Category: Reviews

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Board Games Reviews

My Top Ten Favorite Board Games (late 2017)

Tastes constantly evolve, so as I mentioned in my previous versions, I intend to periodically revise my top ten games to see how things change and share any new games that have impressed me.

Ground rules:

  • This reflects my favorite things to play. I love everything on this list. Order is pure personal preference and whole list HIGHLY subject to change and reshuffling, as ten is a small number to cover all the great games I’ve played and something’s bound to be missing.
  • Narrowing things down to just ten games is always difficult. Some games have been replaced here simply because of other games that suit my current tastes (and those of my group) just a little more. Blueprints, Euphoria, Mysterium, and The Duke are all still fantastic games well worth seeking out / trying.
  • Expansions I have are considered with the base game and won’t be listed separately.
  • The write-ups for reappearing games were changed only as needed.
  • Links to further reviews included as available.

 

Outside Looking In:

Here are some honorable mentions of games I’ve enjoyed that very well could make this list as I play them in the future: Ars Alchemia, Magic Maze, Near and Far, Ravens of Thri Sahashri, Trickerion, Yokohama, and many more…

 

10. Viticulture

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The debut game from Stonemaier, which instantly made them one of my favorite publishers. Beautifully realized worker placement game that is just completely infused with the unlikely theme of winemaking. The Tuscany expansion adds several great aspects that make it even more amazing, and the game scales incredibly well and feels like the same game no matter the player count. As usual with Stonemaier the production quality is absolutely unreal, with individually shaped building pieces and gorgeous art elevating the immersion.

 

 

 

9. Yamatai

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Yamatai is a great area claiming game that’s reasonably accessible yet achieves significant depth due to modular setup, the variety of action choices available, and needing to properly exploit boats/resources placed by opponents. There are a lot of  -interesting choices every single turn and subtle underlying strategy and tactics to experiment with. I’ve played two and three players and the dynamics were quite different while still retaining the same feel and appeal. This is a fantastic new addition to my collection.

 

8. Castles of Burgundy 

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Castles of Burgundy  is a wonderfully unique, and it shines in the unusual way uses dice to determine both which tiles a player can buy and which purchased tiles can be placed on their personal player boards. There are a lot of “moving parts” and things to keep track of, but it’s all logically laid out and intuitive once you get the hang of it. There’s tons of replayability and different viable strategies, even before considering the numerous different player boards available. I fall more and more in love with this game each time I play.

 

 

7. Scythe

Scythe definitely has a learning curve and is Stonemaier’s heaviest game yet, but I was pretty well acclimated after a single game and I adore the way it comes together. This is a unique game that won’t necessarily appeal to all fans of Jamey’s other offerings, but players who can take it for what it is and enjoy adapting to (somewhat) constantly changing situations and balancing needed actions with required currencies will find a thoroughly enjoyable (and quite possibly addictive) experience here. Extra praise is deserved for a great included solo player variant that captures the same feel as the “regular” game. If I had more opponents up for this and thus more opportunities to play it would likely be ranked even higher.

 

 

6. Ghost Stories

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Fantastic co-op game that’s fairly easy to teach but has a lot of variation and depth. Best on its own or with Ghost Moon (Black Secret has fallen flat with my group so far). Notorious for its difficulty, but we’ve found it challenging rather than frustrating. The changing board, player powers and enemy cards make every game significantly different, which greatly aids its longevity. It’s also great to have a go to co-op game on hand, as many of my “non-gamer” friends have really enjoyed trying something that has them working with, rather than against, the rest of the group. I played a LOT of excellent co-ops lately that are nipping at Ghost Stories’ heels, but for now this is still the standard bearer for the genre.

 

5. Hanamikoji

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Hanamikoji‘s gameplay design is phenomenal. A selection of four specific actions, all of which must be used eventually, determine how cards must be played in attempting to play more matching “gifts” for each central geisha card on your side of the table. The depth and brilliance of the game come from actions that involve picking several cards from your hand, of which your opponent then gets to choose some for themselves. You can essentially only ever guarantee a single card in your hand each round is going to count for your own scoring, and the psychology and  strategy of picking what options to give your opponent are vexing in the best possible way. This is quick, surprisingly deep, and addictive.

 

4. La Citta

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La Citta is over fifteen years old and feels so timeless and classic I’m actually surprised it’s not older. Wonderfully thematic game that combines tile laying and resource management as players try to build the most attractive cities and lure the greatest population (the game’s victory points) to them. Details like needing water sources to grow beyond a certain point, having to produce enough food to feed your population, and a changing priority system signifying what people value most in their cities each round make this a fantastically deep, balanced game.

 

 

2. (tie) TIME Stories

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The best part of T.I.M.E Stories is how engaging it is. The sense of foreboding and immersion, as well as the depth of gameplay, achieved with just a deck of various cards is INCREDIBLE. The artwork and graphic design are both exquisite and work in tandem to fulfill both functional and thematic demands perfectly. We were completely invested on surviving the game and completing our mission, and extremely intrigued with the mysterious happenings we were thrown into. It really felt like we were exploring and investigating, which again is amazing given everything is represented by and explained on cards. The puzzles and situations are appropriately challenging without being impossible, and it all further enhances a strong core story that has some great twists.

This really comes together brilliantly and blew me away in all aspects of design, immersion, and fun, as evidenced by the fact that it actually tied my previously clear cut favorite game of all time…

 

 

2. (tie) Princes of Florence

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For the first time in a great many years I’m not only ranking something equal to Princes of Florence, I’m ranking something else higher. But make no mistake, it’s still the bar for me in terms of design and longevity.

It incorporates what’s usually one of my least favorite mechanics (the auction) in a quick and enjoyable way that enhances the balance of differing strategies greatly. At any point if an opponent’s strategy seems to be working too well, the others players need to be making them pay more for the needed components. The way the different elements that can be purchased and used come together is wonderful and allows deep and varied gameplay. The combination of resource management, strategic choices and maximizing opportunities is just perfect and I could (and probably will) play this a million times.

 

1. Tragedy Looper

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Here’s the juggernaut that finally toppled Princes from it’s perch atop my favorite games. Tragedy Looper is unlike anything else I’ve played and I absolutely adore both the atmosphere and the way its core mechanics combine mystery elements with those of a logic puzzle. It’s somewhat of a tough game to get your mind around, given unusual mechanics and a non-trivial learning curve, but once you do it’s a great mystery game (a genre that’s underrepresented and hard to do well).  It’s asymmetric, with players who are time traveling and trying to prevent a tragedy, and a gamemaster that is trying to stop them. There are limitations on possible actions based on the scenario and various stats of the characters being controlled, which is where clues about what has happened and how to prevent it come from. It requires the right group of players, but is highly enjoyable once you’ve found them.

 

——-

And that’s it for this time. Will be interesting to track how this list changes in the future. What are everyone else’s current favorites?

Categories
Reviews Wrestling

Mae Young Classic Episode 7 Review

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My thoughts on round 1: episodes one, two, three, and four.

And round 2: episodes five and six.

 

Quarter Finals:

Opening video package spotlights all eight of the remaining wrestlers and who they each beat to get this far in a nice touch. Six of the eight (all but Storm and Sane) are former or current members of the Shimmer roster (including current champ Martinez), which is great to see.

 

1) Abbey Laith vs Mercedes Martinez **3/4

Commentary’s a little better here with the previous rounds to refer back to and provide structure for them. They focus heavily on Mercedes being the most experienced participant left, both in terms of the advantage it gives and the nagging injuries she may have hindering her.

This was all about the two just straight up striking at each other until one fell. Abbey had a nice dive from the tip onto Mercedes on the outside at one point, as well as a close near fall off of a sweet German suplex (one of her finishers on the indies). Their kick exchanges looked stiff as hell and were a highlight here. Mercedes planted Abbey with the Fisherman’s Buster to win this one. Solid.

In some ways I would have preferred Laith advancing, but she got a decent chance to shine in the tourney, I understand why Martinez won, and the competitor using Mae Young’s finish going out in the quarters instead of marching to the finals gives a nice appearance of unpredictability.

 

2) Shayna Baszler vs Candice LaRae **

The story here was Candice giving her overpowering opponent more than Shayna bargained for. Like in previous rounds, it wasn’t designed to allow Baszler to show her full range of skills, just flashes of dominance, power, and heel mannerisms. Another out of nowhere but pretty cool finish sees Baszler reverse Ms. LaRae’s Wild Ride in midair directly into the rear naked “sleeper” for a quick tapout.  Baszler viciously keeps it on after the match until Candice passes out. Then after having her hand raised Baszler goes BACK over to LaRae and literally kicks her while she’s down (to the consternation of Gargano, who was in the ring checking on his wife) in mocking fashion. Very well executed for what it was: a vehicle for making Baszler seem dangerous and callous. She’ll face her fellow Trifecta stablemate Martinez in the semis.

 

3) Toni Storm vs Viper ***

This had several fun exchanges and was a much better showcase for Toni than the first couple of rounds. Piper’s versatility was on full display here as she effortless alternated between chain wrestling, displays of her agility, and straight up power moves that made the most of her size. 

I had forgotten who won this so was a bit surprised when Storm pulled it out (with an unfortunately weak looking top rope leg drop to boot that didn’t seem like it would be the finish). I like Storm (and she looked the best yet here), but really wish Piper had advanced. She was extremely impressive in all her matches and more than earned a further look by the WWE. I hope she gets more opportunities in the future.

 

We get look at three of WWE’s Four Horsewomen (Charlotte, Bayley, and Becky) confronting Shayna’s three MMA Four Horsewomen stablemates backstage as the latter were being interviewed about Shayna’s success in the tournament. Rousey’s acting is not good, and the whole thing was surprisingly cheesy and awkward for a ten second posturing segment. The march of inevitability towards the two groups facing off continues.

 

4) Kairi Sane vs Dakota Kai ***1/4

It’s admittedly weird seeing Evie with the size advantage. This featured great strike battles and other highlights including a gorgeous cross run spear from Kairi, a vicious sliding kick in the corner by Kai, and Kairi following up a great double stomp dodge with her beautiful top rope forearm. Kairi’s selling is impeccable, and always does a lot to draw the viewer into her matches. Eventually Kairi lays Kai out and nails her deadly top rope elbow for the win. 

For me, this was the best of the quarters. I’ve heard some were disappointed and yes, they could have done more with a proper allotment of time, but they certainly made the most of what they had to work with and I liked the way this built as it went even within its limitations. Taping four rounds in two days (as well as the general structure WWE used for these tournament episodes) is going to impose some restrictions. I really enjoyed what we got though, and of course with both under contract a future rematch is definitely possible.

 

——-

Solid quarter final round, and we’re down to four competitors left. The pairings are interesting, and while everything’s building towards the final I expected all along getting there has been fun.

Categories
Board Games Reviews

Magic Maze Review

Real time cooperative games are a growing genre with a lot of potential for innovation. I enjoyed Escape: The Curse of the Temple and loved Project: Elite, and was extremely curious when a friend introduced me to another unique, imaginative entry into that general category of games.

 

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The premise of Magic Maze completely ridiculous. The pawns represent a party of adventurers that need to resupply and have decided to rob the … local mall. Yes, really. 🙂 The players share control of all four of them and try to map out the mall, get each adventurer to their favorite shop simultaneously, then get everyone out.

 

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There’s several catches that make those objectives difficult, and Magic Maze a ton of fun. First, this is again a real time game, so players are not acting sequentially but all at once while an hourglass relentlessly winds down.

Second, each player specific actions they are limited to. I may only be able to move pawns North, while other players are responsible for the other three directions. Only one person will be designated to add new tiles to the board when pawns are in position to discover them, etc. Finally, all the teamwork that the previous limitations give rise to in order for players to be successful and win must be done in silence. Player can only tap a special pawn in front of other to indicate that want the other person to do something, without talking, pointing, or otherwise indicating what it is that needs to be done.

That last twist gets a lot of odd looks when trying to teach the game, but it’s an absolutely essential aspect and actually one of the most engrossing things once people start playing. The tension of others not quite seeing what you are or moving towards a different goal or not noticing time running out is palpable and incredibly compelling. Everything comes together wonderfully and the feeling of accomplishment as how to play effectively starts to click is great. There’s definitely a learning curve here, but the time nature of the game means those first couple of games needed just to get a feel for how things work go quick and the game’s uniqueness means it’s immediately compelling even during the inevitable early mistakes and failures.

 

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The replayabiliy is incredibly high here, between increasing complexity and difficulty through additions like more tiles, special abilities, and restrictions, modified strategies needed at different player counts, and varying which players get which moves/powers.

So far I’ve played several two player games of this trying around five of the difficulty levels and a few with eight people at the introductory level (well, level 2 technically with each pawn having their own exit). The challenge ramps up naturally with the new additions, which all fit well within the basic framework. The game is incredibly well designed and balanced.

Playing with two, where each person controls two directions and some of the special actions (use stairs, warp to portals, or place tiles) is quite different than with eight where everyone has a single direction but all are duplicated (and the special actions are spread out among three players). But both were great and felt balanced. My inclination is other possible counts will present other nuances, and I’m looking forward to trying them out. Again, put all of the above together and this seems exquisitely built to stay intriguing and challenging through a ton of replays. Perhaps best of all, it always feels like a full experience while playing in (a max) of 15-30 minutes.

 

Overall Magic Maze is a fantastic real time co-op that features phenomenal design and brings something new and fun to the genre. It made a strong positive impression on everyone I’ve played with, and is a great addition to the game closet.

 

Categories
Board Games Reviews

Quick Thoughts: Bears vs Babies and Shahrazad

Some quick impressions on my experiences with a couple of new to me games.

 

Bears vs Babies

 

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As I’m sure is beyond clear from the title and box art, this card game is completely absurd and ever so slightly disturbed. Players build frankenstein monstrous creatures by stitching together body parts to fight off approaching hordes of hideous babies and eat them if victorious. Highest combined value of eaten babies at end of game (collected points) wins. Three different types (land, air, and sea) of attacking babies and defending monsters, as well as the players being in control of when babies attack and thus able to perhaps force other players into action before they’re ready form the backbone of the game’s strategic elements.

The gameplay’s ok but seemed limited. It might have been a bad draw, and/or the player count leading to a limited number of actions per turn. Although I feel I got a good enough feel for it to know there are better games in this vein. But the ridiculous theme is main draw anyway. If grafting a pair of lobster claws onto a body wearing a tutu with tank treads for legs and a beaver head to fight deformed babies sounds hilarious the shallow mechanics likely won’t matter much. Wasn’t quite enough for me though.

 

 

Shahrazad

 

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In Shahrazad the goal is to lay out the twenty one tiles in such a way that no tile touches a lower value to its right and every tile is connected to the first and last columns via direct left to right path. After tiles that do not meet those conditions are eliminated score is determined by the largest connected sections of each color.

There are two player co-op rules, but this really feels like it’s primarily a single player puzzle, and that’s how I’ve played. It’s interesting and I had fun with it, but I think I’m done. The (admittedly reasonable) limits on column height makes it feels “solvable” in the sense of having a best strategy/layout to go for that doesn’t change much. The randomness of the two tiles in the player’s hand at any time doesn’t do enough to get by that. The second round where “eliminated” tiles from round 1 aren’t used can actually be more interesting because of having a different number of tiles, but it’s a direct result of playing poorly in round 1.

Overall I did really enjoy this for a little under ten games and do recommend it on a short term basis, but it unfortunately lacks in longevity.

 

——-

Hope to be back with more soon.

Categories
Japan Reviews Wrestling

Ice Ribbon Vol. 763 (Halloween Ribbon 2016) DVD Review

With October fast approaching this seemed a good time to look back and finally finish up my review of last year’s Ice Ribbon Halloween show.

 

Vol 763: October 26, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan

Ice Ribbon’s themed shows are always interesting, and this first Halloween show of theirs for me promised to be be highly amusing.

Everyone of course comes out in Halloween costumes to open the show. Nice variety, ranging from specific characters (Tsukka and Maruko as Mario and Luigi respectively, Maika as Asuka Langley, etc) to general Halloween costumes (Saya as a witch, Tsukushi and Maya as cops, etc) to Mizunami in a leopard suit, and so on. I’m sure I missed several specific references. Fun segment. Special mention to Miyako’s “Miyacoco in Wonderland!” costume, complete with Cheshire Cat hat.

 

 

1) Hiroe Nagahama & Maika Ozaki vs Tsukshi & Uno Matsuya **

The four wrestlers in this match are still in their Halloween costumes.

This was a basic match with a mix of really awkward exchanges and some nice, sharp spots and sequences. The main point was of course the wrestlers performing in their costumes and a couple of related jokes (like Hiroe’s samurai headpiece coming right off her head when Tsukushi tried a hairmare), so anything else was a bit of a bonus.

At one point Maika does a nice ripcord clothesline, which I really want her to keep and call the “RainMaika.” 😉

I understand it was tied into her costume and thus somewhat in the spirit of the match, but Tsukushi’s use of her toy gun and handcuffs as weapons to hit her opponents with (to cheers) took me out of the otherwise lighthearted nature of the match. Straight up heel tactics should only be used by heels, and booed. And I don’t understand the point of the ref checking people before the match for foreign objects at all if they’re going to watch wrestlers pick some up and beat their opponents with them later and say nothing.

After hitting Hiroe with the handcuffs and leaving her laid out in the corner Tsukushi follows up on a faceplant from Uno on Maika with the doublestomp from the top to win for her team.

 

 

2) Miyako Matsumoto vs Misaki Ohata vs Maruko Nagasaki ***3/4

These wrestlers have changed out of their Halloween costumes and this is a straight up triple threat. As always when in the ring with Miyako, Misaki has an air of barely restrained patience and general resigned exasperation at her antics. Misaki and Maruko completely ignore her early on to chain wrestle among themselves and swat her away when she approaches.  When they arrive at a stalemate Miyako celebrates with them, annoying them into join forces to attack her.

However Miyako reverses the double whip on just Maruko and sends her to the ropes, then grabs Misaki’s hands for an unintentional (on Misaki’s part) double clothesline. Misaki just stands there stoically as Miyako celebrates and double high fives her, then calmly catches the attempted cheap shot kick from Miyako we all knew was coming.

Misaki’s look of disdain as she half heartedly throws punches she knows will be ducked as part of Miyako’s posing routine is fantastic. She goes along with it in grudging fashion until Miyako gets to the forced pose part, then blocks it and levels Miyako with a forearm. Hairmares continue her abuse of the Dancing Queen. Standing choke in the corner follows, then a hard curbstomp.

As Misaki covers, Maruko tries a basement dropkick to Misaki’s face, but the vet moves and Maruko lands on Miyako, then Misaki double stomps the pile. A Camel Clutch variation has Maruko screaming. Misaki eventually releases it and slams Maruko to set up for a giant swing. Miyako comes in to encourage Misaki so she can spin and dance along with it in the corner. Misaki’s happy to oblige for a few rotations… then spins into Miyako with a forearm shot as she drops Maruko. Misaki stumbles to the corner dizzily as Miyako and Maruko try to recover, but then realizes the two are seated next to each other and wipes them both out with the running crossbody for a double 2 count.

Misaki then goes up top for a double crossbody, which Maruko dodges but Miyako eats. Misaki ducks the follow up attack by Maruko and goes for the German, but Maruko escapes the waistlock and drops between Misaki’s legs. She then spins Misaki around for her trademark rollup, but Misaki steps aside. The spinning double sledge ducked, but Maruko’s uranage is countered into a DDT. The back and forth these two are doing is great.

Maruko catches Misaki off the ropes with a dropkick and goes for another uranage attempt, which is interrupted by Miyako. Maruko and Misaki again look to deal with the annoyance first and each other later by going for a double dropkick as Miyako hits the ropes. Miyako however holds onto the ropes, then does a double Miyacoco Clutch as her opponents land from the missed dropkicks for a close 2.

Miyako getting serious (well, as serious as she gets anyway) and calls for the Angels Wing’s on Misaki, but Misaki blocks and Maruko rolls Miyako up for 2. The three take turns with rollups until Maruko and Miyako (awkwardly) end up in the ropes, at which point Misaki just breaks it all up with a hard double slap.

Miyako fights for a backslide on Misaki, so Maruko kicks the legs out from under them and rolls them sideways to put both sets of shoulders down for another close 2. She then tries to stack both opponents up for a double uranage, but they fight her off. Misaki’s double sledge is ducked by both, so she does it again. This one’s ducked by Maruko, but caught by Miyako, who tosses Misaki’s hands back the other way and it levels Maruko as she stands back up. Nice bit. Miyako hits a stunner (O_o?!) on Misaki and the Shining Wizard gets 2.

Miyako hits the ropes but gets caught with a dropkick by a recovered Maruko and slumps back against them in a seated position. When Maruko hits the far ones to take advantage of Miyako’s predicament Misaki intercepts and knocks Maruko down against the ropes herself. Misaki runs across the ring and nails the seated crossbody on Miyako, but when she comes back to do the same to Maruko the latter moves and Misaki goes tumbling out of the ring. Maruko gets her trademark rolling clutch as Miyako charges and with Misaki out of the picture there’s no one to save the pinfall.  Strong, logical finish that gives Maruko a win over two veterans (with the caveat that she pinned the weaker competitor of the two).

This was great. The individual personalities and styles meshed well and they put together several clever three way spots, and it all made for a thoroughly engaging match. Misaki and Miyako are two favorites of mine and I love their interactions, particularly Misaki’s general attitude towards Miyako’s existence. The exchanges between Misaki and Maruko makes me really want to see a series of singles matches between the two.

 

 

 

 

Main Event) “Miyako Matsumoto” (Ryo Mizunami) & “Mochi Miyagi” (Tequila Saya) vs “Tsukasa Fujimoto” (Maya Yukihi) & “Ryo Mizunami” (Tsukasa Fujimoto) ***3/4

In one of my favorite absurd match concepts (and one that’s spot on for Halloween), the participants are dressed as other wrestlers and have to wrestle like person they are dressed as. Pinfalls will only be counted after doing a move the person being imitated is known for.

Maya gets off easy here, being roughly the same size / body type as Tsukka and similar in style means she won’t have much trouble copying her partner’s moveset. Tsukka herself is clearly having a blast imitating the opposing Mizunami. She shakes the ropes, intimidates the ref, and generally plays up trying to be a power wrestler, perhaps the one area Tsukka is not a master of.

Powerhouse Mizunami as “Miyako” is just fantastic. The crowd agrees it seems, as a big “Miyako” chant rings out in support in the early going. Miyako herself on outside shouting “pointers” to Mizunami adds further hilarity. Poor Saya is so much smaller than Mochi that she had to wear her own gear under Mochi’s to remain decent, and the slim Saya’s ineffectiveness when trying to do things like Mochi’s belly smother and Earthquake splash was a great running joke throughout the match. In one hilarious bit her giant swing attempt never saw Maya’s shoulders leave the mat so Saya just walked around her holding her legs instead. “Miyako” of course spun and danced in the corner along with the “swing.”

This was incredibly enjoyable, with the wrestlers’ commitment to the concept making all the difference. “Mizunami” vs Mizunami was particularly awesome, as the real Ryo (exaggeratedly) had trouble adapting to Miyako’s posing based offense but was doing well defensively because often when Tsukka tried to use Ryo’s own moves against her they tended to backfire (like a spear attempt that saw Tsukka just stop dead in her tracks as she hit Ryo’s midsection). The parts where wrestlers “lost patience” with the rules and acted like themselves for a move or two (to loud boos) were also great touches.

An amusing finishing sequence saw Tsukka essentially teaching Maya how to do one of Tsukka’s signature rollups as she did it. Once completed it was good to keep Saya down for 3.

This is the type of match that really has to be seen to be understood and appreciated. It’s ridiculous but awesome, not being a technical masterpiece overall but still staying focused on wrestling with some great action down the stretch while providing humor and showcasing Ice Ribbon’s particular blend of such elements perfectly.

 

——-

This show is an excellent example of Ice Ribbon’s ability to mix action and comedy / lighter elements into shows that are just flat out fun. Having a (somewhat) more serious match in the middle provided nice balance, and again the costume matches were both entertaining in their silliness and yet still competitive and wrestling based. Had a great time with this show.

 

Categories
Reviews Wrestling

Mae Young Classic Episode 6 Review

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Continuing to (slowly) work my way through.

My thoughts on round 1: episodes one, two, three, and four.

And part 1 of round 2: episode five.

 

Round 2 (continued):

Video packages are getting better and better in hyping up the impending matches.

More clips of MMA’s Four Horsewoman coming to support Baszler. It would not end there…

 

5) Lacey Evans vs Toni Storm *3/4

Hoping to see more from both of these wrestler than what they showed in round 1.

“Oh I’m not gonna lose. No.” Geez Toni, watch the spoilers. 😉

The ref checks Lacey’s gloves and then Lacey removes them, which bothers me much more than it should. Toni’s move of powering herself back to the mat in a wristlock in order to counter it is more weird than unique. And her “hip attacks” (butt butts to her opponent’s face) are not my cup of tea. Lacey countering one into a schoolgirl for 2 was pretty nice though.

Lacey looked much more comfortable with her offense than in round 1, landing some unusual strikes pretty smoothly and controlling most of this short match. Storm was again very limited on offense, doing nothing she didn’t in the first round (butt based offense, a couple of strikes, lungblower, and a Northern lights suplex) except debuting her finisher Strong Zero (Air Raid Crash across the knee) for the win.

This was fine for what it was. With time and polish (and a new gimmick) Lacey has all the tools to succeed. Storm plays the ragdoll underdog well and I can tell she’s skilled, but honestly she hasn’t been able to show much and so far I’m unimpressed compared to her hype.

 

6) Shayna Baszler vs Mia Yim **1/4

“All it’s going to take for me to beat her is just to exist.” Baszler’s playing the heel well (and that was a great line), but the problem with the message is she’s conceivably RIGHT about having combat experience over everyone else and having an edge because of it. Heels should be talking sideways, not stating truth.

This was interesting, as there was a disconnect between the in ring story and what the announcers / producers were stressing. It was played just right for the story the WRESTLERS were telling (the bragging Shayna found Mia was more than capable of giving her an even fight) but not for the story the ANNOUNCERS were force feeding (Shayna dominantly plowing through her opponents).

The match was good within its constraints, including a gorgeous dive by Mia, nice back and forth striking, and a fantastic finish that saw Mia’s 450 countered into the “Rear Naked Sleeper” for a Shayna victory. On the other hand the compressed length hampered certain aspects, like a tease of Mia’s first round finisher getting no reaction due how early it was done, and having to go to the finish so quickly after Shayna’s legwork leading to a noticeable and unusual lack of selling from Mia as she did a powerbomb and the 450. I enjoyed this overall, but like Mercedes vs Sugehit it was a snapshot of sequences from a longer, better match.

As expected, the focus here was again as much (or more) on the two groups of four horsewomen as the match, particularly afterward when Shayna celebrated with her friends and got into a staring contest with the carefully placed Charlotte, Bailey, and Becky directly across the aisle.  Well, the angle will likely be a success so I’ll keep my complaints minimal, but Shayna’s better than a way to pull Rousey in.

 

7) Dakota Kai vs Rhea Ripley **1/2

Looking forward to this battle of strikers. The mini story of Kai having to go through much bigger, more powerful opponents so far is a nice touch.

Ripley looked a tad lost at moments but in general seems to have good instincts. Better pacing will come with time, and she’s already showing unique touches in her ringwork.

This was a nice little back and forth match with a couple of clever counters and big impact moves to draw the crowd in. Kai eventually moves on with her hanging double stomp, which was 100% the right call. Since they’re both signed, a longer rematch down the road is definitely possible and something I’d like to see.

 

8) Candice LeRae vs Nicole Savoy *3/4

Billed as the “Queen of Suplexes” vs the “Modern Day Mighty Mouse.” Not really digging either nickname to be honest.

“Can Mrs. Johnny Gargano win this one?” I can’t even.

I’ve seen a lot of both competitors (including against each other), and they’re both capable of much more than they achieved here. So the match was disappointing in that regard. It’s like they were going at half speed and the pacing was odd. A very awkward and contrived setup to get to Candice’s Wild Ride for the finish didn’t help. Of course with these two even on an off night there was some solid action mixed in. Most of the criticism I’ve seen has been leveled on Savoy (and no doubt she wasn’t at her best and unfortunately had a lackluster tournament), but it’s more Candice that felt not her usual self to me here.

 

——-

This was definitely the weaker batch of matches of the second round, although there are still highlights. The action isn’t quite what it could be (and the commentary is still driving me insane) but things are unfolding nicely and despite my criticisms the tournament has been interesting and enjoyable. Best of all it’s shining a light on numerous deserving, talented wrestlers and giving them something to fight for that’s portrayed as important. It really makes a difference in getting the viewer involved.

On to the quarter finals with a couple of unexpected names still around and several intriguing matchups.

Categories
Japan Reviews Wrestling

Wave 8/30/17 Live Thoughts

August 30, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan

The final show of my week long trip I caught was “Weekday Wave” at Shinjuku Face.

 

 

The opener was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me. I was glad to see a favorite of mine, Aoi Kizuki, added to this show a few days before as I wouldn’t have seen her otherwise. I was even more excited to see her put in the ring opposite my favorite tag team (whose matches with Best Friends were the reason I made this trip) as So on Flower (Aoi & Moeka Haruhi) faced Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami).

 

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This was a short but great opener with strong structure and story. Moeka and Aoi jumped their decorated and certainly favored opponents during their entrance pose and never let up, going full throttle trying to prove themselves in Avid Rival’s league. Misaki and Ryo fought back of course but couldn’t ever quite get full control of their opponents nor stop the underdogs’ onslaught. Aoi and Moeka essentially overwhelmed AR and Moeka eventually pinned Mizunami for the upset. This was action packed and really well worked to the point it was satisfying despite (and felt longer than) the literal few minutes it actually ran.

 

 

 

Kaori Yoneyama & Cherry were the obvious heels in mannerisms and anctics in their match with Yuki Miyazaki & Nagisa Nozaki, but were too amusing for crowd to boo. This wasn’t bad per se, but there was nothing to it really. As opposed to the opener this felt every bit it’s short length (under three minutes).

 

 

 

The next match was another surprise for me, and another extremely pleasant one. I knew Yumi Ohka would be on the show (and was happy I’d get to see her), but didn’t have any idea Mio Momono would be. What a great pairing. Mio’s the hottest rookie there is right now (as I’ve mentioned many times), and Yumi’s a consummate veteran and the perfect opponent for her.

 

 

I’m noticing Mio working in nice touches of humor into her matches lately too. For example she has one “playing mind games” spot where she goes outside and under the ring, then appears on the opposite side to mock her opponent (who of course was looking for her on the original side). The key is she does it a second time, and “smartly” Yumi decides to ambush the youngster on the far side instead of following. So Mio goes out the side instead and again gets into the ring and mercilessly mocks the vet.

 

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It’s silly but amusing and adds a nice bit of cleverness and attitude to Mio’s act. I’ve seen her do it in two matches so far and it will get old eventually, but I trust she’ll find a way to mix things up and keep it entertaining. Best of all, Mio does this to annoy her opponent into leaving an opening for Mio to attack, making a logical part of the match that enhances rather than derails the action.

 

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They got a decent bit of time here (a little under ten minutes I think) to tell the story of upstart Mio giving Yumi all she could handle until the more experienced wrestler could only just keep leveling Mio with kicks until she stayed down. This was exactly what I hoped for from them and tied with the opener for my favorite of the show. The tension and hostility between the two continued after the match.

 

 

 

Sometimes comedy in wrestling can be overdone, and honestly that’s how I generally feel about both Fairy Nipponbashi’s and her partner Sakura Hirota’s ring styles. Their match here, with Fairy’s magic malfunctioning due to not having her regular wand and Hirota’s usual offense based around striking at her opponents’ backsides, did little to change my mind (though admittedly the rest of the audience seemed entertained).

 

 

What was amusing however was Hirota’s impersonation of her opponent Saki’s usual partner Mizuki, which led to great impatience from Saki’s partner here Rin Kadokura at Saki’s hesitance to attack “Mizuki.” Both Saki and Rin are quite good in the ring, so this did have periods of solid action when they went on offense and things got more serious.

 

 

Afterwards the announcer had a rather lengthy statement to deliver to Fairy and then someone came out afterwards who had Fairy’s wand and tossed her around with her own magic before making his escape. Sure whatever.

 

 

 

This probably goes without saying in a Wave review, but this semi main event features Wave’s Asuka, not the former Kana who’s using the name “Asuka” in WWE. Here she faced Hikaru Shida in a decent contest that served as good way to build up Asuka as a threat. She’ really hitting her stride and kept up with the more experience and polished Shida nicely, and they wrestled to a draw that made both look good.

 

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The main event was and interesting tag title match featuring champions Kaho Kobayashi & Hiroe Nagahama defending against Wave’s singles champion Rina Yamishita and her partner Natsu Sumire. Kaho is another extremely good wrestler that just keeps improving, and it’s wonderful to see her in the spotlight and a champion in several companies. I’m also a big fan of Rina and it’s a joy to see her come out with the Regina di Wave belt. 

 

 

Sumire’s still a bit awkward at times (including not completely tucking her head when taking a Northern Lights suplex and coming within inch of being spiked in a scary moment), but she has has improved and played a fine role in what ended up being a solid match. This was rightfully the longest match of the show and suitable both as a main event and a title contest.

 

 

To close the show there was announcement of the Dual Shock Wave tag team tournament with various teams from the show excitedly volunteering for spots. The tag champions were involved too and the titles were announced as on the line. In addition to established teams, Yumi Ohka wanted to be involved and begged her earlier opponent Mio Momono to team with her.

 

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Mio was initially have none of it, and as far as I could tell she essentially called Yumi washed up and old enough to be her mother (to the howling amusement of everyone else in the ring as Yumi crumpled to the mat in shock at the scathing words). She eventually agreed, but only if she was the “the boss.” Yumi’s exaggerated delight and trying to placate Mio with nods and flattery was amusing. The gist of it all was pretty easy to follow even without understanding Japanese, which is a testament to the wrestlers’ delivery and reactions.

 

 

There was also a promo clearly setting up Asuka as Rina’s next challenger, building off the spotlight match she had with Shida earlier in the night.

 

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Fun show overall, although it did feel like they tried to cram a little too much in. Shorter promo segments and slightly longer undercard matches would have been nice. But they used the format they chose well, with generally engaging angles integrated with the matches. Even the super short early tag matches ended up having important significance in setting the stage for Dual Shock Wave. Add in good effort and a pair of matches I adored and this was a nice way to wrap up my trip.

 

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Photo with Msiaki Ohata while wearing her awesome new Sky Blue Suplex t-shirt.
Categories
Japan Reviews Wrestling

Ice Ribbon 8/27/17 Live Thoughts

August 27, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan

Seeing Ice Ribbon at Korakuen Hall is always a treat, and one match in particular had me even more excited that usual for this event.

 

The International Tag Ribbon championships were in limbo at this point due to co-holder Tsukushi’s hiatus (legal trouble related, exact details withheld since she was a minor in Japan at the time). She’s since returned in a limited, non-wrestling role with a public apology and the titles have been vacated. Her partner Kurumi was scheduled to team with Manami Toyota on this show to face #1 contenders The Lovely Butchers (Hamuko Hoshi & Mochi Miyagi) in a match that was speculated to have title implications, but Kurumi was injured shortly before resulting in shuffling around of the card. Kurumi was at the event working the merchandise tables and in good spirits, and I hope she recovers/returns soon.

 

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Hamuko Hoshi’s new match ended up being against her recently debuted daughter Ibushi Hoshi, and they opened the show.  This was one of many matches on the show that were more about a less experienced competitor putting up a good fight in defeat than having a believable chance of winning. As such I was hoping that Ibushi would be allowed to show a little more against mom, but it was a fine opener all the same. I’d actually really like to see a longer, more competitive rematch in the future. 

 

 

A second match with the same dynamic followed as another new roster member Asahi debuted, playing the role of totally overmatched but determined underdog well against legend Manami Toyota. I thought this worked a little better, with the confident, somewhat dismissive Toyota acting more and more surprised at Asahi’s resiliency and the length she had to go to in order to beat the upstart. Tsukka and others cheering on Asahi excitedly each time she got a little edge on the veteran or survived a pin attempt added a lot to the atmosphere.

 

 

Miyako & Jun Kasai were involved in a triple threat tag, which of course meant plenty of shenanigans. Their opponents were regular team Kyuri & Maika Ozaki and makeshift team of  Mochi Miyagi and the visiting Yoshiko from SEAdLINNNG. I could do without Yoshiko ever being in Ice Ribbon but, as I discussed a little in my review of SEAdLINNG’s show from a few days before this, I’ve hesitantly decided not to avoid shows she’s on or her matches. Her presence can provide an additional barrier for me to really get involved in a match though. I found it in mild effect here. She does play her role well and the story of her adopting Miyako’s antics to antagonize the latter gave the Dancing Queen plenty to play off of.

 

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The match was amusing, never talking itself too seriously but still providing a good deal of action in between things like water gun and aerosol can fights. One of my favorite things here was Kyuri slinking off during said silliness and quietly taking a seat in the bleachers among the crowd (right behind me) and contently watching her opponents battle with a self satisfied expression on her face. Of course since this was a tag match she was kind of abandoning her partner, but sacrifices must be made in water gun wars I suppose. 😉

 

 

Eventually Miyako was Miyako and got annoyed with Kasai, unwisely provoking her partner physically and getting leveled by him. This left her easy pickings for Yoshiko and Mochi to finish off for the win. During this Kyuri and Maika got on the apron and were casually knocked back down to take them out of the equation. I personally really like their team and wish they weren’t treated like cannon fodder for the other teams here (and in general). Regardless of that and my least favorite team of the three winning, this was again decent and fun overall.

 

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It’s great to see Akane Fujita back in full force from injury, and she seems to be carving out a nice niche in hardcore matches. Against the veteran KAROU from Marvelous in one here I expected this to be another “valiant effort in defeat” story, and while in some sense that’s exactly what we got Akane looked Karou’s equal and had the crowd primed for an upset at several moments.

 

 

The ending was a bit weird. Karou misted Akane in the eyes while they were fighting on a ladder then floated around to hit a powerbomb for the win, but Akane sold the mist by acting stunned instead of reacting much (which initially made it hard to tell what had happened). She then rolled right to her knees after being pinning instead of selling the effects of the powerbomb, making the whole sequence feel odd. Otherwise this was a very good hardcore match with strong work from both, including a gorgeous moonsault by Karou from the very top of the ladder and them brawling right through my seat on the outside.

 

 

During my first trip to Japan in 2015 I was lucky enough to see some of my favorite wrestlers battle for Ice Ribbon’s International Tag Ribbon Championships at Ribbonmania in a match that immediately became a favorite of mine and I consider the teams involved two of the very best in the world. Seeing some of the best of three series of rematches (one hosted by each wrestler’s home promotion) between Best Friends (Tsukasa Fujimoto & Arisa Nakajima) and Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami) was the impetus for this trip.

 

 

This was the last of the series, with Avid Rival up 1-0 (after winning at Wave on August 12 and wrestling to a time limit draw at SEAdLINNG on August 24) and the teams even overall counting the 2015 match.

This match being just prior to intermission and a little early in the card for its magnitude is likely due to Avid Rival needing to make it out to Osaka for a Wave show that evening. Both were out the door and on their way as soon as intermission started.

 

 

The time limit draw at SEAdLINNNG was great, if just a touch below the original match that inspired this series. This one is neck and neck with the original, and a fantastic way to close things out for now. I was actually partially anticipating the “upset” victory and Avid Rival sweeping the series given the way difficulties between Best Friends were being stressed, leading to somewhat of a feud between Tsukka and Arisa. But them coming together on the same page as a team to dig down and prove they could still win was an equally satisfying story.

 

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One great thing I’ve noticed in Avid Rival’s development over time is the way they add and modify actual double team moves in their arsenal (in addition to having awesome versions of the also great rapid fire alternating offense a lot of Joshi teams rely on). It makes them feel more like a cohesive unit and gives a sense of evolution.

 

 

Much like the first time Best Friends beat Avid Rival, they exchanged fantastic hard hitting offense with a lot of close calls until Tsukka and Arisa were finally able to just keep wearing someone down with a succession of their multitude of individual finishers. This time it was Mizunami that finally fell to Tsukka, and Misaki consoled her partner after the loss.

 

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In a nice touch for the way the feud had been built (with the opposing team members all being quite tense and in each others faces about who was better) there were no handshakes afterwards, just smug looks from Best Friends and grudging acceptance from Avid Rival from a distance. Can’t recommend this match (and the whole series) enough. Hope to see the one I haven’t (and the only one Avid Rival won) from Wave soon.

 

 

I was a little late coming back from intermission and unfortunately missed the begining of the big blow off elimination match featuring Team DATE (Nao, Nori, Hanna, & Karen) vs Maruko Nagasaki, Tequila Saya, Uno Matsuya, & Satsuki Totoro. As such Hanna was already eliminated and on the outside (and seemed to be nursing a knee injury of some sort) and I came in just as Uno also left the match. Uno’s actually my favorite on that team and I wish she was featured a bit more in general.

 

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Even coming in partway, what I saw was excellent and this was my second favorite match of the night. Everyone was constantly fighting as appropriate for the intense rivalry that has been the cornerstone of the feud. This was my first look at any of the DATES as well as Totoro and even though the nature of the match meant not everyone got a lot of chance to shine they all looked good and payed their roles well. Nao and Satsuki went next (and in rapid succession), leaving Saya and Maruko against Karen and Nori. Nori and Saya had been mostly paired off throughout the match, and they had some really good exchanges in this section until Karen and Nori were able to isolate and eliminate Saya, leaving Maruko in a 2 on 1.

 

 

The most experienced of Ice Ribbon’s rookie team persevered to eliminate Karen to even things up and eventually get the better of Nori (in a really good final section) to win for her team. This was 100% the right outcome, as the building story had been the DATES’ dominance and this last battle was Maruko and company’s final chance to prove their equals and gain some respect. Great story, great match. Nori impressed me the most here, and I hope to see a lot more of everyone involved going forward.

 

 

After the match Maruko’s team seemed to head to the back without any consideration for their finally defeated rivals, but they came back with Ice Ribbon jackets for Team DATE instead, finally fully accepting them into the roster and leaving things peaceful and in a state of mutual respect between all eight wrestlers after the feud’s end. Again, really well done.

 

 

The main event saw Azure Revolution do battle as Risa Sera (c) defended her ICE Cross Infinity Championship against her partner Maya Yukihi. I’ve commented before that I think these two have better chemistry as opponents than as a team, and it continued here as they had a very good match overall.

 

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But Risa’s defenses always seem oddly paced to me, as if she just doesn’t quite know how to smoothly build matches once they get past a certain length (with the same opponent that is, her multi-opponent ironwoman matches are great). Also, with the story of Maya trying to prove herself by defeating her more decorated, respected partner this needed more urgency. Given the story (not to mention Maya’s new gear) I was surprised at the result, but I also think Maya’s not quite ready for a title run and she’ll certainly have future opportunities so Risa overcoming this challenge and continuing on as champ works just fine.

 

 

A lot of this show was a bit “by the numbers” booking-wise, but there were a couple of surprises and predictable is perfectly fine if done well, which pretty much everything was. Having an underdog (ideally Akane) win one of the “proving ground” story matches would have been so nice since there were several, but that’s a mild criticism. Overall this was excellent, and in addition to the tag match I will continue to gush about forever the whole show is well worth checking out.

 

Categories
Reviews Wrestling

NXT Takeover Brooklyn III Live Thoughts

August 19, 2017 in Brooklyn, NY

A bit late getting this finished but I still wanted to share my thoughts on what ended up another great Takeover in Brooklyn  I was lucky enough to see live. I thought both the first NXT Takeover Brooklyn and last year’s were excellent.

 

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The previous formula appeared to continue with a big fan favorite opening the (pre) show as No Way Jose came out and the crowd erupted, but he was jumped and laid out by Lars Sullivan to enormous heat. Effective segment to start, even without an actual match.

 

Peyton Royce vs Sarah Logan was a decent little match from both. Royce has been improving lately. I was a bit surprised at result considering Logan was part of the Mae Young Classic, which was just about to start airing.

 

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It was particularly great to see Pete Dunne recovered enough to wrestle after he missed Progress in Queens due to being busted open the night before. He teamed with Wolfgang against Dunne’s regular stablemates in Progress Trent Seven & Tyler Bate. Crowd was over the moon when it became clear who was coming out and these guys are fantastic.

 

The Takeover show proper then started with Johnny Gargano vs Andrade “Cien” Almas. Cien has really found new life as a heel, owning it so much more than his bland babyface character, and the angle with his renewed success and focus due to manager Zelina Vega is great. Gargano is of course the classic overachieving babyface, and perfect at it.  This started a trend for the evening, as literally every match from here on was good for around the first half or so, then reached another gear late and became incredible.

Here the turning point was an INSANE counter from Cien as he flipped out of a top rope sunset bomb attempt and landed on his feet. They built to a clever finish in which Vega threw a DIY shirt at Gargano, which distracted him just enough for Cien to pull out the victory. It gave Gargano an out without halting Cien’s needed momentum.

 

 

The NXT Tag Title match between the Authors of Pain (c) and Sanity was quite honestly better than I expected, with all four members of Sanity getting involved to make it exciting and memorable yet still somehow playing solid de facto babyfaces. The brawl based action was comfortably in AoP’s wheelhouse too and they more than held up their end. The title change was a nice moment, AoP is now free to move up, and RED DRAGON (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) make a big statement laying out the new champs afterward.

 

Hideo Itami’s another wrestler who seems to have new life and more motivation thanks to a heel turn, and he’s growing into the character nicely. He did his best to mock and frustrate Aleister Black in a match that as expected built into a great striking battle, but Black eventually came out triumphant with his signature kick.

 

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This was the most uncertain I’ve been going into one of my favorite wrestler’s title defenses, as if there ever was a time to end Asuka’s reign in NXT it was right here. Ember Moon was set up not only as a threat but as the person Asuka needed to stretch the rules to beat last time, and it was totally believable that she’d unseat the dominant champion and Asuka would move on to the main roster. On the other hand having Asuka’s record breaking undefeated streak intact as she was called up also had numerous advantages.

So I was mildly surprised at Asuka’s victory, but I was actually much more surprised at her kicking out of Moon’s deadly finisher. That moment alone made this feel like a goodbye for Moon and not Asuka, and that feeling intensified when Ember seemed to have a bit of a farewell moment after the match. Of course since then it’s been revealed that Asuka was hurt during the match (and finishing and having the great match they did with a broken collarbone is crazy tough), she’s surrendered the title, and is headed to RAW.

 

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Getting back to this match, I really enjoyed it. It built well and got crazy towards the end. Probably the best NXT work I’ve seen from either, and though they didn’t know it at the time they put on a fantastic farewell match for Asuka’s time in NXT.

 

In any of the given title matches for this show I slightly favored the challengers, but didn’t expect all the belts to change hands. Once Asuka retained I was fairly sure Bobby Roode would end up losing in the main event against Drew McIntyre for the NXT title. That feeling didn’t take anything away from the drama of the match, as when done right even a predictable outcome can be highly satisfying.

 

 

Again, this got great late and Drew eventually landed the Claymore to become the new NXT champion. The Glorious One would go to Smackdown a few short days later, and it was certainly time. As big as the celebratory moment was for Drew, a bigger one would follow with the debut of Adam Cole, who used a distraction from Red Dragon to ambush the new champ the way they did earlier and the ex-ROH trio stood tall to end the show. 

 

Overall

Takeover Brooklyn is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three. Everything ended up excellent here, and I can’t recommend the replay enough. 

Categories
Reviews Wrestling

Mae Young Classic Episode 5 Review

maeyoungclassic

 

My thoughts on round 1: episodes one, two, three, and four.

Not much was known about this tournament before it started, so there wasn’t a full participant list until after round 1 was taped. Going into the second day of tapings (which included everything else except the upcoming finals) I made predictions based on the apparent brackets. The brackets were wrong so my predictions ended up pure fantasy booking, but I left them up for amusement here.

 

Round 2:

Things open with all 16 remaining participants on the stage around the trophy looking excited. Always a great visual.

 

1) Abbey Laith vs Rachel Evers **1/2

Video packages tailored to the matchups this time, with the wrestlers talking about each other a little and the task in front of them. It makes a big difference in getting the viewer into things.

Kassius Ohno shown ringside supporting Rachel.

Titles have height, signature move, and ring style listed by each woman’s name as they enter. Great touch. Laith gestures towards the trophy with a smile in another.

Commentary’s trying to sell the story of Laith being the underdog due to Evers’ size and power, but the veteran is the clear favorite. Lita actually with a great note though about Laith’s background wrestling men and being used to bigger, stronger opponents.

Rachel looked much better here than in round 1 and got to show some nice offense, including a sweet powerslam off the top late. Being past the first round is apparent in Abbey getting to pull out a tope to the outside (which nearly goes horribly wrong when her foot catches on the rope but they adjust enough where she still mostly hits Rachel). Story was Abbey striking back just enough to stay in things until she’s able to surprise the rookie with the Alligator Clutch for 3. Would have gone more even, but was a nice spotlight for Rachel and (as is becoming a theme) was good for the short time they had.

 

2) Serena Deeb vs Piper Niven ***

Back to more generic video packages where each just talks about wanting to win instead of their specific opponent. Shame. The wrestlers continue to acknowledge the trophy on their way out (with Serena bowing to it in reverence) which again is a little thing that really makes the tournament and winning seem important. It’s pointed out that Piper’s only 25, which is surprising given her experience and the way she carries herself.

Once again Piper starts by powering her opponent into the corner and playfully giving a super light punch to the jaw, and once again her opponent is not amused and fires back with hard shots to pick the pace up.

The determined Serena kept trying to prove she could overcome Piper’s size, but it kept backfiring with Piper mostly powering through whatever Serena was trying, forcing Deeb to adapt and try new tricks. The story of the stubborn vet refusing to give up on slamming Piper in various ways and whether the eventual success was worth the cost of trying was a strong one, and I wish they had twice the time to tell it in full. Still a good match, with a great finish.

Piper hits a second rope avalanche for 2 and goes up top for a splash, which misses and makes her vulnerable for the spear. However when Serena charges Piper moves out of the way, grabs Serena, and pulls her right back into a quick, super smooth Piper Driver (Mikonuchu Driver) for the somewhat surprising win. Glad to see Piper advance, and ending Serena’s comeback run makes her seem like a beast.

 

3) Princesa Sugehit vs Mercedes Martinez *3/4

This seems like it should be a solid contest between veterans, but from what I’ve seen in the past Mercedes’ style doesn’t necessarily mesh well with Lucha. We’ll see.

Sugehit talking about how Mercedes should be wary because she doesn’t have Sugehit’s experience is silly given the entire buildup for the match is how they’re the two most experienced wrestlers in the tournament. JR mentions Martinez’ time in Shimmer, and I think I forgot to mention in the first round that she’s the reigning Shimmer champion and I’m extremely familiar with her from her work there. The Fisherman’s Buster is also specifically mentioned, which is Mercedes regular finisher that she did not use in round 1. Hint, hint.

Kalisto shown ringside.

Sugehit wearing Wonder Woman themed gear, which is odd only because a point was made of nicknaming Garrett Wonder Woman in round 1.

This was an abbreviated version of a longer, better match. It was fine overall and had some nice spots, but from the feeling out chain wrestling period going less than 30 seconds to transitions that seemed to be on fast forward the pace was just off. Mercedes fights off the armbar and plants Sugehit with the Fisherman’s Buster for the win. Martinez vs Laith set for the quarter finals.

 

4) Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair ***1/4

Belair hasn’t a hope in hell here, but the match could be fun. Reenforcing that prediction, Belair talks about thinking she’s the best and that Kairi’s not a threat in the video packages, while Kairi talks about being an inspiration, leaving her mark, and giving “power and passion to people all over the world.” 

Kairi gives a delightfully excited reaction to seeing the trophy on the way out and blows it a kiss.

JR continues to sound ridiculous stumbling around Kairi’s gimmick like it’s the strangest and most surprising thing ever. “It’s somewhat obvious that the lovely Kairi Sane is a boating aficionado. She’s a yachtsperson. She’s very aquatic Lita.” “JR she’s a PIRATE.” “Oh, a pirate. Well, I’m working it.” Shoot me now.

Belair twirling her braid as if to strike right away flagrantly in front of the ref as Kairi rightly backs up and objects and Lita does her best to mitigate. “There’s no weapons in the ring but I guess if it grows out of the top of your head it’s allowed to be used as a whip.” At least she’s trying to explain the lack of logic.

Belair controls with strength a bit, using headlocks and shoulder tackles. She blows a mocking kiss at Kairi and the latter exaggeratedly pantomimes catching it, throwing it to the ground, and repeatedly stomping on it in one of the most wonderfully physical bits of comedy I’ve seen in a long time. It’s exactly this charismatic delivery she adds to EVERYTHING that makes Sane the star she is.

Kairi ducks a couple of clotheslines from the flustered Belair, hits a dropkick for 2, then blows a kiss back in highly amusing fashion. The mind games are done and they appear to be about to start a forearm exchange, but Kairi’s so quick she keeps hitting hers in succession before Bianca can respond with any. Love those type of variations on standard spots.

Bianca fights off a waistlock and whips Kairi in the stomach with the braid, then continues with numerous hard shots with it as the ref’s shrugs apologetically as if there’s nothing he can do, JR nonchalantly explains it’s legal, and Lita calls it innovative. So stupid. Kairi being whipped in the corner should NOT be treated as a normal part of a match nor as clever. At least act outraged so Belair can get the proper heat from this. The crowd’s going nuts booing though so the intended effect is achieved live at least.

Bianca continues to press the strength advantage, with Kairi bouncing around like a pinball and screaming her head off when in holds to make Belair look devastating. Bianca really needs to drop the head smashes to the mat though, as like with Beckett she again does them such that her opponent is visibly nowhere near connecting with the mat each time and it looks absurd.

Back and forth between Kairi’s striking speed advantage and Belair’s power continued until Bianca hits a 450 from the top and actually has the crowd biting on the upset. They erupt for Kairi’s last second kickout. Belair charges the corner and eats the post, and it’s marching time. Sliding forearm, backfist, top rope elbow, and we’re done.

Belair needs some polish but she’s quite good already and could be great with time. They told a strong story and made this more dramatic than it could have been given the obviousness of the outcome. Kairi’s a joy to watch as always.

 

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Nice batch of matches here hampered only by the structure of taping everything so quick and the often limited match times that resulted. Most importantly, the tournament feels significant and like something the wrestlers involved value and care about winning, which makes all the difference.