5 Count: January 1-15, 2025

1) Shotaro Ashino vs. Yuma Anzai (AJPW 1/03/25) Winner: Anzai. When it comes to blood in pro-wrestling, I have to say the broken nose is high water mark. Thinking of the Oku match a few months back, or more iconic, the one Becky Lynch got from Nia Jax. As a human being, I would never wish it on someone, but for pure aesthetics, it's pretty bad ass.

This match followed the Anzai formula, a classic babyface one. Opened upgoing toe to toe, Anzai hits a big move, then his oppenent kicks his ass for while with a couple hope spots, then Anzai digs deep and pulls out a victory. Anzai is a great seller (perhaps too good)--his face is very expressive, but not overwrought. As far as delivering a good ass kicking, Ashino fits the bill. Ashino is similar to NJPW Ishii and WWE-era Cesaro, great worker, very physical, has a dellldicated fan base, but never gets the full push of his promotion. The Master of Suplex threw Anzai around and viciously worked his leg. Very physical and then things got brutal. Anzai and Ashino started trading forearms and one of Ashino's shoot connected. Blood immediately started pouring out Anzai face--forming a perfect crimson mask. Even scarier tho was the next big bump– Ashino powerbombed young Yuma and his head hit the mat hard. Ashino transitioned into submission leg hold, but Anzai was motionless--looking legit ko'd. Ashino bought time with a pin and subtly helped Anzai kick out, then stalled for a bit while Anzai got his wits about him. Listen pro-wrestling ain't good for yer health and would rather see wrestlers get thru their matches in relative good shape. Still...Still...when Anzai stood up, a little wobbly at first, but got up eyes wide and dry blood caked around his face--he looked like a bad man. Ashino then bumped hard for Yuma's jumping knee strike, and Anzai was able to finish him with the gimlet-electric chair power bomb. Rating: ROOOOOAST

2) Trisha Adora vs Aja Kong (ASÉ WRESTLING EP. 1 1/09/25) Winner: Kong. ASÉ is a new promotion from wrestler Darius Lockhart showcasing black talent and been running live show in NC for the past year. The live footage is now being cut into weekly episodes for YouTube. Production is top notch and I dig the format--one hour, two matches and a musical performance. The presentation is smart, cool, and current--sadly three things generally missing from pro wrestling as a whole. The matches feature vets and up and comers as seen in the debut episode's main event, Kong vs Adora. Kong is a legend and at 54 she may not be hitting the ropes as hard as she used to--she still brings alot of charisma and presence. She played the hits here-no selling for the first half of the match, nice saito suplex and of course won the match on a spinning back fist. Still Adora did a great job of holding her own. She's got a great physique--a real athlete's body-did a nice job of selling Kong's offense-pulling off a a great glassy stare--a little theatrical, but over the top. When Adora got some offense in, it looked good especially a beatiful german suplex. I know she's been featued on ROH and AEW tv, but they could use her more. Rating: ROAR

3) UltraPOWER! vs Sinner And Saint(c) (Prestige Roseland X 1/09/25) Prestige Tag Team Title Match. Winner: UltraPower! Sinner and Saint have become one of the best tag team on the indies and hopefully are getting a good push on TNA. Williams and Icarus have great chemistry and creativity together, working great as heels. Admired, but unlikeable. UltraPower! is Amira and Jaiden, a perfect contrast--plucky babyfaces--perhaps not as skilled, but no quit and loved by the crowd. Match started out Amira and Jaiden getting the jump on the champs with a series of double teams, but soon Sinner and Saint's teamwork got them back on top—blocking the turnbuckle for their partner, taking out the tag partner on the apron before the legal wrestler could get to them. Their pace was fast and quick, and to their credit, UltraPower kept up with them. I find Jaiden's superhero mask thing a little corny, but he is smooth in transition and pulls out some athletic moves like a nice destroyer here. Amira is still fairly green, and her offense is mostly the basic power thundamentals, but it looks strong. Great scoop body slam and backdrop slams--she did break out a sweet moonsault. She also does the little things well--for example after a double team, Jaiden went for the pin, and Amira walked back to her corner, but at 2.9 kickout--her head swiveled in shock. It came off as a real reaction--not the theatrical NXT face. The match ends in a series of shenanigans, S&S hit Amira with the belt, but the announcer refuses to ring the bell causing a distraction that allows Jaiden to use the belt on Icarus to get the 1-2-3 and we got new champs. Ok with the finish, protects Sinner and Saint but still gives them their comeuppance. Rating: Rocks

4) Zara Zakher (c) vs. B3CCA (West Coast Pro "Only the Strong Survive" 1/10/25) Women's Title Match. Winner: Zakher. Zakher capped off a good 2024 with winning the championship in November and getting signed to the WWE ID program. Easy to see why the big time is keeping tabs, Zakher is only 23, but wrestles beyond her two years of ring experience. Nice moveset based on power and agility-she's got star potential.

This was her fist title defense and a nice showcase. Busted out a perfect bridging german suplex and ring shaking power bomb. She even took a pretty hard kick to the face, but kept going. As for her oppenent, B3CCA was pretty solid--doing the pop star heel character. She got some good height on a missile dropkick and had some slick snap suplexes. Match hit a snag with a middling series of pins and reverse, and shiniest wizard from Zakher cuz there was a lot of light, but they recovered for a nice final section .Zakher finished the match with standing backflip cutter which is both eye pleasing and punishing. Rating: Roar.

5) Penta vs Chad Gable (WWE RAW 1/13/25) Winner: Penta. A part of me hoped for a Nakamura/Zayn epic—a singular stand out performance by Penta, that he could coast on for WWE run. I knew it was unlikely--WWE just doesn't operate that way right now. RAW as a show perhaps has an idenity, but it has no personality.

I should be upfront--not a big WWE fan at this time. A decade ago--there was enough to keep me interested if not excited, but it's been some time since that has been the case. Listen, WWE is the most commercial successful wrestling promotion in the world and its fans seem very satisfied-—tho I'm not alone, I'm in the outlier. I am, however, a Penta fan. He's got the look and he got so much charisma. I thought his presenation was underwhelming on his RAW debut, but watching that man cat strut down the aisle still made me smile. The match itself was Penta greatest hits, snapping the arm, Big in Japan, that always impressive tope. Michael Cole sayin his destroyer was the most "pure destroyer" in the business got a chuckle out of me after years of that move being derided as an indie BS. This match was not a Penta best showing (those superkicks kept missing the mark), but it was better than some of his last matches in AEW. Truth is despite his dip in workrate, Penta will still be over. He closing in on 40, and got plenty of classics on the resume; get that bag! On the other hand, Gable was a nice surprise-haven't really seen since Daniel Bryan revealed as his father on tout--dude got big! Still a good worker tho and did a nice job putting Penta over. Rating: Rent