AJ Styles vs Bully Ray (TNA - 6/12/2011)
Mar 11, 2019 10:52:56 GMT -5
Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 11, 2019 10:52:56 GMT -5
Awesome David vs Goliath, coming of age, violent brawl all wrapped into one badass package. This felt like more of an old school bloody brawl than most 21st Century brawls. It is on the borderline for my list, but this is definitely a top ten AJ match, which means it is really damn great.
AJ Styles vs Bully Ray - TNA Slammiversary 2011 Last Man Standing
OH HELL YEAH! Slam dunk match of the year contender for 2011 right up there with Dick Togo vs Antonio Honda. Awesome David vs Goliath, coming of age, violent brawl all wrapped into one badass package. AJ has been such a tremendous heel since 2014 that even a massive AJ mark like myself forgets what an incredible babyface he is. He talks trash to Bully Ray that he is going to end his career. You believe him! Bubba had been calling out his manhood and AJ never backed down. He met him right at his level pissed the fuck off. AJ just opened up a can of whoop ass on Bully Ray. The best punches this side of Memphis baby! AJ even busts out a headbutt. Bully Ray was selling these great especially the headbutt. It was such an fiery, energetic opening to the match. Then we go into AJ bump machine mode. He goes flying off a Bully Ray boot when he went charging into the corner. Then the HIGH back body drop and then the way he bumped to the outside. He was throwing himself into everything hard. Bully Ray is a really great old school, mean heel. Just a total throwback. There is nothing redeemable about him. I loved him trapping AJ under the steps and standing on him. AJ does not get much chance to sell as a heel, but he is so great at sympathetic selling trying to crawl away from the stalking Bully. BIG OVERHEAD CHOP!!! AJ asking for more! ANOTHER BIG OVERHEAD CHOP! You can see the face print! My God, the bruise is already forming! AJ Is begging for him to hit it again. I love this show of pride from AJ. The crowd is chanting "Holy Shit", loving it from the crowd! AJ wants one on the kisser and decks AJ with rock n roll death drop. Incredible babyface performance! This is how you show resilience and pride! Now AJ is throwing some serious haymakers and finally gets Bully off his feet with enziguiri. I love this AJ he looks like man possessed. Everything is so credible. Springboard forearm! Pele when Bully Ray was on top rope, looking superplex, but they duke it out and AJ just starts blasting him with punches and Bubba turns it into a Super Powerbomb! Holy Shit! This is a war! Bully Ray may have bitten off more than he can chew and he realizes that grabbing his chain, but he misses with the whip. AJ wraps it around his hand, SUPERMAN CHAIN PUNCH!!! Epic Bladejob! Springboard 450!!! He gets up at 8 and AJ lifts Bully Ray like he was nothing and throws him right onto the steps on the outside. Holy Shit! Great heavy springboard plancha to outside. Everything is hitting with weight! Nice counter by Bully Ray with flapjack into the apron and we head up the ramp. They tease the powerbomb off the stage which is what started the feud, but instead AJ gets INSANE AIR LEAPING THROUGH THE AIR ONTO BULLY RAY! AJ beats the shit out of Bully Ray to set him up on a table. He climbs up scaffold REALLY FUCKING HIGH AND THEN JUMPS ONTO BULLY RAY! I thought we were going to get the lame both men get counted out, but instead as AJ is about to get up Bully kicks him in the ass and sends him crashing through the stage, great bump. Bully Ray wins!
The finish is cheap. AJ earned that victory. We all know it. It pisses us off. I think it works though. AJ was so consumed with rage that it cost him the match. He wanted to destroy Bully Ray so bad he was willing to destroy himself. He could have won the match differently but he wanted to END Bully Ray's career in doing so he did not care what happened to himself. Thus he left himself open to losing the match. Bully Ray is all talk. He just wanted to win by any means and het got what he wanted. SO I think the finish works in a good way that pisses us off to want to see the rematch because we know AJ is the man and that Bully Ray was proven wrong. Instead TNA books AJ into a feud with Daniels, but oh well.
This reminds me so much of those blowjob babyface vs the violent monster matches of the 1980s where the pretty boy babyfaces become men by fighting fire with fire. I love these matches. The heels question the face's manhood and AJ is proved that he is more man than Bubba Ray could handle. The overhand chops segment was such a great moment of macho pride and coming of age. Everything AJ did had weight behind it and looked violent. AJ told the story so well through his eyes. He looked angry. You believed every single thing he did. Bully Ray was the perfect foil for AJ as a mean, sadistic bully (I mean he did a great job picking his name). A classic story that was perfectly executed by two men who were perfectly suited to execute this story with great violence. I rationalized the finish above, but I am not in love with it and I think while they executed the classic story perfectly I don't think they expanded or innovated on it. So I am going ****3/4, but very close to the full monty.
AJ Styles vs Bully Ray - TNA Slammiversary 2011 Last Man Standing
OH HELL YEAH! Slam dunk match of the year contender for 2011 right up there with Dick Togo vs Antonio Honda. Awesome David vs Goliath, coming of age, violent brawl all wrapped into one badass package. AJ has been such a tremendous heel since 2014 that even a massive AJ mark like myself forgets what an incredible babyface he is. He talks trash to Bully Ray that he is going to end his career. You believe him! Bubba had been calling out his manhood and AJ never backed down. He met him right at his level pissed the fuck off. AJ just opened up a can of whoop ass on Bully Ray. The best punches this side of Memphis baby! AJ even busts out a headbutt. Bully Ray was selling these great especially the headbutt. It was such an fiery, energetic opening to the match. Then we go into AJ bump machine mode. He goes flying off a Bully Ray boot when he went charging into the corner. Then the HIGH back body drop and then the way he bumped to the outside. He was throwing himself into everything hard. Bully Ray is a really great old school, mean heel. Just a total throwback. There is nothing redeemable about him. I loved him trapping AJ under the steps and standing on him. AJ does not get much chance to sell as a heel, but he is so great at sympathetic selling trying to crawl away from the stalking Bully. BIG OVERHEAD CHOP!!! AJ asking for more! ANOTHER BIG OVERHEAD CHOP! You can see the face print! My God, the bruise is already forming! AJ Is begging for him to hit it again. I love this show of pride from AJ. The crowd is chanting "Holy Shit", loving it from the crowd! AJ wants one on the kisser and decks AJ with rock n roll death drop. Incredible babyface performance! This is how you show resilience and pride! Now AJ is throwing some serious haymakers and finally gets Bully off his feet with enziguiri. I love this AJ he looks like man possessed. Everything is so credible. Springboard forearm! Pele when Bully Ray was on top rope, looking superplex, but they duke it out and AJ just starts blasting him with punches and Bubba turns it into a Super Powerbomb! Holy Shit! This is a war! Bully Ray may have bitten off more than he can chew and he realizes that grabbing his chain, but he misses with the whip. AJ wraps it around his hand, SUPERMAN CHAIN PUNCH!!! Epic Bladejob! Springboard 450!!! He gets up at 8 and AJ lifts Bully Ray like he was nothing and throws him right onto the steps on the outside. Holy Shit! Great heavy springboard plancha to outside. Everything is hitting with weight! Nice counter by Bully Ray with flapjack into the apron and we head up the ramp. They tease the powerbomb off the stage which is what started the feud, but instead AJ gets INSANE AIR LEAPING THROUGH THE AIR ONTO BULLY RAY! AJ beats the shit out of Bully Ray to set him up on a table. He climbs up scaffold REALLY FUCKING HIGH AND THEN JUMPS ONTO BULLY RAY! I thought we were going to get the lame both men get counted out, but instead as AJ is about to get up Bully kicks him in the ass and sends him crashing through the stage, great bump. Bully Ray wins!
The finish is cheap. AJ earned that victory. We all know it. It pisses us off. I think it works though. AJ was so consumed with rage that it cost him the match. He wanted to destroy Bully Ray so bad he was willing to destroy himself. He could have won the match differently but he wanted to END Bully Ray's career in doing so he did not care what happened to himself. Thus he left himself open to losing the match. Bully Ray is all talk. He just wanted to win by any means and het got what he wanted. SO I think the finish works in a good way that pisses us off to want to see the rematch because we know AJ is the man and that Bully Ray was proven wrong. Instead TNA books AJ into a feud with Daniels, but oh well.
This reminds me so much of those blowjob babyface vs the violent monster matches of the 1980s where the pretty boy babyfaces become men by fighting fire with fire. I love these matches. The heels question the face's manhood and AJ is proved that he is more man than Bubba Ray could handle. The overhand chops segment was such a great moment of macho pride and coming of age. Everything AJ did had weight behind it and looked violent. AJ told the story so well through his eyes. He looked angry. You believed every single thing he did. Bully Ray was the perfect foil for AJ as a mean, sadistic bully (I mean he did a great job picking his name). A classic story that was perfectly executed by two men who were perfectly suited to execute this story with great violence. I rationalized the finish above, but I am not in love with it and I think while they executed the classic story perfectly I don't think they expanded or innovated on it. So I am going ****3/4, but very close to the full monty.
