So, I have a few new YouTube playlist style shows that I have started putting up online via The RW+B Channel which include AEW Spark, We DREAM of STARDOM!!, oh so DDramaTic, CMLL Lightning, and IMPACT! nonstop action. I will be essentially plugging those here today in this special edition of the digest. Hopefully someone can find value in the programs but, I suppose at the very least, they're helpful to me in trying to keep UTD with content I enjoy.
- TNT Title, Falls Count Anywhere: Wardlow(c) vs Hobbs **1/4
- Blackpool Combat Club vs Dark Order NR
- All-Atlantic Title: Orange(c) vs Lethal ***
- Jericho Appreciation Society vs Top Flight, AR Fox NR
- Riho vs Rose ***
- Guevara vs Action ***1/4
- The Acclaimed vs Starboy, Cartwheel NR
- Takeshita vs Vance ***1/4
FTR joined Sensational Tony S. for an in-ring interview segment to start things off. They talked about a lot of shit, including Punk's drama, and why they're back. Admittedly I don't care at all for the current champs being the current champs of the tag division so if this means FTR dethrones them I'm cool with it. I doubt even they can get something truly great out of Gunn's kids but who knows. If they do return to WWE, this will just be a way to get the ass kids a big W but hopefully that's not in the works.
BCC went full heel, with Cesaro and Mox besting Dark Order's Beaver Boys following a good match and then continuing to beat down on the unit after, with Yuta joining in. Hangman would run out for the save.
Ruby cut a heel promo in an in-ring segment with Renee present. I actually am hopeful for this nWo program and this was pretty enjoyable. The Outcasts works for me.
Orange defended the All-Atlantic strap one last time before the stupid name was dropped. It was against Jay Lethal and was a fairly decent contest though admittedly not on par with some of the dude's recent defenses. Still, serviceable TV content for sure and I'm happy about the switch. I don't care at all for Triple-J being set up for another big program but I'm aware my wants aren't relevant.
Go away heat isn't good heat, Tony K.
I am under the impression that Jericho wants to work with Takeshita soon.
This week, he, Sammy, and Garcia beat Top Flight and AR Fox with some help from Hager. It's apparently been a whole year of Tony infusing more sports entertainment aspects into their TV content. They want the Trios titles, called out the champs, but The Elite came out instead and talked some shit (mainly Don). House of Black appeared on screen then popped up on the ramp between the two sides to set up a massive three-way for the following week. That'll rock.
Lights off, lights on. The goth crew vanished.
Ricky Starks plugged himself. Juice appeared and attacked. Commentary botches galore. Interesting program choice.
Riho and Rose renewed their rivalry. I got to see one of their matches live and really enjoyed getting to do so. My kids actually have figures of both and have them face off often. The spunky joshi star would get a flashpin following a good one and would then get beat down for her troubles. The Outcasts made their way down to pile on. It'll be interesting seeing Riho in the Blood & Guts match that we're heading for.
Sammy and Action kept that thing inching along a bit in the next one. Good, physical, the second best match AEW ran here, yet completely unneeded and on par with the average week of TV that I sadly picked for the debut of Spark.
Cartwheel was on TV. Teamed with Starboy. Won a match that should have just aired on Elevation. 2point0 offered The Acclaimed a spot in JAS but were rejected candidly. Meh.
Mark Briscoe announced a ladder match for Supercard that will see new Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champs crowned. Penta and Fenix will be included.
Takeshita and Vance close us out. Soup continues to be excellent, just like he's been for years, and pulled out a rather good one from Preston here. I'd call it the best match of the episode and of the week for AEW by a hair and I am really hopeful that they actually do something with K.T. soon instead of continuing to just tease shit and pad his W column.
- Gresham vs KUSHIDA ***1/2
- Knockouts Title: James(c) vs Shaw ***
The latest nonstop action, a quick way to watch the underrated brand in about 40-minutes this time, starts with Jon and KUSHIDA in singles action. The latter faces Alexander on the 30th at Multiverse, the crossover show with New Japan. Also, Sacrifice is on my birthday. That's kind of fun. That's one fucking ripped octopus, by the way. The two worked a nicely paced, tech-focused battle that made both look great, which they are, plus served as a nice W ahead of that before-mentioned Alexander match that the Time Splitter has on his calendar.
Can we get Jon and Grace as tag champs and K more matches on AXS too, please!
PCO and Edwards tried to kill each other in the desert. The monster would get ran down with a car, then Eddie got in and it drove off to end the cinematic trainwreck. Why the fuck did I enjoy that as much as I did?!
Purrazzo joined in on commentary for the main event which saw Shaw challenge and fail to take the Knockout's strap from Mickie. The champ worked from underneath, providing Shaw a lot of offense along the way, setting up a nice comeback win finish. Good, though admittedly forgettable and a bit slow. It felt a lot like something you'd see on a modern NWA ppv.
These two matches, and the one insane desert fight thing, did rather well to make for a good installment. When you trim a little fat, cutting the show in half, you get a pretty strong hour or so of content each week. I think nonstop action, yes I did mean to stylize it that way, is the best way to watch the former TNA and hope you'll consider doing exactly that.
- Captain's Fall: Cosmic Angels, Saki vs Club Venus, Waka ***
- Hardcore: Prominence vs Donna del Mondo **1/2
- Elimination: STARS vs Queen's Quest vs Oedo Tai ***1/2
This one is features content from Showcase Vol. 4 and is heavy on story pushers. Note that I consider We are STARDOM!! to be the best weekly series and I urge fans to watch that program. I also am hopeful that this playlist run will help get some eyes on the product.
Up first, Captain's Fall stuff continuing the Waka program. A decent contest but the post stuff was the real show here. After Tam defeated Waka, emotional words were shared. I recommend watching with a translator app if you can, assuming you don't speak Japanese.
DdM and Prominence worked a hardcore trios match next as Himeka's retirement tour marches on. Giulia certainly saved this one as her feud with the Prom girls made for good shit but the overall thing and no contest finish sucked.
The elimination clusterfuck main event had a lot of energy and was rather fun. Certainly the best thing of the event, though admittedly I do tend to love these gimmick matches and think they serve STARDOM's roster well and, as a result, us fans, too. The closing stretch in particular worked well and the post stuff was an entertaining bonus. Oh, did I mention the winning side got some Kobe beef?
Pure joy.
The matches we're not at all must-see but overall I enjoyed this bit of content. You could consider this a more UTD with more content version of We are STARDOM!! I suppose. Worth a try? I'd say so!
CHEAP PLUGS FOR ALL!!!
- Lightning: Lluvia vs Vaquer ***
- Angel de Oro, Dragon Rojo Jr, Romero vs Templario, Volador Jr, Oraculo ***1/4
- Lightning: Mistico vs Atlantis Jr. ***1/4
The way the women's division in CMLL has sparked since Dalys left says a whole fucking lot, does it not? We start the debut of CMLL Lightning with a relampago, or a lightning match, which is a one fall match with a ten-minute time limit. The company runs these often as either story builders with draws or occasionally as fun throwaway crowd-pleasures and they are usually pretty fun. This was indeed decently fun.
The big trios match of the event was technically relevos increibles but only if you actually think of Vol as a tecnico right now and that's basically only true for lucha fans that hate on Rocky and I don't care a lot about the opinions of such fans. The program with Romero and Volador, for the record, remains the best thing going right now in the oldest active promotion in the world and I'm all in on it. The finish actually teased the former champ beating the invading New Japan star before Angel went Ingobernables on him. Drama in post. Good TV.
Mistico beat Atlantis' kid at the last moment to close us out. A very enjoyable contest that did well to further elevate the younger talent while allowing the crowd to see their big star getting a win. Getting his name back has really done well to get that fire back.
Three quality matches. This was just a random Friday show but it landed well.
- Iron Man Heavy Metal Title Battle Royale ***1/2C
- Burning vs Burning NR
- Hino, Sakaguchi vs Masada, Naya NR
Coverage of the opener started with Akai joining in and lots of sexual tension around her because this is DDT goddamn it! Yoshihiko was, obviously, the star here. If you want a dose of d2t comedy, here ya go! Akito wants to work the LA run.
Next, Old Asshole Jun and Yusuke Okada took on Endo and Kotaro in tag team action with NOAH and All Japan representing a bit in a DDT ring because puro is magic. Not enough here for me to really rate nor really comment on other than the significance of that three-brand thing being cool. Some are likely to get far more out of it but already surely saw it either way. Still, fun filler.
Daisuke is back. Was drunk. Good shit.
Hino killed Masada here with a Fucking Bomb. Not enough to rate but enjoyable stuff with the KO-D Openweight Champ looking especially good.
Honestly, this worked well as a digest show in my opinion. Comedy stuff, a quick tag match with some story behind it that some might be interested in (an inoffensive addition if nothing else), and a main event with some match building and a nice showcase of the top champ. I mean, it's a 15-minute quick watch to keep up on one of the most entertaining promotions in the world.
Thanks for reading. I am hopeful this one serves some one well. Be kind to yourself and others.
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