Random stuff from this weekend

Austin Aries vs Akira Tozawa, DGUSA "United: Philly"

This was good but, like the matches from the previous night, nothing special. Tozawa repeated the missed splashes spot, but otherwise once again looked perferctly fine. It got pretty hot near the end with some big nearfalls and I liked a lot of the exchanges, especially the one that lead to the finish. Refreshing to see Aries back working as a face, and the outcome actually felt like a big deal.

Los Traumas vs Faby Apache/Mary Apache, DTU 1/29

My problem with this match wasn't so much the ring-work but the concept. This is two violent asskickers working even with two girls and I just wasn't able to buy it. Granted, the Apaches aren't exactly Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres, but they aren't Aja Kong level ass-kickers either. The first half of the match was them taking it to the mat and working even, and I wasn't buying it. I would have been able to buy it had the females been working from beneath and finding openings, but they won more exchanges than they lost and the Traumas sold too much for them. T1 was wrestling with a bandaged shoulder and it wasn't touched once, which would have easily been the most believable way to make this match work. The part where the Traumas finally say "fuck if they are chicks, we are going to bring the pain" was great, and the man-on-women violence was certainly a horror show, but it was too little too late for me at that point.

Dr. Cerebro vs Commando Negro, IWRG 1/30

This was a great lucha title match and so far my favourite singles match of the year. The mat wrestling in the first two falls was just excellent. In a lot of IWRG matches the mat stuff can feel like guys are giving up holds or countering stuff too easily, but here both guys were visibly struggling and working for every counter and shift in momentum. Some of the holds they were locking in were just crazy, especially the one Commando used for the second fall. The build to the higher impact moves was really well done and the third fall was great. Cerebro was totally fired up all the way through, and the finish was as good of a "guy gets upset out of nowhere" moment as there has been in a while.