AUSTIN ARIES VS. SANADA

Today marks the birthday of “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” Austin Aries. I hunted through my collection and found a singles match from A Double. It comes from Sumo Hall in Tokyo Japan, back when the company had a working relationship with Wrestle-1, The Great Muta's company over in Japan. Mike Tenay and Tazz are on commentary for this match. The challenger enters first, I think at this point he was linked with The Great Muta on TNA television and later went off to James Storm's stable. Austin Aries was on a run in TNA where he could do no wrong. The less said about his WWE run the better, really. He and SANADA had been feuding over the championship since January.

Disclaimer: This match aired in America 4^th July 2014 as part of the TNA One Night Only: Global Impact, but actually took place 2^nd March at the Wrestle-1 show Kaisen: Outbreak, the second part of which comprises of ONOGI

AUSTIN ARIES © VS. SANADA (TNA X-Division Championship)

TNA One Night Only: Global Impact (2^nd March 2014)

The bell rings and Austin Aries holds out his hand, SANADA is reluctant but they shake. They circle and lock up, with Aries taking the left arm. SANADA counters but the champion takes him down with an arm drag. Austin Aries shoots for a single leg but SANADA sprawls to stay on his feet and grabs a front facelock. Austin Aries breaks SANADA's grip and goes back to the arm, using a standing top wristlock. SANADA is able to roll out of it Tazz talks about not taking risks when you don't know your opponent, but these guys have been trading the title since January on television. Austin Aries goes to a headlock but SANADA counters to one of his own. Austin Aries sends him off the ropes but SANADA blocks a hip toss. Aries blocks SANADA's attempt but gets caught in an abdominal stretch. Aries tries to make it to the ropes but SANADA brings him down with an Oklahoma roll for a 1 count.

SANADA poses on the turnbuckle, which Aries seems to respect as we see Muta has joined the Japanese commentary. They lock up again in the ring and Aries takes SANADA down, Tazz calls what he does next, the spin drill which sounds better than I can put it, Aries flips SANADA over and covers for 1. SANADA is caught in a crucifix as he gets to his feet and kicks out at 2, Aries quickly gets a backslide and another nearfall. SANADA is caught in the Last Chancery but crawls quickly to the bottom rope to break it. Austin Aries lays across the top rope before they go back to it. Austin Aries uses his elbow to soften up SANADA's left arm, but SANADA stays on his feet, he does a whole gymnastics routine to escape and Aries drops to his knees. This begins a nice chain sequence ending with Aries escaping the leg scissors and dropkicking SANADA's hair off. SANADA shoves off a headlock and leapfrogs over Aries before showing him a SANADA dropkick. SANADA picks up some speed, but Aries gets in the ring to avoid the dive, SANADA flips himself over to the apron but Aries knocks him to the floor. Austin Aries dives through the ropes and SANADA looks like he tries to cut him off, but it was mistimed or something.

SANADA gets back in the ring and backs Aries into the corner with rights, mounting the middle rope. SANADA hits more rights in the corner, with the Japanese fans chanting along. SANADA throws Aries to the mat and covers but only gets a 1 count. SANADA shows the referee the rhythm he should be using before grabbing a chinlock. Austin Aries makes his way to his feet and drives his elbow into SANADA's ribs but runs into a back elbow. SANADA takes Aries to the corner for more rights, Aries tries to fight back with a forearm but SANADA puts him back in the corner. Austin Aries reverses an irish whip but SANADA vaults over to the apron, Aries cuts off a springboard attempt and climbs to the top rope. Austin Aries hits a double-sledge from the top rope to the floor and uses the elevated walkway to run up and hit SANADA with an elbow drop. SANADA is sent in the ring and Aries climbs to the apron, slingshotting himself in with a Tope con Hilo, followed by another running elbow drop for 2. Austin Aries elbows SANADA in the top of the head and snapmares him into position for a diving back elbow, Austin Aries hooks both of SANADA's legs and still only gets a nearfall.

Austin Aries starts working SANADA's leg on the mat as Tazz throws in a conspiracy theory that he's being screwed by the referee. Aries uses his elbow to attack SANADA's knee and transitions into a single leg boston crab, then crosses the ankles and drops back finally covering SANADA for another nearfall. SANADA hits Aries with an openhand chop as he gets to his feet, but Aries fires back. SANADA chops again but Aries hits a gutbuster into a slam, setting up the pendulum elbow drop. Austin Aries covers and gets another nearfall which I imagine he's pretty sick of by now. They get to their feet and exchange chops, SANADA ducks under a clothesline and hits a jumping forearm. SANADA tries to get the fans behind him but Aries escapes a fireman's carry, SANADA turns around into a discus forearm and is knocked out of the ring. Austin Aries follows to the floor with a forearm through the ropes, none of which Tenay got right on commentary. SANADA is sent back into the ring and Austin Aries hits a missile dropkick knocking SANADA into the corner. Austin Aries runs into a boot in the corner but catches SANADA's clothesline. SANADA blocks the crucifix and lifts Aries into a fireman's carry for the TKO! SANADA covers but gets a close nearfall.

SANADA tries to get Aries in an underhook but Aries backs him into the corner and hits a back elbow. SANADA tries again with the same result. SANADA's third straight attempt is broken up and followed with a shinbreaker into a back suplex. SANADA ends up in the corner so Aries charges across the ring with the running dropkick. Austin Aries calls for the brainbuster but it's blocked. Aries strikes at SANADA in the corner and hits another running dropkick. SANADA is lifted for the brainbuster but knees Aries in the head. Austin Aries hits two more running dropkicks in the corner and I think SANADA's taken enough damage that he's forgotten how to fall over. SANADA snaps Aries over with a suplex to counter a third attempt at the brainbuster leading to a double-down. SANADA hits Aries with a series of forearms, Aries fires back with one discus forearm and knocks SANADA down. Austin Aries hits the brainbuster and covers but gets just shy of three. Austin Aries locks in the Last Chancery and it looks like the referee really is helping SANADA. SANADA gets to the ropes. Austin Aries gets to the top rope, but SANADA rolls out of the way of the 450, Aries avoids faceplanting but landed badly and is caught in a Japanese arm drag into the corner. SANADA hits a german suplex and a dragon suplex, finishing off with a tiger suplex with a bridge for 2. SANADA hits a moonsault and only gets a nearfall so he tries it again, picking up the championship.

WINNER: SANADA (NEW X-DIVISION CHAMPION)

This was a good match, ruined by TNA's taping schedule. By the time this match aired the fans knew what had happened and had seen Aries and SANADA wrestle on Impact. The match itself was good though, with the smooth beginning and slowly building to more and more big moves. SANADA looked like a trillion Yen taking all of Austin Aries attacks and fighting back. I'm not a fan of the finish, hitting a move twice to win, but that's personal preference. Everything before it showed me why these two are definitely guys to watch any opportunity you get.– WORKRATE: 3.5/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2.25/5 OVERALL 5.75/10

This match is available on the TNA One Night Only: Global Impact 2014 DVD