Indy Wrestling Express

Welcome to the first ever IWE awards! Indy Wrestling Express writers Lee Goodfellow, Adrian Halilaj and our regular PWG correspondent Chad Simplicio have voted for what we think were the best things in wrestling in 2011. Enjoy!

Lee’s picks:

Wrestler of the Year: Akira Tozawa (Dragon Gate, DGUSA, PWG) 

Akira Tozawa became a star this year. From his blazing hot run in America to his triumphant return to Japan, it’s been a phenomenal twelve months for the twenty-six year old. His charisma is unparalleled, his matches are incredible, he has entertained me more than any other wrestler in 2011. 

Match of the Year: Davey Richards vs Eddie Edwards 2 (Ring Of Honor World Championship - ‘Best in the World’, June 26th)

It was an absolute war, and it has remained my firm pick for match of the year since I watched it live. Davey’s emotional title victory was perfectly executed in this phenomenal match.

Show of the Year: Dragon Gate: Pro Wrestling Festival in Kobe (July 17th)

The Dragon Gate equivalent of WrestleMania was excellent this year. The upper card delivered three of the best matches of 2011 (Mochizuki vs BxB Hulk, Tozawa vs Shingo, PAC & Dragon Kid vs CIMA & Ricochet), with a solid undercard backing it up. 

Best in the World: Masaaki Mochizuki (Dragon Gate) 

Masaaki Mochizuki is the perfect wrestler. From his flawless psychology to his brutal strikes, he is an absolute master of his art. He carried Dragon Gate like a true ace throughout his second Dream Gate title reign, never failing to deliver first class performances. 

Woman of the Year: I don’t follow any women’s wrestling promotions as closely as I’d like to, and there are probably many ladies there who deserve it more anyone in WWE or TNA, so I’m not voting in this one. 

Most Improved: Johnny Gargano (DGUSA, Chikara, EVOLVE, AIW, PWO)

Back in 2010, I saw a lot of potential in Johnny Gargano. Fast forward to the end of 2011, and his résumé features world class matches with Japanese greats like YAMATO, CIMA and Naruki Doi. He is constantly improving, and is set to have a fantastic 2012 as the ace of Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE. 

Rookie of the Year: Uhaa Nation (Dragon Gate, DGUSA)

Uhaa Nation was an instant hit when he burst into Dragon Gate USA, seemingly from out of nowhere, in the Autumn. Seeing such a big dude perfectly execute a standing shooting star press never ceases to impress. He has just finished his successful first tour of Japan with Dragon Gate. He is certainly one to watch in 2012. 

Tag Team of the Year: “The Spike Mohicans” CIMA & Ricochet (Dragon Gate, DGUSA)

What a year these two have had. Ricochet has improved a lot under the wing of CIMA, and the Dragon Gate veteran benefitted greatly from the freshness of the young American. Winning tag team gold in spectacular matches on both sides of the Pacific, it’s been a hell of a year for the Spike Mohicans.  

Feud of the Year: Junction Three vs Blood Warriors (Dragon Gate)

This year, I have found no feud in wrestling more engaging than the war between the two super-stables in Dragon Gate. From the uneasy alliances JIII were forced to form, to the heel Warriors finally winning all the gold at Final Gate, it’s been a very entertaining story, that still has a long way to go before its conclusion. 

Moment of the Year: CM Punk escapes with the WWE championship (WWE “Money In The Bank”, July 17th) (Honourable mention: Super Dragon returns to PWG)

Most people were fooled into thinking that CM Punk was done with WWE following the Money In The Bank pay per view in July (his contract was set to expire in the storyline and in real life, apparently). The world was shocked when he defeated John Cena to lift the WWE title, then even more shocked as he survived the anticipated attack/title shot attempt from Alberto Del Rio. Punk absconded with the belt in the most electrifying moment in wrestling this year. 

Promo of the Year: CM Punk (WWE Raw, June 27th)

The ball started rolling for CM Punk’s aforementioned title win here, as Punk delivered a now legendary worked-shoot promo. He set the wrestling world on fire as he tore into the WWE, voicing the opinions that many fans have had for years. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen the promo, but if not, it’s well worth looking up on Youtube. 

Best on the mic: Jay and Mark Briscoe

If you read my Ring Of Honor reviews, you will already know that there are few things I enjoy more (in wrestling) than listening to the Briscoes talk. They manage to be hilarious without distracting from the seriousness of their feuds, never failing to sell their matches while also making me laugh. They are the two most genuine characters in the business today.

Promotion of the Year: Dragon Gate

Dragon Gate and it’s American extension have entertained me all year, there’s no question that it’s my favourite promotion. A great roster with great feuds and great matches, what more can I ask for? Whether it’s in front of nine thousand people on pay per view in Japan, or in front of a few hundred in America, the Dragon Gate crew never fail to deliver. 

Adrian’s picks:

Wrestler of the Year: Kevin Steen. No other wrestler in the world today is as watchable and unpredictable as Steen has been for these past twelve months. He has been the talk of the independent scene this year, and 2012 is only going to lead to even bigger and better things for him.

Match of the Year: Davey Richards vs Eddie Edwards (ROH World Championship, ‘Best in the World’, June 26th). A build-up and aftermath that oozed with real emotion and passion, backed up in the ring with an epic story told by arguably the two best workers in this industry today. An instant classic.

Show of the Year: EVOLVE 9 (July 26th). Two match-of-the-year candidates as the main events, a stacked undercard and Kevin Steen running riot throughout the entire night. What more could you ask for.

Best in the World: Davey Richards. There may be more charismatic wrestlers out there, but this year Davey has proven that from a purely wrestling point of view, he is unmatched. His mic work has improved leaps and bounds too. (Honourable mention: Eddie Edwards)

Woman of the Year: A tie between Sara Del Rey and Madison Eagles. The two best female wrestlers in the world right now, there’s not even a hair’s breadth separating them. With these two at the top and with many other great talents breaking through, the state of women’s wrestling is looking better than ever.

Most Improved: Johnny Gargano. 2011 has been Gargano’s breakout year, becoming one of the must-see stars of the indy scene. His Open The Freedom Gate title win in November is a testament to how far Gargano has come, and long may his rise continue.

Rookie of the Year: Michael Elgin. The ‘Unbreakable’ Canadian beast has taken Ring of Honor by storm combining his hard-hitting powerhouse moves with an athleticism unbecoming of a man of his size. It’s only a matter of time before he’s a serious contender to the World Title. (Honourable mention: Uhaa Nation)

Tag Team of the Year: The Briscoes. The now seven-time ROH Tag Team Champions continue to innovate and excite both in the ring and on the mic. Their feuds with the All Night Express and Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team have been among the best in wrestling this year, and at just 25 and 26 respectively, their already decorated careers are still only just beginning.

Feud of the Year: Randy Orton vs Christian. My only WWE pick, Orton and Christian carried Smackdown throughout the summer with a series of unbelievable matches over the World Heavyweight Championship. Christian’s heel turn gave his career a new lease of life, while Orton proved his naysayers wrong and showed just how talented a wrestler he truly is. (Honourable mentions: Briscoes vs ANX/WGTT, Kevin Steen vs El Generico, BDK vs Spectral Envoy, Richards vs Edwards)

Moment of the Year: Eddie Kingston becoming the first ever Chikara Grand Champion at ‘High Noon’ (November 13th). A great match where Mike Quackenbush passed on the proverbial torch to Kingston, with almost every Chikara wrestler, past and present, at ringside to witness this historic milestone. Post-match, the late Larry Sweeney’s sister presented the title to a tearful Kingston, who gave his best and most emotional promo yet, thus beginning a new chapter in Chikara’s history.

Promo of the Year: Tim Donst performing “Who’s the Man”. Donst is fast becoming one of the most entertaining members of the Chikara roster, and this brilliant, so-bad-it’s-good original composition is the standout piece of the many excellent promos he’s cut this year. (Honourable mention: CM Punk’s “shoot” on Raw, Davey Richards’ post-match speech at ‘Best in the World’, Eddie Kingston’s post-match speech at ‘High Noon’, anything by Kevin Steen)

Promotion of the Year: Ring of Honor. What more can be said about ROH’s accomplishments this year? With great wrestling, great booking, value for money and a TV deal which is opening them up to a whole new audience, 2011 has been the year where ROH has cemented its position as the biggest promotion in the indies. With TNA in dire straits, surely the only way is up for ROH in 2012?

Chad’s picks:

Wrestler of the Year: El Generico

Match of the Year: Super Dragon & Kevin Steen vs. The Young Bucks in a Guerrilla Warfare Match (PWG: Fear, December 10th)

Show of the Year: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla “FEAR” (December 10th)

Best in the World: Davey Richards

Woman of the Year: SHIMMER Champion Cheerleader Melissa

Most Improved: Eddie Edwards

Rookie of the Year: (Didn’t see enough rookies here in So Cal to name one this year)

Tag Team of the Year: The Young Bucks

Feud of the Year: (No big surprise) Kevin Steen v. El Generico - First ROH, then PWG, now both ROH & PWG

Moment of the Year: (Tie) Davey Richards winning the ROH Championship at “Best in the World” & Super Dragon’s big return to PWG

Promo of the Year: Kevin Steen at the end of “Final Battle”, who is also the Best on the Mic.

Promotion of the Year: (Tie, and guess who….) Ring of Honor & Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

Thanks to Nate Stein for sending the following along: 

What better way to ring in 2012 than with the ‘New Year’s Ninja Party’ THIS Saturday featuring Juggalo Championship Wrestling, Insane Clown Posse, and live performances by Psychopathic Records recording artists Blaze Ya Dead Homie, DJ Clay, Mike E Clark, and more SURPRISES!

The action happens Saturday, December 31 in front of a live crowd at The Palladium, 261 Main Street in Worcester, MA. The ‘New Year’s Ninja Party’ is open to all ages. Doors open 8 pm and the action gets underway at 9 pm.

Juggalo Championship Wrestling has announced their full line up for this Saturday, including:

* Jimmy Jacobs vs. Bull Pain with Isabella Smothers vs. Kawabata

* The Bumpin’ Uglies #’s 1, 2, and 3 vs. The Scrub Club (Madman Pondo, Necro Butcher, & Balls Mahoney)

* Officer Colt Cabana vs. The Weedman

* JCW Tag Titles Match: champions Sexy Slim Goodie & Raven vs. The Ring Rydas (Ryda Red & Ryda Blue)

* First Time Ever: Steve Corino vs. Rhino * Main Event: The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher) vs. 2 Tuff Tony & Shockwave the Robot

Don’t miss the action! For the latest on ‘The New Years Ninja Party’ in Worcester, MA on Saturday, December 31 and more from Juggalo Championship Wrestling, visit http://www.juggalowrestling.com !

The results of the IWE awards (2011 edition) will be posted here at some point tomorrow. Find out what Adrian, Chad and myself have cited as the best things in multiple categories, including “Wrestler Of The Year”, “Match Of The Year” and much more! 

- Lee

Masato Yoshino vs Naruki Doi has been announced for the Dragon Gate USA show at WrestleReunion on January the 27th. The former World 1 stablemates were once the most decorated tag team in Dragon Gate, Speed Muscle, but have been bitter enemies since Doi turned heel and abandoned World 1 towards the end of 2010. This will be the first time they have faced off one on one in the USA. 

The other matches that have been announced so far are:

PAC vs Akira Tozawa

CIMA & Ricochet vs Masaaki Mochizuki & Jimmy Susumu (Open The United Gate title match) 

Another match has been announced for EVOLVE 10; Sami Callihan vs Bobby Fish. The show will take place at the Asylum Arena (in Philadelphia) on January the 14th. Johnny Gargano will defend the DGUSA title against Ricochet in the main event. 

For more details, visit http://dgusa.tv

Thoughts: That Wrestlereunion show is shaping up nicely. Yoshino vs Doi is a huge match up, they have faced off twice for the Dream Gate in Japan (at Final Gate last year, and at Gate Of Maximum back in 2009), and recently had a match in Nottingham (England). I assume they have had other singles matches, but those are the only ones I recall. They have great chemistry in the ring, as teammates and as opponents. 

Callihan vs Fish should be a good one too. January is going to be a good month for wrestling! 

- Lee

At the CZW show on January the 14th, Devon Moore will defend the CZW World Heavyweight Championship against Adam Cole! The show, An Excellent Adventure, will take place before EVOLVE 10 in the legendary ECW Arena (in Philadelphia). These may be the last ever wrestling shows at the iconic venue. 

Thoughts: That’s great news. Cole vs Moore, then Gargano vs Ricochet (for the DGUSA title) at the EVOLVE show, it’s going to be a hell of a day! I recently interviewed Adam Cole, you can read it here: 

http://tumblr.com/ZDlGSxCzzPrx

- Lee

The show aired live on pay per view (in Japan) on Christmas Day. It took place in the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. 

Warning: The results are ahead!

Match 1: Uhaa Nation, Yasushi Kanda & Tomahawk T.T of Blood Warriors defeated Don Fujii, Super Shenlong & Kotoka

An entertaining opener that was all about Uhaa Nation. I’m so pleased to see him on pay per view over in Japan. 

Match 2: Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kagetora of Junction Three defeated Ryo Saito & Genki Horiguchi of Blood Warriors

Solid tag match. It’s nice to see the recently renamed Jimmy Susumu (formerly Susumu Yokosuka) score his first pay per view pinfall of the year (in Japan), since he has been pinned on all three of the previous Dragon Gate PPVs. 

Match 3: Kensuke Sasaki defeated Cyber Kong

While I wasn’t surprised to see the legendary Sasaki go over, I was taken aback by how dominant he was over Cyber Kong; the match lasted only a few minutes. It was decent, but I feel it set Kong, who was recently ejected from Blood Warriors, back even further.

Match 4: Team Doi Darts (Naruki Doi, Naoki Tanizaki & Kzy of Blood Warriors) defeated Dragon Kid, Rich Swann and Gamma of Junction Three to retain the Open The Triangle Gate championship

And so the trend continues of two guys I like teaming with Gamma to challenge for the Triangle Gate. Is there a clause for infinite title shots in Gamma’s contract? Anyway, the match delivered the crazy action you would expect. I hope Team Doi Darts don’t drop the belts for a long time. Teaming with the great Naruki Doi makes Tanisaki and Kzy look like stars.

Match 5: Ricochet of Blood Warriors defeated Masato Yoshino of Junction Three to retain the Open The Brave Gate championship

Ricochet and Yoshino both have a spectacular arsenal of moves, so it’s always a joy to watch them face off. This was Ricochet’s first PPV singles match in Japan, and what a match it was. A rare double moonsault highlighted this breathtaking contest. 

Match 6: Akira Tozawa & BxB Hulk of Blood Warriors defeated Shingo Takagi & YAMATO of Junction Three to the retain the Open The Twin Gate championship

Match of the night! This was awesome, a hard-hitting grudge match between bitter enemies. It was a heated battle that was very different to the other Twin Gate matches I’ve seen these year, and it may be my favourite. Hulk and Tozawa are becoming increasingly fluid as a team, I hope to see them have a long reign with the titles.

Main Event - CIMA of Blood Warriors defeated Masaaki Mochizuki of Junction Three to win the Open The Dream Gate championship

A great main event that was gripping from start to finish. The elusive “big match feel” was certainly achieved, as the leaders of the two super-stables finally squared off with the gold on the line. They threw everything they had at each other, until CIMA eventually managed to put Mochi away with a third Meteora.

I’m sad to see Mochi’s fantastic reign come to an end, but it ended in style. CIMA is now a three time champion, the first person to ever open the dream gate three times.

Overall thoughts: The last three matches were great, the first few were solid, so overall this was a fine way for Dragon Gate to end 2011. The heel Blood Warriors now hold all the titles, and I’m very excited to see where the feud (with JIII) will go from here. Who will rise up and dethrone the Blood Warriors in 2012? 

- Lee

Thanks to our PWG correspondent Chad Simplicio for the line up! The show will take place on the third day of WrestleReunion, the 29th of January.

Super Dragon, Kevin Steen, & Akira Tozawa vs El Generico, PAC, & Masato Yoshino

CIMA & Ricochet vs RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma)

Masaaki Mochizuki vs Roderick Strong

American Wolves (Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards) vs The Young Bucks

Naruki Doi vs Willie Mack

BxB Hulk vs Jimmy Susumu (formerly Susumu Yokosuka)

The legendary Mascarita Dorada will also be in action.

Thoughts: That line up is almost too awesome. It’s pretty much a PWG vs Dragon Gate show. I’ll certainly be picking up the DVD, and I assume Chad will be lucky enough to attend.

Hello everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas!

As a Boxing Day gift here’s some Joshi news for you, as Ice Ribbon held their ‘RibbonMania’ event yesterday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Thanks to the official Ice Ribbon Facebook page for these results:

Toshie Uematsu defeated Aoi Kizuki

3-on-3 Elimination Match: Maki Narumiya, Neko Nitta and Meari Naito defeated Mochi Miyagi, Kurumi and Dorami Nagano.

Ray, Sayaka Obihiro and Hamuko Hoshi defeated Death Worm, Rubber Man and Kappa Kozo.

Seina’s Retirement match (Minori Makiba as special guest referee): Riho defeated Seina.

Following this match, Hikari Minami defeated Seina in another match, this time with Riho as special guest referee. 

International Ribbon Tag Team Championship: Emi Sakura & Tsukushi defeated Meiko Satomura & Sendai Sachiko to win the vacant titles.

3-way tag team match: Makoto Oishi & Danshoku Dino defeated Hikari Minami & Ken Ohka and Miyako Matsumoto & Jun Kasai.

ICEx60 Championship match: Hikaru Shida beat Tsukasa Fujimoto (c) to win the ICEx60 title!

Thoughts: Sounds like it was a hectic show. I’m very pleased Shida’s won the championship, she’s had a fantastic 2011 and this is the icing on the cake. Although having a wrestling show on Christmas Day? Is this the norm in Japan?

-Adrian

Adrian and I covered each match in depth in our live coverage, which you can view by clicking HERE, so now I’m just going to briefly summarise my thoughts on the show:

* The first half was very good, from the slick opener to the brutal Steen/Corino showdown.

* The second half delivered great action, but each match prior to the main event lasted a bit too long.

* I still don’t know what to make of the tag team championship bout. The pre-match beatdown from Haas and Benjamin seemed to go on forever, but I suppose the match itself was okay, though it could have done without the ref bump and wood related shenanigans.

* The main event was brilliant, Davey and Eddie went to war in another match of the year contender. 

* The set up for Richards vs Steen delivered a good hook for viewers to keep interested in ROH going into 2012. 

* The only real down point of the show for me was the unprotected chair shots (to the head). I recall Corino taking one from Steen, and the Briscoes took at least one or two each. That shouldn’t happen in 2011, when everyone is aware of the dangers. They were totally unnecessary in their respective scenarios too. 

* Overall, another great pay per view outing from Ring Of Honor. The main event was one of the best matches I’ve seen this year, and it received a solid backing from the undercard. I would recommend the replay ($15 over at GFL.tv), or the DVD if you would rather wait for that. 

Agree? Disagree? Let me know at indywrestling@hotmail.co.uk, or on Twitter @IWEnews

- Lee

Good evening! Lee here with live coverage on Ring Of Honor: Final Battle. I believe Adrian will be sending his thoughts along too. The show will start in a few minutes. I’ll edit all results and analysis into this post, so keep refreshing the page.

Jim Cornette, Kevin Kelly and Nigel Mcguinness in the ring to start things off. 

Match 1: Michael Elgin vs TJ Perkins

Winner: Michael Elgin (pinfall after a spinning sit out powerbomb)

Lee’s thoughts: Hot opener which I thoroughly enjoyed. TJP got in plenty of his flashy offence, and Elgin looked like a beast. TJP survived more moves than I expected. Both men were elevated in this one.  

Match 2: Tommaso Ciampa vs Jimmy Rave

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa (pinfall after Project Ciampa II)

Lee’s thoughts: A good showing from Jimmy Rave, and Ciampa continues to impress me. I love those running knees to the corner. The match was good. It featured some unnecessary Embassy shenanigans towards the end, but they didn’t last long, and Ciampa brought the seriousness back with his awesome finisher. 

Adrian’s thoughts: Decent match, Ciampa continues to look dominant. I never realised just how good a technician Rave was. Also, what happened to Rhino being the Embassy’s bodyguard? Am I missing something?

Match 3 - ROH TV Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs El Generico vs Mike Bennett (with Maria Kanellis)

- Mike Bennett eliminated El Generico with a tight assisted roll up

Winner: Jay Lethal (pinned Mike Bennett after the Lethal injection)

Lee’s thoughts: Generico was great, Lethal was good, Bennett was, well, there. Decent match, but arguably longer than it needed to be. Maria looked fantastic. By the way, each match has been followed by a brief technical explosion, with the audio and video going crazy.

Adrian’s thoughts: The wrestling itself was a little sporadic towards the latter stages of the match and the ending was a bit sudden, but a good match nonetheless. Generico and Lethal both had solid performances, and Bennett is definitely improving, although he still has a long way to go. Maria looked smoking hot.

Match 4 - No DQ: Kevin Steen vs Steve Corino (special referee: Jimmy Jacobs)

- Corino is blonde again. Steen entered from the crowd, first appearing on the balcony.

Winner: Kevin Steen, who is now reinstated in Ring Of Honor (pinfall following a package piledriver through chairs)

Lee’s thoughts: Brutal weapons brawl that lived up to the hype. They basically went out and killed each other. It was quite the spectacle. 

Adrian’s thoughts: How either of these two are still alive after that is beyond me. An enthralling and brutal battle with some devastating high spots, and now Steen is reinstated in ROH. 2012 is going to be an interesting year.

- Steen is on the mic. He delivered the package piledriver to Jimmy Jacobs. Steen tried to piledrive Cornette, but his nemesis El Generico made the save. Steen ended the brawl with a package piledriver off the apron through a table. Brutal. 

INTERMISSION

Lee’s thoughts: What a first half. This loaded show has delivered so far.

Match 5 - Tag Team Gauntlet: The Young Bucks vs All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) vs Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly) vs The Bravados vs Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander

- Coleman/Alexander & The Bravados are the first teams in.

- The Bravados are eliminated (Cedric Alexander pinned one of them).

- Future Shock are in now.

Lee’s thoughts: We’re seeing a lot more from Caprice Coleman than he showed on TV. The veteran/rookie team are definitely growing on me. 

-  O’Reilly pinned Alexander after Ride The Lightning. Coleman/Alexander are out.

Lee’s thoughts: I think Coleman & Alexander have solidified themselves as a legit ROH tag team. Great effort.

- The Young Bucks are in.

- Kyle just landed 9 consecutive butterfly suplexes. Wow.

- Adam Cole is pinned after More Bang For Your Buck.

Lee’s thoughts: They absolutely tore it up. Crazy action. 

- ANX are here. These are the final two teams. 

- One of the Bucks had Titus in a spinning toe hold, the other landed a 450 splash on him. Titus didn’t tap, but the ref stopped the match.

Winners: The Young Bucks (via ref stoppage)

Lee’s thoughts: The action was at its hottest when the Bucks were in there with Future Shock. It cooled off quite a bit when it was ANX vs the Bucks, but it still had its moments. The finish was a bit flat, but overall, a very entertaining tag gauntlet.

Adrian’s thoughts: Great, fast-paced action from all five teams involved, and a big win for the Bucks, although the finish was lacking. Coleman and Alexander in particular have really won me over, and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in 2012. Great stuff.

- Roderick Strong came out and issued his open challenge. Chris Hero answered, making his ROH return in the process! 

Match 6: Chris Hero vs Roderick Strong

Winner: Roderick Strong (pinfall following the Sick Kick)

Lee’s thoughts: It was good, but seemed a bit too long. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not been so drained from the tag team marathon. It’s also after 3am over here, which doesn’t help. 

Adrian’s thoughts: A brilliant, hard-hitting contest tainted by a cheap finish. It’s great to see Chris Hero back in an ROH ring, even if it’s probably not the job (no pun intended) he was hoping to have going into the new year.

Match 7 - ROH Tag Team Championship: Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas vs The Briscoes

- I’m pleased the commentators are acknowledging the cheers that the heel Briscoes receive. They get cheered louder than most babyfaces. They do have twice as much charisma as the rest of the roster, so it’s no surprise. 

- Long brawl before the match. WGTT are laying into the Briscoes with chairs.

- The match eventually starts. Jay is bloody. They’ve done the double turn, WGTT are heel and the Briscoes are face now. 

- By the way, WGTT botched Leap Of Faith badly just before the match started. 

- Haas swearing at the crowd. I wonder if he and Shelton will remain heel after this show.

- From certain angles, Haas looks like Hoyt from True Blood. 

Winners: The Briscoes (pinfall following the Doomsday Device)

Lee’s thoughts: That was a long, messy fight. I’m not quite sure what to make of it, but it was certainly interesting. Anyway, it’s great to see the tag titles back on the most charismatic tag team in the world. I’m guessing they’re officially tweeners rather than heels now. The crowd hated Haas and Benjamin, and Haas especially played into it. They were booked as heels throughout the whole match. I’m interested to see if they will continue as heels. 

Adrian’s thoughts: Great to see the belts round the Briscoes again. The crowd were perhaps a little unfair with the heat on WGTT, who put in one of their best performances yet in ROH (apart from the botched Leap of Faith).

Main event - ROH World Championship: Davey Richards vs Eddie Edwards

Winner: Davey Richards (pinfall after kicking Eddie in the face)

Lee’s thoughts: Wow. That was awesome, an absolute war. Davey had to pretty much destroy Eddie to get the pinfall. What a match.

Adrian’s thoughts: One more minute of that and I think I’d have had a heart attack. Every suplex, every stiff kick, every submission, every counter and every near-fall had me on the edge of my seat and fast running out of nail to bite. A twisting, turning rollercoaster of a match that saw two of the best in the world today taking each other to the very limits of human endurance. Hats off to Davey and Eddie, two men who make me proud to be a professional wrestling fan.

- Kevin Steen is out to interrupt Davey’s victory speech. He’s coming for Davey’s title, and claims he will hold Ring Of Honor hostage in 2012. 

And so ends Final Battle. What a show! Thank you very much for following along with us. 

Join us tonight for live coverage! 

The show will take place to life at the Manhattan Center in, erm, Manhattan. You can view it on live online pay per view over at http://gfl.tv

I will be doing live coverage of the show, right here at Indy Wrestling Express!

ROH World Championship: Davey Richards © vs Eddie Edwards

Preview: The third encounter between Richards and Edwards sees them tied with one win each. Will Eddie turn heel to take the belt? I think we will see a much more aggressive Eddie Edwards, but I don’t think such shenanigans will happen. My money is on the champion retaining.

Prediction: Davey Richards retains after Eddie Edwards passes out in a submission hold

Kevin Steen vs Steve Corino

Preview: If Steen wins, he will be reinstated. If he loses, he is banished from ROH forever. I have no doubt Mr Wrestling’s year long exile will come to an end.

Prediction: Steen pins Corino following a package piledriver

ROH Tag Team Championship: Shelton Benjamin © & Charlie Haas © vs The Briscoes

Preview: Benjamin and Haas have had a good run with the titles so far, but they aren’t stealing the show on the mic or in the ring. The Briscoes are two of Ring Of Honor’s finest in both areas. It’s time for Dem Boys to reign again.

Prediction: Jay or Mark pins Charlie Haas after the spingboard doomsday device

ROH TV Championship: Jay Lethal © vs El Generico vs Mike Bennett

Preview: I still think it’s a shame that Generico dropped the belt in his first defence. That said, I think Jay Lethal is a fine choice for TV champion. ROH seem to be pretty high on Bennett, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him leave with the gold.

Prediction: Mike Bennett will pin Lethal, after whatever his finisher his

Young Bucks vs ANX vs Future Shock vs Coleman & Alexander

Preview: This is a tough one. Coleman and Alexander aren’t ready to break out, so it’s really between the other three teams. I’m going to go with the team that I think need the win the most.

Prediction: Future Shock win

Michael Elgin vs TJ Perkins

Preview: I’m really looking forward to this one. I think Elgin will ultimately win, but TJP will get to show off a lot of his exciting offence.

Prediction: Michael Elgin wins

Tommaso Ciampa vs Jimmy Rave

Preview: Ciampa is going to be a big deal in Ring Of Honor. Rave will be back for one night. The outcome is in no doubt.

Prediction: Tommaso Ciampa pins Rave after Project Ciampa II

- Lee

The next Dragon Gate USA show will take place on January 27th 2012, in Los Angeles. I believe it is part of the Wrestlereunion convention. The following matches have been announced so far:

Open The United Gate: The Spike Mohicans (CIMA & Ricochet - champions) vs Masaaki Mochizuki & Jimmy Susumu (formerly Susumu Yokosuka)

PAC vs Akira Tozawa 

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Thoughts: A great start to the card. PAC vs Tozawa is a rematch from this year’s Mercury Rising show. The original is a match of the year contender for me. That tag match should be something special too, I’m very pleased to see the Mochizuki/CIMA feud extending to the US. If you’re curious as to why Yokosuka now is now called Jimmy, see the latest edition of PuroMania (click the “Japan” tab to the left).

Of course there are many more matches to be announced. I assume Gargano will defend the Freedom Gate against Yoshino, since Yoshino defeated CIMA at the last DGUSA show. Well, that’s if Gargano is still champion, he will make his first defence against Ricochet at EVOLVE 10 (on January the 14th in Philadelphia). 

- Lee

As part of the build up for Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards’ world title bout at Final Battle in two days’ time, Ring of Honor have put the two previous matches between the American Wolves up on their website to watch for free!

To see these two fantastic contests, which include their first match in the final of the TV Title tournament from back in March 2010 and their epic match-of-the-year-contender for the ROH World Championship at Best in the World this June, go to https://www.rohwrestling.com/Media and check them out. You don’t even need to be a member! I highly recommend you at least watch the World title match if you haven’t yet, it’s truly one of the most exciting and emotional moments in recent wrestling history, and it’s a great move on ROH’s part to make these freely available for everyone.

-Adrian

Ring Of Honor: Final Battle will take place this Friday (December 23rd) at the Manhattan Center (formerly the Hammerstein Ballroom) in Manhattan, New York (7:30pm). It will be broadcast on live IPPV, which you can order at the following link: 

http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Wrestling/Ring_of_Honor___Final_Battle_2011/1236

ROH World Championship: Davey Richards (c) vs Eddie Edwards

ROH Tag Team Championship: Shelton Benjamin (c) & Charlie Haas (c) vs Jay & Mark Briscoe

Kevin Steen vs Steve Corino (Jimmy Jacobs will be the referee, and if Steen wins he will be reinstated)

ROH TV Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs El Generico vs Mike Bennett

Roderick Strong’s open challenge

Tag Team Gauntlet: The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly) vs The All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) vs Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander

Michael Elgin vs T.J Perkins

Tommaso Ciampa vs Jimmy Rave

Visit rohwrestling.com for more details.

Thoughts: The line up is solid, I expect it will be a great show. Either myself or Adrian will be doing live coverage right here at Indy Wrestling Express, and I will also write up a full preview later in the week.

- Lee

By Lee Goodfellow

Last night, at the WWE: TLC pay per view, Daniel “Bryan Danielson” Bryan became WWE world heavyweight champion. He cashed in his “money in the bank” contract (which allowed him a world title shot at any time), which led to him defeating Big Show to lift the title (Big Show had just won the belt from Mark Henry, who attacked him after the match, leaving him vulnerable for Bryan).

As you probably know, Bryan was one of the most celebrated independent wrestlers ever, before signing with WWE in 2009. He held many championships, including the top belts in Ring Of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Full Impact Pro. His success was worldwide, the most prestigious of his non-American belts being the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship in Pro Wrestling NOAH (Japan), the IWGP Tag Team Championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and the IWA Puerto Rico Heavyweight championship. 

It’s fantastic seeing him have so much success in the WWE, a company that is notorious for looking down upon independent wrestlers and their accomplishments. Now both of their top titles are held by the two of the top indy stars of the past decade: 

Former Ring Of Honor booker Gabe Sapolsky, who currently runs Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE, posted the following on Facebook: 

“To all the people in 2002, 2003, etc… that told me time and time against that CM Punk and Bryan Danielson would never make it past indy main eventers, that the guys we had weren’t good enough, I take great pride in now saying F YOU!!!! Now recognize we have the new generation of stars with Gargano, Ricochet, PAC, Lee, Swann, Taylor, Callihan, Nation and the list goes on and on. Get in on it now and say you were there like all the folks that were with us back then with Bryan and Punki.”

You can view Bryan’s title victory in the following video:

What a fantastic moment. I wish Bryan great success with his title reign!

* Image credit: CM Punk (via Twitter)

By Lee Goodfellow

Dean Ambrose, formerly known as Jon Moxley, is the next big thing in American wrestling. I’m going to tell you why.

Ambrose, who will hereby be referred to as Moxley, is one of the best talkers in American wrestling today. In fact, he may well be the best (the only other contender I can think of is Kevin Steen). You have to go no further than the Dragon Gate USA Youtube channel to witness some of his superb mic skills. He is so convincing, it’s difficult to believe that he isn’t a straight up bad person after listening to his promos.

The gritty, grungy, despicable heel he plays is perfect for modern wrestling. His character is realistic without being bland, larger than life without being cartoonish. He also doesn’t have to resort to kayfabe destroying worked shoot stuff to tell a good story.

He backs his mouth up with his wrestling ability. While his main purpose in DGUSA was to talk for his Japanese stablemates who didn’t speak English (YAMATO, Shingo Takagi and Akira Tozawa), he had some great feuds of his own, the most notable of which was with Jimmy Jacobs. His biggest matches (in DGUSA and CZW) were of the hardcore variety, but he has proven himself in great bouts held under regular rules, most recently against Seth “Tyler Black” Rollins and WWE champion CM Punk (in FCW).

As you may or may not know, the former indy star is now signed to WWE. He has been wrestling in FCW, the WWE developmental territory, for several months now. He made his debut on the WWE house show circuit sometime in the past week, where he has had matches with Daniel “Bryan Danielson” Bryan. Since Bryan is not booked for tonight’s WWE “TLC” pay per view, I wouldn’t be surprised if Moxley faced him again in the pre-show dark match.

While there is an excellent independent wrestling scene in the USA, the top company, WWE, is a somewhat stale product at the moment. They have failed to make many new stars in recent years, and the quality of their shows is suffering because of it. Moxley’s personality and in-ring ability is far beyond most other WWE “superstars”, and I believe he may be the man to set the company alight again. The fact that WWE sent one of their top stars (CM Punk) down to Florida to wrestle Moxley a while back indicates to me that the powers-that-be see more in him than they do in the average FCW would-be-superstar.

Keep an eye out for the man that is now known as Dean Ambrose. He may well be the next big thing.

* Image credit: http://prorasslin.com

Tonight’s episode of Ring Of Honor will feature two matches: 

Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin (main event)

Eddie Edwards vs Andy “Right Leg” Ridge

This will the last episode before the “Final Battle” online pay per view, which will take place next Friday. Richards and Edwards will face off for the world title in the main event. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKLU0o6osNM

- Lee

It’s been a slow couple of weeks in British Wrestling, with few shows or matches announced for the short-term, and most promotions building up for bumper shows in January or February. Nevertheless, there has still been action to report, as well as a couple of shows this weekend to announce.

Southside Wrestling’s final show of the year on the 10th of December in Nottingham, “Season’s Beatings”, was a great success, with a solid turnout for a show which included Nigel McGuinness’s last ever match in England. It was a fine send-off too, with a victory over Martin Kirby in a great technical bout. Elsewhere in the card, Stixx defeated El Ligero, the Predators defeated Spyral and Robbie X, Nikki Storm defeated Holly Rocamora, Val Kabious beat ‘Loco’ Mike Mason, who replaced the injured Max Angelus, Mad Man Manson defeated Rockstar Spud in what I’ve been told was a fantastic and hilarious comedy match and T-Bone defeated Dave Mastiff (replacing the also injured Joel Redman) in the SWE title match.

Thoughts: Sounds like a great show with plenty of high-profile matches. Apparently the women’s match was a little lacklustre (understandable given how green Rocamora is) and the title match was a tad anticlimatic coming straight off the heels of the Manson/Spud match, which many attendees have said was one of the funniest things they’ve ever seen. Still, that match, McGuinness’s farewell and Ligero in action more than make up for it.

Last month’s IPW:UK 7th Anniversary Show, arguably British wrestling’s card of the year featuring such international and home-grown stars as Eddie Edwards, Nigel McGuinness, The Young Bucks, Noam Dar, Dean Allmark and many more, should be made available on demand at the IPW website this weekend, according to their official Twitter page.

Thoughts: Fantastic news, I’ve been dying to see this show for as long as I’ve known about it. IPW:UK’s ‘On Demand’ library has a great range of shows at a really low cost, and I highly recommend putting aside a few quid to get this show.

Tonight (17th December) sees MCW making its return to Cotgrave for Winterslam, the biggest show in MCW’s history. Here’s the announced card:

Number 1 Contender Rumble (Over the top rope rumble, winner gets title shot in main event later in the show, first person eliminated has to ring announce for the rest of the show while wearing a Santa suit): Alex Chaos, Alex Croft, Barricade, Bisto The Butcher, Brute Squad, Dave Mastiff, Diamond Dave Andrews, Freddy Nova, Gilligan Gordon, Jack Union, Joseph Conners, Knightmare, Martin Kirby, Matt Hall, Nate Colt, Paul Malen and Terry Isit

3 Way Dance - Elimination Rules: Bisto the Butcher vs Terry Isit vs Alex Croft

Tag Team War: The Predators (Paul Malen and Joseph Conners) vs Brutemare (Knightmare and Brute Squad)

“Best Wrestler in the World Ever!! - Even Better than Dave Fenix” Title Match: Freddy Nova (c?) vs Martin Kirby (watch this and you’ll understand)

Last Man Standing Match: Dave Mastiff vs Adam Antine

MCW Title Match: Dave Fenix vs winner of the Rumble match.

Thoughts: Another great card. I love the whole Freddy Nova/Dave Fenix/Martin Kirby storyline they’ve got going on. Nova is one of the most interesting people to watch in the UK wrestling scene, both on the mic and in the ring. And of course, everyone loves a good battle royal, and with a great opportunity for whoever wins it.

LDN return to the Mill End Sports Club in Rickmansworth tonight with a huge main event booked, as Hakan will face reigning champion Travis for the British Heavyweight Championship in what should be a feud-ending falls count anywhere street fight! Also on the bill is Kid Dynamite vs the Dark Lord, Gladiator vs Philip Friday and Yorghos defending his LDN Capital Championship against a yet to be announced opponent, plus much more.

Thoughts: LDN continues to put on great shows under everyone else’s radar. The feud between Hakan and Travis has been immense, and it’ll be exciting to see how it culminates tonight.

That’s all for this week. Best of British shall return after Christmas at some point, before going back to its regular Friday slot after new year. Happy holidays!

-Adrian

Sources:

http://www.ukff.com

http://www.ipwuk.com

http://www.ldnwrestling.com

THE GOOD

TJ Perkins vs Chris Silvio (TJP won)

Strong TV debut for TJP. He impressed with some exciting offence, including a cool finisher (the “Detonation Kick”, a bicycle kick from a fireman’s carry). I think he’s a fine addition to the roster.

I don’t have much to say about Silvio, since this match was all about his opponent. I did enjoy his pre match promo, he got over his 60s rocker/hippy/psychedelic gimmick well.

Main event (Kenny King & Rhett Titus defeated Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas)

Good stuff here. Kenny King delivered the best performance, which came as no surprise to me. The King/Benjamin sequences were the best of the match, I really want to see them go one on one.

I must say though, much like the other WGTT matches, this wasn’t one of the better main events I’ve seen on the show. I’d like to see a singles push for Shelton soon, I reckon he could bring more to ROH alone than in WGTT.

Opening match (Cedric Alexander & Caprice Coleman defeated The Bravado Brothers)

This match was decent. The Bravados are yet to impress me, but I’m becoming a fan of Alexander and Coleman. Their mentor/rookie dynamic sets them apart from the other teams in ROH.

Post main event angle

Haas cut an angry promo on the Briscoes after their cheap chair attack on Shelton Benjamin. He basically said that Shelton became his brother since his actual brother died, and that he would make the Briscoes pay for what they did to him. The delivery was a bit shaky, but it succeeded in turning their pay per view showdown from a wrestling contest to a grudge match.

Richards/Edwards hype

Another good “Inside ROH” segment showcasing the Eddie Edwards/Dan Severn partnership. It was much of the same as what we saw last week, but effective nonetheless. The build up is succeeding in giving the match a legitimate sport atmosphere.

THE BAD

No Briscoes promo

Though they did attack Shelton Benjamin, the Briscoes didn’t get the opportunity to speak at all this week. The Briscoes deliver the best promos in wrestling, they should talk on every episode. I wouldn’t complain if every episode consisted of nothing but Briscoes promos.

THE QUESTIONABLE

What’s going on in Camp Roderick?

I was disappointed that we didn’t get an update from “Camp Roderick” this week.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know at indywrestling@hotmail.co.uk, or on Twitter @IWEnews

- Lee