Retro Rowe: NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco 2018

NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco

July 7, 2018 

-From the Cow Palace in Daly City, er "San Francisco", California. Our hosts on the English broadcast are Jim Ross and Josh Barnett. Fan attendance seems to have filled the floor area and parts of the lower bowl, not sure if this is considered a success or not.

CHAOS (Rocky Romero, Sho, Yoh, YOSHI-HASHI, and Gedo) vs. Bullet Club (King Haku, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi, and Chase Owens)

Haku still looks like he could murder you just by looking at you. Haku is too tough for Sho to handle. Romero tags and is not intimidated by Loa's size advantage or smack talk, and delivers a hurricanrana. Owens drives Romero into the turnbuckles for a vicious Stinger Splash by Tonga! Romero kicks out of Haku's piledriver, but gets stuck in the Bullet Club corner. Romero saves himself with a double head scissors counter and YOSHI-HASHI gets a hot tag to clean house. Tonga cuts off the comeback, but Gedo gets him with jabs and chinbreaker. The match breaks down and it's "let the bodies hit the floor" time. Haku pops the crowd by grabbing Gedo in the Tongan death grip and serving him up for Tonga's stun gun for the win at 9:20. The Tongan family reunion elevated this above being an average filler opener, **�.
Winners: Bullet Club

Retro Rowe: NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2014 Review

NJPW New Beginning in Osaka

February 11, 2014

-From Osaka, Japan.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:
The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) (c) vs. Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA)

I find it interesting that the Young Bucks are heels almost everywhere they go now, you'd think their flashy offense and small size would make them natural baby faces. They make their heel act work by letting their talents go to their heads, but it's still a bit backwards. Nick and KUSHIDA show off with a stalemate sequence. Shelley tags and fights out of the Bucks corner with quick hip tosses and arm drags. Shelley hits a stunner onto the rope but gets tripped off the apron, but KUSHIDA saves with quick attacks, including a seated senton off the apron. The Time Splitters work together to set up a chancery/drop-kick to the face spot. The Bucks rebound to drop-kick Shelley off the apron and isolate him with creative blind tags and even knocking KUSHIDA off the apron to prevent a tag. KUSHIDA gets the inevitable hot tag and shows off his athleticism while cleaning house. He puts one Jackson through the guard rail with a top rope dive, but fails to pin the other Jackson with a Frog Splash. KUSHIDA counters into a Tornado DDT on Nick for only 2. The Young Bucks fluster KUSHIDA with quick attacks (including a Sliced Bread #2 off each other). Nick accidentally hits Matt with an enziguri, but Matt still counters Shelley's flying cross body. Shelley arranges another enziguri miscue, leading to a series of shots to the head. Matt still kicks out! Nick barely saves Matt from being pinned after a moonsault. The Young Bucks deliver a springboard Tombstone piledriver combo on Shelley, but KUSHIDA saves the match. KUSHIDA back handsprings into dual super kicks and suffers More Bang For Your Buck for the loss at 13:02. Hot opener and ambitious spot-fest here. It's hard not to respect the Young Bucks after that performance, ***1/2.
Winners and still IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: The Young Bucks

AEW Fight for the Fallen

AEW Fight for the Fallen
July 13th 2019



From Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida. The venue does not look sold out, but has a respectable crowd for the considerable size of the venue. Any other North American promotion not called WWE would sell their souls for this attendance. Our hosts are Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Alex Marvez.

Joey Janela, Jimmy Havoc, and Darby Allin vs. MJF, Sammy Guevara, and Shawn Spears
The babyface team gets a hot start by making quick tags to embarrass MJF, but he thumbs Havoc in the eyes to force a tag to the hungry Guevara. Janela’s assistance lets Havoc rebound. The crowd pops big for Darby Allin tagging in to face Spears, who quickly tags out to rob the fans of the moment. Allin continues to stare Spears down, which offends the legal Guevara, who flips him off. Neither team seems to maintain the upper hand, but the fans are happy to play along, cheering the good guys and booing the heels. Spears is only willing to enter the match when Janela finally settles in as the isolated babyface, and the commentators do a good job explaining Spears turning heel as a response to Cody referring to him as a “good hand.” MJP and Spears, despite being in control, start displaying dissension, with MJF mocking Spears “Tye Dillinger” mannerisms. This allows a hot tag to Havoc, who slams Spears onto MJF. Havoc superplexes Guevara over his partners for a good nearfall. Allin tags and flips over Guevara for a stunner of sorts. Match breaks down with guys hitting rapid finishers. Guevara lands on his feet on a missed SSP to the floor and unleashes rapid attacks all over the place until almost pinning Allin with a Spanish Fly. Cue the “AEW” chants. Janela drops Guevara on the ring frame, and Spears targets the injured Allin with a Death Valley Driver for the win at 13:11. Good energy as an opener, but I felt like I didn’t see enough of any participant to feel satisfied, and this seems like a missed opportunity to build on Allin’s momentum coming out of Fyter Fest, **½.
Winners: Shawn Spears, MJF, and Sammy Guevara

Ring of Honor Final Battle 2018

ROH Final Battle 
December 14, 2018

From the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.  Our hosts are Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana.

Kenny King vs. Eli Isom 
I am not familiar with Isom, who is in his second year as a pro. King cuts a cheesy promo and clocks Isom with the microphone before the opening bell. King hits a spinning dive in short order. Isom comes back with the type of flippy moves that drive some people crazy. King stomps the foot and sweeps the leg to set up a cocky pin. King delivers an elaborate modified stunner for 2. Isom comes back with punching and throws an overhead belly to belly suplex. Isom can’t quite lift King in a deadlift powerbomb and awkwardly drops him from a low height. King uses the ropes to his advantage and hits a springboard blockbuster, but lifts Isom out of the cover. Isom nearly steals it with an inside cradle and delivers the Gory Special for 2. King gets serious and plants Isom with the Michinoku Driver for the victory at 9:00. Isom looks like a fine prospect but he didn’t do much to stand out here, **.
Winner: Kenny King