19) Review

GCW’s rise over the last few years has been as fun as it has been astonishing. Not long ago they were a deathmatch promotion, unknown to wrestling fans outside of that niche. Then, they figured out how to capture the minds and attention of a much larger crowd, blending that deathmatch style with comedy, great wrestling and a little bit of magic. It’s been so successful that they’ve been able to take this show on the road, heading to Tokyo’s Shin-Kiba 1st RING for two nights that blended their roster with a few notable Japanese faces.

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27/08/2019 0

Meltzer’s Classics: Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi (1/10/05)

https://pm1.narvii.com/6415/d272d7aaa28b4ddc6f342cb08defd1a2850d3d10_hq.jpg — Credit: ROH

It’s 2005 and Ring of Honor is the hottest independent wrestling company in America. One of the jewels in their crown is Samoa Joe, a man in the prime of his career who had spent 21 months with their title in 2003-04. Meanwhile, over in Japan, NOAH is in a similar spot, and the legendary Kenta Kobashi had just finished up a two-year-title-reign which cemented his already hefty legacy. When Kobashi signed up to do some dates with ROH, the chance to face him off with Samoa Joe must have been the easiest booking decision they ever made.

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26/08/2019 0

Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix (18/8/19) Review

I had a lovely time reviewing the 5STAR for the first time and was only kept from going straight into this show by the need to wait for it to be uploaded (no complaints, Stardom are going a good job in getting them up). Day one gave us a great match and a handful of very good ones, so day two has a lot to live up to. Can they do it? Why not?

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24/08/2019 0

Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix (17/8/19) Review

It’s time for my first 5STAR Grand Prix. Much like with the various New Japan tournaments, I intend to review the entire thing and can’t wait to have a shitload of Stardom singles matches to enjoy. I’ll also put my cards on the desk straight-up and say I’m on Team Hana when it comes to who I want to win, but I suspect it will be Momo. Truthfully, though, I don’t have a clue. I’ve no idea how they normally book this thing, so I’m happy to go along for the ride.

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20/08/2019 0

Stardom X Stardom (10/8/19) Review

A quick note before we start, the hard camera for this show was all over the place. It hadn’t been stabilised and was wobbling about. There also appeared to be a couple of people having a quiet chat right next to it which was picked up on the microphone at times. Neither issue was a disaster, but if you are annoyed by things like that, you’re going to have a rough time.

Anyway, it’s Stardom at Korakuen which is almost guaranteed to be a good time at this point. Throw in Jungle Kyona vs Arisa Hoshiki, and you can probably upgrade the good to lovely.

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19/08/2019 0

Ramblings About’s Top Ten Matches Of July 2019

Wow, July is a busy month for wrestling, isn’t it? So is August when we get down to it, which is why this is late. Then again, it’s late every month, so at some point, it has probably stopped being late and turns up exactly when it’s expected. Anyway, this is quite G1 heavy because, well, it’s the motherfucking G1, but more than one match has rightly made its way in from elsewhere, so it’s not the New Japan wankfest you might expect.

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16/08/2019 0

AAA TripleMania XXVII (3/8/19) Review

Image result for triplemania 27 — Credit: AAA

As I make clear at the start of my TripleMania review every year, I know fuck all about lucha libre. Beyond the obvious stars, Fantastica Mania and this show, I only catch hyped matches, and the culture around it is as alien to me as it is fascinating. I adore how Mexico views wrestling, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that I also find some of their, em, eccentricities rather amusing. If history is any indicator, this show could veer wildly from genius to hilarious, and I am down for that.

If you want someone who does understand lucha, click here.

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15/08/2019 0

Stardom Shining Summer (3/8/19) Review

I have very little to say in this introduction, so em, been up to much? Stardom’s latest show from Shin-Kiba 1st ring featured Leo Onozaki making her first title challenge, amongst other things, so it was a chance for the impressive rookie to show she has what it takes.

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14/08/2019 0

NJPW G1 Climax 29 Final (12/8/19) Review

Probably not a good sign for Jay. Credit: NJPW

Here we are then, the final of the 29th G1 Climax. It might not have been the match I wanted, but it’s the one we’ve got, and it’s time to find out who is heading to the Dome. Ibushi or White? The Golden Star or the Master Manipulator? The guy who thinks books can’t be trusted or The Knife Pervert? Time to find out.

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13/08/2019 0

NJPW G1 Climax 29 (11/8/19) Review

Things were better at this point. Credit: NJPW

We are getting very close to the end of this G1, aren’t we? There are two shows left, including this one, and it’s time to find out who will be going on to face Kota Ibushi for the right to main event Wrestle Kingdom. Goto, White, Naito and Moxley are all still in the mix, but we’ve all got our fingers crossed for the Naito Express, right? Come on, my son, bring it home.

My spoiler-free must-see recommendations are Tomohiro Ishii vs Taichi and Shingo Takagi vs Hirooki Goto.

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12/08/2019 0