Blade
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,943
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Post by Blade on Apr 2, 2021 2:07:23 GMT -5
I'm just so glad that in his seven years off Christian finally figured out how to do a decent-looking frog splash.
All joking aside, it was so good to see him back, a mite slower but still with crisp execution and perfect timing. He did look worn out at points, but I think that was deliberate on his part - it reminds me of probably the last match I saw him in (beating Orton for a shot at Del Rio) where he also did the same thing.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2021 5:36:35 GMT -5
That match kicked ass.
I know the focus is gonna be on Christian but honestly Kaz is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. Still going strong at his age. Madness.
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Post by Some Baritone guy IS REDEEMED! on Apr 2, 2021 10:13:35 GMT -5
Christian Cage lived up to his shirt. He looked in that match exactly like a 47 year old coming off of a 7 year lay off against a skilled opponent should look. They’re already doing something unique with him and I can’t wait to see the rest of his AEW career.
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Post by Magic knows Black Lives Matter on Apr 2, 2021 10:23:24 GMT -5
This was so good.
When Kaz springboarded off the ropes and hopped back up to grab the contract, I was hype! Christian really helped make this young cat.
What do you mean this isn't 2007 TNA!?
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Post by "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik on Apr 2, 2021 11:14:06 GMT -5
Christian spoke about the match on Talk is Jericho:
"I wanted to have a match where it didn't matter who won or lost, both guys came out looking better," he said. "There's also that trust factor there where he knew I would be extra motivated. I had Frankie forefront in my mind. When I called Tony and we talked about it, 'I talk about outworking everyone. The work has to start pretty soon.' We decided we'd do something to set the match up and then we'd do the match. The first person he said was, 'What do you think about Frankie Kazarian?' I said I was thinking that too. We batted a couple of names and it came back to Frankie. I let it marinate for a couple of days and I texted him and said, 'You were right from the start. He's the guy.' He sent back a heart. I didn't even talk to Frankie. Just showed up and it was on."
He described how he felt after the match by saying, "I'm my own worst critic, I won't say anything more, but I remember going to the back and having these emotions and people congratulating me. Tony was sitting there and he was the first person waiting for me. I doubled back to him and I said him to quietly, 'Tony, you signed me sight unseen. You have no idea how much that means to me and how hard I will work for you going forward.' He hugged me and that was it."
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Post by edgestar on Apr 2, 2021 14:15:01 GMT -5
I legit thought Christian was going to die of a stroke or a heart attack at several points in the match. Kudos on the great selling job and all-around fantastic performance by the Instant Classic. That's what makes him one of the best. I would say thinking he was gonna die, is a stretch, but it's your opinion on a match that he was awesome in. 🙂 I figured it'd be pretty good but that was a lot better than I was expecting. Great way to make a comeback. Though Christian might want to think about shaving his head, that hair was certainly something. It was probably in need of a trim. Otherwise, he looks just fine. 🙂
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
FANatic
Writer, Lover of all things Wrestling. Analytical, Critical, Lovable (hopefully). Lets all have fun!
Posts: 234,393
Member is Online
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Apr 2, 2021 15:41:21 GMT -5
He re-watched the match with Edge later
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Apr 5, 2021 4:01:19 GMT -5
Some donk on another forum called it the greatest match he’s seen in his life
Pretty sure it was either the first time he ever watched wrestling or he got hit in the head and suffers from the condition Guy Pearce had in Memento
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repomark
Unicron
For Mash Get Smash
Posts: 3,049
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Post by repomark on Apr 5, 2021 6:04:20 GMT -5
I hope he gets a new finisher - I always found the Kill Switch to be a far too long winded a move to set up. Good to see him back though and enjoyed the match.
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Bad Moon
Unicron
for reasons known only to the goblins that live in my brain
Posts: 3,091
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Post by Bad Moon on Apr 5, 2021 7:55:29 GMT -5
I hope he gets a new finisher - I always found the Kill Switch to be a far too long winded a move to set up. Good to see him back though and enjoyed the match. I used to agree back in the day, but this match made me really appreciate the move. Because it's so awkward and long-winded Christian really has to fight to hit it succesfully. Kaz escapes two attempts during the match before Christian can hit it, once when Christian hooks his arms initially and the second time he slips away when Christian has his back to him, so you wanna root for Christian to pull it off and then when he finally nails him he gets the win with it so the build-up has paid off.
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Post by HMARK Center on Apr 5, 2021 8:02:38 GMT -5
It really was an excellent match, and a textbook example of "both guys come out looking better". One of the things I liked about it was that Christian seems to have internalized that he's now the grizzled veteran, and his lockups, strikes, and other motions all seemed to have a little more of (pardon the pun) an edge to them to reflect that. He's not a kid anymore: he can't get by on pure talent or athleticism, he has to add some nastiness to what he does if he wants to stay at an elite level. Added bonus of wrestling like that: it makes a match seem more like a struggle and competition. I hope he gets a new finisher - I always found the Kill Switch to be a far too long winded a move to set up. Good to see him back though and enjoyed the match. I used to agree back in the day, but this match made me really appreciate the move. Because it's so awkward and long-winded Christian really has to fight to hit it succesfully. Kaz escapes two attempts during the match before Christian can hit it, once when Christian hooks his arms initially and the second time he slips away when Christian has his back to him, so you wanna root for Christian to pull it off and then when he finally nails him he gets the win with it so the build-up has paid off. That's part of finisher psychology I'd like to see more people play with: the idea that a move that takes longer to set up might be more effective, but also easier for the opponent to escape (e.g. like the One-Winged Angel), while other moves can be pulled off more quickly but might not be as surefire in getting a 3 count.
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Blade
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,943
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Post by Blade on Apr 5, 2021 22:10:35 GMT -5
Some donk on another forum called it the greatest match he’s seen in his life Pretty sure it was either the first time he ever watched wrestling or he got hit in the head and suffers from the condition Guy Pearce had in Memento Well... wrestling is art and art is ultimately subjective, after all.
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Post by Some Baritone guy IS REDEEMED! on Apr 6, 2021 11:07:17 GMT -5
Frankly this match was proof of what legendary Luchador trainer Jorge "Skayde" Rivera always said: "Wrestling isn't hard, if you just think."
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