Pro Wrestling Chronicle

I always try to deliver in threes, so today I’ll discuss Claudio Castagnoli going under the mask as “Swiss Ice Cream” for the 2007 Trios Tourney, Doc gets a shot at the Triple Crown, and some Sean Denny vs Damien Wayne action leading up to their respective ROH debuts.

-Los Ice Creams vs The Kings of Wrestling: The Kings at this point were F.I.S.T., accept they didn’t call themselves FIST yet. Chris Hero isn’t here, and Claudio is on the other team, but the more famous KOW team had other members and different formations before ROH. Confused? Me too, because I’m not fully plugged into the Chikara history. Thankfully we’ll have more great audio features here soon, one of which is a twice an month - HOPEFULLY - bi-weekly audio show with myself and our resident indy super observer (sorry Meltz), Brian Streleckis.

This match took place Feb 16, 2007 in Hellertown. Second round match. I assume Claudio came out as an Ice Cream in the first one so it was obvious. He makes it real obvious in this match early, as the Ice Creams rule right away. I was disappointed the two real Ice Creams didn’t get to show as much of their unique funny offense and shtick, but hey, you gotta book out a whole tournament, right?

I was watching specifically for Chuck Taylor, who is on my 2008 indy scouting list as a future star to watch. Dug him since last April when I saw him, but haven’t seen a ton of him. We’ll definately check in more on him. He didn’t do a huge amount of heavy lifting here, but that’s because the heels cut offf the ring and managed the match equally. Got a bit dull at times, but it was a decent run of the mill match. Probably above average to be fair, and the hope spots/ comebacks were cool. A little to slow in the classic build-a-tag formula - which can be fresh and fun or a quality throwback.

Icarus and Gran Akuma don’t quite have what I want out of workers all the time, but they aren’t far off. Sometimes I think they let the indy and high spot influences cloud their better judgment. This was a more grounded affair though.

Heels won in the end, and the brawl after seemed to have more fire than the match did. as a piece of the tourney it was fine but as a match I pulled off a DVD with interest, it’s not recommended. Watch the whoe thing and maybe you’ll feel differently.

-I did a Steal This Match on Doc vs Kobashi the other day, and remembered Doc got a title shot a few days later at the big house in Tokyo. Threw that in as I’m on a big Dr. Death Steve Williams kick right now.

Match is Williams vs Misawa from 9.3.93 and it is for the Triple Crown of All Japan. I liked the opening and building slap battles from supremacy here. I noticed again Doc’s awesome wrestling skill is tripled (no pun intended) from his great run in Mid South which I’m also viewing. They let him go harder here and he enjoys that. I think holding back before held him back psychologically in the ring early in his career and it took him time to get to this level (this is around 10 years in), which is actually a much more healthy maturation time for a wrestler. Here you see him actually gesturing to the cheap seats and playing the ugly American monster to perfection.

The match isn’t as good as the Kobashi match days before, but it’s still very interesting. i think sometimes Misawa holds things back by not selling a bit more, but that’s my own pet peeve. At times Doc would really sell the forearms perfectly for a few hits, then try to give Misawa one good shot to stumble him back. It wasn’t like he was looking for a full comeback, but you can tell Misawa is calling the match and it wasn’t happening. A small thing, because Misawa was GOD to these people during this big title run and it all gets over fine.

In the end all the false finish stuff and big moves got over and mean something, which is to say nothing is completely over done and everything is sold for effect - especially those damn elbow shivers. Misawa has to hit three big moves to slay the dragon, and though Doc kicks out at the end, it’s perfect, because he doesn’t kick out after the pin like Kevin Nash or Hogan would. He kicks out like a monster in a movie would go down and keep fighting as it died. He even stumbles to try to get to his feet after the match he can not, and he tries to leg tackle Misawa in vein. It allows him to save a certain amount of face and also shows the sports-like side of All Japan that drew me towards it. This looked more like a fight and felt more dramatic and compelling than anything in America in 1993 to me.

-I got to watch Sean Denny vs Damien Wayne from VCW (Virgina Championship Wrestling?) from 9.1.07. I really enjoyed this match alot, and it made me realize I had a match between these two that had alot of people talking in 2006 as well. I’ll do a Steal This Match on that one in the next week, especially if the buzz is strong after these two work the ROH card Friday night.

Wayne is older for an indy star, and as my pal Brian Streleckis has said, gives off a Bashem Brothers vibe. His story seems similar to Adam Pearce in that he’s a decent hand that for one reason or another fell through the cracks until it was too late. Though he might earn a spot into ROH as Pearce did as mid card talent, he’s to older to move any farther past that. His contributions will have to come in the same form as Pearce’s have: through imparting knowledge and ideas to others. This of Wayne and Pearce as coaches in pro sports. Often those with the best minds were not the best players. As coincidence would have it Pearce and Wayne had a match this past weekend that went to a 60 minute time limit finish. I’d guess alot of people won’t go out of there way to see that match. I would. I bet it’s very well laid out and entertainingly put together.

As for Sean Denny, I see good things in his future. He’s had some good matches with Brian Danielson and has his youth still. He’s a skilled guy who could benefit from the atmosphere and learning experience ROH creates.

While the skills are not at the same level, nor is the work as tight, the creativity and passion remind me of CM Punk and Samoa Joe a few years ago. Two guys who like to go in there and challenge each others abilities and wrestling minds. If you like scouting the indies, add these two to your list of developing talent to take in.

Both start out with a good display of mat holds and back and forth work, while trying some different small things. Not everything is perfect, but neither was Punk-Joe one or two. If you like “pretty” formula stuff pick 5 moves and wrestle WWE-style. I also liked gthe move to suplexes and than pin attempts. Shows a good escalation in all facets of match psychology.

Something I really liked this match for was it’s announcing by Jerry Stephanitsis & J.D. Kenzan. It was called in the old style, the dying art of being conversational, calling moves, and making sense of the story. I read so much about the WWE wanting “storytellers” and not play-by-play. What the hell was Gordon Solie or even Jim Ross doing when they explained in detail how a move hurt or explained away all the nonsense of wrestling while adding legitimacy? I believe it’s called creating a narrative, which is storytelling. Now whenever I turn on my TV to wrestling I here hyperbole and alot of yelling about nothing, or catch phrases. I’m so glad that wrestling cold actually get dumber so it can be more “Hollywood entertainment” in the eyes of it’s management staff.

Go out of your way to hear commentary done in this style anywhere.

The match does have to many big moves that aren’t finishes or even pins, but I am happy on some level they weren’t high spots in a fly and dive sense. Finish won’t dazzle you because it’s an angle to further a storyline in this promotion, but it’s a cool peak at these two workers.