2025 Match Rating Archive

JANUARY: 

Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta vs. Adam Copeland & FTR - AEW: Dynamite - 1/1/25 - ****

Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW/AEW: Dynasty - 1/5/25 - ***3/4 

Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd - NJPW/AEW: Dynasty - 1/5/25 - ***1/2

Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Giulia - NXT Women’s Title Match - WWE: NXT New Years Evil - 1/7/25 - ***1/4

Adam Copeland vs. Big Bill - AEW: Collision - 1/8/25 - ***1/4 

Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata - TNT Title Match - AEW: Collision - 1/8/25 - ***1/4

CM Punk vs. Sami Zayn - WWE: Raw - 2/3/25 - ***1/2

Toni Storm vs. Queen Aminata - AEW: Dynamite - 2/5/25 - ***

Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet - AEW: Dynamite - 2/5/25 - ***1/4

Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher - AEW: Collision - 2/8/25 - ****

Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Hirooki Goto - IWGP Title Match - NJPW: New Beginning In Osaka - 2/11/25 - ****1/4

Mariah May (c) vs. Toni Storm - AEW Women’s World Title Match - AEW: Revolution - 3/9/25 - ****3/4

Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet - AEW: Revolution - 3/9/25 - ***3/4

El Desperado vs. Jun Kasai vs. Masashi Takeda - NJPW: Wrestling Is Fun - 3/10/25 - ****1/2

Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight - Owen Hart Tournament Match - AEW: Dynasty - 4/6/25 - ***1/2

Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe - Owen Hart Tournament Match - AEW: Dynasty - 4/6/25 - ***3/4

Kenny Omega (c) vs. Speedball Bailey vs. Ricochet - AEW International Title Match - AEW: Dynasty - 4/6/25 - ****1/4

Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, & Katsuyori Shibata - AEW Trios Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 4/16/25 - ****

El Desperado (c) vs. Jun Kasai - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match - NJPW: Death Pain Invitational - 6/24/25 - ***3/4

Bandido vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Roderick Strong - AEW: Dynamite - 6/25/25 - ***1/2

Kyle Fletcher vs. Kyle O’Reilly - AEW: Collision - 6/26/25 - ***1/2

Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez - Street Fight - WWE: Night of Champions - 6/28/25 - ****

The Young Bucks & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Roderick Strong, Bandido, & Kyle O’Reilly - AEW: Dynamite - 7/2/25 - ***1/4 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi - AEW: Dynamite - 7/2/25 - ****

FTR vs. The Outrunners - AEW: Collision - 7/5/25 - ***3/4

Kyle Fletcher vs. Daniel Garcia - AEW: Collision - 7/5/25 - ****

Bandido (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita - ROH Title Match - ROH: Supercard of Honor - 7/11/25 - ****1/4

FTR vs. The Outrunners - AEW: All In Zero Hour - 7/12/25 - ***1/4

The Young Bucks vs. Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay - AEW: All In Texas - 7/12/25 - ***1/4

Toni Storm (c) vs. Mercedes Mone - AEW: All In Texas - 7/12/25 - ****

Kenny Omega (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada (c) - AEW Unified Title Match - AEW: All In Texas - 7/12/25 - ***3/4

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Hangman Adam Page - Texas Death for the AEW World Championship - AEW: All In Texas - 7/12/25 - *****

Kyle Fletcher vs. Mascara Dorado - AEW: Dynamite - 7/16/25 - ***3/4

Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta vs. Hangman Page, Mark Briscoe, & Powerhouse Hobbs - AEW: Dynamite - 7/16/25 - ***1/2

FTR vs. Jet Speed (Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight) - AEW: Dynamite - 7/23/25 - ***3/4

Hangman Page (c) vs. Jon Moxley - AEW World Championship Match - AEW: Dynamite - 7/30/25 - ****1/2

Dustin Rhodes (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher - Street Fight for TNT Title - AEW: Collision - 7/31/25 - ****1/4

Gunther (c) vs. CM Punk - World Heavyweight Championship Match - WWE: SummerSlam - 8/2/25 - ***3/4 

Jon Moxley vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey - AEW: Dynamite - 8/6/25 - ****

Queen Aminata vs. Skye Blue vs. Alex Windsor vs. Billie Starkz - AEW: Dynamite - 8/6/25 - ***3/4

Bandido & Brody King vs. The Young Bucks - AEW: Dynamite - 8/6/25 - ****

Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii - TNT Title Match - AEW: Collision - 8/9/25 - ***1/4

Jon Moxley vs. Kevin Knight - AEW: Dynamite - 8/13/25 - ***1/2 

Mercedes Mone, Skye Blue, & Thekla vs. Queen Aminata, Alex Windsor & Willow Nightingale - AEW: Dynamite - 8/13/25 - ***1/4

Ricochet & Gates of Agony vs. Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight, & Michael Oku - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door Zero Hour - 8/24/25 - ***1/4

Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Alex Windsor vs. Persephone vs. Bozilla - TBS Title Match - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door - 8/24/25 - ****

Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd, & The Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, & Darby Allin - Lights Out Steel Cage - AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door - 8/24/25 - ***3/4

Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia - AEW: Dynamite - 8/27/25 - ****

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Darby Allin - AEW: Dynamite - 8/27/25 - ****1/4

Kyle Fletcher & Josh Alexander vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Kyle O’Reilly - AEW: Collision - 8/30/25 - ***1/4

Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia - AEW: Collision - 9/5/25 - ****1/4

Shelton Benjamin vs. Ricochet - AEW: Dynamite - 9/10/25 - ***1/2

Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue - Philly Street Fight - AEW: Dynamite - 9/10/25 - ***1/2

Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, & The Young Bucks vs. Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, Katsuyori Shibata, Brody King & Bandido - AEW: Dynamite - 9/10/25 - ***1/2

Jon Moxley & Daniel Garcia vs. Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly - AEW: Collision - 9/13/25 - ***1/4

Bobby Lashley vs. Toa Liona - AEW: Dynamite - 9/17/25 - ***1/2 

Jon Moxley vs. Roderick Strong - AEW: Dynamite - 9/17/25 - ***3/4

Mark Briscoe vs. MJF - Tables N Tacks Match - AEW: All Out - 9/20/25 - ****1/4

Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin - Coffin Match - AEW: All Out - 9/20/25 - ****1/2

Darby Allin & Kris Statlander vs. Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shamir - AEW: Dynamite - 10/1/25 - ****1/4

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Orange Cassidy - AEW: Dynamite - 11/5/25 - ****1/4

Athena & Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron - AEW: Dynamite - 11/5/25 - ***1/2

Daniel Garcia vs. Darby Allin - AEW: Dynamite - 11/5/25 -

****

Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, & Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Eddie Kingston, Hangman Page, & Hook - AEW Trios Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 11/5/25 - ****

Jamie Hayter vs. Skye Blue - AEW: Collision - 11/8/25 - ***1/4

Jon Moxley vs. Roderick Strong - AEW: Collision - 11/8/25 - ****1/4

Mercedes Mone, Skye Blue, Thekla, Julia Hart, Megan Bayne, & Marina Shafir vs. Toni Storm, Mina Shirakawa, Jamie Hayter, Willow Nightingale, Harley Cameron, & Kris Statlander - Blood & Guts Match - AEW: Dynamite - 11/12/25 - ****3/4 

Hangman Page (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs - AEW World Title Match - AEW: Dynamite - 11/12/25 - ****1/4

Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, & Wheeler Yuta vs. Darby Allin, Roderick Strong, Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, & Kyle O’Reilly - Blood & Guts - AEW: Dynamite - 11/12/25 - ****1/4

Darby Allin vs. PAC - AEW: Full Gear - 11/22/25 - ****

Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly - AEW: Full Gear - 11/22/25 - ***1/2

Jon Moxley vs. Mascara Dorada - AEW: Dynamite - 11/26/25 - ****

Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight - AEW: Dynamite - 11/26/25 - ***1/2

Jon Moxley vs. Claudio Castagnoli - AEW: Dynamite - 12/3/25 - ****1/4

Roderick Strong vs. Orange Cassidy - AEW: Collision - 12/6/25 - ***1/4

Random Match Review: Chris Hero vs. Roderick Strong - IWA Mid South - September 30th, 2006

September 30th, 2006 

Chris Hero vs. Roderick Strong 

IWA Mid-South: Ted Petty Invitational - Night Two

Well well, what’s up yall? It’s been a while. A long time. And an even longer time since I’ve done a singular “miscellaneous match review” post. Life has been crazy with little time to really keep up with the blog or watch wrestling as much as I would like. Despite that, it still remains a part of my life. I just brought a wrestling event to my music festival which was a true dream come true to be a part of and as I’m typing this, I’m preparing for a day trip tomorrow to AEW’s Blood & Guts event in Greensboro, NC. 

On top of all that, though, wrestling remains my comfort viewing. When my mental isn’t where it should be and music and work life are pushing to my wits end. I’ll throw on a wrestling match or event to make me feel better.

This afternoon, my choice for viewing while I ate $20 worth of Popeye’s after work was this. Chris Hero versus Roderick Strong in the 2006 IWA Mid South Ted Petty Invitational. Hero, Roddy, and IWA MS are three of my favorite comfort viewings so this was a perfect choice when it popped up as a YouTube recommendation. With these three things and people, I know exactly what I’m in for (for better or worse when it comes to the promotion LMAO). 

This is a blind spot in my IWA MS mid-2000’s love story binge. After 2005, my catalog of viewing slowly diminishes. So, to be honest, it was nice to get around to something from the 2006 TPI. 

Hero is in full dickhead mode at this point in time in every promotion he works for. One half of the ROH tag team champions. He’s a cocky son of a bitch and has been mowing through this tournament. Commentary does a good job of catching you up on things even though I’m sure they prolly never imagined this would be a single match someone would be watching one day as opposed to the entire event on tape. None the less, they crush it. Plus, Hero is in prime form here and could’ve told the story in the ring on his own even without commentary. 

This is the type of the match that makes my heart pulse. A random singles contest from 19 years ago, but damn if it ain’t just as great as anything on modern wrestling TV. It just reminds me of how good we had it in the mid 2000’s and how special this crop of workers were. And ALSO, Roddy motherfucking Strong. 20+ years in the game and still going strong TO THIS DAY. I just watched him have a ****1/4 TV masterclass with Jon Moxley on 11/8/25 and here he is on 9/30/06 having the most sick little snappy tournament match in a gymnasium. This crop of guys have such incredible depth to their catalogs. Going back and watching matches like this reminds me of that. 

Idk man, I’m not gonna do play by play on this, you know that’s not my thing if you’ve ever read my reviews. I just yap. And the jist of this one is simple… I love simple, to the point, crisp, gritty wrasslin that tells a story anyone can grasp. You don’t need all the shit that’s wrong with modern WWF, you don’t need monologues, you don’t need spots. You don’t need anything, but two Great Workers. Two Grade A Pro Wrestlers. All you need is Chris Hero. All you need is Roderick Strong. 

Hero destroys Roddy’s left arm here. Partially I think to try to combat his chops, but also I think just to be a fuckin dick.

Roddy fights from under with as much as fire as ever. This boy used to MOVE man. I haven’t watched pre 2015 Roddy in so long that this shit blew me away in that regard, truly. 

The finish to this match is a testament to everything I said in the earlier paragraph. Roddy catches Hero off guard in a backslide and holds it just long enough for the three count. The cocky villain for three seconds was just a little too cocky. The fiery, hard hitting babyface finds the loophole for the upset. Simple story told. Pro wrestling. Check this out if you want a fun one that isn’t overproduced or overcomplicated. The Good Old Days. Thanks fellas. 

Match rating - ***1/2