This Month on The Online, January 2019

Wrestling in America right now is fucking awesome.

I know that that seems kind of moronic to say, but to me it's true. I've been so buried in New Japan for the past few years, I haven't really been paying attention to the American companies. I knew Impact was not only still alive, but doing good, that ROH was recently signing like a dozen new, major stars, and that a company named Major League Wrestling vaguely existed. well, with a new year came a new interest in getting away from New Japan. At least in terms of being my entire focus. I've wanted to do articles like this ever since I started Falcon Arrow Emporium, and I'm glad I finally got to do it starting in 2019. A few things to have in mind as you read my Top 10.

1) I'm new to this format, so if I seem jumbled and disjointed in my recaps, that's why. I'm much more used to reviewing full shows. Hopefully I'll get better as I continue this.
2) I'm only watching ROH, Impact, and MLW right now, because those are easy for me to watch and easy for me to get into with the familiar faces and convenient methods of watching. I might watch more companies in the future, but for now these are the only groups I'll be watching.
3) This is my opinion, the way every wrestling fan has an opinion. My taste isn't yours or the next readers. I'm just letting people know what matches I recommend from the given month, this isn't me trying to make a definite list of final quality.

Got it? Cool, let's get going.

10) Rich Swann vs. El Hijo de Vikingo
Impact Wrestling, 1.25.19
Taking the lowest spot this month is a match featuring a wrestler who was instantly made in my eyes. Before watching this episode of Impact, I had no idea who El Hijo de Vikingo (SON OF THE FUCKING VIKING) was. After this match I think I need to find more of him. He was pretty good here and he has a look that speaks to me on a styles clashing level. This was also the first match of the Impacts that took place in Mexico, and this crowd was just alive. Rich Swann was dominant for most of it, breaking down with Vikingo trying everything he had in the end, before Rich 450'd him from the middle rope, which was like 4 feet in the air.

9) Moose vs. Brian Cage
Impact Wrestling, 1.18.19
If you like Hoss Fights, this was your big match of the month. Moose probably shattered his hand chopping the ring post outside at some point, based on the noise it made. It effected him through the whole match, but he was still able to hold control for most of it. But Cage is, in fact, a fucking Machine, and he was able to come back and nail Moose (who is 6'5" and almost 300 lbs.) with a Drill Claw (Which is the Steiner Screwdriver, so Jesus Christ). Low on the list but I still heavily enjoyed it.

8) The Rascalz vs. The Lucha Bros.
Impact Wrestling, 1.11.19
I didn't really know who the Rascalz were before I started watching wrestling this month, but they've really started impressing me, despite the Rufio/Lost Boys thing they do all the damn time. Not much to talk about here, just a wild, 800 moves at 70 miles an hour. Lucha Bros. are awesome, and I hope they get those fat AEW checks for a long time.

7) Dragon Lee vs. Rich Swann
Major League Wrestling, 1.12.19
Major League wrestling breaks Impact's hold on this month's top ten with a real great opener from a few weeks ago. What starts as an even contest of sportsmanship is turned quickly by Swann as he takes the liberties he saws fit to steal. Dragon Lee came back from it though, and eventually pinned his opponent after a Suplex into a powerbomb that has a name I don't trust myself to type properly. Fun match, places higher than 8 by the virtue of Swann taking over for most and Dragon making a good show of coming back.

6)Sami Callihan vs. Willie Mack
Impact Wrestling, 1.11.19
A rematch from the Pay-Per-View the previous Sunday. Sami and Willie fought for a series of roll ups towards the end, before Sami went for a Piledriver that Mack countered for a roll-up pinfall. Better than the match from the previous night in my mind, both of these men could step up and be contenders for the Heavyweight title in Impact, or any other company, whenever they really wanted to. Not as Hoss a Hoss fight as Number 9, but a better match than Moose and Cage by virtue of the final minutes in the ring.

5) Low Ki vs. Fred Yehi for the MLW Heavyweight Championship
Major League Wrestling, 1.12.19
The first MLW match on the list and the first title match. Low Ki is some kind of next level when it comes to presentation, if this past month of MLW has shown me anything. This title defense came on the same show as Tommy Dreamer and Brian Pillman caning each other (more on that later) and kind of came out of nowhere to me. It was a great, tense match that had the definite air of a heavyweight title match. Unfortunately, Fred Yehi was definitely not as ready for Low Ki as he needed to be to even survive. Despite being kicked around for a good part of the match, Fred managed to try and take it to the champion, but it proved futile a lot of the time. Low Ki seemed 2 steps ahead of him at most points. Ki caught Fred on the top rope, threw him down, and Double Foot Stomped him. Would have liked to see it go longer, but what we got was still good.

4) Tracey Williams vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Ring of Honor, 1.11.19
I fucking love technical wrestling, and I'm going to be very bias at times on these lists. But I believe even beyond my bias this was a fantastic match. I really can't go into detail with a match like this because I'd just be going " And then Zack put him in a hold, then Tracey escaped and put him in a hold, then Zack tried escaping and-" yeah you get it. Match ends with Zack locking in...
Hold on, lemme find the proper name...

"Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness"

...Wait, all these wacky submissions have names?


3) Brian Pillman, Jr. vs Tommy Dreamer, Singapore Cane Match
Major League Wrestling, 1.12.19
Told you this one was coming back.
 Let me make it public right now. I love Brian Pillman, Jr. I love him as much as a heterosexual man can love another heterosexual pro wrestler he may never actually meet. I wasn't a wrestling fan while his father was still alive, but I'm a fan for this glorious fucker. I'm not one for no-DQ style matches, especially halfway through a feud, but this one was great. All you needed was both men's promos before the match to grasp the general feel of the match. Brian came out in like 4 layers of clothing that were ceremoniously stripped as the match went on. I didn't think I'd be a hyped for the match as a whole as I ended up being, I've been weary of Tommy for a while now. But I'm glad I was proven wrong. Pillman won with a Strait Jacket Neckbreaker after going back and forth with Tommy with the canes and various other plunder. This match is on Youtube for free,GWN or Honorclub needed. Go fucking watch it.

2) Johnny Impact vs. Killer Kross, Street Fight
Impact Wrestling, 1.11.19

Taking the silver medal this month is not, in fact, the Impact Heavyweight title match from the end of the month. Rather, its Johnny Impact and Killer Kross' Street Fight from a few weeks prior. If there's one wrestler I'm really hot on since watching Impact again, it's Kross. I demand a Low Ki and Killer Kross match with UWFi rules. We need this on the next Jericho Cruise. This fight was great in showcasing Johnny as the big dog in house (even though he fucked Cage over at Homecoming) and Kross came out as a dominant force that could take the title, really at any time he wanted to. They fought outside for a long time, they had a lot of good exchanges in the ring, copious plunder was introduced, and none of it really felt out of place. Impact almost had Kross, before Moose of #9 fame ran in to distract the champion long enough to give Kross the time to hook in a Rear Naked Choke. I loved this match, and I almost put it as number one. But, after watching this match and the eventual number one, I couldn't make that choice.

1) So Cal Uncensored vs. The Briscoes for the ROH Tag team Championships
Ring of Honor, 1.11.19

When I first watched this match, I kind of knew that this wouldn't be topped. All action, all hype, completely ROH Tag title style. The fans ate it up the entire way through. It started hot and heavy with SCU giving no fucks throwing chairs in the ring. Briscoes, not liking to take any kind of shit without throwing some themselves, responded in kind with weapons. SCU tried everything to get their tag titles back within the scope of the rules, and several times it looked like they were going to get their belts back. But the Briscoes persisted, as they do, eliminating Scorpio Sky from the equation with a Jay Driller, leaving Frankie alone to fight off the champions. He put a great fight, getting up when most people really would've chosen to stay down, but was finally planted with a Powerbomb/Neckbreaker combination for the pin. It wasn't the biggest technical showcase, or maybe the match with the biggest personal issue, or involving my favorite wrestlers, but this match had the air of a war, and the crowd was insane and fueled on bloodshed and violence the whole way.


Thanks for reading! I'm glad that I can turn my passion for wrestling into something that so many people enjoy. If you want to get regular updates on when I release more reviews, or want to read me randomly yell about wrestling as I watch it, you can follow me at Twitter at @LSWayne21. And if you're still looking for your fix on wrestling, check out Enuffa.com, where I got my start in reviewing and still contribute from time to time.
All of Impact Wrestling's shows are archived on Global Wrestling Network 
All of Major Leage Wrestling's shows are archived on Youtube 
All of Ring of Honor's shows are archived on ROH's website.