Wrestling’s 4Rs: The Right, The Wrong and The Ridiculous of WWE Raw & Dragon Gate on iPPV

How the 4Rs of wRestling Work!
Here is a quick explanation of the 4R’s. The column will run TWO times a week. We will group our feelings on the shows in various categories: The Right, the wRong and the Ridiculous. The Right is stuff that worked very well: a great promo, a great match and so on. PuRgatoRy is a section between the right and wrong. It shows equal traits from both sides that cannot be ignored and need discussed. It is not a bad place per say, as things can get remedied or go the wrong way the very next week. The wRong is what it sounds like: bad matches, bad or boring promos and so on. The Ridiculous is stuff that had no right on TV: Stupid angles and so on. And there is always a possibility of a 5th R, which is as bad as they come. This column is supposed to be analytical, and at the right time very critical of the shows, it was the whole reason it was created. This is not a “mark” column, nor a “smark” column, our goal is to analyze the show from many different fronts, reward the good and call out the bad. We will not apologize for our opinions, they are as they are, whether positive or negative.

Dragon Gate “Gate of Destiny 2014” iPPV

By: Larry Csonka

1. Yosuke♡Santa Maria {W}, “Mr. High Tension” Kotoka, Yuga Hayashi (6:40 Mexicano) defeated Don Fujii, Super Shisa, “Hollywood” Stalker Ichikawa {L} [**]
2. Jimmy Kagetora {W}, Mr. Quu Quu Tanizaki Naoki Toyonaka Dolphin (6:07 Kurumakakari) defeated Mondai Ryu {L}, Punch Tominaga [**¼]
3. Open the Brave Gate Championship Match: Flamita (11:42 Flam Fly) defeated Jimmy Kanda 6th Defense [***¾]
4. Masato Yoshino, Shingo Takagi {W}, Shachihoko BOY (15:25 MADE IN JAPAN) defeated Masaaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid, Big R Shimizu {L} [***]
5. Open the Triangle Gate Championship Match: Ryo “Jimmy” Saito, Jimmy Susumu {W}, Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! (24:24 Jumbo no Kachi!gatame) defeated YAMATO, Naruki Doi {L}, Cyber Kong *1st Defense [***]
6. Open the Twin Gate Championship Match: CIMA {W}, Gamma (24:02 Meteora) defeated T-Hawk, Eita {L} [****]
*T&E fail in their 3rd Defense, Osaka06 become the 33rd champion team
7. Open the Dream Gate Championship Match: BxB Hulk (26:26 Phoenix Splash) defeated Akira Tozawa *3rd Defense [****¼]

Show Thoughts: 2014 has been a really good year overall for wrestling, I have covered a ton of it and have enjoyed so much of it. Dragon Gate has been a joy to cover for me this year; the combination of great wrestling, elevating new stars and the ability to make me care even though I don‘t speak the language is a credit to what they have done so far this year. Here is a short form review of the latest iPPV offering, Gate of Destiny 2014.

The first two matches of the show were ok, but completely forgettable. There was nothing really wrong with either match, they were short and completely acceptable but just felt like they stayed in basic gear and never got going to the next step of the match. I really wish one or the other could have stepped it up a bit to make a statement, but they were simply fine.

Flamita vs. Jimmy Kanda was the third match of the night, and if you haven’t seen Flamita, you should take the time to take in some of his work from 2014. At only 19 years old, the kid is the age high flyer; everything I was hoping that Dragon Kid would be but he plateau’d and never quite got to the level I thought he would. Kid is still damn good, do not get me wrong, but the sky is certainly the limit for Flamita. The cool thing about this match is that it wasn’t worked at the usual insane pace that Flamita works his matches, they worked a slower pace and Kanda’s work led to the match having a completely different feel to it. Not Flamita’s best match of the year, but a strong match that shows that he can work in a different style and still succeed. The kid is so young and seems like he absorbs new information extremely well; we’re just scratching the surface with him.

Masato Yoshino, Shingo Takagi and Shachihoko BOY vs. Masaaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid and Big R Shimizu as well as the Open the Triangle Gate Championship match were quality and fun tag team matches. Compared to the two opening tag team matches, these trios matches had that extra notch of effort and execution, and while not amazing by any means, were a good edition to the card. We had a fine start, Flamita vs. Jimmy Kanda was damn good and these matches kept the quality heading upward overall. Now the co-main events need to deliver.

T-Hawk and EITA vs. CIMA and Gamma took things to another level, and to this point was the best match on the card. T-Hawk and EITA have been one of the very best tag teams in 2014, and unfortunately do not get enough credit for their work. CIMA may not be the performer that he once was, but he still can work some magic and was awesome here. T-Hawk and EITA were great and added another great match to their 2014 portfolio. CIMA and Gamma came across as a pleasant surprise, because I thought that T-Hawk and EITA would win again and keep rolling. They are the next big thing, they constantly perform that way, but I have no issue with the more experienced performers getting one over on them here.

BxB Hulk vs. Akira Tozawa was not only a good wrestling match, but it also had a great story behind it. They highlighted the competitors with a great video package, and while I do not know Japanese, I felt drawn into the match just because of the set up. The story is that Hulk has essentially always gone onto greatness while Tozawa was always the other guy; I really need some Rosetta Stone so that I can get the full feeling of this stuff. It was a very different presentation than the previous tag team match, but I liked it more because of the great storytelling. They told a great, emotional story of Tozawa being more serious and trying to overcome his former training partner to finally be the top guy. In the end, he failed, and the emotion he sold was awesome, because you saw he was devastated by the loss, and you felt that for him. It was heartbreaking.

Overall this was another very good event for the Dragon Gate promotion. The opening matches were fine, you had a pair of really fun trios matches, Flamita with another exciting and quality title defense, EITA and T-Hawk delivering in another great tag team match and a great and emotional main event to close out the show. This is definitely a show to go out of your way to watch, it is fun, it flies by and that main event is a great example of storytelling.

Score: 8.6

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By: Jack Stevenson
Raw 11.03.14:
QUICK MATCH RESULTS:
* Dean Ambrose d. Cesaro
* The Miz d. Jimmy Uso
* Tyson Kidd d. Sheamus via count-out
* Seth Rollins d. Dolph Ziggler via DQ
* Ryback d. Titus O’Neil
* Big Show d. Mark Henry via DQ
* Nikki Bella d. Emma
* Rusev d. Zack Ryder
* Fernando d. Stardust
* Seth Rollins d. Randy Orton

THE RIGHT:
Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro: This was a solid match to start the show with. It wasn’t anything special, but both Ambrose and Cesaro are reliably entertaining and they put together a bout that hit all the right notes. The most interesting part of it was actually the first couple of minutes, which consisted of pretty nifty chain wrestling that was a cut above the perfunctory exchange of holds that begins a lot of WWE matches. It’s easy to forget, because he’s such a brilliant out of control all guns blazing weirdo, but Ambrose trained under Les Thatcher and thus is very technically sound, he certainly seemed on Cesaro’s level. Bray Wyatt’s presence on the entrance ramp was mildly intriguing but we’re still waiting for evidence that this is going to be something different to, and better than, what ‘The Eater of Worlds’ has been doing for the last four or five months.

Jimmy Uso vs. The Miz: I thought this was pretty darn good, considering ‘Jimmy Uso vs.
The Miz’ is not a phrase that sets many pulses racing. But both wrestlers are totally competent obviously, and they had a fun little midcard match here with some nice, smooth sequences. Plus, in the rare moments where not enough was going on in the ring, Damian Sandow was an entertaining presence at ringside. I’m still not entirely convinced by the gimmick, I think having him mimic every darn thing the Miz does is a bit silly and unnecessary, but considering how over he’s getting I think my objections don’t matter very much, and his battles with invisible opponents are curiously enchanting.

Everyone Loves Ziggler: In this segment, the Authority intercepted Dolph Ziggler in the ring and tried to convince him to reject John Cena’s offer of a place on his Survivor Series team. They laid out as compelling a case they could, claiming that he’d take the blame if they lost but would get none of the credit if they won, and promising him anything he wanted if he stayed out of the match. In the end though, Ziggler decided nothing was more appealing to him than getting the Authority kicked out of office. This was a really excellent piece of work. It was refreshing for one of these in ring promos to focus on somebody different for once, and it put Ziggler over far stronger than any random midcard victory could have done to have the Authority determined to take him out of the match. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are always accomplished on the microphone, but considering how loud and obnoxious I tend to find Ziggler whenever he cuts a promo I was surprised how likeable he seemed here- thoughtful, principled, not even remotely tempted to tell dreadful jokes. He sold the moral conflict well enough that I wondered briefly whether he’d actually desert Cena. I’m so pleased that WWE are headlining with a 5 vs. 5 traditional Survivor Series match this year! It’s great to have the main event scene building towards something that is tangibly different, it’s forcing them to approach the stories in a different way with a focus on team-based tension that is logical and intriguing. Maybe one of the hidden advantages of WWE Network is that WWE will perhaps feel more freedom to experiment with the formats of their PPVs going forward, and maybe toss in more main events like this one and last month’s Ambrose-Rollins grudge match, ones that are properly unique. This segment represented most of what is right about WWE’s product at the moment. Plus, it led to this really great match as well! This one right here!

Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins: These two have been threatening to have a match as good as this against each other. It was everything you like about both guys in the form of a wrestling match- fast paced, athletic, energetic, what you’d expect from two high-end talents like these guys. I’ve been quietly impressed by Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury as Rollins’ lackeys recently as well, their interference is always smoothly integrated into his matches and never comes across as jarring, inappropriate or excessive. The only real thing that detracted from the match was the finish- you know that a Ziggler-Rollins match is going to have a fair few kick-outs at two, so having all those go nowhere because it ends in a DQ is a shame. But it was all for the greater good anyway, as Orton’s attack on Seth forced the Authority to set up, for the main event…

Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins: A confusing thing about the wrestling is that Randy Orton’s stints as a fan favourite have been largely forgettable, but he is so, so good at the process of actually becoming one. His performances these last couple of weeks have been superb, and now I know it led somewhere genuinely good I’m viewing those few weeks of simmering discontent in the Authority in the run-up to Hell in a Cell much more favorably as well. This was an excellent main event; it started a little slow, but considering these guys are meant to be on the same team you would expect that, and as the match wore and their intense dislike of each other got the better of them, it exploded into a hell of a fight. I really liked the finish as well, it was clean, but flukish enough that Orton didn’t seem unlikable for being so angry after the match. I’d be annoyed too if I lost to my nemesis off a lucky backslide! The post match angle, as I’ve already alluded to, was terrific. Orton’s rampage through all the Authority goons was such a cathartic release of pent up frustration after all the Authority have put him through this year- from the humiliating lack of confidence they showed in him in the lead up to WrestleMania to the inability to give him his contractually obligated World Championship rematch to the recent forced alliance with Rollins. Triple H was great in this as well, it was a really nice touch to have him so frustrated, because he was the one who brought Orton into Evolution, he was the one who anointed him the Face of the WWE, and he was the one who insisted to Stephanie that he could still be a productive member of their squadron. For all the times he’s mistreated his protégé, HHH has always believed in the ability of Orton, and that moment where he just couldn’t justify keeping him around anymore and reluctantly let Rollins execute the Curb Stomp was actually kind of sad. This was an angle that entirely consisted of rule-breakers who felt like human beings and not just evil caricatures. Except for Kane, because that’s kind of his whole gimmick. But you get the point- this was a wonderful bit of storytelling and I am so ready for a fully-fledged grudge match between Randy and Seth when the former returns from shooting his movie.

puRgatoRy:
Ryback vs. Titus O’Neil: The Ryback rehabilitation program continues moderately well. I think his style works better with people who can pinball around the ring for him, which Titus can’t do, but it was still an impressively swift victory for The Big Guy. If he can channel some of that weird, bullying aggression he had as a rule-breaker and make it work as a fan-favourite, which is clearly the role he’s most comfortable in, Ryback still has a role to play in the upper reaches of WWE.

Emma vs. Nikki Bella: This wasn’t bad for a Divas match and the Bellas storyline isn’t bad for a Bellas storyline. AJ vs. Nikki isn’t going to be a classic or anything but it’s about as new as a Divas match can get, considering they’ve all had roughly 12 matches with each other, all of them two minutes long.

Rusev vs. Zack Ryder: A Rusev squash is a Rusev squash. An appearance on the Authority’s team at the Survivor Series could be a career defining moment for him.

Fernando vs. Stardust: Another match that existed. The Miz and Sandow returned to do some commentary and entertained again, and with them, Los Matadores, the Usos and The Dust Cloud all contesting the tag titles there’s some semblance of competition in the division again which is nice. It’s not comparable to last year where we had the Brotherhood and the Shield and the Wyatts and the Usos and The Real Americans, and then even a sort of tag division lower card with Los Matadores and The Prime Time Players and 3MB, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The wRong:
Vince McMahon raises the stakes: It’s always nice to see Vince, especially now he appears so infrequently, but this wasn’t a great start to the show. Maybe it was because he wasn’t given much to sink his teeth into, or perhaps it’s because he hasn’t had to cut a promo or so look, or maybe it’s just a sad consequence of his advancing years, but he didn’t seem very sharp on the microphone, especially not compared to his glory days. He was perfectly capable of announcing that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon would lose their positions if their team lost at Survivor Series of course, but this feels like a cheap, unnecessary gimmick that doesn’t really make sense. This was the weakest of the segments related to that main event, but at least it set up a lot of good action to follow.

Sheamus vs. Tyson Kidd: This match was fresh and competently wrestled, but I certainly wouldn’t have booked Sheamus to lose this, even under the shady circumstances of a Natalya influenced count-out. With a huge showdown against Rusev looming large on the horizon it would have made sense for him to pick up some momentum, as the Bulgarian brute did. Also, I can’t remember much about this other than “it definitely wasn’t awful,” which also means it can’t have been that good.

The Big Show vs. Mark Henry: this disappointed me. These two had a great rivalry in 2011, one built on intensity and the primal joy of seeing two utter behemoths crash into each other repeatedly. This match had a little of the behemoth crashing, but none of the intensity. Mark Henry ending the match with a World’s Strongest Slam onto the steps felt like an attempt to compensate for that with weapons based violence, but it didn’t work. Both of these competitors desperately need to get some mojo back.

THE RIDICULOUS:
NOTHING

THE RAW MATCH OF THE YEAR LIST:
No change.

1. 3.03.14- The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
2. 2.17.14- John Cena vs. Cesaro
3. 5.5.14- The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
4. 2.03.14- Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton
5. 2.10.14- Sheamus & Christian vs. The Real Americans
6. 1.27.14- John Cena, Sheamus & Daniel Bryan vs. The Shield
7. 6.2.14- The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family
8. 27.10.14- John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
9. 8.18.14- Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
10. 4.21.14- Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett

The 411:
I hate to say it, since I’m a big fan of his, but Raw was much better for John Cena’s absence. It put the focus on different people and that’s always welcome, plus Cena on Parks and Recreation sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Anyway, I thought the show was great this week. The midcard vacuum was still in full effect but at least all the meaningless stuff was short and inoffensive, and the build to the main event was excellent, giving us two great Seth Rollins matches and a pair of compelling angles. I felt the show just breezed by as well. This was the most fun episode of Raw in a good few months and is worth checking out for sure. I would be completely happy if WWE could put out a Raw like this throughout the whole of the dark ages of the Fall, rather than on isolated occasions.

Show Rating: 7.5

As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale…

0 – 0.9: Torture
1 – 1.9: Extremely Horrendous
2 – 2.9: Very Bad
3 – 3.9: Bad
4 – 4.9: Poor
5 – 5.9: Not So Good
6 – 6.9: Average
7 – 7.9: Good
8 – 8.9:Very Good
9 – 9.9: Amazing
10: Virtually Perfect

The 935th edition is over…

Kane fall down, go boom.