AEW & NXT: Kingston/Cody, Thatcher/Oney

AEW Dynamite 07/22/20: Cody vs. Eddie Kingston

Oh hell yes. The fact that this is a THING that happened is already wonderful, and the match certainly ruled too! A pure brawl from start to finish with Eddie getting to shine for all of it. Loved every second of him pummeling Cody down with his always nasty blows, and he also got to showcase his fantastic selling with them building to the (great btw) finish with his left knee proving to be a weak spot throughout. ***3/4

WWE NXT 07/22/20: Oney Lorcan vs. Timothy Thatcher

I would put this about on the same level as their previous NXT meeting. Thatcher's selling of the arm was top class stuff once that became the big thing in the match, which isn't a surprise considering the fact that he truly is one of the best in the world when it comes to selling like that. The match was somewhat uncompelling before that though, but thankfully it did pick up big time. ***1/4

WWE THE HORROR SHOW AT EXTREME RULES

WWE THE HORROR SHOW AT EXTREME RULES 2020

Big E & Kofi Kingston vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura

This was a very forgettable, yet also a pretty solid match. Really nothing to write home about, but some okay, physical action throughout & a helluva finish. **

Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins

This was a solid match all the way through -- nothing very memorable or spectacular, sure, but solid enough to keep me somewhat interested for the whole duration of it. The finish sure was extremely silly though, especially with Rollins puking everywhere lol. **1/2

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks

A very good match. Sure the finish & overall the last few minutes were full of shenanigans, but I thought those were nicely executed, as they didn't, in my eyes, take anything away from the awesome match Sasha & Asuka had. Sasha's terrific bumping mixed with Asuka's great offense always results in fun stuff. Certainly the MOTN from the matches I watched. ***1/4

Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre

Largely didn't care at all about this match. If I had to name some bits that made me feel _something_, I guess each one of them would be with McIntyre's always rock-solid looking brute offense. All in all, this was a Ziggler match with some weapon gimmicks attached to it, and a Ziggler match usually isn't very interesting - aaand such was the case here, 100%. *3/4

Watching STUFF! NJPW, NXT, AEW, SD

NJPW Dominion 2020: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.

This thing sounded far more interesting & better when just reading about it rather than actually watching it, BUUT with that being said, it was still good. It's lengthy, a bit too lengthy for sure, but for the most part it tells a nice narrative throughout w/ the Suzuki-gun duo being one step ahead each step of the way & it paying off big in that awesome Tanahashi destruction sequence leading into the finish. ***

WWE NXT 07/15/20: Io Shirai vs. Tegan Nox

For the most part this was largely forgettable & basic TV-stuff w/ Io dominating most of the match, as Tegan rocked the underdog role; I would say that Io's control stuff was really meh all around -- it was basically some extremely generic heel TV-stuff w/ them super weak looking restholds & all, but thankfully they do up the action eventually as they kick the thing into a 2nd gear, and that is when the whole match comes to full fruition, so to say, and the action gets genuinely pretty good. Solid match by the end of it for sure, but very much nothing to write home about overall. **1/2

AEW Fight For The Fallen 2020: Brian Cage vs. Jon Moxley

Man, this was a disappointment. I usually don't have high expectations at all for Brian Cage matches, but reading about how this went, I was genuinely pretty excited to watch it, but for some reasons, it just didn't translate well in my viewing of it. Cage's work on top was EXTREMELY boring to say the least, and while I can appreciate Moxley's continued assault on his surgically repaired arm, his work on that said bodypart wasn't the most compelling stuff, sadly. I don't want to call it a 'bad match', but I'll just say that it sounded far more compelling when reading about it, than it was when actually watching it. **

WWE SmackDown 07/17/20: AJ Styles vs. Matt Riddle

This was missing the pure energy & spark that their first encounter had. A very forgettable & meh match overall -- didn't care for much of it at all, except for a few bits here n' there, with AJ's brainbuster being THE highlight of the thing, for sure. It was almost like their first match if it was stretched out like a "big" title match, and it just doesn't & didn't work with these two against one another. *3/4

AEW FYTER FEST 2020 NIGHT 2

AEW FYTER FEST 2020 - NIGHT 2

Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs. Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen

Not bad, but just a very forgettable bout. Private Party offered nothing of note, as the action was more of your run-of-the-mill stuff. Very easy to watch though, and Hangman continues to shine with rock-solid tag performances w/ lots of great looking offense. **

Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Pentagon Jr, Rey Fenix, The Blade & The Butcher

This was just really fun from bell to bell. The addition of FTR & The Blade + The Butcher kept the usual complete spotfest formula fresh, as both of those teams brought their own charm into the thing (especially Cash & Dax). That Destroyer spot by the Lucha Bros was legitimately pretty nuts. Good match. ***1/4

Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy

I would put this on par with Orange Cassidy's PPV match vs. PAC, which means it was VERY GOOD. Jericho's lengthy heat segment works well between him delivering some nice punishment, and OC being great at taking that said punishment. That eventual big comeback ruled w/ that excellent jokey kick sequence into a REAL Superkick bit, and everything after that is also great with both guys looking strong. Great performances by both men overall. Definitely the best out of the 3 matches I watched from this show. ***1/2

NXT THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH NIGHT 2

WWE NXT: THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH - NIGHT 2

Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim

This was pretty damn awesome. Had a pretty nice feeling of a heated fight right from the get go -- it also never let up, as they kept the pace & action exciting throughout. Definitely a very, very, VERY solid usage of the street fight gimmick. Good match. ***

Adam Cole vs. Keith Lee

Interestingly enough, I thought that Adam Cole was easily the more compelling performer of the two here. He didn't overdo his cute indy shit, and his work actually seemed pretty focused through the entire match + he had some real good facial expressions & he also sure bumped his ass off for Keith's big moves. It still wasn't a good match though. I thought that Keith Lee's whole jokey nature didn't fit into the atmosphere of the match at all, and it especially stood out with Cole being way less goofy & annoying than usual. I largely didn't care for any of his comeback runs or work on offense in general after Cole's periods on control, and it's what certainly hurt the match the most for me. **1/2

Catching Up on the New Japan Cup Stuff (Hiromu)

NJPW New Japan Cup 2020 - Day 7: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

This had the always-charming dynamic of a Junior Heavyweight taking on an actual Heavyweight, and the best bits of the match were easily centered around that said dynamic. Stuff like the opening minutes with Ishii just easily bullying Hiromu around, and then later on shutting him off with his strikes & Hiromu trying his best to catch Ishii with ANYTHING -- legit pretty awesome stuff! Sadly in-between that stuff, this drifted into "more of the same", aka generic NJPW stuff of strikes galore & forgettable bombs. Overall when it comes to my enjoyment levels of the bout, like mentioned, I REALLY enjoyed some of the moments, but for the most part, it just felt extremely uninspired & generic w/ the usual by both guys. **1/4

NJPW New Japan Cup 2020 - Day 8: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada

A good match for sure, and a BIG upgrade from their previous tournament matches against Ishii & Nagata. I really enjoyed all the bits with Okada being on top; he was effortlessly smug/cocky -- meaning he didn't have to do anything flashy to convey that, because of who HE is & who his opponent here was. It added a lot to his control periods I thought. Hiromu was a pretty solid underdog, even though I do think he got a bit too much offense in for my liking, as I did lose interest a few times when he was on a big offense run a couple of times. Still a rock-solid, good match though, with a very nice beginning & a great ending. ***

SmackDown w/ Riddle vs. JoMo, Styles vs. Gulak

WWE SMACKDOWN 07/03/20

John Morrison vs. Matt Riddle

This had some stuff in it that was genuinely pretty great, much like the beginning grappling exchanges where Riddle looked awesome & JoMo brought his own unique charm into them, but sadly by the end this drifted into total generic movez for nearfalls zone. It's a shame (for my enjoyment of it, that is), because like I said, there was quite a bit to actually love here; other than that beginning that I mentioned, I also liked much of Morrison's work on the offense with him using some neat fake-outs & all to bait Riddle. Riddle himself of course also had good looking offense, but most of it just didn't register with me at all, because big moves such as the GTS/German combo were used like it was a normal suplex or something less major, just for more nearfalls & for the sake of them cool movez. Certainly not a bad match all in all though, thanks to those actually good bits, but pretty disappointing considering how promisingly it started. **1/2

AJ Styles vs. Drew Gulak

Thought that this was really disappointing. AJ dominated most of the thing, and for the most part, he just wasn't any interesting doing that. His brief attack on Gulak's leg was by far the most interesting thing he did all match long, and it was indeed pretty damn brief. The highlight of the entire thing was Gulak's big comeback towards the end with them explosive dropkicks & that vicious looking modified Michinoku Driver, but yeah, sadly this wasn't a good match. It's a shame because I truly love both guys. **1/2

NXT THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH NIGHT 1

WWE NXT: THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH - NIGHT 1

Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai vs. Mia Yim vs. Tegan Nox

Solid match. I do think that the final segment of it with Tegan vs. Dakota dragged a bit by the end, but all in all, the action was pretty good throughout. Nothing very memorable, but a nice opener with good energy. **

Oney Lorcan vs. Timothy Thatcher

Unsurprisingly awesome. The lads just did their thing & it was a good time -- I gotta say though that this was maybe even more strike heavy than I expected, but then again, it's still not surprising considering the two involved. Good match. Not as good as Thatcher's recent bouts vs. Riddle, but a very enjoyable one nonetheless, and NXT keeps on getting him right, which I'm a big fan of. ***1/4

Dexter Lumis vs. Roderick Strong

Long as hell, and also boring as hell. The highlight of the entire thing was in the early minutes with Roddy throwing himself into that apron hard a couple of times when Lumis controlled him via the strap from inside the ring -- he sure put in an EFFORT to say the least to make this somewhat entertaining, and bless him for that, but goddamn this was a complete bore. *

Io Shirai vs. Sasha Banks

This is a pretty legit dream match on paper, and it ended up being the best match of the night (including AEW as well) by a pretty fair margin. It ended up being & feeling like kind of a sprint, and that suits both of the women involved, so of course it ruled. Great swagger shown throughout with a solid feeling of danger & urgency in their work -- loved it all the way through, but a special shout-out is in order for that plexiglass spot, which was just SO awesome. ***3/4

AEW FYTER FEST - NIGHT 1

AEW FYTER FEST 2020 - NIGHT 1

Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus vs. MJF & Wardlow

A rock-solid tag match w/ a solid FIP segment, a solid hot tag, and then a very solid last third where they kicked the action up into another gear. Everyone involved came out of it looking very, very good. ***

Hikaru Shida vs. Penelope Ford

Didn't care too much for large portions of this, but there were some genuinely good bits here n' there. I thought that the beginning minutes with Shida opening the match up hot and heavy was the best stuff, and after that was done & we fully got into that Penelope Ford heat seg, things got quite a bit less interesting. Also must be said that I usually don't care about interference stuff, but that Kip Sabian one here was executed in an extremely silly fashion with him throwing that kendo stick straight up in the air. OK match at best. **

Cody vs. Jake Hager

Hager got to be on top for most of this one, and I thought he delivered a pretty solid performance doing that. Much of that is thanks to Cody's awesome overall underdog performance, as he truly sold greatly throughout & busted out some really nice comebacks. Good match. ***

Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen vs. Ortiz & Santana

A very run-of-the-mill tag match. Served its purpose as the breather between the two big title matches, and while it wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't anything to write home about either. Just solid, yet extremely forgettable work between the two teams. **

Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs. Chuck Taylor & Trent

Sadly the whole little post-match scene w/ the FTR ended up being more interesting than this match itself. It's good seeing Chuckie T & Trent in a kind of big main event spot like this, but I would be lying if I said I liked this match at all. Felt like a pretty generic workrate tag match by the end of it -- I can appreciate a few of the bombs they busted out, especially by Trent & Hangman who both had some really good looking offense, but all in all, the structure of the thing didn't grab me in any way, and I do feel like it was the kind of match that didn't translate well into this environment that is the current pro-wrestling world w/ there not being fans and all -- sure I know that AEW have their other wrestlers in the crowd, but it's not the same. Not saying I would've necessarily liked this more with a packed house of real fans, but at least it would've gave it something, ya know. *3/4