The straw that broke the camel's back was the CWC quarterfinals, which is my absolute favorite wrestling program right now. Of all the matches in this round my favorite one saw The Brian Kendrick facing Kota Ibushi, a match that probably everybody knew was going to be won by Ibushi, except that... halfway through the match I started to doubt myself thinking that Brian Kendrick could actually come out on top and achieve the biggest upset of the tournament. That's right. The match was THAT good.
Kayfabe is dead, we all know that, we all say that, but nobody thinks that Star Trek Beyond is a documentary about space exploration. Wrestling is fake, we're aware of that, but when a match is this good, we can all enjoy it and let ourselves be carried away by the performances.
Something that the Cruiser Weight Classic has done extremely well is being able to create an atmosphere of real competition. Brian Kendrick's matches have all been preceded by this idea that this is his last chance at the big spotlight, this is his last chance to make something out of a wasted opportunity "he fell to the wayside" said Ranallo, "no, he fell out of the spotlight" replied Daniel Bryan adding "he is as good as he's ever been".
Before the match with Ibushi there was a video package for both competitors where Kendrick said "If I don't win this my dream is over", and because of the way he says it and the way he carries himself in the ring you believe him, even if you know that he's been training people at the Performance Center and has had at least one match in NXT.
All of this would be for nothing if it wasn't for the fact that every time that Kendrick is in the ring he shows desperation, a "mean streak", he means to hurt, he means to win. The match begun and Kendrick started playing to his strengths, we knew that Ibushi had neck surgery, the announce team told us, and Kendrick used the cravate hold on Ibushi's neck again and again and again, then the bully choke and finally the burning hammer!
I mean... we all know the burning hammer is a dangerous move, we all know it has been used on very few occasions, we know it can kill somebody, but Kendrick is determined to win and he uses it on a guy whose neck was surgically repaired, because he has to win... and Ibushi survives!
I'm not oblivious to the extreme dexterity of Kota Ibushi, but what really draw me from this match is Kendrick's resilience and ingenuity, and how every move he chooses and everything he does in the ring stays in line with the character he is playing: a no-nonsense desperate old man, looking for the opportunity to shine again. And he does, but it's not enough
I need to say a few words about Kota Ibushi because I've talked about Kendrick's performance but the one who has had all the best matches of each round has been Ibushi, the MVP of the Cruiser Weight Classic tournament.
I think he's awesome and it'd be a great way for him to begin a long term relationship with the WWE if he is set to win the tournament and become (hopefully), the first Cruiser Weight Champion on RAW.
Whatever happens at the end (next week), I do believe that Kota Ibushi has waaaay more in the tank than just being the top dog of the cruiser weight division, I think he is almost as charismatic and fascinating as Shinsuke Nakamura and deserves a chance to showcase his ability on a bigger stage for the american audience (and therefore, the rest of the world). He's not as colorful as Nakamura, but he is able to mix his strong style with high risk high flying moves in very smooth transitions, he says that werstling is his life and when you see him perform, you believe him.
I love what I've seen from high flying guys at Lucha Underground, but what sets Ibushi apart from them is his seriousness, his stiffness and excitement. I love the fact that Ibushi doesn't point to some part of the ring or point to the other wrestler being in a position where he can apply a crowd pleasing move, he instead sees the opportunity and seizes it. He goes for the kill, he sells not only the other wrestler's offence, but the fact that he wants to win, that he is actually fighting against somebody and every opportunity to win is precious.
Kendrick vs Ibushi is the kind of match that I love to watch more than once, because I see two mature performers telling a very good story with clearly defined characters, and that's something that wrestling offers on very few instances despite the fact that you can watch a ton of wrestling every week, all year long. There's a lot of wrestling and yet, there's is not a lot of memorable wrestling in comparison.
If you haven't had a chance to catch the Cruiser Weight Classic yet, please do so, you'll love it. I just hope that this product's transition to RAW is as smooth as possible and we get the chance to watch more matches like this one, I really hope so.
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