Hello there once again! Got a little piece for you all today or one could even say a harmony! A brutal chop filled harmony! Earlier this week it was announced that Riddle would be facing off against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at Money in the Bank this Saturday in London. As a result I was inspired to do a piece covering the history of these two individuals regarding their singles matches against each other! I was highly considering doing the multiman matches that weren't tag team matches which would've included a triple threat involving Timothy Thatcher at PROGRESS Chapter 55 and a Fatal 4 Way from an EVOLVE show involving Tracy Williams and Keith Lee. These may be reviewed in due time but for this specific piece we're going to solely cover the singles matches! Cagematch notes 5 singles matches between the two on their matchguide so for this we're going to be reviewing those 5 (There is a match in wXw on a Shotgun show from March 4th 2017 my apologies we're not covering those not on the Cagematch guide for now) starting with the oldest and moving chronologically.
Starting with...
Matt Riddle vs WALTER wXw 16 Carat Gold 2017 Semi-Finals - ***¾
I would not be surprised if this is the lowest rated match on this list of matches (writing this after watching the final one that is not the case). That speaks volumes to these two guys in terms of their chemistry and how well they work together. My biggest nitpick however when it comes to this particular Riddle/WALTER match was the lack of selling on Riddle's right foot/leg. WALTER spent a good portion of this match working the right leg after a striking exchange with WALTER using his devastating chops and Riddle using his quite powerful kicks to the body. WALTER's work on the right leg was quite good and consistent throughout the match with every move done to that leg looking devastating. This portion of work culminated in an Ankle Lock spot towards the end of the match but was not the finish. Riddle did his best here with all his offense looking good but in the end WALTER nailed him with a Powerbomb to snuff out any chances of making the finals. This would then lead WALTER into the main event against Ilja Dragunov where he chopped his chest into oblivion but that's a whole different match and story for another time! Regardless this match was pretty good but the lack of selling from Riddle unfortunately prevents it from climbing into 4 star territory.
Up next is...
Matt Riddle (c) vs WALTER PROGRESS Chapter 46 - ****¼
At stake in this one is Matt Riddle's PROGRESS Atlas Championship. The PROGRESS Atlas Championship for those who never watched PROGRESS is also known as the big boys championship. Set for guys over the weight of 200 pounds this championship has a history for being big boys beef and quite frankly having some barnburners at that. Commentary also summarises this perfectly with the 3 words: "Big Lads Wrestling". Tends to be the strong style title for this promotion very similarly to the NEVER Openweight Championship in New Japan so just think of it like that in terms of the style of match. Regardless this is a rematch from 16 Carat but this time for Riddle's championship and on Riddle's hometurf compared to WALTER's. This matchup compared to their first matchup has quite the difference in how its worked. There are very similar if not some of the same elements of the first match (the leg work in this case included along with spots like the Powerbomb into Guillotine Choke reversal etc.) but this match is also executed better in my personal opinion. I didn't touch much upon this in the first contest but the intensity of the strikes here got upped. We started out with Riddle using his kicks vs WALTER's chops (very well established by the commentary team stating the way WALTER left Ilja Dragunov's chest at 16 Carat Gold finals was disgusting like raw meat) and then as the match went on proceeded into full chops vs chops which was much welcome because if you heard the chops in this match, each one felt like a loud reverberating cannon shot had gone off. The most "jeez" reaction of the match for me however came from a leg kick/leg sweep from WALTER which sounded like he actually decapitated Riddle's leg and it not only drew the reaction of the crowd but a reaction from me too! Quite frankly though, a very entertaining contest to watch. Small nitpicks of Riddle's selling again but actually he sold his leg more than the last match so its improvement! Unlike the last match however, WALTER hits the Powerbomb and Riddle manages to kick out! Match proceeds to end after WALTER swings and misses which allows Riddle to jump on his back, get him down to the ground with the Bromission applied and chopping his chest before WALTER taps!
And I'd be wrong to leave out my favourite commentary call of the match: "They're just slapping the piss out of each other". God I love British commentary and British wrestling in that regard. British crowds are unmatched and British commentary can just be even better at times.
Our third encounter between these two comes at...
Matt Riddle (c) vs WALTER PROGRESS Chapter 51 - *****
Like the Chapter 46 match that precedes this, this match was once again for Riddle's Atlas Championship. I won't give a long summary about the Atlas Championship itself as I gave that in the previous match review but this rematch came about after WALTER defeated Mike Bird in a No.1 Contender's Match on PROGRESS' card in Cologne, Germany just over a week prior to this rematch taking place. There's just something that hits different about WALTER's original theme of Dvorak's Symphony No.9 IV. It just fits the perfect final boss energy for him and I just love every second of it. I tend to find I never really throw out the 5 star rating too much but this in my personal opinion is actually better than when i first watched it at its original time. The best way I could describe this match is pure violence. They ditched the formula of the first two contests where WALTER would work Riddle's right leg and just jumped straight into the meat of the action. Chops and more chops and every single one of them had power and a loud noise that would echo throughout the arena. The crowd for this were hot from the get go with duelling "Let's go Riddle" "Let's go WALTER" chants and throughout this whole match were loud. There was a spot at the start that looked a bit weird cause it looked like WALTER was aiming for a Shotgun Dropkick or something but surprisingly managed to save it by turning it into a Bicycle Kick (incredible balance too for a guy that big). Regardless, the action never stopped or slowed down for a second with both Riddle and WALTER pulling out all the stops for this championship. WALTER manages to take home the win in this one after back to back Powerbombs followed up by the Gojira Clutch Sleeper with the body scissors forcing Riddle to tap out. The best way I can summarise this match for you is: if you cant handle loud chops that might make you wince and make matches hard to watch, this probably wont be the match for you but if you enjoy pure strong style and pure violence at its finest, this is a fantastic example of what you'll be looking for.
Following that absolute barnburner of a contest we have this next bout between the two...
Matt Riddle vs WALTER (c) PROGRESS New York City - ****½
This one was for WALTER's Atlas Championship. This one caps off the PROGRESS trilogy of singles matches between these two men and I must say: watching these two engage in spectacles of brutality and destruction has been quite nostalgic from when I first watched these 3 contests but also a treat right before Money in the Bank. This time however compared to the other contests being in Germany and England: WALTER and Riddle take their brutal contest to New York City as the main event of this PROGRESS show! These two constantly manage to evolve their offense in order to make these matches feel different than their other ones. This could be controversial but also possibly not at the same time I believe that WALTER brings out the best in Riddle when it comes to match quality. These two have incredible chemistry and it goes to show across these matches. The chops as per usual were as brutal as they get with each one having quite the impact. The New York crowd were all into this match and it sure added to it albeit I don't think this crowd was as good as the one in the Birmingham match. They decided to put the championship back on Riddle with this match which considering what the Atlas match for Chapter 55 was at the time made sense with Riddle going up against WALTER's Ringkampf team member Timothy Thatcher but WALTER would later be added into the match making for the triple threat that we will unfortunately not be reviewing. I think WALTER could've had longer with the championship with his only defense being against Fred Yehi on an EVOLVE show but he'd later get the run he deserved. I would say this was the second best match of the PROGRESS Atlas Championship Trilogy but they all were fantastic to watch from a brutality standpoint.
Finally in our last of the WALTER vs Riddle matches we have this one... (which unfortunately does not have a match graphic like the other 4 before it)
Matt Riddle vs WALTER EVOLVE 97 - ***½
The final encounter between the two before both men set off to WWE and NXT UK respectively. Before this match starts, Riddle suggests the idea of no rope breaks in this match. WALTER agrees and now we've got ourselves a unique stipulation in a match between these two with no rope breaks being allowed which is notable due to both men having beaten each other by submission in the past (Riddle with the Bromission and WALTER with the Gojira Clutch respectively). As a result of this rule, this one starts off with a much more technical approach compared to the other 4 matchups reviewed. Doesn't take long however to move into Riddle/WALTER's speciality of brutalising each other. Random thing to note in this one but EVOLVE's commentator Lenny Leonard who was also on commentary for the encounter these two had in New York where Riddle took the Atlas Championship back is very informed on this rivalry going back to PROGRESS Chapter 46. Just goes to show how notable these matches are and even were back then. These two do however work a very good match but unfortunately I would say in my personal opinion that this is the weakest contest between the two men. They play some classic hits with some brutal chops and all but what this one lacks for me is the desperation, the level of intensity and the magic that the PROGRESS trilogy had. Good match which ends after Riddle just beats WALTER down in the ropes and being unable to defend himself due to a lack of rope breaks forces the ref to stop the match and award Riddle the win.
I'd like to just sum up this review by stating all in all: this was a blast to do. Absolutely loved going through these and it reminded me of my passion for watching wrestling. Will I do one of these again? Possibly I would just have to figure out what to do it for and if I'm feeling it. For now however just know that this will not be the last review I do (yes I know certain individuals will ask me where's Royal Rumble 2006 I will think about it) and there will be more in the future. Hopefully you all enjoy Money in the Bank and here's to putting on some barnburners!
Starting with...
Matt Riddle vs WALTER wXw 16 Carat Gold 2017 Semi-Finals - ***¾
I would not be surprised if this is the lowest rated match on this list of matches (writing this after watching the final one that is not the case). That speaks volumes to these two guys in terms of their chemistry and how well they work together. My biggest nitpick however when it comes to this particular Riddle/WALTER match was the lack of selling on Riddle's right foot/leg. WALTER spent a good portion of this match working the right leg after a striking exchange with WALTER using his devastating chops and Riddle using his quite powerful kicks to the body. WALTER's work on the right leg was quite good and consistent throughout the match with every move done to that leg looking devastating. This portion of work culminated in an Ankle Lock spot towards the end of the match but was not the finish. Riddle did his best here with all his offense looking good but in the end WALTER nailed him with a Powerbomb to snuff out any chances of making the finals. This would then lead WALTER into the main event against Ilja Dragunov where he chopped his chest into oblivion but that's a whole different match and story for another time! Regardless this match was pretty good but the lack of selling from Riddle unfortunately prevents it from climbing into 4 star territory.
Up next is...
Matt Riddle (c) vs WALTER PROGRESS Chapter 46 - ****¼
At stake in this one is Matt Riddle's PROGRESS Atlas Championship. The PROGRESS Atlas Championship for those who never watched PROGRESS is also known as the big boys championship. Set for guys over the weight of 200 pounds this championship has a history for being big boys beef and quite frankly having some barnburners at that. Commentary also summarises this perfectly with the 3 words: "Big Lads Wrestling". Tends to be the strong style title for this promotion very similarly to the NEVER Openweight Championship in New Japan so just think of it like that in terms of the style of match. Regardless this is a rematch from 16 Carat but this time for Riddle's championship and on Riddle's hometurf compared to WALTER's. This matchup compared to their first matchup has quite the difference in how its worked. There are very similar if not some of the same elements of the first match (the leg work in this case included along with spots like the Powerbomb into Guillotine Choke reversal etc.) but this match is also executed better in my personal opinion. I didn't touch much upon this in the first contest but the intensity of the strikes here got upped. We started out with Riddle using his kicks vs WALTER's chops (very well established by the commentary team stating the way WALTER left Ilja Dragunov's chest at 16 Carat Gold finals was disgusting like raw meat) and then as the match went on proceeded into full chops vs chops which was much welcome because if you heard the chops in this match, each one felt like a loud reverberating cannon shot had gone off. The most "jeez" reaction of the match for me however came from a leg kick/leg sweep from WALTER which sounded like he actually decapitated Riddle's leg and it not only drew the reaction of the crowd but a reaction from me too! Quite frankly though, a very entertaining contest to watch. Small nitpicks of Riddle's selling again but actually he sold his leg more than the last match so its improvement! Unlike the last match however, WALTER hits the Powerbomb and Riddle manages to kick out! Match proceeds to end after WALTER swings and misses which allows Riddle to jump on his back, get him down to the ground with the Bromission applied and chopping his chest before WALTER taps!
And I'd be wrong to leave out my favourite commentary call of the match: "They're just slapping the piss out of each other". God I love British commentary and British wrestling in that regard. British crowds are unmatched and British commentary can just be even better at times.
Our third encounter between these two comes at...
Matt Riddle (c) vs WALTER PROGRESS Chapter 51 - *****
Like the Chapter 46 match that precedes this, this match was once again for Riddle's Atlas Championship. I won't give a long summary about the Atlas Championship itself as I gave that in the previous match review but this rematch came about after WALTER defeated Mike Bird in a No.1 Contender's Match on PROGRESS' card in Cologne, Germany just over a week prior to this rematch taking place. There's just something that hits different about WALTER's original theme of Dvorak's Symphony No.9 IV. It just fits the perfect final boss energy for him and I just love every second of it. I tend to find I never really throw out the 5 star rating too much but this in my personal opinion is actually better than when i first watched it at its original time. The best way I could describe this match is pure violence. They ditched the formula of the first two contests where WALTER would work Riddle's right leg and just jumped straight into the meat of the action. Chops and more chops and every single one of them had power and a loud noise that would echo throughout the arena. The crowd for this were hot from the get go with duelling "Let's go Riddle" "Let's go WALTER" chants and throughout this whole match were loud. There was a spot at the start that looked a bit weird cause it looked like WALTER was aiming for a Shotgun Dropkick or something but surprisingly managed to save it by turning it into a Bicycle Kick (incredible balance too for a guy that big). Regardless, the action never stopped or slowed down for a second with both Riddle and WALTER pulling out all the stops for this championship. WALTER manages to take home the win in this one after back to back Powerbombs followed up by the Gojira Clutch Sleeper with the body scissors forcing Riddle to tap out. The best way I can summarise this match for you is: if you cant handle loud chops that might make you wince and make matches hard to watch, this probably wont be the match for you but if you enjoy pure strong style and pure violence at its finest, this is a fantastic example of what you'll be looking for.
Following that absolute barnburner of a contest we have this next bout between the two...
Matt Riddle vs WALTER (c) PROGRESS New York City - ****½
This one was for WALTER's Atlas Championship. This one caps off the PROGRESS trilogy of singles matches between these two men and I must say: watching these two engage in spectacles of brutality and destruction has been quite nostalgic from when I first watched these 3 contests but also a treat right before Money in the Bank. This time however compared to the other contests being in Germany and England: WALTER and Riddle take their brutal contest to New York City as the main event of this PROGRESS show! These two constantly manage to evolve their offense in order to make these matches feel different than their other ones. This could be controversial but also possibly not at the same time I believe that WALTER brings out the best in Riddle when it comes to match quality. These two have incredible chemistry and it goes to show across these matches. The chops as per usual were as brutal as they get with each one having quite the impact. The New York crowd were all into this match and it sure added to it albeit I don't think this crowd was as good as the one in the Birmingham match. They decided to put the championship back on Riddle with this match which considering what the Atlas match for Chapter 55 was at the time made sense with Riddle going up against WALTER's Ringkampf team member Timothy Thatcher but WALTER would later be added into the match making for the triple threat that we will unfortunately not be reviewing. I think WALTER could've had longer with the championship with his only defense being against Fred Yehi on an EVOLVE show but he'd later get the run he deserved. I would say this was the second best match of the PROGRESS Atlas Championship Trilogy but they all were fantastic to watch from a brutality standpoint.
Finally in our last of the WALTER vs Riddle matches we have this one... (which unfortunately does not have a match graphic like the other 4 before it)
Matt Riddle vs WALTER EVOLVE 97 - ***½
The final encounter between the two before both men set off to WWE and NXT UK respectively. Before this match starts, Riddle suggests the idea of no rope breaks in this match. WALTER agrees and now we've got ourselves a unique stipulation in a match between these two with no rope breaks being allowed which is notable due to both men having beaten each other by submission in the past (Riddle with the Bromission and WALTER with the Gojira Clutch respectively). As a result of this rule, this one starts off with a much more technical approach compared to the other 4 matchups reviewed. Doesn't take long however to move into Riddle/WALTER's speciality of brutalising each other. Random thing to note in this one but EVOLVE's commentator Lenny Leonard who was also on commentary for the encounter these two had in New York where Riddle took the Atlas Championship back is very informed on this rivalry going back to PROGRESS Chapter 46. Just goes to show how notable these matches are and even were back then. These two do however work a very good match but unfortunately I would say in my personal opinion that this is the weakest contest between the two men. They play some classic hits with some brutal chops and all but what this one lacks for me is the desperation, the level of intensity and the magic that the PROGRESS trilogy had. Good match which ends after Riddle just beats WALTER down in the ropes and being unable to defend himself due to a lack of rope breaks forces the ref to stop the match and award Riddle the win.
I'd like to just sum up this review by stating all in all: this was a blast to do. Absolutely loved going through these and it reminded me of my passion for watching wrestling. Will I do one of these again? Possibly I would just have to figure out what to do it for and if I'm feeling it. For now however just know that this will not be the last review I do (yes I know certain individuals will ask me where's Royal Rumble 2006 I will think about it) and there will be more in the future. Hopefully you all enjoy Money in the Bank and here's to putting on some barnburners!
