The Kevin Steen Show with Kyle O'Reilly Review

The Kevin Steen Show with Kyle O'Reilly DVD Review

First things first, I've never reviewed a shoot interview before, if that's what you consider this, so bare with me. I figured since I was going to review the matches featured on this set, I might as well discuss the interview itself as well.

Disc 1 - The Interview

As with all Kevin Steen shows, the atmosphere is really laid back and very conversational which always makes for great viewing. They start out discussing how Kyle got into wrestling which led to both guys talking about their memories of being a WWF fan in the 90's. It was really cool seeing them recall when they first walked up the stairs and saw the ring which immediately made them realize what they wanted to do in life. O'Reilly discusses his first ever WWF show which was the In Your House PPV in 1998 where The Rock and Mankind faced off while Kevin's first live event attendance was a house show in 1995.

The next topic was Kyle's training which he started at the age of 18. This led to a discussion about the wrestling scene in BC and how Kyle made the move to the United States where he began living in St Louis with Davey Richards and Tony Kozina. O'Reilly talks about how the scene in Canada is almost secluded to the point where it's hard for anyone up there to get noticed unless they move down to America like he did. Steen talked a bit about how it's like that in England and names PCW as a promotion that's just as good as ROH & PWG, but doesn't get much buzz.

Steen and O'Reilly then moved on to how Kyle got into ROH. This leads to a story about Steen refusing to face him in 2009 because he had just turned on Generico and didn't want O'Reilly to be the guy he squashed immediately after that. They talk about how Future Shock came about and it comes to fruition that Kyle didn't even know Cole very well when they were placed together in ROH. Some interesting topics here include Kyle listing some of his favorite ROH Future Shock matches, how it was working with Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas, and Jim Cornette saying Future Shock vs The Wolves was the best tag team match he had ever seen.

CHIKARA: Best of 2010 Review

CHIKARA: Best of 2010 DVD Review

1) Fire Ant vs. Pinkie Sanchez - A Touch Of Class
The set starts off with this match that encompasses two men involved in a feud between The Colony and BDK. Just like with the Best of 2009 set I recently watched, the commentators did a great job of giving me backstory to what led to this bout. Pinkie apparently was partnered up with The Colony then he turned and revealed himself to be a part of the BDK which led to this match between he & Colony member Fire Ant. This was the opening bout of the first CHIKARA event of 2010, "A Touch Of Class", and they certainly got things off to a fiery start. This isn't anything special, but it's a good match that I enjoyed watching.

Match rating -***

2) Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Equinox & Lince Dorado vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, Tursas, & Lince Dorado - A Touch Of Class
It turns out that the BDK storyline that showcased in the Pinkie/Fire Ant match is also showcased here. It seems like its basically BDK vs Chikara which definitely sounds interesting. The first thing that caught my here was the addition of Ares to Claudio's team. For those who don't know, Claudio & Ares have been teaming together off and on for years, dating all the way back to IWA Mid-South in 2002-03. It was nice seeing Swiss Money Holding back together as a part of BDK in this match up. From the start, we got some big storyline developments as Lince Dorado jumped Equinox before the match, revealing himself as a member of the BDK! This was the start of a chaotic match that saw Eddie Kingston come out and insert himself as the four the man on Quack's squad. It was about five or six minutes in when Claudio began taunting Kingston and soon enough, King came running out which immediately got me hyped because these two had the CHIKARA MOTY just one month prior so when they stepped in the same ring again it had a big time feel. There was also some comedy here, or maybe I just found it funny, Eddie began chopping Tursas, who is a huge guy with a mask with a long gray beard, and as King kept doing his Kobashi-esque chops, it began knocking hair off the beard, it was hilarious as Tursas barely seemed phased. The closing sequence saw several near falls along with a crazy dive sequence. If it wasn't for the unexplained addition of Kingston to the match and other minor booking quirks, this would get a higher rating. However, the rating doesn't reflect everything because this was a TON of fun and I'll likely go back and watch it again. Loving this storyline!

Match rating - ***1/4

3) Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Equinox, & Helios vs. Brodie Lee & The UnStable - Mint Condition

DGUSA: Open The Ultimate Gate 2013 Review

DGUSA Open The Ultimate Gate 2013 Review

1) Brian Kendrick vs. Rich Swann
This is really an interesting clash. Not only of in-ring styles, but also of unique charismas. I've always been a fan of Kendrick and Swann leading the crowd in "All Night Long" reminded of why I'm such a big fan of his. Once the entertainment ended and the match began, the two managed to piece together a very fun opening match. The premise was simple, Kendrick being the veteran tried to keep Swann grounded while Rich tried to use his speed to gain the upperhand and he ended up doing just that by earning himself a victory. Solid opener.

Match rating - ***

2) Chuck Taylor vs. Anthony Nese vs. Jigsaw vs. Shane Strickland vs. Fire Ant vs. Arik Cannon - Six Way Freestyle
This one got off to a slow start for a match of this sort involving these men however once it picked up, it fucking picked up. Crazy dives, superkicks, insane exchanges. All the great Indy style stuff that results in a stalemate and also gets the crowd going. Aside from a minor dive botch, this was done flawlessly, so much so that I almost forget the botch even happened considering it was near the beginning of the insanity sequence as I like to call it. Extremely fun match in which Anthony Nese was the star.

Match rating - ***1/4

PWG: Kurt Russell Reunion 3 Review

PWG Kurt Russell Reunion 3 Review

1) Brian Cage & Ryan Taylor vs. Famous B & Chris Kadillak - ***

2) BxB Hulk vs. Jimmy Susumu - ***

3) The Young Bucks vs. Davey Richards & Harry Smith - ***1/2

4) Naruki Doi vs. Willie Mack - **3/4

5) B-Boy, Candice LeRae, Cedric Alexander & Mascarito Dorado vs. Joey Ryan, Peter Avalon, Ray Rosas, & DEMUS 316 - **3/4

6) Ricochet & CIMA vs. RockNES Monsters - ***1/2

7) Roderick Strong vs. Masaaki Mochizuki - ***1/2

8) Kevin Steen, Super Dragon, & Akira Tozawa vs. El Generico, PAC, & Masato Yoshino - ****1/4

This show was a pretty fun watch. Some of the matches didn't reach the level that I thought they would such as Naruki/Willie & Roddy/Mochizuki. Both were entertaining, especially the latter, however it felt they ended just as things were reaching their peak. It was also nice hearing Colt Cabana back on commentary here after a few years away from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. The main event delivered on every level and is the reason I'm gonna be keeping this DVD in my collection. It's basically an all stars match with the names who had made PWG must-see up until that point just going nuts. There's nothing here that's worth going out of your way to see aside from the main event so if that interests you, I'd definitely recommend checking this out, just don't expect alot of the undercard matches to be the MOTY candidates that they look to be on paper.

CHIKARA: Best of 2009 Review

Best of Chikara 2009 DVD Review

In my quest to dive deeper into Independent Wrestling, I find myself with two Chikara DVD's on my hands. I felt the urge to buy this set after seeing two PHENOMENAL free matches on YouTube (both of which are on this set) and hearing Chuck Taylor tell a story about one of his favorite matches ever that happened here. Beyond that, when I looked at the match listing and saw the variety of talent & styles that looked to be showcased, I was ecstatic. One of my other main draws in buying this set were Mike Quackenbush & Claudio Castagnoli. After seeing Quack have some epic matches with Claudio in IWA-MS and CZW, I was dying to see more of his work not only with Claudio, but with other competitors as well. And the fact that there are bouts on here pitting him against the likes of Claudio and Bryan Danielson sold me on this DVD completely.

None the less, enough pre-review talk. Lets get into this 3 disc Chikara collection!

1) The Colony vs. The Osirian Portal - Revelation X
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this set is my first time seeing alot of the Chikara exclusive talent and that was the case here. I had seen the Osirian Portal one time prior to this although it wasn't enough to make a lasting impression. However, they certainly made a good impression here because this was a really good tag match! From bell to bell these two teams displayed some awesome wrestling and also mixed a few comedy spots in. On top of that, they put together a dramatic closing sequence with several close near falls. I loved it! Awesome start to the set.

Match rating - ****

2) Equinox vs. Vin Gerard - Ladder Match for the Young Lions Cup Championship - Revelation X
This is an interesting match up. It's the first ever Ladder match in Chikara history and it's got quite a bit of backstory. The commentators did a good job of filling me in on what took place. Apparently, Vin Gerard was the original Equinox and Jimmy Olsen now dawns the mask he once wore which in turn, set Gerard off. Sounds like an interesting storyline, definitely something I'm gonna look into. Just like the first match, I had minor experience seeing these talents compete as I saw Vin Gerard during his only weekend with PWG back in 2008 although I can't remember much from what he did so I came into this one with pretty much a clean slate. This was a really unique Ladder match as it wasn't just a bunch of daredevil stuff, it actually told a nice story. Vin worked over the leg of Equinox throughout the match in various aways including using the ladder on several occassions. Gerard played a great heel here as working the leg got him alot of heat, but not as much heat as he would get when he unmasked Equinox. The cockiness ended up costing him though as he clearly had the match won after DDTing Equinox on the steps (vicious spot) however he allowed the fact that Equinox was still moving to get under his skin so he came down from the ladder and recieved a death valley driver off the ring apron through a ladder for his troubles. Very nice change of pace for a Ladder Match here. Instead of throwing everything out there, they told a story and built towards one big highspots. I dig it. Great match.

Match rating - ***3/4

3) Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw vs. Cheech & Cloudy - Motive, Means, Opportunity

ROH: Japan's Finest Review

ROH Japan's Finest DVD Review

 

1) The Amazing Red vs. Ikuto Hidaka - Glory By Honor - 10/2/02
Amazing Red is someone I've always enjoyed watching compete so although I was unfamiliar with Hidaka, I expected a good match here. As the bout got going, I began liking Hidaka more than Red simply because his moves were more crisp. There were several slip ups by Red in this match which kind of threw things off and stopped these guys from building any real momentum. It seemed like every time they'd start building towards something, a minor mishap would take place. None the less, there were still some awesome exchanges here that make this one worth checking out.

Match rating - ***

2) Christopher Daniels & Dan Maff vs. The Great Muta & Arashi - Final Battle 2003
This was a pretty even match on paper. Daniels & Muta match up fairly well and Arashi & Maff are two big powerhouses so this was a recipe for a solid match from the get go. Thanks to the ever informative commentary from CM Punk here, I learned that Arashi was actually a sumo wrestler before he became a pro wrestler. Bet that was a tough transition to make. He looked good here although he didn't blow me away by any means. Actually, I think that's the best way to describe this match, it's nice however it's not quite on the level you'd expect. Daniels & Maff played their characters great here though as they continued to bend the rules which is what they were known for at the time. A chair gets involved near the end and allows The Propechy to steal the victory. Decent match.

Match rating - **3/4

3) Kenta Kobashi & Homicide vs. Samoa Joe & Low Ki - Unforgettable 2005

PWG: Fear Review

PWG: FEAR Review

This show has been out of print for quite some time however it's still available via digital download on Highspots. Once I found that out, I picked it up immediately. Although I HAVE seen the main event thanks to the Super Dragon compilation that was released recently, there are still a few matches on here that really interest me. Generico/Dick Togo in particular as well Wolves/ and Future Shock/ simply because those two teams only had a few matches in PWG and they were always good.

1) TJ Perkins & Kenny King vs. Brian Cage & Ryan Taylor
Prior to watching this event, I watched the show that preceded it, Steen Wolf, as a way of getting prepped for this one. Between the Fightin Taylor Boys match at Steen Wolf against RockNES Monsters and this one, I've come to realize how underrated the team of Cage & Taylor were. They hit a number of sick combo moves here, most notably a crazy catapult Canadian Destroyer has to be seen to be believed. As for their opponents, this was their first time teaming together to my knowledge and they did quite well. This was King's final appearance for PWG and it was certainly a good one. All the matches I've seen of his in Reseda have been solid. None the less, this was a great opening match that got the show off to a wild start as it earned the first "This is Awesome" chant of the evening.

Match rating - ***

2) Roderick Strong vs. The Amazing Red

PWG: All Star Weekend 8 Night Two Review

PWG All Star Weekend 8 Night 2 Review

I picked this up during PWG's Annual 5 for $40 Winter sale. It's one of the only shows from 2011 that I don't own and the card looks great so I couldn't pass it up. I skipped out on Night One because I already have the best match on that show (Steen/Tozawa vs. Generico/Ricochet) on Sells Out 3. So with all that being said, let's get into it.

1) Brian Cage (w/ Chuck Taylor) vs. Kenny King
This was one of Kenny King's few appearances with PWG and my first time seeing him compete in Reseda. I'm a fan of his TNA work and I'm inclined to see that I enjoyed this more than anything he's done in TNA in quite some time. That's probably not shocking though because PWG makes everything better. None the less, this was a very fun opener with both guys getting to show their stuff. Chuck Taylor's involvment on the outside was hilarious as he was there to support his brethren Brian Cage-Taylor. Yes, this was during the Fightin Taylor Boys era of Chuck & Brian's career and it was great looking back on it. Unfortunately this didn't end well for the Taylor's as King hit a vicious kick to the face of Mr GMSI that allowed him to pick up the victory and bloodied Cage's nose in the process.

Match rating - **1/2

2) Kevin Steen & Akira Tozawa vs. RockNES Monsters
After an extended stay in America and nearly a year in PWG, it was time for Tozawa to head back to Japan. With that being said, this was his final match in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla for the time being. The story of Tozawa picking up antics from Steen was great and seeing them absolutely destroy the Monsters only for them to keep fighting back was very enjoyable to watch. Steen hits a jaw dropping package piledriver on Johnny Yuma on the ring apron for the victory. Solid, enjoyable tag match.

Match rating - ***
After the match, Steen puts over Yuma & Goodtime and shakes their hands before turning his attention to Tozawa. Steen says he thinks PWG is Tozawa's home and says if Dragon Gate doesn't give him a title then they're crazy. Streamers fill the ring as the crowd chants "Please come back!" Tozawa nods his head at the audience when out of nowhere The Young Bucks hit the ring and attack him. CHRIS HERO runs down from the commentary booth and cleans house on the Bucks. Steen says if it's the last thing he does he's gonna... do things to The Young Bucks that I don't feel comfortable typing. Haha. Steen leaves the ring leaving Hero & Tozawa alone which immediately brings back memories of their epic match from the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles. Hero starts discussing that match and challenges Tozawa to ONE MORE MATCH! Hero/Tozawa 2 will take place later in the night!

3) Ricochet vs. Willie Mack

PWG: Card Subject To Change III Review

PWG Card Subject To Change III Review

Joey Ryan starts the show with a promo reminding everyone of how he made the PWG Championship a World Title in 2006 by defending it across the world. This evening, he tries to regain that title once again as he challenges Claudio Castagnoli for the belt!

1) Peter Avalon vs. Johnny Yuma
These guys might be the two smallest men in PWG, but there's no doubt that they can put on an entertaining match. They proved so here by delivering a very fun opening contest. Yuma picks up the win with the Sex Factor which viciously planted Peter's head into the mat.

Match rating - ***

2) Candice LeRae vs. Portia Perez
It was clear that this match was put together last minute because it didn't last long and it wasn't very smooth. So much so that this match might as well have been left off the card. However if a certain number of matches was advertised, I can understand having this one take place. This wasn't a good match but Excalibur going through fun facts on Portia on commentary kept me entertained.

Match rating - *3/4

3) Willie Mack vs. Roderick Strong

Best of C*4 Wrestling Volume 1 Review

Best of C*4 Wrestling Volume 1 DVD Review

After spending most of the past year catching up on the top company on the Indies, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. I've decided to embark on checking out some of the lesser known companies. The first that I decided to check out was C4 Wrestling up in Canada. I first heard about this promotion thanks to the episode of Kevin Steen Show featuring the Super Smash Bros where Steen recommended fans of PWG to check out C4 because it was basically the PWG of Canada. I was sold. As if I needed any more incentive, I checked out a free match of theirs on YouTube between Biff Busick & Mike Bailey and once I found out that Speedball was a mainstay there, I made it a point to check these guys out. Luckily, they have a 3 disc set Best of set featuring their top matches from 2008-2013 so I picked it up from Smart Mark Video and that leads us here. My review of "The Best of C*4 Wrestling Volume 1"!

1) Super Smash Bros vs. BLK Out (Ruckus & Sabian) - Fallout - 1/19/08
Aside from the aforementioned Mike Bailey, my other big draw towards buying this set was all the Super Smash Bros matches. I first discovered SSB thanks to their work in PWG and DGUSA/Evolve in 2012. They soon became one of my favorite tag teams and since they've been unable to appear in the US for quite some time, I became eager to see them compete and this DVD filled that desire so it gets bonus points just for that! None the less, this was a satisfying tag team match that was just as good, if not better than I expected. SSB were just as talented here, 7 years ago, as they are today. It was really cool seeing one of their early matches even if Uno's gear may have not been the best haha. The action here was great and they put on a quality tag team match with CZW standouts, Ruckus & Sabian. Good start to the set!

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Kenny the Bastard vs. Viking - Snowbrawl - 3/8/08
This one REALLY caught me by surprise. Considering that I had no clue who these guys were, I didn't have many expectations, but they certainly impressed me. This was a unique match from the start to say the least. One guy had black face paint and the other had an odd green mask. The gear didn't reflect their awesome talent though because they went to battle as soon as the bell rang and brawled around the arena, hitting several cool spots including some dives off the stage. They also took the fight outside INTO THE SNOW where things got really crazy. I had never seen a powerbomb into a huge hill of snow until this match and it was awesome. Viking also hit a piledriver/half sit out powerbomb (I couldn't tell which), off of a trash dumpster onto a pile of snow. This was a super fun match that saw Viking nearly kill Kenny with three manuevers dropping him right on the top of his head to get the win.

Match rating - ***

3) Larry Sweeney vs. Twiggy - Crossing The Line - 6/14/08