ROH: Weekend of Champions Night One Review

ROH: Weekend Of Champions Night 1 DVD Review

I got this for only $5 during Highspots' big DVD sale. This show took place during the epic ROH/CZW war which I've heard alot about and been dying to see. As soon as I saw that this show happened during the midst of that feud, I was sold.

The DVD opens with Jimmy Jacobs and Lacey talking backstage. Then it cuts to a promo from Christopher Daniels about his match with Nigel McGuinness later in the night. During the first match, a message flashed at the bottom of the screen to check out the "Video Recap" on the main menu screen before watching the show, so I did just that. It was a nice feature that gave a bit of a recap on what had recently happened with Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro in WWE) turning on ROH and joining Chris Hero, Super Dragon, Necro Butcher and the rest of the CZW crew. You get a great promo from Jim Cornette on the situation where he vows that ROH is going to start striking back. Also in this feature are promos from Jimmy Jacobs and Colt Cabana. Now onto the show itself.

1) Colt Cabana vs. Jimmy Jacobs
The story going into this one which I learned by watching the video recap feature, was that Cabana wanted to make his way back to the top of ROH by starting at the bottom since he lost to Bryan Danielson in less than five minutes. Cabana attributed this loss to his brutal feud with Homicide, saying he forgot how to wrestle because he had been fighting so long. Thus the opening match was set. As for Jacobs, he and Lacey had been having problems for a while and she told him that if he kept losing, she would leave him. So with all the things above taken into consideration, this was a big match for both guys. It was pretty back and forth the

ROH: Rising Above 2008 DVD Review

ROH Rising Above 2008 DVD Review

1) Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. The Briscoes
The last time these four guys competed in Chicago Ridge for ROH, they put on the legendary Ladder War match for the Tag Team Titles. This wasn't the caliber of that match, but it wasn't positioned to be. It accomplished exactly what it set out to. Fast paced, fun tag team opener to get the crowd pumped up. The two teams started brawling afterwards which makes it seem like their feud will continue after this show. Great way to start the show.

Match rating - 6/10

2) MsCHIF vs. Sara Del Rey - SHIMMER Title Match
I've long known that women's wrestling is light years better in the Indies than it is in the two mainstream companies. That was once again confirmed here as these ladies put on a solid match with alot of oustanding wrestling. The one move that really stood out was

PWG: DDT4 2012 Review

PWG DDT4 2012 DVD Review

1) Fightin' Taylor Boys (Brian Cage & Ryan Taylor) vs. RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma & Johnny Goodtime) - First Round Match
The first round matches of DDT4 are normally rather short and very spotty which is exactly what this was. That's not a bad thing though as it was very entertaining. I'm tempted to say Brian Cage stole the show with his unique blend of super human strength and agility. Some of the moves this guy pulls off are insane. From high flying stuff to suplexing Goodtime with Yuma on his shoulders, Cage is a machine. Overall this was a fun opening match.

Match rating - ***1/4

2) The Dynasty (Joey Ryan & Scorpio Sky) vs. Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly)
Much like the previous match this was your typical DDT4 first round match. About 10 minutes or so long and packed full of action. Future Shock were so

PWG: Mystery Vortex 2 Review

PWG: Mystery Vortex 2 Review

1) Cedric Alexander vs. Andrew Everett vs. Trevor Lee
Here we have some fresh faces appearing in PWG. This was both Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee's debut in PWG and it was Cedric Alexander's first appearance in PWG since 2010. Since Alexander is the only one of these men to ever compete in PWG, the crowd was heavily behind from the start as "ALEXANDER!" chants flooded the legion hall. Andrew Everett got a decent response when he was introduced as well, but Trevor Lee being the least known competitor got a mixed reaction, including "Who are you?" chants. Regardless of what the fans thought of Lee before the match, it was all changed when these three guys tore the house down! Mid-way through the match the "Who are you?" chants turned into "TREVOR LEE!" and "THIS IS AWESOME!" Everett and Lee won over the PWG crowd while Alexander proved he's still just as great - if not better - than when he last competed in Pro Wrestling Guerilla. This was just an amazing opening match with alot of jaw dropping moments. Everett hit what was literally one of the highest dives I've ever seen, he was so close to hitting the roof, it was insane. This was just an all around awesome match with tons of action. I'm glad to

PWG: DDT4 2014 Review

PWG: DDT4 2014 DVD Review

1) Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent?) vs. RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma) - First Round Match
The crowd was SUPER hot for this one. Especially for the Best Friends. This was an action packed opener that never slowed down. I often forgot how good the Rocknes Monsters are, but they reminded me of it here. Goodtime took a page out of Ricochet's book and dove over the top turnbuckle to the outside, UNBELIEVABLE! No matter how times I see that happen, I'll still mark out each time. Great opener here that saw the Best Friends debut several new antics including Trent sporting a kneepad with Chuck Taylor's face on it aptly called "The Chuckie Knee." They also brought their new secret weapon into the match, a trenchcoat! I normally am not a big fan of comedy in wrestling, but it's impossible to not like Taylor & Trent, this was fantastic. Fun, crazy spot fest.

Match rating - ***1/4

2) PPRaay (Peter Avalon & Ray Rosas) vs. Unbreakble F'N Machines (Michael Elgin & Brian Cage)
 I never thought that a match that was this much of a mismatch could be so entertaining, but if anyone can make it entertaining, it's PWG. For those who don't know Elgin & Cage are literally twice the size of Avalon & Rosas so the Machines had an advantage to begin with. PPRay did manage to get in some offense here and show what they could do despite the size difference. There were some jawdropping moments such as Elgin doing some sort of corkscrew backflip off the top rope and Elgin powerbombing Rosas onto

PWG: All Star Weekend X Night 1 Review

PWG: All Star Weekend 10 Night 1 DVD Review

The show opens with Mount Rushmore (Adam Cole, Kevin Steen, & The Young Bucks) in the ring interrupting Excalibur. The Bucks do the DX crotch chop on the mat right under Excalibur which is hilarious. Cole then flips him off and Mount Rushmore poses in the center of the ring when CHRIS HERO RUNS INTO THE RING! ROARING ELBOW TO KEVIN STEEN! Hero takes out The Bucks and goes for Cole, but he escapes. Hero vows to end Cole's reign as champion tonight and to stop Mount Rushmore for good. Great start to the show.

1) Brian Cage vs. Anthony Nese
These two faced off a few months prior at TEN in a very good bout. For that reason, I was looking forward to seeing them go at it again. In their previous match, Cage got gassed in the long run, but it looks like his conditioning was better this time around. They put on a match that was every bit as good as their first encounter, if not better. Great match! Rick Knox on commentary said it best by stating that this was the opening match, but it could have been a main event in any other promotion in the country. Very true. Also brings to light how stacked this show is.

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Joey Ryan & Candice LeRae vs. RockNES Monsters
This was your basic action packed tag

DGUSA: Freedom Fight 2012 Review

Dragon Gate USA Freedom Fight 2012 DVD Review

My first venture into the world of Dragon Gate USA. Let's see how it goes!

1) Jon Davis vs. EITA
Not too familar with either of these guys so they had the chance to impress me. Unfortunately, this was a quick opener basically just to make Davis look strong. EITA did some nice highflying though. Not much going on here, short opener.

Match rating - *3/4

2) Caleb Konley & Scott Reed vs. Tony Nese & Papadon
The only two guys here that I knew much about were Nese and Konley. They put in a great

PWG: Eight DVD Review

PWG Eight Review

This is PWG's 8th Anniversary show. It features the return of PAC (Adrian Neville) and CIMA to PWG as well as TWO World Title matches! Also, starting with this review going forward, I'll be including who's on commentary for each match since PWG has guests join Excalibur for commentary through out the night.

1) Kevin Steen vs. PAC
What a way to start the show! Steen jawed back & forth with PAC and the fans before the match as well as during it which was absolutely hilarious. There was alot of comedy before the match began such as a test of strength because Steen kept remarking how big PAC had gotten. This led to one fan chanting "We Want Wrestling!" to which Steen responded with "THIS IS WRESTLING YOU

WWE: Hell In A Cell 2011 DVD Review

WWE: Hell In A Cell 2011 DVD Review
The show opens with Christian making his way to the ring for the first match of the night. As he is making his entrance, The Miz and R-Truth who were banned from the arena are seen coming through the crowd. They have tickets in hand and go to sit down on the front row, but out comes John Laurinitus with security. After some arguing, Laurinitus and security take Miz & Truth out of the arena. Great way to start the show with some controversy. Miz and Truth were one of the main reasons I wanted to pick this show up on DVD and take another look at it.

1) Christian vs. Sheamus
These guys have an undeniable chemistry together and always manage to put on great matches. This bout was no exception. Sheamus delivered his typical offense full of stiff strikes and power manuevers, but the sly Christian managed to gain the advantage on several occasions with big moves such as a huge spear on the outside planting Sheamus on the floor. The bout headed back in the ring following that manuever where Sheamus & Christian countered each other multiple times before Sheamus was finally able to nail Christian with a brogue kick for the victory. Great match.

Match rating - 7.75/10

2) Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara
I found this storyline stupid, but the match was very entertaining. Alot of fast paced and innovative lucha libre action here. Unfortunately the crowd wasn't that into it so it hurt the match a bit. Despite that, this was a fun encounter.

Match rating - 6.5/10

3) Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger - WWE Tag Team Championship Match
This was the action packed tag team match that you would expect from Air Boom. Ziggler did his share of highflying as well and Swagger held his own with the aerialists on the opposing team. Very entertaining tag team title match.

Match rating - 7.5/10

4) Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton - Hell In A Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
I didn't have high expectations for this match, but Orton & Henry managed to find a way to make it quite entertaining. Although this wasn't an oustanding contest, I never really lost interest so I can't complain too much aside from the fact that there was no reason for this to be held inside the cell, no weapons were even used besides the steel steps. Solid match none the less. The best part of the action however take place after the bout when Orton beat the hell out of Henry with a chair.

Match rating - 6/10
At this point in the show, Cody Rhodes came to the ring with his baggers. Rhodes proceeded to debut the new Intercontinetal Championship which is actually the old classic white belt. Rhodes names off the people who held that belt and said he would wear it prouder than any of them ever did. Laurinitus comes out and makes Cody defend the belt now against John Morrison.

5) Cody Rhodes vs. John Morrison
Well Cody wrestled this match in street clothes, but still put on a really good contest with Morrison. It lasted around ten minutes and was very entertaining. Rhodes and Morrison were two of my favorites in WWE at this time so it was nice seeing them compete against each other. Rhodes picks up the cheap victory with a roll up. If this one had went a bit longer, I may have rated it higher, very enjoyable match.

Match rating - 6.5/10
Backstage, The Miz and R-Truth have broken back into the arena and are in the back beating up talent. John Laurinitus runs to get Triple H and they go into the locker room as security is pulling Miz & Truth off of Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston. Triple H is pissed and yells at Laurinitus before leaving.

6) Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix - Diva's Championship Match
Had low expectations for this because WWE has never put much into their women's division, but this was better than what we normally get. They had some nice counters and nearfalls here which really surprised me. Decent match.

Match rating - 5.5/10

7) John Cena vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio - Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Championship
I think this match is often overlooked because all the other classic moments and matches from 2011. This is honestly one of the best matches of the year in my opinion. Easily the match of the night. Punk and Cena have amazing chemistry, that combined with Del Rio's in ring expertise made for a fantastic three way. Beyond that, these guys took full advantge of the Cell rules by using multiple weapons such as chairs and tables. There were some unique multi man moves here as well such as Cena lifting Del Rio up for an AA on the outside only for Punk to dive out onto both of them! Several cool spots in this match and everything flowed very well. Awesome match!

Match rating - 9/10
After the match, two masked men hit the ring as the cell lowered back down to the arena floor. They beat down Cena, Del Rio, and Punk repeatedly. The men take off their masks to reveal.. THE MIZ AND R-TRUTH! They somehow made it back into the arena to cause more chaos! Booker T said it best "Miz and Truth have lost their damn mind!" The locker room ran out to ringside to try and stop them, but they couldn't get in the cell because it was still lowered. Miz & Truth continue beating on the three men in the cell along with referees while Triple H gets someone to unlock the cell door. Triple H has Miz and Truth arrested. The night ends in chaos!

Overall thoughts: This was a solid PPV. There weren't any bad matches, pretty much every match here is enjoyable. The opening bout was outstanding and the main event was a MOTY candidate. On top of the consistency of the card, the story that ran throughout the night featuring Miz and Truth causing chaos made the event even more exciting to watch. I ordered this show along with several other PPVs from 2011 to relive what an awesome year it was and this show was just as enjoyable as when it originally aired. This wasn't an awesome show, but it's better than what we get from WWE alot of times so if the Miz/Truth conspiracy storyline interests you or you're a fan of any of the guys in the main event, I definitely recommend checking this out.

WWE: Rey Mysterio - 619 DVD Review

This DVD was released in 2003 and it features a short documentary and 10 matches. The documentary covers Mysterio's career up through 2002. Some cool features include Mysterio touring the place in Mexico where he first began wrestling around the age of 15. From his childhood to his early training and competition in Mexico to WCW to the first year of his WWE career (2002). It's all covered here. Very interesting documentary. Now onto the matches:

1) Rey Mysterio Jr, Heavy Metal & Latin Lover vs. Psichosis, Madonna's Boyfriend, & Fuerza Guerrera - AAA When Worlds Collide 1994
The match starts off with some fast paced lucha libre style action then Madonna's Boyfriend got tagged in and the pace slowed. The different styles in this match didn't work too well as the pace changed too drastically too often. There was some fun action here though as well as few breathtaking spots such as Madonna's Boyfriend tossing Mysterio across the railing several feet into the crowd. The anti-climatic finish also caused me to lower my rating a bit as the fans and commentators didn't even notice the match ended until the bell rang. Decent contest. Besides a few spots, it's nothing worth watching.

Match rating - 5/10

2) Rey Mysterio vs. Dean Malenko - WCW Great American Bash 1996
This was Rey's debut in WCW and he certainly made an impact. Malenko and Rey started off exchanging manuevers which resulted in several standoffs. The match was pretty back and forth for the opening minutes, but Dean Malenko soon shifted into control as he began

WWE: Wrestling's Greatest High Flyers DVD Review

WWE: Wrestling's Greatest High Flyers Review

1) Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Brian Pillman
Ironically, this is my first time seeing these two men compete. I've heard legendary tales of Steamboat as well as Pillman so I was anxious to see what they brought to the table. This was a pretty basic match. In all honesty, it wasn't anything special although it did serve it's purpose of showcasing Steamboat as a highflyer so I can't complain too much.

Match rating - 5/10

2) Evan Bourne vs. Zack Ryder
I'm a big fan of Bourne and Ryder isn't too shabby so I thought this would be pretty good, but unfortunately it's just a basic encounter. Ryder grounds Bourne for the majority of the match so the action was pretty slow. That's not something I have a problem with, but I was expecting a more fast paced match since this is a high flyers DVD. None the less, basic match, but still enjoyable. Not anything you'll watch more than once though.

Match rating - 5/10

3) Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. Samoan #3
Wow, never thought I could be so bored by such a short match. It only lasted a bit over five minutes, I would guess, but 90% of the match was rest holds. They literally sat in the ring in a headlock for probably a minute then some sort of other rest hold for atleast three minutes. Boring match, probably the weakest on the DVD. I'd skip this match if I were you, nothing to see here except Snuka's crossbody off the top rope. Don't get me wrong, a Snuka match deserves to be on here, but I feel they could have found one a bit better than this.

Match rating - 2/10

4) Juvented Guerrera, Hector Garza, & Lizmark Jr vs. La Parka, Psichosis & Villano IV
Now this is the good stuff! High flying, fast paced action from beginning to end! I've watched alot of wrestling over the past few years, but these guys had some innovative spots that I'd never seen before. Alot of them including all six men in the match such as a triple suicide dive and a star formed in the middle of the ring. Insane six man tag

PWG: DDT4 2009 DVD Review

PWG DDT4 2009 Review

The show opens with Paul London and Excalibur in the ring. London says he will be unable to compete tonight, but he wanted to be there anyway. London tells his partner Bryan Danielson to come out. Bryan comes to the ring and immediately gets "Happy Birthday" chants from the audience as it's his birthday. Paul London gives Bryan bunch of gifts including a special made cape, a Four Horsemen DVD, and Four Horsemen action figures. This is great haha. London keeps going through his suitcase pulling out stuff to give Bryan then he asks Chris Hero to come out. Hero decides to pull out of the DDT4 tournament to allow Roderick Strong to team with Bryan since Paul London can't compete. Roderick Strong comes out to the ring and London gives him a bee mask. London decides to stay at ringside and manage Strong & Bryan in their first round match. While Bryan & Strong are getting ready, Joey Ryan and Scott Lost hit the ring and attack them from behind!

1) Bryan Danielson & Roderick Strong (w/ Paul London) vs. Joey Ryan & Scott Lost
After ambushing the Hybrid Dolphins, Joey and Scott have the upperhand. This match was balls to the wall the whole time. The crowd was so hot after that opening segment and that made this match even more great. It was an action packed

PWG: One Hundred Review

PWG One Hundred DVD Review

PWG celebrates it's 100th show here with a star studded show line up featuring Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black, The Young Bucks, Davey Richards, and Roderick Strong among others. The main event pits Chris Hero defending his PWG World Championship against Colt Cabana!

1) The Young Bucks vs. The Cutler Bros - PWG World Tag Team Title Match
After main eventing PWG's Ninety Nine event the night before and successfully defending their Tag Team Titles against Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley, The Young Bucks start off this event with a challenge to long time rivals, The Cutler Brothers. The Cutlers accept of course and the match begans in fast paced fashion. The Bucks picked up right where they left off last night - stealing the show. Simply, this was an awesome match! Almost as good as the match from the previous night between The Bucks and MCMG. I don't think The Young Bucks can put on a bad match and that once again showcased here. But the match wasn't all them, The Cutlers delivered as well and the result was a fantastic opener.

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Scott Lost vs. Roderick Strong
This match started off with a bang as Lost dropkicked Strong as soon as he was introduced. The match kept that pace as the action spilled to the outside. A good bit of the match took place outside of the ring including

PWG: Ninety Nine DVD Review

PWG Ninety Nine DVD Review

Here we have one of the most star studded PWG shows I think I've seen. There are alot of former/current WWE & TNA stars on this show including Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Davey Richards, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley and Austin Aries. Just goes to show that Indy Wrestling matters.

1) Los Luchas & Scorpio Sky vs. The Cutler Brothers & Scott Lost
The Cutlers and Los Luchas had an awesome match at Gentle Art of Making Enemies a few months back so I expected this to be really good. That combined with Scorpio Sky and Scott Lost's outstanding abilities made for a great opening match. Your basic six man tag with a lot of action!

Match rating - 7/10

2) Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) vs. Chuck Taylor
I had mixed feelings going into this match about whether it would be good or not. Taylor is hilarious, but I thought his comedy might not mix well with someone like Bryan who's drawing factor is his wrestling skills. Despite that, the two meshed very well here. Perfect mix of