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Early on, HARASHIMA played the crafty grappler to Higuchi’s towering behemoth. Higuchi powered HARASHIMA up for a Bear Hug, but HARASHIMA slipped out and took him to the mat. This more methodical approach from HARASHIMA would become the basis of the contest. HARASHIMA’s game plan was cold and calculated: take away Higuchi’s power and neutralize the Brain Claw Slam by honing in his arm. The big man paid a great deal of attention to the injury, keeping his bum wheel close to his body and making HARASHIMA struggle for control. HARASHIMA, for his part, was ruthless, delivering shotgun-blast-like kicks to the arm and bending it at unsightly angles. Of course, it wouldn’t be a HARASHIMA/Higuchi singles match if they didn’t chop and kick the daylights out of each other. But crucially, the strike exchange felt like two embittered rivals not wanting to give the other an inch. Higuchi battered HARASHIMA with a lariat, which made a gross-sounding thud when it hit the latter’s throat. It was a small touch, but attention to detail like Higuchi being unable to make a proper pin attempt due to his bad arm adds so much to a match like this. That led to a satisfying series of counters that built upon each other. HARASHIMA seemed to have won the bout with a nasty Somato but briefly turned his back on Higuchi, who landed a Brain Claw Slam for the win. This was virtually everything I love about professional wrestling wrapped up in a tight thirteen-minute package. The pacing was excellent, and these two accomplished more in that short amount of time than most wrestlers will in bouts that are twice as long. Higuchi’s pained selling and HARASHIMA’s targeted attack on the arm also set it apart from their usual matches. Go out of your way to seek this one out. ****1/4

Dempsey dominates the early going, with the champion not being able to string together much offense. Nakajima realizes he can’t out-grapple Dempsey, so he resorts to striking and goads him into a skirmish on the outside. Dempsey’s work is smooth yet rugged. His European uppercuts have a little more oomph behind them, and he nearly bent Nakajima in half with a Boston Crab. Regaining control, Dempsey adjusted his game plan of gradually wearing down Nakajima for a more direct approach, going after his opponent’s leg. Dempsey’s dragonscrew leg whips are gorgeous, as he almost bridges backward with Nakajima’s leg while holding onto it. Dempsey hit a rolling Cattle Mutilation at one point, a neat variation on that spot I can’t recall seeing before. He also seamlessly transitioned from that into a gorgeous Fujiwara armbar. I also dug Nakajima baiting Dempsey in by going for a move with his bad leg, only to catch him with an Enziguri. Dempsey provided a little more focus than Nakajima’s recent matches have had, but I don’t love the showtime spot where Katsuhiko poses in the corner. It just feels unnecessary. Nakajima and Dempsey throw heaters, so the late elbow exchange didn’t bother me too much. Dempsey’s brief comeback was also a standout, with his late bridging backslide and Regal Plex dazzling. Nakajima eventually retained with a Northern Lights Bomb. While there’s still work to be done, working with a younger wrestler who hasn’t had time to pick up bad habits did wonders to rein in Nakajima’s worst instincts. Only time will tell if Dempsey will continue to develop steadily, given the wasteland that is NXT, but if he does, he could be something special. As is, this was a quality match to kick off the new year.

Before the match, Rose is blindsided by Jonathan Boyd being named the special guest referee. Rose tries to pull the trunks of Youngblood for an early pinfall, but Boyd hilariously grabs his thumb. Beyond Rose’s wonderfully cartoonish bumping and stooging, there’s some great, athletic action between he and Youngblood here that wouldn’t look out of place in a match in 2024. There’s a delightful sequence where Rose repeatedly tries to Irish whip Youngblood, and Jay pulls his hair to keep him close. Rose tries to take a powder and immediately pays for it when Boyd’s fast count reaches eighteen. Youngblood steals the first fall with a quick pin attempt. Rose’s commitment to being the butt of the joke is so crucial to a match like this. From how he flops around the ring to slapping the mat in frustration while in a submission, everything Rose does riles up the crowd. He evens things up with a back breaker but eventually gets fed up with Boyd and attacks him, getting disqualified. This match is a great example of taking a tired trope (biased referee) and putting it to good use. I don’t know if the match would’ve worked as well if a character with less personality than Rose was in there, but the crowd ate it up, and so did I.

The combined age of the participants in contest is over 188. That doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but given what they accomplished, it’s remarkable. The match is what you’d expect from three legendary maestros and a future one. Virus, Solar, Hechicero, and Navarro don’t set out to reinvent the wheel here, but they craft a good, sturdy one which will get you where you need to go. The extended Virus vs. Hechicero section at the beginning is delightful, a physical chess match where each hold serves the larger purpose of breaking down their opponents until one submits. I can’t recall ever seeing someone, in this case, Virus, countering a stretch muffler by forcing his body backwards into a modified armbar. There’s a tender moment amongst all the action where Solar traps Navarro in a hold, and Hechicero stomps on the latter’s leg from the apron. Out of respect, or perhaps pity, Solar lets his old rival out of the submission. Solar and Navarro may not be as spry as they used to be, but they pull out some old tricks, including Solar deadlifting Navarro for a powerbomb and Navarro wriggling his way out of it with a sunset flip. Towards the end, we even get a glimpse of Navarro vs. Hechicero, and surprise-suprise, that too, is magnificent. Eventually, the match gets a bit long in the tooth and loses steam when they all take turns breaking up submissions. I would have preferred something tighter and more compact. Still, I’m always game for four skilled technicians riffing on the mat. This is the wrestling equivalent of a hearty, homemade bowl of chicken soup. It left me satisfied and wanting seconds.

Before the match begins, Omukai slaps Kong, and Aja gives her a wry smile, almost as if to say: “You messed up.” Boy, did she ever. Omukai’s briefly able to gain a sustained run of offense when she lands a kick to the bridge of Kong’s nose. Kong collapses as Omukai sends her into the ropes for an Irish whip, and Michiko wails on her with kicks. Even though one of the strikes whiffs, it feels like Omukai throwing caution to the wind to try to topple the behemoth in front of her. Kong regains control through a series of kicks to the leg. Between Kong chopping Omukai directly in the throat and laying in some thudding kicks of her own, Aja’s heat segment is brutal. For her part, Omukai’s hope spots and selling are equally great. One moment that sticks out to me is Omukai desperately trying to bridge upwards as Kong leans over the ropes and stands on Michiko with her full body weight. From there, Kong spends most of the match toying with Omukai. When she gets Omukai in a full mount, she grabs Omukai’s hands, mocking her as she lies helpless on the mat. Omukai is able to snag an armbar, but Kong’s overwhelming strength allows her to nail a modified powerbomb. Omukai nails a German suplex, and the crowd erupts, but it’s not enough to plummet the giant. Omukai gets one final burst of adrenaline, hitting a spinning wheel kick and almost steals the win with a leg clutch pinfall, but Kong extinguishes her flame with an Uraken and a sleeper hold. The opener of this show, Candy Okutsu vs. Yumi Fukawa, seems to have a reputation online as the first great ARSION match, and while I enjoyed it, this was more up my alley. If this is the quality of wrestling ARSION was producing on their first show, I can’t wait until I reach the peak.

I just released my 2023 Year-End Awards, which covers the top 100 matches and top 20 wrestlers of the year, as well as some other accolades. Please consider giving it a read. I’d very much appreciate it. https://spinningwheelkick.wordpress.com/2024/01/26/2023-year-end-awards/

AKINO comes in confident, overlooking the challenger. She brutalizes Momono, wailing on her with kicks before taking things to the outside. AKINO kicks the post, which is a common spot these days, but I liked that they opted for something different by using it to set up Momono’s big dive. When Momono starts to put up more of a fight than she bargained for, AKINO gets desperate and goes after her arm. Momono’s selling as the underdog is excellent. She even kept her bad arm at bay while going for a pinfall. Momono’s brief fire-up after being nailed with a forearm feels so much more believable than when most wrestlers do it. It feels like she’s fighting for her life and feeding off the crowd’s energy. AKINO calls for the finish and almost gets caught with a European Clutch for her overzealousness. Eventually, Momono’s resolve wins out, as she counters a high kick and lands the JK Bomb to secure the title. I find Momono’s high-speed matches entertaining enough, but when she zeroes in on being a plucky underdog babyface, she’s at her best. AKINO was the perfect foil for the invading challenger. She was brutal, mean, and a worthy champion. But this was Momono’s night. The audience was evenly split at the beginning, but Momono won them over by the end. If they shaved a few minutes off the finishing sequence, I’d have no problem calling this great. As is, it’s one of the early highlights of 2024, where the valiant hero overcomes the odds. ***1/2

I didn't love them opening with a strike exchange, as they're largely played out. But it's Mark Briscoe vs. Rush. You're not exactly coming into this match expecting a scientific lock up. Besides, that can be forgiven when two people hit each other as hard as Rush and Briscoe were here. Everything looked snug and impactful, with both competitors hitting blistering chops. Their chests were beet-red, and both looked like they had gone through a war by the end. It's a minor quibble, but Rush and Briscoe both popped up from some moves too quickly. But again, it's an action-packed eleven minute TV match, so it's hard to complain about. It'd be different if they were shrugging off big bombs twenty minutes into the bout. Briscoe bumped his butt off for Rush, taking an overhead suplex to the floor. Plus, the headbutt Rush cracked Briscoe with before hitting the Bull's Horns made a sickening sound, in a good way. This wasn't without its issues, but sometimes a match just whips. ***

Interpromotional hatred! Bodies flying over guard rails! Bump freak Kiyomiya taking a wild spill to the floor! This was a ton of fun. Oiwa was a reliable face in peril, and Coughlin did his usual impressive power moves, but this was all about Kiyomiya and Kidd rekindling their rivalry that started in the G1. Kidd has thankfully toned down the horrendous trash talk and focused on what he’s good at, which is nailing Kiyomiya with some satisfying thwacks. Kiyomiya was fired up and had something to prove after their previous bout went to a double count-out. Chaos ensued on the outside, and Oiwa played defense just long enough for Kiyomiya to slide into the ring at nineteen and steal the win. Short, to the point, and it leaves you wanting more. Worth twelve minutes of your time. ***

MJF's idea of selling is comical at best. He collapsed after slapping White. MJF's leg was fine enough for a Kangaroo Kick, but a debilitating injury seconds later. He attempted a Panama Sunrise and hit a top-rope diving elbow drop to the floor. Those two moves would've been annoying enough, but MJF went for leg-based offense constantly. Everything MJF does is for show, which extends to his in-ring work. For a guy who prides himself on being an old school heel, he loves movez, and poorly executed ones at that. The cutter over the top and to the floor was shoehorned in and completely antithetical to the story being told, given MJF's supposedly bum wheel. None of MJF's work feels genuine. It's all done with a wink and a nod to those "in the know." He doesn't care about committing to the narrative of a match, only providing the façade of one. Commentary also made a good point, asking why an injured MJF would repeatedly roll White into the ring after hitting a move on the floor. Sure, he's leaning towards being a face these days, but it's not like MJF hasn't used nefarious means to retain his title in the past. White's control segment was incredibly dull, a far cry from his best work. It mostly consisted of basic heel tactics like eye pokes and interference. Worse yet, White didn't target MJF's legs until the closing stretch. White came off as the stupidest wrestler in the world here. If you're trying to win a world title, why would you not exploit your opponent's weakness? The tease of Adam Cole throwing in the towel was the cherry on top of a really crappy cake. Melodrama is their forte, after all. A ref bump followed, because seemingly every world title match has to have one of those now. Cole tried to slide MJF the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF hit a low blow, and had to fend off interference from The Gunns, who were previously thrown out. MJF then clocked White with the ring to get the win. Again, if MJF resorted to underhanded tactics, why would he not take the count-out loss earlier and save himself from getting injured further? On top of being a slog, this whole thing was shoddily executed and highlighted many of my issues with MJF. I can't deny that this match worked for the crowd, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. DUD

This was like an old-school grappling match transported to the modern era. I get that sixty-one minutes mostly spent on the mat is a lot, especially when it takes place in front of less than sixty people at the Ice Ribbon dojo. But when the match is dripping with as much substance as this is, it’s hard not to be glued to the screen. The first few minutes were like a game of chess, with neither player able to gain an advantage. Arai made GENTARO earn everything, with even something as simple as a Gator Roll feeling like a struggle. I dug Arai countering GENTARO’s attempts at the hold by deadweighting. Arai busting out short headbutts to maintain control was pretty nifty as well. They weren’t the gnarliest I’ve seen, but they served their purpose. From there, GENTARO mostly stuck with what worked for him: the headscissors. I liked how he pulled Arai’s arms as far apart as possible, then pressed down his weight on Araken to try to pin him. Arai briefly targeted the arm with arm-wringers and wristlocks. That came into play later on. When something as simple as a kip-up from Arai can be considered a high spot, you know they’re doing something special. Generally, I find back-and-forth roll-up reversals to be an overused crutch. That said, it felt like a proper escalation of the action, a tool used to create drama with Araken and GENTARO reaching deep into their arsenals, grasping at straws to expend each other’s energy deep into the bout. GENTARO reversed an armbar and pressed his weight down on Arai’s arm long enough to secure the first fall. I almost leaped out of my seat when Arai nearly stole the second fall with the same pin attempt that won GENTARO the first. I don’t even want to spoil the other counters here. There’s some genuinely breathtaking, inventive stuff on display, and it feels like every submission could signal the end of the match. The early arm work came back into play during the second act. Araken was ruthless, stomping away at the arm while trapped in a headscissors, cranking on it with armbars, and bending GENTARO’s digits at unsightly angles. GENTARO eventually had to tap to an armbar and save himself for the final fall. Arai went to the top rope and missed a splash, landing hard on his knee, which felt a little out of place. GENTARO, like a shark smelling blood in the water, frantically tried to lock in a figure-four. The final few minutes were delightful, as both wrenched on each other’s legs in an attempt to force the submission. That they made a bodyslam feel like a believable near-fall and were still busting out new tricks over 50 minutes into the contest made it all the more impressive. GENTARO almost won the third fall with a reverse figure-four, but Araken merely rode out the time limit to retain. This match had it all: logical progression, virtually no downtime, and thoughtful body part work that paid off in the long run. While I wish they would’ve fully committed to the grappling and not done stuff like rope-running sequences and almost costing themselves the match by going up top, I can’t harp on those moments too much when everything else here was top-notch. A genuinely remarkable piece of business that deserves every bit of praise it’s gotten. If this sounds like your cup of tea, give it a shot.

R.I.P. Bray Wyatt. A creative mind who was never lacking ideas. A lot of people have mentioned The Shield series elsewhere, but I always thought he was a good opponent for Daniel Bryan. In particular, I think their Strap Match from the 2020 Royal Rumble gets overlooked.

I can vouch for the Akito match. One of the most insanely creative things I've seen in wrestling. I'd also add the Dick Togo match from the 1/1/2020 YMZ show to the list of recommendations.

Togo and Takemura jump-start the match by attacking our heroes at the bell. It leads to some brief but spirited brawling between Hayashi and Togo before the faces rally with a pair of suicide dives. Takemura, the competitor I’m least familiar with of the four, does enough endear himself to me here. His offense is nasty, as he grinds his boots into AmDrag’s face and claws at his eyes. CTU isolates Dragon, with Togo taking potshots behind the referee’s back. Hayashi’s look of disdain as he watches Togo and Takemura dismantle his partner is priceless. Togo hits a springboard senton and gets some incredible hangtime. It should come as no surprise Dragon’s an excellent face in peril. He sells until it’s time to make the hot tag to Hayashi. Hayashi cleans house and tags back out. AmDrag attempts a superplex on Takemura, and the latter loses his grip, causing Dragon to spill to the floor as the crowd shrieks in horror. Hayashi will Dragon on, and he rolls Takemura back into the ring for a superplex. Dragon gets overconfident, however, and misses a diving splash. The match feels like it peaks at the right time. Togo hits his signature diving senton as AmDrag has the Cattle Mutilation locked in, allowing Takemura to capitalize with an F5 for the win. Perhaps this match isn’t all it could be, given the names involved, but it’s an enjoyable junior heavyweight tag team romp.

What happens when one of the most evil wrestlers of her generation takes on arguably the best babyface in the world? Magic. Nothing Ozaki does in this match is defensible. She’s a deplorable veteran who nails Momono with the title immediately setting the tone. Trainees and ringside attendants run in fear as she carelessly throws Momono several rows deep into a pile of chairs. Ozaki stomps Momono’s hand and throws a chain at it. Ozaki knows her body can’t go like it used to, but her mind’s as sharp as a whip as she sticks with the weapon shots that have gotten her so far. Momono matches Ozaki’s brutality, delivering rapid-fire headbutts in the near double digits. She dodges a chain shot and snaps Ozaki’s arm across the ropes in a brief moment of respite. Ozaki quickly gets back to her dirty tricks, and she’s just as mean and dismissive as can be. She paint-brushes Momono, kneeing her in the head as blood pours from Mio’s head. Ozaki chokes her with a chain and hangs her over the ropes. The drama here is incredibly well-done, not only with the referee having to prevent Takumi Iroha from interfering, but with the rest of the Marvelous gang cheering on Momono from ringside. Momono is a fantastic bleeder, for her part. She really lets the plasma flow. Momono hits Ozaki with a piece of the broken chair and goes for her signature JK Bomb. The groundswell of support from her peers and the crowd is palpable, but Ozaki kicks out. Ozaki manages to nail a powerbomb, but it’s only good for a one count. Recognizing that Momono was gaining her second wind, a frustrated Ozaki returns to her trusty chain. The final pinfall is heartbreaking in all the right ways. Ozaki hits a half-and-half suplex, and referee Tommy reluctantly counts Momono down for three. As soon as the bell rings, Iroha rushes into the ring to check on Momono. The whole Marvelous crew, even the ring announcer, looked utterly defeated by the situation. Ozaki rips the certificate that comes with her title, standing over Momono’s lifeless body. She threw the belt down and stomped on it, causing Chigusa Nagayo to remove her headset and enter the ring, the trainees physically having to restrain her from going after Ozaki. She’d then challenge Ozaki to a death match on October 22: Team Marvelous of Nagayo, Momono & Tomoko Watanabe vs. Ozaki and two partners of her choosing. Bell to bell, Ozaki vs. Momono was phenomenal, but the post-match elevates this to another level.