5 Count: February 16-28th 2025

1) ELPIDA(c) vs. Astronauts (AJPW 2/24/25) All Asia Tag Team Title Match. Winner: ELPIDA. This one was circled in big red marker when it was announced. Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura are both great singles wrestlers, but as together as the Asrtonauts--best tag team in the world. Nomura looks like a giant sociopathic toddler—cherub faced and nonchalant before the match, but once the tag is made-he is howling like baby on a long flight, denting the back of your seat with meaty kicks. Now his partner Abe reminds me of Allen Iverson—smaller size, bigger personality, skills to kill, and speeds around the ring it look like he is jumping in and out of the camera frame. The two are submission specialist, and when they are not working a limb, they are slapping and kicking the shit out of their opponents.

They had a exceptional 2023--in BJW and the Japanese indies scene. However 2024 was relatively quiet-plenty of matches but it felt like we had seen fight everyone several times over in BJW (those Dice-k and a dude matches were great, but well was running dry). When Nomura became a free agent this year, I was hoping to see them hit new promotions and new competition. Enter All Japan and All Asia tag champs ELPIDA--the sexy version with Yuma Anzai and Rising HAYATO. The prom king and Mister Morp are exactly the perfect opponents for the 'Nauts, cool and detached--almost the movie star versions of Abe and Nomura.

The match itself was a beaut in execution and drama. Early on, the Astronauts isolated HAYATO and worked the hell out of his left arm; while one was wrapping him in up in a submission, the other would make sure Anzai was down or contained. A excellent sequence that encapsulated the match: Nomura had HAYATO dead to rights in armbreaker while Abe was holding Anzai back– Anzai breaks fee, runs in for the save and germans Normura—Abe comes in bounces off the ropes with Anzai chasing--Abe does his signature bottom rope sling shot into wind up punch square into Anzai's jaw--falling back, Anzai rebounds off the ropes into a big jumping knee on Abe.

For all the big spots from the Nauts and Anzai, the match was really about HAYATO. Never hitting the hot tag to Anzai, he kept fighting through punishing blows and being twisted every which way. HAYATO finally able to get some big offense on Abe--hitting a inverted package pile drive, a Michinoku driver and two lionsaults to finally put Abe away for the win. Great match, but like Denzel said" I Wish You Had More Time" cuz these two teams have an epic MOTY in them. RATING: HOT ROAST PLUS

2) Hechicero vs. El Barbaro Cavernario (NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 2/28/2024) Winner: Hechicero. The Alchemist continues his 2024 momentum with a great match on the final night of Fantasica Mania. He has taken advantage of his greater worldwide exposure and has solidified himself as one of the top technical wrestlers in the game. Strong technical skills earn a lot of points from certain segments of fans, but that doesn't always translate to the more general crowds. The difference with Hechicero is he makes it look fun and fast paced. Watching a guy work a limb for 20 minutes can drift into tedium, but he is always moving, sliding in and out of submission and pinning combinations.

Now if anyone could repeat Hechicero's 2024, I'd put some money on Cavernario. He works a mostly classic wrestling style combined with the ability to break out so big spots. He's got big ass kicker vibes. Also how can you not be charmed by a caveman who does the worm?

The match started with Cavernario trying to bait Hechicero out of his cerebral strategy and get him to brawl straight up--he grabbed at his mask, getting in each other face. This match had a higher intensity than most CMLL matches. DIG THAT GRIT! The two then began to trade pins with Cavernario showing he could play Hechicero game too. Now just cuz you can play the game, doesn't mean you can win it, and submission specialist soon took control.

Cavernario started to get some offense in and the match went up a level as Hechicero rolled to the floor after a hard kick to the chest. Cavernario spring boarded off the to rope, reached some impressive heights and crash hard on his opponent. He returned to apron, then stated running top speed and darted between the turnbuckle to hit a suicida (Do you remember when Sami Zayn used to do this every match? I miss it so). After trading some shots, the caveman pulled Hechicero back up to the apron to inflict more damage, but Hechicero countered with a spinning leg facebuster back the floor. Cavernario recovers hitting a back drop and then a helluva splash from the top turnbuckle. Hechicero then suplexes Cavernario onto a table but it might as well have been a circle cuz that table be unbroken. Crowd was eating this all up as the two pulled themselves back into the ring. Head to head, the two traded blows, but Hechicero pulled out the signature scissor drop and then trapped the legs and twisted those arms for the win. Rating: Roast

3)Darius Carter vs. Darius Lockhart (ASÉ Wrestling Ep. 6 2/20/25) Winner: Lockhart. The Darius Bowl has been the big feud ASÉ has been building over the course of the first six episodes. Once again, the promotion has some nice production, starting the episode off with excerpts of HBCU GameDay interviewing the two men to catch everyone up before the match. The other big note is this is Lockhart first match after a two year sabbatical. Since his last ring appearance, Lockhart has been putting on some mass and training under Arn Anderson. Whoo-boy does it show! Lockhart looking stout and beefy with a healthy tuft of black chest hair. A classic pro wrestling look and it fits him--going old school in this current age of super athletes really sets him apart. Carter is a throwback heel himself, but physically a nice contrast to Lockhart--tall and lanky, got an old man's body but projecting that old man strength.

The match was old school pro wrestling and the NC crowd was eating it up. Lockhart came out on fire, throwing big punches and landing some meaty clotheslines. After putting Carter on the mat, he proceeded to work in some gritty technical wrestling. Carter took control with a euro uppercut-then began to alternate offense with heeling at the crowd. Carter worked nasty and dirty-holding ropes on pins, stomping and chopping. After taking Lockhart outside and slamming his head on the table, Carter talked a little too much smack to Lockhart's mentor Mr. Milligan at ringside and got a big shove to the ground. This gave Lockhart enough time to recover and return fire. Back in the ring, Lockhart hits a a couple more clotheslines, a big cross body from the top rope, and finally a hanging neckbreaker for the win. A great example of good old rasslin'. Rating: Rocks

4) Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Angel de Oro (CMLL Viernes Espectacular 2/28/25) NEVER Openweight Title Match. Winner: Takeshita. For the most part, this is a perfectly standard Takeshita title defense. Takeshita showing off the power and agility that makes him one of top wrestlers in the world. Angel De Oro is a credible opponent--good to for some high and hope spots. However, a couple things stood out in this match. One was Takeshita heeling a little more broadly--don't know if this was the plan going in or warm up a Arena Mexico crowd not familar with him. In AEW, he plays an arrogant stone cold killer heel, but just hints of this personality on on display. In this match, Takeshita kept heeling with the crowd with a big devil's grin even taking time out to chat up the fans over the guardrail ala Sobreano. Takeshita has shown in his social media of having more personality than he presents in his US TV work. It was nice to see here, and the crowd was buying in.

Secondly, there was a unplanned guest appearance of Senor Sangre. After getting thrown into the crowd, Angel de Oro returned to the ring witha nasty cut on his hand. Taking advantage of the situation, he smeared the blood on his face, getting the old crimson mask. After hitting a moonsault from the turnbuckle to the floor on Takeshita, the camera stayed on Takeshita selling and Angel got bandaged up quick. Later when Angel was making his final stand, he ripped off the bandage, and chopped Takeshita, blood splattering against his chest. Crowd was hot for it. Smartt\ quick thinking by Angel De Oro to elevate the match. Rating: Rocks

5) Maggie Lee vs B3CCA ( Limitless Wrestling Warpath 2/22/25) Winner: Maggie Lee (DQ). Maggie Lee is a name that has been getting some buzz--getting praise from the likes of Rich of VOW, and a recent addition to the TNA Knockouts Division. She's a tall and skinny– all long legs and arms, works well as both a heel and face. As a heel, her height gives her an imposing stature with a strong Karen vibe, but as a face, she presents as the freckled tomboy girl next door.

Taking on B3CCA here, Lee worked heel--attacking before the bell and working over B3CCA's braced knee. Whether she is striking or selling, Lee is in constant motion, flailing, arms all akimbo like Air Dancer at a car dealership. Not a knock, she creates good movement and keeps your attention. B3CCA works a very basic women's wrestling style--all the standards like the handstand leglock flip to the old jump and punch. That said, she worked with an intensity here--getting some whip crack chops and big forearms. Still Lee would cut off any momentum by going back to the knee-getting nastier and nastier. This would build to Lee removing the brace, but getting kicked into the ref, knocking him out. Lee went to use the brace as weapon, thwarted by interference by spectator Gabby Forza who threw the brace back to B3CCA. Lee seeing the ref coming to, dropped to the mat for the Eddie spot for DQ victory. Rating:Rocks