Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This one features maybe the best Ultimate X Match ever (apparently), with AJ Styles & Chris Sabin challenging for Petey Williams’s X-Division belt in an outstanding display of huge spots and killer reversals!
Then it’s a WWF three-way match as Kurt Angle vs. The Rock vs. Tazz, continuing the Angle/Tazz feud and throwing in The Great One! Come see the “Main Event Style” of the WWF, with everyone spamming clotheslines because it’s a core part of all their offensive counters. Then it’s over to Ring of Honor where Roderick Strong faces the IWGP Champion, Kazuchika Okada! And finally a WWF match pitting Money Inc. against old foes “El Matador” Tito Santana & Virgil, with the BABYFACES oddly using the “heel cheating” formula against the heels!
ULTIMATE X:
X-DIVISION TITLE:
PETEY WILLIAMS (w/ Coach Scott d’Amore) vs. CHRIS SABIN vs. A.J. STYLES:
(NWA-TNA, TNA Final Resolution 2005)
* So someone recommended I watch an Ultimate X match like four months ago, so here I am! I finally got around to it! The YouTube title suggests this might be the best one ever, and since YouTube titles never lie, I’m all in! So the “Ultimate X” match is the signature TNA match, where the X-Division guys fight for a belt hanging from an “X” over the ring, held up by four climbable “trusses” (I’m told that is their proper name)- the point is for guys to climb up the trusses, climb across the outstretched wires, and grab the belt. Highspots abound. Sabin’s in black trunks, Petey’s in shiny red shorts, and Styles is in blue shorts. Every single one of them has the same physique and nearly identical proportions- was there some kind of “standard way to lift weights” back in the indies/TNA or something?
Petey runs from Sabin to start, but ends up with Styles behind him and he gets beaten up- a leapfrog dropkick puts him on the floor while the crowd reacts like this was the hugest highspot ever. Sabin & Styles do basic acrobatic sequences and actually go for the belt a couple of times to put over the stipulation, and Sabin gets pulled to the floor so AJ can tope con hilo both guys. The crowd ERUPTS at this, with Petey selling full body-spasms, which is funny because nowadays this is just a routine spot on Dynamite. 45 seconds later Styles & Sabin are up in the corner and Sabin dropkicks him right back into the truss in a cool bit- flashy and puts over the surroundings. Sabin goes across the cables to the belt, but d’Amore runs in to grab his legs, and Petey brings him down dick-first across his knee. The ref manages to send d’Amore to the back- everyone is so good at pantomiming, lol- the full “wind up and TOSS” by the ref and d’Amore’s complete shock at being so unfairly aggrieved- then he whips off his jersey to reveal his comic book shopkeeper bod as he “goes for the ref” and Petey has to hold him back.
Back in, AJ goes into the post and Petey smoothly flows a vertical into a backdrop suplex on Sabin, then sweeps his leg out from a kick and hits a Sharpshooter, but he lets go to stop AJ’s belt attempt and Germans him. Petey works over both guys but runs into the Pele kick and when Sabin climbs, AJ pulls him onto his shoulders and Williams drops off the cable with a Doomsday Frankensteiner! Petey & AJ both go for the belt and play chicken at the top, and when Sabin pulls AJ down, he has to hit a springboard shot that finally dislodges Petey, who takes a big bump (landing on his feet and crumpling to diminish the impact). After a triple-down, Sabin has a go and catches AJ with a Super Rana when he goes up after him! Petey goes for the Canadian Destroyer, but Sabin reverses to a Cradle Shock, reversed to an inverted DDT, but AJ flies in with a BOOMERANG inverted DDT to bring them both down! Great timing! They’re doing a pretty job making this look like “hey, I just thought of something” rather than “okay, so set me up so I can do this” pre-planning, save for the occasional “jockey into position”. AJ manages to climb to the belt, but takes maybe the greatest bump in wrestling history by going INSIDE-OUT when Sabin springboard dropkicks him, crunching in and flipping over onto his back. Holy shit that was outstanding- that bump is a meme for a reason.
The other two hit the floor to clear the ring and put over the spot, then Styles & Petey fight on the truss, Petey pulling AJ’s arm through and bashing him into it then “snapping it” against the metal, leaving Styles hanging there sickly before he desperately falls to the floor- camera was too zoomed in to make that look dangerous (Petey clearly drops not holding the arm anymore) but it probably looked great to the live crowd. Petey charges into Sabin, who catches him in the Cradle Shock (cradle fireman’s to sit-out bodyslam)- the fresh Sabin climbs but Styles brings him into a power… no, Sabin hits a triangle choke on the arm, but Styles powers him into a big powerbomb and then, still holding the arm, brings him into the Styles Clash! AJ, agonized, tries a climb but his arm is in too bad shape and he drops JUST before the belt… and Petey nails him with the Canadian Destroyer (flipover piledriver). He has the lead, having to hit a spinning DDT on Sabin, but takes too long checking the damage and get Razor’s Edged from one corner of the ring to the other in a turnbuckle bump! After that certain doom MDK bump both guys take about 30 seconds before climbing, meeting at the “X” for the belt, unfastening it… and that allows the recovered Styles to springboard in and knock it out of their hands, winning the X-Division Title (20:05)!
Completely amazing spectacle with all sorts of huge bumps, all properly built and coming from natural-looking counters instead of elaborate set-ups, though at points you can see them just go from one spot to another. AJ Styles was so damn agile, having a bit “extra” even compared to other flippy guys, where he just had the most compact movements and additional tics where he’d take an extra leap or spin to get into position. Williams & Sabin brought the movez as well, everyone got to hit their finishers, and more. I liked how all the big spots had the mandatory 45 seconds (almost dead-on each time) of selling so it wasn’t just one big move after another (lookin’ at you Rey Fenix) and everything got to breathe- the third guy would often do something and get taken out of it right after so the moment sinks in a little more. There was a handful of stuff to put over the structure, the need to get the belts (some early attempts, plus guys going up and having to be pulled down frequently), and more. All in all, just a tremendous show.
Rating: ****1/2 (MOVEZ plus some psychology and quality reversals- what it’s all about)
KURT ANGLE vs. THE ROCK vs. TAZZ:
(WWF SmackDown, Feb. 3rd 2000)
* A rare Triple Threat match between these three guys- it looks a bit out of place given how much bigger the Rock & Angle are in wrestling history than poor Tazz, but Tazz was brand new to the company at the time, having just debuted slaughtering Angle at the RoyalRumble. Kurt was just a credible midcard dweeb at this point- this match was set when Tazz accidentally clotheslined the Rock during a brawl with Angle on RAW. Angle cuts a promo talking smack about the local Detroit area, but out comes Tazz to start us off, sans Rock. Tazz is still in the singlet at this point.
Angle & Tazz slug it out until the Rock comes down, clotheslining them both and punching Tazz in the balls. Angle catches him with an overhead belly-to-belly and Rock gets double-teamed in the corner with stomps, then Angle takes a swing at Tazz and eats the head & arm suplex, but Tazz turns right around and gets clotheslined by the Rock. Everyone brawls to the floor and into the stands as Cole & Lawler put Tazz over as being built like a fireplug and a Rottweiler (as he’s obviously way shorter than either Kurt or Rocky). Security is WAY into preventing the rabid crowd from getting involved, swarming the area every time the wrestlers move (lol, check out the poor old lady trying to hold back a dozen fans by herself). Rock gets the better of both guys, but gets whipped into Angle on the apron and Tazz hits a great Northern Lights suplex for two. The standard “Irish whip reversed to Rock Bottom” spot sees Angle break it up from behind, but he tries another clothesline and ends up in the Tazzmission (then controversial as an “illegal choke”). The Rock breaks that up and eats ANOTHER clothesline and it’s a triple-down. A recovered Angle pops in for more stomps but turns on Tazz, but Rock gets his punch series on him then DDT’s Tazz. Spinebuster to Kurt and Rock Bottom to Tazz! Rock Bottom hits Angle… but the Big Show interferes to beat down the Rock before their match at No Way Out. Meanwhile, Angle weakly turns over and pins an unconscious Tazz for the win at (5:05), stealing one.
Man, this was clothesline city, haha. I barely watch this era of WWF anymore so I only just got used to the “run & gun” repeated-bump style again, and now I see the more “Elite Version” of WWF Main Event Style where it’s non-stop brawling, whips and clotheslines, as everyone here just kept going for them or having them as the standard reversal spot (getting caught swinging). Just perpetual motion, with only a crowd brawl to “break it up”, then the mandatory fuck finish to set up another match. Everyone looked good here, though- mobile and athletic. Tazz’s suplexes don’t look out of place and the Rock was good to sell for him, bouncing around and flinging back off of every strike despite having half a foot on him at least. But the finish doesn’t make Tazz look great, as he’s the first guy Rock Bottomed and still gets pinned by the other.
Rating: **1/2 (I feel like elite WWF matches of this era that make TV are all kinda like this- tons of motion and back & forth clotheslines into their big spots)
Kazuchika Okada, the flashy Ace of New Japan, which had a working relationship with Ring of Honor.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. RODERICK STRONG:
(Ring of Honor, 22.08.2015)
* Hey, it’s Okada in ROH! They did some crossover stuff for a bit there. I haven’t followed ANY of Strong’s career until AEW, so to me he’s just a flavorless short white dude. I am to understand this is the correct opinion to have on Roderick Strong. He’s here in generic black trunks (with “STRONG” way off-center on his ass- that bugs me) while Okada, Ace of New Japan, is in black & red. They’re wrestling in a baseball field in Coney Island, Brooklyn, with the fans a LONG ways away from the ring and one side of the ring with no fans behind it. That’s such a weird way to watch wrestling, to me. Nigel McGuinness on commentary says this is Okada’s speed and finesse vs. Strong’s raw power, which is hilarious given Strong is this short guy with a Lash Leroux-tier physique at best.
They work armholds to start, then Okada hits a dropkick (the camera catches him slapping the thigh first because it’s so close) into a strange abdominal stretch variation. Roddy makes the ropes and hits generic stuff (chop/dropkick/backdrop). They’re going in suuuuuuuuuuuuper slowwww mottionnnnnnn to start, just sorta doing moves methodically instead of doing the “feel each other out” thing. Strong hits a roundhouse kick, running powerslam & chinlock, then throws chops outside and backdrops him on the plastic guardrail. More chopping/rail action and he waits Okada out, but Okada slips in a neckbreaker & DDT as comeback moves, then a flapjack. He misses a flying move, then Strong gets a front suplex, milking every move. He charges in for a corner kick but gets put up top and dropkicked off for a super-safe bump to the floor (calmly turning around, skipping to the apron and “falling” off). But Roddy catches Okada, tripping him and backdropping him into the apron for two. Okada looks like he’s dead and Strong is fine, but Okada pokes him with a knee out of a suplex and hits an Air Raid Crash-style move over his own knee, leading to a double-down.
They slowly get to their feet and trade leather, Strong suckering him into an overshot and backdrop suplexes him, then hits two big charges into the corner, but Okada knocks him off the top, only to eat an enzuigiri/Superduperplex combo for two! The announcers are like “This’ll do it this’ll do it!” like anyone’s ever beaten anyone with a superplex since 1994, lol. Yeah, okay guys, the IWGP Champion is going to lose to a superplex in 2015. Strong immediately snaps him into the Stronghold (boston crab) as soon as the kickout happens. Okada mostly just lies there but we don’t get a good shot at his face, but he makes the ropes. He counters a suplex to the Rainmaker (ripcord clothesline) but Strong dodges, only to charge into a dropkick. But Roddy again won’t sell and pops him with a bunch of knees out of another Rainmaker attempt and hits a double-knee gutbuster into the Sick Kick (running kick) for 2.9! Okada is glass-eyed as the crowd is like “that was three!” but Strong ambles right into Okada’s tombstone set-up move. Okada signals the Rainmaker again, but Strong tries another knee- Okada catches him and hits a SECOND tombstone, but Strong tries a knee again, but Okada cleverly catches it and Germans him, locomotioning it right into the Rainmaker for the three (15:20).
A very slow, methodical match to start, with Okada generously giving Strong tons of offense straight away and showing almost nothing, getting some WWE-style comebacks after the beating outside, then taking more stuff. His periodic “just a bit” comebacks are akin to Macho Man in the 1980s, actually- doing just enough to make it not look like a purely one-sided ass-kicking, but giving the guy 80% of the match regardless, as Strong comes back every single time after only a couple moves, not selling jack shit for more than 20 seconds. He’d be up and bolting around at top speed every time he got a chance. Nice bit with all the Rainmaker reversals, though- Okada only needs to tag you once, but he had a counter for every counter and nailed him. Strong would have been a lot better if he’d EMOTE once in a while- had had that “Dean Malenko” thing where he’d just do all his shit with the blankest look on his face.
Rating: ***1/4 (super one-sided and Strong no-sold to the point of selfishness if not for him dropping the fall in the end)
Both men once faced each other, but they were quickly thrown into a “two JTTS guys” tag team to do some easy jobs in the tag ranks.
MONEY INCORPORATED (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R. Schyster, w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. “EL MATADOR” TITO SANTANA & VIRGIL:
(WWF RAW, March 8th 1993)
* Yes, it’s the JTTS Squad personified, as El Matador & Virgil had a bit of a thing going for a few months, just so they could drop falls to the Headshrinkers and others. Tito’s in black tights & Virgil in the white & red stripes. Money Inc. are in the usual, Ted looking a lot more plump than normal (this isn’t long before the end of his wrestling career). This also lets Vince get in his favorite thing- mocking taxation and other liberal things, as IRS says “Thanks to President Bill Clinton, you tax cheats are now gonna have to pay YOUR FAIR SHARE!”. Money Inc. are the Tag Team Champions right now, but this is non-title this close to WrestleMania IX.
Ted & Tito do a short basic sequence, then Ted ducks out on Virgil to bring in IRS. Irwin hits the floor off the International and gets decked by Tito and a double-elbow gets two. They work IRS’s arm and even CHEAT to do a false tag and trade off on it. Irwin looks aggrieved and Tito cuts off the tag as I’m amused at the reversal of fates here despite the work being pedestrian. We’re back from break with a sweaty (I know, I’m shocked) IRS hitting a knee to the gut and tagging right out to DiBiase. Humorously that one move has Tito immediately into the periled role and a double-down leads to double-tags. IRS (who’s had almost no break) comes in and takes a bump in the corner (Virgil was clearly expecting the clothesline spot, as they repeat it and do just that) and Virgil fights both guys off before Ted trips him up. Suitably distracted, he’s grabbed by IRS and fought into a BACKDROP SUPLEX for the pin at (7:33). Lol, a backdrop suplex? Did someone tell him this was Survivor Series?
A funny little match, as the babyfaces blatantly work heel all match long but it’s fine because it’s against the dastardly Money Inc. I mean it was all armbars and then the heels just take over and do 60 seconds of stuff until the end but whatever.
Rating: ** (very pedestrian TV match, but solid enough because most of the guys could work)