“Man, this arcade is built for violence!”
We are blessed by the energies of the professional wrestling gods, who above all else will tell you: make it good.
I saw a wrestling show Wednesday night based on interesting people and what they do. I saw feeling and emotion, revenge and elation. Saw a couple good wrestling matches too.
The World
Almost everybody in this world likes to say “shit.”
There were three big deals here surrounded by Kenny & The Bucks’ drama and other mostly (actually) good… shit.
Plenty happened but it was spaced out just enough for it to all make sense and matter. On a show that had a wild bloody old school wrestling angle, it was a camera shot that stood out more than anything: The Inner Circle returned to TV, crashing MJF‘s gift-giving session with the boys. If you can’t have a full crowd loving it, a backstage segment and tracking shot for the big return will do. Especially when it is done as well as this was. Fun angle, excellent production.
That bastard QT Marshall recruited a few Nightmare Family punks to go after Cody Rhodes and family too, and it was a wild angle complete with a bloody face and piledriver on steel steps. One could say there are too many groups of people on this show; I could say QT’s party is yet another good way to give a few fellas a soft launch.
Dynamite began with Christian Cage’s return to competition and ended with Kris Statlander and Trent‘s returns to TV, one by popping out of a Claw machine and the other by emerging from his mom’s minivan. Jon Moxley messed around in the middle and you’ve got Britt Baker/Thunder Rosa and Hikaru Shida/Tay Conti matches being built up simultaneously too. It’s good. It’s all good.
The Wrestling
The Arcade Anarchy delivered, and I had no idea what to expect. There were arcade games and prizes around the ring, and sometimes somebody got thrown into one. Chuckie T and Orange C smacking Miro over the head again and again and again with a trash can lid was a metaphor for the whole match, something that struck the right balance between silly and VIOLENT.
Also, Christian got winded but had a heck of a match with Frankie Kazarian — still an art to going out there cold and building and pacing your way into some big near falls. These old dudes proved that.
MOX/Cezar Bononi was good TV squash wrestling; the other two — Hikaru Shida & Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose & Bunny and Lucha Bros & Laredo Kid vs. Kenny Omega & Good Brothers — were alright but more about The World.
The Entertainment
Most of the stuff above was pretty entertaining. Penelope Ford got slammed through an air hockey table. Jade Cargill cuts good promos. So does Taz, who’s son Hook was checking his phone all through his – tremendous.
PENTA SAYS…
MJF got stuffed in a toilet. Santana looked like a beast. Jon Moxley said “fella” and kicked something on the way to the ring.
I am always just consistently reeling over how good Don Callis is at being a TV guy again too.
Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page’s little deal though? Eh.
Room for Improvement
- Matt Hardy kind of keeps cooling off babyfaces on the rise, intentional or not.
- Stables are good; too many stables with dissension is not good.
- Loved the QT Marshall turn but probably want to give something like that to The Pinnacle, no?!
My Favorite Things
- That ridiculous powerbomb by Nick Comoroto on Lee Johnson
- Jon Moxley’s wild swinging punch at Bononi
- Sue’s thumbs up!
