Random Match Reviews #7 (12/30/15)

I take a look a matches from CZW, Lucha Underground, NXT, PROGRESS, & TNA!

1.) PROGRESS Wrestling - Chapter Eight: The Big Boys Guide To Strong Style (7/28/13) – PROGRESS Title – El Ligero vs. Rampage Brown: ***1/2

Rampage Brown received this title shot as a result of scoring the winning pinfall in a Six-Man Tag Team Match on the previous show, Chapter Seven. In that match, he revealed himself to be the 3^rd member of Team Screw Indy Wrestling, becoming a heel in the process. El Ligero is the promotion’s 2^nd champion, and this is his 4^th title defense. I thought this was a pretty good match. With Rampage Brown being the bigger of the two, we saw the big guy vs. little guy style of match play out, and I think it worked out well. I’ve really come to enjoy El Ligero’s work (what I’ve seen of him, anyway), and Rampage Brown played not only a good big man, but a good heel as well. The only think that kept me from going a little higher on this match was the outside interference by Mark Haskins (also in the Screw Indy Wrestling stable), but that’s a minor complaint. Rampage Brown would eventually put away El Ligero to win the PROGRESS Title, becoming the promotion’s 3^rd champion.

2.) CZW – New Heights 2014 (7/12/14) – CZW Tag Team Titles – The Juicy Product (JT Dunn & David Starr) vs. The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) vs. Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr) vs. OI4K (Dave & Jake Crist): ***1/2

I feel like most people who follow the independent scene will have at least heard of all of these teams. Juicy Product comes into this match as the CZW Tag Team Champions. As you would expect in a match like this, it breaks down into a mad scramble, though it was pretty entertaining. It wasn’t a very long match (I think it went just under ten minutes), so they packed everything they could into the time they had. All four teams got the chance to showcase themselves in some form or fashion, which is always good. In the end, JT Dunn was able to rollup Bill Carr, while holding the tights, to win the match for The Juicy Project and retaining the CZW Tag Team Titles in the process.

3.) TNA Impact Wrestling (8/7/14) – TNA World Tag Team Titles – Triple Threat Ladder Match – The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. Team 3D vs. The Hardys: ****

Back in the summer/fall of 2014, TNA held a three-way series of matches for the TNA World Tag Team Titles. It involved The Wolves, Team 3D, & The Hardys. The first team to win two matches would win (or retain) the TNA World Tag Team Titles, and the winners of each match would get to pick the stipulation for the next match in the series. Team 3D won the 1^st match, and picked the 2^nd match to be a Tables Match. The Hardys won that Tables Match, and picked the stipulation for this 3^rd match to be a Ladder Match. The Wolves came into this at a disadvantage, as if either The Hardys or Team 3D won, then they would win the series, and subsequently, the TNA World Tag Team Titles. I thought this was a great match! Of course, you would expect that Team 3D & The Hardys would be comfortable in this environment, and they definitely excelled here. As far as The Wolves go, even though their Ladder Match experience (as a team) was really limited to Ladder War II in ROH back in 2009, they definitely shined in here as well. It was pretty chaotic (as these matches tend to be), and eventually, The Wolves were able to put out the win! This gave the choice of stipulation for the 4^th (and final) match in the series, and they decided on a Full Metal Mayhem Match!

4.) Lucha Underground – Season 1, Episode 4: Thrill Of The Hunt (11/19/14) – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr.: ****

This was coming the week after the thrilling Fenix/Drago/Pentagon Jr. Triple Threat Match that took place the week prior. Even though they had one less competitor, these two guys still have an awesome match! I know the match was relatively short (it was around eight minutes or so), but they packed a lot of action into that time frame. These guys are just so much fun to watch, and it was another preview of what was to come for the rest of the season. Fenix would pick up the win in this encounter.

5.) WWE NXT TV (10/28/15) – Chad Gable & Jason Jordan vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa: ****

I mentioned in one of my previous Random Match Review how NXT had begun to use well known independent talents Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa. They were used in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and continue to be used after the fact. In this particular match, they’re taking on the quickly rising team of Chad Gable & Jason Jordan. I had heard a lot of really good things about this match going into it, and after watching it. I can saw it definitely lived up to the hype. This was an awesome match! I would say that it’s easily one of the best matches on NXT TV we’ve seen in 2015. Chad Gable & Jason Jordan are so much fun to watch. They’re super-talented, and the crowds love them everywhere they go, whether that be Full Sail University in Florida, or in London, England. Of course, Gargano & Ciampa can’t be overlooked. Both of them are incredibly talented as well, and they worked really well here with Gable & Jordan. Just an entertaining match from start to finish. Gable & Jordon would eventually put away Gargano & Ciampa for the victory.

That's it for this edition of my Random Match Reviews! Look for the 8th edition very soon!