WHERE IS MY SON? Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Welcome to a feature I like to call "Best in the World" rankings. They're not traditional power rankings per se, but they're rankings to see who is really the best in the world, a term bandied about like it's bottled water or something else really common. They're rankings decided by me, and don't you dare call them arbitrary lest I smack the taste out of your mouth. Without further ado, here's this week's list:

1. Team Tremendous (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Dan Barry and Bill Carr may have won the third Tournament for Tomorrow, BUT WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY FIND MY SON????

2. Sasha Banks (Last Week: 1) - Look, all she's doing is showing Bayley some tough love, that's all.

3. Heidi Lovelace (Last Week: 4) - Her epic encounter with Missile (!) Assault (!) Ant (!) is nigh, and things look bleak with the Flood circling the wagons around its competitors. Additionally, her plans to bring a can of RAID with her backfired when she realized blowback might end up hitting the GOOD wrestling ants. However, I have faith she can bring the Young Lions Cup home to the side of good.

4. Grumpy Cat (Last Week: 7) - So I went to see Mockingjay, Pt. 1 last week, and the pre-trailer trailer featured Aubrey Plaza getting into her role as the voice of Grumpy Cat. I really have nothing else to add here except that my impossible celebrity crush on Plaza was not abated.

5. Turkey (Last Week: 8)OFFICIAL HOLZERMAN HUNGERS SPONSORED ENTRY - The best thing about turkey is the sheer amount of leftovers one can gain, which means leftovers sandwiches! Turkey tetrazzini! TURKEY POT PIE!

6. Fletcher Cox (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Cox led an Eagles defense that made the Cowboys shit out turkey bones on Thanksgiving in their own house. Cox spent so much time in the Dallas backfield that Jerry Jones tried to sign him to back up DeMarco Murray, who was held to under 100 yards for only the second time all year and under four yards a carry for the first time this season.

7. Mark Henry (Last Week: 9) - Well, at least he didn't have to work concessions, or else everyone would've gotten mustard on them.

8. Bayley (Last Week: 3) - Look, I know Charlotte told her not to jump in BAE's face last week, but just because Bayley's bubbly and friendly doesn't mean she's a complete pushover. Gotta stand up for yourself.

9. NUMBER NINE HAS BEEN VACATED BY THE NCAA

10. Sara del Rey (Last Week: 10) - SARA DEL REY FACT: She turns her Thanksgiving leftovers into chewing gum so she can have the flavor all year long.

Survivor Series is a big point of topic on two of three shows this week Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: The Ross Report
Episode: 41
Run Time: 1:43:40
Guest: Wade Keller

Summary: JR skips his monologue this week so he can get to the good stuff — an in-depth Survivor Series recap with Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch. After that, the guys discuss the current and future prospects of Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling, as well as Ross’ gig doing play-by-play for the upcoming New Japan Wrestling pay-per-view. When it’s Keller’s turn to question Ross, he asks about crafting a biography of Vince McMahon, gets JR to compare Vince and Bill Watts and opens a dialogue about John Cena. The show ends with Keller plugging his various projects.

Quote of the week:“It doesn’t make sense, and I’m for wrestling making sense, because I think you make more money when things make sense. It didn’t make sense, for instance, that Triple H said, ‘I’ve spent weeks trying to knock out and injure anyone teaming with Cena.’ For weeks he was doing that. But then we find out, two days before the pay-per-view on Friday, he has the power to add a stipulation that if Team Cena loses, all his teammates are fired. Well if he has that power, why not just fire them before the show? Why not fire anyone who agrees to team with Cena? I want a structure that makes sense so that when a heel makes a move they’re getting away with something within a system that’s established, not just arbitrarily having power that they sometimes use and sometimes don’t. I don’t get that.”

Why you should listen: A lot of times with JR’s podcast the “why you should listen” segment boils down to “If you were worried it would be like this, well, it’s not all like that.” Neither man rags on Survivor Series as much as might be expected, and although some folks bristle when Ross gets anywhere near ROH, it’s clear he very much appreciates a lot of the performers who ply their trade in that ring and wants promotions to succeed outside the realm of WWE. While discussing the McMahon biography JR has kind words for Gorilla Monsoon, and that’s never a bad thing.

Why you should skip it: As usual, Ross recorded a PPV follow-up show before the succeeding RAW. Compared to earlier months, the most recent RAW was fairly low stakes. But a few stories did progress, and it seems silly to release a show Tuesday night including phrases like, “Well, I guess we’ll see what happens tonight.” The Cena discussion in particular is absent the context needed to fully assess his current standing by focusing almost entirely on the things that are important backstage (look, professionalism, durability, affability) and none of the aspects that frustrate fans of a certain age (the unfunny humor, the refusal to sell on offense, the perpetual against-all-odds narratives he never fails to overcome).

Final thoughts: Neither the Survivor Series breakdown nor the straight Keller interview are essential listening. With the exception of Keller’s attempt at justifying the show-opening McMahon segment, nothing the guys said really made me further consider anything I watched Sunday, and in some cases they were overly dismissive of aspects I’d expected to warrant more attention. I do find Ross becoming more tolerable over recent weeks, even as I listen with a more critical ear. It’s not that I want him to bend to my personal tastes, but there is a detectable evolution that sees him growing more comfortable in the role he’s cast himself as a podcaster. Or maybe it’s just easier to overlook certain things when listening at double speed.

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Show: Steve Austin Show Unleashed
Episode: 172
Run Time: 1:30:34
Guest: Kristin Austin (3:16), Ted Fowler (15:47)

Summary: Stone Cold discusses Thanksgiving preparations with his wife before flipping over to a conversation he and Ted Fowler have while driving around the Broken Skull Ranch. Near the end Austin recounts the “story” of he and Fowler engaging in a physical battle with the rats threatening to take over his garage. His Match of the Week is the cage match against Vince McMahon at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre 1999.

Quote of the week: Austin: “Dropping a biscuit is a fart, ladies and gentlemen, for you people that are new to the show and have been fully engaged and intrigued by the first 20 minutes of this clusterfuck.”

Why you should listen: If you enjoy Austin and Fowler’s easy chemistry, or learning some of the details of life at the Broken Skull Ranch, dive on in. There’s some good details about Austin and Big Show during the final segment as well.

Why you should skip it: There’s almost nothing of substance whatsoever, and I personally have zero interest in Austin’s fantasy matches against animals and insects (though, mercifully, this segment was far shorter than his legendary fight with Mr. Fly). Also, the good bits of the Match of the Week simply left me wishing he gave the entire match the full-episode treatment.

Final thoughts: For what it was — an episode released the day before Thanksgiving — it’s hard to complain about this one. But if you haven’t already listen, save your time for the upcoming Bray Wyatt part two and Vince McMahon interview.

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Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: Nov. 25, 2014
Run Time: 1:18:45
Guest: Sam Roberts, Laura Stiles

Summary: Shoemaker and Rosenberg are joined in studio by fellow wrestling podcast host Sam Roberts to break down Survivor Series and, to some extent, the following RAW. They talk quite a bit about the Sting return and the women’s title match, take a brief diversion into discussing iPhones learning wrestling terminology and wind up with a few listener questions.

Quote of the week: Rosenberg on the Sting return: “I was very excited. I enjoyed it. I thought it was a moment. That being said, it suffered from the exact same problem that every quote-unquote WWE return now suffers from, which is it’s so blatantly what it is. Like there’s no subtlety or nuance to it at all. It’s like, ‘What’s gonna happen?’ OK, music hits. His picture’s flashing on the screen. Then he comes out. Then he meanders to the ring. Then they stare each other down, practically to wait for ‘This is awesome!’ chants. I just want to see him in the rafters! I want to see him just point the bat! If you’re going to make it what he is, let him be what he is!”

Why you should listen: Unlike The Ross Report, Cheap Heat factors in RAW when analyzing a pay-per-view. Further, this was the most comprehensive analysis I’ve encountered about the mechanics of Sting’s return itself, whereas most writers and podcasters paid more attention to the overall idea of him being an active character. Also, Roberts does what Shoemaker only hints at and presses Rosenberg to defend some of his ridiculous attempts to coin phrases and hashtags.

Why you should skip it: It’s not nearly as comprehensive a Survivor Series recap as I’d hoped, so if you read Shoemaker’s write-up on Grantland you’re almost fully up to speed. Rosenberg hadn’t watched RAW before taping Cheap Heat, which is just asinine, as he’s simply behind the other two for a good chunk of the conversation. That’s problematic for someone who makes sure he’s at the center of the show.

Final thoughts: Again, this show was pushed a bit earlier to get out ahead of Thanksgiving. The quality of the discussion suffered as a result, but the upside is if you value Shoemaker’s insight you can always find it in written form. If Rosenberg doesn’t listen to CM Punk’s appearance on The Art Of Wrestling before Cheap Heat inevitably discusses it this week, it may be time to write off this show for good.

Zack Ryder reached for that brass ring, and look at where it got him. Photo Credit: WWE.com

"It's a different group of guys and gals. It's millenials. They're not as ambitious quite frankly, and they're not trepidatious at all, I just don't think they really want to reach for that brass ring. The last one to really reach for that brass ring in all likelihood was John Cena." -- Vince McMahon, on the live Steve Austin Show podcast simulcast on the WWE Network, 12/1/14

Ambition is one of those personal qualities that no one can really ultimately gauge for anyone but themselves. Desire for upward mobility doesn't necessarily manifest itself on the surface. Many ambitious souls work behind the scenes, and in a company as large and splintered as WWE, it's possible that some people won't be able to see everything that makes a wrestler show they're willing to go the extra mile to reach for the brass ring. It is a quality that can be shown in very real ways on camera, on screen, in front of everyone who purports to watch RAW every Monday.

It's funny to me that McMahon doesn't see ambition when he looks at his roster. I've missed maybe two episodes of RAW since late '08 when I started watching again. The lack of ambition may have been clear when wrestlers like MVP and Mr. Kennedy were the heirs apparent to the main event scene. But when the NXT initiative started and WWE began poaching wrestlers from the independents, several wrestlers showed drive, reached for the metaphorical brass ring. No one who watched an episode of RAW in 2009 could say that the match quality in 2013 was at the same low baseline. The crowd reactions for beats that happened in the matches, not just for catchphrases or promos or goofy "memorable" moments, but actual spots in matches got louder reactions as well.

Wanting to elevate the game and raise the quality of the company's output shows nothing but ambition. Guys regularly take hard bumps on Monday nights now; where was that tendency before Dolph Ziggler decided he was going to put his body on the line with all the blatant disregard of a stampeding bull? The three hour RAW seemed like a good idea for the first year of its existence because the match quality had risen to such a high level that one could expect at least one pay-per-view quality bout per episode. How many times did a rapt crowd get treated to such a display before Daniel Bryan and The Shield were unleashed and allowed to chew up huge swaths of airtime?

But McMahon made it clear that matches weren't the only thing. Forget that Bryan, the Shield, and everyone who joined in the fray, whether new like Cesaro or established like Randy Orton, made people care about said matches. The character stuff is king. The thing is that guys are reaching for those brass rings that keep moving further away, none more egregious than Zack Ryder. Once WWE's version of ECW went the way of the dinosaur, he was left with a contract but without a place where he could get screentime to develop. He'd shown promise, especially in his mini-feud with Tommy Dreamer, but it was clear he didn't really have a place without ECW. So what did he do? He started a web show, got a million Twitter followers, and had arenas demanding he get a shot. He Reed Richards'd for a brass ring that wasn't ever available to him to begin with. His repayment was two months in the main narrative, being made to look like a horror movie victim, and then being forgotten unless Ryback or Rusev needed someone with name recognition to obliterate in seconds flat.

Ziggler, Bryan, the Shield, and Ryder are only a few examples of guys showing ambition to be something more than a happy WWE employee with a steady paycheck. If those guys don't meet McMahon's example of ambition, whose problem is it really? Furthermore, if McMahon has a bunch of guys who don't show the ambition enough to move his company forward, then what is he doing keeping them around? He should either fire them instead of putting on a show that serially degrades everyone on it not named John Cena, or he should recuse himself from overseeing the main narrative and pass responsibilities along to someone who does see the worth in these wrestlers.

McMahon, by using the lazy crutch of generalizing "millennials," shows that he's either grossly out of touch with his roster and how those wrestlers have connected with his fans, or he's using a hilariously misdirected motivational tactic at the only part of his company that actually does its job with some semblance of competence. Maybe McMahon should look at his writers, his marketers, his announcers, and himself for blame as why his company isn't performing as well as he would like it. Until then, he'd be wise not to place blame on easy scapegoats.

Wyatt's talk with Austin continues on this show Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 173
Run Time: 1:33:59
Guest: Ted Fowler (6:34); Bray Wyatt (53:22)

Summary: After a quick look at Thanksgiving, Austin spends more than a half hour letting Fowler question him about the wrestling business. Then Stone Cold finishes his interview with Bray Wyatt. They discuss Wyatt’s family and athletic background, the matches and wrestlers he studies, his relationship with brother Bo Dallas, the origin of “Follow the buzzards” and other aspects of the character, down time, working on the craft while injured and Sister Abigail — the character and the maneuver. The Match of the Week is the 1996 Royal Rumble.

Quote of the week: On himself and Bo Dallas: “We’re lifers, man. We’re not trying to come to the WWE to go and become movie stars, this is what we do and this is what we wanted to do. … He is going to be a big star here too. And we’ve known that since we were little kids giving off powerbombs on the trampoline to all the neighbor boys. It’s who we are. It’s who we’ll always be.

Why you should listen: Austin responds to Fowler’s questions differently than he has when encountering some of the same queries from listeners, so that segment has a fresher feel with a few bits of uncharted territory — notably a story about his showing in the 1996 Royal Rumble. The talk with Wyatt is a logical continuation of last week’s part one, and though they go back toward some familiar ground, it’s mostly a good bookend for anyone who appreciated Wyatt’s insight and willingness to be candid with Austin.

Why you should skip it: Austin is right — there are audio issues plaguing the Wyatt interview rendering some of Bray’s comments unintelligible. There’s less pomposity than what some may have detected from Wyatt in part one, but if Wyatt rubs you the wrong way anyhow, I don’t suppose you had this one queued up anyhow. Ditto for folks who don’t like Fowler, as you might find yourself wondering the point of letting him ask questions that in large part don’t force Austin to explore anything he hasn’t already examined on the show.

Final thoughts: I loved this episode for the Rumble nugget alone, but that’s just me. I also find Wyatt endearing and engaging and am fully able to enjoy his appearance here no matter how I perceive his recent work on TV. Wyatt devotees won’t skip this for anything, and while I found it a good complement to part one, it’s fair to say you’ll have a basic gist if all you hear is Episode 171. Ultimately, I left hoping Austin will interview more young main roster stars and would like to think people who only say Austin interview Vince McMahon on the Network find this episode a good entry point to the real world of his podcast.

Punk's podcast fallout is one topic this week Photo Credit: WWE.com

It's hump day, so here are some links to get you through the rest of the week:

Wrestling Links:

- CM Punk Rips Apart WWE In Revealing Interview [Deadspin]

- The Best and Worst of RAW: Meet A New Day, Same As the Old Day [With Spandex]

- More Than Anything You Could Ever Imagine [Push Cesaro]

- Wrestlers Who Never but Should Have Main-Evented WrestleMania [Wrestledelphia]

- The Depths of Mania: WrestleMania VIII [Voices of Wrestling]

- The Five Things I Learned from the Randy Savage Story DVD [TJR Wrestling]

- Wrestling in the Clinton Years: An Off-Brand Great Sasuke [4CR Wrestling]

- The Art of Gimmickry: The Native American Wrestler [Old School Jabronis]

- NYWC: Angry Andy Reviews Draw the Line [Juice Make Sugar]

Non-Wrestling Links:

- How to Cope When a Loved One Commits Suicide [Lifehacker]

- This Proposal Will Fix Conference Imbalance and the NBA Schedule [SB Nation]

- How to Eat Your Thanksgiving Leftovers, Three Good-Ass Ideas [Foodspin]

- The Thanksgiving Leftover Cone [Dude Foods]

- Build Your Own Fast Food Thanksgiving Feast [SB Nation]

- A Company Is Making Sriracha Beer, Is Trying to Kill Me [Kitchenette]

- Dumb NCAA Rule Preventing Georgia Southern from Playing in a Bowl Game [Deadspin]

- Monday Morning Jerkface, Week 13 [The Footbawl Blog]

- BrownsBills Day Returns! [SB Nation]

- Friendly Reminder: Roger Goodell Is an Incompetent Harborer of Abusers and Needs to Be Shitcanned [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

- St. Louis Police Declare Rams Hands-Up-Don't-Shoot Protest Offensive [Deadspin]

- Barack Obama, Ferguson, and the Evidence of Things Left Unsaid [The Atlantic]

- The Wealthiest Black Community Was Burnt to the Ground and No One Remembers It Happened [Pajiba]

- In Conversation: Chris Rock [Vulture]

- Terry Crews: Modern Masculinity Can Be As Damaging as The Taliban [Jezebel]

- Star Wars: The Force Awakens in These Athletes' Names [SB Nation]

- A Shot-by-Shot Dissection of the New Star Wars Trailer [io9]

- Ten Literary Characters YOu Didn't Know Were Based on Real People [Dorkly]

- HIV May Be Evolving into a Less Deadly and Less Virulent Disease [io9]

- The Legendary Pokemon Only Hackers Own [Kotaku]

- Five New Things in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire I'm Thankful For [Doctor Apocalypse]

- Three Mysteries in the New Pokemon Games No One Can Figure Out [Kotaku]

Here today, gone today; at this point, the Miz has gone so far Hollywood that he doesn't have beef, he has tofu.

Well, that's the charitable way to look at the events of the main event of Main Event. The other is "this is some pretty incompetent booking", which as we all know especially given prior events in the week of 2014 WWE is impossible.

To his credit, Jimmy Uso said he was going to kick the Miz's ass for sidling up to his wife and then spent the better part of the final two segments of the show doing just that while (well, mostly) eschewing his normal offense in lieu of punching, punching, and more punching to the guy most notorious for his Tyler Breeze "not the face" cosplay. This is not a corner where a man sticking up for his wife, backing up his words and winning is usually something that's met with confusion and fifty-yard stares. But to quote celebrated comedian Herschel Krustofsky, what the hell was that? Let's see if we have the time line right:

Monday: Usos win #1 contendership ¤ Miz offers Naomi a card to put her in touch with some agents ¤ Jimmy comes up and slaps Mizanin like he owes him 10% with a pretty unambiguous follow-up, "Stay away from my wife!"

Tuesday: Backstage before the match Jimmy tells Tom Phillips that the previous night was a warning shot and he's going to kick Miz's ass (direct quote, noted due to the use of rare profanity, especially for the Tuesday D-E-F-G-whatever this is show) ¤ comes out angry despite changing almost nothing in his pre-match routine while Miz is completely more subdued in his ¤ proceeds to more or less punch his way to victory so emphatically the Miz was almost seen carrying Alex Riley's bags

The whole thing went down in a Jack Bauer! This, apparently, is how they're building to the tag team title match in a fortnight, with the babyface already having decisively defended the honor of his wife (don't even ask how Miz could be misconstrued since any cursory glance at social media reveals his marriage to Maryse whether Stamford wants to acknowledge it or not - you don't leave French-Canadian bikini models, French-Canadian bikini models leave you) by harnessing his anger enough to take him to another level and not cost him the match; to, in fact, win it cleanly with his signature move dead center ring. And on the off chance you were wondering if maybe this is leading to Sandow taking the beating coming to Miz, not only didn't it happen during the match or afterwards, but he took a splash from Jey the same time Jimmy was ending the match with his just in case the earth wasn't salted enough. In the immortal word of Vincent Kennedy McMahon, millennials. Or something. But they don't have the belts, which is important because, uh...well, it's not like they've spent this entire time on Total Divas establishing the tightness and inseparable bond between Naomi and Ji...yeah, we're sticking with what the hell was that?

The second most inexplicable thing about the show was Jack Swagger, White Savior: Shame Of A Nation using his homestate crowd and a win over Titus O'Neil to kick off the show by saying Rusev was fit for neither country nor title and after the events of Monday night he was going to go full throttle to capture the championship. Firstly, old racists getting beaten up for the horrible things they've said needs to happen more often. Secondly, Biff Tannen, you've lost to him clean. It was like three months ago at the second-biggest show of the year. Remember that, or should you drop $10 a month so you can review it? Someone want to explain how someone known for injuring wrestlers and racking up DUIs during the biggest push of their career while their ex-partner's career proceeds to flatline thanks to the closest real-life equivalent of C. Montgomery Burns having millions at his disposal without somehow the necessary dimes to rub together and get a clue? Anybody at all? You can use this as proof you belong when you go in for your MENSA membership.

Third most inexplicable was Adam Rose and the Bunny acting like Monday night never happened (a reverse Uso, we call that) before losing cleanly to the Dust Brothers without any shenanigans. Fourth most inexplicable was the new and improved same old finisher from Fandango. So Bray Wyatt can't beat R-Truth but...well, that's probably fifth most inexplicable and do you smell toast?

This episode of Main Event should've been brought to you by a major aspirin company. Lord knows anybody who watched this and this wasn't their first wrestling show ever probably took chased a couple pills with some water, vodka or absinthe after having to think about it for consecutive seconds. After that hour it's not just Jimmy and Jey; mama, we're all crazy now.

McMahon. Punk. WHO YA GOT? Photo Credit: WWE.com

HORB FLERBMINBER is back from the Thanksgiving break to shake off the tryptophan and give you the SCOOPS. I give you news SCOOPS, rumor SCOOPS, and even ICE CREAM SCOOPS. Do you want a breaking story about Eric Young's fishing show being used to film an angle with the BroMans with a side of rum raisin? THEN uh, well, you haven't come to the right place, because I am prohibited from selling anything alcohol-related after that incident where the mayor's son got alcohol poisoning. But I do have a really tasty peanut butter ripple.

Now, I mine the news for you non-stop, but I can't get all the scoops myself. I NEED HELP, and I need you to be okay with not getting any credit for it. You can send me those tips, rumors, and Dropbox links to the complete series of Cop Rock or Manimal, please send them to my e-mail address at ProWrestlingSKOOPZ@gmail.com. Also, if you want up to the second scoops on things that haven't even happened yet, follow my Twitter, @HorbFlerbminber. I utilize TACHYONS to get you news from the future. When will TNA go out of business? Which fired WWE superstar will come back to Titan Towers to murder John Cena a la Lee Iacocca from the Watchmen movie? WHEN WILL RENEE YOUNG FINALLY LIFT HER RESTRAINING ORDER ON @MaskedLutefisk? Follow me to find out.

You can also pick up back issues of the newsletter. In fact, I am running a sale for Christmas. If you buy three back issues of the Pro Wrestling SKOOPZ newsletter, you get a free credit card receipt signed by your favorite wrestling superstar. Each extra back issue you order increases the value of the name on the receipt. Order five back issues? You get Justin Gabriel on a Home Goods receipt. 20 issues? Honky Tonk Man at Golden Corral. 200? Well, I'll be ambitious enough to give you a signed Vince McMahon receipt from Morton's Steakhouse. SCORE.

Also, I'm a licensed Avon Lady right now under my nom de plume Ani de Hotscoops. I sell all the makeup, including concealer, eyeliner, and even guyliner. I AM PROGRESSIVE. Just check out this testimonial from Janie Goddagun from Ogden, UT:

Miss de Hotscoops promised me eyeliner, but when my order came in, I only found baked beans and a smelly kneepad. The beans were good at least.

See, another satisfied customer.

Finally, check the pH level in your pool before you close it.

- The big news from the last week was the landmark CM Punk appearance on the Art of Wrestling. I have an exclusive scoop about the proceedings. Colt Cabana got the interview because apparently, he is a lifelong friend of Punk's. YOU WON'T GET THIS INFORMATION ANYWHERE ELSE.

- Punk wanted to change his gear to a MMA-styled trunk-set with advertising space, but Vince McMahon rejected it because it was TOO REAL for him. McMahon thinks REAL WRESTLING is barbaric, apparently.

- Punk also once passed a concussion test while listening to music on his headphones and texting with Cabana, which confirms that WWE's concussion protocol is several grades more stringent than the NFL's.

- Punk accused Ryback of working too stiff and "taking 20 years off his life," to which Ryback replied "Punk had it coming to him. He took me to a Panera Bread while we were on the road without me knowing until we got there."

- Triple H served Punk his termination papers on his wedding day. To add insult to injury, the papers were styled as a wedding gift, packaged in a white box with ivory trim and a mother-of-pearl bow.

- Punk was treated for a cyst in his back by a WWE staff doctor, which a second opinion from an outside physician noted was caused by a staph infection. In the defense of the WWE doctor, he was only an intern from the Hollywood Upstairs Medical School, as the chief physician was sleeping one off after a night out with Ric Flair the night before. He hadn't gotten to staph infections yet, and had only learned how to forge prescriptions, shoot up ailing wrestlers with cortisone shots, and how to humanely put a wrestler down if his leg had broken.

- One of the final straws in Punk's relationship with WWE was him not being allowed to walk Chael Sonnen to the ring for his REAL WRESTLING FIGHT. In an unrelated note, I am looking into an INAPPROPRIATE relationship between the two. Punk has had it out for me ever since I spiked his Diet Pepsi with grain alcohol in an attempt to loosen his lips to give me some DIRTY DETAILS on WWE wrestlers. I WAS DOING DUE JOURNALISTIC DILIGENCE. Did Punk tell Sonnen to throw his last fight, the one where I lost all my money? All the evidence points to know, but I say YES.

- I'm also hearing from SOURCES PLACED WITHIN THE COMPANY that the CM Punk/Vince McMahon wrestling match from 10/8/12 was a SHOOT FIGHT that was meant to alleviate tensions between the two. It only was a temporary stopgap, however, as Punk got even madder when his pay was garnished for McMahon's medical bills and for a power lunch at Morton's Steakhouse.

- Punk will also appear on this week's Art of Wrestling, where he will answer listener-submitted questions. If they take a question about Punk's involvement in Benghazi and its subsequent coverup, then you will all know my question was accepted.

- McMahon also appeared on a live edition of the Steve Austin Podcast on the WWE Network. I am reporting this as CONFIRMATION that CM Punk vs. Steve Austin with Mr. McMahon as the guest referee will take place at WrestleMania XXXI.

- McMahon apologized to Punk for his termination papers arriving on his wedding day. "Linda and I wanted to buy him and Ms. Lee the 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton bed set, to be honest."

- McMahon remains hopeful that Punk will cool off and that the two sides can work together in the future. McMahon then asked Austin if that was good enough to lead his new standup comedy set.

- McMahon also stated that no one on the roster has any ambition, and that the only person to reach for the brass ring since the Attitude Era was John Cena. The brass ring was located in the Temple of Yggdrasil on top of the Pedestal of Indeterminate Height in the heart of the Lost Kingdom of Lemuria. As it turned out, just being really good at wrestling isn't being ambitious enough.

- Cena defended McMahon's controversial statements on Twitter by telling his fellow coworkers to work harder. Also, he's announced that he's dumping Nikki Bella to pursue a relationship with McMahon's anus.

- McMahon also recounted the story of when he shoved Dusty Rhodes into his pool. Rhodes blames the incident for his sperm becoming waterlogged and causing both sons Dustin and Cody to be so goddamn weird.

- Austin asked McMahon why Cesaro is floundering, and McMahon said it was probably because he was Swiss. He went onto add "See, the Swiss are born without personalities in exchange for superior genetics that allow them to guard the Pope in the Vatican."

- Austin asked if Randy Savage would ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and McMahon responded that he'd consider it if Savage ever personally apologized for going to WCW. When Austin informed him that Savage died three years ago, McMahon said, "Wait, Randy's DEAD? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME?"

- McMahon swore he wasn't out of touch. I believe him.

- McMahon called Brock Lesnar a "special attraction" who doesn't need to be used much at all, like his offshore, tax-sheltered bank account which he hasn't withdrawn a dime from since 1988.

- McMahon gave an update on the whereabouts of his son Shane during the podcast. "He says he's in Japan, but he's actually in Italy. We're just billing him as working in an Asian country."

- In other news, Kurt Angle announced on the Vince Russo podcast that he'll be returning to TNA. Apparently, drugs mess with your sense of timing too.

- NJPW World was launched this week for the low price of ¥999. The company placed banner ads on ESPN.com, which upped the number of worthwhile things to be found on the Worldwide Leader's website to one.

- A warrant was put out for Heath Slater's arrest from an incident that took place during WrestleMania XXVII weekend. In case you were wondering, even if you're WWE enhancement talent, you still get put on the celebrity indictment schedule.

- From Sports Illustrated site, Chael Sonnen joined ESPN as an interesting debate. Deadspin things mean nothing, but not enough to put an end to the recruitment of hit songs Sonnen environment ESPN.

- Poll results! Last week, 55% of you liked mashed potatoes as your favorite Thanksgiving side, 31% liked stuffing, 10% preferred green bean casserole, and 4% liked Jado's and Gedo's ballsacs. THIS WEEK!

Holly is JR's guest this week Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: The Ross Report
Episode: 42
Run Time: 1:53:04
Guest: Bob Holly (22:48)

Summary: JR starts with a monologue still focused on Survivor Series and a bit of a plug for his upcoming New Japan Pro Wrestling gig. Then he gets Holly on the phone to plug the veteran’s book, The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story. They start by discussing the writing process itself before transition to how Holly broke in to the business and trained, his ill-fated short stint in Memphis, WWE backstage politics, the high-profile deaths of his colleagues and specifically his connection to the last days of Chris Benoit’s life, the Tough Enough Matt Cappotelli incident and Steve Blackman before a detailed look at 1999’s Brawl for All as it relates to Holly’s written recollection.

Quote of the week: Holly on his reputation as a backstage bully: “If I was that bad, I would not have been with that company as long as I was.”

Why you should listen: As a writer, I found the bit about the ghostwriting process refreshingly candid. From a wrestling standpoint, Holly is somewhat unexplored, at least in the podcast realm. After hearing Mick Foley and Ric Flair talk for several hours, it’s interesting to learn about the life of a self-described veteran midcarder. The Brawl For All stuff is fairly compelling, and if you’re not fed up hearing about arguably the most heinous incident ever to involve a professional wrestler, well, at least Holly has a personal story I hadn’t heard before.

Why you should skip it: Remember that stuff I said about Holly being a midcarder? Well, that also means he’s not discussing much in the way of memorable moments or historic feuds. Certainly the Benoit stuff will be too much for some folks — he says nothing controversial, but many people prefer to let the subject rest — and if you’ve read the book already I can only presume almost everything covered in this show is discussed at more length in the text, with the exception of Ross responding to the Brawl For All comments.

Final thoughts: I enjoyed this more than I expected to based on my experience watching Holly perform. It doesn’t match up with Ross’ recent interviews with bigger names (Tony Schiavone, Bill Watts, JJ Dillon), but it does reveal a continued evolution in Ross’ podcast style. It’s certainly nice to have a break from talking about CM Punk, and it’s nice to hear a chat in which JR does not dip into his reliable questions (“How do you feel about Brock ending the Undertaker’s streak?) for a change. Next week’s guest is X-Pac, and given my experience listening to him on podcasts, I’m presuming the Holly episode will be superior to that offering.

Deucalion will play a huge role in the show I'm most looking forward to this month Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

It's Twitter Request Line time, everyone! I take to Twitter to get questions about issues in wrestling, past and present, and answer them on here because 140 characters can't restrain me, fool! If you don't know already, follow me @tholzerman, and wait for the call on Wednesday to ask your questions. Hash-tag your questions #TweetBag, and look for the bag to drop Thursday afternoon (most of the time). Without further ado, here are your questions and my answers!

@tholzerman Which December shows are you most looking forward to?
— Joe Roche (@JRoche3MR) December 3, 2014

December's usually a cold month in terms of wrestling events, but the first two weeks of the final month of the year have a show apiece that might end up being the crown jewels of their respective promotions. Chikara's season finale happening at the 2300 Arena on Saturday and the final NXT live special of the year airing live on The WWE Network from Full Sail University on Thursday, Dec. 11 (a week from tonight) have my full attention. The return to The Arena is a long time coming for Chikara. I think the anticipation for it at large doesn't seem to meet the grand scale of stuff that I feel is going to go down. Plus, it's Chikara in Philadelphia. That company putting on a show in that city is a formula for magic.

The NXT show has a lot to live up to, but the Adrian Neville/Sami Zayn match has so much riding on it. Throw in the Women's Championship match between Charlotte and Sasha Banks, the Tag Team Championship bout between the Lucha Dragons and Vaudevillains, and the much heralded Ascension/Finn Balor and Hideo Itami match, and the card is looking just as good if not better than the previous three Network specials. Of course, Final Battle could be good, and TLC might surprise, especially if WWE gives Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper a good chunk of time to create in their assumed match, but as far as I'm concerned, it's all about Chikara and NXT this month.

@tholzerman#tweetbag What match are you most looking forward to on the Chikara show?
— Okori Wadsworth (@OkoriWadsworth) December 3, 2014

From a match quality standpoint, it's Eddie Kingston vs. Jimmy Jacobs, and no match really comes close. Kingston is special in big matches that don't also involve Icarus, and Jacobs could be his best combination of pure pro wrestling ability, veteran guile, and storyline emotion since I started following the company. I would be shocked if this match wasn't the best of the night or even the best in Chikara of the year. From an emotional point of view, I'm really invested in the steel cage match between Icarus and Deucalion. I don't know how good it's going to be, but the money will be in what happens after the match. Will the Flood story conclude here? IF so, will Chikara immediately segue into the next big crisis? So much has happened in 2014 since the official return, which is unusual for the normally glacially-paced promotion.

@tholzerman receding into fantasy booking 'cause the real world sucks: bray wyatt gets brock lesnar's push in 2014. awesome, y/y?
— jon (@4joncomas) December 3, 2014

Depends. Does he get the whole magilla including the massive periods of time off, or is he just The Beast Incarnate™, only as a full-time wrestler? Honestly, I can't see any reason why Wyatt couldn't have mushed Cena into a fine paste the way Lesnar did at SummerSlam. I can see a good reason not to give him beating the Streak. Lesnar had to be the guy to do that because he's the only guy who could have handled that backlash. But give Wyatt everything else as a full-timer, and you wouldn't have needed to have retooled him so drastically.

@tholzerman how's the wife and kids?
— bd (@IHatebd) December 3, 2014

They're great! Even though TJ can be a belligerent little terror at times, the family is fine and holding up well into the holiday season.

@tholzerman I’m honestly struggling with how I feel about my wrestling fandom after Punk’s podcast/my break from watching wrestling.
— Complete Shot! (@Complete_Shot) December 3, 2014

@tholzerman I’m not asking you to convince me to watch again, but what would you say to someone who felt the same way I do?
— Complete Shot! (@Complete_Shot) December 3, 2014

Stop watching. No, seriously, you're not obligated to watch wrestling or consume any kind of entertainment that you don't enjoy anymore. People take breaks from wrestling all the time. I did between WrestleMania XIX and SummerSlam '08. You can come back in whenever you want. Hell, you don't even have to come back. You can outgrow wrestling if you want. You're a human being. Change is the nature of a normal human being. Don't force it if you're not feeling it, because then you may end up resenting wrestling and that's not healthy at all.

@tholzerman Is there anything in the WWE Universe more contrived than a tables match? #TweetBag
— Star of Savage (@StarOfSavage) December 3, 2014

Most contrivances in the wrestling world more egregious than a tables match seem to exist in TNA except for one thing. What the fuck is so different between a chairs match and a regular old no holds barred match/street fight/no disqualification? Is the ref really going to DQ someone for breaking out a kendo stick? But then again, at least a chairs match has the implicit violence. You have just as much a chance of getting a bullshit, weak, whoopsie-daisy accidental finish in a tables match as you do a forceful, put-through-the-table ending. Only once was the weak accident finish ever good, and it was the Extreme Rules tables match where Cody Rhodes won the Intercontinental Championship back from Big Show. All the more reason to ditch TLC and replace it with, uh, I don't know, Wrestling Match, The Pay-Per-View.

@tholzerman What in the fuck is wrong with Vince McMahon?
— Jingle Bell 'Lock (@indiandeathlock) December 3, 2014

He's an old, out-of-touch man trying to market a product to a younger generation that is passing him by, and instead of stepping aside like a normal human being, he's trying to ram his ideals down everyone's throats because he's older and you should listen to him, dammit. Basically, he's your typical, American one-percenter who thinks his shit doesn't stink because he's old, white, and rich.

@tholzerman Will a regular steel cage be enough to contain Icarus and Deucalion? #tweetbag
— David Kincannon (@dwkii) December 3, 2014

You're looking at this match from a wrestling fan of the world, not as a Chikara fan. Remember, in Chikara-lore, the steel cage still has meaning. Only one match in its history has been contested within the four fenced-in walls, one between Claudio Castagnoli and Brodie Lee. It hasn't been watered down like it's been in WWE, and even by indie standards, Chikara's cage has gravitas. It should be enough to contain them, at least until the match is over...

@tholzerman I don't want Sami Zayn to be on the @WWE main roster because I'm terrified they'll screw it up so bad. Crazy talk? #TweetBag
— The real dajerseyboy (@dajerseyboy) December 3, 2014

Not at all. NXT right now is a glorious island where barely anything goes wrong, and anything that hurts stops stinging by the time the next segment starts. Zayn has mastered that environment because the intimate crowd loves him and because he has upward mobility that he may or may not have once he gets to the main roster. NXT doesn't have a John Cena-like golem who'll block his access to being THE GUY. By its very nature, it is a fluid, dynamic environment where the guard at the top changes by design. Which means Zayn will reach a Catch-22 situation. He'll either be sacrificed to the main roster, w here I think he'll be okay, but not as okay as he is right now, or he'll become NXT's John Cena if he's able to stay there. Basically, WWE needs Vince McMahon out of the picture and a new idea of what wrestling should be on the mainstream level in charge before the NXT experiment can be fully actualized.

@tholzerman For someone who is very good at promos, why have CM Punk's Taking Dead appearances fallen flat?
— Masked Tweeter (@MaskedTweeter) December 3, 2014

I've never seen him on The Talking Dead, mainly because I don't watch the main show it is set up to discuss. However, cutting promos and talking casually and/or critically about a television show are two different things. Maybe Punk is more dialed in when he's got something to rail against rather than speaking frankly on a passion.

@tholzerman idea: Cesaro cuts promo in five different languages, says he has VMK-sized chip on his shoulder, vows to become REAL world champ
— Sean Orleans (@hakimdropsball) December 3, 2014

I like it. But would McMahon himself be up for working with a guy he admittedly thinks has no charisma? That Steve Austin Podcast appearance was eye-opening for how frustrating being a WWE fan can be. McMahon doesn't run his company for you but he still wants you to watch. It's hard for me to put into words what I mean, but I don't know how much further from my breaking point I am with regards to RAW and the main narrative.

@tholzerman#TweetBagVince McMahon: Is he having the last laugh (at WWE Creative?) as the Reddit Spoiler Guy or not?
— Adam St. Cin (@AdamStCin) December 4, 2014

On one hand, McMahon's easily the most carny guy left in the business, and I can't see him as a dude who'd spoil his own pay-per-view results to prove a point. On the other, he also seems to be the flightiest person-in-charge in history, and he totally would seem like the kind of person who'd fuck with his own writing staff by spilling the beans on what they'd planned before the show went on the air. However, I'm not sure McMahon even knows what Reddit is, which is why I believe Dolphins1925 is/was someone else.

@tholzerman With 5 hours of TV a week and no competition, would jobber squash matches help the cause of the WWE?
— Duje Lashlee-Walton (@thegnc) December 4, 2014

The biggest problem facing the average WWE superstar seems to be that the crowd isn't properly introduced to them and their beats before they're thrown into the fire. Would Adam Rose have been better suited for a big WWE run if he'd been allowed to squash a few "local talents" and get more interview time in a live arena or in the inset box interviews that WWE still runs? Rose may be a bad example because of the fringe nature of his gimmick as well as the relative recency with which it was given to him before being called up. Bo Dallas might be a better example, but the point remains the same. The squash-phase of a wrestler's career back in the day was crucial at getting audiences familiar with them. The nature of the game has changed so much in 20 years, but I wonder if fostering an atmosphere that rewards patience with the crowd would condition them to be more patient. Long answer condensed - yes, I think it's a good idea to at least try.

The new stable is the extent of the RAW talk this week Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: Dec. 2, 2014
Run Time: 1:02:51
Guest: None

Summary: Rosenberg and Shoemaker are alone this week and spend the bulk of the hour analyzing CM Punk’s appearance on Colt Cabana’s Art Of Wrestling podcast, peppered with reaction to Vince McMahon’s live visit to Steve Austin’s podcast on the WWE Network. There is a brief bit of talk about RAW (pretty much just the New Day debut) and a few listener questions to round out the show. Also random playing of Ric Flair and Randy Savage promo clips.

Quote of the week: Shoemaker on the New Day: “On an intellectual level, I treasure the sort of uncertainty of literally not knowing what they’re doing, because I’m really split down the middle between this is a straight-up play to the kids, this is sort of like an Usos thing, kids are going to love — I mean this is like the holy trinity of black John Cenas for a young audience. Or they’re just totally doing the Rocky Maivia thing on purpose and they’re just going to toy with us for a couple months and then this is going to be the greatest heel faction of their generation. Obviously that’s overstating it, but I just don’t know what they’re doing, and I kind of love that.”

Why you should listen: This is a great show for people who like podcasts that break down other podcasts. Not to be curt, but the choice is pretty clear — if you want to think more about what Punk and McMahon (and to a lesser extent Austin) said in the last week, dive in. Seriously. Rosenberg actually brings himself to the table this week instead of his character (he doesn’t drop his first “adjace” until two-thirds of the way through, and when he does it actually makes sense) and in some odd way the Flair and Savage cuts work well with the overall vibe.

Why you should skip it: Punk fatigue. Again, not to be curt, but the choice remains clear — if you’re tired of hearing about what CM Punk said, stay far away. I found the discussion interesting as the guys tried to examine both sides (wrestler and promotion) without clearly aligning with one or the other, but I also wouldn’t consider it essential listening as part of the overall Punk story. His appearance with Cabana was so detailed there really weren’t any gaps to be plugged.

Final thoughts: Much like the guys in this episode, I’m not trying to come out as overly praiseworthy or critical. I did enjoy the podcast, but it’s totally reasonable for folks to be ready to tap out after nearly five total hours of Punk and McMahon on podcasts in the last eight days. They had an obligation to talk about the news of the day, and this show might actually be best suited for someone who didn’t have time to listen to the source material. If you still want to be guided through processing everything you heard, by all means this is a great resource. But if you’re ready to move on, it’s OK to leave this one on the shelf.

Fare thee well, Deucalion Photo Credit: TH

In the TH Style. Live replay is available on SMVOD, but if you want to own a physical copy on DVD or MP4, then keep checking back to the main Smart Mark site.

Highlights:

• In the pre-show Young Lions Cup final, Heidi Lovelace overcame the rest of the Colony: Xtreme Force to defeat Missile Assault Ant with a basement hurricanrana.
• "Smooth Sailing" Ashley Remington was able to fell Juan Francisco de Coronado in their German Suplex-Only match with a ring-in variant of the move.
• Eddie Kingston took down Jimmy Jacobs with two Backfists to the Future.
• After the match, Kid Cyclone came down, attacked Kingston with a pipe wrench, and cut a promo blaming him for the "deaths" of his Greenhorn Militia brothers. He claimed not to even want to wear his mask, removed it, and demanded to be known by his birth name, Kevin Condren.
• The Devastation Corporation won Los Campeonatos de Parejas from the Throwbacks two falls to one thanks to help from Sidney Bakabella and an Argentine rack backbreaker/flying elbow combination.
• In a match that saw the return of Derek Sabato as a Chikara referee, UltraMantis sent Delirious packing out of Chikara with the Praying Mantis Bomb.
• After the match, Delirious used the Eye of Tyr on Hallowicked and Frightmare, and 'Wicked hit Mantis with a big yakuza kick.
• Soldier Ant was the sole survivor in Cibernetico after he took out Fire Ant with a chokeslam.
• In the main event, Icarus made Deucalion pass out with the Chikara Special inside the cage.
• After the match, The Flood came out, and Jimmy Jacobs ordered them to stand down. Icarus then "killed" Deucalion with the Estonian Thunder Frog's hammer. On the Internet pay-per-view broadcast, a new Thunder Frog was shown in infancy.

General Observations:

• Heidi Lovelace found Zack Ryder's old tights, i.e. one long leg and one short leg.
• Missile Assault Ant kept yelling his name over and over again, like he does on Twitter, which was the most over single part of the match. Indie wrestling fans tend to love the dumbest things sometimes, although I don't mean that as an insult or complaint.
• Apparently, Los Ice Creams aren't the only ones in Chikara who gusta Randy Orton, because Missile Assault Ant broke out the Garvin Stomp at one point.
• Missile Assault Ant worked big so well in this match, but I wonder how much of it was due to Lovelace's HBKesque overselling. They broke into a slap-trade, and she was on spaghetti legs with the punch drunk facial expressions that I love to an almost disturbing degree.
• After the match, Lovelace was moved to tears upon accepting the Young Lions Cup. No matter how many times I tell myself wrestling is worked and the results don't really matter as much as I thought they did, it's still really poignant to see wrestlers get misty-eyed over winning titles or accolades.
• Juan Francisco de Coronado came out for his match with two GAUDILY-dressed valets mimicking the look of conquistadores from the Spanish colonial era. In all actuality, the valets probably got their gear from a local Mummers troupe. As a Philadelphia native who's been forced to watch his fair share of New Year's Day parades, I know a Mummers get-up when I see one.
• To top Coronado's opening coterie, which probably itself was a way to play mindgames on his opponent's usual intro, Ashley Remington came out with FOUR women on his arms. The games of oneupsmanship were on before the match even began.
• Remington, ever the sportsman, offered his hand, which Coronado accepted only to sucker him into a rear waistlock. The thing that makes Remington such a unique character is how he reacted. Rather than getting all huffy, he retorted that he understood and then did the same thing.
• At one point, Coronado and Remington found themselves on perpendicular aprons to each other, and they started running towards their common corner when Coronado went and SPEARED him through turnbuckles off to the floor. Coronado has been one of my favorite Wrestling Is Fun! grads for awhile, but if he can develop a knack for the big spot like that on the reg, his ceiling is unlimited.
• I really dug how they built the match around the German suplex, both teasing it and executing on it. Even the "missteps" towards the end when Remington tried to get a pin off a flapjack-type maneuver and then Coronado locked in his ankle pick submission added a certain sense of adrenaline, like they planned to appear like they got so caught up in the moment that they forgot the stipulation.
• Coronado took the German suplex that lost the match by folding up in a ball. After Remington released the hold, Coronado stayed in that position until Remington kicked him over to give him his fruit basket.
• Contra Code (Sliced Bread #2/shiranui/flip over reverse DDT) on the outside by Jimmy Jacobs near the beginning of the match? Okay.
• I earmarked Jacobs/Eddie Kingston as the potential match of the night and perhaps the year before the event started, but it went on second and was mostly a storyline device. It served its purpose, but I kinda hope that next year, the two get more of a stage.
• Kid Cyclone came out with a pipewrench and abruptly attacked Kingston after the match. He cut a pretty scathing promo about how Kingston the night before everyone cheered his redemption at King of Trios brought on the deaths of 3quinox and Create-a-Wrestler II. It made sense, which coupled with the post-match goings on in the main event cast a detailed portrait in shades of gray for the coming season.
• Dasher Hatfield started out the Tag Title match by using the baseball butt pat as an offensive move on Blaster McMassive. I got a good chuckle out of that.
• The Throwbacks busted out a double team Yoshi Tonic, which is a move that kinda skirts the edge of believability, but as a double team move, it actually looks really slick.
• The little things and the attention to details are what can turn good matches great. Example, at the end of the first fall, Mark Angelosetti ate the Death Blow from the Devastation Corporation. Hatfield tried to make the save, but Sidney Bakabella held him from getting involved. Hatfield of course chased him back to the entryway momentarily, but it was a sequence that was brilliant in its execution and showed how managers can still add worth to an act.
• And in a world of dumb-as-rocks wrestlers, it's good to see some intelligence. Angelosetti was still in death mode after taking the Corp's finisher, and Max Smashmaster tossed Hatfield over the top rope, constituting a tag, and then dragged Angelosetti back in the ring to set off the biggest heat segment ever.
•  Blaster McMassive, the six-foot plus dude who looks like he was carved out of granite, did a tope con hilo over the top rope onto the fray on the outside. If you're not impressed with that display of HOSS athleticism then... well, I don't know how to end this sentence without sounding like a buttface.
• DASHER HATFIELD KICKED OUT OF THE DEATH BLOW? HOLY POOP.
• The collective air let out of the arena when Bakabella grabbed Justice Jon Barber and prevented him from making the final count. Seriously, you could hear a pin drop.
• Upon further review, I like the original Death Blow better than the v 2.0 that put Angelosetti away. Still, it was a huge end to an outstanding match.
• Delirious came out in full black body paint with "Delirious Never Dies" printed in green on his back, which looked completely badass.
• Delirious and UltraMantis Black traded Praying Mantis Bombs (double underhook piledriver) early in the match, which I thought would have worked a lot better if Jacobs didn't break out his Contra Code finish so early in his match.
• Mantis ducked on a Delirious clothesline in the corner where Barber was, then Mantis followed up with the same before Delirious finally clocked Barber with a lariat. Ref bump!
• Delirious hit Mantis so hard with Mantis' own Havoc Staff that the skull headpiece flew off into the crowd. He hit the Praying Mantis Bomb again to no count until DEREK SABATO came running to the ring in a Chikara referee shirt.
• As Mantis celebrated his victory, his Spectral Envoy teammates came out to celebrate, except Delirious had the Eye of Tyr in his possession. He brainwashed Hallowicked and Frightmare, which means they'll be under the control of the Eye until Delirious passes it off and it's used on someone else. That raises a few questions. First, does this mean Nøkken isn't under Jakob Hammermeier's control anymore? Two, Mantis promised he'd never use the Eye anymore, but using it would be the best way to free 'Wicked and Frightmare from its power. Another moral gray area is added to next season's narrative.
• Soldier Ant came out for the Cibernetico with bullet wounds worked into his gear, which I get completely for his character's motif, but for an all-ages show? Then again, Chikara has dealt in the issue of "death" all season long, which is heady for kids to swallow.
• OH SNAP, Fire Ant and Soldier Ant squaring off for the first time in the ring was ruined by Jakob Hammermeier tagging in. Hammermeier is so good at being a slimy, sniveling heel that it is hard for me to hate him, even when I want to boo him.
• And the Cibernetico completely devolved into a massive brawl with big dives and mass chaos about a third of the way through. The most impressive part? Everyone remembered their spot in the batting order.
• Soldier when he finally got a chance to work in the match, he was working the early Undertaker, no-selling shtick. The Flood did something to him, but what exactly was it?
• The final four left in the match were Silver Ant, Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, and Hammermeier. Soldier stared down Silver, which prompted the former Green Ant to yell "I DON'T WANNA HURT YOU." But it almost seemed as if the old Soldier Ant wasn't there.
•  I thought Hammermeier being the one to eliminate Silver with a simple punch was a little anticlimactic because it should have come down to the ants.
• Once Hammermeier was eliminated, the fans chanted "TWO ANTS ENTER, ONE ANT LEAVES," which officially is my favorite wrestling chant of all-time.
• That chokeslam that Soldier finished Fire with was brutal, mainly because Soldier isn't really a big dude. He really had to get that goozle locked in, and the lift portion looked like it took superhuman amounts of strength. 
• Deucalion came out for the main event without any of his Bane gear, but he did have a pelt with all the masks he claimed in battle. 
• Conversely, Icarus came out with the Estonian Thunder Frog's hammer, which was a little disappointing because of how predictable it was. The way Icarus has had all the laurels laid at his feet this season has almost felt a bit John Cenaesque.
• I personally popped when Gavin Loudspeaker announced that escaping the cage was off the table. WWE has nearly ruined me on cage matches with its backwards rules on how to win.
• Both competitors really used the cage, but it was constructed with so much give and slack in the supports that more than a few people I spoke to in the crowd feared that it would fall apart.
• Jacobs came out afterward with The Flood but holding them back and saying to Deucalion "You made your bed, now die in it." It was a loaded statement, but it made me wonder whether the Flood was over as a collective or whether it would regroup with Jacobs as the big bad.
• Okay, the elephant in the room was the manner in which Icarus gave Deucalion his end. I saw the phrase "premeditated murder" thrown around, which in the context of the feud seems a bit overblown. All is fair in war, but then again, Deucalion was clearly beaten and surrendered. Is a trial by hammer fair? At worst, Icarus doled out punishment for the eight "lives" taken by Deucalion and thus is justified from an authoritarian point of view. At best, however, is that it leads to not Chikara Zombies like I had guessed, but maybe Chikara Civil War. Think about it. Kid Cyclone unmasking has loose parallels to Spider-man taking his mask off (and loose is the key word). The main thrust however, authority vs. freedom, security vs. liberty, is right there in the undercurrent, and several stables are cloven asunder right now. The stage for 2015 is already set.
• The live crowd didn't see it, but courtesy of the lovely De O'Brien, the iPPV crowd got to see the birth of a new Thunder Frog. SWEET! 
• Deucalion, at least as of a half-hour after the show ended, was still laying dead in the ring. Now that is dedication to kayfabe, brother. 

Match of the Night:Dasher Hatfield and Mark Angelosetti (c) vs. Blaster McMassive and Max Smashmaster, Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas Two out of Three Falls Match - When I first saw Blaster McMassive and Max Smashmaster at King of Trios '12, I almost cringed at how stiff and awkward they moved around in the ring, especially McMassive. They were aimed to be homages to the old, face-painted HOSSES of the '80s WWF, but unfortunately, that homage included them moving around like the average Barbarian, Warlord, or Kona Crush. Over the two years they have been an active tag team (and trio with Flex Rumblecrunch), they've improved so much to the point where they bring quality to the match. Smashmaster is perhaps the finest HOSS worker on the indies, and McMassive has evolved so well. Their match with the Throwbacks, one of the best, if not under the radar, tag teams showed that progress.

The match started a little slowly in the first fall, as each team had some miscues on timing and spots, but by the end of the first fall, they'd calmed down. Then the second fall was a masterful display in heat-mongering, right from the start when the Corp tossed out the fresh Hatfield out of the ring and dragged the just-Death-Blown Angelosetti for the most epic heat segment ever. Each time Hatfield teased a hot tag or Angelosetti a comeback, the Corp squelched it with great timing, which set up the eventual comeback, then "oh poop" moment with Hatfield taking the Death Blow, and then finally, Angelosetti swooping in with the Oklahoma roll for the second fall was masterful.

But then, the third fall was straight fire. It had finish teases and big moves and hope spots, and Blaster McMassive even took to the air with a tope con hilo worthy of Best of the Super Juniors. When the Throwbacks hit the super 3D, the arena was ready to explode, but then when Bakabella interrupted the three count, it was a gut punch, a good, artistically forceful gut punch, but one no less. Hatfield kicking out of the Death Blow offered one final gasp of hope before the Corp won the match, but even though the match didn't end with the fan favorites winning, it was eminently satisfying.

Overall Thoughts: First thing's first, it was absolutely wonderful seeing a wrestling show back at The Arena again. It looked different, as a venue of its renovations should, but it also held the same charm. And the relationship between Chikara and The Arena holds so much magic. I still maintain that the Easton Funplex is Chikara's signature arena for several reasons, but its best shows more often than not are meant to happen in the historic wrestling complex at Swanson and Ritner. Tonight's card was no exception.

Every match was solid in its own right, from the plucky underdog sprint on the pre-show with Heidi Lovelace finally taking her place in the Chikara firmament to the very end with the uneven but memorable main event where Icarus cut the figurative head off the body of The Flood. Chikara finales tend to be very hero-friendly in terms of the results, but this show had two major victories going to the rudos, setting up some huge stories for the upcoming season. Additionally, Delirious' parting shot being Eye-of-Tyring UltraMantis Black's Spectral Envoy brothers throws another major spanner in the works. It wasn't a total landslide of resolution, but the important notes were hit.

And the match quality was the best of the four major Chikara-branded shows I've been to this year. The final night of King of Trios comes closest, but both the German Suplex match and the Tag Title contest held such an epic quality. The former had whimsy, but Remington and de Coronado still broke out some heavy bombs, and the latter built to such an epic crescendo and acted as the crown jewel on the year of two guys who have worked their asses of to improve and become a stalwart tag team.

In closing, Chikara returning to The Arena fulfilled every expectation laid upon it, and wrestling is better for the combination of promotion and venue back together. I am higher than most on Chikara's resume in 2014, but as good as National Pro Wrestling Day, the official premiere, and King of Trios were, this finale felt like Chikara returned home and reclaimed its crown as the King of Indie Wrestling. Everything is right with the world again.

That's not Photoshopped.

It's not CGIed, either.

At this point, Adrian Neville should turn heel out of mere spite alone. In Full Sail forever doomed to be the Pete Campbell to Sami Zayn's Don Draper as long as everybody's favorite Syrian-Canadian is taking up a spot on the NXT roster, for the umpteenth time he did and said all the right things. The crowd didn't believe him and probably didn't want to, either, based on the surprisingly tepid reaction he got coming out followed by his contrition if not regret over the events of Fatal 4 Way and the first title match against him.

About the only actionable thing that he actually said was that Zayn was too nice, and at the time he said it, it was (probably?) true; how could he know the Presidente of the El Generico Fan Club would obliterate that statement within a Rosey and Jamal of coming out by rebuffing a handshake and ignoring the champion's repeated statements of respect before turning him into a British Charlie Murphy to his Misfits-loving Rick James? In its penultimate moments before Revolution the show ended with Zayn screaming --screaming-- at Neville that he wasn't ending a thing, and he was going to end this man he called friend and his nearly year-long title reign by taking the title. You know, the same thing that fell to the mat when he slapped Neville so hard out of nowhere it knocked him to a knee.

Neville clenched his jaw afterwards and gave a solitary nod instead of chase while his future foe got everything short of flying streamers, floats, and a high school marching band playing Words Apart in front of him. Just look at the reaction after it happens; not a single person against what Zayn did, despite the fact that from an objective standpoint it's completely indefensible for someone who's supposed to be the face and maybe The Face of Full Sail to haul off and crack someone who he's had a long-standing relationship both inside and outside of the WWE's employ like that. For longtime fans of the product, it was hard not to hear echoes of Austin in 2001 and Eddie Guerrero in general with the crowd's absolute refusal to put a black hat on somebody they liked on that echelon; as a long-time fan of NXT, you have to be fired up and enthusiastic about Zayn/Neville II headlining the last NXT Network Special of 2014 no matter how it turns out.

(And for fellow historians and occasional conspiracy theorists, Zayn sure seemed to be a perfectly upstanding gentleman before all these pesky Kevin Owens vignettes started rolling, didn't he? Oh, well, it's not like he mentioned without mentioning his history of tangling and teaming with the likes of Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Adrian Neville, and last but not least some high-flying ginger with a sudden hair trigger saved for the final mention before noting his debut was going to happen at Revolution EXCEPT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. Not that we have the benefits of spoilers, obviously, but let's just say the odds in Vegas of "someway or other the artist formerly known as Steen gets involved in the NXT Title match" have been taken off the board.)

Far from being alone in a title failing to shield him from some 11th hour antagonism, it merely kept The Man That Gravity Forgot as part of a weird championship tradition on the first NXT episode of December. The Lucha Dragons were AWOL unless you count their luchadorcito counterparts in a Vaudevillains sketch that rolled before the #1 contenders went out and dusted off Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy, and for sticking up for Bayley after Sasha Banks kicked her leg out from under her leg, Charlotte -- the winner of the evening's opening squash against somebody who had more than a passing resemblance to indy superstar Mia Yim -- found herself the victim of not only a person who's a backstabber but the move itself, with Becky Lynch providing the distraction/open target needed for Banks to lay out her former BFF and dismissively hold up the champion's title before cleaning off her boots in her direction while wearing a Shane McMahonesque variant on Ms. Flair's shirt that stated that if you're going to do it, do it Like A Boss. While the tag team title match is going to be interesting for a variety of reasons, yet again NXT is in position to deliver a high-profile and potentially show-stealing match between their ladies on offer for the Women's championship.

It'll also be interesting to see if they actually put on the slightly movable object/barely resistible force matchup that Bull Dempsey, Baron Corbin, and their continuing back-to-back dueling squashes seem predestined to collide to at Revolution or whether that can is kicked down the road for later days. Poor Bull, who trucks some poor chump in three moves and under half a minute only for Baron to make Steve Cutler wish he'd never come back to the States by End of Daysing him in a grand total of thirteen seconds. This should happen one more time just to see if they can find a way for Baron to win in under six seconds; sure, seemingly the logical way would be somebody either running at him as the bell rings and getting EODed or flying off the top rope at him as the bell rings to get picked off and EODed, but taunting the silly rules of wrestling every once in a while to get someone over as a scary monster is fun. Who would've thought a few short weeks ago what Dempsey was doing was sliding into Frank Grimes cosplay?

Almost lost in the shuffle that Revolution will bring, especially considering the fire brought in the main event interview? The fact that the Hideo Itami thread that started at Fatal 4 Way may end up wrapped around the respective necks of the Ascension once he and Finn Bálor get done with them; here, they proved to be more than in fighting shape by overcoming the makeshift team of Tyler Breeze and Tyson Kidd. Finn took the beating but also provided the big move in his trademark top rope double stomp -- behind the referee's back, no less -- to set up a Itami buzzsaw kick to finish proper. Bonus points for T-Breezie taking an MDK move like a champ, since no man can survive two finishers anyhow. The Irishman also promised something different that the Ascension have never seen before, so hopefully it's symbiotic with what he's brought to NXT in his short time there. It's not like Finn's a monster. He's just ahead of the curve.

As is NXT. Back in February when they put on Cesaro/Zayn IV, several corners including this one wondered when, if ever, the fourth installment of a quality pop culture thing had been the best of the lot--come Thursday it wouldn't surprise a single soul if their fourth Network Special was the shiniest jewel in an already studded crown.

Austin's unleashed show this week piggybacks off his McMahon conversation Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown - I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show Unleashed
Episode: 174
Run Time: 1:36:47
Guest: Kristin Austin (4:40); Ted Fowler (16:38)

Summary: Stone Cold opens up again with a chat with his wife about life at the Broken Skull Ranch. He spends the rest of the show with buddy Ted Fowler, who accompanied Austin on Monday’s trip to Tulsa to interview Vince McMahon on the WWE Network. In addition to reviewing the actual conversation, adding context live listeners might not have fully grasped, they talked about the WWE jet and Fowler’s impression of being backstage at RAW and meeting other wrestling stars. They wrapped up talking about nutrition and fitness, music, ranch wildlife and dog training. Austin’s Match of the Week is the new Bobby “The Brain” Heenan special on the WWE Network.

Quote of the week:“When I called out the dressing room on the podcast with Vince McMahon, it was just about these guys going out on a limb, pushing the envelope and taking a chance. I got a lot of damn response on my Twitter account, SteveAustinBSR, that said it’s hard for the talent to step up when they’ve got a foot on top of their head keeping ’em down. That’s bullshit. There wasn’t nobody lit a fire under my ass. And I’m not going to sit here and talk about Steve Austin all day long, but I saw that I was going to have to do something to shake up the system and turn up the volume and push the envelope because the Ringmaster was a suck-ass gimmick.”

Why you should listen: Austin does provide some useful insight on the McMahon interview, such as how or why he chose to pursue certain questions and what he thought of McMahon’s answers. I enjoyed hearing Fowler describe his encounters with various stars, but not nearly as much as Austin detailing his encounters, notably a session with Cesaro, as well as the high marks he has for young talent like Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.

Why you should skip it: If you for some reason haven’t listened to the McMahon show yet (it shows up in the podcast feed next Tuesday) you might as well wait, as the comments here will be more informative in that context. If you have listened to McMahon’s show, you might get upset with Austin for parroting some of the company line in a few instances. You can certainly skip everything past the main commercial break, because once they stop talking wrestling the only real interesting tidbit is learning how much Austin and Fowler dig Nickelback.

Final thoughts: I’m not real certain why Austin released this show ahead of the McMahon file. It probably was as simple as he wanted to get his impressions recorded before they got clouded, and perhaps he didn’t have time to do that and record a new episode for Thursday. Fortunately nothing he says is too timely, even the Punk stuff, so anyone who is waiting for Tuesday to hear McMahon can just bank this episode and listen right after finishing the Vince talk.

Seriously, she needs a better man than jealous-ass Jimmy Uso Photo Credit: WWE.com

Oh, this show. Soooooo much talking. Soooooo hard to maintain my focus. Talk about your “no wrestling for wrestling's sake,” there was hardly any wrestling at all.

May the Odds Be Ever in Their Favour – Luke Harper and Dolph Ziggler
I missed the opening of the show and part of the opening Intercontinental title match between Luke Harper and Dolph Ziggler because I hadn't got back yet from seeing Mockingjay Part 1. What I did see of the match was perfectly entertaining, though I'm heartily sick of DQ finishes in order to set up a PPV match. Nothing wrong with the concept, but they do it ALL THE TIME now. Anyway, in lieu of any friendship commentary on this match due to my tardiness, here is my review of Mockingjay: Could have used more Johanna Mason. Then again,that's pretty much my review of everything ever. This episode of Smackdown? Could have used a fuck-ton more Johanna Mason.

Best Friends – The Authority Remnants
I'm not really sure what the deal is with Seth Rollins and Kane now that Triple H and Stephanie are not calling the shots anymore, but at least villainous friendship is still finding a way to prevail. Rollins, Kane, Jamie Noble, and Joey Mercury all continued to show a united front. Rollins made my night by declaring that he hates Christmas (SO EVIL). He also tossed off some pretty groan-worthy and not particularly interesting rhetoric re. John Cena, but made up for it by continuing to cackle at his own jokes (SO EVIL). Noble and Mercury's sycophantic clapping and nodding along in the background also continued to warm my heart. Rollins and Kane also attempted to solidify Big Show's entrance into their friendship club, to which Show reminded them that they're all terrible people and they could therefore count on him. So touching. And then during Rollins and Show's match against Ryback and Erick Rowan, Kane was thrown out for being too good a friend. At least, I'm pretty sure that's why he was thrown out. I had definitely lost interest by that point.

Should Be Friends – Tyson Kidd and Cesaro
Tyson Kidd and Cesaro made a surprisingly effective team against the New Day's Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. They still lost, but they were fun to watch. I wouldn't mind seeing them interact more.

Doesn't Deserve a Friend – Jimmy Uso
Holy shit, Jimmy Uso is the actual worst. In response to the apparently vast breach of propriety in offering to help Naomi further her career, the Miz sent her roses as an apology. Upon discovering this, Jimmy Uso acted like a reasonable adult and, without a single word to his wife, hurled the roses to floor and then stormed off.

I hate this plot. I hate it so much. Or, rather, I hate that I am supposed to sympathize with the possessive, jealous asshole. Is this seriously what the WWE writers think a devoted husband acts like? Miz hasn't done anything wrong! I mean, yeah, he's a smarmy douchebag, but he didn't harass Naomi outside of their one interaction and then apologized for bothering her. Does Jimmy Uso get this way any time ANYONE talks to his wife or mentions that she's hot? I'm surprised he doesn't spend all his time trying to scrub out the multiple photo galleries on the WWE website devoted to how hot she is.

Cole tried to spin the fact that Miz only took notice of Naomi once the Usos became number one contenders for the Tag Team titles, and this is a way to get under his opponents' skin. But if that's the case, shouldn't Uso be a wee bit smarter than this? Shouldn't he be able to realize that Miz is just trying to bother him and then NOT LET IT BOTHER HIM? And speaking of Michael fucking Cole, he also spent the entirety of Jey Uso's match against the Miz solemnly declaring that a man can't send another man's wife flowers and trying to goad JBL into admitting that if someone gave his wife flowers he would “beat the hell out of them.” Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck yooooooooooou.  

Deserves a Friend – Naomi
The mortally insulted (apparently) wife of Jimmy Uso herself had a match against Brie Bella and I just feel so desperately sorry for Naomi right now. What is she getting out of any of this at all? Her husband didn't speak to her at all before deciding to be offended on her behalf, and when he trashed her flowers all she could offer in response was a feeble protestation of, “Why'd you do that?” Her brother-in-law had a match to “defend her honour” (ewwwwwww) and she was nowhere to be found, with no word on how she feels about any of this. Then she had a match of her own and the focus was entirely shifted to the Bellas and AJ Lee. Naomi won, but only after Lee attacked Nikki Bella for attempting to interfere. And while Naomi's music played, the camera just kept panning from Lee to the Bellas and back again. No Naomi anywhere. Look, I know that the Bellas vs. AJ Lee is the top women's story right now. I know that primary focus is going to be on that. But it's fucking frustrating to see Naomi used as a passive prop to further stories that she should be more active in.

Is Ambrose the Wrestler of the Year? Photo Credit: WWE.com

Welcome to the nominations announcement for this year's Bloggie Awards, the only awards sanctioned and presented by The Wrestling Blog. In years past, I announced the nominations via slow release over several days. This year, thanks to assorted factors, you will get the nominees all in one shot. The winners will be announced on December 31. The award nominees and winners are chosen by me, and they are a reflection more of the critical side of wrestling rather than things like drawing power or ratings. Without further ado, let us begin with the announcements.

Wrestler of the Year - This is the award for the wrestler who excelled highest critically inside and out of the ring.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Chris Jericho
2010 – The Miz
2011 – CM Punk
2012 – Daniel Bryan
2013 – The Shield

And the nominees are…

Bayley - Being a true babyface is hard work in a WWE-owned property, but Bayley had it down to a tee. In addition to stellar wrestling and a hot feud against Sasha Banks, she helped prove that the focus of a women's division in the mainstream can be independent of the superficial.

Dean Ambrose - Whether as The Shield's lunatic fringe or his own special kind of solo madman, Ambrose held crowds rapt and elevated bad writing into compelling television. He brought a return to organic unpredictability, and every match he was in benefitted from his presence.

Eddie Kingston - Kingston's work in local indies such as AAW and AIW helped bring him here, but his run in Chikara in 2014 is the main reason he's up for this award. The company's main storyline wouldn't have worked without him as nexus through which all the action ran.

Rusev - A bona fide midcard attraction is almost as hard to find in WWE as a true babyface, but Rusev electrified the sub-main event scene. One could argue he's been the hottest thing in WWE this year through a combination of an oddly supportable mission and excellent HOSS FIGHTING in the ring.

Sami Zayn - NXT's main narrative and Sami Zayn were inexorably linked in 2014, and in fact, his year this year is what John Cena's between-Manias-XXVIII-and-XXIX should have been. He was engaging on promos, and his matches have been must-see without exception.

Ricky Steamboat Award - Named for one of the most universally respected and beloved professional wrestlers of all-time, this award is for the wrestler who excelled the most between the ropes during matches to tell stories and build characters through the physical art of professional wrestling.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Christian
2010 – Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson
2011 – Dolph Ziggler
2012 – ACH
2013 – Daniel Bryan

And the nominees are...

Dean Ambrose - Despite most of his singles matches having unsatisfactory endings (nothing that's his fault), Ambrose delivered in the ring whether as part of a team or on his own. His combination of unpredictability, intensity, and situational whimsy helped craft his resume in the squared circle.

Kimber Lee - No matter where she was booked, Lee proved she was one of, if not THE best worker on the card. Her versatility has been unmatched, and every opponent who went into the ring with her came out looking better for it.

Sami Zayn - NXT without Zayn would be okay, but the fact that one could see him take on any given opponent on any given episode has made the weekly serial worth the Network subscription fee. Whether against Cesaro, Tyler Breeze, or any opponent in between, Zayn turned in masterpieces all year long.

Sasha Banks - Wrestlers who make it look easy aren't too uncommon unless they're women working under a WWE banner. Even if Banks can't change the main roster right away, her work in NXT has been arguably better than any one individual's except possibly Zayn.

Sheamus - While his character work in 2014 more often than not sucked, Sheamus never failed to bring the heat in the ring. His matches against a variety of opponents helped salvage a subpar week-to-week year in WWE.

Talker of the Year - For the wrestler who showed the most prowess at inciting a crowd, building a story, or entertaining the audience via the spoken word

Prior Winners:
2009 – CM Punk
2010 – The Miz
2011 – CM Punk
2012 – Damien Sandow
2013 – Zeb Colter

And the nominees are...

Bray Wyatt - While his material often bordered on the esoteric, his overall message and cadence helped hold crowds' attentions and make for compelling feuds even when the booking had failed him.

Enzo Amore - His manic delivery and crazy-eyed charisma made his entrance of all things must watch. His rapport with Big Cass is even more fascinating to watch. Amore has the gift of gab that nearly everyone else in the company wishes they had.

Lana - Cheap heat never sounded so good. In the hands of a lesser orator, the Putin-based rabble-rousing might not have gotten as over, but Lana is as much responsible for Rusev's rise as he himself is.

Sami Zayn - Amazing for a guy whose grasp of English didn't come around until recently, Zayn not only gets the point across, he does so with fire and conviction. His mic work is a huge reason why he's developmental's most valuable player and a bona fide future WrestleMania main event player.

Stephanie McMahon - McMahon has perfected the passive-aggressive "mom" character to the point where she was carrying the main heel faction for most of the year. When McMahon spoke, everyone listened whether they wanted to laud her for her truth or boo her for her corporate representation.

Independent Wrestler of the Year - For the wrestler who excelled the most outside the confines of the corporate environment, thus promoting the critical and artistic growth of wrestling

Prior Winners:
2009 – Austin Aries
2010 – Claudio Castagnoli
2011 – Sara del Rey
2012 – Rachel Summerlyn
2013 – Chuck Taylor

And the nominees are...

Biff Busick - Despite spending a good chunk of the year out with a knee injury, Busick remained a huge reason for anyone to head to Fete Music for a Beyond Wrestling show. His billing as perhaps the "next Bryan Danielson" is legit.

Candice LeRae - LeRae did the nigh-impossible; she made Joey Ryan relevant again. No matter where she went, she energized the card and continued to prove that women rule the roost on the indies.

Eddie Kingston - Kingston was not only the creative force behind Chikara's rebirth, but he was a stalwart in indie promotions from the Delaware Valley all the way across the Midwest.

Nicole Matthews - Matthews' SHIMMER run in the fall is a huge reason for her inclusion here, but she also brought so many eyes to the Canadian Pacific Northwest, showing amazing versatility and fire (pun kinda intended here).

Ricochet - He continues to defy gravity and expectation. He's a huge reason why anyone should watch DGUSA/EVOLVE, and his runs in PWG and Lucha Underground continue to cement his standing as a must-see wrestler.

Tag Team of the Year - For the tandem that in addition to displaying optimal entertainment value and wrestling prowess on their own, also displayed the best teamwork and cohesion as a unit both in and out of the ring.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Chris Jericho and the Big Show
2010 – The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
2011 – The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
2012 – The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Stupefied)
2013 – The Young Bucks

And the nominees are…

Goldust and Stardust/Cody Rhodes - Their first big run ended abruptly, but then Rhodes reinvented himself as Stardust and arguably upped the creative ante on their residence as a team. Their in-ring chemistry has done nothing but improve over the year.

reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) - The Ring of Honor tag scene would be poorer without their inclusion. The ring work has been a given, but Fish has brought out an edge in O'Reilly that none of his partners could have.

The Usos (Jey and Jimmy) - No team in WWE was more ubiquitous than the Usos in 2014, and while their characters wore thin towards the end of the year (especially in this odious jealous husband thing Jimmy has going with Naomi), their in-ring work has been consistently excellent.

The World's Cutest Tag Team (Candice LeRae and Joey Ryan) - Again, everywhere they go, they elevate the show. Whether in blood matches in PWG or fun exhibitions across the Midwest, the Joey and Candice Show

The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) - Honestly, the Bucks will continue to have a nomination for as long as they remain active. No one does more to advance tag team wrestling in the States than these two.

Manager of the Year - For the character who did the best to enhance another wrestler's status and artistic value without actually being a full-time wrestler.

Prior Winners:
2012 – Veronica Ticklefeather
2013 – Chris Trew

And the nominees are…

Chris Trew - He cuts the same promo every time out, and yet he continues to make it sound compelling and interesting. His willingness to get involved in the action is not only beneficiary to his charges, but more often than a super-entertaining addition to any contest.

JT LaMotta - A relative newbie to the managerial scene, LaMotta is able to add cache to his charges and get physical in any match. He's a solid addition to the Inspire Pro tapestry.

Lana - Again, without Lana, would Rusev be as effective? She's integral to the act, and she knows how to play crowds like a  yo-yo.

Sidney Bakabella - They don't call him the "King of Manager" for nothing. His loving homage to the old school, chickenshit bad guy manager is powerful, essential, and whimsical at the same time.

Veda Scott - She was just about as integral to The New Streak as the actual streak was. Her final turning on RD Evans at Final Battle was about as much of a dagger as any turn could be, which is the mark of how essential she was in her role.

Group of the Year - For the group, stable, or cadre of wrestlers who best exemplified teamwork, continuity, and entertainment value.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Team FIST (Chuck Taylor, Gran Akuma, Icarus)
2010 – Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, Tursas, Sara del Rey, Daizee Haze, Tim Donst, Jakob Hammermeier, Lince Dorado, Pinkie Sanchez, Dieter von Stiegerwalt)
2011 – Not Given
2012 – The Submission Squad (Davey Vega, Evan Gelistico, Gary Jay, Pierre Abernathy)
2013 – The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins)

And the nominees are…

The Carter Administration (Dixie Carter, Ethan Carter III, Rhyno, Rockstar Spud) - This group was perhaps the most compelling reason to tune into Impact every week. Carter and Spud have been doing yeoman's work trying to elevate the action with their performances.

The New Movement (Cherry Ramone, Chris Trew, Delilah Doom, Keith Lee) - Trew's group exemplified diversity and versatility in all forms. Whether good for comic relief, crushing domination, or prolonged matches, the Movement has been an essential part of Inspire Pro through its history.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins) - Despite breaking up in June, WWE's best stable ever still made a huge indent on the year. Their series' of matches with the Wyatt Family and Evolution continued WWE's in-ring hot streak. I'm still sore that they broke up.

Sidney Bakabella's Wrecking Crew (Blaster McMassive, Flex Rumblecrunch, Jaka, Max Smashmaster, Oleg the Usurper, Sidney Bakabella) - The Flood as a whole would have been listless without Bakabella's collection of throwback hoss-types. Each member of the group is so good at what they do that they make you forget how well-protected they've been.

The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, Luke Harper) - This group was a victim of bad booking, but even though the Cena, Usos, and Jericho feuds submarined the group in terms of momentum, one can't argue that the three men comprising it didn't hold up their ends of each bargain.

HOSS of the Year - For the wrestler who exemplified the essence of HOSS with nobility, pride, and massive feats of strength.

This is the first year the award will be given out. And the nominees are…

Keith Lee - Lee looks like a block of granite come to life, and he can move with the dexterity. Inspire Pro was under constant threat of SMASH SMASH SMASH once he came to town.

Luke Harper - Harper's weird eyes and sweat-stained muscleman T-shirt make him the most distinctively weird HOSS of the group.

Max Smashmaster - In a trio of exceptionally HOSSY HOSSES, Smashmaster has stood out for knowing how to throw his weight around in a literal sense.

Rusev - Pусев удря! Русев мачка!

Sheamus - Sheamus is old reliable. You know what you're getting with him, but what you do get is hossy as fuck.

The New to Me Award - For the best rookie or heretofore new wrestler to major promotions known to me in the last year or so.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Sheamus
2010 – Wade Barrett
2011 – Mia Yim
2012 – Mark Angel/Angelosetti
2013 – The Estonian Thunder Frog

And the nominees are…

Charlotte - Charlotte may have been lurking around NXT in 2013, but she didn't come of age really until 2014, where she hit the ground running as Women's Champion. She's gone from "the girl-version of David Flair" to a legitimate anchor for the women's division in WWE in short time.

Danny Cannon - Cannon may have spent a lot of the year on the sidelines thanks to injury or airport snafus, but man, he was an exciting ball of energy. The weekend he broke out in Beyond Wrestling was so surreal for how much buzz he created, and the hype was justified.

Deucalion - Of course, those who saw the Chikara finale know he was only bound as a single-use character, but as far as symbols of destruction go, he was pretty effective at his job.

Paige Turner - Turner is one of the most unique wrestling characters to burst onto the scene in a long time. A wrestling librarian who gets people to chant "shhhh" has to get some recognition, right?

"Smooth Sailing" Ashley Remington - Yeah, Dalton Castle has been around for awhile, but the Remington character is new enough that I want to recognize it on its own. It's such a unique take on a wrestling persona, and Castle puts EVERYTHING he has into it.

Comedian of the Year - For the wrestler/act that has done their best to make people laugh and master the art of wrestling comedy.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Santino Marella
2010 – Santino Marella
2011 – Colt Cabana
2012 – 3.0
2013 – Los Ice Creams

And the nominees are…

Damien Sandow - I considered giving Sandow a nod for Wrestler of the Year based off how he's consistently elevating his cosplayer shtick. The work he's doing as Miz's stunt double is nothing short of amazing.

Hornswoggle - Hornswoggle gets a lot of shit, but this year, he made the most of his limited appearances and actually got great laughs out of me, especially during the WeeLC feud.

Los Ice Creams - Los Ice Creams remain the most consistently delivering funny act on the indies and in all of wrestling. Honestly, any team that deigns to use sprinkles or jimmies (sup, Philly) in place of thumbtacks gets my eternal love.

Prakash Sabar - The X-Pac "tribute" had danger of wearing thin after the first time, but Sabar is so dedicated to it, especially with the tongue hanging off his mask and the mannerisms in the ring.

The Submission Squad - Whether as dastardly villains with a comedic flair or as all-out slapstick costumes, the Squad never fails to get a rise out of any crowd it works in front of.

Feud of the Year - For the rivalry between two or more wrestlers or groups of wrestlers that best exemplified storytelling or match quality

Prior Winners:
2009 – CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy
2010 – Kevin Steen (and Steve Corino) vs. El Generico (and Colt Cabana)
2011 – CM Punk vs. John Cena
2012 – Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
2013 – Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn

And the nominees are…

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks - Every match they had built upon the previous one inside the ring. Outside of it, they played up their clash of personalities so well. They could be the Ambrose and Rollins of WWE women for years to come.

Chikara vs. The Flood - This feud had a chance to be overwrought and spiral out of control, but it was kept in check thanks to solid writing and great performances from several key members, including Eddie Kingston, Jimmy Jacobs, and Archibald Peck.

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins - Speaking of Ambrose and Rollins, even when the writing betrayed them, the two combined for memorable segments and matches for a good chunk of the lean months of WWE programming.

Evolution vs. The Shield - The matches were terrific, and it re-energized Triple H and Batista as viable evil characters, even if just for a short while.

The World's Cutest Tag Team vs. The Young Bucks - The Bucks went all out putting LeRae especially over here, and performances were great all around.

Announcer of the Year - For the announcer who best was able to convey the action in the ring with clarity, charm, and bemusement

Prior Winners:
2009 – Matt Striker
2010 – Bryce Remsburg
2011 – Excalibur
2012 – Bryce Remsburg
2013 – Excalibur

And the nominees are…

Bryce Remsburg - Remsburg remains old reliable behind the Chikara announce desk, no matter with whom he is paired.

Eamon Paton - Paton is super new and relatively young, which makes his mastery of the play-by-play seat for Inspire Pro all the more astounding.

Excalibur - Another ol' faithful entry, Excalibur continues to provide entertaining and informative commentary for PWG.

Portia Perez - Perez remains a refreshing voice behind the microphone both in SHIMMER and during her handful of matches for Inspire. She brings the opposite point of view from the norm without it being forced.

Rich Brennan - Brennan has been the glue that has held the NXT announce team together since William Regal went off to be the commissioner. He even is able to tame Alex Riley's douche.

Moment of the Year - This award is for the point on a show that provided emotional impact, memorability, and contribution of overall quality to the show.

Prior Winners:
2009 – Jeff Hardy gives CM Punk a Swanton Bomb from the top of a ladder in the ring to the announce table
2010 – The Nexus debuts
2011 – CM Punk exits Chicago with the WWE Championship held hostage
2012 – Matthew Palmer leaps from the balcony at the Mohawk and takes Rachel Summerlyn with him
2013 – Mark Henry suckers John Cena into believing he'd retire and attacks him

And the nominees are…

Chikara is reborn at National Pro Wrestling Day as the promotion's faithful, led by the Submission Squad and Icarus, beat back The Flood - I was trembling with tears in my eyes as the run of awful, terrible events in the Chikaraverse were finally paid off in cathartic glory.

Deucalion "kills" Kobald with his chokebreaker at You Only Live Twice - The endgame of The Flood became deadly real, squelching the good feelings brought upon by Icarus winning the Grand Championship. It was poignant, but it also provided a good grounding point for the story going forward.

Nicole Matthews looses a fireball into Madison Eagles' face at the end of the four-way elimination match for the SHIMMER World Championship at Vol. 68 - Matthews going FULL MEMPHIS in her bid to win the World Title was not only a shock felt around the wrestling world; it legitimized her as the ultimate trickster badass in all the land.

Seth Rollins leaps from a mezzanine concourse onto Randy Orton and Triple H at Extreme Rules - WWE has overdone big spots so much in the last few years that it was surprising how organically jaw-dropping Rollins' big dive was here. It set the tone for the feud that no matter how many times The Shield would beat Evolution, they'd have to pull out crazy stunts like that to get the job done.

The Yes Movement invades the ring live on RAW, forcing Triple H to give Daniel Bryan his opportunity at WrestleMania - This moment was the most important in Daniel Bryan's career, and oddly enough, it showed when wrestling could be at its most liberal. I mean, could any conservative-leaning person justify painting the Occupy movement as the good guys like WWE did when Bryan's fans all rushed the ring?

Promotion of the Year - For the company who best furthered the creative, critical, and/or qualitative boundaries of professional wrestling in the calendar year.

Prior Winners:
2009 – ECW (WWE)
2010 – Chikara
2011 – Chikara
2012 – Anarchy Championship Wrestling
2013 – Beyond Wrestling

And the nominees are…

Beyond Wrestling - Beyond continued its momentum from last year, and despite having two major shows cancelled for reasons out of their control, they rebounded to deliver yet another Tournament for Tomorrow that rocked the wrestling world.

Chikara - The rebirth was legitimately one of the top two or three wrestling moments in my life, and the follow-up from You Only Live Twice through the finale was masterful.

Inspire Pro Wrestling - The new kids on the scene in Austin found their niche in 2014. The unique cast of characters along with the pastiche of power guests have made it a must-follow.

SHIMMER Women Athletes - A raucous set of fall tapings sealed SHIMMER's spot here. Not only did the promotion deliver in the ring, but it actually supplemented it up with some powerful shock moments and bold booking.

WWE NXT - How the main product can be so dreadful when NXT is consistently the best weekly show on television is baffling. The show has tremendous world-building and consistently solid wrestling each week.

WINNAH Photo Credit: Erik Dixon

Welcome to a feature I like to call "Best in the World" rankings. They're not traditional power rankings per se, but they're rankings to see who is really the best in the world, a term bandied about like it's bottled water or something else really common. They're rankings decided by me, and don't you dare call them arbitrary lest I smack the taste out of your mouth. Without further ado, here's this week's list:

1. Heidi Lovelace (Last Week: 3) - She did what everyone thought she could do and won the Young Lions Cup by not only defeating Missile (!) Assault (!) Ant (!), but overcoming interference from the other two pests outside the ring. She has to hope that her first defense is against Worker Ant or one of the other C:XF goons or else all her ant-training will have been for just one match.

2. Sasha Banks (Last Week: 2) - It looked as if she was wearing Charlotte's "Do it with Flair" shirt as psychological warfare until it was discovered that she had the "with Flair" covered up with "like a BOSS." ONE OF US! ONE OF US!

3. Grumpy Cat (Last Week: 4) - Did you know Grumpy Cat is worth over $100M? To quote modern day scribe Mark Henry, "That cat rich as hell."

4. Bayley (Last Week: 8) - One could say she showed more guts than brains coming out to step to Banks with a brace on her knee, but isn't the heart of a Champion what everyone wants? Bayley's a warrior, man, a warrior!

5. Meatballs (Last Week: Not Ranked)OFFICIAL HOLZERMAN HUNGERS SPONSORED ENTRY - Not many things in this world are better than homemade meatballs with a pot of gravy and some pasta. Oh man, oh man, oh man, and they're even good leftover or cold.

6. "Smooth Sailing" Ashley Remington (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Remington is REVOLUTIONIZING wrestling with sportsmanship and fruit baskets. Between him and Jervis Cottonbelly spreading Gentlemania, maybe wrestling will become a nicer, more sporting place after all.

7. Kimber Lee (Last Week: Not Ranked) - I have nothing to back this up, but she went to the Eagles/Seahawks game to cheer on her beloved hometown visitors, and the home team got thumped. Coincidence? Well, if they rematch in the playoffs, let's all make sure she's not there to ruin the Eagles getting their revenge, okay?

8. Fletcher Cox (Last Week: 6) - Speaking of the Eagles game, sure, the team got thumped, but Cox still played out of his mind. One of these days, he's going to go so hard that he'll rip a quarterback in half and end up doing 20 to life at Riker's Island. But it'll be worth if that QB is Tim Tebow... hahaha sike, Tim Tebow is never playing another down in the NFL again, and for all his sanctimony, he actually did something really cool by paying off folks' Christmas presents on layaway. Respect.

9. KJ McDaniels (Last Week: Not Ranked) - THE SIXERS WON! THE SIXERS WON! I REPEAT THE SIXERS FINALLY WON A GAME, AND THEN THEY WON ANOTHER GAME AFTER THAT WHICH I AM ATTRIBUTING TO MCDANIELS' PLAY AND TO NERLENS NOEL'S HIGH TOP FADE. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

10. Sara del Rey (Last Week: 10) - SARA DEL REY FACT: She unsuccessfully petitioned to get onto Team Flood at Chikara just so she could have smacked Jakob Hammermeier upside his head one more time, for old time's sake.

Superstar of the Year? Hardly, but that's not the issue Photo Credit: WWE.com

First off, a hearty "lol" to anyone who thought the Slammy Awards weren't going to be worked from the start. WWE combines all the carny aspects with an obsessive, corporate impulse to want everything under its control, so if anyone thought the app vote wasn't just an elaborate dog and pony show, well, I have beachfront property on planet Mercury for sale. It's not the worked nature of the awards that I have an issue with, however. Even when WWE puts something to a vote, I expect the result to have already been planned ahead minutes in advance (remember, this is WWE and Vince McMahon I'm talking about).

The nature of how the awards were worked, however, is what bothers me. Roman Reigns won Superstar of the Year despite being the least over of any nominee, even Bray Wyatt. He's also the guy whom Vince McMahon put over as being ambitious the week before, and who's due to return for the stretch run into the Royal Rumble. Chris Jericho won for Most Extreme Moment, and lo and behold, he's set to host RAW next week. Sting's WWE debut and the Survivor Series main event won awards because they're the most recent things to have happened. Basically, WWE worked the awards to reinforce what seems to be a party line that holds its audience in contempt, that it can't remember what happened more than a few weeks ago.

Sometimes, the stories bear out with long continuity. Those occurrences are chestnuts, and usually, they involve situations from years ago. But usually, whatever happens in that moment is the best thing ever. Whoever is the top authority figure is the worst person ever to be in charge. The main superstar is among the best ever, and so forth. The problem with that narrative motor is that most fans aren't that dumb. Even the casual fans have memories longer than goldfish. Some people may not care, but when crafting a show that rewards paying attention or is the equivalent of Where's My Pants? from The Lego Movie, you should probably want to do the former every time.

It's hard to take any lessons from WWE in its "I don't give a flying shit" mode between Survivor Series and the New Year, but a wrestling organization doesn't need to be high-concept in order to reward those for paying attention. It's okay to say that a match that happened at WrestleMania was the best of the year, even if only one of its competitors is due back any day now. Stop cultivating an audience of dumbasses, and maybe you'll get crowd reactions that don't befit the stereotype.

Hey, the Slammy Awards were last night, this fits somewhat Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 227
Run Time: 1:26:43
Guest: CM Punk

Summary: Punk is back on the show to debrief the Thanksgiving day epic in which he and Colt detailed the end of Punk’s WWE career. They rehash some of the same talking points from last week, but also get into some new territory, such as his future endeavors and whether he wants to be known as Phil Brooks or CM Punk. There is a bit of a response to Vince McMahon’s appearance on the Steve Austin Show and general breakdown of a lot of the more common feedback from Episode 226.

Quote of the week:“Hey, ladies and gentlemen, if you were ever a fan of mine, if you ever wanted to see me wrestle on television or live in person, or you purchased a shirt or texting gloves or any other number of ridiculous merch items, hey, I thank you and I appreciate it. I had to wait this long to tell the story for legal reasons, and it got out as soon as it could. If I’ve offended you, hey, sorry, there’s a chance you might need to lighten up. But there’s a chance I meant to offend you. I don’t really know. I don’t know where I’m going with that. I just want to say if you support me, that’s awesome, thank you. If you don’t like me, don’t follow me on Twitter. If you don’t like KISS, don’t buy their albums. You know what I mean? Find something that you love to do and do it. Don’t worry about what everybody else is doing unless they’re trying to murder or rape you.”

Why you should listen: This is a worthy successor to part one, and unlike most two-part podcasts that are really just long sessions broken into multiple episodes, there is the benefit of the time between the two shows with both men reacting to the reaction the initial interview provoked. Personally I found Punk much more clear this time around about his quest for closure. That’s not the tone of the entire session, and he’ll always sounds somewhat like a guy with an ax to grind, but taking him at his word, this talk was an important part of the process and it’s simply interesting to hear about his evolution since walking out in Cleveland, most notably navigating the complicated waters of being married to someone still fervently dedicated to the profession and workplace that pushed him to the brink.

Why you should skip it: Here is what this episode isn’t: First and foremost, it is not, as promised, a question-and-answer show going over all the emails the first episode prompted (apparently because a lot of folks missed the point of the questions the guys hoped to address). Second, it is not a full-on rebuttal to McMahon’s comments Monday night, though Punk does make some remarks in that direction. Beyond that, both AOW shows and the McMahon hit are just an awful lot of audio and fatigue is to be expected. If you’d rather read excerpts, you’ll probably get the gist — especially if you’re familiar with the tone of the first interview.

Final thoughts: My favorite part of this episode actually was Cabana explaining something people questioned regarding the first show — why didn’t he ask more questions? The answer is because he knew the story because he lived it, not vicariously through Punk but almost side-by-side as one of his closest confidantes. Passing no judgment on anything Punk has said on these two episodes or how he said it, I do respect both of them for choosing this venue for the message. As Cabana said, it was a safe place for Punk, free of ulterior motives, and certainly this process will affect Cabana’s relationship with WWE as well. Wrestlers need to talk about this stuff with each other because it’s a unique business, only other wrestlers truly understand the dynamic.

Would Punk have talked this candidly if he didn’t have a trusted friend with a platform? I highly doubt he would. And whether or not you agree with anything he says, whether you think his words are 100 percent slanted by his own ulterior motives, I think fans are better served with his side of the story finally on the table so we all can begin to move forward.

All that said, no one is forced to listen to any of this stuff, so if you plan to just take a huge pass and wait for Episode 228 and get life back to normal, well, that’s all good, too.

Sorry, I am not a Paul Heyman guy Photo Credit: WWE.com

I'm going to do things a little differently this year for the Sorting Bins. First, I'm lopping off the top category. No matter how great I think a wrestler or performer is, that top category made it seem like I thought they were infallible. As Daniel Bryan's whiny, misogynist promos proved, even the best can grate. Second, I'm going to do two categories per day rather than spread each one out into its own post. It's probably better that way. So, without further ado...

The first category is "Unequivocal Hatred". Placement in this bin doesn't mean I hate the person, because that would be fucking stupid. However, it means I hate the on-screen personality to the point where I'd rather eat hot coals while getting a pedicure from a housecat than watch the following in a wrestling capacity.

Paul Heyman - Paul Heyman, technically speaking, is one of the greatest promos of all time. He can gab. Oh boy, can he gab. Because of his prowess on the microphone, he's been lauded as one of the greatest managers of all-time, which is funny, because he was placed with a dude after WrestleMania who just won the Andre the Giant Battle Royale and could have used a nice shine on his way up the card. Of course, instead of putting over his newest Paul Heyman Guy, Cesaro, he continued to gab about Brock Lesnar. Meanwhile, Cesaro lost his footing on the show and is currently stuck in "Vince McMahon doesn't get me" limbo. I was already predisposed to disliking Heyman in the first place because his negligent or possibly criminal handling of ECW's books robbed me of my then-favorite promotion. But I had to watch him not only submarine one of my favorite wrestlers to build up a guy who was only showing up a handful of times a year and was already guaranteed to be over as fuck, but I had to watch that other guy he was promoting show he didn't fucking need Paul Heyman at all.

Seriously, those Lesnar vignettes where he was talking about leaving John Cena in a pile of his own blood and piss were great. The consensus on Lesnar is that he's not good on the mic because he doesn't go up there like The Rock or Arn Anderson or [insert great wrestling orator here] and cut a classic wrestling promo. Not everyone needs to be a classic wrestling hype man to be an entertaining listen. Lesnar's hayseed demeanor and upper Midwest accent are perfect for what he's trying to bring across. He didn't need Heyman before, and he doesn't need Heyman now. Meanwhile, CM Punk even recently admitted that he didn't want to go heel, which means his run with Heyman was unwanted, and as many will point out, actually hurt him in the long run too.

It's getting to the point where I want to change the channel whenever he comes on. It's the same, smarmy "my client" spiel where he says nothing new from back when he first managed the guy in 2002, and the extra-added insult is seeing everyone gush over it like he's the best thing since sliced bread. I don't begrudge anyone for liking Heyman; the point of these lists aren't to say you're stupid for liking anyone on them or for disliking them or whatever. It's just that I can't take his dumb face anymore.

DJ Hyde - I know he set the stipulation up so he himself could be humiliated, but that "if Jessicka Havok loses, she has to blow me" match stake is pretty much over the fucking line, even for CZW.

Karl Anderson - I have to admit something. I've never seen Anderson wrestle, and for all I know, he could be pretty good. Every time I see him though, he makes these super-punchable faces, and it annoys the heck out of me. Hey, this list isn't exactly scientific, you know.

Jack Swagger - Part of my reasoning for disliking Swagger is admittedly not his fault. Dumb, nationalistic fans were going to react to him anyway, and WWE turning him full face was the company's call, not his. But the way he plays that role is not unlike the brutish, high school jock who years later shares shit on Facebook from accounts called "The Angry Conservative" or "Is Barack Obama the Antichrist?" Plus, he continued his streak of taking out better wrestlers than he because of a possible reckless disregard for safety. WWE should have tossed him after the DUI last year and replaced him with Derrick Bateman.

Triple H - I know, I know. Triple H has been somewhat good this year, and I admit that I've enjoyed him on screen more than not. But I have a gimmick to maintain, and the old wounds are really deep, especially when I watch The WWE Network...

And the Rest... - Al Snow, Alex Riley, Bill DeMott, Bull Dempsey, The Bunny, Chavo Guerrero, Corey Graves, Darin Childs, Davey Richards, Dixie Carter, Ethan Page, Jeff Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Joe Koff, Ken Anderson, Kevin Kelly, Kevin Nash, Lance Storm, Matt Striker, Michael Cole, Mike Tenay, Mojo Rawley, Rob van Dam, Silas Young, Taz, TJ Perkins

The next category is the "Begrudging Toleration" bin, which contains all the wrestlers I don't really actively root for, but that I don't necessarily have a problem with. They're just there with flashes of good performance.

John Cena - Honestly, I've grown to like John Cena a lot less over the years. It bugs me that he leeches cheers by using the names of guys like Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, but in the same breath, he agrees with Vince McMahon when he says those guys aren't reaching hard enough for brass rings. I don't want to lay WWE Creative's faults at his door either, but if anyone in the company has some autonomy, don't you think it's Cena at this point? If so, why didn't he sit down and have some input on how to make the Bray Wyatt feud come off better? My guess is because he either agreed with it, didn't want any input, or did have input and that's what he came up with.

3.0 - Funny how someone being crappy on social media can taint a person's view of their in-ring work.

Brie Bella - She's improved a lot, sure, but while the writing didn't do her any favors in her feuds with Stephanie McMahon and her sister Nikki, well, she didn't really put as much behind her work either.

Michael Elgin - I would put Elgin in the bottom list except his Twitter account has been high comedy, even if unintentional. The outside chance exists that he could be doing an elaborate, Andy Kaufman-esque rib on everyone, which would be the greatest thing in the history of mankind. But that still doesn't make me want to watch him wrestle, though.

Tyson Kidd - I just don't get him. I never got the "irony" after the first couple of appearances where he redebuted in NXT and was just godawful. I even think he's regressed in the ring since he was on pre-developmental NXT and feuding with Michael McGillicutty. His one saving grace is his run as Natalya's manager on RAW while wearing the headphones and hoodie.

Colt Cabana - He's still the godfather of wrestler podcasts, and he can be entertaining in the ring, but it feels like every time he's in the news, he's doing something shitty or having a shitty opinion.

Doc Gallows - I thought the Bullet Club was supposed to be for cool dudes?

Sammy Guevara - The burning bridges thing doesn't bother me as much as the fact that this dude can go but chooses to whittle the places that are willing to take him because he has a loud mouth. I know I'm dangerously close to disliking him because he's not afraid to speak out against promoters, but at what point do you say that the front office might not be the problem in this case?

Chris Jericho - Okay, so Chris Jericho is still my favorite wrestler of all-time. This is not a lifetime achievement list, however, and his comebacks in 2014 have been uninspired to say the least. I don't want my memories of Jericho doing awesome stuff up through 2010 to be tarnished by him doing a greatest hits tour while looking like a more filled-out Jon bon Jovi. Just stop, okay?

JBL - He's another one who'd normally be in the bottom bin, but he's posted a few things on Twitter that have made me respect him more as a person rather than a blowhard shithead announcer. Who knew the archconservative financial guru had some progressive opinions.

And the Rest... - Aaron Epic, Abyss, Adam Rose, AJ Lee, AJ Styles, Annie Social, Austin Aries, The Beautiful People, Billy Gunn, BJ Whitmer, Bobby Lashley, Booker T, The Briscoes, Caleb Konley, Cameron, Carson, Cheeseburger, Christian Rose, CJ Parker, Cliff Compton, CM Punk, Deucalion, Drake Younger, The Dudley Boys, Eddie Edwards, Eva Marie, Fandango, Gail Kim, Gekido, Great Khali, Gregory James, Gunner, Heath Slater, Hernandez, Homicide, Hornswoggle, Irish Airborne, Jaka, James Storm, Jay Lethal, Johnny Gargano, Josh Alexander, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Kurt Angle, Kyle O'Reilly, Lance Hoyt, Los Matadores, Low Ki, Masada, Mason Ryan, Matt Cage, MVP, Natalya, Nigel McGuinness, Niya, NRG, Papadon, Pretty Peter Avalon, Ray Rosas, Rhett Titus, Rhyno, Rikishi, Road Dogg, Rob Terry, Roderick Strong, Roman Reigns, Rosa Mendes, R-Truth,, Seleziya Sparx, Shane Helms, Sinn Bodhi, Sting, Taryn Terrell, Too Cool, Vince McMahon, Volgar, Zeb Colter

It's the Vince McMahon show recapped Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 175
Run Time: 1:31:11
Guest: Ted Fowler, Vince McMahon

Summary: The show opens with Stone Cold having a brief chat with his buddy Ted Fowler before he throws it to the audio from the Dec. 1 live interview he recorded with Vince McMahon on the WWE Network. In a wide-ranging conversation, they talk about the current batch of ascendant stars (and why they’re not yet ready to take over), the future of the WWE Network, CM Punk’s departure and recent remarks, Brock Lesnar and the end of The Streak, the Austin-McMahon on-screen rivalry, backstage politics and structure during and after the Attitude Era, McMahon’s relationship with his father and his own in-ring career.

Quote of the week: McMahon, on a key difference between WCW and WWF: “Anytime you have talent involved from a standpoint of controlling their own creative, ah man, you need someone to be able to sit back and help that talent develop and be able to say yes and no. It can’t be the talent saying, ‘I’m not going to do this,’ or, ‘I’m not going to do that.’ You have anarchy then. It’s no different than running any kind of business.”

Why you should listen: If you haven’t seen the video version of the interview, it’s definitely worth hearing the words from McMahon’s mouth instead of filtered through Twitter or blog posts. I can’t imagine anyone who listens to wrestling podcasts wanting to skip this one altogether.

Why you should skip it: If you watched the video version, there’s nothing to be gained here, unless you have a vested interest in the malfunctioning brakes on Ted Fowler’s Polaris. As with other button-pushing guests, if you come in with a strong anti-McMahon bias, this episode might push you to the brink.

Final thoughts: This is one of the most analyzed podcasts of the year, long before I’m weighing in. The video version is superior given the chance to see McMahon’s facial contortions when Austin brings up certain phrases or topics — you can hear him reacting, but the optics are unmatched. The audio-only show can be listened to at double speed, which is my preferred method.

McMahon, like Punk, is simply a fascinating figure, and I’d pay good money to hear them probed by a professional psychotherapist. Especially interesting is McMahon’s dual nature as an elitist executive who also still views himself as forever grounded in his trailer park childhood. Much like Punk, who is far too financially and creatively successful to still be fighting the inferiority complex his difficult youth thrust upon him, McMahon doesn’t fit cleanly into either world he claims to inhabit.

In his chat with Austin, McMahon is significantly less guarded than in many of his other media appearances. That has nothing to do with his disregard for kayfabe (while still clinging to insider jargon) and everything to do with his candor about things like his twisted sense of humor (as David Shoemaker noted, McMahon’s delight in recounting his joy at humiliating colleagues by pushing them into his pool tells us all we need to know about the way WWE casts its heroes) and repeated remarks that reveal a disconnect with the audience regarding which performers are ready to take a top spot.

Ultimately, this interview tells fans nothing about McMahon they didn’t already know — at best it crystallizes, in his own words, some folks’ worst fears about the CEO. Still, I consider it essential listening simply because it provides a richer context for the McMahon we think we know, though I highly recommend continuing to seek out the stories of those who know him well in hopes of getting a fuller picture. We’re never going to get a complete read on a guy as complex as McMahon, especially since he’s so adept at controlling access and message, but chipping away at the façade helps deepen the understanding of the most successful promotion in an art that entertains millions of people.