09/25 DGUSA PPV Taping (Chicago)

Not so much lucha. Oh well. No pictures, as usual.

The PPV is probably worth purchasing. They had at least one match that’ll people will be calling a MOTYC, (though no one will actually be voting for it MOTYC.) It was a lot more across the board consistent really good stuff that’s worth checking out.

Travel was a relative breeze. Parking was $20 (booooo.) Both the pre-show and the actual show started some minutes late. It’s indy wrestling.

Pre-Show
1) Da Soul Touchaz vs. 3 wrestlers selected from the Seminar/Tryout that afternoon

And those three were (I’m told) Danny Duggan, Billy Rayz, and Estadio de Mexico Trios Champion Gringo Loco. Figured something was up with Diablo and Avisman teaming together but with rotating thirds. Gringo looked OK here, but only his tope con giro near the end stood out here for him (and he appears to be following Mr. Aguila’s training program.) This wwas really a Soul Touchaz showcase – Acid Jazz & Marshe Rocket both had their moments, but the bit everyone will remember here was huge Pounce from Willie Richardson and Billy Rayz. That should be in every highlight video DGUSA ever does, even the ones where it would make absolutely no sense.

2) Gran Akuma vs. Silas Young vs. Samuray Del Sol

Best of the pre-show. Lost my notes on this one, but my memory is Samuary did very well for himself, hitting his spots well and wowing the crowd on some of them. He got a nice round of applause after the match. It seemed like it was him and Silas a lot, though it was more Silas and Akuma near the end. Finish was Akuma being caught in the Tree of Woe, and Silas getting Samuari with a headstand rope flip moonsault move.

3) Kyle O’Reilly vs. Arik Cannon

Felt this was cold and just okay, even though the guys worked hard. Other may like it more, but I guess the psychology of it took it down for me. O’Reilly (kick kick kick) attacked Arik’s leg enough that Arik leg so much that the last half of the match was built around Arik barely being able to stand, so when O’Reilly got a half crab and really sunk it in, either the move works on the match doesn’t. Despite the debilitating leg pain, Arik got to the ropes, connected on the Shimmering Warlock (a kick!) and got the pin. I think the right guy even won, but the story was not so good.
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PPV Taping

3) BxB Hulk vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Quackenbush

This turned out to be the actual opener. BxB Hulk danced, and his girl seemed quite bored by the whole thing. Seemed like they picked the wrong girl. BxB really did, because she turned on him with a foul from behind and walked off with John Moxley as Akira ran down to beat him up. Ref waved Quack down after a moment, and the match kicked off that way. Hulk and Quack were on different pages early on, but otherwise this was really good. I think this show started the trend of teasing big top rope moves of doom, only for someone else to prevent it at the last moment. Hulk picked up the win with a EVO (and I’m guessing to connect right moves with right names.)

Here (or maybe after the next one), the Soul Touchaz returned to challenge any tag team in DGUSA. Didn’t click until later, but I think they were meant to be heels. Brodie Lee accepted the challenge, saying he was his own team. Brodie then beat the Soul Touchaz in a 1 on 3 handicap. As a person who likes the Soul Touchaz, that really sucked. They got a little bit to shine and I understand the greater plan, but it was sad. Brody kicked C-Red’s head after the match for good measure.

4) Dragon Kid vs. Shingo

Order changed a bit, but it made sense where they were going. CIMA was out here as Dragon’s second. Before the match, I was thinking that it’s too bad CMLL doesn’t have like a big powerhouse counter balance to their high flyers, like Shingo is to Dragon Kid. Then, they stood next to each other, and I realized Shingo just seems a lot bigger than he actually is. (And I need more out of Terrible & Texano.)

This was a **** match, maybe more, maybe better if they had ended it early. They did everything they could to each other, and then did a lot more. This match had the top rope Move Of Doom that was actually completed – Shingo landed his “Stay Dream” top rope death valley driver, and no one could believe it when Dragon Kid kicked out. Though they must be doing something extra on the finish…but  Shingo ended up winning after two “Made in Japan”s. Oh well, still a lot of fun.

5) Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jon Moxley [street fight]

Going in, I had little expectations for this – the gringos vs gringos matches on the PPVs haven’t been that interesting, I’m aware of the story of Jimmy Jacobs but not at all invested in it, and the stuff I’ve seen him on these shows hasn’t been that worthwhile.

This was pretty worthwhile. Hope it comes off as intense on PPV as it did live, but they had a great crowd brawling part to start it and it set the tone well. The girl from earlier got involved early, but Moxley accidentally destroyed her with a kick to the face. Jacobs – going back to his Nord the Barbarian gimmick and it actually worked – also brought in a chain and the jacket he was wearing whenever he hung whoever he did in ROH (Tyler Black)? He was also wearing the furry boots, and hid a couple spikes in them. Moxley bled from spike shots to the head, blood covering his face. (Well, the spikes, or the blade everyone on stage saw laying on the mat after, and still on the mat after intermission.) Hanging failed. Jacobs tried a couple different chain related chokes, and seemed to have Moxley out with a chain added front facelock choke when Yamato ran in to break it up. Brodie Lee, making good on his promise, ran out and kicked a Japanese man, and dragged him to the back.

Finish was Moxley wrapping the jacket around Jacobs’ head, wrapping the chain around his neck to keep the jacket there, and pounding Jacobs with 5-6 chairshots to the back. Couldn’t help but think about how they wouldn’t have been to the back a couple years ago, but this worked and was accepted as the finish. It felt like Jacobs was done, much more than sort of similar Verano de Escandalo Mesias/Perro chair shot to the back finish.

Jacobs needed medical help after the match. Good time for an intermission!

6) Chuck Taylor vs. Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Rich Swann

Another very good match. Drake got sent head first into the guardrail early on, leaving him with a bleeding welt on his head and out of action for more than half the match. Taylor & Gargano were already working together, and continued as much for a while on Rick Swann until things fell apart in the way they usually do. I knew the name Rick Swann but I had never seen him (not the guy I would’ve figured for the name) and he was a really good flyer. Everyone was good in this match, including Drake when he rejoined the land of the living. Taylor’s Omega Drive on Younger finished it.

7) Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi vs. CIMA & Ricochet

The goal here was quite obviously to make Ricochet. It didn’t go perfect – there were things that didn’t go the way he wanted at moments – but by the end of the match it was clear he belonged, and it would’ve been clear even if he didn’t do a billion flips in top rope leap onto Doi for the win. That too was a great highlight, made even greater by Dragon Kid and CIMA being unable to figure out exactly how many times that man flipped before landing. (CIMA thought maybe a 100.) Ricochet was definitely nervous early on (CIMA yelled for him to calm down after an early blown spot) but settled in and everyone else was everyone else. Not a knockout great match like might have been expected, but another really good one.

After the match, CIMA started to announce Ricochet as a member of Warriors, but was interrupted by Gargano. Who was only there to say he learned from not getting his handshake last time that he needs to show respect, and came out to give credit to Gargano. Hanshake of honor and all of that, and then CIMA told him to leave and that last part I liked. Dragon Kid gave his okay, CIMA said Ricochet might be the best high flyer in the world (Ricochet shook his head no – so did I, but I’m crazy) and everyone did the uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu to close out the PPV.

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Non-PPV Main Event
9) Bryan Danielson vs. YAMATO

Both a different feeling match than Danielson’s previous singles matches here, and yet another one that was kind of like a greatest hits album before he joins his new band full time. I think, if Bryan gets fired and comes back yet again, people might actually start to get tired of him, but they were waaaaaay into him on this night. Yamato was good and amusing (crawling under the ring to sneak up on Danielson twice, though it always only works the first time) and survived and survived until he got caught into the 30 elbow strikes and a crossface.

Moxley hit the ring to attack Danielson after the match, and BxB ran in for the save. Danielson hyped up that Moxley/Danielson match for tomorrow

People who watch a lot of WWE can tell when Kane is going to win for sure whenever his pyro doesn’t go off before the match – they’re saving it for his victory. Danieslon came out to Flight of the Valkyries, which kinda gave away that they were saving Final Countdown to play after he won. Still, good match.

Plans still is to go to Milwaukee tomorrow; this show was good enough that I’d like to see another (and isn’t that idea.) Besides, I live in Chicago, it’s September, and the weather will start being very horrible very soon. I like watching a lot of football on Sundays, but I might as well use the good days while they’re left.

Edit: apparently the Danielson finish was actually the LeBelle lock. Wrong side of the ring to see it.

Never ever ever get third row stage at Congress, by the way. Too many people with heads blocking your way, unless you want to stand or sit on the back of your chair all night.

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