Playard Wrestling Post

Last spring, I wrote an article about how to critique pro wrestling better aka "a guide on how to improve wrestling criticism" . I got some positive takes on it but the question is, why did I produce the second edition?  Well, you have to thank the awful videos and articles that I, unfortunately, consumed but at least, I wrote down some notes that contained the number of bad critiques that I was passionately blasted down on.  Like I mentioned in last year's piece, I am just an average fan that doesn't claim to be an expert in any form of criticism because YouTube will definitely give you the "I'm right, you're wrong" type of content.  This is just a learning process for not only the viewers reading this but myself as we all are trying to get better.  Without further explanation, let's guide you  to a better critique in wrestling (at least I hope so) numbra dos.  #1. Focusing Too Much On Logic (and no, I'm not talking abou...

Now, before you all verbally eat me alive like a hippopotamus (yes hippos eat humans, look that up), understand that I’m just an average dude writing about pro wrestling and doesn’t claim to be an expert in anything and that includes professional wrestling (except cooking. I’m damn good at cooking).  However, what I’ve been discovering as a pro wrestling blogger for over a year is that there are some wrestling criticism out there that just make me wanna scratch my head to the point where my hands turn into an electric shaver if that makes sense. For instance, “Why is Ricochet’s trunks red instead of white?” or “Why’s Andrade wearing his Luchador mask for his entrance every week?”  In other words, they’re nitpicking and trust me I do that ALL THE TIME in my wrestling reviews. There’s nothing wrong with nitpicking certain things but the difference is that I acknowledge that I’m nitpicking and those guys clearly don’t.  There are fans out there on the interweb that b...

If you haven't figured it out already, I barely watch New Japan but was Wrestle Kingdom 13 a great way to make me watch NJPW full time? Unfortunately no. This was overall a decent show that had some gems in it and here's why. By the way, I thought that it was very interesting that none of the competitors in their respective matches actually retain their championships.  (photos courtesy of NJPW )  Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay for the NEVER Openweight Championship  This was a solid opener. Earlier in the match, Will Ospreay did a dive to Ibushi on the outside and minutes later, Kota Ibushi delivered a twisting Moonsault to Ospreay on the outside.  After that, they went back and forth with near falls until Ospreay hit a sick elbow on Kota’s head, delivered the Stormbreaker finish and won the match. Will Ospreay is the new champion. Not match of the year contender to be honest but it was a good way to start the show.  Sho and Yoh vs Bus...

So a few weeks ago, good old Dave Meltzer of the wrestling observer newsletter gave the Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny omega match at dominion 2018 a 7-star rating. According to the interent wrestling database , this match is by far his HIGHEST match rating ever (i don't blame him because the match was amazing). So statistically, this is his favourite match of all time . Now, why I'm writing this now?  Well, his best match ratings have been a consistent 5 stars since 1983 with the exception of all the Omega vs Okada matches and the Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada match at AJPW's Budokan hall show in June of 1994.  There are fans that take his match ratings as an offence somehow like "Why he rates X match better than Y match?" or thinks that he "hates" WWE which is ridiculous considering that he gave three WWE matches a 5 star ratings just this past year. One was the ladder match to crown the first ever NXT North American champion, the Johnny Garga...