Friday, July 1, 2011

The Internet is for Wrestling #1


As I've said before on this humble blog, I spend lots of time on the internet. I also spend lots of that internet time watching professional wrestling. Lots of that shit is old/obscure/comedy-related wrestling, sure, but there's actually "new" professional wrestling shows that are featured primarily on the internet each week. Stuff either produced directly for consumption by web users and/or stuff that finds its largest audience on computer screens.

So in my new (and hopefully) weekly series, I take a look at all these web series and tell you, my faithful five readers, what's hot in each of these and whether or not you should check them out for yourself. We're going with a basic "WATCH IT", "CONSIDER IT", or "SKIP IT" rating here. Let's get started with the big boys at WWE.

I must admit to really liking the concept of NXT since its inception, but have kinda hated the execution. It's cool that WWE would want to pair up new up-and-comers with seasoned pros and have them fight it out for a spot on the roster, and some of WWE's younger stars have spawned from the series, but the fact that the series devolves into stupid events and no-shows by the mentors means that it's just not super compelling. I recently caught up with this season's goings on, and am sad to see it's very much the same.

WHAT'S HOT?
Yoshi Tatsu and Tyson Kidd have an OUTSTANDING match, one that's kicked off when Kidd rips the legs off of one of Yoshi's prized Yoshi action figures (anyone who follows Yoshi on Twitter knows how much he loves the little guys). These guys have gone at it a million times, but they never fail to entertain. This match was great, the crowd gets behind Yoshi, and these two put on a solid show.

WHAT'S NOT?
The rest of the show is dominated by the NXT contestants, and while these guys aren't necessarily bad, they just are difficult to get amped up for. The audience is already relatively dead for the festivities, but the lack of reaction during matches really cements the problem with having such a long series devoted to unknowns. Also, I love William Regal, but I don't think his commentary is the greatest. Both he and Grisham sound bored at ringside.

VERDICT?
SKIP IT. Unless you're a huge Yoshi Tatsu or Tyson Kidd fan and really want to see their match, this just ain't worth your time.

Perhaps consistently my favorite WWE show, Superstars is essentially (for lack of a better word) a place where all the dudes who job to the big players on RAW and SmackDown can shine. That might not sound super appealing, but rest assured that these dudes and dudettes regularly put on better, more entertaining, and more high-energy matches than stuff you'll see on TV. This week's installment certainly wasn't the best, but it was solid.

WHAT'S HOT?
The show opens up with a fantastic match between Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim. Honestly, Kelly Kelly and the Bellas get more play than these two? That's totally ridiculous, and this match proves why. There's a solid match featuring Chris Masters and JTG that's some good fun, and the show caps with a 6-Man Tag with the Usos and Trent Baretta vs. Gabriel, Slater, and Tyson Kidd. That match is great, but one spot in particular towards the end of the match is totally worth the price of admission. I won't spoil it, but you'll definitely want to see it.

WHAT'S NOT?
There's a pretty meh Divas contest between Alicia Fox and Kaitlyn. This "feud" has been building up for some time between Natalya's face team and Rosa's heel team, but it just isn't going anywhere, and boring matches like this aren't helping matters.

VERDICT?
WATCH IT. Superstars is one WWE show that rarely disappoints. It deserves your attention for one hour out of your week.

Perhaps the best kept secret on the wrestling scene, NWA Hollywood features some of the more talented performers from the indy circuit beating the crap out of each other in an old movie theater in Hollywood. That never fails to be fun.

WHAT'S HOT?
Just about damn near everything. The show opens with a pretty incredible falls count anywhere tag match between the RockNES Monsters and the Cutler Bros. This thing goes all over the theater, and features some pretty intense spots and bumps. From there, the night just keeps on rolling along with some ladies action, a match featuring the 400 pound wrecking machine, Terex, and a main event with Joey Ryan and SoCal Crazy. All this with Colt Cabana on commentary. What's not to like?

WHAT'S NOT?
The production values of NWA are obviously not going to be anywhere near the level of WWE or anything, and that can be a tad off-putting. However, if you're into the indy scene, that's no problem at all.

VERDICT?
WATCH IT! NWA Hollywood needs to be discovered. Support this awesome promotion!

Indy darling and fan favorites Chikara put out one of their great archived matches online each week with their Podcast-a-go-go. Some of these have been absolutely fantastic, so it's completely worth your time plumbing their youtube channel for older episodes. How does this week's effort stack up?

WHAT'S HOT?
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brodie Lee is this week's featured effort, and that makes for a solid big-man contest. The strikes are great, the psychology is strong, and there are some pretty amazing feats of strength by Castagnoli here. The finish, too, is pretty creative.

WHAT'S NOT?
As solid as this match is, it's only just that. Solid. Chikara puts these matches out each week, free of charge, and it's almost prickish to critique them or to expect more. Still, I do. Match was great, but the Podcast-a-go-go has put out EPIC in the past.

VERDICT?
CONSIDER IT! Chikara fan? Watch this for sure. Got fifteen minutes to kill? Go ahead and give it a watch. You're not, however, missing all that much by skipping this.

I'll be back next week with the second installment of The Internet is for Wrestling, and stay tuned as I try to get back on track with a regular review schedule!

No comments:

Post a Comment