Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

CWC EPISODE TWO - 1st Round (7/20/16)


RIPPA

Recommended Posts

I just got home and since I am sure I will fall asleep during the show I am starting the thread now.

WWE.com says this is what should have aired

Akira Tozawa vs. Kenneth Johnson

TJ Perkins vs. Da Mack

Lince Dorado vs. Mustafa Ali

Tajiri vs. Damien Slater

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tajiri being a grumpy veteran against the smooth young unknown was awesome. Really fun match. I love that Slater was doing this slick matwork at the beginning and then Tajiri got sick of it and started kicking the fuck out of him. Slater really going for it all, but then not being able to put Tajiri away and getting outlasted by the vet was really good. 

I ended up considering Perkins/Mack as sort of a physical, pro wrestling representation of playing the dozens, which I offer up as a compliment. Perkins is smooth as fuck, especially transitioning between moves. I liked how different this match felt from the others. 

Dorado/Ali was fine. I dug Ali's flying knee, though he won't have the knees to throw it with before long if he keeps landing on the points of his knees like that on whiffed top rope moves. The crowd was far more into it than me, especially after the Spanish Fly.

I decided to root for Kenneth Johnson because he stumbled a bit while holding onto the wristlock and then the design on his tights started to peel off. That just sort of punctuated the whole underdog thing for me. Then Tozawa started striking him and it was awesome. Kenneth Johnson was pretty terrible though. This should have been five minutes of Tozawa strikes and suplexes in a squash. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOVED TJP vs Da Mack.  Already prepared for the return of Da Mack.  Fun ass match. Wanna see more of Slater.  Tajiri went out of his way to make him look like a million bucks. Actively disliked the final two matches though.

Dorado and Ali did WAY too much for an opening round tournament match that is meant to whet the appetite for later on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you ever need a blueprint of why good announcers matter in wrestling, the main event was it.  Kenneth Johnson was pretty sloppy and awkward at times but Daniel Bryan putting over that how much control he had and that Tozawa seemed confused dealing with him (which was probably true) actually made you think it was more competitive than it actually was

Except for Johnson who is clearly the #32 seed on this, every one looked great on this.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This was another good episode.  I loved Tajiri against Slater. Tajiri looked great and he kept going at Slater's arm, working the limb.  Slater had some nice moves and looked comfortable to be in there with a vet like Tajiri. Slater needs more personality but I like him. 

TJP was almost too cute at times.  Yes, he's a tremendous athlete and he is smooth as hell but this reminded me of a lot of his indy work also. I wish he'd take it down a notch on the choreography/dabbing but I do still like him a lot of think WWE should sign him.  Da Mack's Michael Jackson gimmick needs to go but otherwise he's solid too. 

Lince Dorado and Mustafa Ali was insane, just two guys going for it one hundred percent..  some crazy ass moves like the springboard Spanish fly which we'll probably never see on RAW but it was awesome in the moment.

Tozawa was in there with a guy who needs a lot of work. No disrespect to Kenneth Johnson, I hope he stays with it but he's definitely not ready. The ending was great with Tozawa getting fed up and just killing him.  I'm glad Kenneth Johnson got to play an underdog story though. I don't think it needed to be a squash. It was fine.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of all the matches run so far, I think TJP vs. Da Mack is the one I've liked the best.  Perkins is so so smooth.  I liked Da Mack showing personality and overall I thought he looked solid.  I thought Tajiri/Slater was good, go team Old Guy.  Lince/Ali was really a spot fest.  Some of the stuff was really crazy but it felt like the in between parts need stuff (like that really slow spinning backfist by Ali).  Tozawa/Johnson was OK, but once Tozawa started unloading with the elbows and germans, on man....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought Dorado/Ali was the best match on the show. Da Mack is so damn skinny and with his style being similar to Perkins' he just came off second rate to me. I think the match started off strong then kinda went downhill from there. Tajiri's match was a fine show case for him. I appreciated Tozawa and Johnson working without a net for the most part. Yeah it was a little rough at times, but they had the crowd for the finishing run.

 

I wish they would've had two shows per week until the first round matches were over. The wait for some of these awesome looking second round matches is going to be brutal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Da Mack reminded a lot of Human Tornado, which made me sad that Human Tornado isn't wrestling anymore. 

I haven't seen Lince Dorado since he stop working for Chikara. I thought he looked great. Sure, the match with Ali was spotty, but it was fun. I would have loved to be in the crowd for that match.

I'm glad Tajiri re-signed with the 'E. I'm looking foward to see him mix it up with the younger guys. His kicks still look brutal. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was great seeing Tajiri pick up where he left off in Japan. He was turning into one of my favorite matworkers in the world and I wouldn't mind seeing him in there with Gallagher down the line. TJP/Mack was decent, but Mack isn't quite at  TJP's level yet. Lince/Ali blew me away for a match that I had no desire to see at all. It will be difficult to top as far as batshit crazy spotfests go. Tozawa/Johnson was something else entirely. If it's true Ho Ho Lun trained himself using YouTube, I can imagine Johnson only had a worn-out VHS copy of Heroes of Wrestling. The talent scouts clearly got ahead of themselves with some of these choices.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A submission can be effective without a guy stomping on a limb first. An armbar or kneebar hurts like hell no matter the condition of your limbs. Plus Mack at least rubbed and shook out his knee after hitting his spinkick off the top. It at least planted the seeds for TJP's sub. I like the new Catch Point trend of a guy just getting worn down enough in general throughout a match, leaving himself weaker and more susceptible to a sub. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tajiri has not lost a step. Slater was solid too and I hope to see more of him. 

TJP and Da Mack was really good. I know I might sound like a hypocrite for like TJP after I shitted on ZSJ for doing the same thing, but it works for Perkin's character because he is intentionally trying to show off and Da Mack was not just some amateur letting him get complicated holds on him(the holds were not that convoluted either). I liked the little touches Da Mack added to TJP's transitions in holds like when TJP pandered to the crowd too long, he quickly scurried to the ropes. Both guys had personality which is an unfair criticism for work rate cruisers in general. It was a really fun match.

I usually don't shit on Full Sail, but tonight I am. Fuck them for how they did Ali. He was not supposed to be heel, but as soon as they saw the Pakistani flag and the country was mentioned, they started booing him. It was great that Ali immediately adapted and started heeling it up, but come on. The match itself was a fun high flying spot fest. I have never seen a headscissors off the apron. I've thought about it because it just seemed so rational to do. The double jump Spanish fly was sick. Lince Dorado would make a better Rey Mysterio replacement than Kalisto(or the WWE should stop trying to treat every Luchador the same). 

I have never really seen a Tozawa match and I am impressed with his offense. Dude has a lot of energy as he said and that german suplex was sick. Johnson needs a lot of work and it seems to me that he should not be working cruiserweight. He did keep up a bit, I'll give him that. He was better than Ho Ho Lun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Phil and I wrote up episode 2. I enjoyed this one more than the first. Although Phil and I are kind of amusingly at odds on a lot of guys so far. When I try to be nice about a guy then Phil is mean, and when I dump on a guy Phil is suddenly super nice. We'll sync up eventually. 

http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2016/07/wwe-cruiserweight-classic-72016.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...