Red's Wrestling Blog

Match from Acceleration, 02/23 1.DASH, Mika vs Rin, Mio **** Thoughts: It's been a while since I was able to praise DASH, but let me remind readers that she is one of the most fucking amazing workers in Japan (and the world) and sincerely one of my favorites. This, in general, was a bitchin' tag match that felt like a big deal thanks to a solid run-time, a strong ebb and flow, and just hard  work from all four women. Check this one out for sure.

Matches from IMPACT Sacrifice, 03/13 1.X-Division Title: TJP(c) vs Ace Austin *** 2.IMPACT, TNA World Titles: Swann(I) vs Moose(T) ***1/2 Thoughts: Time for two from Sacrifice as I finish catching up on IMPACT! Wrestling. The first match was good and saw Ace Austin win the X-Division Championship. Admittedly it also felt like it never really fully kicked out of second gear. Maybe I'm being a harsh rater and perhaps you'll enjoy it, or did enjoy it, more than I did. Last up, Swann unified the TNA and IMPACT top belts in a David vs Goliath style matchup. I think there was just enough to make it worth a recommendation, but traction will vary for sure. It was a good take on the style if nothing else and Moose was protected a bit which was smart. If you missed the show, you could consider going back to watch the unification match and, if you have the time, you could use the X match as an appetizer. 

MATCHES From IMPACT, 02/16 1.X-Division Title: TJP(c) vs Alexander ***3/4 From IMPACT, 04/15 2.TJP vs Alexander ***3/4 Thoughts: I recently reviewed the killer ironman match between Alexander and TJP. As I needed to go ahead and fill a few IMPACT gaps for the year, I decided to lump these three all here as a prelude post. The Rebellion match will be posted separately.  Both of these delivered for sure and were chapters in a truly must-see rivalry. Alexander is a fucking Kurt Angle style beast and he got TJP to step up big in every encounter. Both of these are great battles and well worth seeing.

Match From IMPACT No Surrender, 02/13 1.Triple Threat Revolver: Alexander vs Ace vs Blake vs Bey vs Daivari vs Suicide vs Miguel vs Mack ***3/4 Thoughts: I have been begging IMPACT to revamp and ignite their X-Division for years, believing that it was the key to winning back fans. They've done well in doing so but it was still missing a spark. I think in 2021 that they've really gotten closer to succeeding there than before, though. The amount of skilled talent is undeniable and the focus seems far more...focused. In fact, I really want one of these dudes, largely Bey or Alexander, to dethrone Omega later this year. This match had a decent stip that the roster leaned into nicely enough to make it work. A cluster might have been arguably better here, but there's nothing wrong with mixing things up a bit and this was exactly that. Several fun spots and sections and a pace that helped make this feel larger than it was. I see this being a mileage-may-vary one for sure, but pers

Matches from NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021, 06/13 1.NXT North American & Tag Titles, Winner Take All: Reed, MSK(c) vs Legado del Fantasmo ***1/2 2.NXT Title: Kross(c) vs Cole vs Gargano vs O'Reilly vs Dunne ***3/4 Thoughts: Time for two from IYH. The first pull was borderline great, six-man action. I appreciated that both the North American and brand Tag belts were on the line at the same time. Reed's teddy bear monster game was well done here and MSK were as fun as always. Meanwhile, the Legado trio were excellent in their own roles. It felt a bit more like a weekly television main event but was still well worth seeing. The other pull saw The White Rabbit retain the NXT Championship. There were a few minor flaws here and there and thanks to the amount of men involved it was of course a cluster, but damn this was fun. Dunne was even used as a lawn dart, thrown straight at Cole's dick. The four non-NXT champs kept their rivalries going here, taking center stage, as th

Match from NXT UK: Prelude, 04/08 1.WWE NXT UK Title: WALTER(c) vs Rampage Brown **** Thoughts: WALTER has been booked pretty damn well in NXT UK and his run as champ has been truly entertaining. While I feel the brand comes off as a soulless, heartless version of what existed on the scene before but is now dead, even before COVID came and proved me right on everything, there are still gems to be found. This was indeed a gem. Rampage Brown stepped up and he and WALTER killed it, working a match you'd usually only see in Japan. The physicality and flow were high quality and ensured one of the most important things that nearly all gems require; everyone coming off looking good. It exceeded my expectations and again I find myself applauding a WALTER defense of a belt for a brand I barely care about.

MATCHES From Raw, 03/01 1.McIntyre vs Sheamus ***1/2 From Raw, 03/08 2.No DQ: McIntyre vs Sheamus *** From NXT, 03/10 3.NXT Title: Balor(c) vs Cole ***3/4 From Raw, 03/15 4.Lashley vs Sheamus ***1/4 From Fastlane, 03/21 5.No Holds Barred: Sheamus vs McIntyre ****1/4 6.Universal Title: Reigns(c) vs Bryan ***1/2 From Raw, 03/22 7.Lashley vs Sheamus *** From NXT UK, 03/25 8.No DQ: Ilja vs Gradwell **** Thoughts: McIntyre and Sheamus was the big angle of the month here, with a majority of my pulls involving the two. The first match pull was pretty good between the two and enjoyable enough stuff to recommend it to those that missed out while the second was good but skippable. I'd add that having a no disqualification match end in a no contest is weak af. Next, Balor and Cole in a title match on NXT TV which was great stuff. Balor was so damn good as champ and every defense was worth seeing. It tied in a bit to the ongoing Kyle feud, too. Sheamus and Lashley was fun and fairly good stuff

Match from IMPACT Against All Odds, 06/12/21 1.IMPACT World Title: Omega(c) vs Moose ***1/4 Thoughts: An overbooked finish and an Omega at only 35%, but this was still a fairly enjoyable title defense from the ace of pro wrestling. Moose looked good in defeat and was sold well as a monster, requiring assistance for KO to pull ahead. In many ways though, it did remind me a tad of EVIL's title work last year and I have no doubt the injuries played a part. It won't blow you away, but you could consider checking it out if you missed it. Just don't prioritize this one and don't make a big deal of it if you never get around to it.

Matches: -Ricochet vs Sheamus, 05/17 ***1/2 -NWA TV Title: Pope(c) vs Cross, 05/18 *** -Legado del Fantasma vs Thatcher, Ciampa, 05/18 ***3/4 -WWE Intercontinental Title: Crews(c) vs Big E vs KO vs Zayn, 05/21 **** -Dunne vs Fish, 05/25 ***3/4 -WWE NXT Title: Kross(c) vs Balor, 05/25 ***3/4 -The Foundation vs VLNCE UNLTD, 05/28 ***3/4 -McIntyre vs Kofi, 05/31 ***3/4 -Dunne vs O'Reilly vs Gargano, 6/01 ***1/4 -X-Division Title, Iron Man: Alexander(c) vs TJP, 06/03 ****1/2 -Demonic Flamita vs Rey Horus, 06/04 ***1/2 -Young Bucks vs Death Triangle, 06/04 ***1/2 -TNT Title: Miro(c) vs Evil Uno, 06/05 ***1/2 -Tornado Tag: GYV vs Ciampa, Thatcher, 06/15 ***1/2 -WWE Universal Title, Hell in a Cell: Roman(c) vs Mysterio, 06/18 *** -KUSHIDA vs O'Reilly, 06/22 ***1/2 -Survival of the Fittest Finals, Elimination: Bandido vs Johnson vs Dickinson vs Flamita vs Isom vs Titus, 06/25 ***1/2 -AEW World Title: Omega(c) vs Jungle Boy, 06/26 **** Thoughts: I let this get away from me. On the previ

Welcome to a new feature of the blog titled, Black Lotus Arena. It will be a variety of Magic related content, starting here with an unboxing video that will admittedly feel more like a punishment than anything else.  Enjoy.

MATCHES From AULL 03/15 1.Los Traumas, Villano III Jr vs Terry 2000, Centella Oriental, Ultimo Gladiador *** From AULL 03/20 2.Villano III Jr, Abismo Negro Jr vs Myzteziz Jr, Centella Oriental *** From AAA Auto Luchas 03/20 3.AAA Cruiserweight Title: Laredo Kid(c) vs Arez ***3/4 From CMLL Copa Jr 03/26 4.NWA World Historic Welterweight Title, Best 2/3 Falls: Volador Jr(c) vs Bandido ****1/4 From AULL 03/27 5.AULL Welterweight Title, Best 2/3 Falls: Villano III Jr(c) vs Centella Oriental ***3/4 From IWRG 03/28 6.Fresero Jr vs Eterno ***3/4 Thoughts: The first match was a good brawl with the rudos playing their roles well. The finish saw a dq after a turn due to a miscommunication. It was fun for what it was. Up second, we had AAA's little indie allegiance once again, putting on a good tag match building off the first bout. Another janky finish. Speaking of AAA, Laredo Kid put his Cruiserweight belt on the line against Arez in a great one for our third match of the set. Laredo has al