Brian Kendrick is OK, All Across the USA

Brian Kendrick vs. Joe Coffey (ICW 3/30/14) - REALLY GOOD

ER: Never heard of Coffey before, but in my small 10 minute sample of him he came off like a Michael Elgin with no overkill. There wasn't time for overkill here, but I'll give him possibly deserved credit for knowing how long to work the match. Coffey is a stout dude, certainly not fat, but with that body type that looks like he would blow up quick if he wasn't able to work out. Kendrick struts out and casts some side eye to the crowd, grabs a swig of beer from a fan, slimily juggles his crotch at another. So we got a kind of hometown boy vs. a sleaze, and it's a nice tight 10 minutes. They do a chop exchange I don't love, but since it's within a 10 minute framework and not a part of some bloated overly long epic, I don't mind it as much. Their forearm exchange is much nicer and Kendrick really laces in, almost encouraging Coffey that it's okay to hit harder. Once Coffey does start hitting harder, Kendrick wisely seeks shelter by wrapping himself around the bottom rope like someone holding onto a weathervane in a tornado. They do a few successful teases around the sliced bread, Kendrick hits a great side kick across Coffey's cheek, Coffey gets a nice nearfall off a boss release German, and Kendrick's cockiness leads to him eating a quick 360 clothesline for the pin. As some may know by now I'm a big fan of a nice 10 minute match, and this was that. It set out for a simple story, and accomplished what it set out. Coffey doesn't get exposed, Kendrick earned his check by bumping around big for him, and I'm happy.

Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins WWE Raw 12/12/16 - FUN

ER: A good match between these two, but this is literally the FIFTH singles match we've gotten between them in a few months. It's a lot. Kendrick is a total ace and is still finding ways to build off of their previous matches, still trying new tricks and still getting caught in old ones. I love the way he does a kind of big belly flop splash off TJP dropkicks, and his bumps to the floor are a highlight of any show he works. Here he takes a big lariat over the top and smacks his jaw on the apron on his way down. Match was worked a little weird, with a lot of TJ control, and no real nefarious means leading to Kendrick's comeback. Kendrick just took back over with a slick low angle cradle suplex, and really won using his own strengths and cunning. TJ really hasn't been helped too much by any of this, and I imagine they have Swann retain at the PPV, even though it needs to be Kendrick's belt. So, if Kendrick wins...then what? He's already beaten TJP several times. If they have him beat TJ at the PPV, then Swann can argue he never got pinned for the belt. But then you'd have TJ losing AGAIN. If TJ wins, then Kendrick can make the claim that he deserves the shot as he's beaten TJ so often, but then we're just building up yet another TJP/Kendrick match. So yeah, good match, but getting far too familiar.

Brian Kendrick/Drew Gulak/Tony Nese vs. Jack Gallagher/TJ Perkins/Rich Swann WWE Tribute to the Troops 12/14/16 - SKIPPABLE

ER: I waffled between "skippable" and "fun" on this, so decided I would just write about the match and see which direction I naturally write towards. It was rushed and kind of a mess, with some bright points. There were some fun spots like Gallagher's headbutt and his watermelon tights, Tony Nese doing a belly flop bump on the floor, wild Swann hot tag, and the attempt to have some trainwreck cruiser spots. But we get a dive train where seemingly every dive whiffs, Gulak being treated as CWC whipping boy (and locking on the loosest chinlock I've seen from him), hardly any Kendrick, everybody waiting around to be kicked by someone, etc. Seriously a lot of this felt like someone awkwardly trying to get into position for someone else's kick. Okay, this is skippable. Thanks for working that out with me.


COMPLETE 2014-NOW BRIAN KENDRICK