The Wrestling Bucket

Low Ki vs Frankie Arion, CTWE 9/24

Pretty fun superstar vs local indy hero match. Ki is a big enough star at this point that him stepping into a small time promotion like this feels like a big moment for them, and Arion was pretty game. Arion doesn't do anything that will wow you or leave a lasting impression, but he was better than your average scrub and executed all his stuff well. Still, this was pretty much all Low Ki. He was really vicious early on when working Arion over, including some sick headbutts to the back of the neck and dumping him hard on the floor, and when it came time for Frankie's big comeback run, Ki put his offence over huge. One or two spots were slightly goofed and looked really over co-operative, but still a fun match of this kind and a great look at Ki in this role.

Suwama vs Jun Akiyama, All Japan 10/23

This was a good match, but definitely not the MOTYC it is being lauded at on some boards. The match on it's own is fine, but it's the emotion and outcome that puts it over the top and will probably lead to it being overated. 2/3 of the way in I was pretty on the fence about it and was wondering if when people call matches like this "King's Road" they actually understand what that means or wether they think it just means "suplexes off the apron", but the final third or so was pretty great and saved it. Akiyama's selling of the back, facial expressions, etc. were all pretty great, but that is what I have come to expect from a talent of his calibre. There was one uber-lame no-sell suplex exchange, which felt very forced and out-of-place. "This is a big NOAH/AJ title match, we have to do atleast one suplex fighting spirit spot" even if it was just as Suwama began regaining control of the match. Suwama in control is pretty dry and uninteresting, but atleast he tries to mix it up by busting out stuff like dives and an enziguri(!?). Anyway yeah, fine match that became great in the final section. Plenty of struggle and focus on transitions there, and I actually thought the kickout at 1>fire-up spot (which I usually cringe at) worked really well here as far as making Suwama look legit in the "ace" role and making the mountain Akiyama had to climb even bigger. Then there was THAT headbutt! Then a cradle nearfall!? Yeah. Good match though far from flawless or a MOTYC.

Drew McIntyre vs John Morrison, WWE Superstars 11/3

Pretty great little superstars main event and a nice reminder that these guys are still there and tearing it up. Morrison's flashy athletic shit was used pretty well throughout and his big spots (the flip off the stairs, the twisting hilo over the ring post) were impressive. Drew Mac is still Drew Mac and beat the tar out of him, and sold his ass off to make Morrison's offence look great. Really liked Drew suckering Morrison in to smash him into the ring frame, and the way they set-up the finish was really well done.

Mark Henry vs Daniel Bryan, WWE Smackdown 11/4

Well this was an awesome TV main event. Not necassarily something that will stand out at the end of the year, but a perfectly booked match between two of the best talents going that did an effective job making both of them look good whilest also building to the next PPV. After weeks of being almost non-existent job fodder, Henry made Bryan look great. When he was murdering him, he was really fucking murdering him, but he also gave him just enough offence to look like he could have pulled out the upset. The crowd pretty much exploded for Bryan's big comeback attempt, and the finish and everything after was good shit too.

William Regal vs Dean Ambrose, FCW 11/6

I remember the first time I ever saw Jon Moxley, it was a short squash against some masked doofus in CZW and thought "this guy looks like an indy William Regal with the way he is beating up this dork". Fast forward a couple years and this match happened. And it was GREAT. Regal cuts a promo early in the show making this feel like it is important for him as well as Ambrose, and that is how the match played out, with Regal seemingly more motivated than usual. He was just so good in this match, coming up with really unique clever ways to torture Ambrose, like tying his arm in the turnbuckle. And Ambrose's heelish one-armed comeback was fucking great too, just as him talking shit to Regal whilest being strangled with his own arm was. Really cut a fine balance between acting like an unlikable young prick, and a tough SOB you couldn't help but respect. I could have done with one final Ambrose comeback attempt before the finish, but he survived enough that when it was all said and done, he looked like the toughest motherfucker in FCW, and Regal looked like a killer. Great match.

William Regal vs Daniel Bryan, WWE Superstars 11/10

Two awesome Regal matches in the space of a week, yes that is what we need. With this being in the UK, Regal was really over, and Bryan worked almost in a heelish manner (refusing to break clean, taking cheapshots, etc). I wasn't expecting it and it made the match even more interesting. There was some slick chain wrestling to start with Regal looking absurdly quick and nimble for a 43 year old, and when they started laying it in the blows were stiff as fuck. At one point it looked like Bryan almost kicked Regal's head into the third row. As well as the student vs teacher story going on, Bryan targetted Regal's leg in a number of nifty ways. It didn't really lead to anything, especially when Bryan's finisher is an arm submission, but whatever, this was good. Also: Real Man's Man!

Mark Henry vs Daniel Bryan, WWE Smackdown 11/11

Much shorter than their first match, and not a main event so it felt less important. Still, it accomplished the same stuff the first match did (making both guys look strong), and what they did get time to do was good. Bryan managing to get the Lebell Lock in on Henry felt like a big moment, and Henry countering by straight-up deadlifting him into a slam was nuts.