Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for July 16 to July 23, 2022

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of July 16 to July 23rd, 2022.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE RAW (July 18)
* RAW Women’s Championship – Carmella vs. Bianca Belair (c) – 2.0
* Damian Priest vs. Rey Mysterio – 2.5
* Seth Rollins vs. Ezekiel – 3.0
* Omos vs. Angelo Dawkins – 1.0
* Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. MVP & Omos – 2.0
* Theory vs. AJ Styles – 2.5
* 6-Women Tag Team match – Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, & Asuka vs. Tamina, Nikki A.S.H., & Doudrop – 1.0
Overall – 2.0
Best – Seth Rollins vs. Ezekiel match and the Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair RAW Women’s title match hype video.
Worst – The very awkward “Stand Up for WWE” style opening segment with Titus O’Neil.
Show Notes – Opening Titus O’Neil promo segment about his WWE career, being WWE Global Ambassador, & WWE being a “safe haven” and stuff was very weird. Lynch’s promo boasting about her greatness and RAW Women’s title quest, interruption by Belair about their issues and RAW Women’s title comeback story, interruption by Carmella boasting about her win last week, & brawl was decent at best. RAW Women’s title match was somewhat solid despite dragging at times & abrupt ending. KO Show segment with Riddle about Owens’ offer to be in Riddle’s corner for his match at SummerSlam & badmouthing Orton, Riddle’s angry response, & ambush attack by Rollins was all right. Rollins backstage interview about his attack on Riddle and their upcoming match, angry interruption by Ezekiel, & banter was all right. Priest vs. Mysterio moments: Priest’s catch & Razor’s Edge finisher counter of Mysterio’s rana. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth bout. Judgement Day’s post-match attack on Rey, Dominik willing to join the group to stop their attack, & J.D. denying the offer was decent. Rollins vs. Ezekiel moments: Rollins’ shove counter of Zeke’s top rope attack into Rollins’ top rope knee drop to Zeke on the turnbuckle. Zeke & Rollins botched Victory Roll spot was a bit funny. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Ford’s antics at ringside was the only good part about a nothing Omos vs. Dawkins match topped with a DQ ending by MVP. Street Profits vs. MVP & Omos was mostly solid despite the lame DQ ending by the Usos. Theory’s pre-match promo boasting about his SummerSlam MitB cash-in plans, claiming everyone hates him due to jealousy, interruption by Styles, & insults filled banter was all right. Theory vs. Styles moments: Theory’s Fisherman neckbreaker to Styles. Ziggler’s ref distracted superkick to Theory on the outside. Match itself was mostly solid despite the dull countout ending. Lynch vs. Belair RAW Women’s title match hype video was splendid. 6-Women Tag was a big waste of time while the mid-match 24/7 title shenanigans was dumb. Mysterios backstage promo about Dominik not joining Judgement Day & their bad blood issues with the group was decent. Miz TV segment about Logan Paul demanding Miz accept his SummerSlam match request, their bad blood issues, Miz denying the match request, Paul’s tiny balls retort, Miz accepting the match, & brawl with Ciampa was okay. This week’s show was somewhat average at best overall.

WWE NXT (July 19)
* Cameron Grimes vs. JD McDonagh – 3.0
* Roderick Strong vs. Damon Kemp – 2.0
* NXT UK Tag Team Championship – Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson) vs. Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs (c) – 3.0
* Axiom vs. Dante Chen – 2.5 (Squash)
* #1 Contender for NXT Women’s Championship 20-Women Battle Royal – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Cameron Grimes vs. JD McDonagh match.
Worst – The Grizzled Young Veterans new Dyad repackaged gimmick and looks unveiling segment and the sloppy Stratton vs. Stark ending sequence to the Women’s Battle Royal match.
Show Notes – Grimes vs. McDonagh opener moments: Grimes’ big boot to McDonagh on the apron. McDonagh’s leg sweep & slingshot corkscrew splash to Grimes. Grimes’ enziguri, palm strikes fest, & superkick combo flooring McDonagh. McDonagh’s headbutt to Grimes into Grimes’ knee strike counter of McDonagh’s running attack. McDonagh’s shove tying up Grimes onto the ropes into McDonagh’s kicks & Devil Inside finisher. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Cora Jade’s promo about being the face of NXT’s Women’s division, fans caring more about Perez since she arrived, Perez being selfish for wanting more gold for herself, boasting about her attack on Perez last week, her NXT Women’s title goal & dumping the NXT Women’s Tag title in the trash was okay. Strong vs. Kemp was mostly solid despite the flat ending & shenanigans by Tony D’Angelo & Pals. Diamond Mine backstage segment about Strong being angry about Creed Bros getting attack by D’Angelo was decent at best. NXT UK Tag titles match moments: Briggs’ toss to Prince over ropes into Prince landing on Henley on the outside. P.D.’s double team suplex toss to Jensen onto the ropes. Jensen’s big boot flooring Prince into Henley’s title grab counter of Wilson’s weapon attack into Briggs & Jensen’s High Low finisher to Wilson. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. Joe Gacy’s dim lit smoky backstage segment unmasking the Dyad as the Grizzled Young Vets with new ring names and persona was a bit corny. Wes Lee’s backstage interview about Trick Williams & Grayson Waller’s issues with him was all right. Bron Breakker’s promo about his issues with McDonagh over his sneak attack, interruption by McDonagh promising to hurt Breakker, insults retort by Breakker, & banter was decent. Diamond Mine’s angry backstage interview about their bad blood issues with D’Angelo and demanding a match or hunt down his group down for a beating if he refuses was all right. Axiom vs. Chen was a fine mostly squash style bout. D’Angelo locker room interview mocking Diamond Mine & accepting their match request was all right. Women’s Battle Royal moments: Zoey Stark’s surprise return was cool. Stratton knocking Choo out of the ring into Choo’s landing on a pillow for the elimination save spot was a bit funny. Paxley slingshot splash onto Chance & Carter eliminating herself to save Nile from their beating was weird. Match itself was solid despite falling apart right at the end. This week’s show was average but mostly enjoyable overall.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (July 22)
* Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser – 3.0
* Shanky & Junder Mahal vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) – 1.5 (Squash)
* Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville – 2.5
* Aliyah vs. Lacey Evans – N/A
* The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) & Theory vs. Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) & Madcap Moss – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Brock Lesnar’s surprise appearance & destruction of Theory.
Worst – The opening “Thank You Vince” segment and Lacey Evans’ rambling promo segment.
Show Notes – Opening Stephanie McMahon’s promo about Vince’s retirement & WWE career praise was a bit cringey and the crowd booing his departure & “Thank You” chants despite his sexual assault allegations was both funny & embarrassing. Street Profits’ promo about the Usos and upcoming Tag titles match, Theory’s interruption about his MitB cash-in promise and bashing Lesnar and Reigns, Usos’ interruption about Theory’s disrespect to Reigns, banter, & brawl with Moss was all right. Nakamura vs. Kaiser was a pretty good back-and-forth bout despite the ending shenanigans by Gunther. Post-match Gunther being angry over Ludwig celebrating the win despite needing his help & trolling Ludwig pretending he wasn’t going to chop him only to deliver a stiff chop in the end was a bit funny. Liv Morgan & Ronda Rousey’s backstage interview about their upcoming SD Women’s title rematch & Rousey demanding a handshake after its done was decent. Corbin’s ambush attack to McAfee, McAfee’s chase & backstage brawl was all right. McAfee’s heated insults filled promo bashing Corbin was splendid. Shanky & Mahal vs. Viking Raiders was somewhat decent at best brief squash bout despite the countout ending & New Day being a bit overbearing on guest commentary. Sheamus’ promo bashing Boston’s Irish folk and issues with McIntyre, interruption by McIntyre claiming Sheamus lost his passion, & shillelagh match setup banter was pretty good. Usos & Heyman backstage segment about Heyman wanting Usos to take out Theory to protect Reigns’ WWE title reign after SummerSlam was all right. Evans’ pre-match rambling promo demanding respect from the crowd & digs at Boston folk was nothing special & dragged long. Aliyah vs. Evans non-match was a big waste of time & same for their feud so far. Jeff Jarrett backstage interview about being the special guest ref for the Tag titles match at SummerSlam was all right. NXT’s Sofia Cromwell being revealed as Maxxine Dupri was interesting & same for Max Dupri’s absence. 6-Man Tag moments: Moss’ Fallaway slams fest to Usos & Theory. Usos’ superkicks to Theory for trying to walk out of their match. Ford’s sunset dive to Usos & Dawkins on the outside. Theory’s rough looking Fisherman neckbreaker to Moss. Match was going on well until the lame DQ ending by Theory. Post-match attack by Theory on Moss was decent but Lesnar’s surprise appearance despite the rumors of him walking out was cool. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

---

AEW

AEW Dark Elevation (July 18)
* Bobby Fish vs. Blake Li – 2.0 (Squash)
* Marina Shafir & Nyla Rose vs. Brittany & Skye Blue – 1.5
* Julia Hart vs. Amber Nova – 2.0 (Squash)
* Ethan Page vs. Leon Ruffin – 3.0
* Dark Order (Evil Uno & 10) vs. Terrence & Terrell Hughes – 2.5
* AFO (Butcher, Blade, & Angelico) vs. Jameson Ryan, Brandon Bullock, and Bryce Cannon – 2.0 (Squash)
* Tony Nese vs. John Walters – 2.0 (Squash)
Overall – 2.5
Best – Ethan Page vs. Leon Ruffin match.
Worst – Marina Shafir & Nyla Rose vs. Brittany & Skye Blue match.
Show Notes – Fish vs. Li opener was a decent mostly squash style match. Shafir & Rose vs. Brittany & Blue moments: Shafir’s hip throw & ugly looking German suplex to Blue. Rose’s stiff powerbomb & Shafir’s stiff kick and Greedy finisher combo to Britanny. Match itself was somewhat dull & rough in pacing at times. Hart vs. Nova was a decent brief mostly squash bout. Page vs. Ruffin moments: Page’s lift & toss counter of Ruffin’s headlock hold. Ruffin’s ropes leaping escape & dropkick counter of Page’s attack attempts into Page’s shoulder tackle flooring Ruffin. Ruffin’s rebound lariat counter of Page’s whip into the ropes into Ruffin’s top rope corkscrew cutter. Page’s military press & powerslam to Ruffin. Page’s big boot & Ego’s Edge finisher counter of Ruffin’s Flying Nothing. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. Dark Order vs. Hughes Bros was a solid back-and-forth match despite dragging at times. AFO vs. Ryan, Bullock, & Cannon Trios Tag moments: Angelico’s spinning Navarro Death Roll finisher to Bullock. Match itself was a decent jobber destruction brief bout. Nese vs. Waters moments: Nese’s hard whip into the corner & Tree of Woe kicks and rapid seated kicks combo to Waters. Match itself was a decent mostly squash bout. This week’s show was average at best overall but also very skippable outside of the Page vs. Ruffin match.

AEW Dark (July 19)
* Jora Johl vs. Luke Sampson – 2.5
* Lee Moriarty vs. Ren Jones – 2.5
* Serena Deeb vs. Viva Van – 2.0 (Squash)
* Marina Shafir vs. Amber Nova – 2.0 (Squash)
* Konosuke Takeshita vs. Anthony Henry – 3.5
* Jonathan Gresham vs. Jordan Oasis – 3.0
* Wheeler Yuta vs. Bryce Donovan – 2.5
* Danhausen vs. Jake Something – 2.5
* The Renegade Twins (Charlette & Robyn Renegade) vs. Avery Breaux & Valentina Rossi – 2.0
* Mercedes Martinez vs. J-Rod – 2.5
* Varsity Blonds (Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr.) vs. Terrence & Terrell Hughes – 2.0 (Squash)
* QT Marshall vs. Fuego Del Sol – 3.0
* Jay Lethal vs. Logan Cruz – 2.0 (Squash)
* ROH Pure Rules match – Daniel Garcia vs. Alan “5” Angels – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Konosuke Takeshita vs. Anthony Henry match.
Worst – The almost two-hour runtime and bloated card for this week’s show.
Show Notes – Johl vs. Sampson opener was a solid back-and-forth bout. Del Sol’s backstage fiery promo about AEW’s roster & his upcoming match against Marshall was splendid. Deeb vs. Van moments: Deeb’s brutal looking seated double arm crank hold on Van’s back. Match itself was a decent mostly squash style bout. Takeshita vs. Henry moments: Henry’s neck twist counter of Takeshita’s sunset flip roll. Henry’s straitjacket hold to Takeshita into Takeshita’s flip over escape & straitjacket into Henry’s float over straitjacket style backstabber. Takeshita’s flying lariat to Henry sending him out of the ring into Takeshita’s Swanton dive on the outside. Takeshita’s uppercut & superplex to Henry. Henry’s catch & cross-legged Dragon Screw counter of Takeshita’s running knee strike in the corner. Takeshita’s lift & Last Ride counter of Henry’s armbar into Takeshita’s swift knee strike & leaping knee strike finisher combo. Match itself was a very entertaining hard fought action filled bout. Gresham vs. Oasis was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. Yuta vs. Donnovan was a solid bout. Yuta’s post-match promo about his upcoming ROH Pure title match against Garcia was all right. Danhausen vs. Something was a solid back-and-forth bout despite the abrupt ending. Renegade Twins vs. Breaux & Rossi Tag was decent at best & same for their post-match interview about their win & retort over Tony Schiavone’s issues with their Twin Magic cheating in matches. Marshall vs. Del Sol moments: Marshall’s swift punch counter of Del Sol’s Flying Nothing into Del Sol’s Poison Rana counter of Marshall’s Fireman’s Carry setup. Marshall’s Diamond Cutter counter of Del Sol’s Shooting Star Press into Marshall’s Diamond Cutter finisher. Match itself was pretty good despite dragging a bit too long. Lethal vs. Cruz was a decent mostly squash style bout. Lethal’s post-match interview bashing Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe was all right. ROH Pure Rules match moments: Garcia’s palm strike, Saito suplex, running boot wash in the corner, & Northern Lights Bomb combo to Angels. Angels’ stalling piledriver to Garcia. Garcia’s knees counter of Angels’ Frog Splash. Garcia’s Rear Naked Choke to Garcia into Garcia’s overhead elbow strikes & Rear Naked Choke finisher counter of Angels’ block attempt on the turnbuckle. Match itself was a good back-and-forth bout. Post-match attack by Garcia to Angels & run-in save and brawl with Yuta was all right. This week’s show was average overall despite the long runtime.

AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest 2022 Week 2 (July 20)
* Brody King vs. Darby Allin – 3.5
* Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Wheeler Yuta & Jon Moxley) – 3.5
* Christian Cage & Luchasaurus vs. Varsity Blonds (Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr.) – 2.0 (Squash)
* FTW Championship Open Challenge match – Cole Karter vs. Ricky Starks (c) – 3.0
* The Baddies (Jade Cargill & Kiera Hogan) vs. Willow Nightingale & Athena – 2.5
* Barbed Wire Everywhere match – Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Brody King vs. Dallin Allin and the Barbed Wire Everywhere match minus the ending sequence.
Worst – Barbed Wire Everywhere match going overboard with the outside shenanigans near the end & flat ending result.
Show Notes – King vs. Allin opener moments: King’s ragdoll toss to Allin onto the ropes. Allin’s Coffin splash to King in the corner into King’s sleeper catch of Allin’s Coffin splash. Allin’s dodge counter of King’s cannonball in the corner into Allin’s Code Red. King’s cannonball into the corner counter of Allin’s sleeper hold. Allin’s smash to King’s head on the exposed turnbuckle into King’s catch & hanging sleeper counter of Allin’s Stunner. King’s brutal looking deadlift Gonzo Bomb finisher to Allin. Match itself was a very entertaining bout. Post-match brawl with Sting & Malakai Black and HoB & Miro staredown was cool. Karter & Team Taz backstage interview about FTW title match & Starks’ reference of Karter being killed off in NXT was all right. Best Friends vs. BCC Tag was a very good back-and-forth hard hitting action filled bout. Strickland & Lee AEW Tag titles celebration segment about them basking their tag titles win, Mark Sterling’s insults interruption and antics with Kevin Gates, & Swerve’s cake smash to Sterling’s face was decent but also a bit goofy. Cage & Luchasaurus vs. Varsity Blonds was a decent mostly squash bout. Post-match Jungle Boy’s surprise return & chase at Cage was all right but Luchasaurus siding with Jungle was interesting. FTW title match was pretty good. Starks’ post-match promo demanding another challenger, Danhausen accepting, & Starks quickly backtracking and doing it next week instead was a bit funny. Nightingale, Statlander, & Athena’s backstage interview about the Baddies was decent. FTR interview segment about their upcoming ROH Tag titles match, Wheeler’s respect for the Briscoes, & Harwood’s passionate story about his daughter’s heart issue & recovery was superb. Women Tag was a solid bout. Jericho vs. Kingston: Kingston chucking Jericho into the barbed wire ropes. Jericho’s Frankensteiner to Kingston onto a barbed wire board. Jericho’s Walls to Kingston onto a barbed wire board. Kingston’s crotching Jericho onto barbed wire ropes. Kingston’s apron suplex to Jericho through a barbed wire table on the outside. Tay Conti, Ruby Soho, and Anna Jay’s & JAS and Kingston’s Pals brawls at ringside. Kingston’s Exploder suplex to Jericho through a barbed wire board in the corner. Kingston’s barbed wire Stretch Plum to Jericho. Guevara’s shove to Kingston into Jericho’s barbed wire Judas Effect finisher. Match itself was a mostly very good bloody hardcore bout despite the flat ending & going overboard with the shenanigans near the end. This week’s Fyter Fest 2022 Week 2 show was mostly very enjoyable overall.

AEW Rampage Fyter Fest 2022 Week 2 (July 22)
* John Silver & Hangman Adam Page vs. The Butcher & The Blade – 3.0
* Dante Martin vs. Lee Moriarty – 3.0
* Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker vs. Ashley D’Amboise & Skye Blue – 2.5
* Christopher Daniels vs. Jay Lethal – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – John Silver & Hangman Adam Page vs. The Butcher & The Blade match and Claudio Castagnoli’s promo segment.
Worst – Matt Sydal’s promo segment.
Show Notes – Silver & Page vs. Butcher & Blade opener moments: Page’s escape & rolling lariat counter of Butcher’s German suplex into Page’s moonsault to Blade on the outside. Silver’s German suplex & Page’s Buckshot Lariat finisher to Butcher. Match itself was a quite good back-and-forth bout. Garcia vs. Yuta ROH Pure title match hype video was all right. Claudio Castagnoli’s promo about his upcoming ROH title match against Gresham and the ROH title being something he never held during his time in ROH was splendid. Wardlow promo video about his TNT title & beatings threat for anyone who think they can dethrone him was all right. Martin vs. Moriarty moments: Martin got some sweet height with his step up dropkick to Moriarty. Martin’s Half & Half sitout side slam counter of Moriarty’s waistlock. Moriarty’s dodge counter of Martin’s Nose Dive into Martin’s O’Connor Roll into Moriarty’s roll-up counter finisher. Match itself was a good back-and-forth bout. Moriarty cheating to win the match was interesting. Matt Sydal’s upset promo about Moriarty cheating & match setup was decent at best. Deeb vs. Martinez ROH Women’s title match hype video was all right. Women’s Tag moments: Baker’s leg yank on the apron & twisting neckbreaker to the floor to Blue. Baker’s ripcord elbow strike & Hayter chokebreaker combo to D’Amboise. Baker’s ugly looking Butterfly suplex, Hayter’s sliding lariat, & Baker’s Lock Jaw finisher combo to D’Amboise. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth bout. Ariya Daivari “coming soon” vignette was interesting. Max Caster vs. Austin Gunn rap battle about Gunn mocking Caster’s failed relationship and scissoring dig, Caster’s dig at Gunn’s voice, Gunn’s Cena gimmick stealing retort, Caster’s retort mocking Billy Gunn, Zack Wilson, Austin’s hair loss, & dig at Gunn Club’s failed TV and ROH careers, Gunn’s screechy retort about not being an Assboy, & brawl was mostly entertaining. Daniels and Lethal & Pals pre-match split-screen backstage interview was decent. Daniels vs. Lethal moments: Daniels’ dodge counter of Lethal’s moonsault into Daniels’ scoop slam & slingshot elbow drop. Daniels’ block & shove of Lethal’s Muscle Buster in the corner into Lethal’s dodge & thrust kick counter of Daniels’ missile dropkick. Daniels’ catch counter of Lethal’s Lethal Injection into Lethal’s backdrop & Lethal Injection finisher counter of Daniels’ Angels Wings. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

---

NJPW, Impact, & Other Wrestling

NJPW G1 Climax 2022 Night 1 (July 16)
* Kosei Fujita vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor – 3.0
* TMDK (Bad Dude Tito & JONAH) vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Toru Yano – 3.0
* SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, & EVIL vs. Jado, David Finlay, & Tama Tonga – 2.0
* Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Juice Robinson, & KENTA vs. TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., & Lance Archer – 3.0
* BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hirooki Goto – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 C Block match – Aaron Henare vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 D Block match – El Phantasmo vs. Will Ospreay – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2022 B Block match – SANADA vs. Jay White – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2022 A Block match – Jeff Cobb vs. Kazuchika Okada – 4.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – Jeff Cobb vs. Kazuchika Okada match.
Worst – The anti-climatic dud ending to the SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, & EVIL vs. Jado, David Finlay, & Tama Tonga match.
Show Notes – Fujita vs. Lawlor opener was pretty good brief bout & fine NJPW main roster debut performance by Lawlor. TMDK vs. Oiwa & Yano was a good bout with some nice comedic moments. SHO, Takahashi, & EVIL vs. Jado, Finlay, & Tonga was solid at best despite the very dud HoT style shenanigans ending. Bullet Club vs. Suzuki-Gun 8-Man Tag moments: Taichi & Archer’s double team Judo style toss to Fale out of the ring. ZSJ & KENTA’s strikes exchange into ZSJ’s float-over armbar counter of KENTA’s running attack. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout despite the awkward abrupt ending. LIJ vs. CHAOS 6-Man Tag moments: Goto’s suplex to BUSHI onto Naito. Naito’s forearm strikes to Goto into Naito & Goto’s moves & counters exchange into Goto’s block & lariat counter of Naito’s enziguri. Ishii’s float-over suplex to BUSHI. YOSHI’S swift lariat counter of Takagi’s Pumping Bomber into BUSHI’s spiked DDT to YOSHI. Match itself was a really good back-and-forth action filled bout. Henare vs. Tanahashi moments: Henare’s modified curb stomp to Tanahashi. Henare’s lariat to Tanahashi on the ropes into Tanahashi’s swift slap into Henare’s Berserker Bomb counter of Tanahashi’s Sling Blade attempt. Tanahashi’s break, Twist & Shouts, & Sling Blade counter of Henare’s Full Nelson hold. Henare’s knees counter of Tanahashi’s High Fly Flow. Match itself was a quite good hard fought bout & surprised that Henare won. EL Phantasmo vs. Ospreay moments: Ospreay’s dodge of ELP’s springboard moonsault into ELP’s suicide dive to Ospreay on the outside. ELP’s hard whip into the corner, catch, Tree of Woe, & sliding dropkick combo to Ospreay. ELP’s trust kick counter of Ospreay’s attack into Ospreay’s extra spiny backbreaker counter of ELP’s running attack. ELP & Ospreay’s stiff forearms exchange into ELP & Ospreay’s moves exchange into ELP’s reverse Spanish Fly counter of Ospreay’s Oscutter. Ospreay’s block & stiff strikes counter of ELP’s Sudden Death. ELP’s Frankensteiner to Ospreay into Ospreay’s dodge counter of ELP’s Thunder Kiss. ELP’s escape & Sudden Death counter of Ospreay’s Oscutter. ELP’s backslide counter of Ospreay’s Oscutter into Ospreay’s Hidden Blade finisher. Match itself was a great back-and-forth action packed bout. SANADA vs. White moments: White’s dodge counter of SANADA’s slingshot splash to the outside into White’s Flatliner to SANADA into the guard rail. White’s “Two Sweet” chops to SANADA into SANADA & White’s moves and counters exchange into SANADA’s low dropkick. White’s spiked DDT to SANADA. White’s uppercut & Blade Buster spin suplex to SANADA. White’s Flatliner, deadlift German suplex, & Uranage combo to SANADA. SANADA’s TKO outta nowhere to White. SANADA’s Dragon sleeper spin to White into SANADA’s Skull End. SANADA’s escape & Skull End counter of White’s Half & Half suplex into White’s eye rake, flip over via corner assist, & Bladerunner finisher combo counter. Match itself was a great hard fought action filled bout. Cobb vs. Okada moments: Cobb’s catch counter of Okada’s leapfrog into Cobb’s Fallaway Slam chucking Okada across the ring was cool. A piece of the ring board popping out during the match was a bit crazy. Okada’s Air Raid Crash to Cobb. Okada’s ropes hold counter of Cobb’s double foot dropkick into Cobb’s dropkick counter of Okada’s running attack. Cobb’s legs grab deadlift Spin Cycle to Okada off the corner. Cobb’s leaping dropkick to Okada on the top rope into Cobb’s top rope Gutwrench suplex to Okada. Okada’s spinning Tombstone to Cobb was impressive. Okada’s body slam & top rope elbow drop to Cobb into Cobb’s escape counter of Okada’s Rainmaker into Okada’s dropkick into Cobb’s Rainmaker counter. Okada’s strikes & Money Clip counter of Cobb’s Tour of the Islands. Cobb’s headbutt counter of Okada’s Rainmaker. Okada’s enziguri, Emerald Flowsion, & Rainmaker finisher combo counter of Cobb’s Tour of the Island. Match itself was an awesome hard fought action packed bout. G1 Climax 2022 Night 1 was a great show overall.

NJPW G1 Climax 2022 Night 2 (July 17)
* Royce Isaacs & “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. David Finlay & YOSHI-HASHI – 3.0
* El Phantasmo & Bad Luck Fale vs. TAKA Michinoku & Lance Archer – 3.0
* Dick Togo, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, & EVIL vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, & Will Ospreay) – 3.0
* Chase Owens & Jay White vs. Jado & Tama Tonga – 3.0
* BUSHI, SANADA, & Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Kazuchika Okada – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 B Block match – Taichi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2022 A Block match – JONAH vs. Toru Yano – 2.5
* G1 Climax 2022 C Block match – KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – 4.5
* G1 Climax 2022 D Block match – Juice Robinson vs. Shingo Takagi – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. match.
Worst – The awkward abrupt ending to the Robinson vs. Takagi match.
Show Notes – Isaacs & Lawlor vs. Finlay & YOSHI-HASHI opener was a good back-and-forth action bout. EL Phantasmo & Fale vs. Michinoku & Archer was a pretty good bout. House of Torture vs. United Empire 8-Man Tag moments: Yujiro’s Octopus hold to Ospreay with Togo’s cheat grab pull for added leverage into Ospreay’s Octopus to Yujiro & hand clamp squeeze to Togo while Cobb stretched out Togo for added pain. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. Owens & White vs. Jado & Tonga was a mostly good brief bout. Goto, Tanahashi, & Okada vs. LIJ 6-Man Tag moments: Goto’s catch & Ushigorishi counter of Naito’s leaping forearm. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action filled bout. Taichi vs. Ishii moments: Miho Abe’s entrance wearing cat ears & having a mini-Taichi plushie on her shoulder was cool. Ishii’s Greco-Roman throat hold & leg sweep counter of Taichi’s Judo throw. Ishii’s stiff chops & Taichi’s stiff kicks exchange into Ishii’s stiff chops to Taichi in the corner. Ishii’s delayed superplex to Taichi was cool. Taichi & Ishii’s lariats to each other at the same time into Tahci’s stiff forearm flooring Ishii. Taichi’s spiked Last Ride powerbomb to Ishii. Ishii’s block counter of Taichi’s Black Mephisto into Taichi’s Saito suplex counter of Ishii’s strike. Ishii’s escape & headbutt counter of Taichi’s Black Mephisto into Taichi’s Judo throw counter of Ishii’s lariat into Ishii’s shoulder tackle & enziguri, Taichi’s Yokozuna Elbow & Black Mephisto finisher counter of Ishii’s headbutt & running attack. Match itself was a great back-and-forth hard hitting action bout. JONAH vs. Yano moments: Yano’s atomic drop & belly-to-belly suplex counter of JONAH’s running attack. Yano’s double low blow to JONAH & Bad Dude Tito on the outside for the countout shenanigans win. Match itself was solid with some nice comedic moments despite dragging a bit long. KENTA vs. Sabre Jr. moments: ZSJ & KENTA’s kicks exchange into KENTA’s Kitchen Sink counter of ZSJ’s running attack. ZSJ’s catch & grapevine leglock on the ropes counter of KENTA’s stiff kick. ZSJ’s modified Achilles lock & Bow and Arrow hold combo to KENTA. KENTA & ZSJ’s stiff kicks to the back exchange into ZSJ’s kick fakeout & neck twists into ZSJ’s fingers bending hold & shoulder kick combo. KENTA’s powerslam counter of ZSJ’s running attack. KENTA’s top rope Tornado DDT to ZSJ onto the ropes. KENTA’s strikes combo into ZSJ’s leaping guillotine choke counter. ZSJ’s stiff slaps to KENTA into KENTA’s stiff palm strikes to ZSJ in return. ZSJ’s escape & rear naked choke counter of KENTA’s GTS. KENTA’s knee strike counter of ZSJ’s running attack. KENTA’s Busaiku Knee, swift knee strike, & palm strikes combo to ZSJ into ZSJ’s catch & leg lock counter into ZSJ’s catch & Triangle Choke finisher counter. Match itself was a terrific physical & grapple heavy action filled battle. Robinson vs. Takagi moments: Juice’s overhead strikes counter of Takagi’s DVD onto the apron into Takagi’s overhead strikes counter of Juice’s DVD into Juice’s leg yank counter boinking Takagi’s head on the apron. Juice’s chops & punches to Takagi in the corner into Juice & Takagi’s chops & punches exchange into Juice’s swift punch flooring Takagi. Juice’s punches to Takagi into Takagi’s dodge & Saito suplex counter. Takagi’s Juice style punches & DDT combo to Juice. Juice’s running lariat, shotgun dropkick, & cannonball combo to Takagi in the corner. Juice’s eye rake & gut buster counter of Takagi’s leg capture back suplex. Takagi’s deadlift wheelbarrow suplex & sliding lariat combo to Juice. Takagi & Juice’s lariats & headbutts exchange into Juice’s swift punch & Pulp Friction combo. Takagi’s strikes to Juice into Juice’s stiff punch into Takagi’s stiff lariat. Juice’s swift punches & Pulp Friction finisher to Takagi. Match itself was an awesome physical action filled slugfest despite the odd abrupt ending & surprised that Juice won. G1 Climax 2022 Night 2 was a great show overall.

NJPW G1 Climax 2022 Night 3 (July 20)
* Team Filthy (Royce Isaacs & “Filthy” Tom Lawlor) vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tio & JONAH) – 3.0
* Dick Togo, SHO, El Phantasmo, & EVIL vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, & Will Ospreay) – 3.0
* Ryohei Oiwa & Toru Yano vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Kazuchika Okada – 3.0
* Kosei Fujita, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Juice Robinson, KENTA, & Jay White – 3.5
* TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. BUSHI, SANADA, & Shingo Takagi – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 D Block match – David Finlay vs. Yujiro Takahashi – 2.5
* G1 Climax 2022 B Block match – Chase Owens vs. Tama Tonga – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 A Block match – Bad Luck Fale vs. Lance Archer – 2.5
* G1 Climax 2022 C Block match – Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto – 4.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto match.
Worst – The lame ending shenanigans to the David Finlay vs. Yujiro Takahashi match and buzzkill countout ending to the Bad Luck Fale vs. Lance Archer match.
Show Notes – Team Filthy vs. TMDK opener moments: Tito’s wheelbarrow roll & ankle lock combo to Lawlor. JONAH’s Mud Crab hold to Lawlor into JONAH shrugging off Isaacs kicks while keeping the hold into Tito’s pounce to Isaacs. Isaacs’ punches & deadlift German suplex to JONAH. Match itself was an entertaining back-and-forth bout. House of Torture & El Phantasmo vs. United Empire 8-Man Tag was pretty good. Oiwa & Yano vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Okada was a good back-and-forth bout & bit surprised over the lack of comedic antics by Yano. Fujita, Ishii, & Tanahashi vs. Bullet Club 6-Man Tag moments: Ishii’s dodge & lariats counters of KENTA & White’s strikes & kicks into Ishii’s suplex to White. KENTA’s block, elbow strikes, & spiked DDT counter of Fujita’s scoop slam. KENTA’s block & Game Over finisher counter of Fujita’s roll-up. Match itself was a very good action filled bout. Suzuki-Gun vs. LIJ 6-Man Tag moments: Taichi & SANADA’s pec-off contest at the start was a bit funny. Takagi & ZSJ’s moves & counters exchange into Takagi’s Dragon Screw. Taichi’s block & spin heel kick counter of SANADA’s TKO. TAKA’s face lock counter of SANADA’s O’Connor Roll. SANADA’s escape, spinning Dragon Sleeper, & Skull End finisher combo counter of TAKA’s Michinoku Driver. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Takahashi vs. Finlay moments: Kevin Kelly losing his train of thought on commentary while Pieter was doing her entrance dance routine wearing a fishnet outfit was funny. Finlay’s block & suplex counter of Yujiro’s Fisherman Buster into Yujiro’s block & awkward looking reverse DDT counter onto the floor. Finlay’s punches & Sunset Bomb counter of Yujiro’s top rope Fisherman Buster. Finlay’s shove of Yujrio into SHO on the apron into Finlay’s Stunner to Yujiro. Match was going on mostly well until the lame shenanigans ending by SHO. Owens vs. Tonga moments: Owens’ whip to Tonga into the corner into Tonga’s rebound lariat flooring Owens. Tonga’s forearm strike counter of Owens’ C-Trigger into Owens & Tonga’s strikes exchange into Tonga’s rolling DVD into Owens’ dodge counter of Tonga’s Supreme Flow. Owens’ toss & C-Trigger counter of Tonga’s Gun Stun. Tonga’s Gun Stun counter of Owens’ Package Piledriver into Owens’ block & roll-up counter. Owens & Tonga’s moves & counters exchange into Tonga’s catapult into the exposed corner & Gun Stun finisher combo to Owens. Match itself was a good back-and-forth bout. Bad Luck Fale vs. Archer moments: Fale chocking Archer at ringside with his own braids into Archer’s hard whip counter of Fale’s whip into the guard rail. Fale’s bodyslam to Archer onto prone chairs at ringside. Fale’s yank counter of Archer’s wrist hold rope walk. Archer’s running leaping knee striker to Fale on the top rope. Fale’s powerbomb attempt counter of Archer’s 10 punches in the corner. Ouch at Fale’s back after his hard landing on the apron & floor from Archer’s rana over the ropes. Archer’s running cannonball to Fale on the outside. Match itself was a solid hoss battle despite the buzzkill countout ending. Naito vs. Goto moments: Naito’s elbow strikes fest flooring Goto in the corner. Goto’s misdirect lariat counter of Naito’s running attack. Naito’s elbow strike, running dropkick & neckbreaker counter of Goto’s Ushigoroshi. Naito’s running leg sweep, slingshot dropkick, & top rope rana combo to Goto in the corner. Goto’s grab & arm bar counter of Naito’s Destino setup into Goto’s modified Triangle hold. Goto & Naito’s forearms exchange into Naito’s overhead elbow strike into Goto’s strike counter of Naito’s big boot. Goto’s modified Olympic Slam to Naito. Naito’s rolling kick counter of Goto’s Ushigorishi. Goto’s block, shove into the corner, & ropes assisted GTR combo counter of Naito’s Valencia. Naito’s Valencia counter of Goto’s GTR into Goto’s Shoten Kai counter of Naito’s Destino into Goto’s GTR finisher. Match itself was a great hard fought action filled bout & bit surprised Goto won. G1 Climax 2022 Night 3 was an enjoyable show overall but also one of the weaker G1 nights in recent years.

NJPW G1 Climax 2022 Night 4 (July 23)
* El Phantasmo, Juice Robinson, & KENTA vs. Ryohei Oiwa, David Finlay, & Hirooki Goto – 3.0
* Team Filthy (Royce Isaacs & “Filthy” Tom Lawlor) vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito & JONAH) – 3.0
* Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, & Bad Luck Fale vs. TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, & Lance Archer – 2.5
* Dick Togo, SHO, & EVIL vs. United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, & Will Ospreay) – 3.0
* BUSHI, SANADA, & Tetsuya Naito vs. Jado, Tama Tonga, & Hiroshi Tanahashi – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 C Block match – Aaron Henare vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2022 D Block match – Shingo Takagi vs. YOSHI-HASHI – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2022 A Block match – Toru Yano vs. Kazuchika Okada – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2022 B Block match – Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White – 4.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White match.
Worst – The flat anti-climatic ending to the Toru Yano vs. Kazuchika Okada match.
Show Notes – Bullet Club vs. Oiwa, Finlay, & Goto 6-Man Tag opener was an entertaining back-and-forth action bout. Team Filthy vs. TMDK Tag moments: Tito’s catch counter of Isaacs’ running attack, using Isaacs as a weapon to Lawlor, & Blue Thunder Bomb to Isaacs. Isaacs’ knee strike & deadlift German suplex to JONAH. Lawlor’s escape, spiked reverse face drop, & St. Andrews Cross finisher combo counter of Tito’s waistlock. Match itself was a good back-and-forth hard hitting bout. Bullet Club vs. Suzuki-Gun 6-Man Tag moments: Archer & Fale mini-hoss battle and Owens & Taichi’s mini-sumo battle portions were nice. Match itself was solid. House of Torture vs. United Empire was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. LIJ vs. Jado, Tonga, & Tanahashi 6-Man Tag moments: SANADA’s block counter of Tonga’s Paradise Lock attempt into Tonga’s block & dropkick counter of SANADA’s Gun Stun. Match itself was a quite good action filled bout. Henare vs. Sabre Jr moments: Henare’s stomp & deadlift suplex to ZSJ. Henare’s modified clutch hold to ZSJ into Henare’s curb stomp. ZSJ’s snapmare & neck crank twist to Henare. ZSJ’s flip over & Cobra Twist counter of Henare’s press slam attempt. Henare’s suplex to the floor counter of ZSJ’s leaping Triangle choke. Henare’s snapemare, kick, Irish Whip, & Berserker Bomb to ZSJ. ZSJ’s swift kicks to Henare into Henare’s Rampage Tackle. Henare’s top rope senton splash to ZSJ. Henare’s Ultima counter of ZSJ’s Euro Clutch. ZSJ’s escape & Single Leg Crab finisher counter of Henare’s Streets of Rage. Match itself was a very good back-and-forth action & grapple heavy bout. Takagi vs. YOSHI-HASHI moments: YOSHI’s hip toss counter of Takagi’s Cobra Twist. Takagi’s block counter of YOSHI’s Fisherman Buster into Takagi’s punches & Yukon Lariat counter of YOSHI’s running attack. Takagi’s lariat & Saito suplex to YOSHI into YOSHI & Takagi’s lariats exchange into YOSHI’s Dragon Suplex into Takagi’s sliding lariat flooring YOSHI. Takagi & YOSHI’s strikes & counters exchange into Takagi’s escape & Made in Japan counter of YOSHI’s Karma setup. YOSHI’s backstabber counter of Takagi’s Last of the Dragon. Takagi’s stiff forearm strikes & Pumping Bomber combo to YOSHI. YOSHI’s spiked DDT counter of Takagi’s Last of the Dragon. Takagi’s escape counter of YOSHI’s Karma into Takagi & YOSHI’s chops & headbutts exchange into YOSHI’s Karma counter of Takagi’s lariat. YOSHI’s Destroyer to Takagi into YOSHI’s brainbuster to Takagi. Takagi’s Ground Cobra finisher counter of YOSHI’s Karma. Match itself was a great hard fought action filled bout. Yano vs. Okada moments: Yano’s Irish whip, atomic drop, & catapult combo to Okada into the exposed corner. Okada’s DDT counter of Yano’s slam attempt onto a chair. Okada’s backbreaker & Money Clip finisher counter of Yano’s lariat. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout despite the anti-climatic ending. Ishii vs. White moments: Ouch at Ishii’s head after Gedo’s ref distracted chair toss to Ishii on the outside. White’s snap suplex to Ishii into the corner. Ishii’s powerslam counter of White’s running attack. White’s DDT hold spiking Ishii onto the mat. White’s front suplex slam to Ishii onto the apron. White’s Flatliner & deadlift German suplex counter of Ishii’s lariat. White’s high angle Uranage to Ishii. White’s superplex to Ishii into Ishii’s pounce sending White flying into the corner. Ishii’s running lariat to White in the corner into Ishii’s stalling superplex. White’s escape counter of Ishii’s brainbuster into Ishii’s block & German suplex counter of White’s ref distrated low blow. White’s block & brainbuster counter of Ishii’s brainbuster. Ishii & White’s counters fest into Ishii’s headbutt flooring White. Ishii & White’s counters fest part deux into White’s spiked sleeper suplex. Ishii & White’s counters fest part trois into Ishii’s sleeper suplex. White’s flip over Bladerunner finisher counter of Ishii’s brainbuster. Match itself was an awesome hard hitting action filled bout. G1 Climax 2022 Night 4 was a mostly great show overall.

Impact Wrestling Impact! (July 21)
* VXT (Deonna Purrazzo & Chelsea Green) vs. Mia Yim & Jordynne Grace – 3.0
* X-Division Championship – Deaner vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey (c) – 3.5
* Madison Rayne vs. Masha Slamovich – 2.0 (Squash)
* Honor No More (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) vs. Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) – 3.0
* #1 Contender for Impact World Championship – Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin match.
Worst – The ending shenanigans to the Honor No More vs. Bullet Club tag match.
Show Notes – VXT vs. Yim & Grace Tag opener moments: Grace’s double suplex counter of VXT’s double team suplex. Yim’s kicks & strikes to VXT into Yim’s shove to Green into Purrazzo & leaping neckbreaker to Purrazzo causing her to DDT Green. Yim’s double whip slam & double stunenr counter of VXT’s whip in the corner into VTX’s double spinning slam finisher to Yim. Match itself was a good back-and-forth bout. HNM’s backstage promo about Impact management’s lack of respect over not giving them a tag titles shot, and issues with Heath, PCO, & Bullet Club was all right. X-Division title match moments: Deaner & Bailey’s loud stiff chops exchange in the corner into Deaner’s eye gouge & head chomp. Bailey’s kicks fest & running twisting Shooting Star Press combo to Deaner. Deaner’s toss onto the turnbuckle & splash counter of Bailey’s running attack into Deaner’s modified sitout powerbomb from the corner. Deaner’s dodge counter of Bailey’s Ultima Weapon on the apron. Deaner’s elbow strike & flipping neckbreaker to Bailey on the ropes. Bailey’s top rope moonsault to Deaner on the outside. Bailey’s roundhouse kick & Ultima Weapon finisher combo to Deaner. Match itself was a very good hard hitting action bout. Violent By Design backstage segment about Young wanting Deaner & Doering to eliminate their “sickness” was interesting. HNM vs. BC Tag was a good back-and-forth bout despite the shenanigans ending by Heath & Maria. Steve Maclin’s backstage interview about Callihan’s mind games antics & brawl with Callihan and Moose was all right. Rosemary, Taya Valkyrie, & Jessicka backstage segment about Rosemary trying to get Jessicka to wear her old Havok mask & Jerriscka wanting a fancy fur coat instead was a bit corny. Shelley vs. Sabin moments: Shelley’s brutal looking pretzel style bending hold to Sabin. Sabin’s spiked Tornado DDT to Shelley. Shelley’s escape & mule kick counter of Sabin’s Cradle Shock. Shelley’s double leg Dragon Screw to Sabin in the corner. Yikes at Sabin’s head after getting spiked hard by Shelley’s awkward suplex. Sabin’s running leaping side kick flooring Shelley. Sabin & Shelley’s moves & counters exchange into Shelley’s superkick into Sabin’s stiff clothesline. Shelley’s Shellshock & Border City Stretch finisher combo to Sabin. Match itself was a great back-and-forth action packed bout. Post-match ambush attack by Deaner & Doering and run-in save brawl with KUSHIDA was splendid. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

---

Weekly Awards:

• Best match of the week – G1 Climax 2022 A Block match – Jeff Cobb vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW G1 Climax 2022 Night 1)
• Best match of the week runner-up – G1 Climax 2022 B Block match – Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White (NJPW G1 Climax Night 4)
• Worst match of the week – 6-Women Tag Team match – Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, & Asuka vs. Tamina, Nikki A.S.H., & Doudrop (WWE RAW)
• Worst match of the week runner-up – Omos vs. Angelo Dawkins (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – NJPW G1 Climax 2022 Night 1
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW