Red's Wrestling Blog

Matches from CHIKARA Once Upon a Beginning 1.A-Kid vs Air Wolf ***1/2 2.Grand Title, Ladder: Dasher(c) vs Angelosetti ***3/4 Thoughts: I had to show CHIKARA some love. I mean, I don't watch them as much as I used to but I am still a huge fan and I love that they booked a Mania Week show. The first pull features two workers that don't get booked often enough in CHIKARA despite being perfect fits for the promotion. They worked hard, giving us a fun hybrid clash. The main event was a great ladder match, setting up Dasher as the undisputed Grand Champ. Good story work, smart action. Nothing here will blow you away, but you'll likely enjoy these two either way. Give them a shot.

After the blockbuster first issue, the action continues. While you won't find the emotional punch that Endgame provided in War of the Realms, you will find a fun, Michael Bay style thrill ride. In many ways, this event has been the antithesis of Endgame, actually. As a result, for those who are needing a break from the heaviness of the latest Avengers film, I recommend you start War of the Realms. Cue up some power metal, shut off your brain a bit, and pick up the second issue. Rating: ***1/2

With a decade of build and bricks stacked higher and higher on the foundation that all started with 2008's Iron Man, we've arrived at here. Note that Endgame feels like more than just a follow up to Infinity War, but also an proper conclusion to this entire epic. Of course, Far From Home is meant to be the final chapter in Phase Three and seeds are set for the next era in the MCU, but you might need a breather after this emotional masterpiece. If you've grown attached to this universe, I am sure you'll shed at least one tear. Endgame is not only my new favorite film in the MCU, but also a near-perfect movie in general that deserves your respect and attention. Rating: ****3/4

When DC Comics announced that they were launching their own streaming service, I was cautiously optimistic. Basically, I had the same emotions I get anytime that the Jets draft a new qb. I wanted to give them enough time to work out the kinks before signing up, but a desire to catch some classic stuff had me sign up recently and I figured I'd go ahead and take a moment to review the site here for others that are holding off or in limbo. Note that I am running the service on my Roku, but it also runs on Fire TV, Xbox One, Android, Apple products, and more. I am hopeful for a PS4 app soon, but we'll see. I had a few issues at first, but it has been running well since then. DC Universe has a seven day trial period, and two price tiers. You can choose between paying $7.99 a month, or you can get a discount by paying for a full year. That last option will run you $74.99. So, what do they offer for that price tag? Let's start with the exclusives. So far, this includes th

Netflix has pumped out a lot of hits over the years, but there are a lot of great shows that seem to have went under the radar for a lot of streamers. So, take a look at the following five shows and make sure these are in your list. -Slasher Slasher is an anthology horror series that Netflix picked up back in 2017. Two seasons in, with the third set to debut next month, Slasher provides a fun binge-watch that feels like a love letter to the genre. -Everything Sucks! This one was sadly cancelled after one season. If you liked shows like Freaks and Geeks and the Wonder Years, Everything Sucks! is certainly your cup of tea. -F is for Family The best adult animation comedy shows have a solid mix of vulgar humor and heart, and F is for Family provides both in heaps. I can't say this is the best of the genre that Netflix has to offer. That's an honor that easily goes to BoJack. I can say that it is very underrated and worth checking out at least once. The 4th season is set

Matches from WWE Week of 04/20/2019 1.Styles vs Mysterio vs Samoa Joe ***1/4 2.Finn vs Andrade **3/4 3.Gargano vs Strong ***1/2 Thoughts: Not a lot to see this week. The three way was fairly good, and I know it ended up setting up Styles and Seth which should be fun. The Smackdown match was decent, and I expect the blow off match could be good. The only thing I really recommend of the bunch is Gargano and Strong's match on NXT. That one was pretty good. All of these can be seen using Hulu. It's cheaper than the Network, and doesn't give WWE ten bucks a month.

Match from OSCW 13th Anniversary 1.Suicide vs Tracer X **1/2 Thoughts: Caleb and Tracer earned their hot dog here, working a decent little match in front of a small crowd inside a random rec center. I found this one randomly on YouTube and thought it'd be an interesting novelty match, if nothing else. Don't rush to see this one, but if you are super bored there are worse things to spend 15 minutes on.

Match from MurderMania Night One 1.No Ring: Ugly Ducklings vs Gym Nasty Boyz NR Thoughts: The Ducks and GNB are always fun together, so why not throw them together in a match with no ring... Sure, why the fuck not? Have you ever gone to a random indie band's show at some random bar? That's the setting here. The ref is wearing a beanie and sun glasses. The walls are covered in flyers. I can guarantee you that someone is doing coke in the restroom. You only see stuff like this in Japan. I wish there had been a local band playing during the match, but that's my only complaint. I mean, I'd be lying if I said this wasn't entertaining as hell. There's no way to rate something like this, but give it a click and have fun. I need a shower.

I have two kids, and I want them to have fun playing tabletop rpgs. As a result, I made this super simple game for us to play. I have more advanced rules made, too. I'll post those rules later for anyone interested. Either way, if you are seeking the easiest entry point for tabletop rpgs, this is it! What You Need -a single, six sided die (d6). -pen and paper to keep track of stuff. -at least two people. Core Rule Roll a d6. If you rolled a 4 or higher, that's a success. Anything lower is a failure. Game Manager Duties If you take the role of Game Manager (GM), you are responsible for making sure the players are having fun. You will be telling the general story, controlling any non-player characters and monsters (npcs), explaining events and happenings, and presenting challenges. You are the referee, and whatever you say goes. I'll post adventure paths for GM's later, by the way. Player Duties Your job as a player is to overcome challenges presented by th

Here is the top five issues you should put down some of your hard earned cash on. Note that these are listed by date of release. Oh, and don't forget Free Comic Book Day on the 4th! 5. War of the Realms #3 RECLAIM THE REALMS! North America freezes into New Jotunheim. Europe becomes New Svartalfheim. Asia goes up in flames as the new domain of Queen Sindr and her fire goblins. Ulik the Troll lays claim to Australia while Amora the Enchantress raises an army of the dead in South America. Africa falls to the Angels of Heven while Roxxon Oil drops its stakes in Antarctica. Midgard now belongs to Malekith and his allies! The Avengers’ last hope lies in a series of suicide missions across the realms, starting with the rescue of Thor—last seen surrounded by an army of Frost Giants in Jotunheim Out: May 1st 4. The Green Lantern #7 After sacrificing himself to save the entire universe from a cosmic WMD, Hal Jordan finds himself trapped inside his own power ring! And he discovers

I have added a donate button to the blog. You should see it to the right. I will not be monetizing this blog, but would appreciate any donations made. Every person who sends ANY donation gets a shout out on Twitter. $10 earns you something special. Thank you to all who donate.

During an NXT live event in Nebraska, referee Tom Castor suffered a broken leg. He finished the match. My respect to the Tom, and I wish him a speedy recovery! For more, click here .

Match from Wrestle-1 Wrestle Wars 1.Wrestle-1 Title: T-Hawk(c) vs Jiro **** Thoughts: T-Hawk's reign as the top dog of Japan's most underrated promotion keeps rolling on a high note, this time against Jiro. With the Ikemen leaving, the drama was hurt a tad but honestly this was still a freaking fantastic match in general. I posted the clipped version that aired with their weekly series above, but the full match is easy to find. I try not to post pirate stuff here. Check this one out!

Match from STARDOM World in Nagoya 1.Wonder of STARDOM Title: Momo(c) vs Jungle ****1/4 Thoughts: This was a fantastic battle between two of the best workers in the joshi scene, and my favorite women's match of the year so far. The passion here truly made this feel special, proving once more that STARDOM is the queen of women's wrestling. I'd love seeing Momo get a chance stateside in AEW, but continue to always look forward to seeing her STARDOM dates. At 19, she has already proven her worth and established herself as a top name in the sport. Check this one out!

Match from Lucha Libre Estrella Fiesta 1.Elimination: Shikid,Tam vs Queen's Quest vs JAN vs Oedo Tai ***1/4 Thoughts: This was pretty fun, for what it was. Honestly, it works best as an entertaining throwaway cluster showcase. Don't expect anything mindblowing, and you'll walk away happy.

Match from Ice Ribbon March 2019 1.ICExInfinity Title: Maya(c) vs Tsukushi **** Thoughts: I loved this one! Maya and Tsukushi delivered a fantastic, stiff title match with a nice run time full of nice spots and a decent dose of drama. I consider this to be one of the best women's matches of the year so far, and something you should certainly make time for.

Match from PROGRESS Ch. 87 1.PROGRESS Tag Titles, TLC: Swords of Essex(c) vs Aussie Open ****1/2 Thoughts: Holy fuck, this was a demolition derby! Paul pulling a Pagano was one of the few setbacks, but this was a serious match of the year contender and one hell of a thrill ride. Hell, it was one of the best ladder style matches ever in my opinion. I don't even want to spoil anything, so just go watch this if you missed out and thank me later.

SHAZAM continues the new trend of DC films by giving us a super hero flick full of lighthearted moments, and it uses the source material perfectly. Yes, while I did enjoy the original concepts of the DCEU, this one was just pure entertainment and a pretty good film in general. I was originally worried when I saw reports that DC was going to be dropping the depth in favor of blockbuster releases, and I still wish they'd do more to connect the films than the loose ties they've been opting for lately, but I have a hard time saying anything truly bad about SHAZAM. If you're seeking an entertaining action film to kill 2 hours, SHAZAM has more than enough going for it to fill that need. Rating: ***1/2

March was full of great content, but these were the best of the best. Remember to check out all of my recommendations ! Oh, and matches with the same rating are listed in order of date. 10.A-Kid vs Sabre ****1/4 9.A-Kid vs Ospreay ****1/4 8.WALTER vs Devlin ****1/4 7.Velveteen Dream vs Ricochet vs Riddle vs Cole vs Black ****1/4 6.WALTER vs Lucky Kid ****1/4 5.Kaito vs Marufuji ****1/4 4.Momo vs Jungle ****1/4 3.Swords of Essex vs Aussie Open ****1/2 2.Kento vs Nomura ****1/2 1.Kota vs Naito ****1/2

If you're on this blog, you're likely a pretty diehard wrestling fan. Perhaps you're also a gamer? The two tend to go hand in hand, don't they? So, outside of WWE related games (including WCW and ECW since they are now properties of Vince's empire), let's take a look at the five very best releases. With luck, you'll find a new favorite. Note that I am only including titles released in North America here, but will post about foreign titles later. I'll also post about the best WWE games later, too. -Fire Pro Wrestling World The newest release that will be covered here, Fire Pro Wrestling World is available on both PC and PS4. The biggest thing this title has going for it is a license agreement with New Japan. The game play is strategic, relying on timing and focus to overcome your enemies, and the level of customization seen here is unparalleled by any of the contemporary releases. I strong recommend checking this one out! -Def Jam: Fight for NY The

Matches from Impact Wrestling United We Stand 1.Ultimate X ***1/4 2.Lucha Underground vs Impact **1/4 3.X-Division Title: Swann(c) vs Flamita **3/4 4.Monster's Ball: Callihan vs Havoc *** 5.Impact Tag Titles: Lucha Bros(c) vs RVD, Sabu ** Thoughts: The Ultimate X match was a fairly good addition to the lineage of the gimmick. Johnny gaining a shot at the X-Division strap seems like a bad call when so many of the other talents involved could have used this push. The brand warfare match had some decent moments, but was far too sloppy in the midsection to be anything special. It sucks, too, since this might be the last thing to carry that Lucha Underground brand name on it. Skip that one, sadly. The X-Division match lacked the proper level of urgency in relation to the amount of time they were given. I  did enjoy seeing Flamita get the chance, with the whole Dragon Gate issue, here. That's something, at least. If they sign him, I do fear that will officially kill Mexa

Match from MLW Fusion #54 1.Lucha Bros vs Rey Horus, Air Wolf ***1/4 Thoughts: This looked like a fun, little tag match. That they book stuff like this is part of why MLW is still worth watching. I also love that Air Wolf is slowly gaining traction. Dude has potential, even if I do wish this spot was going to someone like Aramis or Imposible instead. Honestly, this was just a fun little spot heavy tag match like I expected. It won't blow anyone away, but if you just want something short and sweet you can consider checking it out.

Matches: 1.FIP Title: Henry(c) vs Absolute Andy ***1/4 2.Elimination: Silver vs Blackheart vs Greene, vs Satin vs Corino vs Harlem vs Brown *** 3.Princess of Princess/SHINE Titles: Kay(s) vs Miyu(p) *** 4.Allin, Priscilla vs Theory, Brandi **1/4 5.Team wXw vs The Unwanted ** 6.WWN Title: Drake(c) vs Higuchi ***3/4 7.DAMNATION vs Skulk ***1/2 Thoughts: I'm nearly done with all of the Mania Week stuff. We start this year's edition of Mercury Rising with a fairly good title defense, kicking off the show on a good note. I admittedly would have loved seeing Andy walk out as the champ, but having Anthony Henry get the guy who just lost the top belt of wXw to tap was a fun sight. The cluster was a good one, keeping a nice pace throughout. I think Shotzi, who had one of her best performances ever, or the CZW Champ, Silver, should have won, though. Greene winning was a decent call, I suppose. The fan response to his contract segment after was funny. The DDT versus SHINE

Match from OTT Scrappermania V 1.Devlin vs WALTER ****1/4 Thoughts: This was an emotional, cinematic affair as OTT continues to pump out fantastic matches in their quest to become the kings of the European scene. The crowd played their part well, making Devlin come off liking like a super hero and WALTER come off as the biggest dick in the game. This was far from just a wrestling match. No, it was one of those epics that come off as an art project. If you are seeking something that is a heavy mix of wrestling and storytelling, here you go. Watch this one as soon as you can!

Matches from G21 04/16/2019 1.Los Indystrongtibles vs Metaleon, Kastigador, Murcielago Plateado Jr ***1/2 2.Bandido vs Vengador vs Homicida *** 3.Hijo Park, Park Jr vs Galeno del Mal, Hijo del Wagner Jr ***1/4 4.Park vs Wagner Jr vs Blue Demon Jr **3/4 Thoughts: Skip to about an 80 minutes in to catch these. The trios match was a fun, creative outing like I expected it'd be. Am exciting spotfest and a really good match in general. I'd love a rematch asap. Borderline great. The three-way started as a singles match. The change got noticeable heat. Homicida being included was an unneeded move, but this was still a good match. A true one on one would be heavily preferred next time, though. Bandido went from being a standout to being a true star, and it's been nice seeing it happen. The Park kids and the Wagner family are at it again next. A few months ago they had a decent match. It showed a lot of potential, leaving me thinking we'd see a huge match between

Matches from DDT Coming to America 1.HARASHIMA,Higuchi vs Akito,Page vs RENEGADES ***1/4 2.Weapon Rumble: Takagi vs MAO ***1/2 3.Princess of Princess Title: Miyu(c) vs Maki ***1/4 4.KO-D Openweight Title: Takeshita(c) vs Sasaki ***3/4 5.KO-D Openweight Title: Sasaki(c) vs Endo **1/4 Thoughts: DDT hopefully won over some new fans here. I also thank them for getting Page and Kincaid on Mania Week shows. The first pull here was a fun sprint. If you want a sub-10 minute speedster, this one could do nicely. It needed a bit more for me to call it truly recommendable, but it was good for what it was. The weapon rumble was a hard one to rate. I went ahead and put it as ***1/2 because it was something you really should check out and the spots were mostly well done. You won't likely see anything else like this on the American indie scene. The joshi match of the night was a fairly good encounter. A bit stiff, as most joshi is, but not overdone. Like the opener, it needed a bit

Matches from wXw Amerika Ist Wunderbar 1.Starr vs Lucky Kid ***1/2 2.wXw Tag Titles: Aussie Open(c) vs Work Horsemen ***1/2 3.wXw World Title: Gunns(c) vs Irie ***1/2 Thoughts: Starr and this year's 16 Carat Gold winner, Lucky Kid, put in for a hard-worked contest to kick off this set of pulls. Starr has been great this year, and I love the spirit and intensity he's showing lately. To be fair, he has been a standout for a long time now, but he seems closer to fully breaking out now that perhaps ever. Lucky Kid is also being set up for something big, and might very well be the face of wXw by the end of the year if they keep this momentum going. Time will tell. The tag match was borderline great, and simply a fun contest in general. While I had no expectations of seeing Drake and Henry walk out with the belts, it didn't really take anything away from this. I will say that I see Aussie Open in NXT sooner than later. While I rated all of these the same score, this was

Matches from EVOLVE 125 1.EVOLVE Tag Titles: Unwanted(c) vs Takeshita,MAO *** 2.EVOLVE Title: Theory(c) vs O'Reilly *** Thoughts: Sadly, these two were largely underwhelming, with neither coming close to match the potential they had. The tag match was good, but largely forgettable. The main event almost felt phoned in at times and the ending was flat. It had some good stretches, and was actually good overall, but it's hard not feeling disappointed by how these turned out. Only catch these if you're a diehard fan of the participants. Nothing to see here, move along.

Matches: 1.MLW Middleweight Title: Hart(c) vs Ace **1/2 2.Reed vs Tanaka **1/4 3.MLW Heavyweight Title, Street Fight: Lawlor(c) vs Havoc *** 4.Battle Riot **3/4 Thoughts: Sadly, I decided to take a break from MLW. Not a full one, but I won't be watching each weekly episode for a while. Instead, I'll just watch select matches like I do most things. The quality had just been so inconsistent, and I have too much going on. That said, special episodes like these will still get my full attention most of the time. Perhaps they shouldn't? The opener was ok, but a bit too loose and there wasn't really enough to grab on to. The follow up had the same issue, which sucked because Minoru Tanaka deserved better. At least he had some fun moments later. The best match of the first hour was actually the street fight, but even that wasn't really good enough to fully recommend. The second hour was made up of this year's battle riot. I'll say straight up that I

Below is the official card, as of now, for the AEW debut event. -Over the Budget Battle Royal -Baker vs Rose vs Kylie -SCU vs Strong Hearts/Team OWE -Cody vs Dustin -Hangman Page vs PAC -AAA Tag Titles: Young Bucks(c) vs Lucha Bros -Omega vs Jericho First, I figured I'd mention my predictions for the outcomes of these. The battle royal is a huge wildcard, and I am expecting a surprise participant to win. A few of the unannounced entrees into the match that I am expected include Ken Shamrock, Sadie Gibbs, Raven, Foley, Darby Allin, Joey Ryan, and Lita. Those are the bigger names that I am expecting and yes, I am expecting it to include women. The women's three-way has potential, and I am picking Baker to go over here. I also expect to hear an announcement of a women's championship at some point during the show. I see SCU going over in a strong match versus Cima and his students. I am not sure who will be coming along, but would really like to see El Lindaman an

Matches: 1.ROH TV/NEVER OW Titles: Ospreay(never) vs Cobb(tv) ***3/4 2.Rush vs Castle NR 3.WOH Title: Mayu(c) vs Klein *3/4 4.NY Street Fight: Bully, Taylor, Silas vs Lifeblood, Flip ** 5.IWGP Jr Title: Ishimori(c) vs Dragon Lee vs Bandido ***3/4 6.ROH Tag/IWGP Tag Titles: GOD(iwgp) vs VE(roh) vs Briscoes vs LIJ ***1/4 7.British Heavyweight Title: Sabre(c) vs Tanahashi ***1/2 8.IWGP IC Title: Naito(c) vs Kota ****1/4 9.ROH World Title,Ladder: Lethal(c) vs Taven vs Scurll ***1/2 10.IWGP Heavyweight Title: White(c) vs Okada **** Thoughts: Man, this was like watching two shows at once. One was an enjoyable New Japan show in the Garden. The other was a largely underwhelming Ring of Honor event on a big stage. The opener was great, with Cobb and Ospreay setting the tone nicely for the entire show. I was actually surprised to see Cobb take the win here, but he is a perfect fit for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Ospreay's short experiment in the division as he contin

CM Punk returned to the ring last night at a MKE show in Wisconsin, under a mask, hitting a GTS during a quick run-in. This isn't the first time he's done this, apparently, either. I can confirm that I've been hearing for a while now that he's been working towards getting ring-ready again, and is set for a big debut at a non-WWE promotion soon.  That's all I can say for now, but expect a run in after an upcoming show to set up a big match in Chicago. And look for the codes and teases I post on Twitter...just saying...