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Csonka’s WCPW World Cup Quarterfinals Review
Loading...Csonka’s WCPW World Cup Quarterfinals Review
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– WCPW World Cup Quarterfinal Match: Ricochet defeated Penta El Zero M @ 15:55 via pin [***½]
– WCPW World Cup Quarterfinal Match: Joseph Conners defeated Hiromu Takahashi @ 17:53 via pin [**½]
– WCPW World Cup Quarterfinal Match: Will Ospreay defeated Mike Bailey @ 20:47 via pin [****¼]
– WCPW World Cup Quarterfinal Match: KUSHIDA defeated Zack Sabre Jr. @ 30:20 via pin [***½]
– I don’t get around to watching WCPW much, mainly due to a lack of time. But I saw that they were posting their World Cup qualifying shows on Youtube, and thought I’d try to fit some of them in. They are using a ton of familiar names and ones I enjoy. I didn’t get to all of the qualifiers as I had hoped, but you can check out my review of the Japanese qualifiers at this link, the US Qualifiers at this link, the ROTW Qualifiers at this link, the Canadian Qualifiers at this link, and the round of 16 review at this link.
Penta El Zero M vs. Ricochet: These two put on a hell of a sprint on this past week’s episode of Lucha Underground. They banter a bit and get right to the battle. Ricochet picks up the pace and hits a dropkick and great looking Fosbury flop. Back in the ring and Ricochet continues to control, hitting a senton atomico. Ricochet then lays the boots to Penta, who fires back with strikes. Ricochet cuts him off with elbow strikes, but Penta fires up with kicks and hits sling blade. Penta then lights up Ricochet with chops, plays to the crowd and they roll to the floor. Penta continues with leg kicks and chops before choking him out. He posts Ricochet, and back in covers for 1. More leg kicks by Penta follow, and then chops take Ricochet to the mat. Penta looks for a corner charge, but Ricochet cuts that off with a back elbow and kicks. The dropkick follows, and both men are down. Ricochet pulls himself up, hits the corner forearm and then trips up Penta and hits a 619 and uppercut off the ropes. Penta escapes the benadryller and hits a back breaker for 2. Penta looks for the package piledriver, but Ricochet escapes and hits a knee strike. They trade strikes now, but Ricochet hits the running cutter and running shooting star press for 2. Ricochet picks up Penta, lays in knee strikes and follows with chops. Penta counters back and hits the backstabber. Ricochet counters out of the package piledriver. But eats a superkick. They trade back and forth, superkick by Penta but Ricochet hits a jumping palm strike. They battle up top, but Penta shoves him off and Ricochet jumps back up top and hits the SUPER RANA and 450 for a great near fall. Ricochet takes Penta back up top, but Penta shoves him off and hits the destroyer! Ricochet rolls to the apron and he hits a destroyer for the double down. They roll to the apron, trading strikes and then kicks. Penta catches him with a superkick and hits the package piledriver on the apron! Back in and Penta covers for a good near fall. The pump handle driver follows, and Ricochet kicks out at 2. Penta locks in the surfboard, pulls Ricochet down into a pinning position, both men’s shoulders are down, the ref counts and Ricochet gets his shoulder up at the last moment and gets the win. Ricochet defeated Penta El Zero M @ 15:55 via pin [***½] This was an overall very good back and forth match, with an invested crowd. The finish reflected the nature of the layout, with Ricochet being one step ahead at the and barely pulling out the win, but felt flat and confused the crowd. This was a very good start to the show.
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Joseph Conners: Daryl is out with Takahashi. The crowd chants for Daryl and we get some playing around to begin, including Conners teasing going after Daryl. They trade chops, work back and forth but Takahashi teases a knee injury. Conners falls for it, allowing Takahashi to attack the knee of Conners. Takahashi looks for the sunset bomb to the floor, Conners avoids, but Takahashi trips him up. He continues to attack the knee of Conners, back in they go and Takahashi continues to control, working over the knee of Conners. Conners finally gets some separation, but Takahashi rakes the eyes and stomps away at the knee of Conners. Takahashi then ties up the knee in the ropes and hits a dropkick to the knee. They go to the floor, trading strikes and Takahashi then posts the knee of Conners. Back in the ring and Takahashi locks in the figure four. Conners fights and makes the ropes. Conners talks shit to Daryl, so Takahashi continues to attack the knee. Conners fires up and he takes down Takahashi with a lariat. They trade chops and Conners catches Takahashi with a powerslam. Takahashi goes back to the knee, but catches a charging Takahashi with a double stomp. They exchange counters, Takahashi attacks the knee and drops into a knee bar; Conners makes the ropes. Takahashi dropkicks the knee, Conners counters the time bomb and hits a toss slam, covering for 2. Takahashi hits the superkick and lariat for 2. Conners kicks Takahashi away, but Takahashi then drops into another knee bar. Conners finally makes the ropes. Conners escapes the time bomb, but Takahashi suplexes him to the buckles, covering for 2. Conners again escapes the time bomb into a cradle for 2. He follows with a slingshot DDT, which gets 2. Takahashi gets sent to the floor, and Conners hits a suicide dive. Back in and Conners up top, but Takahashi counters the splash with the knees. Takahashi looks for the knee bar, but Conners rolls him up for the anticlimactic win. Joseph Conners defeated Hiromu Takahashi @ 17:53 via pin [**½] Joseph Conners is a painfully bland performer, adding nothing to the match other than the rare ability to make a Hiromu Takahashi match rather lifeless and boring. While technically solid, this went about 7-minutes too long.
Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey: This certainly has some high quality possibilities. They start off trading kicks, and then working into a standoff. They continue to work back and forth, with Ospreay hitting the senton atomico and then following with strikes. Ospreay then grounds Bailey and works strikes and kicks. Bailey gets to his feet, lays in kicks and follows with the running dropkick. He follows with charging knee strikes and kicks. The standing moonsault knee drop follows for 2. Bailey lays on more kicks, and then sends Ospreay to the floor. Bailey allows Ospreay to roll back in and attacks right away. He follows with rapid-fire kicks, and then lays in hard chops. Bailey is getting mean here, talking some shit and then hits knee strikes. Ospreay cuts him off with the back handspring kick for the double down. Ospreay starts to take control with a jawbreaker, kicks and the hesitation dropkick for 2. The twisting senton follows for 2. Ospreay goes springboard and hits the forearm. Ospreay with the rainmaker pose, but Bailey counters out with a roundhouse kick. Ospreay counters the suplex into a stunner, but Bailey cuts off the Oscutter with a superkick. The shooting star knee drop misses, and Ospreay hits the running shooting star press. Bailey cuts him off and plants him with a Gotch piledriver for a good near fall. Bailey kicks Ospreay’s face off, but Ospreay fires up and asks for more. Bailey lays in more kicks, but Ospreay fires up and lays in forearms and kicks. Bailey lays in the speedball kicks, and hits a lariat. The dead lift German follows, Ospreay pops up and they collide center ring wiping each other out with a clothesline for a double down. Ospreay to the apron, Bailey cuts him off as he heads up top. He follows him up but Ospreay fights off the superplex attempt. Ospreay sides out but Bailey avoids the trapped superkick and hits a snapdragon suplex for the near fall. The crowd loves this. Ospreay hits the tornado DDT, looks for a rainmaker again but Bailey cuts it off and hits the speedball kicks and more rapid-fire kicks. Ospreay keeps wrist control, hits a rainmaker, but Bailey again lays in kicks. Ospreay lays him over the ropes, hits a knee and heads up top and hits the shooting star press to bailey who was draped over the ropes. Bailey rolls to the floor, Ospreay follows and they work to the apron. Bailey trips him up and hits the moonsault double knees on the apron. Bailey up top, and hits a shooting stare meteora! Insane near fall there. Bailey fires up again, hits the roundhouse kick, heads up top and Ospreay hits the Spanish fly for a great near fall. Emerald flowsion by Ospreay gets 2. Bailey then counters another into a RANA! He misses a kick, tornado kick by Ospreay and the Oscutter puts Bailey away. Will Ospreay defeated Mike Bailey @ 20:47 via pin [****¼] This was absolutely awesome, they kept a great pace, the crowd was insane the entire time and they worked in some really fun and innovative counters. The home stretch was really amazing, and while they went nearly 21-minutes, it never, ever, felt long or as if it overstayed its welcome. Tremendous work from both guys to provide something memorable ahead of the finals.
122Zack Sabre Jr. vs. KUSHIDA: They go to the mat right away as both men look to grapple. This ills the opening portion of the match, with both men targeting the legs early on. Sabre quickly turns the tide, and starts to attack the arms. KUSHIDA makes the ropes and takes a powder. Back in and KUSHIDA attacks the arm, Sabre looks to work his slick escapes, but KUSHIDA maintains control with even better counter grappling. KUSHIDA toys with Sabre a bit, mocking him and his grappling skills. KUSHIDA then transitions into a crossface, but Sabre finally counters out and works into a cradle for 2. KUSHIDA now takes mount, but Sabre counters out and tries to make a wish with KUSHIDA’s legs. KUSHIDA escapes and they work into a stand off. They work into a fun series of snap mares and counters, with Sabre finally cutting off KUSHIDA and working into the STF. KUSHIDA manages to make the ropes, and rolls into an ankle lock but Sabre rolls them to the ropes. KUSHIDA looks to punish the leg again, locking in the modified figure four. Sabre works the fingers and hand to escape, and then works into a modified octopus and then rolls into the arm bar, but KUSHIDA makes the ropes. KUSHIDA finally attacks the arm to slow Sabre down, and they then trade forearms. KUSHIDA now lays in kicks to the arm of Sabre, but Sabre cuts him off, attacking the knee. KUSHIDA hits a desperation enziguri, and then stomps away at the shoulder of Sabre. They both look for knee bars, but Sabre ties up KUSHIDA’s legs and they trade grounded kicks. Sabre slaps the shit out of KUSHIDA. They pick up the pacing, with KUSHIDA hitting the cartwheel into a dropkick. KUSHIDA then snatches Sabre our of the air as he goes for an uppercut and locks in an arm bar. Sabre escapes, but KUSHIDA hits the tornado DDT into the hover board lock. Sabre makes the ropes, KUSHIDA looks for a standing moonsault but Sabre catches him in a triangle. KUSHIDA escapes to the apron and works a kimura in the ropes. Sabre sidesteps a dropkick, hits the PK and stops KUSHIDA’s momentum. He misses the second PK, KUSHIDA locks in the kimura but Sabre escapes and locks in a hanging guillotine. KUSHIDA counters into a Kimura and hits a northern lights suplex out of that for 2. KUSHIDA rolls into a DDT, looks for back to the future but Sabre escapes. Sabre now targets the arm, follows with a suplex and covers for 2. KUSHIDA rolls into an arm bar, but Sabre rolls out and to his feet, hitting a dragon suplex for the near fall. they trade strokes and kicks, but Sabre catches the back handspring and locks in the am bar. He transitions into a triangle, KUSHIDA fights and Sabre transitions to a rings of Saturn variation, hooking a leg but KUSHIDA makes the ropes. They trade chops and uppercuts, KUSHIDA drops Sabre with a straight right but Sabre rolls into the European clutch for a near fall. They trade kicks now, KUSHIDA cuts off Sabre and pulls him up top. They battle for position, KUSHIDA shoved off and hits the rolling kicks. KUSHIDA back up top and hits the Spanish fly into the hover board lock, Sabre fights but KUSHIDA rolls and keeps the hold, Sabre escapes, but KUSHIDA counters into the prawn hold for the pin. KUSHIDA defeated Zack Sabre Jr. @ 30:20 via pin [***½] These two faced off at the RevPro Epic Encounter, which was an overall very good match, with some beautiful grappling and some sweet counters mixed in, but going way too long for the sake for going long (27-minutes); with a bit of editing and a stronger finish that paid off of the established work, they could easily have an excellent match; the bones of that were there. In terms of technical wrestling, it was really great. But they fell into the same trap as the above-mentioned match, in that it just went long for the sake of going long. Again if you trim this up and keep the same great technical work, it would be much better. Longer doesn’t always equal better, and while I personally love the style, this simply didn’t need to be this long.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
