Found Footage Friday: KNOBBS~! SAGS~! DREW~! TAYLOR~! YAHAMA~! CHOSHU~! KIDO~!

Chief Yaqui vs. Karl Kowalski 1/30/50

MD: This is worth watching, but I suggest doing it on mute. It's a fake audience track with sound effects and Bill Stern being particularly irritating and racist. A joke a minute and none of them good (well the one about how the white man wouldn't have made it further west than Hoboken if their opposition all fought like Yaqui was pretty good). The action itself, while clipped, was pretty good! Yaqui had a thousand little tricks when it came to getting presumably crowd pleasing little shots in with both his hands and his feet. Kowalski was bald and had a greased head gimmick, maybe.

When they took it to the mat, it was pretty gnarly, actually, not that you'd tell from the commentary. They got tied up pretty bad once or twice with some fairly unique leglocks and counters. At one point, Kowalksi had him upside down after jamming a rolling leglock type move and was peppering shots into the side. The finish was Yaqui locking in a sort of deathlock and rolling with it to turn it into a bridging pin. I'd like to see either of them in literally any other setting than this, but we're beggars and not choosers when it comes to footage from 1950.

Yamaha Brothers (Kantaro Hoshino/Kotesu Yamamoto) vs. Riki Choshu/Osamu Kido NJPW 1/24/79 

MD: This has been hidden for a couple of years but it was definitely new to me. This card had Jose Estrada vs. Fujiwara and I want to see Super Medico vs. Fujiwara, but we won't dwell on that. Let's just be glad for what we have. This is about fifteen minutes, JIP, and while maybe a little formless and back and forth, the wrestling is good. Choshu and Hoshino trade armholds early, but it gets kind of wild when Yamamoto comes in and just slaps the life out of Choshu repeatedly. You sort of wish this was the Choshu of a few years later to fire back. In general, Yamamoto looks great here.

There's a moment later on where Choshu comes in hot and hits a couple of double arm suplexes in a row and looks great, but some of his other fiery stuff doesn't hit like you'd expect from him. Hoshino's a little tank, like you'd expect, high impact charges into the corner, some nice teamwork with Yamamoto, and he matches up well with Kido, as he would for years to come. At one point Kido comes in with a bunch of bodyslams and it's funny because you're expecting takedowns and what not. There were some fun moments with clear momentum shifts and parallels. Yamamoto misses a giant turn around flying body press as Hoshino fails to hold on to his opponent and gets wiped out by his own partner. The finish is a similar set up with Choshu and Kido crashing into each other off the ropes. There wasn't a bad exchange in this one, but I'm not sure it all came together to form a coherent whole.

ER: I don't believe I have seen any 70s Yamaha Brothers so I had no idea what the hierarchical dynamics would be when I started this, but I was only excited to see a match with four extremely short legged men. You couldn't find shorter legs in 1979, this was the match for that. I'm so used to Kantaro Hoshino as a junior that I forget he was more beefed up in his 30s, but even then he and Yamamoto are still clearly smaller than Choshu and Kido...so color me surprised at how much of this was dominated by the Yamaha Brothers. The idea of Hoshino dominating Choshu or even Kido just a few years later is preposterous, but this gem takes us to the point in time where the Yamahas easily and efficiently cut Choshu off from Kido for the first half, peaking with Yamamoto just rocking Choshu with punches like he was Kurisu (Kurisu wrestled Hector Guerrero on this card by the way and holy god does 1979 Hector Guerrero vs. Kurisu sound incredible). Yamamoto really comes off like a supreme badass every time he's in the ring. At one point he gets swarmed by Kido and Choshu and in mere seconds he winds up holding both of them by the jaw in headlocks, standing on the bottom buckle, threatening to remove their mandibles from their heads until Hoshino comes in and punches Choshu to the floor. The hierarchy was so damn different in 1979, which is why something like this showing up is such a treat.   

Drew McIntyre/Dave Taylor vs. Nasty Boys WWE 11/2307

MD: Look, if you're reading this, you're reading it to see what Eric has to say. I'm reading it for what Eric has to say. I included it to see what Eric has to say, and I'm sure that'll be here soon if it's not already. Let me say just a few things. My understanding is that the Nasties lied about the shape they were in and were there to show off in front of a bunch of their buddies in the front row. Knobbs comes out and hugs a bunch of people and Sags has a long talk with one kid. They're super over. They come out to a version of their song I'm not familiar with (I know the "We're the Boys; we're the boys... the Nasty Boys" one). This had a Janet Jackson rip off to start and sampled lines from Gorilla and the Brain. Big Nasty Boys chant to start too. 

And you know what, I kind of dug the first half. They had a ton of heft behind everything they did. Drew was demonstrative and working big. He called out Sags which... I don't get why but it was kind of funny. I could have absolutely seen them have a 2 year run as sort of ambassadors and doing high school things like the Bushwhackers; they were about the same age as the Sheepherders when they signed in the late 80s and they obviously knew how to work a crowd and come off as stars. It felt almost like watching the Freebirds in 92. The back few minutes were pretty rough though. After Sags hit the craziest pumphandle slam I've ever seen (I was kind of glad to see it since I always wondered what would happen if someone took a slightly higher angle on the drop, like a powerbomb, and now I know!) he sort of just stood around for Drew to kick him for a brief, very brief, bit of heat leading to miscommunication and then casually walked over to make a hot tag. Brutal stuff. And of course the finish didn't work at all. So not a lot of gas in the tank but that's not to say there wasn't any at all. 

ER: So this dropped just a few days before we wrote about it, and I didn't watch it until last night, but all I saw written about it was how the Nasty Boys were unprofessional sacks of shit who went up there completely out of shape and took advantage of poor young greenhorn Drew McIntyre and how Dave Taylor (in his second to last match in WWE) looked outraged on the apron and broke character to tell off the Nasty Boys. They showed up looking like complete shit to pop their weird Tampa friends and children of those friends, fucked up a young innocent boy with no Arab strap and embarrassing the business. For three days I've been picturing how the fucked up fat somehow the same age as me now unprofessional Nasty Boys were going to mess this kid up like a PG version of Ian Rotten vs. Peter B. Beautiful and when I finally watch it...

It's a totally professional kind of impressive match that's far better and more interesting than at least 75% of the dark tryout matches we've ever seen. Dark tryout matches have a ceiling of quality. They are 3-6 minutes. Sometimes you reach nirvana and get Vic Grimes vs. Erin O'Grady. I saw a 2003 Psychosis tryout match against Jamie Noble and it was fine. My friends and I weren't expecting to start our night with a Psychosis match and we were all excited and it was fine. He did the rope flip bump on the back of his head, and I still remember it 20 years later so that means It Worked. That's the ceiling for a dark trout match tryout, and this Nasty Boys tag was a good one.  

It was also a totally normal match and not a single thing looked out of sorts or unprofessional to my eyes, and honestly it made it look like the Nasty Boys would have been worth a shot as a team working house show undercards in 2007. This was a roster that had Jim Duggan and had just had Tatanka and Road Warrior Animal. I really liked each one of those runs and thought nostalgia Legends Contracts acts would be far more interesting if used in an All Japan Old Man style division instead of [camera pans to Faarooq saying Damn]. A Legends division (which shouldn't be titled and should just exist as a thing but they wouldn't be able to resist calling it a Legends Division) that would allow one of them to occasionally break out of the old man trios matches into a short feud with a younger wrestler would be a thing that would make me watch WWE television again. 

The Nasty Boys hadn't appeared on any kind of wrestling television in over 10 years and came out with a theme song I have never heard anywhere else before that sounded like a cut up Steinski break, and the fans in Tampa reacted. That's important. It's good to have acts on your show that get reactions, and then work for the next 5 minutes to sustain those reactions. I was made to believe that the Nasty Boys were goof off/jerk offs and instead they just got a crowd invested in a match the way Brett and Brian Major or John Morrison or The Miz 100% did not do 20 minutes later. I said I saw no moments of unprofessionalism or even sloppiness, and I mean that. Knobbs looked as fat as I've ever seen him and was wearing a XXXL Nasty Boys blouse but had several moments where I thought he was going to punish Drew and instead just worked like a good heavyweight. There was one moment where Drew was selling a shoulderblock too long and was sitting up instead of lying down for the elbowdrop Knobbs was waiting to hit, and when Knobbs shoved him back to the mat I thought for sure McIntyre was toast. Knobbs hit a big heavy elbowdrop, but it was not an unprofessional amount of weight. Have any of you actually watched the 1991-1993 Superstars and Wrestling Challenge matches? Toughen up. 

The toughest thing about this match was Sags lighting Drew up with chops that should have been enough to sign at minimum Sags and put him in a Mad Max team with Road Warrior Animal because tell me a 2007 Animal/Sags team doesn't actually sound cool. Jerome Saganowich would have looked and worked so much better in a revamped Road Warriors team than Droz or Heidenreich did. Based on his chops and his pump handle slam I see no real differences between 2007 Jerry Sags and 1993 Kensuke Sasaki. 

Dave Taylor is the person who didn't do enough in this match. I liked the way the Nastys kept him out of the match down the stretch with punches and elbows to knock him off the apron, otherwise he just placed out of strike exchanges that could have actually taken this match to Dark Tryout Match Nirvana. Brian Knobbs threw three unanswered punches to the side of Taylor's head and it was the perfect opportunity to show Knobbs what the locker room thought of him with a pair of uppercuts, but Taylor just took a hiptoss and stood on the apron the rest of the time. Drew showed good timing in feeding for a returning nostalgia act in what was actually the longest stretch of time he was in the ring in any of his WWF matches to that point. Drew was trusted to stay in the ring for an extra minute or two with two guys making a 10 year return, and he did great. His visual reaction to a hot tag is one of the little things he did that you could tell he was going to keep getting better. 

The finish was botched but was a split second from being a direct hit Beverly Brothers Wrestling Challenge intro level of exclamation point. Drew would have suffered a head injury and been given a role as the slow third Highlander. The Nasty Boys should have been signed. In 2007 would you have rather seen the Nasty Boys every few weeks, or Deuce & Domino? You know the answer, especially if it means Cherry got given a Lisa Langois Class of 1984 look instead. This was better than both Morishima matches and it wasn't close. 

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El Deporte de las Mil Emociones: A Side of Duk

Week 32: A Side of Duk

EB: Two weeks after Aniversario 90 we have two matches that continue to follow up on some of the key rivalries from the event. A super tag match between the team of Carlos Colon and Scott Hall and the team of TNT and Atkie Mulumba scheduled for July 21 in Caguas continues two rivalries that had their first encounters at Aniversario. The second of our top matches from July 21 features what may well be the finale for an ongoing rivalry that has been waged since the end of March. The rivalry between Leo Burke and Invader #1 began as a tag team rivalry but morphed into a singles feud over the Caribbean title. Burke started using a boxing glove as a weapon and talked up his amateur credentials and skills as a boxer. The plan to embarrass Invader #1 at Aniversario failed, as it was Invader #1 that obtained the knockout win in the boxing match due to landing a taped fist punch on Leo Burke. The first rematch post Aniversario saw Burke almost steal back the Caribbean title via the use of a loaded taped fist punch, something that has been Invader #1’s trademark move for years. It all comes to a head now in a taped fist match. Let’s go to that match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaJEjdW1rY8

This match is from a Campeones airing with Hugo and Carlos on commentary. The video starts with Chicky and Leo exchanging a pre-match hug outside of the ring. Burke gets in the ring and you can clearly see both Burke and Invader #1 have their hands taped up. Carlos talks about why this match is with taped fists, mentioning  the different times Burke has stolen wins and titles via the use of the boxing glove, foreign object assisted punches, and the latest incident with the taped up loaded punch that almost resulted in Burke regaining the Caribbean title. Basically, Invader has said enough is enough and that is why we are here . Hugo mentions that Burke may very well have some object inside the wrapping but we also know about Invader's famed taped fist heart punch, so it remains to be seen who will come out on top. In the ring, Burke takes the advantage after a lock up and rope run by Invader by hitting a taped fist punch to the midsection that immediately sends Invader down. Invader lays prone over the bottom rope as referee El Vikingo checks on him. Burke grabs Invader and continues to focus on Invader’s midsection with a series of kicks. Invader again goes down and Burke stomps on Invader. Burke works an armbar but backs away when Invader squares up to punch with his taped fist. Burke regroups and goes back to the armbar. Burke hits some kneedrops on Invader's arm and continues working the armbar.  It is clear that Leo’s strategy is to try to neutralize Invader’s arm to minimize the danger of the taped fist punches. Invader gets to his feet but Burke yanks him back down via a hair pull. Invader is able to get back to his feet and breaks the hold by sending Burke into the ropes. It looks like Invader may be setting up for a heart punch on the rebound but Burke avoids it by basically grabbing and jumping into the ropes, almost holding himself in a cradle position. Burke then immediately slips to the outside. Burke regroups with Chicky outside and takes his time getting back in. On commentary, Carlos and Hugo are talking about the upcoming Fan Appreciation Day match with TNT and mention that TNT seems to have brought in a new wrestler as backup (more on this shortly). Burke finally gets back in the ring and we go to commercial as Invader gets a side headlock after a lockup. 

Back from commercial, Burke is in control of the match and hits a neckbreaker on Invader. A pin attempt gets two. Invader crawls on his hands and knees around the mat, scooting through Burke’s legs and hitting a taped fist punch on Burke’s right knee. Leo immediately falls over after the blow. Burke uses the ropes to get back up but Invader again goes after Burke’s leg with a punch, Burke keeps a hold on the ropes for balance and counters with a kick to Invader’s face. Burke lands some taped fist punches and some turnbuckle smashes on Invader. Both men start exchanging strikes, with Invader getting the better of Burke as the chops keep being thrown. Invader gets his second wind and continues on the attack, but Burke gets a respite when Invader is tripped up by Chicky Starr. Burke misses an elbow drop though, and Invader winds up for the heart punch. Burke gets up and gets hit right in the chest. Leo is knocked out and Invader pins Burke to retain the Caribbean title. The crowd cheers and celebrates Invader’s victory. We then cut to Burke being attended to in the ring, with the last image being Leo Burke being stretchered out. This feud is finally over and we have seen the last of Leo Burke in CSP. So long Leo, you had quite the nine month run.   . 

MD: Given the commercial clipping we only get about seven minutes of this but its the usual high quality between these two. Burke takes over early and works over Invader’s left arm. Maybe an odd choice considering Invader throws the heart punch with the right but it works for him for a bit until Invader starts to fire back. Burke delays the gratification by leaping into the ropes and then slipping out to escape, a great bit of business there. Invader does come back but Chicky trips him off the ropes, only for Burke to miss an elbow drop and get crushed by the Heart Punch. This felt like a definitive blow off.

EB: While one rivalry has finally ended, there are two others that are still very much crescendoing. After coming to Carlos Colon’s aid on July 14, Scott Hall  is teaming up  with Carlos to take on TNT and Atkie Mulumba. Let’s go to Caguas once again for this encounter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoeXCQhq7TU

As the tecnico team is introduced, Hugo makes note that Scott Hall is the newest member of El Ejercito de la Justicia after last week’s events. Our commentary team for this match is Hugo and Chicky Starr. Chicky calls Carlos old and Scott Hall a traitor. The rudo team of TNT and Atkie Mulumba emerge from the stairwell and immediately charge the ring to fight Colon and Hall. Carlos and Scott are ready and trade blows with their respective rivals. Colon knocks TNT out of the ring after several blows, while Hall takes the upper hand on Atkie in the ring. Colon gives chase and attacks TNT on the arena floor, hitting a bodyslam and throwing TNT into the ringpost. In the ring, Hall has Mulumba backed into a corner and fires off several punches and kicks. Mulumba is able to fight back and grapple with Hall, as TNT and Colon make their way back into the ring. Colon backs TNT into a  corner and does standing punches in the corner, as Hall once again gets Mulumba into the corner. Colon headbutts TNT out of the ring and then Hall and Colon hit a double clothesline on Mulumba that sends him staggering backwards onto the middle rope. It looks like the match has finally settled into one person being in for each team, as Hall kicks the downed Mulumba in the chest, sending Atkie to the outside as well. The rudos try to recover on the outside from the blitz they have received in the match so far, as Hall waits in the ring and Colon is ready in the corner to back Hall up. Chicky and El Profe try to get their guys composed (with Profe showing Atkie the totem to get him focused). TNT gets in the ring for his team and Hall tags in Carlos. Colon immediately gets the better of the lock up as he hits a couple of chops, a backdrop and clothesline on TNT. Hall is tagged back in and continues attacking TNT as the crowd cheers along. Hall makes an unsuccessful pin attempt after a clothesline, then works a side headlock on TNT. The hold is broken and TNT hits a clothesline on Hall but misses an elbow drop. Hall hits some punches and a clothesline of his own, leading to another unsuccessful pin attempt. Hall punches TNT but the momentum sends TNT backwards into the rudo corner where Mulumba is tagged. We go to commercial as Mulumba enters the ring.

We come back to see TNT in control of Scott Hall, working a rear chinlock (or maybe it’s a nerve hold). The ref checks Hall’s arm and it looks like it almost drops for three, but Hall starts kicking and stomping his legs to show he is still conscious. The crowd starts clapping along as Hall tries to fight out of the hold. Hall gets to his feet and hits several punches, but TNT stops the barrage with a quick punch and immediately sends Hall into the ropes. However, TNT puts his head down too soon and Hall is able to stop and put TNT in backslide for a two count. TNT again puts on the never hold on Hall, but Hall keeps his arms up. TNT decides to grab Hall and rams Scott’s head into Mulumba in the corner, stunning Hall. Atkie is tagged in and the rudos hit a double headbutt on Hall.  Mulumba bites Hall and sends him into the ropes, but Scott is able to hit a crossbody for a two count. Atkie bites Halla again and takes Hall over to the rudo corner. TNT tags back in but Hall is able to duck some attempted clotheslines off the ropes with one of his own. Finally, Hall is able to make the tag to Carlos, who leaps over the top rope into the ring. Colon hits a couple of dropkicks on TNT and starts getting fired up as the crowd cheers on. Carlos alternates between biting and punching TNT. Carlos continues on the attack (and does a cartwheel) but Atkie comes in to help his partner out. Hall comes in to cut Atkie off and once again we have the rivals paired up in the ring. Mulumba is able to headbutt Hall through the ropes and looks to be going after him. At the same time, TNT sends Carlos Colon into the ropes and attempts a spin kick. Colon ducks the kick but ends up colliding with the back of Mulumba. This collision sends Atkie out of the ring and Carlos turns around to face TNT. However, TNT was waiting on Carlos and hit him with a dynamite kick right in the face. TNT makes the cover and gets the three count on Colon! La Nueva Pareja del Terror have won the match. Hall and Mulumba continue fighting on the outside, not noticing that the match is over. They end up by the ringside fence, where Hall has the advantage on Mulumba. The camera cuts to the ring where we see Colon is still down on the mat but TNT is outside and has a chair in his hands. We go back to Hall and Mulumba, where Hall is picking up one of the signs that was hanging on the fence and  then chases after Mulumba. Hall hits Atkie with the sign but TNT is right there and immediately hits Hall with the chair. TNT hits the downed Hall with a couple of chair strikes, but Carlos Colon shows up with the sign Hall had and smacks TNT with it to chase him off. The video ends with TNT and Mulumba running for the stairs as Colon and Hall regroup.

MD: Larger than life tag here, bookended by crazy brawling. Colon and TNT/Mulumba and Hall paired off to start, with Hall and Colon getting the advantage, standing tall as they hammered away in respective corners, sending Mulumba especially outside of the ring in confusion. We get Colon and Hall pressing down on TNT after he reenters the ring, but not the transition to heel offense; we come back from commercial with TNT using a nerve hold on Hall. Hall gets some big star-like comeback attempts against first TNT and then Mulumba but gets cutoff until he can make the hot tag to Colon. Very clever finishing sequence with Colon ducking the spin wheel kick but crashing into a stunned Mulumba who goes sailing out of the ring. That leaves Colon open for the Dynamite Kick and TNT to score a pinfall on him. Post-match, there’s the other half of the crazy brawling with Hall chasing down Mulumba with a table in his hands only to get whacked by TNT from behind with a chair. Great stuff that kept the programs going.

EB: We once again have two tv episodes for the weekend we are covering in this installment. First, we have the Campeones episode from July 28 ,with the added detail that this seems to be the west coast version of the program since it is hyping the west coast version of Fan Appreciation Day, as well as some of the cards occurring later in the week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFZgNymHI-4

Your hosts for this episode are Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Colon. Hugo asks Carlos to mention what they will feature on the program today and Carlos mentions that we will see a new wrestler from Korea brought in by TNT by the name of Kim Duk. Kim is a martial arts expert and a tremendous wrestler, and we will get our first chance to see him today against Huracan Castillo Jr. We’ll also get the Super Medicos against the team of Idol and Valentine. As Hugo starts talking about the other matches they’ll have today, a fan reaches over from off camera to shake both hosts’ hands. Hugo continues talking while shaking the hand. Hugo then segues into talking about the upcoming Universal title rematch on Fan Appreciation Day. Carlos says that he is training hard and will be ready for TNT. Hugo promises they’ll talk more about this and other happenings throughout the program. 

MD: Funny moment as Hugo and Carlos were introducing things as someone just reaches a hand in from off screen to shake both of their hands. They don’t miss a beat. 

EB: Our first match is the debuting Kim Duk against Huracan Castillo Jr, with the match already in progress. Castillo is down on the mat as Duk has a standing armbar on his opponent. Chicky Starr is pacing at ringside, holding a kendo stick over his shoulder. Castillo manages to stand up and back Duk into a corner, unleashing a series of punches and kicks on Duk. Carlos on commentary mentions how Duk has been highly talked about by Chicky and TNT but it remains to be seen if he is that good. An irish whip reversal leads to a clothesline attempt from Castillo being partially blocked by Kim Duk. A couple of blows keep Castillo down and this leads to Duk putting the cobra sleeper on Castillo for the submission win. The ref makes the five count to get Duk to release the hold after the match is over, as TNT and Chicky enter the ring. Hugo mentions that Duk needs to wake Castillo up but instead Duk takes the kendo stick from Chicky and chokes Castillo some more as Chicky and TNT have the ref’s attention. Afterwards, Duk wakes Castill up and the rudos leave without any further incident.It’s an interesting choice to have Kim Duk come in as TNT’s partner, my feeling is that he may be a substitute for Mr. Pogo (they had spent the last couple of weeks mentioning Pogo was returning but he hasn’t shown up still and there was no mention of him this week).

MD: I was not expecting Kim Duk here in 1990. The presentation is interesting. We come in JIP and he turns a Castillo advantage around quickly and floors him with a clothesline before hitting basically the dynamite kick and locking in the cobra dinamita as TNT watches with approval. They need more strong heels and it sort of made sense for TNT to remake things in his image. Maybe a little weird because Duk was so much older than TNT, but we’ll see how they spin it. He certainly ate up Castillo here. 

EB: We have a promo from Lance Idol and Rick Valentine about an upcoming match on Friday against the Super Medicos in Fajardo. Lance Idol sets a record for the amount of times mentioning Space Mountain in a span of a minute, comparing himself and Valentine to Space Mountain. Valentine also mentions that the Medicos are facing Space Mountain, so I’m not sure if they are trying to get this over as a team name or if they are stuck in that metaphor. Chickty translates and glosses over most of the Space Mountain mentions. The Super Medicos give a response in their promo, mentioning their two matches against Idol and Valentine this Friday and tonight in Caguas.  Super Medico #1 says that they don’t have nightmares (in response to valentine’s part of the previous promo) and if they’re scared of anything, maybe it is of ‘el cuco’ (basically the boogeyman) but certainly not of them. 

Before our next match we get a card rundown for the west coast version of Fan Appreciation Day taking place on August 5 in San German. The card is similar to the one that will be held in Bayamon on August 4. The main event is the Universal title rematch between Carlos Colon and TNT, with the stipulation being that the match cannot be stopped due to blood. We also have the customary Bronca Boricua match that takes place on Fan Appreciation Day, with 16 wrestlers scheduled to take part. These wrestlers are Invader #1, Atkie Mulumba, Scott Hall, Kim Duk, the Super Medicos, Lance Idol, Gama Singh, Rick Valentine, Miguelito Perez, Los Mercenarios, Huracan Castillo Jr, Chicky Starr and El Profe. Besides these top two matches, we also have other bouts scheduled such as Scott Hall vs Atkie Mulumba in a cage match, Invader #1 defending the Caribbean title against Kim Duk, a rematch for the World tag team titles as the Super Medicos defend against Lance Idol and Rick Valentine, The Caribbean Express defend the Caribbean tag titles against Los Mercenarios, Aguilita Solitaria vs Espectrito, and Gama Singh vs Chicky Starr. 

After the card rundown, we get a match from the TV taping between the Super Medicos and Lance Idol and Rick Valentine. It’s a non-title match since Idol and Valentine have only just started teaming up together. Super Medico #3 and Lance Idol start off for their teams. A lock up leads to a side headlock by Medico #3. A rope throw counter results in Medico #3 doing a baseball slide through Idol’s legs and then hitting a dropkick. Idol decides to tag Valentine in, but Medico #3 counters a rope run with a leapfrog, leading to the two rudos almost colliding with each other. Medico#3 hits a dropkick into Valentine’s back, sending him into Idol. Valentine then gets hit with an armdrag takedown. Hugo and Carlos on commentary are talking about how Lance Idol has recently arrived to team up with Rick Valentine, and they wonder if they have had experience working as a team before based on how they’ve done in CSP so far. The Medicos do some quick tags that involve leaping off the top onto Valentine’s arm while he is held in an armbar by the other Medico. After doing this a few times, Medico #3 remains as the legal man in the ring working the armbar. Medico #1 is tagged in and the Medicos continue their strategy of working over Valentine’s arm. Medico #3 is tagged back in and sends Valentine into the ropes, but puts his head down too early. Valentine takes the opening and hits a neckbreaker, allowing Valentine to tag in Idol. Lance takes over with a snapmare, kneedrop and several punches to Medico #3’s head. Idol sends Medico #3 into the ropes for a backdrop and then tags Valentine back in. 

The rudos do a couple of double team maneuvers before Valentine exits the ring. Idol hits a clothesline for a pin attempt but Medico #1 breaks up the attempt. As the ref is busy sending Medico #1 out of the ring, the rudos do an illegal switch. Valentine hits a dropkick on Medico #3, but Medico #1 immediately breaks up any potential pin attempt. Medico #3 starts firing back with some punches but Valentine cuts him off with a kick. Medico #3 ducks a clothesline from Valentine and then counters with a clothesline of his own. Medico #1 is tagged in and he cleans house on Valentine and Idol. A double noggin knocker sends Idol rolling out of the ring, and Valentine is hit with a backdrop for a one count. A small package attempt leads to Valentine kicking out as well. Medico #1 gets an abdominal stretch on Valentine, but Idol comes in to break it up. Medico #3 also comes into the ring and now all four men are fighting. The rudos are whipped into each other and the Medicos hit a double dropkick on Idol to send him out of the ring. The Medicos set up and hit a rocket launcher on Valentine, but as the pin attempt is made by Medico #3, the ref is busy getting Medico #1 out of the ring. With the ref distracted, Idol goes to the top and connects a kneedrop onto the .back of Medico #3’s head. Valentine rolls over to cover Medico #3 and they steal the pinfall win. Carlos mentions that it was a smart move by Idol and Valentine even if it was sneaky, and that this shows how well they work as a team if they could pull off a sneaky tactic without getting caught.  As a result of this non-title win, Idol and Valentine have earned a World tag title shot in Caguas.

MD: So, we started the Idol/Valentine interview and I was worried. Idol said “Space Mountain” and “Baby” about seven times each in a one minute span and then Valentine said “You Know” a lot, but somewhere in there, it dawned on me that, somehow, amazingly, Idol and Valentine were actually calling themselves Space Mountain as their tag team name, and that’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever heard. 

Valentine said that Medico 1 had to reassure his son after they both had nightmares and the Medicos responded by saying they never have nightmares. I do appreciate that they’re not just cutting promos in a vacuum but they do respond to one another, which I think is important given the language gap between the two teams.

The match itself was fairly straightforward. I liked how Idol bumped for things like dropkicks, but Valentine seemed maybe too over the top, even for a stooge-laden territory like PR. It almost veered into parody in a way guys like Rogers, Burke, and either Starr managed to avoid. Valentine took over with a pause and a neckbreaker on Invader 3 and they did a good job beating him down. Comeback was fiery with the Medicos hitting the double dropkick and the rocket launcher but the heels hitting a knee drop off the top to turn it around. That’s a finish we’ve seen a few times in the last year now, but it does heat things up for the next match. 

EB: We now go to a series of promos, first up is new arrival Kim Duk. Chicky is conducting the interview and asks Duk about his upcoming match this Friday in Fajardo against Invader #1. Duk cuts a short promo, although it is clear that talking is not his strong suit. The advantage here in Puerto Rico is that you can cover a bit for some of the weaker English promos with the translation. Case in point, Duk says a couple of sentences about his match with Invader #1, Chicky then translates and makes it sound more confident. Chicky also talks about Duk’s match tonight in Caguas against Gama Singh. As soon as Chicky finishes up talking about that match, TNT walks into frame ready to talk about his upcoming matches. This Friday TNT is teaming up with Atkie Mulumba to face Scott Hall and ‘el viejito’ Colon, but tonight in Caguas TNT is facing Invader #1. TNT says that he knows Invader #1 has been sent by Carlos Colon to hurt TNT before the rematch, but TNT has Chicky Starr in his corner now and nothing and no one will get in TNT’s way. Next week TNT is going for the Universal title, but tonight TNT is sending Invader #1 out on a stretcher.

After the rudos have had their say, Invader #1 cuts a promo in response. He starts off by sending a special hello to wrestling  fan Carmen Jovet (she is a journalist and tv host/personality). Invader #1 gets to the point  quickly by mentioning that we’ll see what Kim Duk is made of on Friday and then turns his attention to TNT’s comments. TNT has been saying that Carlos Colon is ordering Invader to hurt TNT, but Invader makes it clear that neither Carlos Colon or anyone for that matter needs to be ordering Invader to do anything, so TNT can get that out of his head. Invader knows that TNT wants to become the Universal champion, well so does Invader. The only difference is that while Carlos is the champion, Invader is not interested in challenging for the title. Invader knows that TNT is already thinking about the August 4 Universal title rematch, but to get there TNT has to go through Invader first. So TNT better be ready for tonight, and if he thinks Chicky Starr will make a difference, Invader has El Ejerciot de la Justicia watching his back. 

MD: This was more or less effective. Chicky talked about Gama Singh in here too. I don’t think they should have had Kim Duk speak in English about the Invader match. He only did ok with it and it wasn’t needed. He could have just looked fearsome as either Chicky or (especially) TNT talked him up. Invader gave a shout out to a kid and emphasized again that they all wanted the Universal title but that they were stronger together and fought for justice and all that. Effective overall. 

EB: The rest of this Campeones episode has a couple of matches that we have already covered (including the Invader #1 vs Leo Burke taped fist match covered at the start of this installment). Besides these matches we also get some more promos, including one where Carlos Colon talks about the upcoming match with TNT for Fan Appreciation Day, El Profe with Atkie Mulumba talking about Mulumba’s upcoming matches against Scott Hall, Scott Hall offering his response about his upcoming matches against Atkie Mulumba, and a show closing where Carlos Colon offers some additional comments about how he is training hard for the Universal title rematch scheduled for next week and that he is confident he will defeat TNT.  

MD: Not much to say about the end here. Pretty straightforward promos from Profe and Hall but it was fun to see Hall having to come up with a bunch of different expressions and poses as Hugo was translating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiDKw3okhq0

EB: Beside the Campeones episode for July 28,  we also have a Sueprestrellas episode from the same day. The show opens with Hugo doing a voiceover announcing that tonight in Caguas the main event will be Invader #1 vs TNT. Also tonight, there will be a lumberjack match between Scott Hall and Atkie Mulumba.  We go to Hugo in the studio  after the show intro and he runs down the other matches for tonight’s show in Caguas. Hugo also runs down what is scheduled for today’s program, including new arrival Kim Duk joining TNT as a guest on Chicky Starr’s Sports Shop. After reminding fans that tonight they are in Caguas, Hugo starts talking about next week’s Fan Appreciation Day show taking place in Bayamon.

Our first match for the program is Invader #4 taking on TNT. Eliud Gonzalez is our commentator for this bout. TNT and Invader #4 circle each other to start but TNT kicks Invader #4 in the midsection when it looks like they will lock up. TNT knocks down Invader #4 with a karate thrust and follows up with a clothesline attempt that is ducked by Invader #4.  A surprise crossbody by Invader #4 off the ropes gets a two count. TNT immediately rolls out to stop the momentum, as Invader #4 stares at both TNT and Chicky and makes a ‘come on’ motion with his hands. TNT gets back in as the crowd chants for Invader #4, and is met with an armdrag and two dropkicks. Once again TNT rolls out of the ring and we see that Kim Duk has also made his way to ringside to second TNT. Back in the ring, TNT and Invader #4 exchange hammerlock counters and then some chops. TNT is visibly frustrated with the way the match is going and turns to complain to Chicky at ringside. A lock up leads to Invader #4 taking TNT down with an armdrag. Invader #4 hits another dropkick on TNT but a followup attempt falls short when TNT is able to hold himself back. This gives TNT the opening to take control with a knee to the head and a spin kick. A clothesline is ducked by Invader #4, who briefly counters with a clothesline of his own. However,  an irish whip reversal and charge leads to TNT hitting a dynamite kick on Invader #4. This sets up the Cobra Dinamita and eventually Invader #4 falls unconscious. TNT wins by submission. Kim Duk and Chicky Starr enter the ring to congratulate TNT, but when TNT goes over to wake up Invader #4 he is waved off from doing so by Chicky. They turn to leave but the ref stops TNT and reminds him he has to wake up Invader #4. TNT goes back to do this, but this time Duk waves TNT off and tells him not to do it. Again the rudos turn to leave but the ref once again stops TNT and tells him he has to wake his opponent up. TNT finally wakes up Invader #4 (while jawing at the ref) and the rudos leave the ring.   

MD: Short but complete match. I feel like we haven’t seen as much Invader IV lately but he has been on the cards, just towards the bottom. There was more of a need of the Invaders as a tag team when they were doing the tournament earlier in the year and maybe more of a need to have Invader 1 as a singles guy recently. TNT tends to take over here either by just walking backwards or getting a kick out of nowhere, but it is a clear sense that he is in control of what’s going on, almost in a Samoa Joe sort of way, just his presence being that strong. Despite that, they do go back and forth a bit before the kick and the cobra take Invader down. 

EB: We get a couple of promos from the two teams that will battle for the World tag team titles tonight in Caguas. The challengers are Lance Idol and Rick Valentine and they are getting the title shot after getting a win over the Super Medicos in a non title match (which aired on Campeones). Chicky is conducting the interview and says that these two men will be the new World tag champions after tonight. Rick valentine wants the fans to see the video of what happened in the non title match. After showing the finish, Valentine promises that they will leave with the belts tonight and that Chicky should start getting the party ready. Idol adds that the Medicos better be ready because they are facing two of the greatest athletes in wrestling. The Super Medicos are then shown with Hugo, where they comment about the title match tonight. Medico #1 promises that what happened in the previous match will not happen again. Medico #3 mentions that they won’t make the same mistake twice. Hugo brings up the Medicos defeating the Rougeaus at Aniversario and Medico #1 says that not only the Rougeaus but they’ve defeated a lot of other great teams as well. Idol and Valentine better be ready to wrestle “good and pretty, because from A to Z,  masters in the ring are the Super Medicos. Those belts are too big for you.” Medico #1 also sends a message to Chicky, saying that they shouldn't be partying yet, because some dreams are nightmares.   

MD: Main issue here is that Valentine and Idol have a fall on the Medicos now. This time they do not call themselves Space Mountain so we’ll see if that was just a one time thing. Medicos have beaten big teams and they’re primed to get revenge on Idol and Valentine.

EB: It’s time for this week’s Chicky Starr’s Sports Shop segment and our guests are TNT and Kim Duk. Chicky introduces the segment and his guests as TNT and Duk shake hands. TNT speaks first, mentioning that he saw Duk on one of his Japan excursions. Tremendous wrestler, bloodthirsty and he is not afraid of fear. That is why he and Chicky brought Duk over, so that El Ejercito de la Justicia can pay for the things they have done to TNT. Chicky then asks Kim Duk about his match tonight and Duk cuts a promo that again shows that speaking is not his strong suit. Duk mentions that the Puerto Rican people will see what he can do and that his team with TNT will mean that it will be over for their opponents. Chicky translates, and again there is the advantage of being able to cover for a weaker promo with the translation. Hopefully they let Duk talk less going forward to maintain a more threatening vibe (or maybe he’ll get better, we shall see).

We get a rundown of tonight’s card in Caguas and for tomorrow’s card in Salinas. The card in Salinas is as follows: Invader #1 & Scott Hall vs TNT & Atkie Mulumba; Miguelito Perez vs Kim Duk; the Super Medicos defend the World tag titles against Idol & Valentine; Huracan Castillo Jr. vs Ron Starr; Gama Singh vs. Mercenario #1; and a mixed tag match as Aguilita Solitaria & Invader #4 take on Espectrito & El Profe. After some commercials, we get a Kim Duk music video that shows off his martial arts prowess.

MD: Another less than stellar promo from Duk but the training video more than made up for it with TNT holding a bag, footage from a cage fighting movie, and Duk (labeled as “Korean Power”) breaking boards. 

EB: The Caribbean Express and Los Mercenarios are tangling once more over the Caribbean tag titles. El Profe is with Mercenario #1 and claims that last week the Caribbean Express tried to take advantage of Ron Starr two against one, This time it will be two on two. Los Mercenarios will cut through Perez and Castillo’s dirty tricks and walk away with the Caribbean tag titles. Castillo and Perez offer their version of what happened the previous week, and it’s that Mercenario #1 interfered and rammed Miguelito into the post during the singles match Perez was having against Ron Starr. I believer their version of events over El Profe’s. Tonight it will be two on two and they will be ready for any potential dirty tricks Los Mercenarios may have. 

MD: This feels a little placeholder-y to me. Idol/Valentine vs the Express will be fresh when and if they get back to that, but Starr would have been more useful as a singles at this point.

EB: We get an ad for the Wednesday TV taping in Miramar which will include the Invaders taking on Idol & Valentine, the Super Medicos vs TNT & Kim Duk, Miguelito Perez vs Ron Starr in a coal miners match (a pole match), and Huracan Castillo Jr vs Mercenario #1. We then go to a  Gama Singh music video that  includes highlights of Singh against Rick Valentine, Chicky Starr, Leo Burke and others.

MD: They really do tape everything, or at least you get the sense of that watching this and seeing him against Chicky, Valentine, and Burke. Ah well. Nice to see them stooge and beg off and bump for Singh but nothing he does is particularly spectacular relatively.

EB: Scott Hall and Atkie Mulumba are set for a lumberjack match tonight in Caguas. We get a promo from El Profe about the  match, saying that Hall won't have anyone backing him up tonight and that, while Hall has been able to bloody up Atkie, that only makes Mulumba stronger and more dangerous. Tonight will be the last anyone sees of Hall. Scott responds by talking about how Mulumba always seems to be hightailing it when things go in Hall’s favor. But tonight he won’t be able to run as the lumberjacks will throw him back into the ring.  

MD: I’m not convinced Hall is particularly blonde to be the Blonde Outlaw, but whatever. This was set up by the match where they brawled down the stairs and maybe the tag where Hall ran across the stadium with a sign to attack him. Now they’re going to do a Lumberjack match. Makes a lot of sense and keeps the feud going. This is all solid stuff.

EB: Hugo has a special report segment about the upcoming Universal title rematch set for August 4. He has a masked TNT with him in what looks to be a control room. TNT says that he defeated Carlos Colon 1-2-3 ar Aniversario despite it being very slippery and he wants them to roll a tape of what he is talking about. As the footage plays, TNT mentions that Carlos tried to hurt him but he kept avoiding those attempts. As they show TNT grabbing the ropes for leverage, TNT claims that the ref was bought off by Carlos to waive off the pinfall. Hugo brings up that TNT held onto the ropes, but TNT claims that it was because the ring was dirty and very slippery. As the footage continues and the match gets restarted, TNT says that he had the celebration already in his head and was looking forward to celebrating with his friends, but it was taken away by the commissioner and that paid off referee. They then cut to the finish where TNT is in the figure four as time ran out. Hugo asks TNT if he was about to give up and TNT gets mad, pointing at the screen and saying ‘Who said I was about to give up, what does it look like I'm saying? I’m signaling no with my hands. I will never give up to viejito Colon’. This time there is no time limit and the bell won’t save Carlos Colon. The people are ready for a new Universal champion and he has Chicky Starr in his corner. 

Carlos Colon offers some comments from the studio. Next Saturday it will be a fight and he will beat some shame into TNT, particularly after falling in with Chicky Starr. Last time TNT was saved by the bell, but this time there will be no bell. Hugo then mentions some of the matches for Fan Appreciation Day, including the Bronca Boricua (with some footage from the previous year’s match). There will be a promotional photo of El Reto Para la Historia for the first fans that arrive and you will get a chance to take pictures and get autographs with your favorite wrestlers.  

MD: For as samey as something like Carribean Express vs Mercanarios might feel, they do a great job at keeping the big feuds novel. Here they have TNT with a ninja mask on watching tape in the booth with Hugo with Colon getting to retort in the end. Just an interesting way to look back so that they can look forward. 

EB: After the WWC top ten rankings, we get Armando Fernandez as this week’s sacrificial lamb for Atkie Mulumba. Armando tries to jump Mulumba at the bell but Atkie quickly cuts him off and finishes Fernandez off with a splash in about a minute. Atkie looks ready for his match tonight against Scott Hall.

MD: Fernandez gives it a good try but this was short and quick and dirty, with Mulumba hitting a great World’s Strongest Slam before finishing him with the splash. Just a way to keep him dominant as Hall was really looking stronger in the feud. 

EB: Chicky and TNT are up next to cut a promo on Invader #1. TNT mentions that Invader has been the man that has taken a lot of wrestlers out of Puerto Rico, with the latest being Leo Burke after last week’s taped fist match. TNT says he is not stupid and knows that Carlos Colon is sending Invader #1 to take out TNT. But TNT is not alone, he has Chicky Starr with him, and tonight the real Universal champion TNT will make sure that Invader #1 is the one leaving on a stretcher. “Remember Invader #1, dignity is written in blood, and tonight I will write the name TNT with your blood.” Hugo is with Invader #1, mentioning that the match tonight is non-title and repeats TNT’s claims to invader about Invader being sent by Carlos Colon to take TNT out. Invader starts by saying that the most important thing is that TNT has shown the people of Puerto Rico what a tremendous wrestler he is and what great conditioning he has, TNT proved it at Aniversario 90. TNT has all the tools to be Universal champion, the only thing is that the people of Puerto Rico and Invader are not in agreement with the way he is trying to become Universal champion. He is not leaving on a stretcher and he is not being sent by anyone to take TNT out. They will see what happens tonight when they face each other one on one tonight. Invader also mentions next week’s Universal title rematch and says that he knows TNT is focused on that. But if Invader is given the chance tonight (and since TNT seems insistent on the notion), if the opportunity comes up then Invader will find a way to hurt TNT so he can get that idea of being Universal champion out of his head.

MD: TNT really has to carry the top of the promotion right now, feuding with both Colon and Invader (and in tags with Hall too), bringing in Duk beneath him, on TV against mid-card babyfaces. My gut says that when he was a top heel a couple of years before, he wasn’t nearly as ready as he is now. He’s able to cover a lot of ground in these promos with increasing intensity while not completely devolving to shouting. Here, they have a way of filming him up tight and close and it comes off as very intimidating.

EB: Our featured match for this program is a tag match between the Caribbean Express and Lance Idol & Rick Valentine. The team of Idol & Valentine has only been together a couple of weeks, but it seems they are being fast tracked against the top tecnico teams. Valentine and Castillo start off, with Valentine backing Castillo into the ropes. Castillo counters with a backdrop and a couple of dropkicks. Valentine tags out and Idol runs into an armdrag takedown once he charges at Castillo. Idol is able to get out of the armbar momentarily but ends up being armdragged down after some counters. Valentine on the apron is complaining to the ref  and the tecnicos take the opportunity to switch out, with Perez taking over the armbar on Idol. Lance is able to break the hold with an eye rake and tags in Valentine, but Rick finds himself also falling victim to an armdrag takedown to the mat. Castllo is eventually tagged back in and the Express hit a double elbow on Valentine after a series of leapfrog / duck down counters. Castillo attempts a pin after an elbow drop but Valentine kicks out. Valentine cuts off Castillo with a punch to the midsection and is able to make the tag to Idol. After hitting a couple of punches, Idol tags Valentine back in. Rick makes the mistake of putting his head down too soon after sending Castillo into the ropes, resulting in Huracan kicking Valentine in the head. Perez is tagged in and Miguelito takes over on Valentine with a series of punches and chops, a corner clothesline and a dropkick. A pin attempt is broken up by Idol, which draws Castillo into the ring. The rudos are rammed into each other and Idol is dropkicked out of the ring. As Huracan is told to get out of the ring by the ref, Perez hits a crossbody on Valentine. However, Idol again comes off the top with a knee to the back of the head and Idol and Valentine steal another win. That’s two non-title victories Idol and Valentine now have over the two sets of tag champions in CSP. 

MD: Express took most of this, which was a clear sign that Idol/Valentine were going to win. In general, I think Idol looks a little better than Valentine on things like rope running and stooging. He just hits the balance a little bit better, but Valentine was ok here too. Perez worked from underneath a little but just a little. Then they went into the same sort of finish with the knee drop from the top when Perez had Idol pinned. Otherwise, this did feel like a fresh match up though.

EB: The show closes with Hugo hyping up next week's Fan Appreciation Day event and tonight’s card in Caguas.

Next time on El Deporte de las Mil Emociones, we have arrived at Fan Appreciation weekend. We’ll check out the final hype on tv for the event, including a ‘super’ segment that may answer what Carlos Colon, Xuxa, Menudo, Chicky Starr, a swimsuit contest, a celebrity hunk basketball game, TNT, a wardrobe malfunction. money giveaways, Invader #1, a globe of death and a blood puddle all have in common..Also, a wrestler we saw earlier in 1990 makes a return to CSP looking for revenge (and it’s not against who you may think).  

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70s Joshi on Wednesday: Hori! Komine! Yokota! Sato!

27. 1979.04.XX1 - 01 Ayumi Hori vs. Hiroko Komine

K: Ayumi Hori is part of the class of 1978 but didn’t debut until the end of the year as she suffered an injury during training, so she’s really a lot less experienced than her classmates at this point. She’s also probably the tallest wrestler in AJW’s history, billed at 180cm.

I can tell Hiroko Komine was leading this at some points, she moves a lot more naturally than Hori does. At times it looks like Hori’s not really doing anything but concentrating on doing her moves correctly, she doesn’t screw anything up but the vibes of the match are all off as there’s little semblance of struggle over things and she takes a bit too long to do her stuff. It’s a better watch when Komine is on offense, and Hori’s bumping is fine at least. They do play into Hori being much larger in a few moments, for instance when Komine picks her up presumably to do a slam but then collapses backwards from her weight. But mostly Komine has little trouble taking her down, it’s doing Hori a favour really that in kayfabe she comes across as not really knowing what she’s doing.

We only saw 5 minutes of this, though I doubt there was much more to it. Komine did well but Hori looked just barely fit for TV at this point.

*

MD: Our first look at Hori. It’s funny. The way they shot her at first , in the corner, by herself, with her robe, I was thinking that she didn’t look all that big, but when she was up next to Komine, she was giant. They also had this way of shooting up from the floor that made her seem all the larger once things got going. Komine was, apparently, injury prone and she had her hand taped up here. It’s pretty clear right from the get go that they have something with Hori. Though obviously green, she moved well, could take things like monkey flips, was clearly strong enough to do any physical feat she wanted to with Komine, whether it be a sort of head between the legs back body drop or just tossing her about by her hair. This went five minutes but it was a very full five minutes, maybe even seeming clipped. Komine would get her with mean shots and tight holds, but Hori would just sort of power out and run right through her. Komine did get the win with a sort of flowing cross body where she ended up almost vertical by the time they landed. My biggest surprise is that they weren’t talking about Monster Ripper the whole time. If I was booking this, I would be building Hori to face Ripper.

28. 1979.04.XX1 - 02 Chino Sato vs. Rimi Yokota

K: This match had more of a ‘traditional’ babyface-heel dynamic than Black Pair matches. Chino doesn’t really cheat, well except a few moments of competitive feistiness, but the match is laid out so that Rimi gets some shine only for Chino to take over and go into a long heat section where Rimi still gets to do cooler stuff. For example Chino goes for a Boston Crab a couple of times but Rimi just forces her head forward to roll out of it both times before Chino can lock it in, but she doesn’t give up and gets it on the third attempt. There was a cool bit of camera work where they show Rimi dragging her body over the mat while in the Indian Deathlock to try and get to the ropes, only for Chino to pull her back, but just out of shot so you don’t see it coming until suddenly Rimi starts magically moving in the opposite direction. The moment I enjoyed the most was when Chino was trying to work on Rimi’s leg, but Rimi counters by taking Chino down with a headscissors while her back is still on the mat. It was pretty simple but it made Rimi look more intelligent than necessarily athletically impressive as I didn’t even consider that counter as an option until she did it.

There was a bit of an odd moment where Chino locked in a Figure Four really close to the ropes, like, Rimi actually gets her hand to them, then lets go, and Chino then rolls over so they’re in the middle of the ring now. It would have been find if Chino had forced Rimi off the ropes because merely touching the ropes isn’t considered a rope break in AJW, you need to keep a hold of them, but instead it just looked like Rimi let go for no reason. It’s made more odd by this little section ending by Rimi forcibly rolling back to where she was to start with, grabbing the ropes again and so forcing a break.

Matt’s done his write-up for this match before me so I’ve already seen his comments on the leg-selling. I don’t agree with him on this one. I thought Rimi sold the leg appropriately for the situation. She didn’t come across to me like her leg was perfectly fine. She shakes it about several times while she’s in her comeback. At 12:20 in the YouTube video for a quick example. I also interpreted her favouring one side being part of her selling her right leg (she seems to a have a very slight limp on the one Sato had been working over) rather than just selling her side. We’re getting into very nitty gritty here but I just felt the need to justify myself a bit here. The other thing I’ll say is I wouldn’t expect Rimi to be outright limping on one leg kind of selling, for one thing she is Chino’s senior and in kayfabe definitely the better wrestler, so it feels right that she sell just about enough to register that the legwork has had an effect on her, but not enough to severely impact on her, or stop her winning.

The finish is a great example to me of what makes Rimi Yokota so special. She counters Chino’s rolling headbutt into a sunset flip pin, and it looked perfect. The timing on it is exquisite. Most wrestlers could never make that spot look good but Yokota does this kind of thing time and time again. Of course I know what she turns into to, but even here you can see she’s a special talent.

***

MD: I was not expecting this out of Sato after her being sort of a plucky rookie the last time we saw her. Yokota rushed in early, but Sato took over very quickly and focused for minutes and minutes on the leg. Lots of brutal looking, varied offense, including a series of damaging holds and moves while Yokota was in a cross-toehold. The best of that might have been these bounding splashes down onto the hold. It was brutal and the selling in the moment and immediately thereafter by Yokota was good.

Of course, once she had her comeback, the leg was perfectly fine. In fact, the big issue was her side after she missed a splash. Sato was quick to just crush her over and over with power bombs. There was some talk about a 6 on 6 series of Americans vs Japanese where you’d have to qualify and could score different points with different outcomes but I don’t see immediate sign of that in the match list, but who knows. This went fifteen and was good as segments in a bubble and if you learn to swallow your thoughts about consequence. Sato did move on from the leg and maybe that was her folly. Finish had Sato doing these roll through headbutts only to get caught on the second and sunset flipped. She decked the ref post-match for good measure. Yokota was very sympathetic here (maybe for the first time as she had leaned more aggressive in previous matches), but Sato absolutely made an impression.

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AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends) 8/19 - 8/25 Part 3

MD: I don't have a lot to say about the Coffin Match. In some ways it was weirdly minimalist in not a lot happened but everything that did happen was monumental, but ultimately a bit too much DID happen overall for me to say that. Also not a lot to say about the Dustin 10-man. It was really just a finishing stretch with a bit of prelude. I did want to double back to some other things however.

AEW Collision 8/24/24

Big Bill vs. Hook

MD: Part of the joy of pro wrestling is that that it is interactive. It's live television, sure, but it's live television in front of a crowd, where the crowd can be conditioned, can be manipulated, but cannot be completely controlled. Nine times out of ten, when the crowd loses control, it's to the detriment of the match. In those situations, it's also usually due to some miscalculation in the match itself. But wrestling, at its best, is at least partially improvisational, and an out of control crowd is a possibility to live in the moment and create something special.

Hook's rarely, if ever been in a situation like this, but Bill's pushing 40 and is a fifteen year vet. There was a miscalculation here. I won't go too deep into the angle itself, but it's problematic at best and everyone knows it. Leaning into the fact it's problematic only partially mitigates the problem. In some ways, it makes it worse. This match was set up to protect Bill and to make Hook work from underneath to overcome a much larger opponent and look all the better in victory. It was meant to chip away at him on the heels of a big return so that the angle could be heated up and both he and Jericho could claim momentum coming into All In.

A couple of problems. One, the crowd wanted to cheer for Bill anyway. He's larger than life, charismatic; people have fond memories of him. Two, the match was set up for Hook to charge in early and maybe get a shot or two in from underneath or to have Keith attack him when the ref was distracted so that the odds were against him and you could explain away him not firing back more. It was all to build first for him to hit a suplex on Bill (and on Keith to take him out) and then for the Redrum to finish it. Basically, Bill was taking not a majority of this, but 95% of it. It's almost impossible to get behind a babyface who isn't constantly fighting back, even if he's cut off. Against the right opponent and in front of the right crowd, that's fine. This was neither. And the fact of the matter is that it's not all that novel to see Hook suplex Bill. We've seen it before, not just here but in previous feuds and it's not like Hook has even had that many feuds. So it went from 50-50 support for Bill and Hook to 60-40, to 70-30, to an overwhelming tidal wive as the match went on.

So Bill had this incredible crowd to deal with, one that was going to cheer whatever he did, and he went all the way with it. He yelled at them that they couldn't support him now when they never had before. He gave every hand motion imaginable to every corner of the ring. He crossed his arms to look as dorky as goofy as possible and stomped around. He leaned hard into his offense in the meanest and most unfair and conniving ways. Nothing worked, but he justified all of it with the effort. He had posed and preened and bounced a bit at the start, just a bit of cool heel trappings, but when he realized the damage that caused, he went as far from it as possible. None of it did Hook any favors, but thanks to Bill making it seem like the adulation was the absolute worst thing in the world, it probably didn't do him any longterm harm. And then he worked it all into the finish by playing to them and turning around between chops while Hook was on the top rope so he could get caught in the Redrum. People may look at this as a failure, but I see it as Bill masterfully averting disaster. All of this now going to be there, potential energy to be tapped into when the time is right. The time just wasn't last week.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Ariya Daivari

MD: And sometimes everything goes exactly how it's supposed to. This was the same exact crowd, only one segment later, and it went perfectly. It was such simple stuff, Daivari posing in the corner to boos, Jarrett to cheers. It was Daivari doing the strut repeatedly as he got the better of Jarrett only for Jarrett to clock him, then Jarrett teasing it but unable to do it until the final comeback. It was Jarrett counting along with Aubrey and the crowd while Daivari stalled and stooged outside the ring. It was Daivari menacing Karen to distract Jarrett so he could take over and then later Jarrett getting cut off because he checked on her. It was Jarrett working from underneath in a sleeper so the crowd could get behind him and throwing punches that the fans could chant along to. And all the while, there were the tiny bits of connective tissue to ensure everything made sense and was timed and placed perfectly. The crowd just wanted to be involved. They wanted something to get behind. They wanted to feel like they were part of it all. The Hook match wasn't set up to give them that. The Jarrett match absolutely was. Pro wrestling can be fascinating when it goes wrong, but man is it ever beautiful when it goes right. 

AEW All In 8/25/24

MJF vs. Will Ospreay

MD: I'm not disappointed in Ospreay.

I'm not even disappointed in Max, not really. Maybe a little.

Mostly? Mostly I'm just disappointed in myself.

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AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/19 - 8/25 Part 2

All In 8/25/24

Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland

MD: I cried a little, maybe. It's important I lead with that because the next sentence is going make it seem like I'm less engaged than I should be. Look, here's the deal... one reason that I get these reviews out so quickly is because the brain doesn't shut off. It never shuts off. It's just who I am, right? I watch a match and I'm thinking, thinking, thinking. I'm thinking all sorts of things, but one thing I'm thinking about is what I'm going to say, if I'm going to say something at all. I don't watch a Bryan Danielson match without that in my head. What's the hook? What's the entry point? What's the unifying element that will get me into a review. Once I get in, I'm good. And maybe you might feel like that's a terrible way to consume any form of entertainment, art, whatever, but I'm not just consuming. I'm constantly engaging. It's built into my DNA. I can't fix it. It doesn't mean I'm less tapped in; it means I'm more tapped in, or at least that's how I feel. Here's the point, as I'm watching this thing, I'm thinking to myself: how am I ever going to write about this? I posted the master list recently. I had written up something like 90 Danielson matches from the last few years. What is there that I can possibly say about this that is additive or useful or meaningful or something you don't already know?

Maybe I don't go timeless. Maybe I go topical (and find something timeless by doing so). Let's try that, because I'm struggling a bit here. This is way bigger than me. Here goes. There was some talk last week about storytelling, whether it existed around and before a match or whether it exists in a match itself. I'm going to quote my pal Charles here. "I really disagree with the idea of wrestling and storytelling somehow being at odds with each other. It's about the overall viewing experience, and it all should work together and be cohesive. There are some skewed ideas now of what storytelling is." And my god, isn't this the perfect example of that?

There were so many elements set up in the build, so much rich narrative and character to draw from. With Danielson, it was a culmination of a lifetime of wrestling, of so many failed attempts at winning the AEW title, of the tension between family and passion and accomplishment, of going out on your own terms given the trauma of the first retirement, of finding drive and pushing yourself over the finish line when you're so close to peace and serenity and your final reward. For Swerve, it was about knowing just how far you climbed to get to the top, all the things you did that you had to live with, all the doubters you had to prove wrong, balancing the adulation of the crowd with the knowledge that in order to justify it all, you'd do anything, absolutely anything to keep it. It was about carrying the company only to realize that this night wasn't even about you, that your opponent was looking past you, not towards glory or victory but towards peace and finality, something you couldn't even imagine given the fire burning in your heart, and trying to find some way to bring that all together to become a force that could the change the fate of one night and define history for all time.

That was all before the bell rang! And then when it did, these forces began to crash and clash against one another. Early feeling out faded quickly as Swerve, mutable like water in his movements, tried for an early float around suplex. Danielson, however, had trained for all of Swerve's moves, and more than that, for his unique way of moving, and jammed it with a knee shot so that he could follow up by dismantling Swerve's shoulder. Swerve, champion that he is, was able to fight forward, to endure the first set of attacks, both grounded and daring, only for Danielson to lock in a headscissors in the ropes and target the shoulder again. Realizing that he wasn't going to beat him on these terms, he took advantage of a distracted ref and Nana's assistance and crushed Danielson's head onto the ring bell. Everything in the last paragraph, everything that these two are and were and might ever be led into everything in this paragraph. You can draw direct lines, direct correlation. It's a snake eating itself, backstory feeding action drawing on character and creating reaction. When wrestling hits like this, when it is allowed to draw upon decades of history and lifetimes of desires, there's nothing else in the world like it.

Things progressed along these lines. Danielson, bloodied yet resilient, came back (maybe using the iron in his arm on clotheslines? Maybe not; there are so many elements in here that you can tap into that it's hard to know where to stop). Certainly he showed his versatility and relentlessness by turning a Cattle Mutilation attempt into a pair of brutal Tiger Suplexes. Swerve, in response, put him down with the Vertebreaker. Again, so much was at play, not just Danielson's history of head and neck injuries, including his current vulnerability for which he says he needs surgery, but the fact that the Vertebreaker is such a dangerous, forbidden, rare move (not unlike the Tiger Suplexes that preceded it, actually; parallels are great too. Excess isn't usually a good thing but the time to unleash it is on the biggest match at the biggest stage; you hold it back in other matches exactly for this moment).

As Swerve drove the doctors away, the match shifted into a gripping third act. All throughout, Bryan Danielson's family presented themselves as a character in this play, with a splotch of pink standing out among this massive sea of humanity: Birdie's hat. You found yourself looking in their direction whenever the camera allowed us to see their reaction, to see their connection with the action in the ring. When Swerve took his first major advantage using the ring bell, he pulled a bloodied Bryan out to stomp his face in front of them and proclaim himself as Birdie's hero since he'd be the one to send Bryan back to her once and for all. Now, after the Vertebreaker, as Swerve hit Danielson with House Call after House Call, Bryan's hand extended to them and he mouthed an apology that somehow felt so much more sincere and heartfelt (empowered perhaps by a certain level of human ambiguity as opposed to something more contrived) than the one Bryan's own trainer made at Wrestlemania XXVI. He refused to stay down. More than that, he stood. An apology gave way to a declaration of love as he absorbed blow after blow and then turned to face Swerve as the crowd took a collective breath, and threw forth a resounding slap, one of the truly great comeback moments of this century.

From there it was a finishing stretch deserving of what came before, with both wrestlers surviving each other's best shots and one last bit of dangling plot, Swerve's own past coming home to roost as Hangman Page rode his way past security to disrupt Swerve's final defiantly indomitable moment. Just that last bit of narrative protection for a champion that earned it, for a man that will be here day in and day out in the years to come. Swerve would do everything to win, but there was a cost and some of those costs you pay for the rest of your life. With that cost paid once more (not for the last time), the smoke cleared and Danielson stood in the ring with his family as the fireworks went off and the show came to a close.

Here's another disclosure. I didn't see this live. I didn't get to see this until a few hours later, actually. I was able to see parts of the show live but not all of it. Why, you may ask? I took two (2) nature walks with my six year old daughter yesterday (2 is a lot for one day). We saw three foxes, two turtles and a blue heron. She caught multiple bugs in her net including a couple of end band net-wing beetles. That was on top of assisting her with Super Monkey Ball, reading a Franny K. Stein book to her, and overall helping prep her and her sister to be ready for the first day of school today. So maybe you weren't looking for that splotch of pink every moment of the match, but I was, and maybe your eyes were dry at the end, but mine weren't. It's funny. If she told me tomorrow that I should give up something I love to hang out with her more, I'd probably hedge. She's not the most rational entity I've ever dealt with. She's the sort that'll refuse to budge for ten minutes because she's still hunting a moth. She's six. She's also the third kid. I've seen a couple of other six year olds go down the path first. That said, if you stacked up all the most valuable and worthwhile times in my life, those couple of years during COVID when I was working from home every day and here, home, watching these kids grow up every moment that I could... well, that would top the list, I think. So maybe I wouldn't make exactly the call that Bryan is making here, but I can certainly understand it, and I'm certainly going to make something akin to it each and every time I can, even if that means I don't get to have the shared experience of watching this match with the rest of you live. It was still there for me when I was able to catch up. And that ring will be there for Bryan when he's ready for it again. For now, though, the Countdown keeps ticking down, and we'll be there for every moment (even if I might be a little late for some because of a more pressing engagement with a six year old).

AEW Five Fingers of Death Master List

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Found Footage Friday: ALOHA MR. LAWLER~! RICKARD~! ST. CLAIR~! THOMPSON~! PESAK~! VON SCHACHT~!

Jack Pesek vs. Fritz/Friedrich von Schacht Chicago 6/27/52

MD: This goes about twenty before Von Schacht gets himself disqualified for not breaking a hold and continuing to pepper Pesak's elbow with knees. They alternated between solid slugfests and maybe less than dynamic (for the point of the match) holds in the back third but the first two thirds was full of rousing stuff. Von Schacht was an early adopter of the bald, evil German gimmick and he was full of a wild physical charisma. A lot of the early parts of the match was Pesak tossing him out and von Schacht had a great way of landing in the least comfortable looking ways caught up in the rope often head over heels or in a ungainly heap.

He was able to get revenge and discus throw Pesek out once, but primarily he took back over with inside shots, hairpulls, and a dogged sort of aggression. More often than not, Pesek was able to outdo him on the mat though. We do have a few more von Schacht matches and I should double back for those too as he was pretty entertaining here. Some of the slugging towards the end reminded me of when things boiled over in 50s French matches, though it all sort of ended anticlimactically instead. 

Tony St. Clair vs. Clay Thompson Joint Promotions 8/19/67

MD: Occasionally, a member of the community goes above and beyond. Here, fxnj purchased an old film reel off an auction site, had it sent, converted, and then posted it. What we have now is the very likely the oldest full British match online (according to John Lister at least) and a look at what a catchweight match from 1967 looked like, as well as a rare look at Clay Thompson.

Yes, St. Clair, very young and known here primarily as the younger brother of Roy, spent the entire match with his mouth gaping wide open, but all in all, this was good pro wrestling, very good wrestling as sport in the British style. St. Clair had the weight (class) advantage, and used that to press forward for much of the match but Thompson had a clear skill and experience advantage and was able to use that to escape every hold. As evidenced by the finish, there was always a sense that Thompson was just one move away from victory and St. Clair, while being the aggressor, was really just trying to hang on.

This never boiled over, never even came close, though it was grittier on the back half, but there were so many little tricks and escapes by Thompson, and even some holds like an inverted short arm scissors that felt unique or rare. He'd escape again and again and St. Clair would just barely hold on to a wristlock. St. Clair was agile, cartwheeling here and there at times. That made the finish, where he succumbed to a figure-four and came into the next round limping heavily, all the more striking. I could watch a hundred matches like this and they're probably in a vault somewhere in England, gated behind an expensive and elite process. But at least they may exist, right?

Jerry Lawler vs. Steve Rickard Polynesian Pro Wrestling 8/9/86

MD: I'd heard about this match but never watched it before (more Found than New), as best as I can tell. Rickard was well into his 50s at this point. He's the father of New Zealand pro wrestling and created the On the Mat show. We have some episodes of that in the early 80s and I just never got around to checking them out. I'm not sure anyone in our circles really have. Should probably do that some day.

This was pretty straightforward. Lawler had a blonde valet with him for the trip to Hawaii. They cut midway through to Pedicino and some weightlifters. Rickard's age was noted and they talked about his Commonwealth title on commentary. They kept it on the mat for the first half, with a lot of Lawler complaining and Rickard showing him up on holds. Simple, effective stuff. The back half was full of punches, with Rickard meeting Lawler halfway with some pretty good ones, especially uppercuts. Lawler eventually crotched him and got DQed. Probably more on the FUN side of things, given the pace and the attraction feel but I'm not going to say no to a 80s Lawler match against a unique opponent that's new to me.

ER: It's been 40 years and we're still uncovering more evidence of Jerry Lawler being the greatest wrestler in history at working around any opponent's limitations. Jerry Lawler gets great matches out of green giants, TV comics, high school defensive coordinators, fundraising pediatrcicians, diabetic African savages, and various regional elderly men. Lawler is the best possible choice of wrestler to work Aloha Stadium against the biggest star of the Polynesia and presumably Micronesia territory, now in his mid-50s, and get the best match out of him. I enjoyed old Steve Rickard, thought he knew exactly where to place his two best punches and had an armbar takedown that looked like he was trying to post Lawler's arm, but this was just another Lawler masterclass in knowing the exact right match to work for an audience he had barely worked before. 

The video quality is such that it is easier to hear everything Lawler is saying than it is to hear almost anything commentary is saying. Sometimes I have no idea how Matt is able to pick up on certain things commentary is discussing - especially in old lucha - but it also makes me wonder how much the last 25 years of WWE television has made me consciously tune out most commentary. Anyway, this is the kind of super vocal Lawler performance that he usually reserved for much smaller crowds, not a stadium show. I don't know if I've heard Lawler be this vocal during a match, working a Best Possible Barry Darsow match against a territory star who couldn't hack it on the mainland. 

What takes it to the next level is the three minute run to the abrupt DQ finish, after Lawler has made it look like he was going to work a full match of satisfying stooging and loud hair pull complaints and subtle being the back cheating, before pulling out a run of four different ways of landing increasingly damaging punches. Lawler is out here looking like Smug Asshole #1 in his ugly fucking ketchup and mustard tights, the arguable worse color combo of his entire career, worse than any of the 1992 splatter paint tights which actually are great. He's a goof with a dumb goatee and ugly tights who suddenly lands the best punches on the 27 match show, before getting clocked with a Rickard punch that may as well have been him punching Lawler in the side of the head as hard as he could. 

I am consistently blown away by Lawler's innate timing and the way he sells offense as if he knows exactly how his opponent is going to throw it. His bumps and the way he sells every single strike always looks like he knows exactly how devastating or light the move looks. I have no idea how he is able to remove himself for the situation and understand that a shoulderblock landed soft enough that he shouldn't do a flip over bump but instead bump to his tailbone. You can't plan ahead for a Jim Powers punch to land, so how the hell is he able to anticipate how each individual punch is going to look? It's an incredible strength that I think only Stan Hansen, Finlay, Tenryu, and Yuki Ishikawa possess on the same level. 

I can't see Lawler ever dropping outside of my three favorite wrestlers ever, because we are still getting matches from my entire lifetime ago that add to his legacy. Nobody has gotten wrestling in the specific way that Jerry Lawler got wrestling. 

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AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/19 - 8/25 Part 1

MD: No PR this week due to some power issues on the island. Good stuff coming though so stay tuned. Thought I'd get a jump on some AEW since there's a lot coming this weekend.

ROH TV 8/22/24

Dustin Rhodes/Marshall Von Erich/Ross Von Erich/Sammy Guevara vs Matt Bennett/Mike Taven/John Silver/Alex Reynolds

MD: If I was in the live crowd, this one would have baffled me a bit. This was taped before the tag title change on Collision so it followed most immediately from the high heat end to the last ROH show. It was a fun, quick-moving, high spirited celebratory match, anchored by a frenetic finishing stretch and from Dustin making the most (as he always does) of being face-in-peril. But in chronological filming order, it had to seem a little offputting to be just so over the top. The crowd had no way of knowing that the emotional beat in the middle would be the action (and interference) packed title change after all.

Watching it on TV, on the other hand, it worked very well for what it was trying to do. That meant the claws came early. It meant Sammy got to take someone's phone and film himself during the shine. It meant Bennett and Silver stooging all over the ring for Dustin. It meant some heel miscommunication before they settled in on the heat. I've said it before but pro wrestling isn't math. Except for sometimes the southern tag formula kind of is. You don't want a heel-in-peril scenario where the shine is way too long. You don't want everything to break down too early so people are rushing in and out for the last half of the match without any structure or trappings. The one thing that can rectify either problem and most other problems, is if you have a really dynamic heat section, even if short. A lot of times that's on the heel team; The Midnight Express could make so much out of just a few minutes, but having a great face-in-peril working from underneath works too and Dustin's the best in the world right now.

So when things did break down, it was ok. Having Silver/Reynolds in there to help direct traffic like the savants they are didn't hurt. Some of the Kingdom's stuff worked right into their wombo combo stuff and it just felt right. And then it all built to a really huge claw/over the shoulder powerslam move by Marshall that we don't actually see that often but that is very impressive. While the tag title match was really how the residency ended, this is our last look at it, and in both cases it ended up on an up note.

AEW Dynamite 8/21/24

Darby Allin/FTR vs The Young Bucks/Jack Perry

MD: I scooted through this quickly the first time and I wasn't going to go back for it; perfect excuse with all the wrestling going on. Hell, I could write about Jarrett vs Daivari or that Big Bill vs Hook match that sounds fascinating instead if I needed another match for a Part 1, right? I might still. But then ol' Joseph rated it 4 stars and I had to admit that I moved through it pretty quickly the first time and... well, let's give it another look.

I really enjoyed the way it stemmed from the Okada vs Claudio match. As I noted in my thoughts on the company the other day, Dynamite does have a tendency to move too quickly from one thing to the other and not let moments resonate. Excalibur is a master of "And now"-ing and "But whatabout"-ing. When it happens organically like this, in that old ECW way, it adds an air of both excitement and connectiveness. There are some tricky bits with that. What does FTR feel about Claudio, for instance? While I understand both the presence that allows for it and the utility of it, the BCC being so mutable is overall problematic. Yuta can't be a shitheel rat boy one day and working from underneath against Swerve sympathetically the next. He just can't. You end up, over time, with 60% gain that you'd otherwise get on both. 60% of Claudio is a lot still, but it's not 100% of Claudio and the company needs 100% of everything they can get. Last note: everyone got the message that if you're going to use time announcements, you have to do it more frequently both within a match and overall, right? No need to reiterate that, I hope. Consistency is everything in pro wrestling.

Ok, on to the actual match; enough stalling. Back to southern tags. This had a very short shine, but one with Darby flying out of the ring twice, heavy brawling, and the double Sharpshooter tease, followed by a great transition with the Doomsday Device kick. Then the heat was on Darby, where if Dustin's #1, Darby might be #2, so that helps. We haven't seen a ton of straight up tags with the Bucks and Perry (it felt like they established the Okada/Bucks combo better) so this felt fresh and dynamic, with a great hot tag and good rousing comeback by FTR.

After that, things broke down a little too early for my liking maybe, but this is a teaser for the weekend and they didn't have a few more minutes to loop into, let's say, a second heat segment on Dax. So it got the job done. Sometimes the job isn't to have the best match possible. Having the Elite try to pack their bags and go got over the bigger picture story better than leaning hard into pure quality for the sake of quality so good on them. Cash's dive was a hell of a thing. I like Dax, the way he thinks about wrestling, how hard he works. But as I think about the necessary moneyball replacement scenario for Bryan Danielson facing AEW in the future (and TK can do moneyball so long as he thinks about it that way), Cash is a guy that almost feels like the middle ground between Mox and Danielson in a way that even at 37 still seems untapped. The last thing he seems to want to do is wrestle singles matches, but in a post Danielson world, maybe people have to be made to stretch (they need to tap into the untapped). Anyway, I always love the Powerplex combined with whatever their partner has, and the Coffin Drop is a great choice there. So yes, this was effective, absolutely got the job done, and hit a lot of positive marks along the way.

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AEW Five Fingers of Death Master List

2021

AEW's Five Fingers of Death Week of 10/25-10/31

AEW Dark 10/26/21

• Eddie Kingston vs. Jack Evans
• Bryan Danielson vs. Aaron Solo

AEW Dynamite 10/27/21

• CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish

AEW Rampage 10/29/21

• Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Danielson

AEW's Five Fingers of Death Week of 11/1-11/7

AEW Rampage 11/5/21

• Bryan Danielson vs. Anthony Bowens

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 11/8-11/14

AEW Dark 11/9/21

• Darby Allin vs. QT Marshall

AEW Dynamite 11/10/21

• Bryan Danielson vs. Rocky Romero

AEW All In 11/13/21

• Darby Allin vs. MJF
• Bryan Danielson vs. Miro
• Eddie Kingston vs. CM Punk

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 11/15-11/21

AEW Dynamite 11/17/21

• Bryan Danielson vs. Evil Uno

AEW Rampage 11/19/21

• Darby Allin vs. Billy Gunn 

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 11/22-11/28

AEW Dynamite 11/24/21

• CM Punk vs. QT Marshall
• Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana

AEW Rampage 11/26/21

• Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 11/29-12/5

AEW Dark 11/30/21

• Infinito vs. Ray Jaz

AEW Dynamite 12/1/21

• Bryan Danielson vs. Alan Angels
• CM Punk vs. Lee Moriarty
• Darby Allin/Sting vs. Gunn Club

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 12/6-12/12

AEW Elevation 12/6/21

• Dustin Rhodes/Brock Anderson/Lee Johnson vs Cesear Bononi/Peter Avalon/J.D. Drake 

AEW Dynamite 12/8/21

• Bryan Danielson vs. John Silver

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 12/13-12/19

AEW Dynamite 12/15/21

• Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Page 

AEW Rampage 12/17/21

• Eddie Kingston/Santana/Ortiz/Pentagon Jr./Fenix vs. 2.0 (Jeff Parker/Matt Lee)/The Acclaimed (Max Caster/Anthony Bowens)/Daniel Garcia 

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 12/20-12/26

AEW Dark 12/21/21

• Eddie Kingston vs. Colin Delaney

AEW Dynamite 12/22/21

• Darby Allin/CM Punk/Sting vs. The Pinnacle (Dax Hardwood/Cash Wheeler/MJF) 

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 12/27-1/2

AEW Dynamite 12/29/21

• Eddie Kingston/Santana/Ortiz vs. Daniel Garcia/Jeff Parker/Matt Lee

AEW Rampage 12/31/21

• Darby Allin vs. Anthony Bowens

2022

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 1/3-1/9

AEW Dynamite 1/5/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Page

AEW Rampage 1/7/22

• Eddie Kingston/Santana/Ortiz vs. 2.0 (Jeff Parker/Matt Lee)/Danny Garcia

AEW Battle of the Belts 1/8/22

• Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 1/10-1/16

AEW Dark 1/11/22

• Eddie Kingston vs. Joey Janela

AEW Dynamite 1/12/22

• CM Punk vs. Wardlow

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 1/17/-1/23

AEW Dynamite 1/19/22

• CM Punk vs. Shawn Spears
• Darby Allin/Sting vs. The Acclaimed

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 1/31-2/6

AEW Dynamite 2/2/22

• CM Punk v. MJF

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 2/7-2/13

AEW Dynamite 2/9/22

• CM Punk/Jon Moxley vs. FTR

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 2/14-2/20

AEW Dynamite 2/16/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Lee Moriarty
• Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

AEW Five Fingers of the Death Week of 2/21-2/27

AEW Dynamite 2/23/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/28-3/6 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 3/2/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

AEW Rampage 3/4/22

• Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Andrade

https://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2022/03/aew-five-fingers-pt2-aew-revolution.html

AEW Revolution 3/6/22

• Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Jericho
• CM Punk vs. MJF
• Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 3/7-3/13

AEW Dynamite 3/8/22

• Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley vs. Workhorsemen (JD Drake/Anthony Henry)

AEW Rampage 3/11/22

• Marq Quen vs. Darby Allin

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 3/14-3/20

AEW Dynamite 3/16/22

• Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor/Wheeler Yuta)

AEW Rampage 3/18/22

• Darby Allin vs. The Butcher

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 3/21-3/27

AEW Dynamite 3/23/22

• CM Punk vs. Dax Harwood
• Darby Allin/Sting/Hardy Brothers vs. The Butcher and The Blade/Private Party 
• Blackpool Combat Club (Brian Danielson/Jon Moxley) vs. Varsity Blonds

AEW Rampage 3/25/22

• Dustin Rhodes vs. Lance Archer

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 3/28-4/3

AEW Dynamite 3/30/22

• CM Punk vs. Max Caster
• Bryan Danielson vs. Wheeler Yuta
• Darby Allin vs. Andrade el Idolo

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 4/4-4/10

AEW Dynamite 4/6/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Trent Beretta

AEW Five Fingers of Death Week of 4/11-4/17

AEW Dynamite 4/13/22

CM Punk vs. Penta Obscura

• Eddie Kingston/Santana/Ortiz vs. Chris Jericho/Jake Hager/Daniel Garcia

AEW Rampage 4/15/22

• Blackpool Combat Club vs. Gunn Club

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 4/18-4/25

AEW Dynamite 4/20/22

• CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes
• Blackpool Combat Club vs. Dante Martin/Lee Moriarty/Brock Anderson
• Darby Allin vs. Andrade el Idolo

AEW Rampage 4/22

• Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 4/25 - 5/1

AEW Dynamite 4/27/22

• Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley/Wheeler Yuta) vs. The Factory (QT Marshall/Nick Comoroto/Aaron Solo)

AEW Rampage 4/29/22

• Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 5/2 - 5/8

AEW Dynamite 5/4/22

• Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley/Wheeler Yuta) vs. Andrade Family Office (Angelico/Butcher/Blade)

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 5/9 - 5/15

AEW Dynamite 5/11/22

• CM Punk vs. John Silver
• Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin 

AEW (And Friends) Five Fingers of Death: Week of 5/16 - 5/22

AEW Dynamite 5/18/22

• Blackpool Combat Club (Moxley/Danielson) vs. Peace, Love, and Pro Wrestling (Matt Sydal/Dante Martin)

• Eddie Kingston vs. Isaiah Broner AIW 5/21/22
• Eddie Kingston vs. Davey Richards Glory Pro 5/22/22

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 5/23 - 5/29 (Part 1)

AEW Dynamite 5/25/22

• Eddie Kingston/Jon Moxley vs. Private Party

AEW Rampage 5/27/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Matt Sydal

AEW Special Dark 5/28

• Darby Allin vs. Brandon Cutler

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 5/23 - 5/29 (Part 2)

Double or Nothing 5/29/22

• Darby Allin vs. Kyle O'Reilly
• Anarchy in the Arena: Danielson/Kingston/Moxley/Ortiz/Santana vs. Jericho Appreciation Society (Jericho/Menard/Parker/Hager/Garcia)
• CM Punk vs.  Adam Page

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 5/30 - 6/5

AEW Dynamite 6/1/22

• CM Punk/FTR vs. Max Caster/Gunn Club
• Matt Hardy/Christian Cage/Darby Allin/Jurassic Express vs. Hikuleo/Young Bucks/ReDragon

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 6/6 - 6/12

AEW Dynamite 6/8/22

• Casino Battle Royale

AEW Rampage 6/10/22

• Eddie Kingston vs. Jake Hager

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 6/13 - 6/19

AEW Rampage 6/17/22

• Darby Allin vs. Bobby Fish

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 6/20 - 6/26

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 6/26/22

• Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara/Minoru Suzuki vs. Eddie Kingston/Wheeler Yuta/Shota Umino
• Bullet Club (Young Bucks/El Phantasmo) vs. Dudes with Attitudes (Sting/Darby Allin/Shingo Takagi)

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 6/27 - 7/3

AEW Dynamite 6/29/22

• Blackpool Combat Club+ (Moxley/Kingston/Castagnoli/Yuta/Santana/Ortiz) vs. Jericho Appreciation Society (Jericho/Hager/Guevara/Menard/Parker/Garcia) - Blood & Guts

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 7/4 - 7/10

AEW Rampage 7/8/22

• Eddie Kingston vs. Konosuke Takeshita

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends): Week of 7/11 - 7/17

AEW Dark Elevation 7/11/22

• JD Drake vs. Dante Martin

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 7/18 - 7/24

AEW Dynamite 7/20/22

• Darby Allin vs. Brody King

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 7/25 - 7/31

AEW Dynamite 7/27/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends): Week of 8/1 - 8/7

AEW Battle of the Belts III 8/6/22

• Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 8/8 - 8/14

AEW Dynamite 8/10/22

• Darby Allin vs Brody King (Coffin Match)

AEW Five Fingers of Death: Week of 8/15 - 8/21

AEW Dynamite 8/17/22

• Bryan Danielson vs Daniel Garcia 2/3 Falls

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 8/22 - 8/28

AEW Dynamite 8/24/22

• CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley

AEW Rampage 8/26/22

• Claudio Castagnoli vs. Dustin Rhodes

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 8/29 - 9/4 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 8/31/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Jake Hager

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 8/29 - 9/4 Part 2

All Out 9/4/22

• Sting/Darby Allin/Miro vs. House of Black (Malakai Black/Brody King/Buddy Matthews)
• Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 9/5 - 9/11

AEW Dynamite 9/7/22

• Bryan Danielson vs Adam Page

AEW Rampage 9/9/22

• Darby Allin vs Sammy Guevara

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 9/12 - 9/18

AEW Dynamite 9/14/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho

AEW Rampage 9/16/22

• Darby Allin vs. Matt Hardy

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 9/19 - 9/25 Part 1

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam 9/21/22

• Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 9/19 - 9/25 Part 2

AEW Rampage Grand Slam 9/23/22

• Darby Allin/Sting vs. Buddy Matthews/Brody King
• Sammy Guevara vs. Eddie Kingston

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 9/26 - 10/2

AEW Dynamite 9/28/22

• Bryan Danielson vs Matt Menard

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 10/3 - 10/9

AEW Dynamite 10/5/22

• Darby Allin vs Jay Lethal
• Bryan Danielson/Daniel Garcia vs Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara

AEW Five Fingers of Death: 10/10 - 10/16

AEW Dynamite 10/12/22

• Chris Jericho (c) vs Bryan Danielson

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends): 10/17 - 10/23

AEW Dark 10/18/22

• Hikaru Shida vs Vanessa Kraven
• Dark Order (Evil Uno/John Silver/Alex Reynolds/10) vs Tyler Tirva/Shane Hawke/Zak Patterson/Jordano)
• Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs Mo Jabari/Jake O'Reilly
• Best Friends (Orange Cassidy/Chuck Taylor/Trent) vs Kobe Durst/Steven Mainz/Jessie V
• Ari Davari vs Brandon Cutler
• Willow Nightingale vs Seleziya Sparx
• QT Marshall vs Dante Martin

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/24 - 10/30

AEW Dark Elevation 10/24/22

• Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs Jollyville Fuck-Its (Russ Meyers/T-Money)

AEW Dynamite 10/26/22

• Bryan Danielson vs Sammy Guevara

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/31 - 11/6

AEW Dark Elevation 10/31/22

• Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs Breaux Keller/Myles Hawkins

AEW Dynamite 11/2/22

• Darby Allin vs Jay Lethal

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/7 - 11/13

AEW Dynamite 11/9/22

• Eddie Kingston vs Ethan Page
• Bryan Danielson vs Sammy Guevara 2/3 Falls

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/14 - 11/20 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 11/16/22

• Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara)

AEW Rampage 11/18/22

• Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs. Jun Akiyama/Konosuke Takeshita

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/14 - 11/20 Part 2

AEW Full Gear 11/19/22

• Eddie Kingston vs Jun Akiyama
• Chris Jericho vs Sammy Guevara vs Claudio Castagnoli vs Bryan Danielson
• Sting/Darby Allin vs Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/21 - 11/27

AEW Rampage 11/25/22

• Darby Allin vs Anthony Henry

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/28 - 12/4

AEW Dynamite 11/30/22

• Bryan Danielson vs Dax Harwood

AEW Rampage 12/2/22

• Darby Allin vs Cole Karter

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/5 - 12/11

Dynamite 12/7/22

• Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal
• Darby Allin vs Samoa Joe

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/12 - 12/18

AEW Dark 12/13/22

• Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs Trustbusters (Slim J/JVSK)

AEW Rampage 12/16/22

• Dustin Rhodes/Orange Cassidy/Chuck Taylor/Trent vs Kip Sabian/Trent Seven/Butcher/Blade

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/19 - 12/25

AEW Dark Elevation 12/19/22

• Ethan Page/Matt Hardy/Isiah Kassidy/Top Flight/Konosuke Takeshita vs. Trustbusters (Sonny Kiss/Slim J/Jeeves Kay)/Wingmen (Peter Avalon/Cesar Bononi/Ryan Nemeth)

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/26 - 1/1

AEW Dynamite 12/28/22

• Bryan Danielson vs Ethan Page

2023

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/2 - 1/8

AEW Dynamite 1/4/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Nese
• Samoa Joe (c) vs. Darby Allin

AEW Rampage 1/6/23

• Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley vs. Top Flight
• Darby Allin vs. Mike Bennett

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/9 - 1/15

AEW Dynamite 1/11/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Konosuke Takeshita

AEW Rampage 1/13/23

• Darby Allin vs. Juice Robinson
• Malakai Black/Brody King vs. Eddie Kingston/Ortiz

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/16 - 1/22

AEW Dynamite 1/18/23

• Bryan Danielson vs Bandido
• Darby Allin vs KUSHIDA

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/23 - 1/29

AEW Dynamite 1/25/23

• Darby Allin vs Buddy Matthews
• Bryan Danielson vs Brian Cage

Jay Briscoe Tribute and Celebration of Life 1/26/23

• Eddie Kingston vs QT Marshall

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/30 - 2/5

AEW Dynamite 2/1/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
• Darby Allin vs. Samoa Joe

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/6 - 2/12

AEW Dynamite 2/8/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. RUSH

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/14 - 2/19

AEW Rampage 2/17/23

• Dustin Rhodes vs. Swerve Strickland

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 2/20 - 2/26

AEW Dark 2/21/23

• Slim J vs Matt Sydal

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/27 - 3/5

AEW Rampage 3/3/23

• Keith Lee/Dustin Rhodes vs. Swerve Strickland/Parker Boudreaux

AEW Revolution 3/5/23

• MJF vs. Bryan Danielson

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 3/6 - 3/12

ROH 3/9/23

• Athena vs. Willow Nightingale

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 3/13 - 3/19

ROH 3/16/23

• Athena vs. Hyan

AEW House Rules 3/18/23

• Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy vs. Butcher/Blade

AEW Five Fingers of Death 3/20 - 3/26

AEW Dynamite 3/22/23

• Darby Allin/Sting/Orange Cassidy vs Kip Sabian/Butcher/Blade

AEW Five Fingers of Death 3/27 - 4/2

ROH 3/30/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Christopher Daniels

ROH Supercard of Honor 3/31/23

• Claudio Castagnoli vs Eddie Kingston

AEW Five Fingers of Death 4/3 - 4/9

AEW Rampage 4/7/23

• Darby Allin vs. Lee Moriarty

AEW Five Fingers of Death 4/10 - 4/16

AEW Dynamite 4/12/23

• Darby Allin vs Swerve Strickland

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends) 4/17 - 4/23

Ring of Honor 4/20/23

• Lee Moriarty vs Konosuke Takeshita

AEW Five Fingers of Death 5/22 - 5/28 (Part 2)

AEW Double or Nothing 2023

• MJF vs Sammy Guevara vs Darby Allin vs Jungle Boy

AEW Five Fingers of Death 5/29 - 6/4

AEW Dynamite 5/31/23

• Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy vs. Gates of Agony

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/5 - 6/11

AEW Dynamite 6/7/23

• Orange Cassidy vs Swerve Strickland

AEW House Rules 6/3/23

• Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy vs Matt Menard/Daniel Garcia

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/12 - 6/18

AEW Dynamite 6/14/23

• Sting/Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy/Keith Lee vs Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland/Brian Cage/Toa Liona/Bishop Kaun)

AEW Collision 6/17/23

• CM Punk/FTR vs Jay White/Juice Robinson/Samoa Joe

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/19 - 6/25 Part 1

AEW Collision 6/24/23

• CM Punk/FTR/Ricky Starks vs Jay White/Juice Robinson/Gunns

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/19 - 6/25 Part 2

AEW Forbidden Door 6/25/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
• CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/26 - 7/2

AEW Collision 7/1/23

• Dustin Rhodes vs Powerhouse Hobbs

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/3 - 7/16

AEW Collision 7/8/23

• CM Punk vs Samoa Joe

AEW Collision 7/15/23

• CM Punk vs Ricky Starks

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/17 - 7/23

AEW Collision 7/22/23

• CM Punk/Darby Allin vs Ricky Starks/Christian

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/24 - 7/30

AEW Dynamite 7/26/23

• Darby Allin vs Swerve Strickland

AEW Collision 7/29/23

• Darby Allin vs Minoru Suzuki

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/31 - 8/6

AEW Collision 8/5/23

• CM Punk (c?) vs Ricky Starks

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/7 - 8/13

AEW Rampage 8/11/23

• Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage

AEW Collision 8/12/23

• House of Black vs. CMFTR

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/14 - 8/20

AEW Collision 8/19/23

• Darby Allin vs. Christian

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/21 - 8/27 Part 1

AEW Collision 8/26/23

• Orange Cassidy/Penta/Eddie Kingston vs. Kip Sabian/Butcher/Blade
• Sting/CM Punk/Darby Allin/HOOK vs. Swerve Strickland/Jay White/Luchasaurus/Brian Cage

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/21 - 8/27 Part 2

All In 8/26/23

• CM Punk vs Samoa Joe

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/28 - 9/3 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 8/30/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Wheeler Yuta

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/28 - 9/3 Part 2

AEW All Out 9/4/23

• Bryan Danielson vs Ricky Starks (Strap Match)

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/4 - 9/10

AEW Dynamite 9/6/23

• Darby Allin vs. Nick Wayne

AEW Collision 9/9/23

• Darby Allin vs. Roderick Strong

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/11 - 9/17

AEW Collision 9/16/23

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ricky Starks/Big Bill

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/18 - 9/24 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 9/20/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/18 - 9/24 Part 2

AEW Collision 9/23/23

• Darby Allin vs. Christian vs. Luchasaurus

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends) 9/25 - 10/1 Part 1

AEW Rampage 9/29/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Rocky Romero

AEW WrestleDream 10/1/23

• MJF vs. The Righteous

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/25 - 10/1 Part 2

AEW WrestleDream 10/1/23

• Bryan Danielson vs Zack Sabre Jr.

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/2 - 10/8

AEW Collision 10/7/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Kyle Fletcher
• Eddie Kingston vs. Komander

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/9 - 10/15

AEW Dynamite 10/10/23

• Bryan Danielson vs Swerve Strickland

ROH 10/12/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Serpentico

AEW Collision 10/14/23

• Bryan Danielson vs Christian Cage

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/16 - 10/22

AEW Collision 10/21/23

• Bryan Danielson vs Andrade el Idolo

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/23 - 10/29

AEW Dynamite 10/25/23

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli vs Orange Cassidy/Kazuchika Okada

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/30 - 11/5

AEW Collision 11/4/23

• Darby Allin vs Lance Archer
• Mark Briscoe/Keith Lee/Dustin Rhodes vs Kip Sabian/Workhorsemen

AEW Five Fingers of Death 10/30 - 11/5 (BONUS)

Ring of Honor 11/2/23

• Athena vs Mercedes Martinez

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/6 - 11/12

AEW Dynamite 11/8/23

• Darby Allin/Sting vs Outrunners

Ring of Honor 11/9/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Angelico

AEW Collision 11/11/23

• Adam Copeland/Sting/Darby Allin vs Vincent/Dutch/Lance Archer

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 11/13 - 11/19, Part 1

AEW Full Gear 2023

• MJF vs Jay White

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 11/13 - 11/19, Part 2

Ring of Honor 11/16/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Dalton Castle

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 11/13 - 11/19, Part 3

AEW Full Gear 11/18/21

• Eddie Kingston vs. Jay Lethal
• Sting/Darby Allin/Adam Copeland vs. Christian/Luchasaurus/Nick Wayne

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/20 - 11/26

AEW Collision 11/25/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Brody King 

AEW Five Fingers of Death 11/27 - 12/3

AEW Collision 12/2/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston

Ring of Honor 10/30/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Lee Johnson

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/4 - 12/10 Part 1

AEW Rampage 12/8/23

• Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia

AEW Dynamite 12/6/23

• Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/4 - 12/10 Part 2

AEW Collision 12/9/23

• Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/11 - 12/17 Part 1

ROH 12/14/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Evil Uno

ROH Final Battle 12/15/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Anthony Henry
• Athena vs Billie Starkz

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/11 - 12/17 Part 2

AEW Collision 12/16/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia
• Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and friends) 12/18 - 12/24

AEW Collision 12/23/23

• Daniel Garcia vs. Brody King

AEW Rampage 12/22/23

• El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Black Taurus

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/25 - 12/31 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 12/27/23

• Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Danielson

AEW Five Fingers of Death 12/25 - 12/31 Part 2

AEW World's End 12/30/23

• Eddie Kingston vs Jon Moxley

2024

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/1 - 1/7

AEW Collision 1/6/24

• Darby Allin/Sting vs. Workhorsemen
• Eddie Kingston vs. Trent Barretta

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/8 - 1/14

AEW Rampage 1/12/24

• Eddie Kingston vs. Wheeler Yuta

AEW Collision 1/13/24

• Dustin Rhodes vs. Willie Mack

AEW Dynamite 1/10/24

• Hangman Adam Page vs. Claudio Castagnoli

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/15 - 1/21

AEW Dynamite 1/17/24 

• Samoa Joe vs HOOK
• Christian Cage vs Dustin Rhodes

AEW Collision 1/20/24

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli vs Eddie Kingston/Ortiz

AEW Rampage 1/19/24

• Darby Allin vs Jeff Hardy

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/22- 1/28

AEW Collision 1/27/24

• Eddie Kingston vs Willie Mack
• Bryan Danielson vs Yuji Nagata

AEW Five Fingers of Death 1/29 - 2/4

AEW Collision 2/3/24

• Eddie Kingston vs Bryan Keith
• Bryan Danielson vs Hechicero

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/5 - 2/11

AEW Dynamite 2/7/24

• Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley/Claudio Castagnoli vs Hechicero/Volador, Jr./Mascara Dorada

AEW (in NJPW) Five Fingers of Death 2/12 - 2/18

• Bryan Danielson vs Zack Sabre, Jr. NJPW 2/11/24

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/19 - 2/25

AEW Collision 2/24/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Jun Akiyama

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/26 - 3/3 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 2/28/24

• FTR/Eddie Kingston vs Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli/Jon Moxley

AEW Revolution 3/3/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Eddie Kingston

AEW Five Fingers of Death 2/26 - 3/3 Part 2

AEW Revolution 3/3/24

• Sting/Darby Allin vs Young Bucks

AEW Five Fingers of Death 3/4 - 3/10

AEW Collision 3/9/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Shane Taylor

AEW Five Fingers of Death 3/11 - 3/17

AEW Dynamite 3/13/24

• Darby Allin vs Jay White
• Eddie Kingston/PENTA/PAC vs Young Bucks/Kazuchika Okada

AEW Collision 3/16/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Katsuyori Shibata

AEW Five Fingers of Death 3/18 - 3/24

AEW Dynamite 3/20/24

• Kazuchika Okada vs Eddie Kingston

AEW (And CMLL) Five Fingers of Death 3/25 - 3/31

AEW Collision 3/30/24

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli/Katsuyori Shibata vs. Dutch/Vincent/Lance Archer

CMLL Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 3/29/24

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli/Jon Moxley/Matt Sydal vs. Blue Panther/Mistico/Ultimo Guerrero/Volador Jr.

AEW Rampage 3/29/24

• Dustin Rhodes vs. The Butcher

AEW/CMLL Five Fingers of Death 4/1 - 4/7 Part 1: Danielson vs Panther

• Bryan Danielson vs Blue Panther CMLL 4/5/2

AEW Five Fingers of Death 4/1 - 4/7 Part 2

ROH Supercard of Honor 4/5/24

• Eddie Kingston vs Mark Briscoe

AEW Dynamite 4/3/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Lance Archer

AEW Five Fingers of Death 4/8 - 4/14

AEW Dynamite 4/10/24

• Samoa Joe vs Dustin Rhodes

AEW Collision 4/13/24

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli vs Powerhouse Hobbs/Kyle Fletcher

AEW Five Fingers of Death 4/15 - 4/21

AEW Dynasty 4/21/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay
• Adam Copeland/Eddie Kingston/Mark Briscoe vs House of Black

AEW Collision 4/20/24

• BUNKHOUSE BRAWL: Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli vs Kyle Fletcher/Konesuke Takeshita
• Adam Copeland/Eddie Kingston/Mark Briscoe vs Top Flight/Action Andretti

AEW Five Fingers of Death 4/22 - 4/28 (But really just LA Park vs Rush)

• LA Park vs. Rush Elite 4/21/24

AEW Five Fingers of Death 5/6 - 5/12

AEW Collision 5/11/24

• Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli) vs Top Flight

AEW Five Fingers of Death 5/13 - 5/19

Ring of Honor 5/16/24

• Athena vs. Nicole (Matthews)

AEW Dynamite 5/15/24 

• Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley vs. Jeff Cobb/Kyle Fletcher

AEW Collision 5/19/24

• Bryan Danielson/FTR vs. Lance Archer/The Righteous

AEW Five Fingers of Death 5/20 - 5/26 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 5/22/24

• Bryan Danielson vs. Satnam Singh

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/3 - 6/9

AEW Collision 6/8/24

• Dustin Rhodes vs Johnny TV

AEW Dynamite 6/5/24

• Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley/Wheeler Yuta/Claudio Castagnoli vs Magnus/Rudigo/Volador Jr./Esfinge

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/10 - 6/16

AEW Collision 6/15/24

• Blackpool Combat Club (Castagonoli/Danielson/Moxley/Yuta) vs TMDK (Haste/Nicholls)/Lio Rush/Rocky Romero

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/17 - 6/23

AEW Dynamite 6/19/24

• MJF vs Rush

AEW Five Fingers of Death 6/24 - 6/30

AEW Forbidden Door 6/30/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Shingo Takagi

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/1 - 7/7

AEW Dynamite 7/3/24

• Bryan Danielson vs PAC

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/8 - 7/14 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 7/10/24 

• Bryan Danielson vs Adam Page

AEW Five Fingers of Death (And Friends) 7/8 - 7/14 (Part 2)

• Athena vs Masha Slamovich Prestige 7/12/24

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/15 - 7/28

AEW Rampage 7/26/24

• Royal Rampage

ROH Death Before Dishonor 7/26/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Ross Von Erich/Marshall Von Erich vs Dark Order (Evil Uno/Alex Reynolds/John Silver)

AEW Battle of the Belts 7/27/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Ross Von Erich/Marshall Von Erich vs Roderick Strong/Matt Taven/Mike Bennett

AEW Collision 7/20/24

• Darby Allin vs The Beast Mortos

AEW Five Fingers of Death 7/29 - 8/4

AEW Dynamite 7/31/24

• Darby Allin vs Adam Page

ROH TV 8/1/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Marshall Von Erich/Ross Von Erich vs Iron Savages

AEW Collision 8/3/24

• Darby Allin/Mark Briscoe/FTR vs The Beast Mortos/Roderick Strong/Matt Taven/Mike Bennett

CMLL Super Viernes 8/2/24

• MJF vs Templario

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/5 - 8/11 Part 1

AEW Dynamite 8/7/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Jeff Jarrett

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/5 - 8/11 Part 2

Ring of Honor TV 8/8/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara vs Alex Reynolds/John Silver

Rampage 8/9/24

• Darby Allin vs The Butcher

Collision 8/10/24

• Darby Allin/Hologram vs Tony Nese/Josh Woods

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/12 - 8/18

Ring of Honor TV 8/15/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Ross Von Erich/Marshall Von Erich vs Brian Cage/Kaun/Toa Liona

AEW Collision 8/17/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara vs Matt Taven/Mike Bennett

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/19 - 8/25 Part 1

ROH TV 8/22/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Marshall Von Erich/Ross Von Erich/Sammy Guevara vs Matt Bennett/Mike Taven/John Silver/Alex Reynolds

AEW Dynamite 8/21/24

• Darby Allin/FTR vs The Young Bucks/Jack Perry

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/19 - 8/25 Part 2

All In 8/25/24

• Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends) 8/19 - 8/25 Part 3

AEW Collision 8/24/24

• Big Bill vs Hook
• Jeff Jarrett vs Ariya Daivari

AEW All In 8/25/24

• MJF vs Will Ospreay

AEW Five Fingers of Death 8/19 - 8/25 Part 4

AEW All In 8/25/24

• Darby Allin vs Jack Perry (Coffin Match)

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/2 - 9/8 Part 1

AEW Collision 9/6/24

• Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta/Pac vs. Jack Perry/Kazuchika Okada/Matthew Jackson/Nicholas Jackson

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/2 - 9/8 Part 2

AEW All Out 9/7/24

• Bryan Danielson vs Jack Perry

AEW Five Fingers of Death (and Friends) 9/9 - 9/15

AEW Collision 9/14/24

• Wheeler Yuta vs Anthony Henry

AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/16 - 9/22

ROH 9/19/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara vs Alex Reynolds/Evil Uno

AEW Collision 9/21/24

• Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara vs Mike Bennett/Matt Taven (Bunkhouse Brawl)
• Darby Allin vs Evil Uno

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