Monday, January 8, 2024

WCW Bash At The Beach 1996 Review - July 7th, 1996

WCW Bash at the Beach
July 7th, 1996
Daytona Beach, Florida

“It’s more than just the bash at the beach. It’s the attempt at a hostile takeover.”

WCW World Champion: The Giant (since 4/29/96)
WCW US Champion: Konnan (since 1/29/96)
WCW Tag Team Champions: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (since 6/24/96)
WCW TV Champion: Lex Luger (since 3/6/96)
WCW Cruserweight Champion: Dean Malenko (since 5/18/96) 

Commentators - Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone, & Dusty Rhodes

The boys open the show talking about the morale of the locker room heading into tonight’s event and the unknown about the Outsiders, their attempted takeover, and their mysterious third man. 

1) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psychosis 

I don’t know where to start with this one. Or really even the words to say to properly review such a legendary match and one that holds up here, almost 30 years later. I had seen this match a few times before, but this was my first time in about 10 years. And man, I can’t lie. I watched it 3-4 times before moving forward with this show. It was just such a statement match and completely groundbreaking for its time. These two put on the most insane display of highflying and Lucha style pro wrestling. Just watch this match. Good lord. One of the best 15 min sprints ever in pro wrestling. Misterio wins at 15:18.

Match rating - ****1/2

Backstage, Konnan makes a statement toward Ric Flair and says no matter what he’s leaving with his US Title still in tact tonight. 

2) John Tenta vs. Big Bubba (w/ Jimmy Hart) - Carson City Silver Dollar On A Pole Match 

“He’s got a leash around his neck, maybe he’s gonna take him outside.. maybe it’s that time of day.” -Bobby Heenan

Russo baby. Two 300+ boys climbing a pole. We are here. And it’s about as dumb as you’d expect. But atleast it’s entertaining.. sort of. They do shit. Choke each other with a strap. Jimmy climbs the pole for Tenta, but Bubba knocks Tenta on his ass while Hart is on the pole and takes the silver dollars from Hart when he comes down to win the match. 

Match rating - **

Backstage, Macho & Luger are fired the fuck up and they’re honored to be a part of the team representing WCW against the outsiders tonight. Sting says the unknown makes his mouth water so it doesn’t matter who the surprise man is. LETS GOO.

3) Diamond Dallas Page vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Lord of the Ring Taped Fist Match 

WCW Monday Nitro Review - July 1st, 1996

WCW Monday Nitro
July 1st, 1996
Landover, Maryland



WCW World Champion: The Giant (since 4/29/96)
WCW US Champion: Konnan (since 1/29/96)
WCW Tag Team Champions: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (since 6/24/96)
WCW TV Champion: Lex Luger (since 3/6/96)
WCW Cruserweight Champion: Dean Malenko (since 5/18/96) 

Tony Schiavone & Larry Zbysko open the show. Before they can cover much, Diamond Dallas Page interrupts and says his ring has been stolen. He wants the building shut down and searched. They shew him away and replay the incident from last week where The Outsiders showed up and Harlem Heat stole the tag titles from Luger & Sting. That leads us into our first match of the evening. OO also, this was the first mention of "New World Order" as Zbysko said verbatim "there will be a new world order in professional wrestling on Sunday"... interesting. 

1) Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (c) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner) - WCW World Tag Team Title Match

The Horsemen were shown at ringside watching this with their ENTOURAGE. This is decent. They go back and forth with stuff. There's some decent near falls down the stretch and some confusion on who the legal man is. Just as The Steiner's are building some momentum, Colonel Parker gets involved and it gives Harlem Heat the opening they needed to finish this one off and retain the titles. 

Match rating - **1/4

Mean Gene approaches the Four Horseman at ringside after the match. They all get a few minutes to speak. Mongo talks about why he did what he did and joined the horsemen and it's because MONEY MAKES THE MONKEY DANCE. This gets Flair all sorts of fired up.

2) Disco Inferno vs. Kurasawa (Manabu Nakanishi)

Friday, January 5, 2024

2024 Match Rating Archive / MOTY Tracker



JANUARY: 


Darby Allin vs. Konosuke Takeshita - AEW: Dynamite - 1/3/24 - ****1/4

Daniel Garcia vs. Swerve Strickland - AEW: Dynamite - 1/3/24 - ***3/4


Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM vs. Syuri, Ami Sohrei, & Saki Kashima - STARDOM: Gate - 1/4/24 - ***3/4


Giulia & Suzu Suzuki vs. Maika & Megan Bayne - STARDOM: Gate - 1/4/24 - ****


Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Syuri - IWGP Womens Belt - STARDOM: Gate - 1/4/24 - ****1/2


Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 18 - 1/4/24 - ****


Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Jon Moxley, & Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita - NJPW: New Year Dash - 1/5/24 - ****


Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Trent Beretta - AEW Continental Crown Title Match - AEW: Collision - 1/6/24 - ****


Hangman Page vs. Claudio Castagnoli - AEW: Dynamite - 1/10/24 - ***1/2


Darby Allin & Sting vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs - AEW: Dynamite - 1/10/24 - ****1/4


Rocky Romero & Soberano Jr vs. Volador Jr & Mascara Dorado - NJPW: Battle in the Valley - 1/13/24 - ***1/4


Zack Sabre Jr & Bad Dude Tito vs. Matt Riddle & Jeff Cobb - NJPW: Battle in the Valley - 1/13/24 - ***1/4


Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Gabe Kidd - Continental Crown Title Match - NJPW: Battle in the Valley - 1/13/24 - ***1/2


Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi - No DQ Match - NJPW: Battle in the Valley - 1/13/24 - ****3/4


Christian Cage (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes - TNT Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 1/17/24 - ***3/4


Samoa Joe (c) vs. HOOK - AEW World Title Match - 1/17/24 - ****1/4


Adam Copeland vs. Dante Martin - AEW: Collision - 1/20/24 - ****


Daniel Garcia vs. Buddy Matthews - AEW: Collision - 1/20/24 - ***3/4


Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor - AEW: Collision - 1/27/24 - ***1/4


Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Keith - AEW: Collision - 2/3/24 - ***3/4


Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero - AEW: Collision - 2/3/24 - ****


HENARE vs. Gabe Kidd - NJPW: Road To New Beginning - 2/4/24 - ****1/4


Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page - AEW: Dynamite - 2/7/24 - ****1/2


Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Hechicero, Volador Jr, & Mascara Dorada - AEW: Dynamite - 2/7/24 - ****


Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW: New Beginning In Osaka - 2/11/24 - ****


Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/11/24 - ****3/4


United Empire vs. Bullet Club - Steel Cage Match - NJPW: New Beginning in Osaka - 2/11/24 - ***3/4



Kris Statlander vs. Riho - AEW: Dynamite - 3/6/24 -

****


Rey Fenix vs. The Beast Mortos - AEW: Collision - 4/27/24 - ****


Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson vs. Jeff Cobb & Kyle Fletcher - AEW: Dynamite - 5/15/24 - ****


Kyle O’Reilly vs. Malakai Black - AEW: Dynamite - 5/22/24 - ***1/4


Will Ospreay (c) vs. Brian Cage - International Title Match - AEW: Collision - 6/20/24 - ***1/2


Jay White vs. Rey Fenix - AEW: Dynamite - 6/26/24 - ***1/2


Kyle O'Reilly vs. Zack Sabre Jr - AEW: Dynamite - 6/26/24 - ****


Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan vs. Rey Fenix, Penta El Cero Miedo, & Mistico - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door - 6/30/24 - ***3/4 


Shingo Takagi vs. Bryan Danielson - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door - 6/30/24 - ***1/2 


Zack Sabre Jr vs. Orange Cassidy - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door - 6/30/24 - ***1/2




Jon Moxley (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito - IWGP Title Match - AEW: Forbidden Door - 6/30/24 - ***3/4 


Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Will Ospreay - AEW World Title Match - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door - 6/30/24 - ****1/4


Bryan Danielson vs. PAC - AEW: Dynamite - 7/3/24 - ****


Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander - AEW: Dynamite - 7/3/24 - ***3/4


Hangman Page vs. Jeff Jarrett - AEW: Dynamite - 7/3/24 - ****1/4


Will Ospreay (c) vs. Daniel Garcia - AEW International Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 7/3/24 - ****1/4


Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson - AEW: Dynamite - 7/10/24 - ****1/2


Claudio Castagnoli vs. PAC vs. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kyle Fletcher - AEW: Dynamite - 7/10/24 - ***1/2


Willow Nightingale vs. Mariah May