Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for May 22 to May 28, 2022

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of May 22nd to May 28th, 2022.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE RAW (May 23)
* 6-Man Tag Team match – Riddle & Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. Sami Zayn & The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) – 3.0
* Mixed Tag Team match – Judgement Day (Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley) vs. Liv Morgan & AJ Styles – 2.0
* Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki A.S.H. – 1.5
* Cody Rhodes vs. The Miz – 2.0
* Ezekiel vs. Chad Gable – 2.0
* Bobby Lashley vs. MVP – 1.5
* Asuka vs. Becky Lynch – 3.0
Overall – 2.0
Best – Riddle & Street Profits vs. Sami Zayn & The Usos match.
Worst – Bobby Lashley vs. MVP match and the flat anti-climatic ending to the Asuka vs. Becky Lynch match.
Show Notes – Opening Riddle promo about RK-Bro’s Tag titles unification loss to the Usos, trashing Reigns for last week’s attack injuring Orton, & promising revenge against the Bloodline was all right. 6-Man Tag moments: Zayn’s body scissors hold & double foot stomp combo to Riddle’s injured ribs. Jimmy’s toss into the steel steps & superkick combo to Ford on the outside. Riddle’s ripcord knee counter of Jey’s waistlock into Riddle’s running elbow strikes in the corner & Exploder Suplexes to Zayn & Jey. Ford’s sunset dive to the Usos on the outside. Riddle’s draping DDT to Zayn. Riddle’s RKO finisher to Zayn. Match itself was pretty good, especially the latter half. Lashley & MVP promo about their bad blood feud was decent at best but Lashley’s “All Mighty Challenge” stip being just a stip to setup another stip for his match against Omos at Hell in a Cell was a bit dumb. Judgement Day pre-match promo about Priest mocking people for being “sheep” and lacking courage, Ripley’s offer to Morgan to join their group, & Edge’s bashing people for being sheep for not standing up to their bosses and open offer to others to join his group was decent despite dragging a bit long. Mixed Tag was mostly solid despite the shenanigans ending by Edge & dragging at times. Miz’s backstage interview about his issues with Rhodes & mocking his neck tattoo, overboard entrance pyro, & countdown clock was splendid. King’s Court segment with Veer Mahan about Lawler’s corny hairy jokes to Mahan, Mahan’s issues with the Mysterios, & interruption brawl with Mysterios was decent at best. Rhodes vs. The Miz was a somewhat sloppy match topped by the lame DQ ending shenanigans by Rollins. Ezekiel vs. Gable was solid at best but the tossing out from ringside antics between the ref and Otis & Kevin Owens was funny. Lashley vs. MVP was nothing special topped by the lame countout ending & ringside shenanigans by Omos. Asuka vs. Lynch moments: Asuka’s catch counter of Lynch’s kick into Asuka’s release German suplex, hip attack, & kicks fest combo. Lynch’s guillotine on the ropes to Lynch into Asuka’s leap up strike & superplex to Lynch. Lynch’s ropes assisted Disarm-Her to Asuka. Match itself was mostly good despite the dud ending. This week’s show was average at best overall but also mostly dull.

WWE NXT (May 24)
* Two Dimes & Stacks vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade – 2.0
* Sanga vs. Wes Lee – 2.5
* Elektra Lopez vs. Alba Fyre – 2.5
* NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament Semi-finals match – Roxanne Perez vs. Lash Legend – 2.5
* Indi Hartwell vs. Mandy Rose – 2.5
* NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament Semi-finals match – Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley – 3.0
* Von Wagner vs. Ikemen Jiro – 2.0
* Bron Breakker vs. Duke Hudson – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley match.
Worst – Cora Jade & Roxanne Perez rambling backstage locker room segment and the DQ ending shenanigans to the Bron Breakker vs. Duke Hudson match.
Show Notes – Opening Tony D’Angelo & lackeys backstage promo about D’Angelo’s loss to Escobar last week, their bad blood feud, & warning to Legado was decent. Two Dimes & Stacks vs. Enofe & Blade was a somewhat solid bout. Post-match brawl with Legado and D’Angelo & lackeys was all right. Sanga vs. Lee moments: Sanga’s brutal looking toss to Lee across the ring. Lee’s slingshot double foot stomp to Sanga on the outside. Lee’s shotgun dropkick to Sanga into the steel steps into Sanga’s stiff chop flooring Lee on the apron. Sanga’s dodge & stiff clothesline counter of Lee’s Flying Nothing. Sanga’s vicious looking chokeslam finisher to Lee. Match was a solid back-and-forth bout. Post-match Xyon Quinn & Lee confrontation and Sanga run-in save for Lee was interesting. Cora Jade & Perez backstage locker room rambling segment about Perez’s upcoming match & them bad mouthing Lopez was somewhat awful. Gacy’s mind games with Breakker finding an old photo of his dad on his locker was decent. Lopez vs. Fyre was solid. Diamond Mine backstage segment about Strong being injured and unable to wrestle tonight & Creed Bros upset reaction was all right. Nikkita Lyons being pulled from the Women’s Breakout tournament due to injury was interesting. Perez vs. Legend moments: Legends’ reverse delayed suplex to Perez. Perez’s Pop Rox finisher counter of Legend’s powerbomb. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth bout. Toxic Attraction backstage promo bashing Hartwell & ambush attack by Katana Chance & Kayden Carter was decent. Hartwell vs. Rose was a mostly solid back-and-forth bout despite the ringside ending shenanigans by Toxic Attraction and Chance & Carter. Post-match Wendy Coo’s bag of balls attack on Rose was a bit funny. Pretty Deadly backstage promo bashing Strong & Diamond Mine was all right. Stratton vs. Henley moments: Stratton’s Dragon Screw to Henley on the ropes. Stratton’s slingshot sunset splash to Henley. Stratton’s bridging single leg lock to Henley. Stratton’s slingshot dropkick & slingshot corkscrew splash finisher combo to Henley. Match itself was a pretty good bout. Giovanni Vici’s NXT debut vignette was all right. Breakker vs. Hudson was going on decently until the lame DQ ending shenanigans by Breakker & Gacy’s mystery druids. This week’s show was average at best overall.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (May 27)
* SmackDown Women’s Championship Contender’s match – Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ronda Rousey – 1.0
* Raquel Rodriguez & Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler & Natayla – 2.5
* Los Lotharios (Angel & Humberto) vs. Jinder Mahal & Shanky – 2.0
* Drew Gulak & Ricochet vs. Ludwig Kaiser & Gunther – 2.5
* Brawling Brutes (Butch, Ridge Holland, & Sheamus) vs. New Day (King Woods & Kofi Kingston) & Drew McIntyre – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – The KO Show segment with Sami Zayn and the Brawling Brutes vs. New Day & Drew McIntyre 6-Man Tag match.
Worst – The mostly nothing Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ronda Rousey match and the flat ending to the Drew Gulak & Ricochet vs. Ludwig Kaiser & Gunther match.
Show Notes – Opening Usos’ promo praising Roman Reigns, 12th Year anniversary of their WWE debut, thanking the fans fakeout, boasting about not needing anyone for their success and unified Tag Titles win, and trashing RK-Bro, Nakamura’s interruption demanding a tag title shot, & brawl with Riddle was splendid. Shotzi’s backstage promo being upset about Rodriguez getting another chance at SD Women’s title & rallying others to take out Rodriguez was all right. Aliyah locking Shotzi in the women’s locker room was a bit funny but Shotzi not being able to unlock the door from the inside was a bit dumb. Rodriguez vs. Rousey was a big pile of nothing topped by the DQ ending shenanigans by Natalya & Baszler. Women’s Tag was a mostly solid match. New Day backstage interview about them not revealing their mystery tag partner, teasing a bunch of people, and their upcoming match against the Brawling Brutes was decent at best. Mahal having no clue where Shanky went off backstage only to find him dancing to their music in the locker room was a bit funny. Los Lotharios vs. Mahal & Shanky was somewhat solid. Pearce & Max Dupri backstage segment about Dupri’s contract to SD being approved was a bit dull. KO Show segment about Owens’s Ezekiel as Elias conspiracy, Owens & Sami Zayn reunion moment, Owens’ tearful reaction to Zayn siding with him about Ezekiel being a fraud, Zayn rejecting Owens’ offer to join him on RAW, heated bickering over Zayn’s Bloodline status and Ezekiel conspiracy, & Owens attack on KO Show staff was entertaining. Gulak & Ricochet vs. Kaiser & Gunther was a solid bout despite the flat ending. Usos & Zayn backstage segment about Zayn becoming an honorary Uce & Bloodline member was all right. 6-Man Tag moments: McIntyre being New Day’s mystery partner was nice but a bit of a bummer in terms of the hype for the surprise throughout the show. Kingston’s basement dropkick to Holland in the corner via McIntyre whip assist. Sheamus’ Alabama Slam to Kingston. McIntyre’s overhead suplex to Butch launching him across the ring. Woods & Kingston’s dives to Butch & Sheamus on the outside. McIntyre’s Claymore Kick & Woods’ springboard elbow drop finisher combo to Holland. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. This week’s show was mostly average overall.

---

AEW

AEW Dark Elevation (May 23)
* Ethan Page vs. JD Griffey – 2.0 (Squash)
* ROH Women’s World Championship – Hyan vs. Mercedes Martinez (c) – 1.5
* Varsity Blonds (Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr.) vs. The Butcher & The Blade – 3.0
* Lee Moriarty vs. Alex Reynolds – 3.0
* Skye Blue & Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura & Nyla Rose – 3.0
* Anthony Ogogo vs. Mysterious Q – 2.0 (Squash)
Overall – 3.0
Best – Varsity Blonds vs. The Butcher & The Blade and the Skye Blue & Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura & Nyla Rose match.
Worst – ROH Women’s World Championship match.
Show Notes – Page vs. Griffey opener was a decent mostly squash style bout. ROH Women’s title match moments: Martinez’s butterfly suplexes & botched underhook hold combo to Hyan. Hyan’s sitout suplex to Martinez. Martinez’s running forearm to the back of Hyan’s head into Martinez’s Brass City Sleeper finisher. Match itself a somewhat dull & sluggish bout. Varsity Blonds vs. Butcher & Blade moments: Garrison’s lift hold & Pillman Jr’s high dropkick combo to Blade. Blade’s Fisherman style swinging neckbreaker to Pillmar Jr. Blade’s kick & Butcher’s diving lariat double team combo to Pillman Jr. Butcher & Pillman Jr’s brutal looking running crossbody to each other. Garrison’s Falcon Arrow to Blade. Blade’s knee strike to Garrison into Garrison’s stiff lariat counter of Blade’s running attack. Garrison’s discus punch to Blade into Blade’s dodge counter of Pillman Jr’s accidental superkick to Garrison into Butcher & Blade’s Drag the Lake finisher to Garrison. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Moriarty vs. Reynolds moments: Moriarty’s Back Drop Driver counter of Reynolds’ headlock. Reynolds’ discus forearm & running big boot in the corner combo to Moriarty. Moriarty’s dodge counter of Reynolds’ moonsault into Moriarty’s knee strikes fest, face plant, & Border City Stretch finisher combo. Match itself was a pretty good competitive bout. Women’s Tag moments: Yuka’s matrix style escape & headscissors counter of Sakura’s pin attempt into Sakura’s tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Blue’s rana to Rose & spin kick to Sakura combo. Rose’s catch & Uranage counter of Yuka’s diving lariat. Yuka’s dodge, Blue’s side kick, Yuka’s guillotine drop, & Yuka’s Magical Girl Splash combo counter of Rose’s guillotine knee drop. Yuka’s springboard splash to Sakura on the outside. Rose’s catch of Blue’s top rope crossbody into Rose’s rollover Beast Bomb finisher counter of Blue’s rana. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Ogogo vs. Mysterious Q was a decent extended squash style bout. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

AEW Dark (May 24)
* Kris Statlander vs. Avery Breaux – 2.0 (Squash)
* “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard & “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker vs. Eli Isom & Tug Cooper – 2.0 (Squash)
* A.Q.A vs. Brittany Jade – 2.5
* Lee Moriarty vs. Alan “5” Angels – 3.0
* Sonny Kiss vs. Carlie Bravo – 3.0
* Robyn Renegade vs. Vicky Dreamboat – 2.0 (Squash)
* Anthony Ogogo vs. Trenton Storm – 2.0 (Squash)
* Leva Bates vs. Kiah Dream – 1.5
* The Wingmen (Ryan Nemeth & “Pretty” Peter Avalon) vs. Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta) – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Lee Moriarty vs. Alan “5” Angels match.
Worst – Leva Bates vs. Kiah Dream match.
Show Notes – Statlander vs. Breaux opener was a decent mostly squash style match. Menard & Parker’s pre-match promo informing the fans no sing-along allowed since Jericho is not there and boasting about beating up pro wrestlers to entertain the AEW Galaxy was all right. Menard & Parker vs. Isom & Cooper was a decent brief squash match. AQA vs. Jade was a solid back-and-forth grapple heavy bout. Moriarty vs. Angels moments: Angels’ leg lariat, arm drag, & arm bar combo to Moriarty. Angels’ stiff chops & strikes to Moriarty into Moriarty’s arm yank splatting Angels onto the mat. Moriarty’s leg twist attack to Angels’ arm & shoulder. Moriarty’s Front Chancery & bridging German suplex combo to Angels. Moriarty’s arm whip snap counter of Angels’ sunset pin. Angels’ Northern Lights suplex to Moriarty. Ouch at Angels after his rough looking & landing from his top rope Spanish Fly to Moriarty. Moriarty’s rolling chop & Border City Stretch finisher combo to Angels. Match was a quite good hard fought action filled bout. Kiss vs. Bravo moments: Kiss’ Press Slam off the top rope & backflip double knee drop combo to Bravo. Kiss’ chops & slingshot lariat via ropes assist combo to Bravo. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. Renegade vs. Dreamboat was a decent mostly squash style bout & The Renegades getting their first ever AEW win was interesting. Post-match interview about The Renegades claiming they don’t do Twin Magic during their matches decent. Ogogo vs. Storm was a somewhat decent mostly squash style bout. Bates vs. Dream was a mostly dull match. The Wingmen vs. Roppongi Vice moments: Wingmen’s double team suplex to Trent onto the stage. Romero’s step up splash to Wingmen via steel steps assist into Trent’s moonsault off the stage to the Wingmen. Trent’s shove & Tornado DDT counter of Nemeth’s wasitlock. Romero’s Forever Clotheslines to Wingmen. Trent’s suplex onto the ropes, Romero’s guillotine dropkick, & Tremt’s diving lariat combo to Avalon. Avalon’s enziguri & Nemeth’s Pendulum DDT combo to Trent. Romero’s suicide dive to JD Drake on the outside into Roppongi Vice’s Strong Zero finisher to Nemeth. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. This week’s show was average overall.

AEW Dynamite “3rd Anniversary Show” (May 25)
* Special Guest Referee Steel Cage match – Shawn Spears vs. Wardlow – 3.0
* Eddie Kingston & Jon Moxley vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) – 3.0
* ROH World Tag Team Championship – Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (c) – 3.5
* Triple Threat match – Ricky Starks vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Jungle Boy – 4.0
* Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semifinal match – Dr. Britt Baker vs. Toni Storm – 3.0
* Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Semifinal match – Kyle O’Reilly vs. Samoa Joe – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb’s surprise appearance, the Triple Threat match, and the Kyle O’Reilly vs. Samoa Joe match.
Worst – The rough ending to the Britt Baker vs. Toni Storm match.
Show Notes – Steel Cage match opener moments: Warlow’s cuffs breaking spot, lariats fest, & chucking into the cage combo to Spears. MJF’s nut kick counter of Wardlow’s powerbomb to Spears into Spears’ C4 to Wardlow. Wardlow’s dodge of Spears chair shot braining MJF. Wardlow’s powerbomb symphony & powerbomb onto a chair finisher to Spears. Match itself was entertaining. Wardlow’s post-match destruction of security was awesome, especially his powerbomb to one security guy sending him crashing through the cage bottom. CM Punk & Hangman Page face-to-face promo about Page’s angry responses about his plans to hurt Punk and defending AEW from Punk & Punk’s retort boasting about him paving the way for Page’s success was superb. Kingston & Moxley vs. Private Party was a good hard hitting action bout. Post-match mass brawl with JAS, Danielson, Santana, & Ortiz was sweet. ROH Tag title match moments: Romero’s enziguri & Trent’s Half & Half suplex to Cash. Cash’s back drop counter of Romero’s headlock. Trent’s German suplexes to Harwood into Harwood’s German suplexes. Trent’s block counter of Harwood’s piledriver into & RV’s Strong Zero. Match itself was a very good hard fought bout despite the DQ ending shenanigans by United Empire but Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb’s surprise appearance was cool. Triple Threat moments: Swerve’s escape landing on his feet counter of Jungle’s Super Poison Rana was cool. Starks’ counter of Jungle’s enziguri into Swerve’s superkick to Starks into Swerve’s suplex attempt to Jungle into Starks spear to Swerve into Stark’s Michinoku Driver to Jungle. Starks’ Roshambo to Swerve into Jungle’s Snare Trap into Swerve’s dropkick to break up the hold. Swerve’s Swerve Stomp finisher to Starks. Match itself was an awesome hard fought action packed bout. Post-match brawl with Hobbs, Luchasaurus, & Keith Lee was splendid. Thunder Rosa’s promo bashing Serena Deeb was all right. Baker vs. Storm was a pretty good back-and-forth bout despite falling apart near the end. O’Reilly vs. Joe moments: Joe’s loud stiff chop flooring O’Reilly. Joe’s stiff forearm strike counter of O’Reilly’s running attack on the outside. Joe’s vicious lariat counter of O’Reilly’s running attack. O’Reilly’s arm bar counter of Joe’s Muscle Buster. Joe’s rear naked sleeper finisher counter of O’Reilly’s O’Connor Roll. Match itself was a great physical battle. This week’s Double or Nothing go-home show was great overall.

AEW Rampage (May 27)
* Matt Sydal vs. Bryan Danielson – 3.5
* The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. Taylor Rust & Jon Cruz – 3.0 (Squash)
* Dante Martin vs. Max Caster – 3.0
* Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semifinal match – Kris Statlander vs. Ruby Soho – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Matt Sydal vs. Bryan Danielson match.
Worst – The Scorpio Sky new TNT Championship belt ceremony segment with Sammy Guevara & Pals dragging too long and being a bit of a mess.
Show Notes – Sydal vs. Danielson opener moments: Danielson’s roll over modified Dragon Sleeper to Sydal. Danielson’s suplex toss onto the ropes & guillotine knee drop combo to Sydal. Sydal’s Meteora to Danielson into Danielson’s single leg crab & knee bar combo counter. Sydal’s sunset flip powerbomb counter of Danielson’s superplex. Danielson’s Busaiku Knee, overhead elbow strikes, & double wristlock choke sleeper finisher to Sydal. Match was a very good action filled bout. HOOKhausen vignette was all right. Young Bucks’ Hardys style entrance, gear, & Matt Facts parody was great & same for Gangrel’s surprise appearance and Brandon Cutler cosplaying as Lita. Young Bucks vs. Rust & Cruz was an entertaining mostly squash style match with some nice comedic moments. Post-match Bucks attack on Gangrel & Hardys’ walk-in save brawl was splendid. Darby Allin backstage promo issuing a challenge to Kyle O’Reilly for Double or Nothing was interesting. Caster’s pre-match rap diss mocking Martin and his injured bro Dante & Gunn Club and Bowens’ ending lines routine and Ass Boys chant was splendid. Martin vs. Caster was pretty good. Joe vs. Cole Owen Hart Cup Finals match hype video was fine. Scorpio Sky’s new TNT title belt ceremony segment about Sky’s new purple & gold color belt, Guevara and Pals’ interruption break-in at Top Team’s HQ & stealing several belts, & Sky’s angry response accepting the Mixed Tag match and stip of Guevara & Kazarian never challenging for the TNT title if they lose dragged too long. Soho & Statlander pre-match split-screen interview about Soho being conflicted over facing her friend & Statlander’s angry retort not caring, her grievances over her AEW career’s lack of big success, & disrespect of being only an alt for the Owen Hart Cup all right. Statlander vs. Soho moments: Soho’s kick to Statlander into Statlander’s clothesline flooring Soho. Soho’s elbow strikes & Frankensteiner to Statlander. Statlander’s powerbomb counter of Soho’s running attack. Statlander’s Alabama Slam counter of Soho’s Poison Rana. Statlander’s German suplex & Falcon Arrow combo to Soho. Soho’s kicks counter of Statlander’s Spider Crab. Match itself was a very good back-and-forth action bout, especially the latter half, despite the flat ending. Soho’s heated post-match promo bashing Baker was decent. This week’s Double or Nothing go-home show was mostly very enjoyable overall.

AEW Dark “Special Saturday Edition” (May 28)
* Brandon Cutler vs. Darby Allin – 2.0 (Squash)
* Anna Jay vs. Sandra Moone – 2.0
* House of Black (Buddy Matthews, Brody King, & Malakai Black) vs. Adriel Noctis, Gregory Sharpe, & Matt Brannigan – 2.5 (Squash)
* Nyla Rose, Diamante, & Emi Sakura vs. Riho, Yuka Sakazaki, & Skye Blue – 3.0
* The Factory (Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto, & QT Marshall) vs. Death Triangle (Rey Fenix, Penta Oscuro, & PAC) – 3.0
* Marq Quen vs. Johnny Elite – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Nyla Rose, Diamante, & Emi Sakura vs. Riho, Yuka Sakazaki, & Skye Blue match.
Worst – Marq Quen vs. Johnny Elite match being a bit sluggish at times.
Show Notes – Cutler vs. Allin opener was a decent squash style brief bout. Post-match promo by Allin to Kyle O’Reilly threatening to do the same what O’Reilly did to Sting was all right. Jay vs. Moone was a mostly solid bout. Post-match Jay and Jade Cargill & Baddies staredown was fine. HoB vs. Noctis, Sharpe, & Brannigan moments: King’s brutal lariat flooring Brannigan. Black’s strikes combo, Matthews’ pop-up toss, & King’s catch & Gonzo Bomb combo to Sharpe. King’s running cannonball in the corner & Matthews’ Matthews Law finisher combo to Noctis. Match itself was a fine jobber destruction bout. Women’s Trios Tag moments: Riho’s Tornado DDT to Rose via Sakura lift assist. Rose’s ref distracted clothesline to Blue on the outside. Diamante’s running dropkick to Blue in the corner. Yuka’s hammerlock Merry-Go-Round slam to Sakura. Riho’s cazadora, Yuka’s dropkick, & Riho and Yuka’s 619 combo to Rose. Blue, Riho, & Yuka’s triple splashes to Diamamte, Rose, & Sakura on the outside. Match itself was an entertaining back-and-forth action bout. The Factory vs. Death Triangle Trios Tag moments: Death Triangles kicks fest & triple dropkick to Comoroto. DT’s triple dives to Factory on the outside. Comoroto’s Military Press powerslam counyer of Fenix’s suplex. Comoroto & Solo’s double team dropkick suplex to Fenix. Fenix’s rebound roundhouse kick counter of Marshall’s whip into the ropes. PAC’s slingshot Stunner to Marshall. PAC’s snap release german Suplex to Marshall. Marshall’s handspring kick to PAC. Fenix’s double foot stomp, Lucha Bros’ Fear Factory & double foot stomp, & PAC Brutalizer finisher combo to Solo. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. Quen vs. Elite moments: Elite’s leg lariat, swift kick, & standing corkscrew splash combo to Quen. Quen’s spiked Tornado DDT to Elite. Elite’s Waterwheel Drop to Quen. Quen’s dodge counter of Elite’s springboard side kick accidentally nailing the ref. Quen & Kassidy’s Snap Shot to Elite. Elite’s dodge of Quen’s Shooting Star Press into Elite’s dive to Kassidy on the outside & Starship Pain finisher to Quen. Match itself was pretty good despite dragging at times. This week’s special edition show was enjoyable overall.

---

NJPW, Impact, & Other Wrestling

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 6 (May 22)
* Tiger Mask, Alex Zayne, Ace Austin, & Clark Connors vs. Jado, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, YOH, & Ryusuke Taguchi – 3.0
* Dick Togo & SHO vs. Gedo & Taiji Ishimori – 2.5
* TAKA Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – DOUKI vs. Robbie Eagles – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – TJP vs. EL LINDAMAN – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – BUSHI vs. Master Wato – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Phantasmo vs. Titan – 4.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Desperado vs. Wheeler Yuta – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – El Desperado vs. Wheeler Yuta match.
Worst – The buzzkill shenanigans ending to the El Phantasmo vs. Titan match.
Show Notes – 8-Man Tag opener was an entertaining back-and-forth action bout. Togo & SHO vs. Gedo & Ishimori was a solid heel vs. heel style bout. Suzuki-Gun vs. LIJ Tag was a good back-and-forth action bout. DOUKI vs. Eagles moments: DOUKI’s dodge counter of Eagles’ splash into DOUKI’s diving DDT to Eagles on the outside. Eagles’ low dropkick & step up cutter comb to DOUKI. DOUKI’s catch & Italian Stretch 32 counter of Eagles 450 Splash. DOUKI’s spiked Daybreak DDT to Eagles. Eagles’ springboard missile low dropkick to DOUKI. Eagles’ kicks to DOUKI into DOUKI’s throat strike into Eagles’ thrust kick into DOUKI’s rebound lariat flooring Eagles. Match itself was a very good competitive action filled bout. TJP vs. EL LINDAMAN moments: TJP’s snapping arm breaker to LINDAMAN. TJP’s hammerlock slam & slingshot senton combo to LINDAMAN. LINDAMAN’s catch & Exploder suplex counter of TJP’s springboard Flying Nothing. Ouch at LINDAMAN’s knees after his rough landing from his tope con hilo to TJP on the outside. TJP’s springboard DDT to LINDAMAN. LINDAMAN’s dodge & brutal looking running dropkick counter of TJP’s Swanton. LINDAMAN’s deadlift bridging German Suplex finisher to TJP. Match itself was a good action filled bout. BUSHI vs. Master Wato moments: BUSHI’s block & DDT onto the floor counter of Wato’s strike attack. Wato’s tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to BUSHI. Wato’s corkscrew dive to BUSHI on the outside. BUSHI’s dropkick counter of Wato’s running attack onto the ropes. Wato’s dodge & high angle German suplex counter of BUSHI’s rewind kick. BUSHI’s dropkick to the knee & backstabber combo counter of Wato’s kick from the corner. BUSHI’s spiked MX finisher to Wato. Match itself was pretty good. El Phantasmo vs. Titan moments: Titan’s sparkly jewel encrusted mask looks really cool. ELP’s loud chop counter of Titan’s springboard attack. Titan’s wrist control bouncy rope walk into a rana to ELP was cool. ELP’s lengthy delayed vertical suplex to Titan. ELP’s bouncy rope walk back rake to Titan. ELP’s catch & super powerbomb setup counter of Titan’s top rope rana into Titan’s Frankensteiner counter. Titan got some nice distance with his Asai moonsault to ELP. ELP’s sitout powerbomb counter of Titan’s roll-up. ELP’s head yank pull from the corner to Titan into Titan’s enziguri & DVD combo. Titan’s brutal springboard double foot stomp to ELP. ELP’s UFO counter of Titan’s Airplane spin. ELP’s mask yank off, Sudden Death, & CR II finisher combo to Titan. Match itself was a mostly great back-and-forth action packed bout despite the anti-climatic shenanigans ending by ELP. El Desperado vs. Yuta moments: Despy’s Indian Deathlock to Yuta into Despy’s spinning knee drop onto Yuta’s knees. Despy’s leg stomp & Dragon Screw combo counter of Yuta’s kick in the corner. Despy’s roll & Numero Dos combo to Yuta into Yuta’s escape, Fujiwara Arm Bar, & Cattle Mutilation counter. Despy’s ripcord spinebuster counter of Yuta’s Pain Thriller. Despy & Yuta’s forearms & strikes fest exchange into Despy’s inverted Dragon Screw. Yuta’s Pain Thriller to Despy. Yuta’s overhead elbow strikes into Despy’s escape & Pinche Loco attempt counter of Yuta’s Seatbelt into Yuta’s block into Despy’s Pinche Loco. Despy’s Pinche Loco finisher counter of Yuta’s Backslide pin attempt. Match itself was a great hard fought action filled bout. Best of the Super Jrs 2022 Night 6 was a mostly great show overall.

NJPW XTRA (May 23)
* CHAOS (Wheeler Yuta & Rocky Romero) vs. LA Dojo (Kevin Knight & The DKC) – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Show Notes – The “Week in NJPW” and NJPW Strong Mutiny Night 2 show highlights were all right. CHAOS vs. LA Dojo moments: Yuta’s dodge & body slam counter of Knight’s running attack in the corner into Knight’s dodge of Yuta’s standing senton into Yuta’s dodge & Seatbelt pin attempt counter of Knight’s standing Frog Splash. Knight’s kitchen sink & sloppy looking bulldog combo counter of Romero’s running attack. Romero’s dodge & Pele Kick counter of Knight’s dropkick. Yuta’s springboard dropkick to DKC and atomic drop & enziguri to Knight. DKC’s spinning karate chop into Yuta’s rebound bridging German suplex to DKC. DKC’s chops & karate chops fest to Yuta into DKC’s sunset roll & Knight’s lariat combo to Yuta. DKC & Yuta’s forearms exchange into DKC & Yuta’s waistlocks exchange into DKC’s Crucifix Bomb. Romero’s Forever Clotheslines to DKC & Knight. Romero’s Falcon Arrow & Yuta’s top rope Splash finisher combo to DKC. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 7 (May 24)
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Francesco Akira vs. Alex Zayne – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – TJP vs. Titan – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors A Block match – Clark Connors vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – Wheeler Yuta vs. BUSHI – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Ace Austin vs. YOH – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Phantasmo vs. DOUKI – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors B Block match – Master Wato vs. Robbie Eagles – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors A Block match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Hiromu Takahashi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors A Block match – SHO vs. Taiji Ishimori – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors B Block match – El LINDAMAN vs. El Desperado – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – El LINDAMAN vs. El Desperado match.
Worst – NJPW’s ref Marty being mostly useless during the SHO vs. Taiji Ishimori match.
Show Notes – Akira vs. Zayne opener moments: Zayne’s discus lariat & somersault leg drop combo to Akira. Akira’s missile dropkick counter of Zayne’s leaping Frankensteiner. Akira’s Spanish Fly to Zayne. Akira’s springboard Poison Rana to Zayne. Zayne’s catch & powerbomb counter of Akira’s rana. Zayne’s Baja Blast & Taco Driver finisher combo to Akira. Match itself was a very entertaining action filled bout. TJP vs. Titan moments: TJP’s modified Scorpion Deathlock & Mutoh Lock combo to Titan. Titan’s matrix dodge, enziguri, & headscissors grab to TJP on the apron tossing him over the ropes. TJP’s superplex & Final Cut combo to Titan. Titan’s top rope double stomp to TJP on the outside. Match itself was a very good action filled bout. Connors vs. Taguchi moments: Connors’ buns of steel antics to Taguchi was a bit funny. Connors’ hip attack counter of Taguchi’s Bum-maye. Connors & Taguchi’s hip attacks exchange. Taguchi & Connors running hip attack dazing each other. Taguchi’s ankle lock counter of Connors’ spear. Match itself was an entertaining comedic based bout. Yuta vs. BUSHI moments: Yuta’s block, overhead elbow strikes, & Seatbelt finisher combo counter of BUSHI’s Lungblower. Match itself was pretty good. Austin vs. YOH moments: Austin’s top rope spinning leg drop to YOH. YOH’s roll-up to Austin into YOH’s leglock hold. YOH’s German suplexes & high angle bridging German suplex combo to Austin. Austin’s roundhouse kick, double knee stomp, & The Fold finisher combo to YOH. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. El Phantasmo vs. DOUKI moments: DOUKI’s headscissors to ELP sending him out of the ring into DOUKI’s Tornado DDT via apron assist. DOUKI’s running splash off the bleachers to ELP. Ouch at DOUKI after his hard landing from ELP chucking him out of the ring. ELP’s top rope moonsault to DOUKI on the outside. ELP’s Liger Bomb & UFO combo to DOUKI. DOUKI’s Daybreak botch fakeout & Schoolboy finisher to ELP. Match itself was a very good physical action bout. Eagles vs. Master Wato moments: Wato’s sweet looking high angle German suplex to Eagles. Eagles’ swinging leg sweep to Wato off the top rope crashing Wato onto the mat. Wato’s bridging clutch pin finisher counter of Eagles’ Turbo Backpack. Match itself was a quite good back-and-forth action bout. Kanemaru vs. Takahashi moments: Hirmo’s superkick & running DVD into the corner to Kanemaru. Kanemaru’s knee breaker & Figure Four combo to Hiromu. Kanemaru’s leg swing into the post & ref distracted chair attacks combo to Hiromu. Match itself was a pretty good hard hitting bout. SHO vs. Ishimori was a pretty good heel duel dirty tactics filled bout. EL LINDAMAN vs. El Desperado moments: Despy’s one arm spinebuster to LINDAMAN. Yikes at Despy crashing into a fan in the crowd from his suicide sunset dive to LINDAMAN. Despy’s Guitarra de Angel counter of LINDAMAN’s strike. LINDAMAN’s Exploder suplex counter of Despy’s running attack into the corner. LINDAMAN’s leaping cross armbreaker to Despy off the top rope. LINDAMAN’s one arm Iconoclasm to Despy. Despy’s escape & Numero Dos counter of LINDAMAN’s deadlift German suplex. LINDAMAN’s no hands back drop counter of Despy’s Pinche Loco. LINDAMAN’s snap Dragon suplex & bridging German suplex finisher counter of Despy’s Pinche Loco. Match itself was a great hard fought action bout. Best of the Super Jrs 2022 Night 7 was a great show overall.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 8 (May 25)
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Alex Zayne vs. Ace Austin – 4.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – DOUKI vs. BUSHI – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Francesco Akira vs. Clark Connors – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – Wheeler Yuta vs. Titan – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Phantasmo vs. EL LINDAMAN – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – SHO vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – 2.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Taiji Ishimori – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – TJP vs. Robbie Eagles – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Desperado vs. Master Wato – 4.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – YOH vs. Hiromu Takahashi
Overall – 4.0
Best – El Desperado vs. Master Wato match and the YOH vs. Hiromu Takahashi match.
Worst – The buzzkill House of Torture style ending shenanigans to the comedic SHO vs. Ryusuke Taguchi match.
Show Notes – Zayne vs. Austin opener moments: Zayne’s standing Shooting Star Press to Ace. Zayne’s pop-up knee strike to Ace into Ace’s roundhouse kick flooring both. Zayne’s Baja Blast counter of Ace’s The Fold. Ace’s rope yank counter of Zayne’s Cinnamon Twist. Ace’s leap-over top rope headscissors & The Fold finisher combo to Zayne. Match itself was a great action filled bout. DOUKI vs. BUSHI moments: DOUKI’s dive to BUSHI crashing into the announcer’s table. BUSHI’s dropkick & Pendulum DDT combo to DOUKI. BUSHI’s modified MX counter of DOUKI’s Daybreak. DOUKI’s catch & Italian Stretch 32 finisher counter of BUSHI’s MX. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Akira vs. Connors moments: Connors’ catch counter of Akira’s headscissors into Akira’s Tornado DDT counter. Akira’s Brutta Faccia & Fireplex combo counter of Connor’s Extinction Elbow setup. Connors’ powerslam counter of Akira’s Fireball. Match itself was a very good hard hitting action bout. Yuta vs. Titan moments: Yuta & Titan’s stiff chops fest exchange. Titan’s Drive-by clothesline to Yuta into Yuta’s dropkick, overhead elbow strikes, & Seatbelt finisher combo counter of Titan’s springboard double foot stomp. Match itself was good. El Phantasmo vs. EL LINDAMAN moments: LINDAMAN’s sunset dive to ELP on the outside. ELP’s hard chuck to LINDAMAN into the barricade. ELP’s brainbuster to LINDAMAN. ELP’s got some nice air with his Liger Bomb to LINDAMAN. LINDAMAN’s Judo throw & spiked DDT to ELP. ELP’s leg injury fakeout, superkick, & CR II finisher combo to LINDAMAN. Match itself was a really good hard hitting action bout. SHO vs. Taguchi moments: Taguchi’s tea bagging attack to SHO at the entrance way. SHO & Taguchi’s ref shove antics into Taguchi’s dodge & ankle lock counter of SHO’s spear. SHO’s shocked reaction to his wrench being switched with a banana instead was funny. Match itself was a solid comedic style bout despite the House of Torture ending shenanigans. Kanemaru vs. Ishimori was a pretty good brief bout. TJP vs. Eagles moments: TJP’s ropes assist grapevine choke & neckbreaker on the apron combo to Eagles. TJP’s catch & leg whip counter of Eagles’ Flying Nothing into Eagles’ Ron Miller Special. TJP’s knees, Mamba Splash, & Pinoy Stretch finisher combo counter of Eagles 450 Splash. Match itself was a very good hard fought action filled bout. El Desperado vs. Master Wato moments: Wato’s corkscrew splash to Despy on the outside. Despy’s knee drop & Numero Dos combo to Wato. Wato’s knee strike counter of Despy’s knee breaker. Despy’s dodge counter of Wato’s RPP. Despy’s ripcord spinebuster & Guitarra de Angel combo to Wato. Wato’s roll-up escape counter of Despy’s Pinche Loco into Despy’s escape & Pinche Loco finisher counter. Match itself was a great hard fought action filled bout. YOH vs. Takahashi moments: YOH’s Dragon Screw & leglock combo to Hiromu. Hiromu’s snap release German suplex & lariat combo to YOH. YOH’s 5 Star Clutch counter of Hiromu’s Time Bomb into Hiromu’s Full Nelson counter into YOH’s Dragon Screw counter. YOH’s 5 Star Clutch counter of Hiromu’s Time Bomb. YOH’s thrust kick & Ushigoroshi to Hiromu into Hirmou’s escape counter of YOH’s Direct Drive. YOH’s brutal backbreaker & Direct Drive finisher combo to Hiromu. Match itself was a great hard fought action filled bout. Best of the Super Jrs 2022 Night 8 was a mostly terrific show overall.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 9 (May 26)
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – Titan vs. Master Wato – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – TJP vs. DOUKI – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Clark Connors – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Alex Zayne vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Francesco Akira vs. YOH – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – EL LINDAMAN vs. Wheeler Yuta – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Ace Austin vs. Taiji Ishimori – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – BUSHI vs. El Desperado vs. BUSHI – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – SHO vs. Hiromu Takahashi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Phantasmo vs. Robbie Eagles – 5.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – El Phantasmo vs. Robbie Eagles match.
Worst – The stale House of Torture style ending shenanigans to the SHO vs. Hiromu Takahashi match.
Show Notes – Titan vs. Master Wato opener was a good back-and-forth action bout. TJP vs. DOUKI moments: DOUKI’s DDT counter of TJP’s suplex onto the apron. TJP’s roll-over counter of DOUKI’s Suplex De La Luna into DOUKI’s Italian Stretch 32 counter of TJP’s Pinoy Stretch. DOUKI’s catch & Italian Stretch 32 counter of TJP’s Pinoy Stretch into TJP’s roll over & Pinoy Stretch counter finisher. Match itself was a quite good action filled bout. Kanemaru vs. Connors was pretty good. Zayne vs. Taguchi moments: Zayne’s dodge couner of Taguchi’s Bum-maye into Taguchi’s ankle lock. Zayne’s chomp attack counter of Taguchi’s butt attack. Zayne’s knee strike counter of Taguchi’s hip attack into Taguchi’s dodge & ankle lock counter of Zayne’s enziguri. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout with some nice comedic momemts. Akira vs. YOH moments: Akira’s suicide dive outta nowhere to YOH during YOH’s entrance. YOH’s superkick counter of Akira’s Fireball. YOH’s bridging German suplex counter of Akira’s waistlock. Akira’s escape & Brutta Faccia setup counter of YOH’s superplex into YOH’s kick counter of Akira’s Brutta Faccia. Akira’s Fireball finisher to YOH. Match itself was a very good hard fought action filled bout. EL LINDAMAN vs. Yuta was pretty good, especially the latter half. Austin vs. Ishimori moments: Ishimori’s hammerlock shoulder shove to Austin in the exposed corner into Ishimori’s Cobra Clutch. Austin’s chops fest & sommersault dive to Ishimori on the outside. Ishimori’s inverted Bloody Cross counter of Austin’s The Fold. Austin’s block & Norther Lights suplex counter of Ishimori’s Bloody Cross. Match itself was a very entertaining hard fought action filled bout & was surprised Austin won. El Desperado vs. BUSHI momemts: BUSHI’s leg swing, dropkick to the knee, & backstabber combo to Despy on the ropes. Despy’s spinebuster & Guitarra de Angel combo to BUSHI. BUSHI’s block & rewind kick counter of Despy’s Pinche Loco. BUSHI’s Lungblower & Destroyer combo to Despy. BUSHI’s MX finisher to Despy. Match itself was a very good back-and-forth action bout. SHO vs. Takahashi momemnts: Hiromu’s snap suplex on the floor & hard chuck into the barracade combo to SHO. Hiromu’s DVD to SHO onto the apron. SHO’s hidden weapon in the boot swift kick, kicks, & Indian Deathlock finisher combo to Hiromu. Match itself was mostly pretty good despite the ending House of Torture shenanigans with EVIL. El Phantasmo vs. Eagles moments: ELP’s lawn dart throw to Eagles into the post. ELP’s delayed brainbuster to Eagles. Ouch at ELP’s face after whacking the floor from his suicide dive to Eagles on the outside & same for his back from his dive afterwards. Yikes at ELP’s after his missed rope walk moonsault to Eagles on the outside & Eagles’ dive to ELP crashing hard into the barricade afterwards. ELP’s catch & Turbo Backpack counter of Eagles’ kick. Eagles’ dodge & Burning Hammer counter of ELP’s 450 Splash. Eagles’ Thunder Kiss splash to ELP. ELP’s Sudden Death superkick outta nowhere to Eagles. Eagles’ Tiger Driver & Ron Miller Special combo to ELP. ELP’s Avalanche neckbreaker to Eagles. ELP’s V-Trigger to Eagles into Eagles’ Poison Rana counter of ELP’s One Winged Angel. Eagles 450 Splash & Ron Miller Special finisher to ELP. Match itself was terrific & Match of the Tournament so far. Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 9 was a mostly great show overall.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night 10 (May 28)
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Francesco Akira vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Clark Connors vs. Taiji Ishimori – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – BUSHI vs. Titan – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – YOH vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – SHO vs. Ace Austin – 2.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – Wheeler Yuta vs. Master Wato – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Phantasmo vs. TJP – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – EL LINDAMAN vs. Robbie Eagles – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 A Block match – Alex Zayne vs. Hiromu Takahashi – 4.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – DOUKI vs. El Desperado – 4.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – DOUKI vs. El Desperado match.
Worst – The ending shenanigans to the SHO vs. Ace Austin match.
Show Notes – Akira vs. Kanemaru opener was a pretty good back-and-forth match. Connors vs. Ishimori was a good back-and-forth action bout. BUSHI vs. Titan moments: BUSHI’s suplex to Titan onto the ropes into Titan’s dodge & leap kick counter of BUSHI’s top rope guillotine knee drop. Titan’s deadlift modified neckbreaker to BUSHI. Titan’s Toronado DDT & spinning neckbreaker combo to BUSHI. Match itself was a quite good competitive bout. YOH vs. Taguchi moments: YOH’s forever Irish whips to Taguchi into Taguchi’s exposed butt rana pinfall finisher counter. Match itself was pretty good. SHO vs. Austin moments: SHO running to grab the BotSJ trophy and threatening to break it if Austin whacked him with a chair was a bit funny. SHO’s toss onto the ref counter of Austin’s The Fold into SHO’s low blow & wrench attack. Match itself was solid despite the lame ending shenanigans by SHO. Yuta vs. Master Wato moments: Wato’s escape & Recientemente counter of Yuta’s arm bar. Wato’s high angle German suplex counter of Yuta’s wheelbarrow roll attack. Yuta’s dodge & Pain Thriller counter of Yuta’s RPP. Yuta’s overhead elbow strikes & Seatbelt finisher combo to Wato. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. EL Phantasmo vs. TJP moments: ELP’s escape & UFO setup counter of TJP’s Final Cut into TJP’s escape & Octopus Hold counter TJP’s tilt-a-whirl modified Octupus Hold to ELP. ELP’s roll over & CR II finisher counter of TJP’s roll-up. Match itself was a very good hard fought action bout. EL LINDAMAN vs. Eagles moments: Eagles’ escape, spin kick, & standing Slice Bread counter of LINDAMAN’s German suplex. LINDAMAN’s T-Bone suplex to Eagles into the corner. Eagles & LINDAMAN’s wristlock counters exchange into Eagles’ Turbo Backpack & Ron Miller Special finisher combo to LINDAMAN. Match itself was a very good hard hitting action filled bout. Zayne vs. Takahashi moments: Hiromu’s lariat in the corner & running dropkick combo to Zayne sending him to the outside into Hiromu’s shotgun dropkick off the apron to Zayne. Hiromu’s sunset bomb to Zayne onto the floor. Zayne’s catch & powerbomb toss counter of Hiromu’s leap up Triangle hold. Hiromu’s escape & wheelbarrow Flatliner counter of Zayne’s Taco Driver. Zayne’s Baja Blast counter of Hiromu’s Time Bomb. Hiromu’s rana & Triangle choke counter of Zayne’s Taco Driver. Hiromu’s Stunner & The D triangle hold finisher combo to Zayne. Match itself was a great competitive action packed bout. DOUKI vs. El Desperado moments: DOUKI & Despy’s forearms & chops fest exchange starting off their match. DOUKI’s Even Flow DDT counter of Despy’s bodyslam to the floor. Despy’s low dropkick & sunset dive through the ropes to DOUKI on the outside. Despy’s torquing Indian Deathlock to DOUKI into Despy’s Stretch Muffler. DOUKI’s catch & Italian Stretch 32 counter of Despy’s spear. Despy’s catch & suplex counter of DOUKI’s Daybreak. DOUKI & Despy’s forearms fest into Despy’s stiff forearm & Pinche Loco into DOUKI’s escape roll & Italian Stretch counter. DOUKI’s overshot suicide dive DDT to Despy onto the concrete floor was nasty. Despy’s escape Dragon Screw, & roll-over brutal looking Numero Dos finisher counter of DOUKI’s Italian Stretch. Match itself was an awesome hard hitting action packed battle. NJPW Best of the Super Jrs 2022 Night 10 was a great show overall.

Impact Wrestling Impact! (May 26)
* Ultimate X Qualifying match – Alex Shelley vs. Trey Miguel – 3.5
* Masha Slamovich vs. Havok – 2.5 (Squash)
* Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace – 3.0
* Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian – 3.0
* Raj Singh & Shera vs. Bhupinder Gujjar & W. Morrissey – 3.0
* 6-Man Tag Team match – Violent By Design (Deaner, Joe Doering, & Eric Young) vs. The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe) & Josh Alexander – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Alex Shelley vs. Trey Miguel match and the Violent By Design vs. Briscoes & Josh Alexander match.
Worst – The No Contest shenanigans ending by Honor No More to the Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian match.
Show Notes – Shelley vs. Miguel opener moments: Shelley’s brutal looking Dragon Screw to Miguel in the corner. Miguel’s strikes fest & double foot stomp combo to Shelley. Miguel’s reverse DDT & Dragon Sleeper combo to Shelley. Shelley’s dodge, clothesline, & Michinoku Driver combo counter of Miguel’s top rope Meteora. Miguel’s crucifix roll up finisher counter of Shelley’s roll up. Match itself was a very good hard fought action filled bout. Briscoes & Alexander backstage interview about their issues with VBD & interruption by Good Bros demanding a tag title shot was all right. Slamovich vs. Havok was a decent mostly squash style bout. Green vs. Grace was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. Honor No More & Scott D’Amore’s backstage segment about HNM’s grievances over Impact’s unsafe work conditions & D’Amore denying HNM a revenge match against Good Bros was decent. Deonna Purrazzo’s backstage interview boasting about being the face of Impact’s Knockouts division & interruption by Tasha Steelz boasting about her being the face instead & their shared issues with Yim was all right. Sabin vs. Kazarian moments: Sabin’s back drop toss over the ropes counter of Kazarian’s headlock. Sabin’s stiff lariat flooring Kazarian. Kazarian’s body slam & springboard leg drop to Sabin. Kazarian’s slingshot DDT to Sabin. Sabin’s top rope spiked Tornado DDT to Kazarian. Sabin’s leap up & Dynamite superplex to Kazarian off the top rope. Match itself was going on well until the No Contest ambush attack shenangians ending by HNM. Singh & Shera vs. Gujjar & Morrissey was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. 6-Man Tag moments: Deaner & Mark’s loud stiff chops exchange. Alexander’s running crossbody to Doering onto the apron. Mark Briscoe’s Swanton & Jay’s corkscrew splash combo to VBD on the outside. Deaner’s shotgun dropkick to Alexander in the corner via Young’s Irish whip assist. Deaner’s backbreaker & Young’s running neckbreaker combo to Alexander. Mark’s big boot and neckbreaker & Jay’s top rope elbow drop combo to Young. Briscoes’ double team neckbreaker powerbomb to Deaner. Doering’s running crossbody splatting Alexander on the outside. Match itself was a very good back-and-forth action filled bout despite the illegal weapon ending shenanigans by Deaner. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

---

Weekly Awards:

• Best match of the week – Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – El Phantasmo vs. Robbie Eagles (NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 9)
• Best match of the week runner-up – Best of the Super Juniors 2022 B Block match – DOUKI vs. El Desperado (NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 10)
• Worst match of the week – SmackDown Women’s Championship Contender’s match – Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ronda Rousey (WWE Friday Night SmackDown)
• Worst match of the week runner-up – Bobby Lashley vs. MVP (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night 10
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW