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http://www.cheap-heat.com/doubleshot-2-in-1-wrestling-reviews-g1-climax-2014-aj-styles-vs-minoru-suzuki/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/doubleshot-2-in-1-wrestling-reviews-g1-climax-2014-aj-styles-vs-minoru-suzuki/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:28:49 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews A.J Styles AJ Styles Bullet Club G1 Climax Minoru Suzuki New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW Ric Flair TAKA Michinoku http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8611 Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews G1 Climax 2014 – AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki Written by Mark Haggerty & Gary Mastriano Welcome to the jungle where instead of fun and games we're supplying objective opinions as to what is being called by many the "2014 Match of the Year." Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark […]

Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews
G1 Climax 2014 – AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki
Written by Mark Haggerty & Gary Mastriano

Welcome to the jungle where instead of fun and games we're supplying objective opinions as to what is being called by many the "2014 Match of the Year." Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm joined this week by my brother from another planet-we've-yet-to-discover Gary Mastriano. If you haven't already had the chance, do yourself a favor and check out Gary's growing library of incomparable content featuring far-out fantasy-booking and more mainstream musings on the current state of professional wrestling. The man is an exceptional talent who I'm proud to say has been my best friend since we were only fifteen years old. Several years later and just on the southern-side of thirty we're both overjoyed to introduce our first joint-venture for Cheap-Heat, a retrospective review series titled, "Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews." For the debut edition we thought it might be fitting to talk about one of the most impressive contests of 2014: the G1 Climax showdown between "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and Minoru Suzuki.

A Stranger in a Strange Land
By Gary Mastriano

Where is Michael Cole? Does AJ Styles think that tattoo is cool? Will the Shield have a run in? What is G1 climax? What is with Suzuki's hair? Can I download his awesome theme song somewhere? These were the questions I was asking myself as I sat down to watch AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki at G1 Climax. Luckily I found an English commentary track over the match to help my American ass understand this better.

Ok so maybe I have only seen about 5 New Japan matches in my life, including this one. That being said I am glad I had Bob Saget sounding American commentator to take me through the background of the match. Apparently these guys were in some sort of 2 week tournament. That sounds pretty cool. AJ Styles is still the TNA champ? Or is that the Divas championship? Can AJ wrestle in a ring without 6 sides? AJ is in the Bullet Club, that I know. They are like NWO 2000. I think Finn Balor was in that group too. Suzuki is in… the New Hart Dynasty?

Right off the bat this Suzuki dude impresses me. Not only does he have an awesome receding hairline and kickass theme song, but also every move he does is "his finisher" according to Bob Saget. AJ brings his educated legs to Japan with a flurry of kicks. Suzuki brings his educated Ric Flair chops to AJ. Are the fans chanting for Triple H? Wait…wait… TAKA MICHINOKU!!!???????? CHOPPY CHOPPY TO PEE PEE!

All jokes aside, this was an exciting match. Hard hitting and frantic right from the get go. My favorite spot had to be the finger submission Suzuki applied to AJ. I have never seen a finger submission before. Very cool. Very lucky AJ wears gloves while he wrestles. Side note… his hands must get sweaty. The run in was cool, mostly because I saw a lot of guys I knew. I have never been a fan of the Styles Clash. It just looks overly complicated and unnatural. Styles is a great talent, and I am happy to see him doing well. After seeing Suzuki for the first time I looked up some of his other matches on YouTube. That should keep me busy for a while.

I think what put me off the most to this match was the lack of backstory. Yes the wrestling and athleticism was fantastic. But that is only a small part of the reason I enjoy professional wrestling. I admit it—I LOVE the soap opera storylines and personalities. The fact that this match was just another match in a tournament really hurt it in my opinion. If this was the blow off to some long-standing feud, then I would rate it much higher. In my opinion it was a solid match, with decent action, but far from my top match of the year.

Everything is Something
By Mark Adam Haggerty

Whenever I sit down to review a match I find myself taking notes page by page until I'm left with nothing more than a yellow pad riddled with short hand phrases such as, "Drop Kick F AJ T Suz." Of course that's referring to the high angle drop kick performed by AJ Styles immediately following the initial string of chain-wrestling and rope-running. From the moment we're introduced to the competitors, it's made clear that we're no longer in WWE and this main event is about to take place inside a Japanese community center. I personally enjoy the stripped-bare presentation of independent wrestling, so I don't really read much into any promotion staging an event on a youth basketball court.

The match was off to a lightning quick start which allowed both men the chance to display their specific brand of high-octane physical prowess without being blown up too early. However just as fast as the action itself, so came the screeching halt when the two combatants slowed things down on the outside of the ring. Sometimes when I watch the strong-style wrestlers such as those commonly seen in Japan, I question the constant use of kicks and forearm strikes. But that's when I remember that closed-fist punches are illegal in wrestling, I'm just not use to a company that cares about consistency. I thought the ring psychology outside of the squared circle was just as beneficial to the outcome as anything between the ropes, and actually worked to establish both characters in their respective roles. Suzuki's use of the bell-hammer as a mere prop was subtle yet worked to distract the referee from Suzuki's ultimate intentions. Jim Ross likes to say, "Bad guys can't cheat when there aren't any rules to break." It appears that NJPW keeps its rules intact, perhaps for that very reason.

I was taken out of the action by the seemingly meaningless ref-bump that allowed for various third party players to become involved, though it was interesting to see Styles and Suzuki react. It's easy to forget the disadvantages both English-speaking and Japanese wrestlers could encounter; outside talents have to rely greatly on their miming abilities, whereas domestic workers are faced with a rather low glass ceiling. I commend guys like AJ and Suzuki who are able to convey a sense of urgency to every fan in attendance—from the front row to the rear of the auditorium to the geeks on their computer back here in The �States. Suzuki reminds me of Big Van Vader and Stan Hansen, which isn't surprising as both American Geijin achieved mythical status during their tours of Japan. Both "The Lariat" and Leon White operated at full speed with an arsenal of maneuvers meant to inflict damage, not look pretty on TV. Much the same can be said for the knee-and-elbow pad-lacking Minoru Suzuki who appears more fixated on injuring AJ Styles, than he is with winning the G1 Climax.

The defining moment of the match occurred as AJ caught Suzuki's leg and made an unsuccessful attempt at the "Styles Clash." Suzuki turned the tables once more, gripping Style's leg in a vicious ankle lock submission. The script continued to flip as both wrestlers gained leverage each with their own variations on the ankle lock until Suzuki broke the monotony with a cross arm-bar. Another exchange of slaps to the face and chest courtesy of both individuals bled into the final moments of the match; amidst the confusion of an already turbulent bout, AJ powered the mighty Minoru Suzuki into his infamous "Styles Clash"—this time capitalizing and earning the 1-2-3.

I'm not sure if I would call this the Match of the Year, but it was still fantastic and included many of the components I admire in such high-caliber contests. An all-around incredible twenty minutes of non-stop action featuring two of the greatest wrestlers in the world, telling a story about honor and AJ's lack-thereof. I can't give this match a full five-star rating because of the inauspicious run-in by The Bullet Club and Killer Elite Squad, but a very entertaining match nonetheless.

Gary's Star Rating: 3
Mark's Star Rating: 4.25

New Japan is most certainly a polarizing entity, as are many things found in the whimsical world of professional wrestling. While the strong-style employed is perhaps more than enough to satisfy some, the product does seem to lack somewhat in the more traditional sense of pageantry and presentation. Though we both grew up in the exact same shadow of New York City watching Shawn Michaels on TV each week, it's clear that Gary and I have differing ideas as to what comprises a truly excellent wrestling match. It was both interesting and informative for both of us to read the others' opposing opinion regardless of whether or not we agree. Thanks for reading this very special preview—we invite you join us next week when we compare WWF Wrestlemania 17 to WCW Greed in the first official edition of "Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-lineup-for-the-new-japan-pro-wrestling-new-beginning-events-on-211-214/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-lineup-for-the-new-japan-pro-wrestling-new-beginning-events-on-211-214/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 01:59:58 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha A.J Styles AJ Styles Alex Shelley Bobby Fish Bullet Club Chase Owens Doc Gallows Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan IWGP Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kenny Omega KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Matt Jackson Meiyu Tag New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Rob Conway Ryusuke Taguchi Shinsuke Nakamura The New Beginning Time Splitters Togi Makabe Tomohiro Ishii Young Bucks Yuji Nagata http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8609 Here are the updated card for the NJPW New Beginning events, which will be available via New Japan World… The New Beginning in Osaka, The Bodymaker Coliseum, February 11th: * IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (ReDRagon) vs. Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA (Time […]

Here are the updated card for the NJPW New Beginning events, which will be available via New Japan World …

The New Beginning in Osaka, The Bodymaker Coliseum, February 11th:
* IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (ReDRagon) vs. Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA (Time Splitters)
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
* IWGP Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata (Meiyu Tag) vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows (Bullet Club)
* IWGP Heavyweight Championshi: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. AJ Styles

The New Beginning in Sendai, Sendai Sun Plaza, February 14th:
* NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Chase Owens
* NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Rob Conway vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
* NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yuji Nagata

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-global-force-wrestling-presents-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9-1415-tokyo-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-global-force-wrestling-presents-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9-1415-tokyo-japan/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2015 21:03:37 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha A.J Styles AJ Styles Alex Koslov Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Captain New Japan Davey Boy Smith Jr. Doc Gallows El Desperado Forever Hooligans GFW Global Force Wrestling Great Kabuki Hiro Saito Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jeff Jarrett Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kazushi Sakuraba Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Lance Archer Manabu Nakanishi Matt Jackson Mikey Nicholls Minoru Suzuki Naomichi Marufuji New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Rocky Romero Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shane Haste Shelton Benjamin Shinsuke Nakamura Sho Tanaka Suzuki-gun Taichi TAKA Michinoku Takashi Iizuka Tama Tonga Tetsuya Naito Tiger Mask IV Time Splitters Togi Makabe Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano WK9 Wrestle Kingdom 9 YOSHI-HASHI Yoshiaki Fujiwara Young Bucks Yuji Nagata Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8484 Global Force Wrestling presents NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 Jan 4, 2015 Tokyo, Japan   Pre Show – battle royal was won by Yuji Nagata when he pinned YOSHI HASHI with backdrop driver Other participants included: Tiger Mask, Taichi, TAKA, Liger, Desperado, Sho Tanaka, Hiro Saito, Captain New Japan, Tama Tonga, Manabu Nakanishi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Great […]

Global Force Wrestling presents NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9
Jan 4, 2015
Tokyo, Japan

Pre Show
– battle royal was won by Yuji Nagata when he pinned YOSHI HASHI with backdrop driver
Other participants included: Tiger Mask, Taichi, TAKA, Liger, Desperado, Sho Tanaka, Hiro Saito, Captain New Japan, Tama Tonga, Manabu Nakanishi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Great Kabuki

Main PPV Show

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
– reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) def Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) / Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) / The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) with chasing the dragon on Alex Koslov to retain

– Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma def Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Jeff Jarrett and Yujiro Takahashi) when Honma hit the diving headbutt on Takahashi

– Mikey Nicholls, Naomichi Marufuji, Shane Haste and Toru Yano def Suzukigun (Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Lance Archer, Shelton X Benjamin and Takashi Iizuka) when Marifuji pinned Iizuka

– Minoru Suzuki def Kazushi Sakuraba via ref stoppage after a rear naked choke

NEVER Openweight Championship
– Togi Makabe def Tomohiro Ishii with a diving knee to win the Title

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
– Kenny Omega def Ryusuke Taguchi to win the Title with the One Winged Angel

IWGP Tag Team Championship
– Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata def Bullet Club (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) to win the Titles

– A.J. Styles def Tetsuya Naito with the Styles Clash from the second rope

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
– Shinsuke Nakamura def Kota Ibushi to retain with the boma ye

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
– Hiroshi Tanahashi def Kazuchika Okada to retain after hitting the High Fly Flow twice