Monday 7 February 2011

A Bunch Of: Black Terry Junior Handhelds (part two)

More IWRG. There are twenty days left in February. Oh Jesus.

Solar, Ultraman y Super Astro vs Negro Navarro, Black Terry y Signo, March 21st

I watched a couple of these matches from 2009, and they were good stuff, but this one seemed a step above those. The match is predicably built around Solar and Navarro, their first section is long but, at times, breathtakingly quick, and it seems like they deliberately stepped it up to elevate their exchanges above the first two pairings. They only had one fall to work with, so they switch partners. Terry, while less spectacular had different, yet equally compelling exchanges with each of the three opponents. I get the impression he leads the way with Ultraman, bumps like crazy for Astro and works equally on the mat with Solar. It really builds up to a crescendo - and a fitting one, with Navarro and Solar left in the ring for one more dazzling series of exchanges.

Black Terry, Dr. Cerebro y H. del Signo vs Pantera, H. del Pantera y Zatura, February 11th

The Cerebro-Zatura matwork in this was really nice - both guys are fast and slick and I could have watched more. Terry vs. Pantera was the focus here, and their interactions, especially their brawling, was top notch. Pantera sold a beating and his comebacks like a trooper (who, as the simile suggests, are notoriously good at selling beatings) and I guess they were playing off the fact Terry had just lost his hair a few days before and wasn't interested in playing games. It is really an all-out performance by him. There's a moment in the third caida where Terry gives a look and physically readjusts before going back into battle again. It's those little performance details that set him apart.

Black Terry y Doctor Cerebro vs Hijo del Diablo y Gringo Loco, February 7th

What I found, watching this match soon after the January match, is that cage contains and focuses the violence of the first brawl. I remember reading that once about the Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard I Quit match from 1985. That's not to say this match has the exact same feeling as that one - no-one here is Tully Blanchard, trying to get away from his predicament - but it's pretty intense all the same. The Gringos team do what they need to do, beat up the smaller Mexicans and bump around for their comebacks, but its the selling . I loved Gringo Loco faking out on a dive and escaping the cage - very no-honour-amongst-thieves.

Black Terry, Negro Navarro and Villano IV vs Ultimo Dragon, Blue Panther and Olimpico, April 24th

Tremendous match. Blue Panther vs. Navarro is obviously the banner matchup here, and it's as good as you might imagine. I've got to say that, strictly in pure matwork terms, I thought Panther was better. I'm aware that this really like comparing sticks and stone (when the task at hand is breaking bones), but there are just moments when Panther looks so effortless as he moves around the floor or rolls into a new hold in an improbable way that no-one else can do. Terry vs. Olimpico was also a really nice matchup - it's a different sort of long matwork section which is heavier on the takedowns and tussle, and lighter on and I also liked Villano IV as a chunky, slap-you-down counterpoint to the intricate beauty of Navarro/Panther. Dragon didn't actively offend me, although there must be a hundred other guys I wish had been in there. In his defence, most of those guys would probably be professional wrestlers.

Trauma I vs Hijo del Pirata Morgan, August 4th

I had high hopes for this, because I like a Trauma and I like pirates. As it turns out, it was all very OK, but I wasn't blown away. The first fall was all trading submissions, which was nice, but it wasn't the most exciting matwork I've seen in IWRG this year. I also quite liked the stiffness of their around-ring brawling, and both guys are not afraid to give a kick to the head, nor take one in return. Maybe it was that it sort of lost steam nearer the end, but I just didn't love it.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

A Bunch Of: Black Terry Junior Handhelds (part one)

So, IWRG seems like the place to see the wrestlers who should be occupying the top spots of a list of best wrestlers in 2010. The good news is that I have already watched some IWRG. I've copied in some old reviews from boards and drafts and things into this post, then I'll put new stuff later tonight.

Los Traumas I/II vs. Suicida/Zatura, (IWRG January 14th) - from an old and unnecessarily long review in my draft folder

One thing I really like about Trauma II is his long mat sections: watching him always feels like he's improvising holds as he goes along. I'm sure if you properly broke it down, they would all be variations on a theme, but a lot of his stuff actively feels like he's coming up with new things to do every few seconds. I really liked his, well, ah, the problem with his stuff is there aren't names for these submissions, so all I'm left with is redundant sentences like, "I really liked his submission hold where he bent Suicida in a number of uncomfortable directions". What I did not expect from a Trauma II opening mat section was that he's learned that the best counter to most unlikely lucha submissions is to punch his opponent in the face. There's a couple of sections where the Suicida-Trauma II mat sections break down into brawling, which made this feel like something a bit different. From there it descends, in a really good way, into just a brutal beating. Trauma II completely no-sells when Zatura misses a dropkick from behind and immediately slaps him on the floor. Trauma I blocks a Zatura tope by kicking him in the chest, then after Suicida was pinned both Trauma smack him all around the outside area. Trauma II has some great worked punches, even with a close up handheld they look great, and he mixes them up with audibly violent wild swinging slaps. This first fall was really great. After that, I felt a little disappointed with the next two falls. Both are short, but the way the first fall was set up, it felt like this should have been worked as a mismatch, with Zatura and Suicida only getting back into it by fluke. To me, aside from the opening minute of the second fall when Trauma I gets all knee-happy with Suicida, it seemed like they almost reset after the awesome beating of the primera. Anyway, I don't want to stray into fantasy booking, but the second two falls undercut the first fall, and the end result fell flat. Still, given that two third of the match was the first fall, the overall result is still a good match.

Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro v. Gringo Loco/El Hijo Del Diablo (IWRG, January 24th)

Tremendous brawl. Terry, in particular, eats an awful beating then comes back with one of his own, but all four guys were great throughout. Super-hot way to kick off the feud.

Negro Navarro/Black Terry/Dr Cerebro vs. Solar/Zatura/Suicida (IWRG, January 28th)

This match is absolutely dominated by the first fall, nearly 20 minutes long and packed full of some of the best wrestling of the year (which I have seen). Each pairing brought something new. The Solar/Navarro sequence was packed full of a selection of familiar exchanges and new things. I liked how, as it went on, the number of counters increased, as neither man was happy to be bested. There's something pleasing about one guy rolling away from a submission, only for the other guy to catch a stray leg and keep a sequence going. Terry vs. Zatura may have been even better for long, organic series of counters. This sort of matchup plays to Terry's ability to work with younger guys and adapt to them. It's one of the areas he clearly has the edge over Navarro. Unlike the 50:50 split of control in Solar vs. Navarro, all of these exchanges felt like the veteran in control, only to be one-upped by the younger technico. Terry seems to enjoy the sport of it, visibly smiling to himself at times. Finally, Suicida and Cerebro put an exclamation point on the matwork with an exhilirating minute of rope-running and an awesome tope.

And despite their shortness, I appreciated the second and third falls. They played off the themes set up at the beginning, and it makes sense that they should not be lengthy, given the mini-epic that was the first fall. That said, the climax really felt like it had been reached at the end of the first fall.

Negro Navarro/Trauma I vs. Pirata Morgan/Hijo del Pirata Morgan (IWRG, January 31st)

Pirata Morgan is, in his old age, as out of shape looking as Navarro is in great condition, yet he still moves with a surprising grace. His matwork isn't elaborate, but he works little things. I loved the section with him controlling Trauma on the mat through working on his leg, building up to the big enziguri. It was simple stuff, but done really compellingly. The younger Pirata matches up well with Navarro, he's a step behind and doesn't have as much ingenuity on the mat but he earns his handshake at the end. In fact, this match really highlighted the younger guys, first having them match up against the parents, then having them go for each other once they older two are eliminated. This leads to a really great, dramatic, hard-fought finishing stretch. I loved the visual of the two dads watching from the sides.

Hijo del Diablo vs. Dr. Cerebro (IWRG, January 31st)

Just a really well put together match. I was struck by how relatively simple all the individual parts were, yet it comes together as a fantastic whole. It sort of has the title match structure, but with elements of a grudge match thrown in (for fun, etc.). First fall is all on the mat, both guys working pretty straight. I think the relative simplicity of this mat section, compared to the more elaborate things Navarro and Solar might do, held allow the match a sense of gradual build, especially as the out-of-ring elements of the match kicked in. The second fall has Cerebro down, only to fight back. Again, nothing here was particularly complicated. Cerebro's blood certainly added to the drama of his comeback, as did the crowd heat. The third fall is where they bring out everything - topes, dives, top rope moves, seconds getting involved and a screwy crowd-pleaser of a finish. Cerebro's selling throughout is great - he really conveyed the stoic determination of a outsized champion whilst still showing the effects of the battle.

Black Terry and Shu El Guererro v. Negro Navarro and El Signo (HH, February 14th)

Shu vs. Navarro have a fantastic long mat section, packed full of nice reversals and intricate takedowns. Loved Navarro rolling away, with Shu catching him by the leg and pulling him into the next hold. The mount position stuff was really nice as well - the camera picks up Navarro scouting out his way in. Maybe as good as most Solar vs. Navarro mat sections. Signo vs. Terry is a less impressive mat section, but a tremendous brawl, Signo absolutely unleashes on Terry at the end of the first fall, opening him up (hardway?). This builds through the second fall with loads of violent looking stuff until the final showdowns, which are completely epic, Terry and Navarro slugging it out and looking exhausted. Plus the setting, which has been noted ad infinitum.

Sangre Chicana, Black Terry and Negro Navarro vs Solar I, Rocky Santana and Olimpico (UWE, February 13th)

This was some tremendous Solar vs. Navarro, really complicated and fast and several new things (to these eyes). But it's hard not to love Sangre Chicana as the sleazy counterpoint to the elegance of Solar and Navarro. It must say something not good about me, but I think I may have loved the three or four really amazing Chicana face punches as much as ten minutes of Solar vs. Navarro. Terry is playing third fiddle here, which is a bit of a shame. His matwork section with Santana was pretty nice, but it served as more of a warm up to the main event.

So, overall, Terry, Trauma I and II, Solar, Dr Cerebro and Negro Navarro are all top 15 candidates. Need to go back over other things to sort out the rankings, and watch more IWRG. Zatura and Suicida are top 40 guys, at a guess. Shu, Pirata Morgan, Signo and Chicana will make the list based on these single performances, probably midway down. I daresay I will find space for Gringo Loco and Hijo Del Diablo by the end - they were lucky to be matched up against the best guys in the world several months, but neither are slouches when it comes to brawls and general slimy rudoism.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

2010: A Wrestling Watching Odyssey

So I've had a inconsistent year watching professional wrestling, owing mostly to me coming to the end of my doctorate. The end result of this is not exactly the amount of wrestling watching required to form splendid end of year opinions, and a nearly completed doctorate. So, I have February to do something about that. Each day of this month I will update this blog with comments about matches I've watched and workers I'd consider for the WKO100 ballot. I've got some half finished reviews to throw up as well.

So expect content, followed by panic, despair, some jokes (basically a coping mechanism), stupid post titles, and finally, when all else looks lost, a moment of clarity. Then I'll probably get drunk and write out a list full of whimsy (dead guys, celebrities, women, inanimate objects, Dragon Gate guys, in increasing order of whimsy).

A (possible) Royal Rumble liveblog

Tuesday 1st February, 2011, 9.02pm: The 24th annual Royal Rumble finished nearly 48 hours ago from the sold out something arena, Boston. But this blog is LIVE. It's going to be a night of surprises (I haven't watched WWE in about 3 months)

9.05pm: Opening with the world heavyweight championship. Edge comes out. Is he champion? Yes. I literally have no idea. (Surprise #1 if we're counting). Dolph Ziggler is the challenger, which is welcome. Edge is a babyface champion? Oh nuts.

9.08pm: There is a sign saying 'We hate sign guy', displaying a level of knowing irony not usual associated with WWE fans (I usually associate irony with the fans of Mike Modest's old promotion, Pro Wrestling Irony)

9.14pm: There's something amusing to me about talking about Edge's marriage to Vicky Guererro. Sure, they were married, she just kept her old husband's surname. This isn't actually very amusing, is it?

9.28pm: Edge has terrible offence, yet Ziggler is bumping like a maniac to make it look acceptable. That powerbomb counter was a nice nearfall, Dolph really let it look nasty in the way he twists and lands half on his shoulders.

9.39pm: Ziggler's performance and substantial booking gimmickry can, apparently, make for a decent Edge match. How is it that after all these years, Edge has absolutely no presence as a champion? The spear spot was predictable enough, but it was done very artlessly and made Edge look a guy who only has one useful tool. Also, when someone stacks the deck against someones favour like that, you kind of want to see it backfire in their face, not just have to guy work around it via a technicality.

9.46pm: Miz vs. Randy Orton. Of all the upper-midcarders they elevated to champion in one fell swoop, the Miz is the first one that works for me.

10.11pm: I really liked that. I think the thing I got into as the match went along was how much it felt a lot like a fight in how stiff and intense a lot of the action was, and how no-one really kept control for a long time. Plus, it kept pretty localised to the ring, which seemed to magnify the intensity. WWE doesn't know how to do fights anymore. A lot of matches which are actually booked as grudge matches go over the top, around the arena, use gimmicks and other things to try to divert your attention away from the banned lack of blood. It does work for me at all, and actively dimishes the violence. This was not booked as a grudge match but as a title match, yet the effect was something that they should try to replicate in the future.

10.30pm: Quick break. Stryker is talking about Cody Rhodes and his broken face. I know I can be pedantic, but this is ridiculous: "not only does Cody Rhodes has a shattered face, he also has shattered dreams, no pun intended". Tell me, Matt, what would be the point of that sentence if a pun was not intended? Otherwise you would have just said, "not only does Cody Rhodes has a shattered face, he also has some feelings of great disappointment". And then you probably would still have pointed out there was no pun intended. Only then, you would have been right.

10.35pm: The only reason I care about these things is because Matt Stryker portrays himself as an intellectual, what with his Morrissey references and his long words.

10.43pm: Laycool vs. Natalya. I can't believe it took ten years for them to work out that no-one likes Michael Cole and that there might be some interest in playing up to that. OK, this is now a fourway. Eve is the forth participant.

10.52pm: That was the very definition of clunky booking at the end, should such a thing need visual representation.

10.55pm: So what I really want to happen is for the Danielson romance angle to carry on with all these girls, then one of them is his girlfriend for a bit, then someone tells him he needs to break it off AND THEN he turns around and says, "I've got until FIVE, referee".

10.57pm: Next year, the number of times this Royal Rumble by numbers promo has been used will be one of the numbers used in the Royal Rumble by numbers promo.

11.01pm: OK, Rumble match time.

Wednesday 2nd February, 201112.20am: Mixed thoughts on the match. I loved the first half - you had the undercard guys doing some cool stuff (Bryan vs. Punk opening as a wink to the "internet" fans, Regal vs. Bryan, Morrison's crazy ringbarrier spot), before it settled down into the first important narrative of the match, being Punk and his Nexus' complete control. They built up the eliminiations, brought in Khali to disrupt the rhythm for the first time as a fake turnaround point, leading up to Cena's entry and elimination of all the Nexus. I particularly liked how after Khali gave the Nexus a fright, they lost their form and tightly organised attacks, allowing Cena the opportunity to take out all four. The stuff with Hornswaggle in the middle worked as light relief, but the real problem with the second half is that we never got showed the jeopardy. I just didn't buy most of the entrants as likely people to defeat Cena, and the ones who I did were either used poorly (like the Big Show) or arrived far to late to create any real tension (Orton). Of course, Cena didn't win, but that isn't really the point. I'm delighted that the top of the card is so unrecognisable from two years ago (no Taker, HHH, HBK), but there is still some way to go to truly establish the next generation of main eventers. I worry they'll end up going for the wrong guys (Kingston, Sheamus) rather than guys like Swagger or Ziggler.

12.25am: Oh, but that ending was just fabulous. It's the kind of wouldn't-it-be-cool-if idea that you never actually expect to see, much less subverted.

12.29am Surprise #2 was Del Rio winning.