WWE Big 3: Lorcan, Gallagher, Gulak 2/16-2/22/20

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Matt Riddle/Pete Dunne NXT 2/19/20

ER: This really felt like these guys' version of a spotfest lucha tag. It started with a nice Burch/Dunne mat section, Dunne stepping and kneeling on Burch's neck in a nasty deathlock, and we quickly move into a fun extended sprint of all the stuff these guys can do. Riddle and Dunne are throwing Karelin lift suplexes, Burch throws a headbutt and also punches Riddle in the mouth, both sides eat a powerbomb, both sides eat uppercuts, both sides eat knees, and it's all a lot of fun. It had a fun atmosphere for a match where the result was in no doubt whatsoever, and Lorcan/Riddle is a total dream match for me that has never been on tape. I loved all their sections together, it's really one of those super obvious match-ups that somehow hasn't used at all. I love how Lorcan flies into everything, from offense to pinfall break ups, and really my only problem with this was that Lorcan went down a little suddenly. If he had another brief comeback or held on for a couple more killer shots from Riddle, this would have jumped up much more for me. But I liked the match we got and would love to see this happen again.

PAS: This didn't do much for me. It just felt like another version of the same NXT million counters and reversals tag we have seen a million times. There were some cool moves in this, but they always have cool moves, and they never mean much. Riddle was a much more interesting wrestler as a rookie in EVOLVE then he is now, and I like Lorcan but didn't think he did much to distinguish himself here. Whole thing was worked at the same pace and you need to very the intensity a bit to make it mean anything.


Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Brian Kendrick/Ariya Daivari 205 Live 2/21/20

ER: This was one of the more surprinsgly underwhelming matches of the year. A street fight featuring two of the best wrestlers in the world, given as much time as it needed, in the main event. Lorcan and Kendrick are easily the best two guys on 205 Live now that Gulak and Gallagher aren't ever going to be on TV again, and they've matched up a criminally small amount of times for being in the same place for so long. But now they've been across from each other twice in just a few weeks, and the first match was a stinker and now the rematch was the weakest street fight in recent memory. I don't think it's because modern indy wrestling has conditioned me to expect possible death during street fights, as I don't need death for a brawl to be great. This was just dullsville for significant stretches, with perfunctory pre-bell brawling and spots laid way to far apart, and a lot of set up to get to those moments. The moments are usually impressive, but they generate reactions that seem to say "Well you finally got there, thank you." This could have been a mean, rugged no DQ match, but it seemed like everyone in the match decided it would make more sense to just act like extras from that Popeye movie. Burch filled this thing to the breaking point with goofy cartoon mannerisms and selling and facials, reaching peak "just not my night" after falling on his butt doing a kip-up, then getting booed after doing a bad Dudley Boyz "Get the tables" bit with Lorcan. It came off like someone using the Rock Bottom on a school fundraiser indy show and immediately tripping over his opponent. Kendrick's death valley driver that utilized the table looked great, just as a Daivari took a great drop toehold into a chair earlier. All the weapons that got involved were eventually used well for the big moment, but getting there felt way too silly. The home stretch made this at least land on its feet, with Kendrick and Lorcan finally really tangling up around 10 minutes in, and Lorcan hitting a big torpedo uppercut and tope con giro. But you know the match underwhelmed when one of the best moments of the match came when Lorcan and Burch tumbling to the floor, and getting immediately cheered by the cutest sounding kid, who says, "Come on guys, get up!" That kid was so earnestly cheering for these two Popeye goofballs that it just made me happy that kids love wrestling. Match still fell flat for me.