Intense 37 Review

[Notorei]

Jolt Intense 37 Review:
Note: with limited prior knowledge of happening in LoC or the previous version of Jolt.

I.SEGMENT: “The Devil Offers Hope” feat. Keith Kane

a. Like: Jim Johnson.​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: I really enjoyed seeing Johnson back on TV, even if only in a previously recorded segment. Ray gets rich if he beats three consecutive opponents, nice.

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II.SEGMENT: “Crazy Like a Fox” feat. Damien Lee

a. Like: Entire segment.​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: Classic start to the show. I enjoyed Nashvillain, Lee, and Sylo’s interaction. These guys are what jOlt is all about. Sylo’s a monster, but I wouldn’t count out Nash from posing a threat, especially with what we’ve seen from the Terrorists. This hyped the fans up big time in anticipation for the main event.

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III.SEGMENT: “Backstage With The Equalizer” feat. Ray Chavez

a. Like: Keith Kane.​

b. Dislike: Lack of answers.​

c. Comments: Enjoying Keith Kane using his mic skills to get the fans on Ray’s side. I’m beginning to wonder if Ray is still as capable on the mic as he used to be. I guess we won’t find out until Keith lets him speak! Decent interview to forward the face momentum.​

IV.MATCH: “Greg Vincent v. Ray Chavez”

a. Like: Decent opening bout.​

b. Dislike: DX crotch chops.​

c. Comments: The match was decent for an opening bout. Very basic, this may be a sign of Ray’s ring rust and Greg’s first match. It kept the interest of the crowd, which was what made it a success. I enjoyed Greg Vincent and his many catchphrases. I’m not sure if the crotch chop is going to hurt him or help him yet. Does he really want to be DX-lite?​

V.SEGMENT: “Sign on the jOlted Line” feat. Kenjiro Ito

a. Like: Segment.​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: Did Phoenix really mess up Ito’s contract signing? That’s awesome. Phoenix is beginning to grow on me a little. I guess that’s just the way he speaks. These two are going to meet in a battle of fire and ice, with Ito needed the win in order to get a spot on the roster. I’m also wondering if his claim as being the last champion will pull any weight in getting him mixed into the title picture. Enjoyed it.​

VI.MATCH: “Sweet, Sweet Lovin’ v. Heirs of Wrestling”

a. Like: Balanced match.​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: The Heirs once again defeat another team with ease. It seemed only logical they would go for the vacant tag titles. Am I the only one that wants to see an Avispa Clan vs. Heirs match? I’m still trying to visualize each member of the heirs and figure out their personalities. Mack is the big man. Ryan is the quicker one. And Frank is the manager? Either way, another solid tag division match. Hats off to everybody participating in making the tag division enjoyable. Cheers!​

VII.SEGMENT: “Never Mix Business With Pleasure” feat. Sylo

a. Like: Continuing the war.​

b. Dislike: Actors bit.​

c. Comments: I was surprised that Natalia admitted she didn’t have faith in SVJ’s ability to beat Sylo, especially to Sylo himself! This is going to be an interesting turn of events when/if SVJ finds out. I like the mind games Sylo’s using, making Natalia feel guilty for not ending it last week. I have a feeling she might make things worse if she tries to help.​

VIII.MATCH: “Khristain Keller v. One Eye”

a. Like: Length.​

b. Dislike: Read below.​

c. Comments: I enjoyed the match. In reading it, I somehow felt One Eye should have come away with the win, but that didn’t happen. The Bruce Lee kick was amazing, but I still don’t get his theme music. This character has the potential to be a huge fan favorite, but each week he just isn’t connecting. Lots of middle fingers on this card. First from newcomer Greg Vincent, now Keller. Is everything saying fuck the world? Also, why were the fans cheering Derecho on in the beginning of the match? I thought they hated him?​

IX.SEGMENT: “Trying to Keep Up Appearances” feat. Superstar Vince Jacobs

a. Like: SVJ standing up to Sylo.​

b. Dislike: Too much talking during the fight.​

c. Comments: Fans are really into this Legacy title feud. Sylo never fails to rock the house each Intense and SVJ never fails to compliment him. SVJ truly isn’t afraid of Sylo, even if Natalia think he can’t win. It’ll be up to SVJ to prove he’s a true champion and can beat all comers. Great work guys.​

X.MATCH: “Kenjiro Ito v. Phoenix”

a. Like: Entire match.​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: What a solid match from both competitors. Phoenix impresses me with his ring work. Ito seems old school and hardcore. I wanted Phoenix to pull off the upset, but Ito needed a place on the roster. I don’t think Phoenix should forget about this loss. Do I smell retribution? Also, thanks for explaining what the moves were, truly helped.​

XI.SEGMENT: “Two Minutes for Instigation” feat. Bane Loneheart

a. Like: Loved it all.​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: I didn’t see that coming! Laz is suspended, beautiful. Where the hell did Damien come from though? Bane strikes again. This guy just doesn’t learn does he? Where is Sylo when you need him? Awesome turn of events though. Large amount of heat gained from this segment alone.​

XII.MATCH: “Mike Extreme v. Adam Lazarus”

a. Like: Storyline.​

b. Dislike: Laz screwed.​

c. Comments: This continued Extreme’s heat, second time it’s happened I believe. Laz gets royally screwed by Bane. He will not get a shot at the Underground title. I was rooting for him too. Extreme is going to be the freshest one in this tournament as he’s had plenty of time to rest and remain unharmed. Now he’s a bigger threat than ever!​

XIII.SEGMENT: “When a Problem Comes Along…” feat. Sylo

a. Like: Wippit Guud!​

b. Dislike: Nothing.​

c. Comments: Glad to see Wippit Guud return. He’s truly a unique talent, a great addition to the current roster. Now Sylo doesn’t have to go at it alone! Oh wait, a figment of his imagination, or was it? Sylo may be losing his mind, ride or die style! Fun segment, usually anything with Wip is.​

XIV.MATCH: “The Nashvillain© v. Sylo”

a. Like: Sylo fighting off four men.​

b. Dislike: The match itself could have been so much more.​

c. Comments: I was disappointed that we didn’t see Nash really face off against Sylo. I want to see this match happen sometime, hopefully without the Terrorists. SVJ came out to finish off Sylo, which didn’t work according to plan. Sylo is a beast! No, seriously. SVJ shows fear; this truly raised the feud to the next level. Well done.​

 

[Iconic]

Yeah, your right about GV. Over the next few shows im going to try and do things different. (reason im rewriting everything for this week). Dunno if it was the excitement of writing again or what, but after reading over all my stuff it felt rushed. Try to add more details to things and use more of my personality and habits to portray vincent...but thanks ray and dan, u guys opened my eyes.

 

[Notorei]

Yeah, your right about GV. Over the next few shows im going to try and do things different. (reason im rewriting everything for this week). Dunno if it was the excitement of writing again or what, but after reading over all my stuff it felt rushed. Try to add more details to things and use more of my personality and habits to portray vincent...but thanks ray and dan, u guys opened my eyes.

No worries. It's about finding your character each week until you're comfortable where you can write him effortlessly. It's a solid start though.

 

[Derecho]

Adding my thoughts to this thread.

Segment
The Devil Offers Hope

Thoughts: This was a pretty good segment. Here we see Jim Johnson back and pretty banged up. Keith tries to negotiate for more money and we end up hearing about Johnson's master plan to end Chavez' and Sylo's career. Keith does get what he wants.. the pay increase.. at the cost of a 3 man gauntlet. Pretty good segment that brings Ray's story into the beginning stages. This makes you wonder how far will Johnson go to make Ray's life a living hell. Good job.

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Segment
Crazy Like a Fox

Thoughts: From ex-owner to current owner. Another pretty good segment where it shows Nashvillian coming out and being a fighting champion and challenging the biggest dog in the yard, Sylo, who was named a Contender to the jOlt Championship alongside SVJ. Sylo made it clear that Nash was the love child of two incestuous McDonald's characters. Entertaining well written. No complains here.

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Segment
Backstage with the Equalizer

Thoughts: Nice little pre-match segment. This seemed to be a bit separated from the opening segment. I would have liked to see Keith almost spill the beans about a gauntlet and more money and then try to warp the interview up quickly and get Chavez out there to his match. Would have made the continuity flow a bit better, but still the segment got the job done.

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Match #1
Greg Vincent vs Ray Chavez

Thoughts: Greg's entrance was a little over the top. I don't think I ever saw soccer moms jump the railing whenever HHH did a crotch chop. My only complaint with this match is why would you list it as Greg Vincent vs Ray Chavez and then then have a mystery man image and then a reveal? It's not a mystery if you took 2 seconds to read the VS header for the match lol. Other than that, Chavez picked up the win, but Vincent came out looking like the winner. Vincent reminds me of a cocky Chris Jericho with the annoyance of Heath Slater. That's not a bad thing, mind you. The question this leaves is, due to the opening segment... it looks as if Chavez doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell for his impending gauntlet. Although he won, he looks like he lost and that builds suspense for the inevitable. Nice job portraying that if that's what you were going for.

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Segment
Signed on the Dotted Line

Thoughts: Kenjiro Ito.. the most disrespectful Japanese man alive wants his spot as recognized champion but doesn't seem to like it when he didn't get the memo that usually fed reboots mean your past title accomplishments mean squat outside of a history book. I like the direction here and we will finally get to see Phoenix in action. Pretty big stipulation set up here where Phoenix's debut match will also decide the fate of the former main champion in jOlt's past. Nice premise and good segment!

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Match #2
Sweet, Sweet Lovin vs The Heirs of Wrestling

Thoughts: Holla Holla, Playa, we're about to have ourselves a tag TEAM match. Sorry, I had to pull a Teddy Long here! This was a fun tag match to read. Very well done. I never saw anyone get MOLLYWHOPPED before. That's a new one and I think I *might* steal it (shining teeth smile). Also, when I saw the Sweet and Sour spot.. all I could think in my head was "Ain't No Doubt About it! AH HA HA HA". God I miss Larry Sweeney. Heirs of Wrestling get the win here and they continue on their path of one of the best teams in jOlt right now. Loved this match.

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Segment
Never Mix Business with Pleasure

Thoughts: Geez.. more Sylo? That's it.. I'm done reading this card. Justin's ruining it! - Anyhoo... Sylo said some pretty real stuff to Natalia. If he was looking to get into her head, he should have succeeded here. It all settled in for Natalia and one must wonder what the fallout will be knowing this is all on her. Nice drama here. No complaints

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Match #3 - Underground Rules
Khristian Keller vs One Eye

Thoughts: While I appreciate usage of Derecho in the match, like Ray said in his review, why would anyone cheer a heel who has cut a path of destruction? I mean, iNtense isn't in New York City so that doesn't make sense he got cheered. Also... this is a match in the UNDERGROUND tournament. Which means it's contested with Underground rules. I didn't see a single weapon used. This is the second card in a row where an Underground rules match has had 0 weapon usage. Like I said in my Warriros review, it doesn't have to be Terry Funk vs Sabu, but you guys are in a tournament to face a man who is going to use whatever weapons at his disposal to end your career or possibly your life if he wanted to. How would the winner look if he pure wrestled his way through a hardcore tournament to face a champion that epitomizes hardcore? In "real" tv wrestling, you'd be squashed by a steel chair in under 3 minutes. I'm stating this as a general message to anyone who has an Underground rules match. This is meant to be a BLOODY tournament (and Bloody as in the red stuff.. you know.. blood... I'm not Tyke trying to dodge the forum's profanity filter, afterall lol). Throw some weapons into these matches!

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Segment
Trying to Keep Up Appearances

Thoughts: This was a good segment, but a confusing one at that. One thing that suffered he was the consistency. Sylo was a comedic face, then he became serious, and now he's tosses around phrases like a heel, and then there's SVJ, coming to the aid of Natalia and then going up to Sylo reacting like a babyface. The role flipping seemed a little odd, but the segment still drove home the drama and for that it did its job.

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Match #4
Kenjiro Ito vs Phoenix

Thoughts: Short, Sweet, to the point, and good action. All the makings of a great match fit for a weekly episodic tv show. Kenjiro Ito picked up the win and now we have listen to more of this little bitch whine about not being recognized as the champion.. but hey... I wouldn't have it any other way! With the build up, it was obvious Phoenix would lose, but he looked great in this match. All around, I enjoyed this.

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Segment
Two Minutes for Instigation

Thoughts: Holy twist, batman. This is one that makes M. Night Shamalyan (spelling?) look like he should get out of the movie business. No seriously.. he should just get the fuc.k out of the movie business. Bane goes Tonya Harding on Laz and Laz gets suspended. Brilliant segment!

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"Match" #5
Mike Extreme vs Adam Lazarus

Thoughts: This was the hardest fought match in Mike Extreme's jOlt career. It was so tough, I bet Mike wished his opponent never showed up. Oh wait.. he didn't. Mike Extreme "steals" another one and moves an inch closer to possibly facing Derecho at Divide & Conquer. The segment did a nice job setting this one up, but this brings up the big question of how much further can Mike Extreme ride through the tournament like this? There has to be a speed bump somewhere

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Segment
When A Problem Comes Along

Thoughts: Wippit makes a nice appearance here, but it doesn't seem to fit. It's the whole consistency thing. The segment was fine in and of itself, but it just looks like were flipping from comedy to drama throughout the show with the same characters.

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Main Event - Relentless Championship Match
Nashvillian (c) vs Sylo

Thoughts: I don't know if I would call this a match more than an action segment, but this further cemented Sylo as one of the two monsters of jOlt. Again, it's the consistency. Comedy -> Drama -> Almost Heel Turn -> Comedy -> Monster. It makes it look like Sylo has IED (lol that would be an awesome gimmick), but this did it's job in getting Sylo over and building up the tension between Sylo and SVJ as we inch closer to Divide & Conquer.

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Overall Thoughts: Like Warriors, the segments outshined the matches here. The mood changes aside with Sylo, every segment was written nicely and they all served the purposes set forth by them. The matches seemed to suffer here. No hardcore action in the underground rules match, another match ended up just being a segment enhancer, and the main event could have been a bit more before the Sylo blow up. This felt like a show loaded with segments with three actual matches, one of which disappointed

Overall, the matches alone would make this show a C-, maybe even a D. The segments brought this show up to a B- only because they did a tremendous job of setting up/furthering storylines.