comes through the curtain, visibly upset he gets booed so he goes back, coming out again to the same reception. He tries one more time but this time comes to the ring with his ears covered. Got a chuckle out of me.

Blackwood enters the ring and Alexander jumps him before the bell, forcing the ref to call for it to start the match off hot. Alexander stomps him out and shoves him outside, driving him into the barricade and chopping him against the apron with a heavy handed chop. He has Blackwod in position to throw him over the barricade into the crowd, gesturing for them to clear out. He starts to send Blackwood to the barricade but pulls back and tosses him in the ring, flipping off the crowd as he does so. What a slimy bastard.

Back inside, Blackwood starts to fight back with forearms and shots to the gut. He takes Alexander down with a double leg and drills him with the double stomp quickly, evening the odd with only a few shots early on.

The advantage is short lived, however, as Blackwood sends Alexander into the ropes and he catches Blackwood in the chin with a beautiful dropkick. They exchange vertical suplex attempts, with one guy able to dead weight and stop the other from getting them all the way up, and its Blackwood who's finally able to stop the exchange by catching Alexander's feet for a small package pin but it's only good enough for 2!

Make sure you've got your dentist on speed dial. DPW

With Alexander sent into the corner, he leaps over a charging Blackwood and leaves him to take the corner instead, dropping down to the canvas to catch Blackwood under the chin with, what I can only call, an upkick. I've rarely seen this done before and, honestly, think I've only seen Titus Alexander hit this move. It looks really slick. Alexander tries to take a stunned Blackwood down with a suplex but when he rolls through with the headlock, Blackwood picks Alexander up and drops him with a brainbuster. 

These two are hitting each other hard and delivering some really slick, mean looking offence. This is the kind of shit I love seeing in DPW, two guys just having a great match because they can. 

Blackwood shoots Alexander off into the ropes after a quick combo of shots to the gut, catching his rebounding opponent with a lightning quick, disgusting sounding back elbow. Chris Jericho, take notes pal. Alexander backs himself into the corner and tries to fight Blackwood off, but instead he gets caught with a german suplex, sending him back into the corner. Blackwod has the momentum now, running in with a big eurpoean uppercut and a dropkick to a seated Alexander!

I think these guys just don't want to have teeth anymore. DPW

With Alexander getting his feet back under him, he drives Blackwood in the corner and rolls him back for chaos theory, but Blackwood stops his momentum mid suplex, slipping between Alexander's legs and cracking him with a nasty kick to the back of the head when he realized where Blackwood disappeared to. Blackwood snatches the limp Alexander up and stuffs him with a Death Valley Driver, but it's not enough for a 3 count. 

Blackwood takes Alexander to the corner and opens his chest up with a chop, sending him from one corner to the next and chasing him down. He gets caught with a superkick during transit and dazed for a second, with Alexander taking the chance to hit the ropes with a handspring but Blackwood isn't out just yet! When Alexander hits the ropes with his handspring, Blackwood zeroes in with a dropkick to the chest!

Target acquired! DPW

There's a pinfall attempt by Blackwood but Alexander gets out, with Alexander hitting the ropes again and ducking the offence of Blackwood, until he's finally able to land his handspring cutter for a close 2 count. He wastes zero time, snatching Blackwood up and taking him right back down with a sheer drop brainbuster, but again, barely a kick out at 2. 

Alexander backs Blackwood to the corner again and seats him on the top turnbuckle, trying to wrap his feet around the outside of the ropes but Blackwood is holding fast. Alexander keeps drilling Blackwood with forearms until he's able to get his feet in position, one at a time, attempts punctuated by a forearm shot. Alexander fights for the superplex until he, himself, steps over the ropes for a better position. He gets Blackwood up but he's able to sunset flip up and over, landing on his feet and shoves Alexander down onto his ass on the top rope. He climbs and picks Alexander up, falling backwards with a huge back suplex!

From the fucking ceiling! DPW

Somehow, someway, it's not enough for the 3 count. Alexander is slowly getting to his knees as Blackwood goads him to get up, kicking him in the chest and head as he does so. Alexander responds in defiance, chopping Blackwood as he rises to his feet. Unfortunately, Blackwood is more than happy to go chop for chop, lacing Alexander with a chop that sounds closer to a gunshot than an actual his by a human being. 

They exchange forearms and strikes in the centre, with Alexander taking Blackwood up and over with a german suplex! He gets to his feet and takes off for the ropes, going for another handspring cutter but Blackwood catches Alexander mid cutter with a back suplex! Stunned against the ropes, Blackwood goes for a running kick but Alexander ducks under the shot, grabbing Blackwood from behind and rolling him up and around with chaos theory! He holds him for the pin but still, just 2!

 Blackwood is able to get Alexander in the corner again and catches him with the running boot climbing to the top for a double stomp but Alexander avoids the falling Blackwood, running in with a busaiku knee strike! With Blackwood out on his feet, he sends him into the ropes and catches him on the rebound with the Sweet Time Driver, his version of the Michinoku Driver for the 3 count.

Looks like a sweet time to me! DPW

These two went hell for leather in this match that just barely clocks in under 10 minutes. All gas, no brakes, as they say. Hard shots, quick and mean moves, these guys really had something to prove and wanted to do everything they could with the time they were given. Loved it.

 

The Undertaker vs. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle - WWE Vengeance 2002 - 07/21/2002

Images you can hear. Or I can, at least. WWE

Digging through my memory banks this week, I was racking my brain for a match I hadn't watched in a long time and would make for a good, fun review for the blog. When suddenly, a fond memory came floating through the ether and landed in my lap, the main event of Vengeance 2002. For a while, this was a comfort watch for me. A match that I found early on when I was getting back into wrestling a few years ago, mostly because I was trying to watch Undertaker matches all the time, but quickly turned into a favourite for a whole other reason.

The first time I watched this match, I was hit full force with a tidal wave of nostalgia. No, this wasn't a show or match I remember from my youth, watching through static or a jumbled signal that 6 year old me managed to find one late night. It was the song they used for this show, "Downfall" By TRUSTcompany. A song that probably doesn't mean much to a lot of people, but if you played Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, I'm sure you too have fond memories of rolling around Olliewood or Andy's Room with this song playing in the background. No? Just me? Figured as much. I mean, it's kinda crazy that this song is featured in a Disney game that also has Reel Big Fish's "Sell Out," and Newsboys' "Live In Stereo," a Christian rock band. 

Either way, the nostalgia of a song from my favourite childhood video game and a fantastic triple threat between some of WWE's biggest names made this match a regular watch for me a couple years ago. It's easy to find too! Dailymotion has the full match up there for anyone to watch. But you didn't hear that from me. 

The match starts off with The Undertaker and Rock going nose to nose, bickering back and forth before trading blows. Upset that he's being ignored, Angle gets between them and starts shouting for attention, demanding that "I'm in this match too! I'm Kurt Angle! You will pay attention to me!" Undertaker and Rock are more than happy to oblige Kurt, cracking him with stereo punches that drop the former Olympian. With a boot from the Undertaker (stop the boots, dude) and a clothesline from The Rock, Angle is dumped outside, with Taker and Rocky going at it one on one. 

Angle tries to get back inside but gets sent off the apron after Rock sends Taker into the ropes, flying back down to the ground and nearly colliding with The Undertaker's motorcycle at the bottom of the ramp. Rocky sends Taker over the ropes and Angle sends him into and over the ring steps, with Taker's legs nearly tipping the steps over upon impact. I always loved how The Undertaker hit the ring steps. I've got a real soft spot for the American Badass era of The Undertaker. I know it's not popular to like him when he rode around on his bike, but I did. Fight me. 

Der wunderbare suplex! WWE

Angle joins Rocky inside the ring and suddenly, we find ourselves in Suplex City, as Rocky gets sent up and over with a gorgeous german suplex. Something else I notice around this point in the match is the sound of the ring. Listen to the impact when they stomp or take a big bump, it's got a different sort of clatter to it. Just something I noticed, no other notes. 

Rock and Angle are trading chops in the corner but Rock's offence gets cut short with a belly to belly suplex, with Angle setting up Rock for another whip into the corner but ripcords him around for another belly to belly. Angle is fired the fuck up and more than happy to toss fools around all day long. 

On the outside now, Angle drops Rocky with a lariat but gets caught by surprise by The Undertaker, lying in wait by the apron for Angle to round the corner before decapitating him with a lariat of his own. Undertaker paces back and forth between his downed opponents, choosing The Rock as he marches over with a grin. He takes The Rock inside the ring and starts to beat him down, trying to get some revenge after The Rock interfered in his match at King of the Ring the month before. 

Undertaker catches Rock with a sidewalk slam for a two count as Angle climbs the apron, waiting for his chance to pounce. But Undertaker has his wits about him still, taking Angle off the apron with a solid right hand to the jaw. He turns around to a waiting Rock, who looks to put The Undertaker away with a Rock Bottom but grabs him by the throat instead, planting him with a chokeslam! There's a lot of signature/finishing move stealing in this match, and I really like the excitement it adds. It's so simple, but seeing The Undertaker use the Olympic Slam is such a rare treat that I can't help but get excited. 

Speaking of which, Angle is back in after breaking up a pinfall attempt and starts wailing away on The Rock, but he gets tripped up and put in his own hold! The ankle lock! Angle reverses it effortlessly and catches The Rock with his own move this time, the Rock Bottom! Undertaker is back on his feet and he hits the ropes as the pin is being made, dropping the leg the head of both Angle and Rock to break it. The pin attempt, not their heads, don't be silly.

Two for the price of one, brother. WWE

 With the Rock groggy, Undertaker takes Angle to the corner to start softening him up with punches but Angle fights out, going for the Olympic Slam but Taker slips out, taking Angle up and over with an Olympic Slam of his own! It should go without saying, but Angle gets some insane height on this slam. Rock is back up and catches The Undertaker with a lariat to drop him, sending a charging Angle over the top rope to isolate the Undisputed Champion. He plants Taker with with a spinebuster and the people's champion looks out to the people, his people, allegedly. They know what's next, and they're fired up for it. He tosses the elbow pad and goes for a little rope run, dropping the People's Elbow on The Undertaker but Angle drags The Rock outside before he can go for the pin attempt. Angle tries to steal the pin but it's not quite enough.

With Angle and Undertaker alone in the ring now, Taker pummels Angle in the corner with punches and kicks, really giving credence to that "best pure striker" tagline that JR loves to shout. He tries to shoot Angle from one corner to another but gets reversed, hitting the buckle hard. Angle is quick on his feet, charging in but eats the ring post shoulder first as The Undertaker slips out of the way, falling to ringside as well. Undertaker follows Kurt outside and drives him headfirst into the ring post, collapsing from the impact. Undertaker stands over the corpse of Angle as The Rock marches up behind The Undertaker, grabbing his arm and spinning him around, spraying a mouthfull of water in the champ's face!

The people's backwash! WWE

Rock tries to take Undertaker around to the announce table but gets swatted down and sent across the table himself, falling out of sight as Undertaker returns to Angle. He picks Angle up and starts teeing off with hammer like right hands on the skull of the Olympian, dragging him to the apron and laying him out, his head sticking out towards the crowd. Angle is bleeding but Undertaker doesn't let up, dropping the guillotine leg across the throat of Angle. Angle is stunned and leaking inside the ring now, as Undertaker grabs the arm and wrings it in circles, climbing to the top strand and landing a modified version of Old School, opting for a fist drop to the bleeding target. 

Rock is back inside and gets goozle'd by The Undertaker, seconds away from a chokeslam before The Undertaker breaks the hold, sensing Angle coming up from behind with a steel chair! He catches him with a right and he drops the weapon, staggering around and getting caught with a right hand from The Rock! Taker and Rocky ping pong Angle back and forth with punches as he stumbles around, punch drunk and bleeding until Rocky drops him with a lariat.

For whatever reason, they make sure to distract the ref with Angle's selling of the lariat so the Rock can take Undertaker to Dick Kick City when he tries for another chokeslam. It's a triple threat guys, no rules, remember? And it's a good thing too, because Angle fucking brains The Undertaker with a chair shot. The sound of this shot is disgusting. Angle is still on his feet, stumbling around like the living dead as Rocky gets to his feet and walks towards his bleeding adversary. As if on autopilot, Angle snatches Rock and takes him up and over with the Olympic Slam. I love the idea than even Angle operating on primal, basic instincts, can still drop a sucker with a suplex without even thinking. 

Suplex-ing on autopilot. WWE

All 3 men are down now, but Angle is the most lively of them, somehow. He crawls to The Undertaker and drapes an arm across his chest, but it's only 2. He crawls to The Rock now, grabbing him by the knee pad and laying across his chest, but that isn't good enough for the 3 either. He gets to his feet and starts shouting at The Rock, going for a gut kick but gets caught in a sharpshooter until Undertaker boots Rocky out of his crappy version of the hold. He snatches Rock up and drills him with a Last Ride but Angle grabs the ankle and locks it! Despite what everyone says, The Undertaker has tapped out before, and it was in the lead up to this match, to Kurt Angle! Maybe he'll do it again! 

Undertaker fights to a leg and rolls through the hold, sending Angle flying across the ring before taking Angle up for the Last Ride but Angle shifts his legs, locking in a triangle choke as The Undertaker drops, with Angle holding on. He goes for a modified powerbomb with Angle wrapped around his head but still, Angle refuses to let go! He's able to transition it to a triangle-armbar and Taker starts to fade, with the referee doing the classic "let the arm drop 3 times to see if they're alive." It drops once, it drops twice, and on the third check, Rocky breaks the hold!

It's finisher city now, with a Rock Bottom blocked and turned into an ankle lock but Rocky rolls through for a pinfall attempt. Angle goes for a clothesline on Rock but Taker catches him from his knees by the throat for a chokeslam! Angle is flattened and Rocky catches the champ with a Rock Bottom! He pulls him in for a pin before he can roll away but Undertaker barely, and I mean barely gets the shoulder up before 3. It's a fever pitch right now.

With all 3 men stirring, Angle is on his feet with Undertaker and takes him and up over with an Olympic slam, dropping the straps after he lands! Shit's serious now! He turns around to grab Rocky but gets caught with a Rock Bottom! Rock grabs Angle up for the pin as The Undertaker stirs behind him, crashing down on The Rock to break the pin but he's a second too slow! Earl Hebner's hand hits the canvas 3 times and the bell rings, The Rock is the new Undisputed Champion!

The Olympian has bottom'd out! WWE

Even after watching this match dozens of times over the past couple of years, it never gets old. This is still a comfort watch and I love it so much. All 3 guys in top form and doing everything you'd come to expect in an exciting WWE main event match. We may be in the awkward transitional phase between the attitude era and the ruthless aggression era (that promo was a month before this match but still, we're in the infancy of that era) but this felt like an attitude era main event. Just with less run ins and bullshit going on. The finisher trading was exciting and the fever pitch of big moves and counters at the end was so good. It was hard to predict or figure out what was next and every big move felt like it could be "the one." Love it.

Well, that just about does it for this week. I really enjoyed getting to watch an old favourite this week and feel good about getting further along in the DPW catalogue. It's been nagging at me for weeks now and I'm finally able to check a few more shows off my list. I'll be caught up sooner than later, hopefully. As always, hit me up at cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com if you've got anything to say or suggest, I'm all ears.

Until next time, Cliff Morgan