I had a majorly busy weekend, so returning to the wrestling schedule is a welcome bit of normalcy for me. Let’s see what happened over the weekend…
Ratings
Dalton Castle vs Anthony Henry (ROH on HonorClub 10/26/23)
Rating: **1/2
Gravity vs Slim J vs Blake Christian vs Gringo Loco (ROH on HonorClub 10/26/23)
Rating: **1/2
Intergalactic Jet Setters vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2023 Road To Power Struggle Night 5)
Rating: ***1/4
Bullet Club War Dogs vs El Desperado & Master Wato (NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2023 Road To Power Struggle Night 5)
Rating: ***1/2
Bullet Club War Dogs vs Just 5 Guys (NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2023 Road To Power Struggle Night 6)
Rating: ***
Los Ingobernables de Japon vs Catch 22 (NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2023 Road To Power Struggle Night 6)
Rating: ***1/4
Intergalactic Jet Setters vs El Desperado & Master Wato (NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2023 Road To Power Struggle Night 6)
Rating: ***1/2
Reviews
Angelico vs Metalik (ROH on HonorClub 10/26/23)
I appreciate ROH getting as much meat off the Angelico bone as possible currently. Sure, it’s Angelico, but he’s one of the many lower-to-mid-card talent since AEW’s inception that felt like they could have used more of a look in than “wins squash matches.” I imagine the upcoming Kingston match will be a one-and-done, but while we’re on the road there, might as well make the most of it.
Rating: **1/4
Grudge Match: Mike(?) Santana vs Ortiz (AEW Rampage 10/27/23)
I can’t help but look at this as a disappointment. Santana & Ortiz were a fairly hot early signing for AEW’s tag division, but never exactly got their moment in the sun as a team. Their association with Jericho did elevate their standing amongst fans and both continued to show potential in occasional singles opportunities and promos, but they would only become victims of one of AEW’s worst habits, the stop-start booking. Now, these former friends and partners hate each other’s guts and want to settle it in the ring, but it doesn’t exactly feel like the dissolution of a brotherhood in any sense.
It’s not so much that the build has been inconsistent for this match, as there has been interaction and promos over the past couple of months, but it has never come across (to me, at least) as important or even all that heated. Mike Santana (weird name) and Ortiz talk the talk, but something about it never felt like a top priority. Then, once it finally got in the ring, it was just a fairly good match as opposed to a heated friend-vs-friend confrontation. Both are capable performers and put on an entertaining match, but I wasn’t exactly feeling the hate or the animosity radiating off of them. Maybe it’s my fault for not watching the 25 minute YouTube video about their feud, but this ended up being just a match, and it kinda bums me out.
I continue to hope for the best out of both these guys, but it still doesn’t feel like either one will be a priority any time soon.
Rating: ***1/4
Konosuke Takeshita vs Kyle Fletcher (AEW Rampage 10/27/23)
I wish this match was a bit more of Takeshita beating the shit out of Fletcher. That’s not an insult to either, I just think it’s cool when Konosuke Takeshita beats the shit out of people, and Fletcher is good at getting his ass kicked.
Rating: ***1/4
Jay White vs AR Fox (AEW Collision 10/28/23)
Of the ***1/4 matches on AEW this week, this is probably my favorite, a very solid and sound midcard match between two guys who can go. There’s less to complain about or to be left wanting of, it worked well to keep Jay heated but give Fox a bit of shine (speaking of stop-start).
Rating: ***1/4
AEW Women’s World Championship Fright Night Fight: Hikaru Shida (c) vs Abadon (AEW Collision 10/28/23)
One thing about me is that I am an Abadon homer. Ever since their debut on Dark a few years ago, I have always made time for the Abadon squash match, simply because I think their character is cool and I appreciate greatly how closely they adhere to their own performance. This was a fun and silly holiday plunder match with two of my favorites in the women’s division; it wasn’t anything to write home about, technically, but I got what I wanted. Using Double Bubble, the hardest candy known to man, is a well-considered detail for that spot.
Rating: **3/4
AEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs Kenny Omega (AEW Collision 10/28/23)
This is the MJF/Kenny Omega match; nothing more, nothing less. Watching these matches a couple of days removed means that I get to see the instant reactions to them, as well as the reappraisal after initial thought. This was bound to be praised to the heavens by many at first, and I have seen some critique after the clarion call of support for it, but ultimately, I think this is what it is.
MJF and Omega are two very flashy, technically-sound in-ring wrestlers. This match was always going to have a level of quality to it from that perspective that is, to me, undeniable. I read a great Tweet over the weekend about how MJF’s style is greedy in that he tries to be every type of wrestler at once, a point that I agree with, but he’s young enough and seemingly focused enough to mostly pull it off at times (which can make it all the more frustrating). As well, despite his age, Omega is still Omega, and has a big match mode where he can still absolutely bring it.
Kenny is also someone who doesn’t always have great ideas, but seems to do well in leading younger talent to a better match. In that way, this match reminds me of my favorite Omega match of this year, him against Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom. I remember mildly dreading that match before it happened, but as I recall, it ended up being a fairly focused, if long, match that told its story well and kept the indulgent spots limited. This Collision match feels similar, it just doesn’t have as good of a run-up as the Wrestle Kingdom match, and little in its proceedings especially reflected the incoming angle (MJF overtaking Omega’s world title record).
That’s what ultimately holds it back, despite being quite good: Despite the “[x] days, bitch” aspect of it, nothing about this match demonstrated to me that this was anything other than “big main event match for a world title.” That’s a fine story, tale as old as time, but there’s nothing special about it. Omega and MJF had exactly the match you picture in your head when you think of the moves and sequences they could do together. Good on them, it worked fine; it’s just not anything beyond that.
Rating: ****
Phew, okay, now I’m almost caught up. Catch-up continues tomorrow with the NJPW STRONG show…
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