WWE Beast in the East 2015

In the Land of the Rising Sun, the Beast will be unleashed!

Overall rating: ***

The Goods
Chris Jericho vs. Adrian Neville ****/*****
Divas Champion:Nicki Bella vs. Paige vs. Tamina Snuka **
Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston **
NXT Champion:Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor *****
US Champion:John Cena and partner Dolph Ziggler vs. Wade Barrett and Kane ***

My Choice: Match of the Event
NXT championship

My Choice: Disappointment of the Event
Brock Lesnar's match

My Choice: Sleeper of the Event
Jericho and Neville

This was a surprisingly quaint little wrestling event on Fourth of July in Tokyo, presented as a specialty WWE Network inclusion for those paying for it via monthly subscription. WWE does this now from time to time where they can perhaps seduce new subscribers. Another event I will be reviewing is similar: WWE Roadblock.

Touted significance for Lesnar's appearance really helped sell the event even if he just humiliates a real talent like Kofi by no-selling his move set and acting as if the superstar was a little boy in a man's world. Why put Kofi in this embarrassing position considering he was part of such a hot act as New Day? Anybody could be a doormat to walk over by The Beast. That all three members of New Day are served to Lesnar on a silver platter is unfortunate but it reinforces The Beast's dominance. He has a winning record against Undertaker for heaven's sake! The expected German suplexes are here and Lesnar handily doling out punishment are in abundance.

Jericho of the Attitude Era against Neville of the Altitude Era opened to an excited Japanese wrestling crowd and the two competitors didn't disappoint. Jericho winning with the lion tamer after a high risk maneuver goes awry for Neville who lives and dies by his daredevil nature tells the story of the wily veteran having ring awareness, knowing when to capitalize on a mistake that appeared to be going against him. Jericho being a recognized figure in Japan, it made sense for him to go over. Neville had a chance to further his cause as a young star on the rise. He's been a top tier enhancement performer so far. This was so much fun because it didn't really have a back story, but both hadn't been in the ring together so it was refreshing. Neville didn't do his gymnast flips in the ring which disappointed me since it is a part of his move set I always admire as a wow moment in his arsenal.

I love Paige. She's just a wealth of talent squandered these days, and starring on Total Divas has done her career no favors. She is positively sexy, and there's an aggressive side I love in her work. She embues her style with a sense of "I want to just beat your ass" hostility. This was during the Divas era still so enduring Nicki's title reign was a chore. This match also featured the stiff, stilted style of Superfly Jimmy Snuka's daughter, Tamina. She's a tower over the other two, but the talent of Paige and how she makes Nicki look believable as a relevant champ helps somewhat. Still for me, this was a stopgap match that needed to buffer one great opening match with Brock Lesnar's emergence in the middle match. Nicki winning over Tamina with a forearm further emphasized why I groaned heavily during the conclusion of the woeful Diva era, an era I'm certainly happy could be nearing its end. The pace was the match's best asset, and each performer gets a chance to shine. Tamina clearly seems out of place here. Her taking the loss made sense.

That Cena, the WWE brand himself, is on last with the serially mishandled Ziggler (who, for once, gets main event rub) says a lot about what the company wanted to push as it's most recognized commodity for the fresh eyes of the Tokyo crowd. Both guys sold Barrett and Kane (odd choices to pair against the heroes, but both had axes to grind with them due to feuds with The Authority over the years) as legitimate forces of nature truly threatening, but I can't imagine anyone felt the babyfaces were in any danger of losing. This was a bit War and Peace when it didn't need to be. This is your basic garden variety house show/Raw second hour match. It won't make you forget the incredible NXT championship before it. Cena and Ziggler spend a lot of time in holds or double teamed so that the fans could anticipate the big comebacks. Barrett taking the loss is unfortunate. Why he has always been booked as a jobber to the WWE elite bewilders me. Kane in Big Red Machine persona would have been ideal in Tokyo so it's too bad he's Corporate Kane here.

The point, I think, of the Owens loss coming before Cena celebrates with Ziggler at the end was to serve as another chapter in their stellar 2015 feud. Owens has an overbearing over-confidence that ultimately undermines him, but it works so beautifully due to the classic "not taking his opponent as a realistic threat to win" scenario. Balor was completely at home in Tokyo and in his demon persona, all made up with a Japanese phrase for the fans in attendance, they were receptive of his gimmick. His talent is laid out before the audience in full during the match. Owens has moves in his arsenal no big man should be able to accomplish yet he does so to the surprise of many. His moonsault where he must turn completely and skip on the turnbuckle is a thing of beauty. NXT wrestlers have incorporated new variations on ddts and power bombs, moonsaults and suplexes, that a match featuring Owens or Balor pulls out something refreshing from the move grabbag you might never have seen before! That is quite so here. The stamina and endurance on display is impressive as both men go the distance and maintain the intensity throughout no matter how tired they might be.

The coup de Grace after Owens tells him he can't beat him, the classic heel underestimating the challenger because he truly doesn't consider him his equal is always a satisfying was to finish with the title change. Owens was ready-made for the main roster. He's a great  mouthy jerk who deserves to suffer but is damned good in the ring...he has every right to feel so high on himself. Just watch his match against Cena at Battleground to understand why.

I watch these while working out, and I think this is the kind of event perfect for lazy Saturday mornings when wrestling fans are looking for an appetizer instead of a full course meal. I hope this trip to Japan special isn't a one time deal. The change of venue, much like London, is a breath of fresh air.