What's the story, students of spandex skirmishes?
Welcome one and all to another exciting edition of...
The Weekly Watchlist Wrestling Roulette!
Hard to believe I've done 6 of these already, 60 whole weeks. Where has the time gone? As always, I've included the rules of Wrestling Roulette in the Weekly Roundup section for those of you that are just jumping on the train for the first time. If you want to do some catching up, I've tagged all Wrestling Roulette posts so you can dig through the Vault and read just those posts if that's what you're feeling like.
With that out of the way, there's something else I'd like to address. Something a bit more serious and dear to me, personally.
I’ve heard the rumblings recently. No criticism escapes me and I keep all of the receipts. Depression “syndrome” as I’ve heard some uneducated people refer to it is as real as it gets, and it makes doing even things that I love extremely difficult. But therapy tells me that doing what I love can be as good as the strongest medication, so that’s what I’m doing. I continue to choose to write to try to make something of this hobby. To never feel like I’ve worked a day of my life because I love what I do.
It’s like the old saying goes. “Those that mind don’t matter, and those that matter don’t mind.”
And if you do, by chance, mind what I do and have something you’d like to say to me, my email inbox is pretty empty. Please, don't be shy! Have the stones to say it to me, personally. Step in the ring and see if your arms are long enough to box with me. I'll be waiting.
Weekly Roundup
Here's the rules for Wrestling Roulette;
1: I am allowed to pick 5 matches of my own from the list/not on the list I want to watch.
2: I am allowed as many rerolls as necessary until I land on a match I have not watched yet.
3: I am allowed 3 rerolls total if I land on a match I do not want to watch.
4: I am allowed to skip a match for free if it is too difficult to find or exists behind a paywall I do not want to pay for.
5: Wrestling matches can still be watched if they are not going to be up for consideration for a Wrestling Roulette review.
So, here's what I watched for the week;
• • • • •
Alan Angels vs. Starboy Charlie - West Coast Pro/DPW/Prestige Untouchable - 07/20/2024
 |
| A star unbothered. West Coast Pro |
This show was on my list of DPW shows to watch as I worked my way through their catalogue. I watched one of their early co-promotion events and realized they aren't exactly DPW canon, so I'm fine with missing them as I go through DPW in order. Regardless, I added them to my spreadsheet because I actually enjoy what West Coast Pro Wrestling are doing! I first watched their 11/17/2023 show "Whiplash" which featured Chris Hero and Timothy Thatcher adding another, and allegedly final match, to their long running rivalry. I love both men, Thatcher more than Hero, so this match was an easy watch for me. Since then, I've kept West Coast Pro on my radar, as their roster has some overlap with DPW.
A star from the very first West Coast Pro show was a kid by the name of Starboy Charlie. You could tell from the moment he came through the curtain, this kid has star written all over him, and it's not just because it's part of his name. He's got a natural, effortless charisma and gets the crowd on his side the moment you see him. Speaking for myself here, I got behind this kid the moment I saw him at "Whiplash," the Denim Dragon is great.
Alan Angels, once known as Five of AEW's Dark Order, has been hitting just about any indie that will hire him. Initially, I had him confused for Stu Grayson, Evil Uno's long time tag partner, but a minute of research proved me wrong. Shows how smart I am, eh? Angels comes into this match as the Prestige champion, putting his title on the line against the Starboy. He parts the curtain and is oozing ego, leather jacket, sunglasses indoors, flippant attitude towards the crowd. Angels isn't here to get anyone on his side.
Charlie comes out of the gates hot with a shotgun dropkick and a corkscrew middle rope elbow drop into a cover, but Angels survives. Charlie is an impressive combination of quickness and agility while also having the upper body the hit you pretty damn hard too. Angels tries to toss Charlie into the crowd off the stage but Charlie is able to block before landing a somersault senton on Angels on the floor.
A stiff lariat to Charlie on the apron drops him to the floor, giving Angels the opportunity to taker control, suplex's and chops keep the challenger on the backfoot, with counter's being countered into counters to try and keep Charlie down and out. A dragon suplex on the Denim Dragon sees Charlie land on his feet, dodge a lariat by dropping to his back, kipping back up and cracking Angels in the back of the head with a pele kick. Charlie's explosive offence is so impressive and effective at getting the crowd on his side immediately.
Charlie boxes Angels off balance before landing a thesz press to further hammer blows into the head of the champion. With Angels still on the mat, Charlie lands a King Kong knee drop that drives Angels into a seated position from the recoil. Cartwheeling through the knee, he lands on his feet and dropkicks Angels in the side of the head. This kid rules. Hell, he even does a standing corkscrew shooting star press on Angels, insane shit.
Angels comes back with a lariat and a splash, but Charlie survives a pinfall attempt. The champ tries for another splash but the Starboy does a cartwheel into a round off pele kick, tagging Angels in the back of the head and bringing him crashing down from the top. Fired up and calling for the end, the Denim Dragon pulls down the straps and fires up, reversing a whip attempt into a cartwheel frankensteiner! A gotch style piledriver brings Charlie closer to glory, but Angels survives. Somehow.
Angels looks to have the match in hand with a nasty scorpion kick to Charlie, but the Starboy survives. Fed up, Angels goes to the floor and digs under the ring, retrieving a steel chair, perfectly content to retain his title on a DQ loss. With the ref, who looks like Rhino, attempting to take the chair away, he gets shoved into the corner as Angels turns to strike Charlie, only to eat the chair via a spinning heel kick. All while the ref had his back turned. Charlie lands a shooting starboy press on Angels and grabs both legs, holding him down for three! We have a new Prestige World Champion!
 |
| The Starboy flies! West Coast Pro |
This was a really fun, quick match. Charlie is, for lack of a better term, a total star. He's exceptional in the ring and makes the most complex moves look effortless. Angels got his licks in at the start but once Charlie came back from Angel's early assault, he didn't stand much of a chance. Aside from a fluke rollup or the chair attack, the win seemed pretty well in hand for Charlie once he started to get a roll going. Great stuff. Fun match. I'll be doing some homework to watch more of this Charlie kid.
• • • • •
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kerry von Erich - Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls - AJPW Grand Champion Carnival II 1984 - Day 5 - 05/22/1984
 |
| The standoff. AJPW |
I haven't gotten a chance to talk about the Von Erich's on the Wrestling Vault, that should change sometime this year, maybe next, but I am obsessed with this family. You guys know that joke about ""if you ask your boyfriend/husband/male friend how often they think about the Roman Empire, they'll tell you 'pretty often'" well, the Von Erich's are my Roman Empire. You can blame The Lapsed Fan's "Lamentable Tragedy of World Class" series for plunging me deep into the Von Erich lore, because this family is so deeply messed up. Again, I don't want to get too into the weeds about in this match, but let me lace you guys with this one real quick; Kerry is still wrestling with two feet here. I'll just leave it at that.
This best two out of three falls bout is for Kerry's NWA World Heavyweight Title. The opening seems tense, but both men are willing to shake hands, showing respect prior to this high stakes matchup. Neither man is too eager to start this match hot, with both men fairly evenly matched in the opening moments. Jumbo tries to keep Kerry grounded at the start with a side headlock, with the champ narrowly breaking out. Kerry gets Jumbo down now with an armbar but Jumbo stands to counter it, seating Kerry on the top rope out of a firemans carry.
Jumbo struggles but manages to take Kerry over with a double underhook suplex, catching the champ with a crossbody that nearly gives Jumbo the first fall. This fall is slower and all about feeling each other out. Generally after one guy takes the other over with a big more, they lock eyes and reset on their feet. An air of respect over this tightly fought contest.
Jumbo has Kerry tied up on the canvas, but the champ starts to pry a limb free, the most dangerous limb in his arsenal. Like a cobra moving in on a mouse, Kerry's Iron Claw moves closer and closer to the head of Jumbo, who does everything he can to hold back Kerry's arm. Realizing he won't get Jumbo's head, he goes for the gut instead, the hold doing damage wherever it's applied. With both men on their feet, Kerry gets Jumbo off his feet and sits him on the top, shoving him in the chest as he backs out. Then, after getting pushed back into the corner, Kerry shoves Jumbo in the chest again, the challenger getting frustrated with the champion's aggression.
Sending Kerry into the ropes not once, but twice, Jumbo catches him under the jaw with a jumping knee. Not once, but twice. Kerry falls to the floor but sunset flips Jumbo to get back inside. A backdrop driver scores Jumbo the first fall. They take time to breathe and reset, both men's camps tending to them in the corner.
Right out of the gate, Jumbo is on Kerry, lacing him with forearms that bust the champion wide open. Knowing he'll need to keep the pressure on, Jumbo does everything he can to stay on top of Kerry and counter his offence attempts. Kerry catches Jumbo off a rope rebound into a sleeper that nearly puts Jumbo out, but he drives Kerry into the top turnbuckle to escape. Jumbo's aggression and offence is punctuated with a nasty piledriver on Kerry, but the champ escapes before three.
Catching Jumbo off a rope rebound, Kerry locks on the Iron Claw and drives Jumbo to the canvas. Jumbo fights his way back to his feet but Kerry keeps the claw locked on, taking him back down and pinning him off of the Iron Claw. The referee is in Kerry's face, urging him to break the hold, but he keeps it locked on as long as possible without getting the match thrown out. Jumbo is exhausted after being squeezed nearly to death by the claw, and Kerry is backed in his corner, ready for a fight.
Jumbo is hesitant to move in at the start of the third fall, shaking out his head and keeping on the edge of the ring while Kerry holds the middle. The champ goes for the Iron Claw right out of the gate, but Jumbo escapes to the floor to survive. Seizing on Kerry's best weapon, Jumbo starts beating the hell out of Kerry's Claw hand. He smashes it off the top turnbuckle, he stomps it on the canvas, and wraps it around the ringpost while on the floor. At this point, Kerry is a one-armed fighter, with Jumbo focusing exclusively on his right hand.
At this point, both men are pulling out their biggest weapons. A piledriver and top rope falling elbow from Kerry, a jumping knee and Boston crab from Jumbo, both men are going for the kill after nearly 30 minutes of war. Kerry is slugging Jumbo near the ropes, finally backing him up against them as Jumbo sits himself on the top rope. Grabbing Kerry by the arm, he falls back over the top to the floor, dragging the champ out with him. Both try to get back in the ring but they brawl on the floor until Kerry locks on the Iron Claw on the floor. The whole time, the ref is counting them out, closer and closer to a double count out. Acting quickly, Jumbo escapes the hold and rolls in the ring- thinking he beat the referee's count. He's on his feet with his arms in the air, confident that he's just beaten Kerry. But the referee is quick to tell Jumbo that t\nobody won this match, he didn't make it back inside the ring before the referee's count. This match is a draw.
 |
| Not so fast, Jumbo. AJPW |
This was a really fun three act match. The first fall was a feeling out process for both men, evenly contested and fairly respectful. The second fall was all aggression, almost exclusively from Jumbo. He knew he had the match won if he just kept the pressure on Kerry and that's exactly what he set out to do. Unfortunately, Kerry got the upper hand and led them to the third and final fall. Jumbo still insists on being the aggressor, looking to rip Kerry's claw hand from his body. By this point, both men are out for blood and it ends up costing them the match. Really great stuff, I enjoyed this match a whole lot more on my second viewing as I was writing it up for the review. Absolutely worth a watch.
• • • • •
Aja Kong vs. Bull Nakano - Steel Cage Match - AJW Wrestlemarinepiad - 11/14/1990
 |
| Swinging for the fences. AJW |
As is the case with a game of chance, you don't always land on winners. I've never been against reviewing matches I didn't enjoy, especially not on Roulette Week, and this match unfortunately fits the bill. On paper, this seems like it should be exceptional! Bull Nakano? Aja Kong? Only two of the best Joshi wrestlers of all time, in a steel cage?! Sign me up! Sounds awesome! Not to mention how much people rave about this match. But, like I said, this wasn't really a "banger." Maybe my expectations were too high, I doubt it, because as this match went on I lowered them more and more and it just didn't live up to anything I was hoping for. Who knows! Maybe I'll start to like it as I review it and my rating changes by the end! I've been wrong before! Let's get into it.
Aja is out first, described by many as the Vader equivalent of joshi wrestling. She comes to the ring with a pair of metal garbage bins, the small ones, like you'd keep in your office, not one you'd leave at the end of the road. She's in the ring straight away with no fanfare or extra guff. Nakano, despite wearing a cloak with a huge collar, something The Undertaker would try to emulate in 1998, also comes to the ring focused and ready to fight. What she doesn't expect, however, is for Kong to jump her. They brawl on the floor and back into the ring, the hatred these two have for each other from the word go.
Each strike these ladies land on each other is stiff and brutal, they're holding absolutely nothing back. But it's right at the beginning that they start to lose me, and they don't really do a lot to bring me back in after this. In a display of pure hatred, Kong lands 17 spinning backfists. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not doing a little twist to hit someone I fucking hate with my entire being over and over again. Especially not when she falls down several times and is very, very vulnerable on the canvas. I mean Kong just waits for Nakano to get up and not protect her face at all, just eating another hit. Half of them don't even look that good. They totally lost me here.
It should be noted that these women have members of their camp, or whatever you'd like to call them, at ringside for this match.One of them feeds Nakano what looks like a piece off the top of the guardrail, and another tossed in one of Kong's garbage bins, but Nakano gets it and uses it against here. She then gets fed nunchucks and goes to town on Kong with them! Brutal shit. Should also be noted that both women are bleeding at this point, although Nakano's blue mane makes it harder to see.
Nakano lands one of her signature leg drops after springboarding off the middle rope, then landing a middle rope springboard kick to the face of Kong. Another thing that kinda lost me here was, this looks far too cooperative. Yes, I know, this isn't real, they're in there working together, but if you guys really hate each other as much as people are saying you did, don't just let yourself get pulled the entire way across the ring with no resistance. Fight back! Make it look like a struggle!
Members of both Nakano's and Kong's camps start brawling on the outside as they try and feed Kong and Nakano weapons, with Kong getting her signature bin back. But, unbeknownst to Kong, someone slipped Nakano a pair of scissors. Grabbing them in her fist, she starts jabbing at the right arm of Kong, drawing blood as she digs the blade into her tricep. The camera cuts repeatedly to people brawling at ringside, which kinda took away from what was happening in the ring to me. Sure, felt like a wild brawl, but the in-ring stuff didn't wow me enough that I could take a break from watching to enjoy what is happening ringside.
Someone from Kong's camp tosses at least 30 feet of rope into the ring, and it's a heavy duty rope too. Like one you could tie down a bull with. With rope in hand, Kong pulls Nakano to the corner and starts to choke the life out of her, pulling back more and more to try and kill her dead. Using the rope to her own advantage, Nakano digs into the wounded tricep to break the choke as she despeatley wraps Kong's arm up in the length of rope. Taking the other end of this mess of rope, she wraps it around the bottom rope to trap Kong in place. She ties a knot and starts to climb, but Kong wiggles free and rips her off.
It should be noted, the only way to win this cage match is by escaping. No pinfalls or submissions here. Nakano's camp is back to feeding her weapons, this time its at least 30 feet of chain, which she wreaps around the neck of Kong as her pals at ringside hold the other end to hold Kong in place. Kong breaks free from the chain but isn't free for long, with Nakano snatching her and wrapping it over and over around her throat, creating a hitch before giving it another wrap and then moves onto her arm. She pulls Kong across the ring and ties, yes, like a rope, she ties the chain to the middle rope.
With Kong trapped, she kicks her over and over before releasing her to then... try and escape? Seems counter intuitive to me. Nakano tries her signature top rope leg drop but Kong dodges and gets to her feet, taking Nakano over with a big 'ol German suplex before hitting her with.... it can't be... no, no that's a 2x4. Full on 2x4, like the one you use to build houses, the one made out of wood. Someone has fed Kong a 2x4 and shes beating Nakano with it, that's brutal.
Kong tries to use it off the top but one of Nakano's buddies pulls it from her hand as Nakano yanks her off the top rope. From there, Nakano climbs to the top rope and drops one of the most insane legs drops you will ever see. From the top of the damn cage, Nakano jumps and lands with a leg drop. The ring is so fucking solid that she bounces and lands back on her feet. My back is screaming just watching this. With Kong dead in the centre, Nakano climbs the cage and escapes, surviving the war with Kong.
 |
| From the heavens! AJW |
Alright, I can see how people can love this match. These two are using everything but the kitchen sink to try and kill each other, but there was a lot in this match that just looked like they were cooperating too much. A lot of walking to one spot to do one thing, then another spot to do something else. I wish it flowed a bit better and the action felt like an actual struggle and a true grudge match, they had it in them and could have made it so much better but this match just didn't *click* for me, y'know? Shame, I love joshi wrestling from this era and was really excited for this one. I'll keep digging.
• • • • •
AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe - TNA Unbreakable 2005 - 09/11/2005
 |
| You already know. TNA |
Alright, I hear what you guys are saying already, "Morgan! You didn't like any of the matches you watched, did you? This was one you picked! It had to be!" and I know you guys won't believe me when I tell you that the RNG gods bestowed upon me this match. Considered the best match in the history of TNA. Possibly the greatest 3-way match in history. A certified banger landed in my lap this week by complete random chance. Who'd'a thunk, eh? Let's not waste any more time, let's get into this one.
I've already given Joe his flowers in a recent review, but AJ and Daniels have yet to be given the spotlight. So for those who are completely unaware of these men, somehow, let me give you a quick rundown.
Styles is arguably to greatest wrestler TNA ever had on roster, easily one of the very best in-ring wrestlers of the 2000's, AJ innovated so much shit that modern wrestlers try and do today that it's not even funny.
Daniels, to his credit, is exceptional as well. Never really hitting the same heights AJ or Joe hit, Daniels was incredibly skilled in the ring and, again, was doing shit that nobody else was doing at the time, that the wrestlers of today try to emulate. Best Moonsault Ever look a lot like the Prettiest Moonsault Ever? Hmmm... I've not gotten to watch a lot of Daniels over the years but every time I do, he blows me away.
The match starts with AJ and Joe double teaming Daniels, trading kicks to his back to try and eliminated the defending X Division champion early.
Look, this match is at an insane pace. These dudes are moving a mile a minute in here so I'm gonna do my best to keep up with it. I will say this right from the start, this match does the three way dance right, for the simple fact that for nearly the entire match, there's three men in the ring at once. This ain't one of those WWE three ways where it's two guys in the ring while guy three sells outside, then three comes in and sends one out, so it's two and three, rinse repeat. I'd say 80% of this match has three guys in the ring all working on taking each other out. It's incredible to see.
The pendilum of control in this match is swinging in all directions, just when it looks like Joe has things going his way, AJ moves to let him eat the corner. AJ is building momentum? Joe sends him into the canvas. Daniels is wearing Joe out on the outside? Styles does a springboard shooting star press to the fucking floor.
With Joe and Styles in opposite corners, Daniels is in the ring wearing Joe down. He goes for a whip but Joe reverses, sending Daniels into Styles instead. Daniels jumps and lands on AJ's hips, falling back to monkey flip him into Joe who catches him as if to powerbomb him. Some impromptu teamwork! Hell ye- no! AJ flips Joe around with a head scissors! Woah!
With AJ dumped to the floor, Daniels finds himself in trouble in a hurry as Joe unloads a flurry of strikes to the head and body of the champion. Daniels tries to get a roll through pin on Joe but he kicks Daniels' legs out from under him, snatching him in the coquina clutch! Not wanting to have the match end like that, Styles goes to the top and lands a spiral tap on the pair of them! He tries for a pin on both but both kick out, with Daniels sending Styles to the outside again.
Styles blocks Daniels' Best Moonsault Ever, the BME, with Daniels falling upside down in the tree of woe. He kicks the chest of Daniels as he hangs there until Joe charges in with a splash. Styles falls aside, but Daniels is trapped. Seizing on this opportunity, Joe rebounds off the ropes and cracks Daniels in the face with a nasty running kick, right in the face. With all three down in the centre after Daniels lands a Death Valley Driver on Joe, he tries for a pin but AJ throws himself at the cover to break it.
They brawl to the ropes and try to land apron flips on each other, but they both are too quick on their feet. Opting for straight up hands, they get into a brawl on the floor, with Joe stirring behind them. Both men completely unaware. What has got to be one of the the most terrifying sights ever, Joe rebounds off the ropes and corkscrews over the top rope, crushing Styles and Daniels beneath him.
Back inside, Joe wants a muscle buster on Deniels but he fights out, trying to get in a better position on the top. Climbing to meet him, AJ slows Daniels' efforts as he smashes the back of Daniels with forearm shots. Both men are too preoccupied brawling with each other to notice Joe run up the corner and grab them both by the legs, sending both men flipping and crashing into the canvas.
Trying to give Joe a taste of his own medicine, Styles starts striking Joe in the centre of the ring. He seems to gain the upper hand, but his efforts are quickly thwarted when Joe takes Styles up and over with a huge German suplex. With Styles all but out, Joe seats him on the top rope and pulls him down into position for the muscle buster, walking him to the centre and busting the hell out of his muscles. Instead of going for the cover, he starts to slip his arm around for the coquina clutch but Daniels is suddenly on the apron, X Division title in hand as he storms the ring! Only to get snatched and murdered by Joe with a snap powerslam.
Joe looks to want to use the title as a weapon, which, by WWE rules of course, is totally allowed in a three way. TNA surprisingly has stricter rules I guess! He holds onto the title as the ref stumbles backwards, with Daniels sniping Joe in the face with the belt between his boot and his face, knocking Joe out on his ass. It's Styles and Daniels alone as Joe counts stars on the apron, with Daniels planting Styles with a spinning michinoku driver for a close two count. A uranage plants Styles as Daniels goes for the BME and lands it! He lays across for the cover but Joe is alive! He sucker punches Daniels in the gut and breaks the pin, kicking him in the chest for his troubles.
Styles nearly gets the pin after his middle-rope-springboard-into-reverse-DDT move but Daniels survives, so he tries going to the top instead. Big mistake pal, enjoy this superplex. Daniels is hurting just as much as Styles is after that landing, with Joe crawling over to pin Daniels for th- nope, it's two! What about Styles? One, two, th- nope! He stays alive too! Keeping the pressure on the champ, Joe goes for a powerbomb into a pin. When Daniels kicks out, Joe anticipates the escape, twisting Daniels' body over as he falls into a crossface, wrenching back on the face of Daniels.
Bodyslamming Styles onto a prone Joe, Daniels looks to isolate AJ in the ring as he tries for a vertical suplex. Styles slips free and Daniels takes off for the ropes, rebounding into a lariat that AJ catches and, by god, through some sort of physical wizardry, gets Daniels into position for the Styles Clash. He lands it and rolls around for the cover. Joe barely makes it over to break up the pin, a quarter second later and we'd have a new champion.
Styles, and then Joe get sent out to the floor, with AJ getting back in the ring first. He lays into Daniels with strike after strike, forcing the champ to fold up to protect himself. Reversing his own whip attempt, Daniels folds AJ down before hooking his arms for the Angels Wings. He has him up and is close to planting him face first, but AJ lands back on his feet before flipping Daniels up and over himself, bridging and using Daniels' own grip against him! The ref is in position and counts three! We have a new X Division Champion!
 |
| His wings have been clipped. TNA |
Exceptional. Do I really need to say anything else? This match was so, so good. Blistering action that never let up for a second. Three men able to seamlessly work together and not get in each others way or suffering from a "too many cooks situation" either, that's really impressive. I wish we had more three ways like this. Just quick, exciting moves into other quick, exciting moves. I don't think we should have no rules in a three way, let's reel it back in. You can do so, so much in the ring without needing to completely ignore the rules. Let this match be a great example of that. Loved every second of this.
• • • • •
Another week in the books, and another roulette behind us. What did we learn this week gang? We learned that Starboy Charlie is an absolute star, I need to start working on a Von Erich post, there's gold to be mined in AJW and it may not always be what people tell you is gold, and luck sometimes can be on our side! I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks roulette, so much so, I wrote this entire post in an afternoon! I usually give myself about two days to knock a review out, take my time and ruminate on the matches I'm watching and reviewing (as well as nurse my wrists, which have been feeling better!), but I was really feeling it today. I just couldn't stop!
As always, shoot me an email if you've got any recommendations or want to be critical of my work and how I spend my days. I'm all ears.
Until next week my friends, love each other, and be well.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment