3 months into 2025 already! Where has the time gone? March has come and gone, which means its time for another look back at the month that was and remember the best matches that I came across. This was a mix bag month, we got roulette, had some days where I did nothing but watch wrestling and others where I couldn't be asked.
But, it was a good month overall for wrestling, with one of the best wrestling shows of the entire year to boot! Why don't we go over those matches, eh?
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Orange Cassidy - AEW Dynamite - 02/26/2025
The last week of February bled into March with a veritable "dream match" for me. Two of my top guys in AEW going head to head on Dynamite. You can't ask for much better, and these guys made this match something to remember. This was a "greatest hits" match, honestly, with both guys doing some of their best offence and matching against each other perfectly. I desperately need these guys to wrestle more, maybe with a couple more minutes on a PPV with a title at stake, really up the ante. I'll never tire of OC and Take, ever.
FTR vs. The Undisputed Kingdom - AEW Collision - 03/01/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 038
Alex Windsor vs. Dani Luna - Dog Collar Match - RevPro Revolution Rumble 2024 - 03/31/2024
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 038
Adam Page vs. MJF - AEW Revolution 2025 - 03/09/2025
The opening match to the best AEW show of not only this year, but in many, many months, Max and Hangers went hell for leather and held nothing back. Continuing to prove that he is the main character of AEW, the flames on the pants of Hangman have turned to embers as his rage towards the people that turned their backs on him have turned to those that really deserve it. Maybe not the face crushing Angels Wings near the end, but Max probably deserved it after giving Page a tombstone on a ringside chair. Exceptional work from both men.
Ricochet vs. Swerve Strickland - AEW Revolution 2025 - 03/09/2025
Moving further and further up the card as organically as I've seen in a while, Ricochet proves that he's worth of standing across from someone the calibre of Swerve. His heelish antics have only gotten more and more devious, going so far as to deface the stole robe of Nana with his own logo for this bout. Giving up little of his high-flying offence that made people initially pay attention to Ricochet so many years ago, all it took was a change of attitude to make him get taken more seriously. He took one of the most dangerous men in AEW to the limit but ultimately couldn't survive, but lived to keep fighting another day, and that's what I'm looking forward to the most.
Toni Storm vs. Mariah May - Hollywood Ending Match - AEW Revolution 2025 - 03/09/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 039
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega - AEW Revolution 2025 - 03/09/2025
A rematch after their insane All Out 2023 match, the Alpha and the Omega do what they do better than most, have incredible matches. The story continues to be about how Kenny's diverticulitis took him out for nearly a year and has only created a target for his opponents to exploit, and Takeshita, under the guidance of the vengeful Don Callis, exploits it at every chance he gets. His knowledge of Omega's injury and desire to do the most damage possible led to one of the nastiest looking side-of-the-table bumps you'll see this year. Their chemistry in ring is insane, and their level of creativity and ability to keep upping the ante is incredible. Two of the very best in AEW doing what few others can replicate.
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher - Steel Cage Match - AEW Revolution 2025 - 03/09/2025
The fourth and, seemingly, final match in their violent rivalry, Ospreay and Fletcher step inside a steel cage with violent intentions and do everything short of actually killing each other. Blood is shed (both men making the wise choice to wear white gear, I respect it), weapons are found after Mark Davis interferes, which took nothing from this match, and some of the most horrific bumps are taken. They made the smart move to use the smaller cage for this show, thankfully abandoning that insane steel cage they used for Cody Rhodes vs. Wardlow (miss you war dog) years ago but it doesn't make coming down off this one any less terrifying. Both men are the future of AEW and I Mean that wholeheartedly. I can't wait to see what they get up to next, separately, together, or against each other.
Ruckus vs. Sonjay Dutt - CZW Cage Of Death 5 - Suspended - 12/13/2003
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 039
Jake Something & Mike Bailey vs. Calvin Tankman & Titus Alexander - DPW Live 7 - 07/26/2024
Speedball x Something, without a doubt one of my favourite tag teams ever, defend their titles in one of their toughest challenges yet, and prove to be more than capable. Knowing what I know about the rest of 2024 for DPW, it's incredible to see Tankman and Something feel each other out here, with Something doing everything in his power to just try and budge Heavyweight Hustle. Speedball and Titus blend together perfectly as well, their striking game better than most and they kick the shit out of each other here. This isn't one of the best matches from SxS, but the bar is so high that even a "not their greatest" match is awesome. Loved the assisted Overdrive in the match too. I just know Jawnny was losing his shit backstage.
Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu - AJPW New Year Wars Super Battle 1986 - Day 25 - 01/28/1986
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 040
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada - AJPW Summer Action Series 1999 - Day 14 - 07/23/1999
El Generico & Kevin Steen vs. The Young Bucks - ROH Final Battle 2009 - 12/29/2009
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 040
Mike Bailey vs. Titus Alexander - DPW Tag Festival 2024 - 07/07/2024
Going off what I said about Speedball and Titus in their tag match from the previous DPW show, they only build off that intensity and chemistry here. Bailey is an exceptional striker, pulling from his Taekwondo background, while Titus comes from a "wrestling family," of sorts, his father wrestling on the indies as JD Bishop, usually billed as "Big Ugly." This is quintessential indie wrestling, heavy handed strikes, innovative and creative offence, and some unreal near falls that pull you in every single time. Really, really fun stuff.
Kevin Blackwood vs. Adam Priest vs. BK Westbrook - DPW Tag Festival 2024 - 07/07/2024
It's been a real joy seeing the slow, gradual, and organic turn of BK Westbrook from slimy, detestable heel to accepted, perseverance babyface. Up to this point in my DPW progress, this is the most BK has been accepted as a face, and he fits the role perfectly. Blackwood has no issues playing either side of the coin, with his vicious offence and attitude sometimes leaning him closer to the heel side of alignment, while Priest is as detestable as they come. It's a great blending of three different styles that works perfectly, creating exciting moments of action with all three men at odds at once, while also allowing moments for someone (usually Priest) to catch their breath and pick their spot. Really fun stuff.
Big Van Vader & Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner - NJPW Masters Of Wrestling - Day 8 - 06/26/1992
This match seems like it would be something you and your buddies would fantasy book over a box of pizza at 11pm on a warm, summer, Friday night. The thought of two of the greatest, most athletic big men in the sport teaming up is tantalizing enough, but prime Steiner Brothers across the ring from them is a thought almost too good to be true. But, rest assured, it is. While this match doesn't live up to the fantasy booked hype, no match ever really can, it's still highly enjoyable with Vader and Bammers taking it to the Steiners in brutal fashion before doing what needs to be done in the rings of Japan and bumping like their lives depend on it. If they got more time and maybe felt more ambitious, this match could really be an all timer, still worth seeking out though.
Jeff Cobb vs. Shingo Takagi - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 in Tokyo Dome - Day 2 - 01/15/2021
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 041
Jack Marciano, Jigsaw, Larry Sweeney & The Dark Breed vs. Team FIST, Men At Work & Mike Quackenbush - CZW High Stakes II: Afternoon Show - 09/11/2004
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 042
And there we have it! March is in the books. Let's hope April is even better with Wrestlemania speeding towards us!
See you guys next month!
No comments:
Post a Comment