Wrestle Kingdom 13 Preview

From the time Hiroshi Tanahashi won the finals of the G1 Climax 2018 back in August, we have been counting down the days until Wrestle Kingdom 13. Here we are, with only one week to go until January 4th 2019, and the biggest show of the New Japan calendar is almost here.

A lot has changed in the past 12 months in the world of New Japan Pro Wrestling: Kazuchika Okada’s record-breaking 720-day reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion came to an end in June when he lost the title to Kenny Omega in an outstanding 2-out-of-3 falls match at Dominion; Chris Jericho became a 10-time Intercontinental Champion and won his first ever title in NJPW, and Bullet Club has been anything but fine.

So, with just seven days to go until we once again venture to the Tokyo Dome, let’s take a quick look at some of the marquee matches scheduled for the 28th annual January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.

Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay (NEVER Openweight Championship) 

The idea of this match was put into the minds of the fans during the Road to Destruction tour in September, when a tag match of Chaos mates Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi (The Golden Lovers) was to set the scene for the then-upcoming Heavyweight title match of Omega vs. Ishii. However, it was the other matchup that had people talking. When Will Ospreay and Kota Ibushi stood face to face in the ring, you knew that some crazily athletic showdown was about to ensue. From that moment on, people wanted to see them go one-on-one.

There was one issue though. Kota Ibushi is a heavyweight, Will Ospreay is a Junior Heavyweight. The solution, have Kota Ibushi defeat Hirooki Goto to become NEVER Openweight Champion; a belt whose very definition means it can be defended between weight classes. All that was left was for Ospreay to defeat Taichi to become number one contender, and a match is set for January to determine perhaps who is the most athletically gifted wrestler in the entire world.

Kota Ibushi celebrates becoming NEVER Openweight Champion for the first time

Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (British Heavyweight Championship)

After losing the belt to Minoru Suzuki at the NJPW Strong Style Evolved UK show in Altrincham, Manchester in July (had to mention it as most of Official Wrestling's’ A Few Good Marks were in attendance), Tomohiro Ishii managed to get his revenge and win the belt back in London in October. Now, he is challenged by a protegee of Suzuki, and the man who has held the British Heavyweight Championship for longer than anyone else, Zack Sabre Jr.

Of course, the most interesting part of this to us fans here in Britain, is that NJPW, for the second time, is having Revolution Pro Wrestlings' Heavyweight title being defended on a major show, between two of the top stars in the company. Fingers crossed this leads to more New Japan shows and talent coming to the United Kingdom to perform.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

What a year these two men have had. From Okada transitioning from the greatest wrestler on the planet into the crazed, red-haired, Scooby-Doo yelling, balloon-making maniac, it’s safe to say he’s had his ups and downs. Meanwhile, Jay White made his return from excursion at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in a match with Hiroshi Tanahashi that underwhelmed many. Some saw that as perhaps the end of Switchblades’ push, but as we always say, never doubt the man with the plan, Gedo.

From the very beginning, Jay White has been portrayed as a master manipulator, pulling strings so that opportunities would fall in place. At first, he turned down an offer to join Bullet Club, and the very next day joined Okada’s ranks in Chaos. However, he always said that he wasn’t going to take a step back and sit in Okada’s shadow as other Chaos members had. He started off strong and defeated Kenny Omega to win the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship. From then on, he never truly felt like a member of Chaos. Throughout the G1, he would turn his back on Yoh; his tag partner, and yell at Rocky Romero who was sat on commentary for much of the event. Importantly, on the very first night of G1 action, he used a chair and a low blow to defeat his “leader”, Kazuchika Okada, and then in his next match, defeated the eventual G1 winner Hiroshi Tanahashi via similar means.

Following a match between Okada and Tanahashi for the Tokyo Dome main event contract at Destruction in Kobe, Jay White came to the ring to demand a shot at Tanahashi’s contract, and rightfully so, White had beaten Tanahashi in the G1. Next, however, he attacked Okada, but fortunately, Gedo, the man who had been by Okada’s side for six years, through four Heavyweight title reigns, came to his friends' aid. That was until Gedo slammed a steel chair into the back of the Rainmaker, destroying everything they’ve built together since 2012. Gedo aligned himself with Switchblade, before Jado, Gedo’s longtime tag partner also jumped ship from Chaos and did the unthinkable. All three men aligned themselves with Bullet Club. Jay White, in less than a year, went from turning down Bullet Club, to becoming its leader. Now Okada, who has had issues with Bullet Club when it was run by Prince Devitt, AJ Styles, and Kenny Omega, now has a new thorn in his side in Switchblade. At Wrestle Kingdom 13, he needs to avenge his loss from G1 and beat the man who broke up Chaos and his alliance with Gedo.

Jay White's new manager Gedo begs for mercy from his longtime ally Kazuchika Okada

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

Chris Jericho’s not had too bad a year himself either. After semi-main eventing Wrestle Kingdom 12 with a show-stealing match with Kenny Omega, most thought he was then done with New Japan. That was until he returned on January 5th to attack and bloody up Tetsuya Naito. Jericho then appeared on the abomination that was Raw 25, made bank by flying to Saudi Arabia to enter at #50 in the Greatest Royal Rumble, before returning to Japan in June to destroy Tetsuya Naito at Dominion and gain control of the Intercontinental Championship. Plus, he organised his own wrestling cruise during this time.

Chris Jericho and Tetsuya Naito in their war over the Intercontinental Championship from Dominion

It seems, though, that Naito has never forgotten that beating given to him on January 5th at New Year's Dash. The two have traded barbs through the medium of YouTube videos directed at one another. Jericho discussing how he is the greatest of all time, and how he will once again make Naito a global superstar just like himself. Naito has been responding in his typical ‘Tranquilo’ fashion, stating that if Jericho were as big a star as he thought, that he wouldn’t need to steal Los Ingobernables’ t-shirt designs and that he would have better production for his YouTube videos. Jericho is getting worked up, Naito is staying Tranquilo, and it is all likely to explode at Wrestle Kingdom.

Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (IWGP Heavyweight Championship)

In short, this match is Tanahashi, the G1 winner, facing the Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega in the main event of the biggest show of the year. However, it is so much more than that. This is a battle of ideologies. This is new school vs. old school. Kenny Omega’s motto is ‘Change the World’. He wants to revolutionise the wrestling business. He doesn’t care about heels and babyfaces, he wants there to be a grey area. No one on earth is a solely good person, nor a solely bad person, so why should wrestlers be portrayed as such. To Omega, long gone are the days of Hulk Hogan saying his prayers and eating his vitamins, and here are the days of wrestlers opening up to the world about who they really are. He is willing to show himself off behind the scenes on shows like Being the Elite or taking on The New Day in Street Fighter tournaments. Tanahashi on the other hand, brought back New Japan from the brink of extinction, by returning to what made wrestling popular in the first place. He became the biggest babyface perhaps in the history of Japanese wrestling. People weep as he makes his way to the ring, people bring air guitars to toss to him so he can play them a victory song, people bring towels for him to wipe his sweat off his face after a match. He is the ultimate babyface. But, as Kenny Omega will point out, is this all just a farce, is this part of the show? Is the Hiroshi Tanahashi that is seen in the ring anything like the man who lives outside of it?

This is a match between two of Japan’s top stars, nay, two of the world's top stars, but it may also offer a glimpse into how New Japan sees its future. Does it go with the progressive style of Omega, or does it stick with what’s worked since 1972 and crown Tanahashi an eight-time Heavyweight champ? We’ll have to find out come January 4th.


Also on the show are Kanemaru and Desperado (c) vs. Roppongi 3K vs. Bushi and LIJ’s newest member Shingo Takagi in a three-way tag match for the Junior Heavyweight tag belts; Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs. Evil and Sanada vs. The Young Bucks in another three-way tag match for the Heavyweight tag belts; Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson for the IWGP US Heavyweight title in Cody’s first defence; and Kushida (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori in what will likely be a spectacular match for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.

From the card that has been put out, this looks to be one of the top shows of 2019 just four days into the new year. We hope you can watch it, especially if this will be your first venture into the world of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and we at A Few Good Marks will be back in the new year with brand new content and a full audio podcast review of Wrestle Kingdom 13. Have a happy new year and you’ll hear from us all again soon.


by Michael Candeland

All images from njpw1972.com

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Power Struggle- a look at WWE's most devastating finishers

by Liam Croft

Finishers aren't what they used to be. Way back when, a "finisher" was just that- it finished the match almost every time. In today's WWE, however, and indeed the wider wrestling world, finishers often seem like just another move. We need only look to some of the biggest marquee matches of the past few years to see a number of finishers that would be considered astonishing in the 80s, that today are often brushed off for a two count.

There are, however, some finishers that are simply too powerful to shrug off. These are the stalwart pillars of top superstars' movesets, the go-to  moves when it's time to stop playing around and score  the victory. Today, I'll be analysing some of these moves seen in WWE in the modern era- sorry Atomic Leg Drop, maybe another time!

The F-5

PSA: If you're Samoan, Lesnar is probably going to F5 you.

Perhaps the king of modern-day match enders, Brock Lesnar's F-5 is a devastating finishing move that needs no grand introduction. At Wrestlemania 33, Lesnar defeated Goldberg to hand the latter his first, and currently only, clean singles loss, a win that also began the "1 F-5" trend that would persist throughout the year that followed.

In 2017, Lesnar defeated Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and AJ Styles- who at the time was the recently crowned WWE champion- each with just one F-5. Heading into 2018, it was beyond a shadow of a doubt the most protected and effective finishing move in WWE- that is, until Wrestlemania 34, when Roman Reigns managed to withstand five F-5s before a sixth put him down for the count. Reigns' resilience notwithstanding, the F-5 remains at the top of the pecking order when it comes to finishing moves that are worthy of their namesake.

The Powerslam

Is there anything better than a big hoss hitting a powerslam?

The Powerslam is an interesting finishing move in that it is the wrestler who uses it that makes it seem so dominant. I am of course talking about Braun Strowman, a competitor that has steamrolled his competition over the course of the past year- and has used the Powerslam to aid him along the way.

In his Wyatt family days, the Monster Among Men used his elevated Triangle Choke to chalk up wins, but since stepping out on his own, he transitioned into using the Powerslam as his sole finisher. Why does it work so well? The answer lies in the spectacle of the move-  a 6'8, near-400-pound behemoth hoisting his opponent up on his shoulder, before charging forward and driving them onto their back for the win. It's bound to knock the wind out of your sails, and the quickness and agility Braun showcases with the move adds to its devastation. Would this move have the same impact if, say, The Miz used it? Absolutely not. Which brings us to our interesting next entry...

The Running Knee

The Knee The Beat... Fandango?

The Knee-Plus. The Knee That Beat John Cena. "THE KNEE!" if your name is Michael Cole. Whatever you want to call it, Daniel Bryan's finisher is a thing of beauty- and it's ultra powerful to boot. Unlike his "Yes! Lock," which like many submission finishers has been reversed and broken up countless times, Bryan's running knee rarely leads to anything but a three count for the Flying Goat.

The running knee goes to show that you don't need to be a hulking beast like Braun or Brock to make an impact with your finisher. As mentioned  earlier, this has been called the "Knee That Beat Cena," no easy feat for just any move. In fact, the Running Knee had never been kicked out of (unless you count Randy Orton kicking out of Batista's pin at Wrestlemania XXX)... until everybody's favourite Big Dog did just that at Fastlane 2015. Speaking of which...

The Spear

Even better in slo-mo.

Ah, the spear. A timeless classic used by all-time greats including Goldberg, Edge- and, in recent years, Roman Reigns. It's Reigns' spear that has surpassed its predecessors in terms of kayfabe power levels- a spear from The Big Dog means you're going home. It doesn't matter who you are- Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, John Cena... the list of competitors Reigns has felled with the spear feels endless, and is only likely to grow when he returns. (Get well soon champ- you'll be back in the ring spearing faithless fools out of their boots in no time!)

Reigns' spear is devastatingly powerful, but if we're analysing his finishing potential, it's only right that we look to his brothers in the Shield too.

The Curb Stomp

Admit it- you popped.

If you're anything like me, you marked out when Rollins re-debuted the Curb Stomp against Finn Balor earlier this year. Infamous for being banned by WWE's top brass- allegedly for fears children would toss the "don't try this" warning aside and stomp their friends' teeth out- it marked the return of one of WWE's most protected finishers. To date, you can count on one hand the number of people that have kicked out of what is now known as the "Blackout-" John Cena at Royal Rumble 2015, and Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 31 (but we'll forgive him on account of the fantastic RKO reversal.) 

It's close to call which Shield brother has the most devastating finisher, but really, it has to be...

Dirty Deeds

Did somebody say "protected?"

Who'd have thought that a DDT would be one of WWE's most protected finishers? The Dirty Deeds is tantamount to a nuclear bomb in kayfabe terms, with only Cena and Reigns kicking out of one (you could argue Brock Lesnar kicked out of it at WM32, but to that I say "Dean didn't hook his arms." That makes all the difference, don't you know!) 

Dirty Deeds is the best example I can give you of a finisher treated properly in the modern era. Whilst other finishers can be hit countless times without getting the job done, Dirty Deeds is teased throughout the match- Dean could hook only one arm, or have the move reversed some other way. When all is said and done, though, if he hits it- it's all over. Which will make it all the more shocking next time somebody shows the resilience to pop their shoulder up before 3. 

While we're on the subject of DDTs, it's important I mention Alexa Bliss. Her DDT has, in recent memory, only been kicked out of once by Nia Jax, who took an arguably less effective kneeling version. 

To nobody's surprise, Bliss gets the 1-2-3.

Some honourable mentions are in order for Baron Corbin's End of Days, which would be higher in my estimations if it led to real career success for him- effective as it may be, we're yet to see it net Corbin a meaningful win unlike the other entries on this list. Another move that can't be understated is Aleister Black's "Black Mass," which to date has yet to be kicked out of. Don't expect to see anybody squirm out of a pin after this move until Black moves up to the main roster, where I'm sure it will be kicked out of by Bo Dallas in no time if creative keep up their track record with NXT callups.

Trying to out-kick Aleister Black. See also: bringing a knife to a gun fight.

And of course, all of the above pales in comparison to the one move to rule them all. The move that beat Shinsuke Nakamura on multiple occasions. The move that beat AJ Styles, who succumbed to just one of these despite having kicked out of 3 AAs in the past. The move so powerful that even Randy Orton, the last man before Roman Reigns to kick out of an F5, couldn't withstand it's power... do I really need to spell it out for you?

Goodnight folks.

Liam Croft is a contributor to Official Wrestling and their regular podcast, "A Few Good Marks," as well as being OW's resident NXT maestro. You may find him insisting that he's not fuming, spreading the good word of Braun Strowman to everyone he meets or swearing blind that the B-Team are going to revolutionise tag team wrestling.

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New Japan Pro Wrestling Recap: Power Struggle (05/11/2017)

So, this is my first article for Official Wrestling and the first of hopefully many reviews of New Japan Pro Wrestling shows by me. To me, NJPW is a saving grace. I had become bored and uninterested in the WWE product and New Japan offered something different and as it turns out, something brilliant.
Power Struggle 2017 is the final major show of the year for New Japan and will likely build up storylines and rivalries to set the stage for Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th 2018, NJPW's biggest annual event.
So, without any further introductions, let's get to it.

1. The Young Bucks vs. Dragon Lee and Titan

The first match of the night saw The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) take on the team of Titan and Dragon Lee; two luchadores from Mexico’s CMLL promotion.
The match was a fast paced one, because of course it was, look at the people involved. The match had a fast-paced beginning, a fast-paced middle and then a fast-paced ending. There were springboards, superkicks and planchas galore, but it was actually a submission move that ended the match. The Young Bucks submitted Titan with a sharpshooter/crossface combination for the win. It wasn’t the crispest or cleanest of matches, but it was only the opener.

Result: The Young Bucks def. Dragon Lee and Titan (7:18)

2. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taka Michinoku, Taichi, El Desperado and Zach Sabre Jr.) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Juice Robinson, Kushida and Hirai Kawato

Suzuki-gun jumped their opponents before the bell as Kanemaru went after the mask of Liger while El Desperado went for the tiger-like mask of Tiger Mask. This was a typical New Japan 10-man tag with a lot of moving parts and quick action. The only real memorable moment was as Juice Robinson encouraged the Young Lion, Hirai Kawato to hit a somersault senton to the outside on Sabre Jr., moments before Kushida submitted Taka Michinoku with the Hoverboard Lock (because Taka always takes the loss ☹).

Result: Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Juice Robinson, Kushida and Hirai Kawato def. Suzuki-gun (5:19)

3. Cody, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi (Bullet Club) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe and Satoshi Kojima

Tenzan turned down Cody’s offer of kissing his Ring of Honor Championship ring before being cut off from his partners and worked over by the members of Bullet Club. Tenzan then made it to his corner for not so much of a hot tag to Makabe, it was more lukewarm. The teams exchanged moves before Kojima hit a lariat out of nowhere on Chase Owens to pick up the win in another short match.
Result: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe and Satoshi Kojima def. Cody, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi (8:11)

4. Super Jr. Tag Team Tournament Final: Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) vs. Rysuke Taguchi and ACH

With Ricochet’s apparent departure from New Japan, Rysuke Taguchi needed to find himself a new tag team partner and did so in the form of ACH, a man who looks like a muscular Wayne Brady. They took on Rocky Romero’s new project, current IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team champions, Roppongi 3K, in the finals of the Super Jr. Tag Team Tournament.
Sho and Yoh took turns focusing on the injured ribs of ACH before Taguchi made the save, and when Taguchi isn’t doing his comedy act, he’s actually a pretty good wrestler. The teams went back and forth in a good match which looked to be over when ACH ripped off his chest bandages and hit a beautiful 450° splash but the cover was broken up at 2. Roppongi 3K hit their finish (which is also called Roppongi 3K) on Taguchi, then hit it again on ACH to win the match and become Super Jr. Tag Team Tournament champions.

After the match, The Young Bucks came to the ring to challenge Roppongi 3K for their Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team championships which was accepted by Rocky Romero.

Result: Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) def. Rysuke Taguchi and ACH (15:51)

Sho and Yoh of Roppongi 3K celebrate their win in the finals of Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Tournament

5. Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi and Gedo (Chaos) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, Sanada, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi)

Ishii and Evil began the match, each man trying to outpower the other before Los Ingobernables de Japon (LIJ) rushed the members of the opposite team knocking them off the apron. Naito took IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada, his opponent at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4^th, up the ramp and hit two body slams leaving him there.
The match continued with Hirooki Goto taking out three members of LIJ and powering out of Sanada’s Paradise Lock, but Sanada turned the tables hitting a springboard dropkick before Okada and Naito hit the ring to preview their main event match in two months’ time. Okada was the clear fan favourite in Osaka and each man managed to counter the others signature manoeuvre. Once again, LIJ hit the ring to work on Okada but the rest of Chaos made the save. Okada hit Naito with a tombstone piledriver and then pinned Bushi following a Rainmaker whilst doing the LIJ pose.
Going into their World Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom, this gives Okada a definitive advantage over the leader of LIJ.

Result: Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi and Gedo def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, Sanada, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi) (12:07)

Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada taking on his Wrestle Kingdom challenger Tetsuya Naito

6. NEVER Openweight Championship: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Toru Yano (Bull Rope Match)

Yano came down to the ring with dyed red hair and shaved eyebrows, an apparent call back to the time before he was a comedy character and signifying he was taking this match with Suzuki very seriously. Yano took the fight straight to Suzuki before he even had the rope tied to his wrist. However, it was Suzuki who then took the upper hand, dragging Yano around the ring, throwing him into the railings and choking him with the rope. El Desperado and Kanemaru from Suzuki-gun then started to stomp out Yano, before Hirooki Goto who had been sat with the commentators dived over the guard rail to help his Chaos stablemate.
Yano attempted to remove the turnbuckle padding but Suzuki kept dragging him away. Yano managed to get some offence in before Takashi Iizuka from Suzuki-gun came down to ringside to district him. Suzuki went to use a chair but was stopped by the referee, which seems odd when he’d been using a rope for the past 15 minutes to choke out Yano. Toru Yano managed to low blow Suzuki, tie him with the rope and roll him up, but only for a fantastic near-fall. Yano’s advantage didn’t last long as Suzuki once again used the rope to choke him before hitting the Gotch Piledriver for the win to retain his championship.

Result: Minoru Suzuki def. Toru Yano to retain NEVER Openweight Championship (15:21)

7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Marty Scurll

The match started with the counter wrestling style we’ve come to expect in a Jr. Heavyweight match. Marty Scurll tried keeping Will Ospreay grounded and began working on the left arm. Eventually, they just resorted to slapping each other before Ospreay, who was wearing his rubbish Spider-Man inspired attire hit the Cheeky Nando’s Kick (the worst named move ever). They continued to counter wrestle for most of this match with Scurll hitting a DDT to the floor and a Canadian Destroyer-style DDT (which looked ridiculous), each for a two-count. Ospreay went for the Oscutter (another awful move) which was countered into a crossface chicken wing by Scurll. Ospreay rolled over for a cover but Scurll transitioned that pin into a pin of his own for the victory.
Post-match, Ospreay was berating the referee like a good babyface wrestler should, before Kushida came out to challenge the new champion Scurll. Ospreay told him to get to the back of the line before he also challenged Scurll. Finally, Hiromu Takahashi, who has tried and failed twice to even issue a challenge in the past, came to the ring to also challenge Scurll. Marty Scurll accepted all the challenges, setting up a four-way match between Scurll, Ospreay, Hiromu and Kushida, likely at Wrestle Kingdom. Frankly, all this post-match stuff was probably better and more interesting than the match itself.

Result: Marty Scurll def. Will Ospreay to win IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship (17:28)

8. IWGP US Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Beretta

This was a solid match, but what happened afterwards may have shook the wrestling world (and I’ll get to it in just a second).
The match was mostly dominated by Kenny Omega who suplexed Beretta onto the underside of a table before diving off the apron and stomping through the table to Beretta underneath. Omega then got in the ring and took off his elbow pads, which brings up the question why does he bother wearing them? He never finishes a match with them on. On an additional attire related note, Beretta wears tights with a dark stain under the crotch so it looks like he's wet himself, similar to how Braun Strowman used to. Why?
Anyway, Omega hit One Winged Angel and won the match.
He then called out anyone to be his next challenger, and no one answered him. So, he bid the crowd “Goodbye and good night” before the arena lights went out, a countdown appeared on screen and Chris Jericho appeared (via video) to challenge Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12! Dubbed Alpha vs. Omega and best in the world vs best in the world (similar to the build for Jericho vs CM Punk at WrestleMania 28), Y2J is coming back to Japan!!

Result: Kenny Omega def. Beretta to retain IWGP US Heavyweight Championship (21:35)

Chris Jericho holding up an image of US Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega, moments before tearing it in half and issuing a challenge to Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12

9. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi

As both men were introduced, Hiroshi Tanahashi; the ace of New Japan seemed to be getting the loudest crowd reactions of anyway of the night. The match started with some excellent mat wrestling back and forth before Tanahashi began working on the knee of Ibushi to set him up for the cloverleaf. He managed to put Ibushi in the submission hold but Ibushi made it to the ropes. Tanahashi continued to attack the knee of the Golden Star with multiple dragon screws. Ibushi managed to get some offence in, but a missed Kamigoye knee strike allowed the Intercontinental Champion to follow up with a Sling Blade, a dragon suplex and two High Fly Flow’s to get the win.
Hiroshi Tanahashi then gave the customary post main event speech, and just as it looked as though the show was about to end, one final vignette for Switchblade aired, before the man himself, also known as Jay White came to the ring. I don’t know who Jay White is, apparently a Young Lion returning from excursion, but he stated his intent to face Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom before laying the champion out with a swinging revere STO to bring the show to a close.

Result: Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Kota Ibushi to retain IWGP Intercontinental Championship (29:26)

The debut of Switchblade Jay White

So that was Power Struggle 2017. Pretty much all of the matches were good but nothing to write home about. The biggest events of the show took place after the matches. As was suggested, this show was used to build up towards Wrestle Kingdom at the start of next year and build it did. We now have a four way match for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship between Marty Scurll, Will Ospreay, Kushida and Hiromu Takahashi, the newly debuted Switchblade taking on Hiroshi Tanahashi, and of course the Battle of Winnipeg between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. Plus, we continued the build of Naito vs Okada for the Heavyweight Championship. Wrestle Kingdom is looking like it will be a very stacked show! Is it January 4th yet?

Images from NJPW

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Sheamus- a top tier talent?

By Liam Croft

 

Sheamus- he's not everybody's idea of a highly successful superstar. Sure, he's had a few runs on top of WWE, but many wouldn't consider him in the same league as the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, to name just a few. However, Sheamus- real name Stephen Farrelly- is one of the most accomplished members of the active roster, and continues to display his versatility week after week.

Starting his journey to become a professional wrestler in 2002 under the name Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Farrelly suffered a severe neck injury early on in his career. Not to be deterred, he returned to in-ring competition 2 years later, drawing on Irish mythology to craft his Celtic Warrior image, still present in his persona today.

After a stint on the British independent scene, wrestling matches with the likes of Drew Galloway and The Smackdown Warrior- aka Mason Ryan, a match this contributor was lucky enough to witness in person- Farrelly had caught the attention of WWE. After appearing on a RAW segment on 2006, Farrelly was invited for tryouts, eventually debuting in FCW in 2007. After successfully winning the FCW Heavyweight Championship, Farrelly would not win any further gold before being called up to WWE's main roster in 2009.

WWE weren't shy about their confidence in the Irishman either- just 166 days after his debut as Sheamus, he captured the WWE Championship from none other than John Cena in a tables match, the third-shortest time to capture a world championship in WWE history and also making him the first ever Irish-born WWE champion.  In the years that followed, Sheamus added several high profile victories to his resume, including wins over Randy Orton, Triple H, Chris Jericho and John Cena, the latter for the second time. Around the same time, Sheamus won the 2010 King of the Ring tournament, and for a brief stint carried a King gimmick as previous winners had done.

In the early 2010s, Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan for his first United States Championship. He went on to defeat Bryan yet again, this time for the World Heavyweight Championship, at Wrestlemania XXVIII after winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. After being a mainstay in the WHC picture for several years, Sheamus went on to win the US title for the second time, before undergoing surgery in late 2014 and being written off television.

Aligning himself with The Authority in 2015, Sheamus went on to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to recapture the  WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Roman Reigns- this reign was short lived however, ending at just 22 days. At this point, it looked as though Sheamus was winding down in his career as a main eventer; he became involved in feuds as part of The League of Nations, an uninspired foreign heel stable that did little to further the careers of those involved. After the League split, Sheamus suffered losses to the likes of Rusev, Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews, being denied opportunities to participate at high profile spectacles like Money in the Bank as a result.

Sheamus' career resurgence came as a result of a feud with Cesaro. The two battled in a best of seven series, and when neither man could best the other, they were made tag partners by then-General Manager of Raw, Mick Foley. Contributing to their team at Survivor Series, Sheamus and Cesaro were the last men standing, and began to truly gel as a team. In December of 2016, Sheamus and Cesaro captured the Raw Tag Team Championship, Sheamus' first in his entire wrestling career, making him just one title- the Intercontinental Championship- short of winning WWE's Grand Slam. The team continues to be one of the most entertaining attractions on the Raw roster, and they were recently involved in TLC's headline match, proving Sheamus' capability as a main event talent has not dwindled.

It is my belief that Sheamus is entirely deserving of a spot in my top 10 favourites list. With a WWE career spanning just shy of a decade, Sheamus is a four time World Champion, has won the US and Tag Team Championships twice each, and to date is one of only 2 superstars in history to win King of the Ring, the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank (the other being Edge.) His decorated career is unmatched by most of the current roster, as is his versatility in his place on the card and the ability to carry his position well regardless of where it is.

He may not have the same place in the world championship picture right now, but he'll always have a place in this contributor's top 10.

Liam Croft is a contributor to Official Wrestling and their regular podcast, "A Few Good Marks." You'll often find him playing mediocre guitar renditions of WWE themes, having heated discussions over Braun Strowman's status as a face or a heel or writing Paul Heyman into his Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

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What's going on with the Cruiserweight Division?

By Liam Croft

 

Ah, the cruiserweights. Commonly known for their gravity defying aerial prowess, cruiserweights have long been an important stitch in the tapestry of professional wrestling. When WWE announced they'd be forming a cruiserweight division of their own in their "New Era," many fans were understandably excited. This heralded a return to high flying action week after week, a throwback to the glory days of Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero and their countless contemporaries.

If you told the same fans excited about all this that, just over a year after the Cruiserweight Classic, Enzo Amore would be the centrepiece of the division, they'd probably say there was only one word to describe you. It probably wouldn't have been "correct," and yet here we are.

This is not to say that I dislike Enzo- I actually love what he's doing for the division, and I think he's developed into a fantastic heel- but it's difficult to look at the division and say, with all honesty, "this is going as planned." Let's take a look at the talent on display in the division and what they're doing well, and after this, we'll go over how I would run it personally, and challenge WWE to do it better, because I'm a... well, you get the idea.

A wealth of styles, none of them AJ

The great thing about the cruiserweight division is that it's not all flips, bells and whistles. The division also showcases a great deal of other wrestling styles, be it the technical prowess of Jack Gallagher or the more conniving tactics of Ariya Daivari. It's great to see that the division gives a platform to more than just high-flyers- Enzo being the current champion proves that anybody who makes the weight limit and proves they can hang at the top has a chance of success.

What's also great about the division is that they're not reliant on top tier talent to get ahead. Yes, there's been a few main roster exports- looking at Neville, Kalisto and of course Enzo- but WWE have yet to pull the trigger on pulling big stars who'd make the weight class out of the main event scene to bolster the ranks. Sure, throwing Finn Balor on 205 Live would probably get more eyes on the show, but it's entirely possible for the current cruiserweights to be successful without the help of main roster talent.

So, why isn't it working as well as it could be right now?

It's no secret that viewing figures for 205 Live aren't great right now- for that matter, they never really have been. If it were up to me, there's a few changes I'd like to make to change that for the better.

First and foremost, give them some direction. As it stands, the cruiserweights seem to have short term memory issues. Just a few weeks ago, every cruiserweight in the division was attacking Enzo, sacrificing their chance at a title shot. Now, Enzo has a posse of heel cruiserweights agreeing with his every word. Come on WWE, I know most fans don't watch 205 Live, but it's an insult to those that do. How can fans be expected to tune in if the events on screen don't matter week by week?

Make them matter. When the cruiserweights end up on our screens during Raw, it's often an isolated affair, regardless of where it is on the card. It's rare to see main roster talent mixing with cruiserweights, and if they do, it's usually in segments akin to Braun Strowman's decimation of Enzo Amore a few weeks ago. In any case, this makes the cruiserweights feel different- to many fans, this may translate to "inferior." The solution to this, I feel, is to show that cruiserweights are just as talented and legitimate as the talent on Raw or Smackdown Live. To do this, a greater number of cross-promotional segments involving cruiserweights would be a welcome addition, whether that be on the 2 main brands or on 205 Live itself.

You don't need to make the likes of Balor and AJ Styles permanent additions to 205 Live to get eyes on the product, but can you imagine how big of a deal 205 Live would seem if an in-ring appearance from similar top tier talent was advertised beforehand? Have Finn team with Mustafa Ali to take on Gallagher and Kendrick, for example; you'd end up with an incredible showcase of WWE's cruiserweight talent, without taking away from the cruiserweights themselves, all the while encouraging more viewers to tune into their show. Allowing Ali to get the pin doesn't hurt Finn on the main roster either, which makes it even sweeter.

If all else fails, admit the project isn't working or move it. 205 Live is, on paper, a decent concept. Giving cruiserweights their own show should have been a great way for fans to get non-stop, high-octane action on demand. It's ended up as an hour long addition to Tuesday nights that barely anybody can be bothered to watch. Placing the programming after Smackdown Live seemed like a clever way to keep people interested, but the fact is that after 2 hours of SDLive, fans are often too burned out to watch another hour (especially when that hour involves Enzo Amore, how you doin'.) It may be worth moving the show to another timeslot, so that fans know they can catch Raw on Monday, SDLive on Tuesday, NXT on Wednesday and 205 Live on a day of its own. Giving it a timeslot that feels exclusive makes it feel more legitimate- and if that doesn't work, perhaps it's time to admit it might have been a mistake to give the division its own show after all. With 3 hours of Raw, a lot of which is filled with sub-par content anyway, it's not hard to see the cruiserweights fitting in full time.

All in all, I do have a "sawft" spot for Enzo and the division as a whole. I think it can work- I hope it can work- and I feel it's about time WWE took them seriously and made moves to keep the cruiserweights relevant. Only time will tell if the division flips- or flops.

Liam Croft is a contributor to OfficialWrestling and their regular podcast, "A Few Good Marks." You'll often find him playing 2k18's career mode, getting worked into a shoot over Shinsuke Nakamura's promo skills or putting Sheamus in his all time top-10 favourite wrestlers.

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British Superstar Coming Home?

By Kieran Moran

It hasn't exactly been a secret, that in recent days WWE Superstar and former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Neville has allegedly asked for his release from the company. Well-respected long time reporter Dave Meltzer has said that the Geordie lad is "100% gone" and that Vince McMahon is said to be furious about the request (which isn't surprising at all).

Does he stay or does he go now? (Nah he's gone)

It has been raised that a reason for Neville's walkout on the "biggest wrestling company in the world" comes down to his WrestleMania 33 match with Austin Aries. The match was a pre-show match and was therefore left off the DVD of the show. Superstars make money from each sale of a WWE DVD if they have a match on the show. With the WrestleMania DVD usually being the biggest seller of the year, it is understandable why Neville would be upset about his match being left off. This is also one of the reasons that saw Austin Aries walk out of the company not long after WrestleMania earlier this year. You can listen to our review of that match and of the whole WrestleMania 33 weekend, right here!

The Men that Vince forgot. Aries and Neville on the WrestleMania 33 Kick-off show

Could a further reason be because of the lack of competition and 'segregation' (for lack of a better word) of the Cruiserweight division. Now don't get me wrong I loved Neville's run as the 'King of the Cruiserweight's' and his feud with Aries was brilliant stuff. However, it was so blindingly obvious that both Neville and Aries were both too good to be kept within the confines of a Cruiserweight division and needed to be competing against other main roster talent in the mid-card and main event scene's. During his time in TNA, Aries ended up becoming the World Heavyweight Champion and was facing guys of all shapes and sizes, and I think this got underneath the skin of both of these top performers. Rey Mysterio was proving the little guys could hang with the boy boys back in 2006. so why, over 10 years later, are we back to the WCW routine of old? But that's a question for another time I feel.

Neville is very likely to leave the WWE very soon, and assuming he'll have to go through the same 6 month no-compete clause that Aries had to go through, we could be in for an exciting time a head. Speculations have suggested that Neville will go to Ring Of Honour or even New Japan, both of which would be a great fit for "The man that gravity forgot". But call me biased, and I don't think I'm the only one who would want this either, but does anyone else want to see Neville face Travis Banks for the Progress World Title?! A return to the hottest scene in Pro wrestling (that's the UK, by the way), and a return to his homeland, is surely not too far off the cards.

Here's looking at you, UK Promoters.

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Why Stephanie McMahon is making Raw unbearable

Since The Authority rose to prominence in 2013, it's been hard to escape the influence of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. After dominating WWE television for the better part of three years, The Authority finally seemed to be vanquished by the sizeable hound himself, Roman Reigns. Many of us- myself included- assumed (perhaps naively) that this would be the last we'd see of The Authority.

How wrong we were.

When the brand split was announced last year, to say I was excited would be an understatement. Finally, an end to more of the same week in, week out. The announcement that Smackdown would have Shane McMahon at the helm and Raw would be controlled by Stephanie didn't come as a surprise, but it did make me wonder just how different Raw would be following the split. The answer? Not very much.

This leads us to the title of this entry; why is Stephanie McMahon making Raw unbearable? And how can this be resolved?

To answer this, it helps to look at the competition. Smackdown is, at its heart, a wrestling show; the talent is of paramount importance, and watching Smackdown, I never feel as though Shane and Bryan are out of line in using their power.

In contrast, Raw often feels like the Stephanie McMahon Show. I think many would agree when I say the constant 20 minutes+ segments that largely consist of Stephanie figuratively lasering off the manhood of every male superstar on the roster are getting more than a little bit stale- and that's not even factoring in the occasions when she humiliates female talent, too. Just like when The Authority reigned supreme, talent on Raw is taking a backseat to Stephanie's ego. All this results in is me resenting Stephanie every time she appears on screen.

Some may say this is fine, and that she's doing her job as a heel authority figure. The thing is, this only works if the audience wants to see her get her comeuppance.

As it stands, all it's doing is making me stop watching. 

It's no good having a heel everybody hates if the audience refuses to stick around to see how it all pans out.

So, what's the solution? For me, the answer is twofold- the pairing, and the booking. Once again, we should look to the way Smackdown runs their show. Shane and Bryan have chemistry together- it's not exactly electric, but it's better than the interactions between Stephanie and Foley by a country mile. Now that Foley will be off television, having lost his on-screen General Manager role, it'll be interesting to see who'll fill the gap. If Stephanie can be paired with somebody that can tap into her character, and above all else support her in the areas she's lacking, it'll make Raw a lot more bearable than it is now. My ideal pick would be Kurt Angle- as much as I hope he'll be in action in the ring, his charisma would be a superb check and balance to Stephanie's ego-maniacal tyrant mentality. Plus, the two have their history- I can picture plenty of tongue in cheek segments involving Triple H that could certainly make for entertaining viewing.

Kurt Angle- the ideal partner for Stephanie?

This brings us to the booking. The key difference between Stephanie today and Stephanie during The Authority's tenure is that there were always on-screen ramifications for The Authority's actions. There were reasons behind their choices to berate talent like Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns, there was always a storyline and tension brewing with every altercation. This by no means excuses the verbal essays they'd spout at the beginning, middle and end of every episode of Raw, but it at least justified the bullying on display by Stephanie and HHH.

Now, the bullying from Stephanie continues, but this time without a solid storyline. Stephanie constantly puts down superstar after superstar, seemingly regardless of their face/heel alignment, but without the backing of The Authority she just comes across as the spoilt child who got the keys to her daddy's business. You may argue that that's exactly who she is, but there's so much potential here; we've seen a glimmer of hope, with Sami Zayn getting in her face recently and being shot down by Stephanie and forced to work for his place in the company. If WWE are keen to stick with the (admittedly stale) Authority trope, at least go the distance with it and make it into a compelling storyline, without emasculating half the roster in the process.

To sum up what I now realise is a rather lengthy first contribution to the blog: I really can't stand to watch Raw with Stephanie as she is now. She needs a new on-screen partner to compliment her personality in ways Foley couldn't, and should be legitimately challenged by members of the roster more often than she is currently. Better yet, Raw should simply take a leaf out of Smackdown's book and focus more on the talent than on the authority figures.

Time will tell how Stephanie is received when her new General Manager settles in; we can only hope things change for the better.

Thanks for taking the time to read my first submission! I'll be posting a biography of sorts in the next few days explaining how I got into wrestling and so on, but really wanted to get this out before Raw's post-Mania show.

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Career Retrospective - "Superstar" Billy Graham

Image © WWE

When people talk about Superstar Billy Graham, one phrase is always uttered - 'Ahead of his time'. It's easy to see that when you look at him too - the blonde hair, the tan, the muscles, the charisma - Superstar Billy Graham had everything it took to be a star in professional wrestling the level of Hulk Hogan or 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, and he should have been. But why is it then, that whenever you look at the career of the Superstar, there is but one highlight - he beat Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Championship in 1977. And that's really all there is to it.

But please, don't get me wrong. Superstar Billy Graham is one of my ALL TIME favourite wrestlers. (I'm often seen wearing my Superstar Billy Graham T-shirt with pride) Which really, is the whole purpose of this retrospective - sure, the Superstar's career on paper hasn't got many bragging rights, but what rights he has got sure are better than anyone else's!

Billy Graham with his manager The Grand Wizard

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WWF Showdown at Shea 1980

Part 1

A brief history of Showdown at Shea

Before the 'Show of Shows' Wrestlemania that we know of today, Showdown at Shea was the WWWF's original Stadium show, featuring a super card of wrestlers in front of up to 36,000 fans. Originally held every 4 years, the 1980 edition was to be the last showdown held at the stadium. The first, held in 1972, drew over 22,000 fans to see Pedro Morales defend his WWWF Heavyweight Championship against the Living Legend, Bruno Sammartino in a battle that lasted over 1 hour, ending in a curfew draw. (God I would LOVE to see this match please WWE!)

The 1976 edition of the show was put on to promote the infamous boxer-vs-wrestler match between Muhammed Ali and Antonio Anoki, which was shown on a big screen in the stadium. Also on the card was another boxer-vs-wrestler match, where Chuck Wepner took on André the Giant, who defeated him in round 3 after a countout. Also on the card was Bruno Sammartino, who successfully defended his WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Stan Hansen.

The final show 1980 was undoubtedly the largest show the now-WWF had put on the show, with 36,000 fans in attendance to witness a staggering 13 bouts - so this is going to be a long post which'll probably be spread into 4 parts.

An interesting fact about the 1980 show also, is that the ring announcer was none other than THE Vince McMahon, who was filling in for Howard Finkel as he was doing another show for Jim Crockett Promotions (Which would later become WCW). The version I'm watching also has Michael Cole & Mick Foley doing commentary for a 2008 release to commemorate the closing of Shea Stadium.

Vince McMahon leads the proceedings

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Ricky Steamboat vs Lord Steven Regal - 1st August 1993

"The Dragon" Ricky Steamboat -vs- Lord Steven Regal w/ Sir William

WCW Main Event

1st August 1993

Author's Note:

This is more of a test post with a random match I found online to make sure that text, images, and formatting all work okay, as well as to test my ability to watch a match and take notes at the same time. Either way, I hope you enjoy this first post!

Match Stipulations: 1 Fall with a 10 minute time limit.

The match starts with both competitors in the ring as Ricky Steamboat extends a hand to Steven Regal, who responds by barely shaking the pinky and thumb of Steamboat, leaving him with a confused look on his face. Both competitors then begin to circle each other, before locking up into a collar-and-elbow hold to start the match.

The action starts very slowly and methodically with a lot of mat-based action, as Regal gets a wrist lock onto Steamboat which is soon reversed. Regal then rolls through and manages to get a hip toss onto Steamboat, bringing him down to the canvas, before stepping away and waving off his opponent. 

This slow start to the match continues, with both men trading holds until a snapmare by William Regal gets the first pinfall attempt of the contest. However this only results in a 2-count, with Steamboat bridging out of the pin and into a nip-up, leading both men to begin taunting one another with Steamboat brushing off his body, while Regal starts wagging his finger in Ricky's face. 

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