July 25, 2010 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shingo vs. Equinox
Have I mentioned before that I hate that Shingo loses his surname when he leaves Japan? I have? Well I’m saying it again. Equinox attacks before the bell but Shingo quickly regains control with the DVD. He whips Equinox into the barricade. The commentators try to sell Equinox as a match for Shingo, which I just find hilarious. Equinox hits a hurricanrana. Shingo comes back with a shoulder tackle. Equinox lands a few strikes but collapses after one from Shingo. Shingo hits a kneedrop for 2. He hits a bodyslam and a senton for 2. He puts on the bodyscissors. Equinox gets to the ropes. He comes off the top with a missile dropkick. He hits a suicide dive, mostly missing Shingo and hitting the cement almost full on. Back in the ring Equinox hits an enziguiri, a jab and a brainbuster for 2. Shingo hits a TKO for 2. Equinox blocks the Blood Fall and kicks Shingo’s face. He hits an ugly hurricanrana and an even uglier standing SSP for 2. Shingo hits a whiplash spinebuster into the turnbuckle. He hits a lariat in the corner. He hits the Pumping Bomber for 2. He starts ripping off Equinox’s mask but stops short of getting disqualified. He hits MADE IN JAPAN for 2. He hits the Pumping Bomber for the win at 10:02. Shingo phoned this in and Equinox was sloppy as hell. Nothing to see here.
Rating: **

CIMA, Masaaki Mochizuki & Super Shenlong vs. Icarus, Gran Akuma & Chuck Taylor
Shenlong is replacing Dragon Kid, who was injured just before this show. Mochizuki and Icarus start. Icarus smacks Mochizuki, but the Zetsurin comes back with a chest kick. Icarus “hits” a dropkick. Mochizuki hits the apron kick. Shenlong hits Taylor with a dropkick. Akuma hits CIMA with a shoulder tackle. CIMA hits a dropkick. He hits a senton for 2. He and Shenlong hit a double dropkick. Shenlong hits a splash for 2. Mochizuki puts on a half crab. Akuma gets to the ropes. CIMA and Mochizuki hit chest kicks on the apron. That gets 2 for Shenlong. Akuma hits the Cheetah Swipe. Icarus hits a dropkick. He hits a vertical suplex and puts on a chicken wing. Akuma puts on a half crab but CIMA makes the save. Taylor and Icarus hit a double back suplex for 2. Taylor gets a jackknife for 2. He and Akuma make a wish. Shenlong hits a head scissors takedown. Mochizuki hits a missile dropkick. He cleans house with kicks. CIMA hits Icarus with a vertical suplex while holding Taylor in a leglock. Icarus messed up that spot. Shenlong hits Akuma with a twisting splash for 2. Akuma hits a lungblower for 2. Team FIST hits a triple kick for 2. Mochizuki hits the Sankakugeri on Taylor. Icarus hits a Pedigree for 2. Mochizuki hits a slam. He hits an ax kick to the groin. CIMA and Shenlong hit stereo suicide dives. Akuma and Mochizuki trade kicks to a stalemate. CIMA hits the Venus. Icarus hits the Superdrol. Taylor hits the Sole Food. Icarus hits the Shiranui. Akuma hits a frog splash for 2. Mochizuki hits Akuma with the Ikkakugeri. He hits the Twister for 2. CIMA hits the Schwein. He hits the Meteora for the win at 15:17. Everyone slopped it up in this one, but Icarus and Akuma were particularly off their mark more than once. The six guys in this tried a lot of innovative stuff, some of which I hadn’t seen from them before, but the execution was far from what I hoped for.
Rating: ***

Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi & BxB Hulk vs. Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw & Hallowicked
Doi is wearing his “I’m injured,” shirt here. Hulk and Hallowicked start. Hallowicked takes control with an Iconoclasm. He puts on a camel clutch and Quackenbush hits a dropkick. Hulk misses a dropkick but hits Quackenbush with a fall away kick. Yoshino puts on the body scissors. Quackenbush hits a bodyslam to escape. He hits a back elbow. He hits a gutbuster. Jigsaw hits a dropkick. Yoshino comes back with a head scissor takedown. He and Doi hit a double back elbow. Yoshino hits a dropkick. Hulk hits Hallowicked with a dropkick for 2. He puts on a chinlock. Yoshino hits a double stomp to the arm. He dropkicks Doi by mistake. Jigsaw hits a crossbody. Hulk hits a missile dropkick. He hits a basement dropkick for 2. He hits the BxB Star Press for 2. Doi hits a dropkick for 2. Yoshino hits the elevated dropkick; a particularly scary one because Doi almost dropped Jigsaw on his head. Jigsaw hits Hulk with an elbow and a dropkick. He dives onto Doi and Hulk on the floor. Hallowicked hits Yoshino with a head scissor takedown. He hits the DH and a Rydeen Bomb for 2. Yoshino puts on From Jungle. Quackenbush makes the save. He hits Doi with a super hurricanrana for 2. He misses a Swanton Bomb. He hits the Quackendriver III for 2. Doi hits the Rydeen Bomb for 2. He hits the elevated senton for 2. Hulk hits the Mouse. Jigsaw hits an enziguiri. He hits a nasty German suplex for 2. Hulk hits an enziguiri. He sweeps the leg and hits a senton for 2. World-1 triple-teams Jigsaw. Yoshino hits the shotgun senton for 2. Hulk hits the First Flash for 2. Hallowicked hits Go 2 Sleepy Hallow for 2. He hits a big boot for 2. Quackenbush hits an elevated DDT. Jigsaw hits the Mad Scientist Bomb for 2. Hulk hits a leg lariat. Doi hits the Doi 555. Hulk hits an ax kick. He hits the EVO for 2. Yoshino hits the Torbellino. Doi hits the Bakatare Sliding Kick for 2. Hulk dives onto Hallowicked on the floor. Yoshino does the same to Jigsaw. Doi smacks the crap out of Quackenbush. They trade roll ups for 2. Quackenbush hits the Quackendriver II for the win at 16:53. Aside from Quackenbush getting the Superman treatment down the stretch this was all a showcase for World-1. This was a lot better than anything I’ve seen from Chikara Sekigun in Dragon Gate USA yet, and it was par for the course from the Dragon Gate guys.
Rating: ***¾