Why were these fans made to change? Photo via @Laufered

If you were watching RAW early on last night, you may have noticed a group of colorful fans facing the hard camera in the front row. They were dressed as various legends of wrestling. On one hand, I would never waste awesome cosplay on an episode of RAW right now, but at the same time, those guys probably weren't getting to WrestleMania and wanted to show off for the rest of the world their dedication to fandom. Of course, those costumes disappeared later on in the show, and apparently, the reason wasn't because the lads were getting too hot in them.

Apparently, WWE officials, for whatever reason, didn't like that the group of fans dressed up like wrestlers of old, so this intrepid group of fun-havers was scuttled to the back and given an ultimatum. Either they disrobe their costumes, or they give up their front row seats. The group chose disrobing. WWE did give them t-shirts for their troubles, but as far as makegoods go, that gesture seemed really fucking weak if you ask me.

Now, before the "Well, actually" crowd chimes in, I'm well aware that buying a ticket to a WWE event, or any event, doesn't give the purchaser the right to do whatever he or she pleases. It's Vince McMahon's or Kevin Dunn's or whosever prerogative to control the crowd. If I were Dunn, I wouldn't want to have some doofus holding up a "CHRIS BENOIT TO THE HALL OF FAME" in front of the hard camera. And dressing up in costume could pose a security risk if your actual, legit security team consisted of the characters of Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble (not Adam Birch and James Gibson, the real people, important distinction).

But no, these guys were just dressing up like WWE legends, and the way McMahon loves humping the memories of his prior characters and angles, one might think he'd be tickled pink at someone paying homage like he attempts to do. They weren't being assholes. They weren't ruining anyone's good time. They were trying to have fun. What this move tells me is that WWE is not interested in crowds having fun.

Then again, it's not the first time, and it won't be the last time that WWE officials have wanted to police crowd reactions. The last tour of England saw Vince McMahon coming out from Gorilla and chastising the crowd for not "having a good time." Apparently, one must react the way McMahon wants a typical fan to react to have a good time, but actual, legitimate fun is prohibited. Or hey, the way WWE is ramming Roman Reigns down the Universe's collective throat says more about what the company wants out of its fans than anything else. Reigns is McMahon's guy, and I respect that to a degree, but basically, the way he's being pushed is basically telling the audience "This is how you will like my product OR ELSE."

If the crowd is part of the show, it should be allowed to be part of it. If it means getting creative without being abusive or disruptive, then it should be allowed to happen. If it means reading crowds' reactions to your actions, then actually listen. I'm not saying that two weeks out from Mania that Reigns should be scuttled, but if he was the guy all along, then why push him in the same way a grade schooler does stupid shit to impress his/her friends and then asks loudly "DO YOU LIKE ME YET?" If Daniel Bryan or Dolph Ziggler were never in the plans, but the crowd wants them anyway, then why not give them issues to fight over?

Professional wrestling is the most interactive form of entertainment known to man outside of perhaps Whose Line Is It Anyway? and yet WWE shows time and time again that it fails to know how to handle said interaction. If it did, then those Iowan fans would have never been made to change out of their cosplay.

The plucky hero or an entitled villain? Photo Credit: WWE.com

The “feud” over the Intercontinental Title reminds me of the corporate world’s propensity to reward dispensable labour with fancy job titles to keep them invested until they have squeezed everything they could out of them. They don’t want their employees to escape the logic of the system. Employees can escape the system by either making enough money so that they don’t need to work or by having multiple skills allowing them to dictate the terms of engagement or become independent businessmen. The first is CM Punk; the second is Brock Lesnar.

Poor Daniel Bryan - right now he is neither. Seeing his promo on Smackdown last week, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. Ultimately, I did neither. How typical of our ironic, post-apocalyptic late capitalist age. The contenders for the Intercontinental Title remind me of how much I detest working for an employer who takes all the profit and leaves me with a job title, resume and subsistence wage which only rises with the supposedly inescapable rising expectations placed on people by a consumerist society. It reminds me that employers don’t want versatile people; they would prefer people whose skills are not really marketable outside the narrow confines of their cubicle. You just have to look at WWE’s insistence that the performances of their characters be confined to a one note gimmick.

Daniel Bryan, not to speak of Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett et all, was a subtle performer with a wide range of emotions and wrestling skills. Over the years, he has been effectively reduced to a catchphrase and a flying knee strike (almost). Bryan the performer in the ring could work a match with a variety of flavours and phases. Now he is just a plucky underdog who “hulks up” occasionally and makes a fiery comeback. Not to nitpick, but he could be so much more. Last week I realized that I don’t like Bryan; I like my memories of who he was and who he can be.

The corporations are not really concerned or interested in building or helping their employees reach their full potential. Whatever, they might say, they are not interested in a happy work life balance or all those other superficial lip service platitudes found on brochures in the lobby. They also want to ensure that the employee cannot transcend the limitations of their organization. Bryan is a great wrestler who could have been a huge superstar. But make no mistake; the WWE doesn’t want another Punk on their hands. They don’t want a superstar transcending the limitations of being on a WWE pay roll. Because if Bryan had sold enough t-shirts and become the phenomenon he could have become, then he would have left as soon as possible, just like Punk. He would have gained marketability in other markets like The Rock did or become a cultural icon like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Hence the necessity of snuffing out talented superstars who are not company men like John Cena or the latest, Roman Reigns. Speaking of Reigns…..

I suspect that Vince McMahon hates Brock Lesnar. As Lesnar reminded everybody in his latest sit-down interview on RAW this past Monday, he doesn’t care. By being who he is, he has made the labour market flexible. He has robbed WWE of its huge bargaining power. He can come in and go out as he damn pleases. He is not bound to the company. As Jake Gyllenhall tells his poor dying subordinate in the excellent and Oscar-worthy (if they actually rewarded merit) Nightcrawler, “You took away my bargaining power and you would have done it again.” Lesnar is a nightmare. Right now, he is also the babyface in this WrestleMania feud. People want to cheer him; in any case, except for kids nobody actively boos the man. The reason usually given is Lesnar’s exceptional strength and the perception of being the ultimate fighting wrestler. But I believe, subconsciously it is because of the fact that Brock Lesnar is a free man. The people see a man not bound by the rules that his “colleagues” are, by the limitations voluntarily and happily imposed by John Cena on John Cena, the character. Paul Heyman threatens that anybody trying a Montreal Screwjob will not leave the building alive, and we believe him because by gawd it’s Brock Lesnar. If Paul Heyman threatens that Brock Lesnar will leave with the title after Wrestlemania, contract or no contract, then we believe him too, because Brock Lesnar doesn’t need to bow down or kiss anyone’s ass. WWE cannot spoil his reputation or his career; he already has a lot of money, enough to ensure that he can work on his own terms or not at all.

On the other hand, we have Roman Reigns, eager to become the next company man, a position he knows his “journeymen” brothers Ambrose and Rollins (even though Rollins is a kayfabe company man) will never reach. He postures as the maligned underdog who has been told that he cannot become the number one guy in the company. He castigates the crowd for booing him and says it’s because of his lack of indie credentials. He would rather that we cheered him as he has made clear on many occasions after the Royal Rumble. I don’t know if its freudian slip on McMahonian proportions but I think the babyface stance on this would be that the fans have the right to their opinion. Roman Reigns is not a babyface, he is the classic heel who would rather that the fans cheer or boo according to his dictates. Of course the main thrust of his promos has been merely that he will win and believe that or something or the other. But I detect that the boos of the fans are incomprehensible and repugnant to him. I did what they told me, he seems to say, I worked my ass off every night, he says, what the hell? I have the pedigree, he groans, my cousin, and father and uncles were popular, I have the natural look, so why not? You would rather cheer the indie veterans over me? I detected this strain of thought in the Rock too in the backstage interview after the Royal Rumble. Both Reigns and the Rock are entitled heels.

In my last post I had said "However, this does not get us away from the problems they still face in getting Reigns ready for a WrestleMania world title match. First, they need to tell me his character motivations. Why isn't he hellbent on wrecking Rollins? Where the hell was he when Dean Ambrose was getting his ass handed to him? What are his views on Bryan never getting a rematch for the title he never lost? Will he ask Uncle Rock why he never asked for a rematch against the Beast Incarnate? Does his character realize the significance of getting a title shot at Wrestle-fucking-Mania? Does he realize that it took HBK/Austin/Hart/Foley/Angle/Guerrero many many years of being awesome at wrestling before getting a shot at the main event?" Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope and nope.

Moving onto John Cena. Oh my. Oh my. Thankfully, while scrolling through the comments on my favourite wrestling websites I get the feeling that most of the Twitter wrestling faithful are not the rabid USA USA Fuck foreigners etc crowd. John Cena is NOT representative of America. If I was an American and attending Wrestlemania, I would consider it my patriotic duty to boo him. In the vein of “this man does not speak for me”. The actions of the character Cena have become increasingly jingoistic and villainous. Not only because he beat up a guy who was already down for the count. Not only because he regularly bullies women (Lana the unfortunate victim in this case) with misogynistic bull shit. But also because he casually assumes that he speaks for America. When I show anybody Wrestlemania here I don’t want them to turn away with the impression that wrestling is only fit for uneducated jingoistic conservative racist rednecks. So if someone’s going to Wrestlemania, boo John Cena extra hard this time, okay?

And lastly this.


Thanks to the folks at With Spandex because I would have never seen this stuff otherwise. I think recapping the story of Triple H - the egotistical Attitude era second stringer - in this fashion is great. I was really disinterested in the Triple H - Sting showdown. Now it makes sense for Triple H to pose himself as WWE's representative against the WCW relic - he simply wants to be the most important guy on the show and have the most important match against every legend possible to establish his importance. (sorry for the Paul Heyman type repetitions) He married Stephanie McMahon because he wanted to be even more important. For him prestige and being important is more important than everything in life. Not for Triple H, the simple joys of life. Triple H's misplaced sense of his own importance has cost him whatever friendships he had. It directs his every action, from D-X, to the Corporation, to Evolution, back to D-X, and then the Authority. This is why he now wants to act as kingmaker. He wants to stay important. He wants to revel in his legacy. He doesn't really care about who's champion - Lesnar, Bryan, Reigns, Cena, Rollins, or Orton. As long as he is in the match with the most important guy, its ok. Bryan at the height of his popularity. CM Punk at his. Now Sting just when he has arrived for the first time in WWE. And therefore, Sting has just given Triple H his heart's desire. Triple H doesn't care if he wins or loses. All he cares is that the next night on RAW he opens the show with a 20 minute promo about how brutal his match was and how scarred he is and what it means for his legacy ad infinitum. It is the perfect character, guys. And to think I hated him.

The best thing Sting could do to really really hurt Triple H is to not turn up for a match. I think that would be the best conclusion possible because if Sting steps into the ring then you can rest assured we get our prototypical where the big boys play Nitro main event hit one move and stall for 5 minutes WM 27 type showdown. And Triple H will revel in his own epicness.

Wrestlemania 31, here we come. Please don't WM 27 it up.

The tournament's first round has concluded in the WWE Region, and Brock Lesnar, Mick Foley, Steve Austin, and The Undertaker have all advanced to the second round. Today, it's time to kick off the TNA Region with the first set of matches.

1. Kurt Angle vs. 16. Chris Sabin, TALE OF THE TAPE
ANGLE - 6x TNA World Champion, 4x WWE Champion, 2x World Heavyweight Champion, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, 2000 King of the Ring, 2x NCAA Champion, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist WITH A BROKEN FREAKIN' NECK

SABIN - TNA World Champion, 2005 Jeff Petersen Memorial Cup winner, Coolest leather jacket in wrestling


8. Abyss vs. 9. Lashley, TALE OF THE TAPE
ABYSS - TNA (NWA) World Champion, Stole Ric Flair's WWE Hall of Fame ring, Related to Joseph Park

LASHLEY- 2x TNA World Champion, Helped Donald Trump shave Vince McMahon's hair, Most successful grown-up baby in history


4. Christian Cage vs. 13. Jeff  Hardy, TALE OF THE TAPE
CHRISTIAN - 2x TNA (NWA) World Champion, 2x World Heavyweight Champion, Retired (on commentary) by Jerry Lawler, Wants ONE MORE MATCH

HARDY - 3x TNA World Champion, WWE Champion, 2x World Heavyweight Champion, Co-founder of OMEGA Wrestling, 2012 Bound for Glory Series winner, Most drastically underseeded wrestler in this tournament, as it turns out, my bad


5. Bully Ray vs. 12. Austin Aries, TALE OF THE TAPE
BULLY - 2x TNA World Champion, 23x Tag Team Champion (WWE, NJPW, TNA, ECW) with D-Von Dudley, Thankfully stopped stuttering sometime around 2000

ARIES - TNA World Champion, 2x ROH World Champion, Only Vegan in wrestling who fits the "pushy" stereotype


GET'CHA VOTE ON

McMahon needs to take a lesson about effort from his roster instead of calling them out on a lack of it Photo Credit: WWE.com

Ignore the wrestlers busting their asses trying to make something of the pointless matches that they’ve been thrown into. Forget the commentators, who seriously need to fall down a salt mine, catch fire, and be forgotten about to rot in agony for the next few months. Resign yourself to the fact that on the final RAW before the biggest show of the year WWE will be filling time not with compelling stories trying to sell us on the importance of WrestleMania but with Bill Simmons and Snoop Dogg. We’ll get to all that in a bit. First, we need to chat about my favorite quote again.

"They’re not as ambitious, quite frankly… they don’t necessarily want to reach for that brass ring."

That sentence won’t unstick itself from my head. It has hollowed out a spot in my brain and has festered there since Vince McMahon’s appearance on the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin podcast. All of my complaints about WWE’s brand of wrestling these past few months have revolved around this stupid quote. McMahon complains that none of his employees, with the exception of a few, are lazy and don’t put the effort in to becoming all a WWE Superstar should be.

McMahon wants to talk about effort? He wants to talk about lazy? I want to talk about how this Road to WrestleMania has been a tedious, underwhelming, and boring trudge towards the most creatively bankrupt, no effort Show of Shows in recent memory. The WWE’s 'creative' machine wouldn’t know what effort looks like. The wrestlers do. I think most of them know the score, but they are happy to be there doing what they love. But the writers? Why would they expend any effort on the show? May as well save up those good ideas for that novel they started before they took the WWE job. RAW will just end up being rewritten anyway last minute, and Smackdown is an exercise in pointlessness each week.

The commentators would rather scream over each other about pointless nonsense rather than call a match. And here I foolishly thought they would be stepping up their game because during the women’s matches the last couple shows they actually called the wrestling happening in front of their faces. But continuing to pay attention to the thing you are paid to do is ROUGH. It’s much easier to make sweeping generalizations about how all women are basically garbage human beings who can’t get along with each other. Not like men. Not like, say, the three men who spew word vomit over the show each week, shrieking in argument over the smallest thing. Yup, it’s those damn WOMEN FOLK who can’t get along!

I don’t see how the blame for this train wreck can be placed anywhere but Vince McMahon’s feet. The man who is constantly told us he conquered all his enemies is now just content to rest on his laurels. He’s become lazy and complacent. Working on the in ring product is pointless! Why waste time on that when you can confiscate signs from the crowd, mute authentic reactions, and force the people who bought front row tickets to your show to change their outfits to better suite your bizarre needs? These are the important issues that require his attention!

You want to know what passes for effort in the WWE right now? I present you with the WrestleMania main event. Trot out Paul Heyman to sell the match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, who might just be heading for greener pastures. Don’t change up the promo Heyman gives every week. It’s not like this is the road to WrestleMania and people are watching each show. Those people are stupid anyway. They’re wrestling fans, after all, right? They don’t remember what happened just a few minutes ago, let alone a week ago. So just have him say the same thing. Let’s not show Reigns being a bad ass. That worked when he was in the Shield. IT COULDN’T POSSIBLY WORK NOW.

I’m not saying anything new here. I feel like I’ve had this conversation a thousand times in the last few months. I want to be excited about WrestleMania, but I need a reason to be. I was excited about the Royal Rumble just because it was the Rumble, and we all saw how that turned out. It doesn’t matter who won. It matters that the match was a boring slog with no pacing or story beyond THIS IS OUR GUY. These shows don’t sell themselves on the name anymore. Hell, they don’t sell themselves at all! Suckers like me pay for the Network, and then wonder why Vince doesn’t care about the special events anymore. He’s already got my money, so who’s the idiot in this scenario?

But I pay my ten bucks every month (for NXT), I feel I’m justified in wanting a better product. WWE has so much talent on the roster right now, and with the slightest bit of effort or care from the big man in charge, it could be amazing. McMahon just can’t be bothered enough to care.

Will Lesnar be back? HORB HAS THE ANSWER Photo Credit: WWE.com

Guess who's back to claim your souls for the Dark Lord in exchange for all the news, gossip, and analysis that you can cram in your unwashed, ungrateful maws? THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S ME, HORB FLERBMINBER. You thought you could escape my wrath and vengeance this week? NOPE, no escaping of the Horb shall be had by anyone. I WILL THROW NEWS AT YOU LIKE ZEUS THROWS LIGHTNING BOLTS AT THE PLEBES. I make jabronis like MetsFan4Ever cower in fear. Compared to him, I am MetsFan5Ever! I make it rain news like I'm a mixture of Walter Cronkite and Kazuchika Okada.

Of course, while I am plunged in the news mines, pulling out nuggets with my bare hands and sometimes MY TEETH, I need help to get all the stories possible. You can help me by sending all the tips you can, whether frosted or unfrosted, to my e-mail address, ProWrestlingSKOOPZ@gmail.com. Send it all my way: rumors, slander, links to various sites that link chemtrails to vaccines. I WANT IT ALL. But if you want the STRAIGHT DOPE hooked right to your brain, you need to follow me on Twitter, @HorbFlerbminber. Do you want to know who will defeat Brock Lesnar for the title, and why it'll be Hacksaw Jim Duggan at this year's Battleground? THEN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER, JERKS.

If you want back issues of the newsletter, you can rummage around in the big depository of issues that was excavated in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in eastern Alberta. They're not organized or even piled neatly, and some of them have been tainted with a rare strain of anthrax that has no antidote or cure. But all the best issues are there, including my expose on the ties between All-Japan Pro Wrestling and the yakuza. So what if the findings were proven wrong and I was sued for libel by Giant Baba's widow and Kenta Kobashi?  IT WAS GOOD READIN'.

My dog Bobo ate dog food tainted with depleted uranium and needs stomach surgery bad. I can't afford the payment because all my funds are tied up in a civil suit over me running over Dave Meltzer's dog after I thought he was the one who tainted my dog's food. As it turns out, never buy dog food on the black market. Anyway, you can donate funds to my Kickstarter, found here.

Remember November.

- The biggest scoop of the week is that MetsFan4Ever is reporting that Brock Lesnar's contract negotiations are going well and that Vince McMahon is considering keeping the belt on him on a special attraction schedule. In light of this news, expect it to be a mortal lock that Lesnar walks back to UFC and Roman Reigns wins the title at WrestleMania.

- The report noted that plans are subject to change in WWE, which is confirmed by my sources inside the company that say the plan for Mania now is for Dusty Rhodes to come back and pin Reigns and Lesnar at the same time while Ronda Rousey appears just to call Daniel Bryan a turd.

- Triple H is pushing for the United States and Intercontinental Championships to be elevated in prominence by having John Cena and Daniel Bryan hold them respectively and taking on all comers. McMahon was seen scribbling in his notepad to change the booking plans to have R-Truth and Great Khali holding the belts by the end of the RAW the next night after Mania.

- Kevin Owens has undergone a partial meniscectomy and will be on the shelf between four-and-six weeks. Alex Riley was heard politicking backsrage to get a run with the title in Owens' absence. When he was denied, he raged. He raged so hard, man.

- WWE needs to stop running its best, young stud athletes against Big Show and Kane. Why waste time putting guys who can work against big wrestlers who can't? In other news, Kazuchika Okada is scheduled to face Bad Luck Fale at Invasion Attack. Should be a dandy!

- Rey de Reyes was rained out on Sunday, and the attempt to reschedule for the following Monday was thwarted by a Mexican holiday. Rumors say that it will be rescheduled along with the 2012 Chikara Countdown Showdown and the WWE Network-exclusive launch of the cruiserweight-centric show.

- Ring of Honor has been pushing for the Young Bucks to sign an exclusive contract, but the Bucks are stalling because they don't want to give up lucrative dates in New Japan or Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. They also are keeping their ears open for WWE offers, or if WCW magically reappears out of nowhere and Ted Turner hands out six-figure contracts like old people give out Necco Wafers on Halloween. Literally nothing is set in stone at this point, not even the Bucks' very existence, as they could be figments of Booker T's imagination that spread by contagious psychosis. I mean really, who else but wrestling fans have seen the Jackson brothers?

- Plans for RAW this week include Bill Simmons offering a feature columnist gig to Roman Reigns, Snoop Dogg to release his new song, "Yo, Roman Reigns Is the Dizzity Dawg and Y'all Should Like Him," and for the surprise returns of Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Kelly Kelly all fighting over who gets to receive Reigns' seed and carry his son to lead the Dothraki horse lords into new prominence on the continent of Essos.

- Jey Uso has been injured and will be out of action. WWE officials are unconcerned because he's not the one married to Naomi.

- Vince McMahon's Bentley, which was stolen several months ago, was found in the Bronx. The car was mainly unmolested except for trash strewn across the back, as well as a laptop logged into Reddit as MetsFan4Ever and the spare keys to the Create-A-Pro Wrestling School hidden under the floor mat.

- Liz Carmouch, Firas Gospel and Tony Luft Air announced new team to compete against the Titans fund CBS Sports. They start at 11:00 am, Eastern 3/20 and showed four game titles. You know things are quite a Friday night. Fur is a great event, and former UFC fighter vs. Kurt Holobaugh. Chase Gormley's Desmond Green, John Madsen, director Pat Healy and Cody Bollinger and programs would be.

- Kevin Nash is expected to be the final name added to the WWE Hall of Fame in this year's class. Sources say that the trailer into which he threw Rey Mysterio on Nitro will induct him.

- Frank the WWE Clown has made a statement about the fans who were made to change out of their wrestler cosplay. "I agree with WWE here. I have paid my dues so my situation is totally diff... hey, wait, WAIT, WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME? Come back! AND YOU, WHY DON'T YOU AT ME ON TWITTER IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY. I AM NOT A JOKE. STOP IT. STOP IT NOW."

- TJ Perkins has reached an agreement to come back to the WWN Live family of promotions under the condition that he appear on no shows with women and that all SHINE and SHIMMER talent stay at least 50 yards away from his musk at all times.

- NFL linebacker Chris Borland retired from the league after one year due to concerns over head trauma. Former WWE head trainer Bill DeMott was quoted as calling Borland a "coward."

- Last week's poll results are in, and 88% of you think Brock Lesnar should unify the WWE and UFC Championships, while 11% of you think he should just go for the UFC title. The straggling 1% abstained from the poll for religious reasons, which I can respect. This week:

The Crusher beat Triple H this year, so he's eligible Photo via WPIX

Hello everybody and welcome to the grand opening of the slow release for the 2014 TWB 100. You guys voted for it, you guys wrote blurbs for it, and now you get to see the entire list unfold before your eyes. Even if you didn't vote, please enjoy the rankings and the words that the voters wrote for the wrestlers ranked in these spots. Speaking of said voters, this year's list had 76 distinct people turn in ballots, voting for a massive 477 wrestlers. Soon, SOON I will be able to compete with Pro Wrestling Illustrated and give a TWB 500 to compete with its PWI 500. MUHUHUHUHAHAHAHA! But until then, the following is everyone who turned in a ballot this year:

TH - Migrant seal blubber masseuse

De O'Brien - Author of The Stretch Plum, comptroller for Yolo County, CA

Dave Kincannon - Has once practiced the famous soliloquy from Hamlet with the real skull of Yorick

James Girouard - Too proud to rename himself "DakotaBoy"

Dan McQuade - Freelance writer for such rags as Philadelphia Magazine and the like, has been waiting in Temecula to fight Milton Street for three months now

Angelo Castillo - Knows what balut is but will not tell anyone who doesn't know because they may have just eaten lunch

Brock Lutefisk - TWB contributor in theory, has successfully avoided being eaten by Minnesotans for 11 years now, a new record!

Willow Maclay - Co-auteur of Push Cesaro, is able to function without her morning coffee

Julio del Aguila - Knows that you can't work in fast food all your life but is urging you not to sign that paper tonight

Jeff Stormer - Won't stop writing letters to Mike Quackenbush to induct Amasis into The Colony as Pharaoh Ant

Ryan Kilma - Thinks you're behind the times for going cow-tipping and instead urges everyone to go wolverine plucking

Frank McCormick - Used Earthquake. It's super-effective! Raichu fainted!

Kevin Held - Ring announcer and occasional wrestler in the Missouri/southern Illinois area, part of the Sam Bradford trade to the Eagles

Kyle Kensing - Founder of CFBHuddle, still waiting for PWG to book the big Stephen Godfrey/Clay Travis grudge match the world has been waiting for

Rene Sanchez - Former TWB contributor, is not Fred Armisen

Joshua Browns - The real University City Stretcher, in that he is a real, medical stretcher who has learned how to use words

Brian Brown - Sam Hinkie's civilian alter ego

Cewsh - Head bee guy at Cewsh Reviews, furiously working on a cure for the SHIMvirus in his spare time

Joey O. - DJ at YNot Radio, can connect everyone in recorded history back to Kim Deal in six steps or fewer

Bob Godfrey - Currently unstuck in time and had to resist the urge to vote for Georg Hackenschmidt and John Tolos

Brandon Bosh - Creator of False Underdog, has had a Koopa shell surgically attached to his back now that he doesn't live next to Italian plumbers anymore

John Henderson - Inventor of scrapple

Nick Ahlhelm - Just escaped from the Island from LOST and was only mauled by a polar bear twice

Charles Humphreys - Once held his bladder on a car ride from Austin, TX to Flint, MI just so he could set the world record for longest urination

Michael Dupin - TWB Texas Correspondent, future founder of Corgi Championship Wrestling

Mike Pankowski - Has chained himself to Nassau Colosseum in attempt to keep the Islanders from moving to Brooklyn

Bill DiFilippo - Emeritus of Black Shoe Diaries and Onward State, his signature flavor, B-Flip Trout and Guava, has replaced Peachy Paterno at the Penn State Creamery

Niel Jacoby - Currently is Robocop but two days from retirement

Brian Coulter - Saving up money for surgery to get military-grade laser installed in his right pinkie toe

Rich Thomas - Co-host of the International Object podcast, planning on attending WrestleMania this year in suit of armor

Alex Torres - Contributor at Free Pro Wrestling, is in possession of the fourth journal from Gravity Falls and hasn't told a soul except me... oops

Erica Molinaro - TWB Dispatcher from the Lake, has petitioned WWE to change main event of WrestleMania from Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar to Lesnar watching paint dry

Chris Harrington - Host of WrestleNomics Radio, patiently waiting for a direct, 8-bit sequel to Kid Icarus

Brandon Spears - Will be rooting against CM Punk in his MMA debut for no reason at all

Joey Splashwater - Originator of Wrestling on Earth, planning on waging war against lettuce farmers the world over

Jesse Dlugosz- Has never met a hamster he hasn't wanted to give noogies too

Mat Morgan - Was once named Matt Morgan, but the wrestler gave the second T in his first name the Carbon Footprint so he could be alone with that name

Ryan Foster - Australian for beer

Brandon Armstrong- Once became an organ grinder on a dare

CJ Fleck - Could have been something, could've been a contender

Luke Starr - Fledgling recording artist, wrote the "floor pie" gag on The Simpsons

Andrew Smith - Has awoken with night terrors 14 out of the last 26 days

Andrew Hewitt - Was behind the one-day legalization of most drugs in Ireland thanks to forgetting carrying the one

Bryan Heaton - TWB Scribe, likes to shoot potatoes and other root vegetables with a gatling gun

Brandon Stroud - Lead muckety-muck at With Spandex and screenwriter, was kicked out of the Seven Dwarves for not being a dwarf

Chris McDonald - Will have a farm in 30 years, E-I-E-I-O

Lee Spriggs - Has the Nakamuraness inside of him, but won't share until he gets over his crippling fear of pugs wearing off-white sweaters

Pablo Alva - Wants you to know he's very disappointed in you

John Rosenberger - Third runner up for the Lady Byng Trophy in 1988, 1994, and 2011

Brandon Mars - Has purchased prime real estate in the Pacific Ocean for the day California falls into the sea

Brandon Kyla - Leader of Local Chapter of Brandons, organized mass Brandon ballot submittal

Joe Drilling - Co-host of the What A Maneuver, On the Stick, and ActionCast podcasts, is thrilled that you keep making his last name into a sex pun, really, he is

Drew Cordeiro - Owner of Championship Melt food truck and head booker of Beyond Wrestling, always cleans up after his wrestlers when they go boom boom, even Chris Dickinson

Bill Hanstock - Editor/writer at SB Nation and B-movie filmmaker, won and lost ownership stake of New Japan Pro Wrestling in one night from and to Jado and Gedo in a heated couple of games of sabacc

Kevin Newburn - Keeps reminding Phil Tippett that he ONLY HAD ONE JOB

Trey Irby - Former TWB Total Divas Reviewer, has constructed 37 Urban Meyer voodoo effigies

Scott Holland - TWB Royal Rumble and Podcast Manager, still wracking his brain on how to process #Axelmania

Brad Canze - Will resort to true muscle suicide if things go really, really, really wrong

Eamon Paton - Play by play announcer for Inspire Pro Wrestling, will play Ant Man when Paul Rudd gets too expensive for the role

Martin Bentley - Has been to Germany to watch wrestling and has confirmed that no, the wrestlers don't work in liederhosen

Brandon Rohwer - Knows what he did, oh yeah, he knows

Dan Vecellio - Former blogger at Black Shoe Diaries, secretly building a weather machine so he can take over the Tri-State Area

Devon Hales - Must be defeated within 15 minutes if you want access to the secret boss of the Hales family, Dustin

Rob Pandola - Doesn't have change for a $20 bill because if you've touched money, the government has your DNA

Joe Ellis- Founder of the Slurm Beverage Corp.

Tanner Teat - Had to change his last name, as in the Old Country, he was known as Tanner Boobie

Mike Tunison - Lead primate at Kissing Suzy Kolber, banking on no jury wanting to convict him when he finally snaps and takes out Peter King

Jesse Powell - Once caught Brock Lesnar while ice fishing

Chris Zinn - Swears up and down he can tell the difference between Carls, Jr. and Hardee's

Samuel DiMascio - Main scribe at Spandex Are Still Cool, can leap tall buildings in about 30,000 single bounds or so

TJ Hawke - Curator of Free Pro Wrestling, once got so mad he burnt down a Taco Bell with his mind

Ian Riccaboni - Ring announcer in training and writer at Phillies Nation, getting surgery so he can be the Barbarian for Halloween every year

Kris Zellner - Noted lucha whisperer, often settles every-day issues with luchas de apuestas and has only lost his hair four times

Francis Adu - Owner of his very own Donkey Kong mega-hammer

Steve Hummer - Eternal inhabitant of the demilitarized zone in the war between Sheetz and Wawa

Dylan Hales - Co-Founder of the TWB 100, kills a lemming every time Davey Richards no-sells something

Of course, with 477 wrestlers receiving votes and only 100 on the master list, that means a bunch of wrestlers who got voted for won't be on the countdown. Sad but true, but those performers will not be ignored. In fact, I will list them in descending order (meaning the one on top was the closest to making the list) without any other information except for one. A special wrestler who didn't make the list but got a first place vote and a loving blurb from the person who voted for him will have those words written about him placed at the end. Until then, the wrestlers who didn't make the cut are as follows:

Christopher Daniels
Brian Cage
Naomi
Alicia Fox
Aiden English
Drago
Davey Richards
King Cuerno
Curtis Axel
Jeff Hardy
Simon Gotch
Bo Dallas
Jervis Cottonbelly
Big Show
Titus O'Neil
Trent?
Mia Yim
Kofi Kingston
Brie Bella
Samoa Joe
Kane
Speedball Mike Bailey
Dan Barry
Missile Assault Ant
UltraMantis Black
LuFisto
Bully Ray
Cheerleader Melissa
Uhaa Nation
Matt Cross/Son of Havoc
Sin Cara
Emma
Dirty Andy Dalton
Joey Ryan
Rockstar Spud
Matthew Palmer
Gail Kim
Chris Jericho
Ophidian
Flex Rumblecrunch
Kenny Omega
Leva Bates/Blue Pants
Hanson
Heath Slater
Eric Young
Lashley
Christian
Rob van Dam
Adam Rose
Chris Dickinson
Ray Rowe
Veda Scott
Mickie Knuckles
Fandango
Nicole Matthews
Mark Henry
Fred Yehi
Bill Carr
Kongo Kong
Big Ryck/Ezekiel Jackson
Drew McIntyre/Galloway
MVP
Low Ki
Louis Lyndon
CM Punk
Kazarian
Baron Corbin
JT Dunn
Enzo Amore
Ethan Page
Jigsaw
Shaun Tempers
Ivelisse Velez
Chavo Guerrero
Jojo Bravo
Josh Alexander
El Torito
Archibald Peck/RD Evans
Barbi Hayden
Gary Jay/the Barn Owl
James Storm
Danny Cannon
John Silver
R-Truth
Hallowicked
Kitsune
Steve O'Reno
Vordell Walker
CJ Parker
Mil Muertes
Rickey Shane Page
Amasis
Chris Sabin
Frightmare
The Shard
Caleb Konley
Matt Taven
Matt Tremont
Madison Eagles
assailANT/Worker Ant
BJ Whitmer
Silas Young
Seiya Sanada
Stephanie McMahon
Colt Cabana
Big Cass
Mascarita Sagrada
Oleg the Usurper
Marion Fontaine
Diego
Keith Lee
Portia Perez
Kana
Darren Young
Kellie Skater
Fernando
Andrew Everett
Moose
Jaka
Rocky Romero
Kurt Angle
Aerostar
Alex Shelley
Undertaker
Matt Cage
Yuki Ishikawa
Josh Prohibition
Xavier Woods
Alexa Bliss
Magnus
Bull Dempsey
Viktor
Slim J
TJ Perkins/Manik
Justin Gabriel
David Starr
Stupefied/Player Dos
Nikki Storm
Estonian Thunder Frog
Tamina Snuka
Player Uno
Gregory Iron
Shane Hollister
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hornswoggle
Jake Crist
Alex Reynolds
Jason Kincaid
Konnor
Willie Mack
Connor "The Crusher" Michalek
El Hijo del Ice Cream
Anthony Nese
Devin Cutter
Billy Gunn
Ice Cream, Jr.
Mario Bokara
Andrew Alexander
Mason Cutter
Chase Owens
Kevin Matthews
Reed Bentley
Rey Mysterio
Dave Crist
Seleziya Sparx
Brian Myers
Jessica James
Doc Gallows
Tadasuke
Mathieu St. Jacques
Mark Andrews
Rhyno
Joe Gacy
Zack Ryder
Brent Banks
Gran Akuma
Jonathan Gresham
Rob Conway
Obariyon
Jordynne Grace
Jax Dane
Ricky Starks
Serena Deeb
Qefka the Quiet
Kodama
CPA
KUSHIDA
Mike Santiago
Saraya Knight
Chris Richards
Oliver Grimsley
Ethan HD
Flip Kendrick
Kyle Matthews
Kenny King
Ken Anderson
Hania the Howling Huntress
Homicide
Jay Freddie
Colin Delaney
Thomas Shire
Cliff Compton
Anthony Stone
Brandon Espinosa
Vanessa Kraven
Sozio
Tomoka Nakagawa
The Bunny
Dragon Lee II
Bonesaw
ODB
Su Yung
The Caveman
Robbie E
Danny Havoc
Adam Page
Necro Butcher
Donovan Dijak
Kyle Reynolds
Awesome Kong
Will Ferrara
Freight Train
Zach Gowen
BLK Jeez
Summer Rae
Tommy Dreamer
Corey Graves
Layla
Eric Corvis
Steam-Powered Tentacle Boulder
Nick Ando
Luis "The Punisher" Martinez
Gunner
Buxx Belmar
Shane Strickland
Clutch Adams
Angelico
Cameron
Ashley Sixx
Bandido Jr.
Lance Anoa'i
Latvian Proud Oak
Dave Cole
Dan Maff
Shaheem Ali
Da'Marius Jones
Juntai Miller
John Wayne Murdoch
Everett Connors
Jamie Noble
Road Dogg
Joey Mercury
Melanie Cruise
Yoshi Tatsu
Mike Cruz
Courtney Rush
Mojo Rawley
Leon St. Giovanni
Supercop Dick Justice
CJ Esparza
Leah von Dutch
Tony Kozina
Akira Tozawa
Romantic Touch/Rhett Titus
Cheeseburger
Crash Test Dummy
Ace Hawkins
Angel Ortiz
Jake Dirden
Mike Spanos
Takaaki Watanabe
Neveah
Soldier Ant
Blue Demon, Jr.
Mandy Leon
Jinder Mahal
Evan Gelistico
Fallah Bah
Mercedes Martinez
AJ Williams
Mike Draztik
LeMarcus Clinton
Tadarius Thomas
Pimpinella Escarlata
Brian Kendrick
The Proletariat Boar of Moldova
Joe Pittman
Pete Dunne
Justice Jones
Cyrus the Destroyer
Gary Jackson
Scotty O'Shea
Andrew Wilder
El Mariachi Loco
Stockade
Delilah Doom
QT Marshall
Allysin Kay
Devon Moore
Mikey Whipwreck
Joey Janela
Tyson Dux
Taryn Terrell
Thomas Dubois
Tigre Uno
Beer City Bruiser
Steven Walters
Amber O'Neal/Gallows
Nøkken
Papadon
Camacho
Arctic Rescue Ant
Pasquale the Italian Chef
Brutal Bob Evans
Brian Fury
Bastian Snow
Corey Hollis
Cherry Bomb
Jesse Godderz
Jewells Malone
Lance Hoyt
Mr. Azerbaijan
Matt MacIntosh
Cortez Castro
Karl Anderson
Brodus Clay/Tyrus
Tracy Williams
Alexxia Nicole
Buddy Murphy
El Local
Drew Haskins
TJ Marconi
Mason Ryan
Wesley Blake
Chet Sterling
Bobby Beverly
Gangrel
Prakash Sabar
Carmella
Shanna
Thunderkitty
Angelina Love
Jeremiah Plunkett
Orange Cassidy
Sylvester Lefort
Great Khali
Eva Marie
Alpha Female
Pinkie Sanchez
Cheech Hernandez
Ace Rockwell
Rosa Mendes
Brett Gayika
Arik Cannon
Mikey Webb
Alex Koslov
Mr. Siks
Maria Kanellis
KT Hamill
Marcus Louis
Steve Corino
Nasty Russ
El Hijo del LA Park
Delirious
Aksana
Orbit Adventure Ant
T-Money
The Jersey Kidd
Byron Wilcott
Knux
Kobald
Shane Matthews
Marek Brave
Michael BS Hayes
Jake Something/Jacob Hollows
Mike Sydal
Jake Roberts

All the wrestlers above are active and currently alive except for one. Connor "The Crusher" Michalek wasn't an active pro wrestler. In fact, he was only a mere child when pediatric brain cancer cruelly ended his life shortly after WrestleMania XXX. However, he didn't leave this mortal coil without leaving a mark on everyone who knew him, from Daniel Bryan and the WWE brass all the way down to the fans who cried when they saw him celebrate with Bryan after Mania and again when news of his passing broke. De O'Brien used her first-place vote on him this year, and before anyone says he wasn't a wrestler, the kid has a video-documented victory over Triple H this year. He counts, he's eligible, and if you don't like it, I don't like you. O'Brien wrote the following blurb for Michalek:

---

Usually, it's very hard for wrestling fans when someone in the business passes away. Wrestlers are the closest thing we have to superheroes, and to see someone we believed would outlive us all die is sad, sometimes horrible, and always tragic.

It's worse when that person is a small child. Connor "The Crusher" Michalek was an eight year old superfan stricken with an unfair and incurable form of cancer, but oh, was he larger than his eight years of life. He was charming, brilliant, honest, funny, a fan of Daniel Bryan, a beautiful little kid who has the distinction of pinning Triple H clean after a knockout punch.

Kenta Kobashi beat cancer and got lucky. Connor couldn't. He passed away after seeing his hero Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX, leaving everything behind way too soon.

As a parent, this is the kind of story you never want to hear. As a wrestling fan, it's the sort of thing that makes you believe in how kind people in the business are, how sometimes they can be kind and be gentle with the people who need them to be most. As a person, Connor's story both breaks my heart and makes me happy - happy because he got to be a part of something he loved with people who all loved him right up til the end.

This year, Connor is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, receiving the first ever Warrior Award. Daniel Bryan will be one of the people inducting him, along with Warrior's wife. There are plenty of people who have a lot to say about that, most of it good, some of it really not; I'm really glad they're doing it. Connor deserves to be immortalized that way.

When the nominations for the TWB Ballots were announced, I knew - I've known since last year - that Connor was going to be my Number One pick. He was.

And he still is.

Thanks, Connor. For everything.

A blood feud, reignited Photo Credit: Lee South/ImpactWrestling.com

The first part of the TNA bracket is all done, and Kurt Angle, Abyss, Christian Cage, and Bully Ray have all claimed victory. Now, the second part of Impact Wrestling's finest will do battle.

3. AJ Styles vs. 14. Eric Young, TALE OF THE TAPE
STYLES - 5x TNA World Champion (3x NWA incl.), 2013 Bound for Glory Series winner, 2x IWGP Heavyweight Champion, PWG Champion, IWA-MS Champion, Inheritor of Prince Devitt's sloppy seconds as Bullet Club leader (hail Hydra)

YOUNG - TNA World Champion, Least embarrassing wrestler who hosts an outdoors-style hunting/fishing show


6. Bobby Roode vs. 11. James Storm, TALE OF THE TAPE
ROODE - 2x TNA World Champion, 2011 Bound for Glory Series winner, 2013 TNA Tournament of Champions winner, Owner of the last bottle of Soul-Glo in existence

STORM - TNA World Champion, Combined 13x TNA/NWA World Tag Team Champion, Became crazy cult leader in response to Undertaker lifting his JOHNNY CASH LISTENINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN gimmick


2. Jeff Jarrett vs. 15. Magnus, TALE OF THE TAPE
JARRETT - 6x TNA (NWA) World Champion, 2x King of the Mountain, TNA co-founder, 4x WCW World Champion, AAA World Champion, Founder of Global Force Wrestling, Slapnuts

MAGNUS - TNA World Champion, Ring Ka King World Champion, Only TNA wrestler to have lost to Daniel Bryan by proxy


7. Samoa Joe vs. 10. Ron Killings, TALE OF THE TAPE
JOE - TNA World Champion, 2008 King of the Mountain, ROH World Champion, Thanking God that the dick tattoo put on his face was only temporary

KILLINGS - 2x TNA (NWA) World Champion, Was in the ring for CM Punk's "pipe bomb" promo


V O T E

It's an e-mail show 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: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 203 (March 17, 2015)
Run Time: 1:35:24
Guest: None

Summary: Austin is flying solo this week and answering emails from listeners. Redneck Island surfaces as a topic, but the episode is heavily focused on wrestling, including discussion of Shane McMahon, the WWE Hall of Fame, ring psychology, Kevin Nash, the evolution of paid time off for injured wrestlers, the famous pre-WrestleMania X-Seven interview, Paul Heyman, the inspiration for his stint as a prodigious hugger, the beer-throwing timekeeper and the Bray Wyatt/Undertaker story. He also answers questions about leg days at the gym, beer, the paranormal, which wrestlers would be good zombie fighters and his current music tastes. The word of the day is “go home.”

Quote of the week:“But to bring him back, if the Undertaker does indeed come back, I think you gotta go over. I think it’s the rub that benefits Bray Wyatt. And, you know, if Bray Wyatt goes over, then you bring that back to SummerSlam where he’s gonna return the favor back to Undertaker, but I’m just not feeling an Undertaker loss on back-to-back Manias. I just think that takes away form how special his run was. And even though I was for staying undefeated, the fact that he got the one loss means that I especially don’t want to see him take two losses back to back. Unless, hey man, it was his idea, he’s down for it and he wants to prep this guy up. But I don’t see that being the case.”

Why you should listen: My usual complaint about Austin’s email shows is his chooses to answer questions he’s already addressed in earlier episodes. There’s a few such instances here (though sometimes it’s just Austin’s mind wandering by itself to a familiar story), but the balance is a pleasant amount of fresh material. As email response shows go, this is easily one of his better offerings.

Why you should skip it: Will you be upset when Austin questions the validity of the moon landing? (Don’t worry though, he doesn’t believe in ghosts.) Are you ready for another three minutes spent discussing the mechanics of catching beers in the ring? Perhaps you want a retelling of the unmemorable squash match Austin worked against Randy Savage? This may be one of his better email shows, but in the hierarchy of formats, this format is average at best.

Final thoughts: There’s not much to add at this point. It was a good time with predictable lulls, nothing revelatory (except maybe the moon landing stuff) and there’s a good chance he’ll reiterate most of these points on subsequent episodes. You can easily skip this show, but at least listening to it won’t make you angry.

Alex Riley may never be the darling that Sami Zayn and to a slightly lesser extent Adrian Neville are when it comes to an NXT crowd, but they're the ones who got the free rides to the hospital after getting apron powerbombed by Kevin Owens and he didn't, so call it a wash.

He was a Finn Bálor save away from joining the list, however. Come next week, it's scheduled to be the #1 contender and warpaint aficionado going in against the French Canadian Murder Bear (hopefully they taped this in Ohio as well, with Owens on the shelf for the next intermittent little bit due to knee surgery); this week the main question to be answered was something along the lines of wondering if Owens would make good on his threat to end Alex's in-ring career the same way he ended his announcing stint by goading him into this match. Despite pre-match warnings from Bálor of what the champion was capable of, like Sami Zayn before him he was blinded by his all-encompassing RAGE, thus like Sami Zayn before him playing right into the paws of the titleholder.

Even before the match they were trading some small cheap shots back and forth as Drake seemed borderline ineffectual and for the first time in a long time (so far as Stamford's Kool-Aid goes) a referee was separating both of the competitors pre-match to try and get them under enough control to get the bout underway. Alex Riley is and was a lot of things, but as KO himself said pre-match, on Owens' level at this point (maybe ever) isn't one of them; outside of one nearfall off of a low-level spinebuster Owens let his malice and swagger carry the evening. It wasn't like the Ohioians in attendance were necessarily against this occurring, either: Owens drew a multitude of his normal Full Sail chants, in addition to a few Owens Is Gonna Kill You and Mr. Wrestling chants. Granted, they also threw in a snarky Rest Owens Rest chant during his lengthy chinhold on the former Miz lackey, but this just went to further underscore doing this storyline for this crowd.

It's hard to say if this was exacerbated by being in Columbus and the first out-of-Florida show for Triple H's baby (earlier big heel pops were given for Tyler Breeze and Sasha Banks ((more on which later)) but they usually get similar split and loudly beloved response down in Full Sail) but as Owens fired off a bevy of sentons before using the steel barrier as an unwitting tag partner for offense before laying A-Ry out with the pop-up bomb Owens had this crowd dancing on his strings, and they seemed all the more willing to move for his rhythms and not the small starbursts Riley got to orchestrate.

Post-match it seemed like Owens was going to add a third name to his list, but was cut off by his challenger next week diving from the elevated entranceway down to the floor. There was no pretense and no safe assumptions after that occurred; once they got withing punching range of each other that's all they did until Bálor got the upper hand by throwing Owens into the steps. Back in-ring, he got off the shotgun dropkick and seemed to be set to execute a Coup before Owens got a case of the limbertail (and in the cases of the most immature of us, caused chortles by getting in a final stomp on the still-fallen Riley on his way out). Yet again, Bálor stood in the ring waiting on the champion. At least this time his wait will be shorter, and NXTaholics can cross another dream match over into the Watched pile.

(Side note: in their NXT Goes Shippin' Up To Cleveland video package that took up a bit more air in the episode's room than was wholly necessary but was completely understandable, it appears they filmed a Cesaro/Bálor match. UM. NOW. GIMME IT.)

Other than the fact it was aired that H³ admitted that the raucous response was another signifier that this wasn't just your daddy's developmental league but rather seemed to have the components to stand on its own as its own brand was hometown girl Alexa Bliss coming back to where she'd danced at her senior prom and doing just enough to beat Sasha Banks by countout to earn a full-fledged title shot at next week's already loaded show. This has been brewing since last summer when Banks broke Bliss' nose; yet again even with the relatively short running time given an NXT babyface found a way to show off anger and increased brio without crossing the line into full-fledged main roster jerk-that-the-audience-has-been-conditioned-to-buy-two-new-shirts-a-year-for territory.

Even though the crowd was somewhat happy to see the Boss, when it came time for hostilities to resume they mostly had the hometown girl's back. The Ohioian managed to survive a lengthy time period in Banks' trademark straightjacket -- even further exacerbated by maintaining it and stretching her over her knee for a clip -- then took the flight to her on the floor with an Austinesque Thesz press and punching combo when she tried to bail out before pushing her into the ringpost and garnering the rarest of NXT birds: a countout victory. As an apéritif for the bigger drink to come with the impending title match, this was perfectly cromulent and Bliss keeps looking better in every single match that she's been in while the Boss is probably the axle that keeps the division turning as we move on into 2015. Them getting a semi-main to show off more a range of their skillsets may be happening quickly, but it isn't undeserved and should hold a lot of fans' eyeballs in a few days for the title rematch.

Tyler Breeze started off the evening continuing to show his relevancy with a victory over a suddenly single Kalisto (you know how), and Wesley Blake got a lucky (?) rollup victory over Big Cass after he bumped into Carmella on the apron and she hurt her leg unless of course she didn't and it's part of her long con against these mooks that cost her her job and life's original calling.

But those weren't the biggest takeaways of the evening: it was watching not quite Full Sail but with an audience more than willing to not only ape the usual suspects but be rabid for every match in the evening's card and add in their own two cents that showed they were slicker than your RAW average (in addition to the Rest Owens Rest one they added on a This Guy's Sawft chant that certainly has the possibility to catch on see the aforementioned pops for Sash, T Breezie, and KO along with an especially loud singing along with the Newer Age Outlaws in the form of Cass and Enzo). Even the lizard brains got an introduction to Dana Brooke and a name-dropping for Paige Hathaway. Mr. Stephanie may have said as much and gotten resoundingly cheered for it when he did so 13 months ago, but by going hours away from homebase and selling out a crowd that was already fluent in the language of Full Sail with the prospect of this being the first overture in a much longer opera to hopefully be sung for years to come, the next generation of NXT has arrived.

Does this make my mixtape? YES! YES! YES! Photo Credit: WWE.com

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 How did WrestleMania XXX affect your WrestleMania mix tape? #TweetBag
— Star of Savage (@StarOfSavage) March 18, 2015

While I count WrestleMania XXX as perhaps the best Mania of all-time, or at least the second best to the immortal X-7, I only counted one match that could have made the tape. However, that match was my favorite from last year and one of the best I've ever seen. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H would definitely crack the tape, but that match would have a domino effect on the rest of the tape. Trips is already wrapped up in The Streak match from the aforementioned X-7, which is still the best one of the 21-match run (or at least a close #2 behind the first Shawn Michaels one at XXV). So now Taker would be open, but who'd replace Trips across from him? Both the best answers, CM Punk and Shawn Michaels, are occupied in the WWE and Intercontinental Championship matches respectively.

The decision would have to be made as to which match is less essential to the overall fabric of Mania history, and that answer is easy. Punk vs. Chris Jericho was good, but it wasn't essential. So CM Punk vs. Undertaker from WrestleMania XXIX is inserted into the Streak spot. In order to replace the WWE Championship match then, Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar from WrestleMania XIX is then put into the rotation, which would eliminate Angle/Randy Orton/Rey Mysterio from the tape, as well as leave Chris Jericho without a dance partner. But leaving Orton, Mysterio, and Jericho off the collection isn't that bad of a sin. For as great as they are as performers, I don't think any one of them really had an essential Mania moment. So now, the order becomes this:

Open. Bryan/Trips
2. Cena/Show
3. Savage/Warrior
4. Punk/Undertaker
5. Dudleys/Hardys/Edge and Christian
6. Austin/Hart
7. Michaels/Razor
8. Angle/Lesnar
9. Piper/Goldust
Main Event. Rock/Hogan

@tholzerman Next indie star you foresee going to NXT and making a big splash (or could, based on how things have gone there)?
— Kyle Kensing (@kensing45) March 18, 2015

I'd be cheating if I named Uhaa Nation, since he's been mostly confirmed as a signing. He'll do fantastically well if he escapes the sucking void of institutional racism that Vince McMahon seems to harbor, but at least he'll tear up NXT before he gets to the main roster. As for a dude who is unsigned as of right now, gimme Bad Bones. The guy has the look of a WWE superstar, and he taps into an international market that the company hasn't really tapped into as much in, Germany. Give him some time in NXT to acclimate to WWE, put him against Cesaro, and let him work on his English (which is decent enough for him to use Twitter).

@tholzerman#TweetBag People are complaining about Roman Reigns main eventing ‘Mania, but Sid headlined two. TWO! How did this happen?
— What a Maneuver!! (@what_a_maneuver) March 18, 2015

The mid-'90s were a dark time for professional wrestling. In-ring work wasn't as valued as it is today in the American mainstream and WWE in particular, and for some reason, more than one company thought Sid Eudy and his softball-playing ass were valuable in more than a "run in and powerbomb dudes" capacity. Granted, his bat-shit insane mic work was entertaining, but was it "headline two installments of WWE's marquee show" entertaining? Especially against peak-bloat Hulk Hogan and pre-HOSS PRIME Undertaker? Cocaine is a hell of a drug, man.

@tholzerman hows the kids?
— bd (@IHatebd) March 18, 2015

TJ is progressing fine for his age. He's already potty-trained, using full sentences, and eating like a big kid. However, whoever called it the Terrible Twos and not the Thunderous Threes is a dipshit, because once TJ turned three, he turned into a holy terror. Meanwhile, Josie is teething, but other than that, she's a pleasant, happy baby. A little too pleasant if you ask me.

@tholzerman What would be a legitimate base salary offer to retain Brock another year, if we assume he made $5M?
— Brian Coulter (@PhilaBCoulter) March 18, 2015

I'd start with a 50% raise ($7.5M) and negotiate from there. Lesnar is worth every penny at this point, even if I find Paul Heyman to be more grating and annoying by the week at this point.

@tholzerman Why does Daniel Bryan clasp his hands together before kicks? It's distracting the heck out of me and I can't un-notice it.
— Geoff Martini (@GeoffMartini) March 18, 2015

I really don't know other than it being a nervous tic. Some wrestlers just have mannerisms that they can't shake. You may just have to live with it.

@what_a_maneuver@tholzerman Sid might be trash, but does Reigns have a quarter of the charisma that Sid did?
— Time Limit Draw (@TheTLDPodcast) March 18, 2015

Sid had charisma, sure. But the charisma he had in 1991 never developed into anything of worth. Reigns may or may not evolve meaningfully during his career, although he's shown tremendous growth on promos in the last month or so. I'm not so sure Sid is the right comp for Reigns here. Maybe he'll end up like Lex Luger, with a spotty career that shows a lot of promise at various points. A lot of what Reigns might end up as will be revealed in the aftermath of Mania, whether he wins or loses.

@tholzerman THIS IS A DOG SLEEPING ON A BASEBALL PROSPECTUS IS HE A BETTER GENERAL MANAGER THAN RUBEN AMARO? pic.twitter.com/x8wGReW1gp
— Duje Lashlee-Walton (@thegnc) March 18, 2015

That dog at least knows what Baseball Prospectus is, so I'm going to answer with a resounding YES.

@tholzerman Have you watched Max Landis' video on Triple H? If you have, who or what part of wrestling do you think he should do a video on?
— Roy Michael Tricksey (@Michael_T1919) March 18, 2015

I have not, actually. I have little patience for longer YouTube videos unless I'm in the mood to watch them, and even then, if I'm watching long vids, they're wrestling matches rather than anything else. But I'm ecstatic that more and more people in "legitimate" arts are paying mind to pro wrestling. The more rasslin' is ingratiated into other areas of pop culture, maybe the more acceptance it'll gain and it might end up going straight and stop being so goddamn carny. Speaking of which...

@tholzerman Am I wrong for being creeped out by blade jobs in wrestling in 2015 knowing what we know about blood-borne disease? #TweetBag
— The real dajerseyboy (@dajerseyboy) March 18, 2015

You're absolutely right in feeling that way. Blood is a vestige of an era long past, one that maybe required blood to keep up the veneer of kayfabe. But today, everyone knows it's staged. Feigned violence doesn't need a crimson leak in order to pop off the screen and slap one across the face. The bumps themselves should be able to make the audience gasp without the need for spilling of bodily fluids, especially given what people know about hepatitis, AIDS, and other pathogens.

@tholzerman Eagles coach Chip Kelly decides to bring his insanity to pro wrestling by being a manager. Who is in his stable? #tweetbag
— boxwatcher (@boxwatcher) March 18, 2015

Kelly's teams are fast, offensively innovative, and big, so Uhaa Nation, Kevin Owens, Moose, and the War Beard Hanson are the obvious picks. Of course, no one on the roster is safe, so don't be surprised if it's turned over once a week, but those four guys are the core.

@tholzerman Any Special WrestleMania food/drinks you're planning? I'm going with Stone's Enjoy By IPA, 7 layer dip, & pulled pork sammiches.
— Beer Baron (@BeerBaron4life) March 18, 2015

Usually, I don't imbibe during wrestling events because I like to cover them with a clear mind, but this year's Mania has been built so dreadfully that I might have a token beer, probably an Oskar Blues Old Chub scotch ale. But as for the food, the Mrs. and I will probably put out a spread featuring meatballs, chips, pizza rolls, and whatever else happens to pop into my head. It won't be extravagant, but it won't be the typical "whatever's in the pantry" for other pay-per-views.

@tholzerman What would it take for you to attend Wrestlemania this year? Does it go beyond free travel/food/ticket? #TweetBag
— Dirty Rasslin (@DirtyRasslin) March 18, 2015

No, but it would have to go TO free travel/food/ticket. Even if WrestleMania was built worse than it was this year, the live spectacle is what sells it, not the actual card. Everyone always wants to say they've been to Mania, right? I want that. The expenses, especially at the last minute, would be daunting, but if I got a free ride the whole way, I'd be there, especially if I was able to score a ticket to the NXT or ROH shows along with SHIMMER.

Havok putting the boots to Alpha Female Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Welcome to the kickoff of the actual TWB 100 list, where the first 20 entrants will be revealed. The first one is quite the fierce competitor...

100. Jessicka Havok/HAVOK
Points: 695
Ballots: 12
Highest Vote Received: 9th Place (John Rosenberger)
Last Year's Placement: 56th Place

Kevin Held: Absolute proof that women wrestlers don't have to be a size whatever to be compelling/awesome/attractive/fear-inducing.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

99. Mike Bennett
Points: 696
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote Received: 2nd Place (Brandon Mars)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Samuel DiMascio: There aren’t many wrestlers that are such a perfect heel for Ring of Honor, but he delivers in the ring but in a way stylistically different than the traditional presentation for the company. Seeing him work the crowd against Hallowicked at National Pro Wrestling Day is something that I doubt many wrestlers could pull off with such ease. To see him also play a pretty good clean cut babyface in NEW at times is wild and shows his range.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

98.Kazuchika Okada
Points: 706
Ballots: 9
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (Brandon Mars)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

97. Jimmy Jacobs
Points: 707
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote Received: 13th Place (Rene Sanchez)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Rene Sanchez: Jimmy Jacobs worked a few shows in Portland, OR (the area that I currently call home) this year for the West Coast Wrestling Connection under his “Zombie Princess” moniker and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when he was in the ring. My only experience with Jacobs had been through ROH where he had become a seldom used mouthpiece for the likes of Roderick Strong and BJ Whitmer in “The Decade”, so to see Jacobs perform extremely well in the ring (especially in comparison to some of the local, greener talent) was jarring. No one was smoother or as clean in the ring as Jacobs at the local show I attended and seeing him live really increased his value as an in-ring performer to me.

Brad Canze: Jimmy Jacobs is maybe the independent wrestler with the most presence while being the least physically imposing. He is a tiny man with crazy hair and more eyeliner than your middle school sister's "troubled" friend, but he puts enough effort and pride into everything he does to make everyone in the crowd pay attention. Jacobs is a longtime veteran with a great mind, evidenced by his apparent hiring as a WWE Creative team member, who knows when to do something and how best to do it to maximize a crowd reaction.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

96. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Points: 707 (Placed ahead of Jimmy Jacobs because of the higher highest vote)
Ballots: 10
Highest Vote Received: 3rd Place (Dave Kincannon)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Dave Kincannon: Even though he spent most of his time in Japan, Zack Sabre Jr had an impressive handful of matches in America. His performance at the 2014 Battle of Los Angeles, was stellar, as were his matches against Biff Busick and Timothy Thatcher when EVOLVE went to New York in September. Sabre’s command of technical wrestling is as sound as they come, and if he works more US dates in 2015, I can see him having a much higher TWB 100 ranking.

Samuel DiMascio: Zack Sabre is a fella who benefits from having a brief stint in American in 2014 but delivering during that period. Namely, his EVOLVE matches against Biff Busick and Timothy Thatcher were excellent contests that truly felt like they demonstrated him at his best. The latter of which felt like a fantastic modern twist on an old European grapplin’ fest. When you remove some of his Japanese junior-stylings, he is a skilled matworkers reminiscent of World of Sport stars such as Marty Jones or Rollerball Rocco.

Screen Grab via Impact Wrestling YouTube

95. Matt Hardy
Points: 728
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote Received: 15th Place (Dylan Hales)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: I saw none of Matt Hardy's Impact Wrestling work in 2014, but he made waves elsewhere, especially with brother Jeff in dream matches on the indies I never knew I needed until I saw them. While Jeff's work in those matches drew more attention, Matt laid the foundation and actually made an effective Ricky Morton for various opponents. His solo prestige stuff, especially against AJ Styles in Northeast Wrestling, should not be slept upon either.

Rene Sanchez: All I can say about Matt Hardy is this: HE’S STILL TAKING BUMPS OFF THE TOP OF LADDERS! HOLY HELL WHAT IS HE DOING? For real, to be in the game this long and to still be taking a suplex into a table from the top of a ladder is admirably idiotic and deserves a spot on this list in my eyes.

Samuel DiMascio: The better Hardy had an impressive year entering his 40s in a variety of environments across the country. In NEW, he puts on quality matches against the likes of AJ Styles and the Young Bucks. In TNA, he and Jeff put some heat in the tag division there while bumping like mad men in ladder matches and more. In numerous smaller indies Matt Hardy could come in, pop the house, and make the local guy look like a million bucks. Matt’s signature match in ’14 though was with Jeff against the Briscoes in OMEGA. That match may very well have been the best tag match in the world last year, creating an atmosphere unlike almost anything else in this time period. It was Matt’s selling and timing that made all the twists and turns work for the better.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

94. Becky Lynch
Points: 744
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote Received: 23rd Place (Brandon Mars)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Scott Holland: Ranking someone like Becky Lynch is a bit of a challenge because her in-ring performance was directly affected by character tinkering that is the natural part of the NXT developmental process. It’s clear she’s got a strong wrestling background, and there’s a better than 50 percent chance she makes a significant upward move in 2015 voting as the NXT landscape changes and allows her to do more than work five-minute matches on weekly TV. All that said, in 2014 she showed flashes of significant potential and delivered entertaining moments, far more so than what you get from throwaway women’s matches on WWE B and C shows.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

93. Shynron
Points: 748
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (Drew Cordeiro)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: The former Charade built upon his impressive under-the-hood debut year with a solid follow up. He worked as an effective babyface in several promotions, bumping around for relative giants like Brian Fury or going tete-a-tete with dudes more his size like Seiya Sanada. He's still a bit rough around the edges, but he's worthy of a spot and is getting better every year.

Dave Kincannon: In 2013, I liked Shynron. I thought that he was as athletic as they come, and was capable of having good matches. However, in my mind, there were definite flaws, and he hadn’t quite lived up to his potential. In 2014, I loved Shynron. He’s starting to put it together, and figure out how to use his athletic prowess in more effective ways during matches. Whether he was competing for the Rey de Voladores or the Young Lions Cup, teaming with Kitsune as the Ninjas with Attitude or having brilliant singles matches with the likes of AR Fox and Silver Ant, Shynron made an impression on me that eclipsed my thoughts of his 2013.

Frank McCormick: The inclusion of "The Spirit Dragon" is very simple to explain: I always see something different when I'm watching a match with Shynron. There's always at least one "Woah!" moment. In Chikara, in one half of ISW's "Ninjas With Attitude," Shynron provides the kind of "flippy shit" I love. And as he's still about 12 years old, his future is wide open. I want to see what he comes up with.

Photo Credit: Christine Coons

92. Tim Donst
Points: 748 (Placed ahead of Shynron because of higher highest vote)
Ballots: 10
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Alex Torres)
Last Year's Placement: 43rd Place

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

91. Icarus
Points: 753
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (Jesse Dlugosz)
Last Year's Placement: 59th Place

Nick Ahlhelm: I still have a hard time believing Icarus is the top babyface of anything, but after months of him leading the belief in a resurrected Chikara, it was Icarus that led the fight in 2014. He won the Grand Championship at the return event before taking a leadership role in the ongoing fight with the Flood. In many ways Icarus embodied the #IAmChikara slogan he introduced throughout the entire Chikara season, even as he lost friends to the Flood’s attacks. Ultimately, he finished the year by ending the murderous Deucalion’s rampage, but perhaps tainted his own soul in the process. Other Chikara stars may get more press or higher ratings, but it was Icarus that made everything they did in 2014 possible.

Mat Morgan: Icarus is interesting because in a way, it's really astounding that he's become the tecnico ace of CHIKARA. Not just because for years he was either the most or second-most hated wrestler there (give or take a Vin Gerard), but because when you think about it, what is it that Icarus excels at? He's not the best brawler (that's probably Kingston), he's not the most impressive mat wrestler (that's probably Silver Ant), he's not the best high-flier (for my money that's actually Fire Ant), and he's not the most captivating character (that's UltraMantis). But on the other hand, he's quietly pretty good at all those things. While the Deucalion match at Quantum of Solace made clear that maybe he can't work miracles, he's a great asset in singles matches, in tag matches, and in trios, and he's by and large held up his end of the bargain as Grand Champion. May he continue his improbable tecnico run for another year, flying just close enough to the sun.

Brad Canze: Icarus has been a technically and fundamentally sound wrestler for years, and easily one of the best heels in wrestling for a long time. This is a guy who maximized his in-ring work so he could get an audience to boo him for practically anything he did, and could make a crowd go nuclear just by flashing his (awful) back tattoo. So 2014 was a challenge for Icarus was to transition from a seasoned heel ring general into a fluffy-haired babyface in a vinyl baseball jersey. This was a rebuilding year for Icarus, but basically what Chikara did with him was take a world-class salsa dancer and telling him "OK, no salsa, you do the Lindy Hop now." By the time I saw him face Jimmy Jacobs live at Moonraker he had figured out a lot of the kinks, and the two put in one of the most engaging, physical wrestling matches I saw last year

Photo Credit: Picture Dave

90. Davey Vega
Points: 759
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote Received: 14th Place (Brandon Kyla)
Last Year's Placement: 72nd Place

TH: Whether as the Bleeding Heart in Inspire Pro or as the visiting babyface workhorse in Beyond, Vega brought the heft in his matches in 2014. He continues to be one of the indies' unsung heroes, turning in solid technical bouts wherever he goes. However, his absolute highlight of 2014 may have been stopping time and giving an out-loud inner monologue to the fans during the bonkers, comedy atomico at King of Trios.

Kevin Held: I've seen some of his matches online, but I finally got to watch him in person last December at a St. Louis Anarchy show. He wrestled Gary Jay in an hour-long time limit draw. It never once felt like an hour, and the two men put on a clinic for would-be wrestlers when it comes to putting together a match.

Dave Kincannon: Davey Vega was one of the unsung heroes of independent wrestling in 2014. It doesn’t matter where he is on the card, what promotion he’s wrestling for, or whether he’s wrestling a singles match, a tag team match, an atomicos match at King of Trios, or one of those six man scramble matches that AIW likes to put him in, he could always be depended upon to hold down his end of any match. He’s dependable, and in a business like professional wrestling, I feel like that’s a pretty big compliment.

Chris McDonald: An underrated sleazeball in Inspire Pro. The “Bleeding Heart” is a great lackey for Dirty Andy Dalton, but when he’s in the ring he really starts to shine.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

89. Matt Sydal
Points: 790
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote Received: 13th Place (Chris McDonald)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Photo Credit: El Rey Network.com

88. Sexy Star
Points: 809
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote Received: 16th Place (Rich Thomas)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

De O'Brien: In 2014, Lucha Underground debuted with much hype - a lucha show on a network run by Quentin Tarantino pal and frequent collaborator Robert Rodriguez? What's not to get hype about? - and it lived up to ALL OF IT, showcasing wrestling and, more importantly, wrestlers not seen often in the US outside a few select locations. One of the standouts is Ms. Sexy Star, a woman the WWE said was "too fat" to be a Diva, introduced through a vignette wherein she discussed lacing up a pair of wrestling boots to beat her demons and overcome a tragic past, to show women that you can be empowered no matter what you do or who you are, that wrestling is something women are just as good at, if not better at, than the men, and that women have valid reasons for competing - and the entire world sat up and listened. Here is a powerful, strong, brilliant woman wrestling against men and not being treated like a delicate flower, or being manhandled because she's a lady; here's a woman in a traditionally often male-dominated sport and culture going toe to toe with the best that sport has to offer and winning just as often as not. Thanks to Sexy Star - and to Lucha Underground - for giving wrestling a much-needed example to emulate in a landscape where that's often overlooked.

Mat Morgan: Sexy Star's greatest asset in Lucha Underground is the fact that she doesn't give a fuck. When I first saw her I was kind of critical of the fact that she kept going for moves like crossbodies against male competitors that 70% of the time ended in her being caught and bodyslammed, eventually it clicked in my head that those failures are the point. It doesn't matter how many times she gets caught and bodyslammed, because there will always be a next time, and next time she might just lay some dude out instead. That's why Sexy Star is fun and worth believing in even when she's sometimes underserved by the material Lucha Underground gives her; she never, ever, ever gives up, and that belief is infectious. Here's hoping she gets the stories and the attention she deserves in 2015.

Ryan Foster: Sexy is a fantastic athlete and works at a breakneck speed that makes her an ideal fit for the Lucha Underground temple. Sexy is also highly skilled at connecting with the crowd and has fans living and dying with her spirited comeback efforts. Though she lacked a true standout match in 2014, her feud with Son of Havoc and Ivelisse Velez early in the show’s run helped to establish the chaotic, anything-goes feel of the promotion.

Screen Grab via Impact Wrestling YouTube

87. Bobby Roode
Points: 824
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote Received: 11th Place (James Girouard)
Last Year's Placement: 62nd Place

Joshua Browns: SO much natural talent. SO much potential. Impact really needs to figure out how to use him as something other than a blue-light special Triple H.

Photo Credit: Picture Dave

86. Eddie "Eddie Edwards" Edwards
Points: 830
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote Received: 10th Place (Chris Harrington)
Last Year's Placement: 54th Place

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

85. Mark Briscoe
Points: 877
Ballots: 12
Highest Vote Received: 7th Place (Dylan Hales)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Chicken continued to delve further off the deep end in 2014, enhancing his already crazy image and refining his redneck kung fu even further. His work in tags with brother Jay was a great, whimsical counterweight to the sheer meanness his bro brought to the table. Few wrestlers brought as much frenetic energy to the game as Mark Briscoe did in 2014.

Rene Sanchez: Mark Briscoe has crazy eyes, missing teeth, and a manic demeanor that is viscerally enticing (author’s note: do those two words even work together?). All of this adds up to one of the most entertaining and visually appealing performers in ROH and a deserving member of the TWB 100. Also, in my humble opinion, the Froggy Bow is the most aesthetically pleasing move in all of wrestling today.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

84. Austin Aries
Points: 920
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote Received: 8th Place (Ian Riccaboni)
Last Year's Placement: 66th Place

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

83. Michael Elgin
Points: 920 (Placed ahead of Aries because he was included on more ballots)
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote Received: 8th Place (Chris Harrington)
Last Year's Placement: 35th Place

Photo Credit: El Rey Network.com

82. Fenix
Points: 934
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote Received: 4th Place (Pablo Alva)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Brandon Bosh: One of the happiest wrestling-related developments in 2014 was the emergence of the Lucha Underground aesthetic, which reimagines garden-variety babyfaces and heels as omnipotent heroes and villains locked in an epic struggle. The lucha tradition eschews realistic selling and pacing in favor of spectacular, physics-defying offense between demigods – and no luchador’s offense was more spectacular than that of Fenix.

Wrestling traditionalists might balk at the dizzying array of aerial attacks in a typical Fenix match, but the loyal disciples of Dario Cueto know that, when it comes to violence, more is more. With a twofold assault on El Rey and Unimas, the man of a thousand lives has found himself at the forefront of a cruiserweight renaissance, in which open-minded wrestling fans suspend their disbelief in order to witness some of the most exhilarating athletic action on the planet. WWE could use a wrestler like Fenix, with his bottomless reserves of babyface fire and kinetic energy; he might even be able to resurrect the catatonic RAW audience, which would be a mythical feat if ever there was one.

Ryan Foster: Probably Lucha Underground’s best pure luchador, every Fenix match includes at least one spot you’ve never seen before. Fenix uses the ring as his playground, improvising flips and dives that still feel like they’re a part of the flow of the match rather than a gymnastics exhibition. His feud with Pentagon Jr. produced some of the year’s most fun, exciting matches. Puma and Mundo may be bigger stars, but Fenix is the promotion’s soul.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

81. Juan Francisco de Coronado
Points: 942
Ballots: 17
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (De O'Brien)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Coronado's over-the-top heel shtick and droning promo style take away from the fact that he maybe Chikara's best technical wrestler not named Silver Ant right now. His 2014 had a lot of gems that were easy to overlook because he wasn't part of the main angle at all. But checking out his work, especially against Jervis Cottonbelly at You Only Live Twice and Ashley Remington at Tomorrow Never Dies, will lead to satisfying results.

De O'Brien: In the beginning, I have to admit I was completely annoyed by the mere existence of Juan Francisco de Coronado. He came to the ring with his Mean Street Posse reject manservant Herbert; his scorn of the United States, or, as he calls them, the "United Stations", bordered on homicidally maddening; and even his bowties evinced a deep-seated anger in me. But, fair is fair, and 2014 has been the year of the Ecuadorian; Coronado is forever unfailingly polite, if a bit standoffish - as is befitting Ecuadorian royalty - at shows, his bowties are actually quite complimentary to a variety of outfits, and the matches he had against Ashley Remington this past year were an utter delight. Not to mention, he had a great match against Rockstar Spud at the 2014 King of Trios that was simply charming in its defense of the bowtie and who was more fit to wear one. As much as I do not care for Juan's villainous and devious in-ring actions - I won't be hoisting the Ecuadorean flag high anytime soon - I must admit I am looking very forward to seeing what he can accomplish in 2015.

Dave Kincannon: Juan Francisco de Coronado might be the most improved wrestler of 2014. In 2013, he was fun to watch, but he wasn’t someone who I would ever have thought might be great. I was wrong. His clashes with Ashley Remington in Chikara were fantastic, and the Battle of the Bowties with Rockstar Spud was one of the highlights of King of Trios. His mannerisms, facial expressions and that high pitched scream of his elevate his efforts beyond just sound wrestling matches to story-telling bonanzas.

Frank McCormick:"You can't wrestle!" That's a chant I heard with my own ears in 2013 under the glare of a werewolf with a huge package. It wasn't true in 2013, and it CERTAINLY wasn't true in 2014. He's always had a great gimmick. He just radiates heel heat, with the bowtie and the "United Staters" and the Titanic entrance theme. Now he's stepped up his wrestling game, and it's marvelous. I mean, let's be real: the Coronado/Remington feud was Chikara's best of 2014. (I was way more excited for and invested in that than in most of The Flood stuff.) He CAN wrestle, and it's glorious!f

Tomorrow, two guys who got first place votes are unveiled!

The rivalry that defined ECW for a year is rekindled Photo Credit: WWE.com

Half the first round matches are over, so it's time to head to the second half, into the ECW Region. But first, the winners from yesterday's TNA action are AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Magnus (by one vote!), and Samoa Joe. Now, for today's action:

1. Raven vs. 16. Tommy Dreamer, TALE OF THE TAPE
RAVEN - 2x ECW Champion, TNA (NWA) World Champion, 27x WWE Hardcore Champion (a record), Is probably smarter than you

DREAMER - ECW Champion, both real and "WWECW," Hardcore Hall of Famer, Once said a bad word at a Chikara show


8. Mike Awesome vs. 9. Masato Tanaka, TALE OF THE TAPE
AWESOME - 2x ECW Champion, FMW World Independent Champion, Set off the most surreal set of title switches in pro wrestling history when he signed with WCW

TANAKA - ECW Champion, 2x FMW World Independent Champion, first ever NEVER Openweight Champion, Called the "True Man of Summer" because I think he really like's Bell's Oberon? I got nothin'


4. Terry Funk vs. 13. Steve Corino, TALE OF THE TAPE
FUNK - 2x ECW Champion, NWA World Champion, WWE/WCW/NWA/Hardcore Hall of Famer, Will more than likely be wrestling years after his death

CORINO - ECW Champion, NWA World Champion, Will be skipping baseball season this year


5. Sabu vs. 12. Jerry Lynn, TALE OF THE TAPE
SABU - 2x ECW Champion, Hardcore Hall of Famer, Wants you to smell his moustache

LYNN - ECW Champion, Hardcore Hall of Famer, 2007 Super 8 Tournament winner, IWA-MS Championship, ROH World Champion, Always business up front and party in the rear


VOTE HARDCORE! VOTE HARDCORE!

This gasbag chatted with another gasbag for two hours and Scott didn't kill himself, it's a miracle

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: 57 (March 18, 2015)
Run Time: 2:28:35
Guest: Jim Cornette (29:52)

Summary: After a mostly forgettable monologue — except the part where Ross takes a pragmatic stance on the Bill DeMott situation — he brings on longtime colleague Jim Cornette. They open with a look at WrestleKingdom 9 and the Royal Rumble/WrestleMania booking before Ross turns back the clock. That starts with Cornette’s memories of Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic and his infamous blade job at the Techwood Drive studio. The guys discuss match booking and then reminisce about Bobby Heenan, Jerry Lawler and, briefly, Chris Benoit. Ross asks Cornette to weigh in on the end of the Undertaker’s streak. Then he opens up about Ring of Honor and time-limit draws, compares and contrasts Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, remembers announcers of note, reveals who he wishes he’d had a chance to manage and gives advice to aspiring managers. The guys rant about current booking challenges and shortcomings before ending with a few thoughts about New Jack and Lance Russell.

Quote of the week:“The best territory I think I worked, from an enjoyment — both a professional and personal standpoint, where you lived, the people you’re working with, the houses and the business — in the Carolinas, was Mid-Atlantic Wrestling. Because I take ultimate pride in, probably more than anything else, the records that we set in Mid-South Wrestling with the Last Stampede series, with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and the business that we did, but God it was miserable to live and work in that territory! Just geographically and just the constant riots and threats to your life, as you well know, made me — a lesser man would have developed some kind of nervous disorder, like an anger management issue or something. Fortunately I overcame all that. Remember, I was quite meek and mild when I first came there, I was a nervous breakdown patient when I left a year later.”

Why you should listen: There’s a lot less “get off my lawn” than you might expect given the personalities Ross and Cornette present online. And given the current state of WWE, what does sepe through isn’t entirely out of place. If you don’t listen to Cornette’s podcast it’s likely most of his stuff here is somewhat fresh, or at least in the case of his 1980s memories it’s not been beaten into the ground on Ross’ show. His looks into the past are easily the most interesting part of the episode.

Why you should skip it: Because 11 months later we’re still somehow asking people what they thought about the Undertaker losing to Brock Lesnar. That makes rehashing Daniel Bryan’s Royal Rumble elimination seem like breaking news. Likewise there’s no real reason to bring up Benoit, which is proven when Cornette adds nothing to the topic. Basically, this episode would be vastly improved if you could scrub out discussion of anything that’s happened since 1995.

Final thoughts: I wish you could redact podcast segments the same way you block terms on Twitter, because it would save me time and acrimony nearly every week with Ross. But I’ll say this: the two-hour Cornette interview went by more quickly than I expected. If you go in fearing the worst, you might be pleasantly surprised at how tolerable each guy is for the better part of the conversation. But the deep flaws I expected are not altogether obscured, and that might drive some listeners off the rails. Ultimately there are better channels by which to glean Cornette’s current thoughts as well as relive his past. With the absence of anything truly surprising, memorable or thought provoking, this episode is eminently skip-worthy.

Typically, when I do these reports, I’ll do a write-up of each individual match. That tends to get a bit out of hand and a lot of words get written. Too many. So, this go around, I’m going to change things up a bit. So, instead of upwards of 1000 words-per-match, I’m just going to focus on the major overall storylines, which will incorporate talk of the matches.

But, to get this out of the way, the show, as you can see in the graphic is this Sunday, March 22nd. It, as it always does, takes place at the Marchesa Hall and Theater in Austin, TX. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $15 for front row IF any are available. You can check that here. For those that are in town for SXSW, you should totally come. It’ll the perfect capper to your stay (and probably be better than anything else you did), and may be the real reason you decide to move here. I mean, everyone already is moving here, so might as well have this awesome thing you can go to when you do, right?

THE CARD

Championship vs. Career Street Fight:“Dirty” Andy Dalton © vs. “Centerfold” Matthew Palmer

Number One Contendership for the Inspire Pro Championship:“The Bionic Beast” Franco D’Angelo vs. Ray “Death” Rowe

J*Crown Championship: Steve O'Reno © vs. “Jiggle-O” James Johnson

Pure Prestige Championship: Thomas Shire © vs. Keith Lee

Tag Team Rumble Match: featuring Sorrow and Extinction (Gregory James and Kyle Hawk), The Orphans (Zac and DG Taylor), Matt Riot and Erik Shadows, the mysterious “The Horde,” and more!

FunFunFunFest Rematch: Jessica James vs. Cherry Ramons

”THE American Psycho” Lance Hoyt vs. “Absolute” Ricky Starks

”The Ultimo Sex Symbol” Thomas Munos vs. Sky De Lacrimosa

Barbi Hayden vs. Delilah Doom

World Class Syndicate (“The Pride of Professional Wrestling” Barrett Brown and “The Texas Lion” Carson) vs. “Untouchable” Alex Reigns and Mystery Partner


THE STORYLINES:

INSPIRE PRO CHAMPIONSHIP: Our current Inspire Pro Champion is “Dirty” Andy Dalton. He has held the Title since Relentless in September, so six months. In that time, however, he’s only defended it one time, against his Phenomenon opponent, Matthew Palmer. He retained by DQ. His other matches (vs. Icarus at BattleWars; six-man tag at Undeniable} have ended with Dalton being directly defeated. Not a dominating Champion to say the least, and yet his reign has been far more interesting and engaging than Mike Dell’s (who had numerous successful Title defenses). That said, is it too early for him to lose the gold?

Palmer would say so. He’s been hunting Dalton ever since “The Dirty Mind of Wrestling” coaxed him into defended the belt mere minutes after winning it from Dell (all happening at Relentless). He’s threatened to stick a butcher’s knife into Dalton’s chest, been cheated out of his rematch, and successfully pinned Dalton in a six-man tag team match (the aforementioned Undeniable main event). He wanted one final match with Dalton, one that wouldn’t end in a shitty DQ, so he suggested a Street Fight. Dalton agreed on the condition that Palmer put his Inspire Pro career on the line. Would we really be without Palmer going forward?

Standing in the wings are current Number One Contender ACH (by virtue of his victory over Lance Hoyt and Ricky Starks at Undeniable) and the winner of another Number One Contender match between Ray Rowe and Franco D’Angelo. It is odd that Rowe even has to fight for another Title shot, since he never got his after earning it with a victory over Palmer way back at Clash at the Bash. But then he had a motorcycle accident, Dell picked Palmer as a replacement opponent, and the rest is history. But does suffering an ill-timed injury void what you’ve won? After all, Daniel Bryan was stripped of the WWE Championship after his injury and has had to compete in two matches to even get another shot at a belt he never lost, but this is neither the time or place to get into the sad state of affairs that is WWE. So, should Rowe even be in this match?

And if he should, is D’Angelo the man he should be facing? D’Angelo arrived in Inspire Pro having return from a very serious injury and his stated goal then was the same as it is now: gold. He wanted the Inspire Pro Championship and quickly won a the right to challenge Dell for it. He lost that Title opportunity. What exactly has he done since returning from this more recent injury? What claim does he have to be in the Title hunt over say, well, anyone, really? None, beyond the fact that he has a strong relationship with Palmer.

At end of it all, if Dalton were to retain, sure the matches with Rowe and D’Angelo would be fantastic, but they wouldn’t be hugely intriguing matches. You would think perhaps Rowe would, but it didn’t make the greatest of sense for him to return and target Dalton on any sort of personal level. From a purely professional standpoint it does, since Dalton is the Champion and Rowe wants the belt. But if you think about it, who benefitted the most for Rowe’s accident? Sure, you can make the case for Dalton, but if Rowe never gets hurt and defeats Dell for the belt, does Dalton try the same tactic he did on Palmer? I don’t think so. I don’t see Rowe succumbing to that challenge. Palmer is a lot more emotional than Rowe, as evidenced by him putting his career on the line. So, while, yeah, Dalton came out the ultimate winner of the Rowe injury, it was really Palmer who was the greatest benefactor. He lost to Rowe in that Number One Contender match at Clash at the Bash and only got the Title shot against Dell because of 1) Rowe’s injury, and 2) Dell choosing him. Dell could have chosen anyone and, luckily for Palmer, he chose the “Centerfold.”

So, if I’m Ray Rowe? I want Palmer to win the Title. He’s the guy Rowe should really be after. While Palmer didn’t steal Rowe’s spot, he was the one who benefitted from what happened. And it’s not Rowe’s fault Palmer was fool-headed enough to immediately accept a challenge after winning a hard-fought battle for the Inspire Pro Championship. If anything, Rowe should slap Palmer in the mouth for being so foolish.

The same goes for D’Angelo. He’s stated that he didn’t care who he had to fight for the gold, he just wanted it. If that meant facing his best friend Palmer, then so be it. So, facing Dalton? Sure, Dalton’s a scumbag and he could face some random in the crowd and people would be into it, but there’s a far more interesting story sitting there with D’Angelo challenging Palmer. It doesn’t get much more personal than two best friends fighting for glory.

What about ACH, you say? Well, he’ll get his Title shot in due time, but overall it’s irrelevant to the story of Inspire Pro, if you ask me. He’ll have a badass match with whomever is Champion when he comes calling, but ultimately will lose. He’s a bit too busy to be the face of Inspire Pro, I think. I mean, maybe not, I don’t know his life, but it doesn’t seem like he would be in line to actually hold the Title. Then again, it is ACH, and he’s awesome, and it’s not like the Champion has to be there for every show. Almost anything could headline an Inspire Pro show, so that wouldn’t be a deal-breaker. Just from a narrative standpoint, it doesn’t seem like the right move.

So, when the dust settles, I think it’s Palmer walking out with the Inspire Pro Championship. Dalton was a great Champion and gave the Title some focus following Dell’s lackluster run with the gold, and he was a necessary fulcrum to get it to this point. While I’m not overly joyed with him not really ever defending the belt in six months (might as well not count a match that ends in DQ), but it feels like the logical moment for his reign to end. He’ll always have a slot near the Title scene with his scumbaggery, so he won’t get lost in the shuffle. As for who the Number One Contender will be? My gut says D’Angelo.

THE NEW MOVEMENT: Very quickly: The Manager of the Decade (2010s), Chris Trew, formed his stable The New Movement with Cherry Ramons. He quickly added Delilah Doom and the monster-from-the-moon Keith Lee. He then tricked “Jiggle-O” James Johnson into joining the group when the prize for a battle royal was a contract within the group. Johnson did not fit in with the team at all and did just about everything he could to cost his team matches and just generally be a pain in Trew’s ass. Then, last month, Trew announced that contracts were coming to an end.

Johnson, surprisingly, said he would re-sign if Trew would operate a little differently. Instead of taking short cuts and trying to cheat his way to victory, would Trew let the talent he had assembled (some very good talent, at that) just do their thing and not interfere, he would maybe see their results improve. Trew agreed, and in a sign of good faith, got Johnson a shot at Steve O'Reno’s J*Crown.

The first trial run of this new and improved New Movement was immediately following that discussion at Undeniable when, without any outside help, Doom was able to defeat Paige Turner and Angelus Layne and advance to the finals of the XX Division Championship against Jessica James and Athena. So, it worked. The question is, will it continue? We’ll have a number of opportunities to find out this month.

I already mentioned Johnson’s match with Reno in a battle of the O’s, which should be incredibly good (don’t be surprised if it steals the show, to be honest), and Doom has a big match booked as well as she takes on former NWA World Women’s Champion and Number One Contender to the XX Championship, Barbi Hayden. It’s fitting that Doom and the New Movement would be cleaning up their act while Hayden is getting more and more shady as things progress. Will Trew be able to resist cheating when he sees that Hayden may be stretching the boundaries of the rules?

Keith Lee also has a big opportunity, when he challenges Thomas Shire for the Pure Prestige Championship. While Lee was not present last month, Trew let it be known that Lee was signed to a long-term, very lucrative contract. That’s the smartest thing Trew has ever done. See, all the cheating and short cuts never made sense when you had a man like Lee, who’s from the literal moon, on your team. He’s big and powerful and just a mountain of a man. The only thing he’s ever needed is focus. Ironic given Trew is always telling people to, “Focus Up!” Lee sometimes takes his opponents for granted, but even so is a hard man to pin down for a three count. Will he and Trew be more focused with gold on the line or will the pull of the a Championship being so close to their grasp send them back into their old ways?

And what of Cherry Ramons? He, too, was absent last month, and of all the people in the group, he’s the one who seems more slimy (I mean that as a 100% compliment). He’s a very talented dude and just seems to get better each time you see him. But he will try to take shortcuts. When the New Movement first formed, he was the ideal first member. As the other pieces were added, he actually seemed like the wrong piece moreso than even Johnson did. When you see Doom and Lee, you just want to cheer. Doom because of her personality and Lee because of his everything. Johnson, too, is someone you want to cheer, but Ramons? Nah, he could almost give Dalton a run for his scumbag money. He has a rematch from FunFunFunFest against Jessica James, in what will be only the second one-on-one intergender match in Inspire Pro (they had the other one, obviously). Battle Royals, mult-person tags, and gauntlets have been the only times men and women have faced off. But, more need to happen if the J*Crown is meant to be an intergender Title (as I’m sure the Tag Titles will be, too). I actually have a thought on this, but I’ll get to it in a moment.

So, the big question is, does Ramons remain with the team, or does he say adios and strike out on his own? My money is on the latter. Not everyone can remain with The New Movement, right? Everyone thought it would be Johnson that defects, but Ramons is the one that should. Where he fits in after that, I dunno. You can slot him anywhere, but doing battle against his old team would do for now. Make us really hate you, Cherry!

TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: It’s been speculated since the inception of Inspire Pro that there would be Tag Team Titles, as I, for one, was certain we would get them when the Pump Patrol was on the scene, but then teams started to disappear. Then the Hollywood Knives started making waves, but they were really the only team, and that was just one person at that. But now, with the announcement of the Tag Team Rumble Match, looks like it’s finally going to happen. Now, what this match is, I’m assuming is an over-the-top-rope Battle Royal, but that hasn’t been stated for certain anywhere that I’ve seen.

Four teams have been announced, though, with Sorrow and Extinction (Kyle Hawk and Gregory James), The Orphans (Zac and DG Taylor), Erik Shadows and Matt Riot, and the mysterious team only known as “The Horde.” I would like to think we would settle in around ten teams or so. Hopefully one of those teams will be a returning Pump Patrol. We could possibly also see a second Orphans team of The Great Depression and The Red Scare. We could see any number of teams, but as long as we have a viable division, that’s all that matters. Perhaps even Carson and Barrett Brown will pull double duty? Same could be said for Alex Reigns and his mystery opponent (what if it’s Moonshine Mantell??? INTRIGUE!). My hope is for a female team, though.

Which brings me back to what I was saying earlier. Currently, we have the following Championships: Inspire Pro (although it should really be called the XY Championship), J*Crown, Pure Prestige, and the upcoming XX and Tag Team Titles. In a perfect world we would probably eliminate the Pure Prestige as it’s kind of a lot of belts for one company. But the revolving door of talent from around the country keeps things fresh, as it feels like the Inspire Pro roster is a lot bigger than it is (and it already is kinda big).

If it were me, I would have the two main Titles be the XY and XX belts, one strictly for men and one strictly for women. The other two belts would be intergender, those being the J*Crown (which already is) and the Tag Titles. As long as the XY and XX are given equal time headlining shows and having interesting storylines, both will be thought of on the same level, so it won’t seem like every other company that has their main belt above everyone else (usually meaning that only men compete for it). This way, well, you have two belts. The great thing about Inspire Pro is that this will not be difficult. Women have already headlined several shows and will continue to in the future. And with the other two Titles, it lets the roster mix together even more. When you have people like Kimber Lee and Candice LeRae (to just name two) who regularly take on men, in high-profile situations, it makes sense to have the belts aligned with that, I think.

I think I got a bit rambly there, but you get the point. Of course, we can’t get rid of the Pure Prestige, it’s too nice of a belt. So, do what you will with that. My point is, Inspire Pro is kinda really cool and I’m looking forward to how things progress going forward.

Ciampa stretches Jay Lethal Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

The TWB 100 plows on, including a WrestleMania main eventer, the highest-ranking NJPW vistor, and a couple of Lucha Underground standouts.

80. Tommaso Ciampa
Points: 970
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote Received: 12th Place (Nick Ahlhelm)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Nick Ahlhelm: Despite injuries pulling him away from the ring, Tommaso Ciampa made Ring of Honor his own in 2014. While he didn’t have any astounding feuds, he consistently went out and put on some of the best performances during every one of his ROH appearances. His high workrate clearly paid off, as he gradually moved up the card as the year continued. His high point of 2014 might have been his kickoff of the Steen Farewell Tour, but it is hard to argue that in the ring, Tommaso looked ready to main event in just about every battle he fought.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

79. Ryback
Points: 1009
Ballots: 21
Highest Vote Received: 22nd Place (Andrew Hewitt, Samuel DiMascio)
Last Year's Placement: 50th Place

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

78. Shinsuke Nakamura
Points: 1011
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote Received:1st Place (Brandon Mars)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Kevin Held: If I'd known we could've included Japanese wrestlers, my email would've consisted of NAKAMURA 50 straight times. That said, I'm assuming we're just counting the couple of times he came to the states. And guess what? Based on only a handful of American appearances, dude was still good enough to be placed ahead of people who live and work in the states. Don't buy that? Go watch him against Kevin Steen from the ROH show.

Joshua Browns: Am I basing this on ONE match in North America? Yes. Yes I am. And it was a pretty damned good match, too. Plus, he's Swagsuke.

Brandon Spears: I feel weird putting the King of Strong Style himself so high on my list considering I have only seen one match of his that he had in North America. But like Brock Lesnar, Shinsuke Nakamura has an in-ring charisma that simply cannot be denied, and that match he had against Kevin Steen was just great and a perfect microcosm of what he brings in a ring overseas in Japan.

Brad Canze: If the TWB 100 encompassed all pro wrestling worldwide, Shinsuke Nakamura would have made my top five. The limitation to North American wrestling limits the sample size of 2014 Nakamura matches, to my knowledge, to two, and I still put him at #20. Shinsuke Nakamura rules. If Nakamura-Kevin Steen happened on any other show besides War Of The Worlds, with that batshit bananas reDRagon-Young Bucks match, it would have been the match of the night in a walk. Just keep kneeing people really hard in the head, Swagsuke. Maybe do it in America more this year. Please. I'm begging you.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

77. Jack Swagger
Points: 1012
Ballots: 21
Highest Vote Received: 30th Place (James Girouard, Mike Tunison)
Last Year's Placement: 24th Place

Samuel DiMascio: Here we have Amateur Wrestling Hoss. Starting off the year as a member of REAL AMERICANS, WOO! Their match against Sheamus & Christian was one of those matches early in the year that got you excited for professional wrestling 2014. A sick joke. Swagger mixed it up with the other hosses and I can’t think of all too many times that I felt at all disappointed in those situations. Swagger had these tiny, bite-sized matches with Big E that I dug the heck out of. Really thought there was some good stuff in the Rusev series later in the summer. Maybe not a homerun hitter but he is a good TE on a running team. SPORTS REFERENCES!

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

76. Fire Ant
Points: 1048
Ballots: 18
Highest Vote Received: 14th Place (Jeff Stormer)
Last Year's Placement: 81st Place

TH: Fire Ant has been risking himself for the excitement of Chikara crowds for nearly a decade now, and he still finds ways to top what he's done in the past. He's an indispensable member of The Colony, and he works hard in every match. The end of the year saw him add some well-appreciated gravitas to his in-ring work with the stuff at Cibernetico against Soldier Ant.

Dave Kincannon: Fire Ant probably gets overlooked sometimes due to the technical skill that Silver Ant has shown over the past few years, but that is a mistake. Not only is Fire Ant a gifted high flyer who can go on the mat as well, he’s probably one of the most effective wrestlers in the world at playing the “good guy in peril.” It’s amazing to see someone generate so much sympathy and emotion with no facial expressions and very rarely delivering any kind of promo. Fire Ant’s performance in the Colony vs BDK/Soldier Ant match from the Chikara finale was riveting, and if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

75. Johnny Gargano
Points: 1058
Ballots: 17
Highest Vote Received: 9th Place (Alex Torres)
Last Year's Placement: 28th Place

Dave Kincannon: The Cat’s Pajamas, The Bee's Knees, and the Whole Shebang, All Heart, Johnny Wrestling, a.k.a. Johnny Gargano is not just a man with a lot of nicknames. He’s also a man with a ton of wrestling skill. It doesn’t matter who he’s wrestling, or where, he’s likely to have one of the best matches on the card. In 2014, he had top notch matches with opponents as disparate as Candice LeRae, AJ Styles, Biff Busick and ACH, just to name a few.

Photo Credit: Kelly Kyle

74. Athena
Points: 1073
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote Received: 8th Place (Eamon Paton, Rob Pandola)
Last Year's Placement: 71st Place

TH: Athena came roaring back from injury with a new, George RR Martin-inspired ethic and the same hard-to-the-mat style before she went out. She didn't waste any time getting back to elite levels either. Almost as soon as she returned, she was wrestling in WSU for the chance to be the Champion and putting on matches that demanded a lot out of her and her opponent. Whether against LuFisto, Jewells Malone, Barbi Hayden, or Veda Scott, Athena worked stiff and kept the pace going at a good clip.

Photo Credit: Devin Chen

73. Trevor Lee
Points: 1089
Ballots: 17
Highest Vote Received: 3rd Place (Niel Jacoby)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Niel Jacoby: Trevor Lee is the next big thing. His run in PWG in 2014 showed he can hang with the biggest dogs on the indies, with his match against Chris Hero at Black Cole Sun perfectly capping off the year. Also, his crossbody slam is one of the most physically improbable moves in wrestling and it rules.

Photo via depmax.wordpress.com

72. Pentagón, Jr.
Points: 1091
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote Received: 9th Place (Kris Zellner)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Ryan Foster: If this list were based solely on introductory vignettes, Pentagón would be an easy number one based on his adventures travelling to Japan to become an invincible ninja with no fear. Regardless, Pentagón is a highly entertaining luchador with a sadistic aura that fills his matches with a terrifically sinister atmosphere.

Brandon Bosh: Pentagón, Jr. One of the forgotten secrets of pro wrestling is that anyone can be a threat. To put it another way, you don’t have to look like Brock Lesnar in order to instill the fear of God in your opponents. And yet, WWE’s selection of terrifying monster heels is painfully predictable. These roles are reserved for legitimate giants in excess of seven feet or 300 pounds, while the rest of the roster is relegated to near-Lilliputian status. Fortunately, some promoters are savvy enough to play against type when casting their killers. That brings me to Lucha Underground’s resident skeleton ninja, Pentagón, Jr.

As one of LU’s breakout stars, Pentagón, Jr. wrestled and carried himself with unrivaled confidence, imbuing his matches with an air of unpredictability, danger, and menace. Ironically, Pentagón’s defining character trait was his crippling insecurity, born of a need to impress his kayfabe father. At times, he deferred to the veteran guidance of another underachieving “Jr.” – Chavo Guerrero – only to suffer a series of difficult losses. Still, Pentagon’s abundant talent and killer instinct couldn’t be suppressed, and so the seeds were sown for a dominant run that could place him high in the 2015 TWB 100. Until then, we’ll reflect on those promising early impressions, most notably his debut effort in a scintillating three-way against Drago and Fenix. Pentagón, Jr. is the rare wrestler of average stature who always seems legitimately dangerous – and not just because he has a skull for a face.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

71. Batista
Points: 1094
Ballots: 21
Highest Vote Received: 19th Place (Brandon Armstrong)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Batista's comeback was resisted by many fans including myself, but he rounded into competence quickly. In his short time, he was a vital part of the WrestleMania main event that was worked well if a little overwrought and as the hammer for Evolution in their series of trios matches against The Shield. He didn't stay too long, but what he provided was worth something good.

Scott Holland: Batista is tough to analyze because he didn’t work nearly as much as plenty of people on my ballot, but nearly every match he did have was under the greatest of scrutiny. The story of Batista in 2014 will almost always focus on everything but his bell-to-bell work, but the guy came to play. Even his harshest critics would have to agree he didn’t detract from his main event matches, and anyone giving him an honest shake will acknowledge what he brought to the table. Plus, if you win the Royal Rumble you should almost always make the TWB100, at least in my book.

Samuel DiMascio: Oh yeah, it is the Animal baby. Batista took a lot crap from a lot of people. Points for being in a decent film and then busting hump against Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton at WrestleMania. Oh, and he showed up in that Evolution match against the Shield. Sure, I’m unfair for grading on a curve for a Guardian but I never said I’m a fair person. Hail Drax. Granted, if Vinnie Diesel wrestled at Mania then he’d be ahead

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

70. Jay Lethal
Points: 1096
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote Received: 4th Place (Mat Morgan, Ian Riccaboni)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Joey Splashwater: I had Jay Lethal in my top 10 because he's taken his game to another level and has elevated a midcard title in 2014. With the WWE and TNA mid-card titles meaning as much as a Roger Goodell apology, Lethal somehow made the ROH TV title a more credible belt than the once idolized ROH World title with memorable matches.

Jay found so many different ways to put out great performances in difficult scenarios. His 30 time limit draw with ACH was amazing and one of the best matches all year. An early elimination in a tremendous Champions vs. All Stars showed his range as the way he sold it added to the overall story of the match. Hell, he even had a great cage match with Matt Taven. Who the hell has good matches this millennium? Jay Lethal - that's who.

Mat Morgan: He went from being the guy who I mostly felt had his peak when he was imitating the greatest heels of the eighties to carrying on the spirit of those heels as TV champ in Ring of Honor. In a promotion that increasingly feels like it's overpopulated with guys who took a wrong turn looking for an open casting call for some FX drama, Jay Lethal became the one guy whose matches I would never skip. I love heel champions that can project strength and weakness at the same time; they can wrestle, and they can beat anyone, but at the same time they're total weasels and it feels like the people chasing them should rightly take the belt, and yet it never happens. Even the Lethal Injection, a move that I previously couldn't stand, is now a thing that makes perfect sense. Of COURSE heel Jay Lethal would think that he's so awesome that he can end matches with a move that takes like ten seconds to set-up, complete with telegraphing that he's going to hit it with his back to his opponent. This is the role he was almost destined to play. Long may he reign.

Photo Credit: Picture Dave

69. Timothy Thatcher
Points: 1128
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote Received:1st Place (Devon Hales, Tanner Teat, Samuel DiMascio, Dylan Hales)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Thatcher has been the West Coast's best kept secret for awhile, so when he came east to wrestle for Beyond, Gabe, and CZW, it was cause for celebration. He won over a good portion of those regular fans in short order as well. Of the big mat guys in 2014, Thatcher was the most rigidly adhered to the ethic. He was going to work his match, whether you liked it or not, but he didn't fall into the trap of repetition. Every single one of his contests were different from the last one, whether against rivals from regular haunts like David Dutra and El Pistolero or guys back east who were more of a match for him like Tracy Williams and Biff Busick. He made the British style feel accessible and at times fun even if his stiff upper lip rarely cracked to reveal a smile. Thatcher will be a household name soon enough, but for now, it's time to appreciate what he's done for the indie scene.

Samuel DiMascio: Say hello to the best wrestler in the US of A last year. There are few wrestlers on the planet that by their sheer presence make me want to watch a match but Thatcher fits the bill. He doesn’t just have good matches; he has good matches against seemingly everyone he faces. For Pete’s sake, he put on a helluva contest with Blue Demon Jr. in some high school in California. That match plays into his case for him as my #1. Not only was he spearheading a matwork based indie wrestling revolution (okay, slight hyperbole on the revolution) but he could change it up when necessary, such as being a stooge in front of a crowd that came to see the lucha star. Throw in some more under-heralded stuff against Dave Dutra and Dalton Castle and he has some sneaky depth. Probably should throw in that he had a quality bout with Dalton Castle in front of a vile crowd. Obviously though he tops my list for the old school type matches he was delivering throughout the year in the WWN Universe and Beyond Wrestling. Yep, typing WWN Universe stings a little. His matches with Gulak, Busick, and Sabre were all top notch with a couple of them making my top ten list for MOTY. While the difference between him and Gulak or Busick was admittedly relatively thin, his batting average for good stuff to matches filmed is stellar and I’m a sucker for a wrestler who can work in a variety of wrestling climates. Plus, I thought his 2013 was mainly hampered by the lack of opportunities to have near locks for great matches. In 2014, he finally got those chances.

Photo Credit: El Rey Network.com

68. John Hennigan/Johnny Mundo
Points: 1140
Ballots: 18
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (Rich Thomas)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Joshua Browns: Speaking of me being a sucker for high-flyers, I stayed on the "John Morrison is going to get better one of these days" bandwagon for way too long before he left the WWE, so it's comforting to see him excelling in Lucha Underground. He'll never be a guy that can carry a company, but he's definitely a lot more fun to watch than he used to be, and had a couple of really spectacular matches on LU near the end of the year.

Brad Canze: WWE's formulaic, play-to-the-nosebleeds-but-smile-for-the-hard-camera style of wrestling stifles a lot of wrestling talent that could otherwise be way better, and nobody is a better example of that than Johnny Mundo. As John Morrison he was a furry coat and abs and a wind machine and a bunch of moves that never landed or excited the crowd. Then he took off and spent a few years as Former WWE Star John Hennigan, wrestling longer, different matches between designing workout DVDs and making direct-to-video versions of Dwayne Johnson movies. Then last year he showed up at Lucha Underground, and he was polished, motivated, and was exciting to watch, which is a description I never used for John Morrison before. It's 2015 and one of the most exciting wrestlers on TV is John Morrison. Wrestling is crazy.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

67. Kalisto
Points: 1150
Ballots: 23
Highest Vote Received: 18th Place (Brandon Bosh)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Some of the things this guy can do defy all rational expectation. He spent the entire year chained to inferior tag partners and against sluggish foes, and yet he was able to give a flash of what he is capable of achieving through those truncated showcases. If Kalisto doesn't replace Rey Mysterio's cachet in the company, then someone else did something wrong.

Joshua Browns: If someone you know doesn't like tiny flippy guys, set them straight.

Scott Holland: That Kalisto cracked the top 100, while his Lucha Dragons tag team partner did not, reflects well on how his individual performance leapt off the screen. That’s a compliment to both his singles potential as well as his understanding of what makes an entertaining tag team encounter. While the general sense is WWE brass simply want someone to fill the Rey Mysterio void, it’s clear Kalisto can stand on his own as a character and performer.

Brad Canze: I never watched much of Samuray Del Sol on the indies, so when he debuted as Kalisto in NXT I was basically coming in cold to this guy. The moment I saw him in NXT and he hit that no-hands flip into the ropes I stood up and yelled "THIS GUY IS MY NEW FAVORITE WRESTLER." That immediate reaction has cooled, and I think he needs some more time as a solo act and a new finisher, but he is still always a guy I sit down and watch to see what he's going to do.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

66. Cedric Alexander
Points: 1169
Ballots: 19
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (Rene Sanchez)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Alexander represented the North Carolina boys well in 2014, rising through the ranks in Ring of Honor and returning to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with solid performances all around. His breakneck-paced performance along with Trevor Lee and Andrew Everett at Mystery Vortex II was among the best I've seen all year. However, when he was called upon to slow it down and work more traditionally, he could do that with equal ability.

Rene Sanchez: Cedric Alexander is a compact ball of sheer excitement in the ring. He does it all from taking huge bumps (like the back body drop into the apron of the ring at Best In The World), to performing cleanly in the ring, to even telling a good story in the ring when the buildup is there. When Alexander is billed in a match, I immediately get excited, because I know that I will enjoy the hell out of that match when I see it.

Joey Splashwater: In terms of purely in-ring work, Cedric Alexander may have had the most underrated wrestler in 2014. Not many think too much of him as being a top talent and in fact, I've seen his fair share of detractors which boggles my mind. Alexander was one of the bright spots in ROH, PWG and other various indies. With the way things turned out, I wish he got the opportunity to wrestle Okada at the ROH War of the World show as he deserved that spot but things don't always work out. Either way, Cedric was one of my favorites to watch wrestle in 2014.

Photo Credit: Devin Chen

65. Rich Swann
Points: 1189
Ballots: 20
Highest Vote Received: 7th Place (John Rosenberger)
Last Year's Placement: 58th Place

TH: Swann does all the flippy shit that one has come to expect from the legion of young, African-American wrestlers on the indies today, but he does it with the most panache and personality. He isn't all big bumps and somersaults, but he can do those just as well as the others. However, his facial expressions, body language, and chatter in the ring give him something unique to hang his hat upon.

Joey Splashwater: The best thing about Rich Swann's in-ring work is he's so consistent at always delivering but never gets stale - something that is difficult to do these days. Most of the work I've seen of his was in PWG and while I hate how he's been typecasted there (along with ACH and AR Fox), the man continues to find a way to stand out. Swann is a joy to watch wrestle and deserves to be among the next NXT signings. His charisma and skill-set adds to every match he is in.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

64. Roderick Strong
Points: 1241
Ballots: 20
Highest Vote Received: 12th Place (Niel Jacoby)
Last Year's Placement: 100th Place

Photo Credit: WWE.com

63. Erick Rowan
Points: 1252
Ballots: 26
Highest Vote Received: 11th Place (TJ Hawke)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Rowan progressed a lot in 2014, even if WWE booking left him out to dry at the end of the year with an ill-advised singles push that exposed some of his weaknesses. Still, the flaws he showed in those matches were not enough to drown out his excellent work in tags and trios matches through the first ten or so months of the year. He's got the tools to be a steady hand for years to come.

Nick Ahlhelm: I think Erick Rowan surprised quite a few “smart” fans in 2014. Everyone knew Luke Harper’s workrate and Bray Wyatt was impressive from the day he first debuted Sister Abigail. But Erick Rowan was the big guy in the mask for 2013, with little of note other than his eerie demeanor behind the sheep’s head. 2014 changed that in a big way with impressive performances alongside Harper against The Shield and the Usos. Rowan proved he could hang consistently with some of the best workhorses on the WWE roster at almost every pay-per-view, right through his “freedom” from the Wyatt Family and his subsequent face turn. Besides, anyone with a Christmas photo this amazing deserves to be recognized.
(link:http://superpoweredfiction.tumblr.com/post/110093178043/ashiet91-erick-rowan-has-the-most-adorable)

Scott Holland: When the Wyatt Family and Shield were embroiled in a legendary feud, Erick Rowan was the least significant player. However, it’s a high bar to clear to exceed the ring work of the other five guys, and Rowan continued to show not just potential but flashes of polish throughout the year. Remember, he was in the main event of Survivor Series and acquitted himself just fine. TWB100 is supposed to ignore push and promo work factors, and that goes in favor of Rowan, who has just about everything it takes to be a compelling hoss.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

62. AR Fox
Points: 1291
Ballots: 22
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Drew Cordeiro)
Last Year's Placement: 30th Place

TH: Fox has always had the penchant for well-placed big moves and bumps that show no regard whatsoever for his own well-being, and in promotions like PWG, he was able to show that free of any contextual advancement of character, especially in tags alongside his partner ACH. However, where he excelled over most of his peers on the indies was in Beyond Wrestling, where he was able to show a nasty streak that added immensely to his already mammoth wrestling talent. It's hard to be such a high-flyer and still work the heel game hard to get good heat, but Fox was able to do it with an almost innate instinct to be able to get under people's skins. The dude is a total package, and he proved it again in 2014.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

61. Chuck Taylor
Points: 1295
Ballots: 21
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Mike Pankowski)
Last Year's Placement: 42nd Place

Frank McCormick: If Colt Cabana is the King of Comedy Wrestling, then Chuck Taylor has to be the Grand Duke. His matches make me smile. He's a cantankerous, child-hating, veteran comedy heel who also happens to be a pretty good wrestler. I love him.

Mike Pankowski: Chuck Taylor is the greatest. He never has an unenjoyable match. He can work a match straight and he can be be a blast in any match that has a comedic side to it. Anyone who can make an invisible hand grenade or a slow motion flip seem like the most devastating attacks possible is great in my book.

Brad Canze: The Kentucky Gentleman is a guy with an extremely diverse arsenal; he does comedy, he's the most unapologetic heel in wrestling, he took a dip into Chikara's Rey De Voladores to prove he can still fly, and dammit he can wrestle. He's a guy I kind of don't ever want to go to WWE, because I want him to just keep being Chuck Taylor.

Monday, the list heads through the midpoint.

The Living Dangerously '98 classic match is revived here in the Tournament of Champions Photo via WWE.com courtesy of Pro Wrestling Illustrated

After a weekend away, the tournament rolls on with more first round matches from ECW. But first, I will announce the winners from Friday, and they are Raven, Masato Tanaka, Terry Funk, and Sabu. Now, for today's matches:

3. Taz vs. 14. Bam Bam Bigelow, TALE OF THE TAPE
TAZ - 2x ECW Champion, Creator of the FTW Championship, Decorated color commentator, Somehow has a successful podcast, Most fearsome Oompa-Loompa in history

BIGELOW - ECW Champion, Owner of the bitchinest tattoos in wrestling, Once carried a coked-up ex-football player to a competent WrestleMania main event


6. Shane Douglas vs. 11. Rhino, TALE OF THE TAPE
DOUGLAS - 4x ECW Champion, In-kayfabe founder of ECW, Hardcore Hall of Famer, NWA World Champion, XPW (snicker) Champion, Not a teacher

RHINO - Final non-WWE ECW Champion, TNA (NWA) World Champion, Has best spear in wrestling despite being not much taller than Taz


2. Sandman vs. 15. Jimmy Snuka, TALE OF THE TAPE
SANDMAN - 5x ECW Champion, Hardcore Hall of Famer, XPW (snicker) Champion, His entrance from 1997's November to Remember is still ongoing

SNUKA - 2x and first ever ECW Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, Otherwise loathsome human being


7. Justin Credible vs. 10. Mikey Whipwreck, TALE OF THE TAPE
CREDIBLE - ECW Champion, Wore a jockstrap on his head

WHIPWRECK - ECW Champion, Trained Zack Ryder and Matt Striker, Is responsible for Zack Ryder and Matt Striker being in wrestling fans' lives


VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Rest in peace Photo from AAA via mediotiempo.com

Via Luchablog

Perro Aguayo, Jr., a top heel in the AAA promotion in Mexico and son of the legendary performer of the same name, passed away early Saturday morning stemming from major injuries suffered in a match on Friday night. He was in a tag match with Manik, Rey Mysterio, Jr., and Tigre Uno/Extreme Tiger for the CRASH promotion in Tijuana. His head snapped against the ring rope on a routine dropkick, and he fell unconscious immediately. The match continued shortly in confusion until the participants and ringside officials realized that something was gravely wrong with Aguayo. A finish was called for on the fly, and Aguayo was rushed to Del Padro hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was laid to rest on Sunday.

The official cause of death was "raíz de un golpe que tuvo en la región cervical," which thecubsfan in the original report roughly translated as a spinal stroke. If you remember, that condition was also the cause of death for puroresu icon Mitsuharu Misawa. Additionally, the Observer said that the main doctor at the hospital said the "cervical spine trauma" was caused by his throat hitting the rope one of two times, although he believes that the first impact caused the fatal blow. Either way, an investigation into the incident will be conducted.

Aguayo debuted at the age of 15 in 1995 in the AAA promotion, where he remained until 2003, when he jumped ship to rival CMLL. There, he remained until he and two of his stablemates in Los Perros del Mal formed new promotion of the same name in 2008. In 2010, the promotion led an invasion of AAA, and Aguayo worked for both promotions until his death. Aguayo's work was acclaimed by many lucha fans, and even at 20 years in the business, he was seen as still in his prime. Luchadores tend to last forever relatively speaking under normal circumstances.

Aguayo's death serves as another stark reminder that the wrestling business can be so cruel. Accidents sometimes are unavoidable, and in such a high-skill environment, those accidents can have ghastly consequences. No one goes to work thinking that they're going to suffer injury or be the cause of someone suffering injury. Yes, to an extent all accidents can be prevented, but human nature dictates that they happen, and when they do, the worst thing one can do is throw blame blindly into the night like javelins. If you're part of the mob that wants to blame Mysterio for the consequences, then take a step back and examine what your mindset is. It was not Mysterio's fault. Placing blame on him isn't going to help anything.

Instead, focus on the man who lost his life. Focus on Perro Aguayo, Jr., his family, friends, peers, and fans. The age of 35 is far too young for a person to lose his or her life, especially on the job.

Bauer warns that Heyman could be turning Lesnar face on this week's Cheap Heat 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: March 18, 2015
Run Time: 45:57
Guest: Court Bauer

Summary: It’s a weird setup this week — David Shoemaker is at home in Brooklyn, Peter Rosenberg is getting ready to head to Austin, Texas, and Court Bauer calls in for the first third of the show to promote WaleMania and discuss Brock Lesnar and the WrestleMania 31 main event. When he’s done the hosts look back at RAW and ahead to the March 23 episode as well as the WrestleMania weekend itself. Then end with listener questions, including consideration of an alternate universe WrestleMania card.

Quote of the week: Bauer: “Paul Heyman cuts great promos, but they are turning him and Brock babyface, either by design or maybe not, but you have two anti-authority figures, they’re pretty much doing everything that you want to see them do, talking about taboo things like unifying the UFC and WWE title, walking out on Vince, showing up on UFC, and for the first time in a decade, you have an anti-authority babyface and the crowd seems to always love that.”

Why you should listen: If you need to get excited about WrestleMania, Shoemaker’s optimism ought to help light that fire. If that doesn’t work, perhaps Rosenberg and Bauer vouching for the excitement of the experience will move the needle (though perhaps that’s most relevant to those actually heading to the Bay Area later this week). Also it was not just brief but largely free of the wandering that often makes the show lag.

Why you should skip it: You can almost certainly get Bauer’s input from his own podcast and other outlets. Shoemaker’s Grantland writing will definitely be more impactful than his input here. Also, neither guy knows enough about Bill Simmons’ role for the go-home RAW, which is not surprising, but it’s worth noting for anyone hoping Cheat Heat might have a degree of insider knowledge based on the Grantland nameplate.

Final thoughts: One of the ways I get up for WrestleMania, even those with underwhelming prospects, is to soak up as much information and opinion as possible. As such, this show fit the bill for helping elevate my anticipation. But given how much else should be posted n the ensuing days (I suggest seeking out the two-hour International Object episode where Sawyer Paul revisits his trip to WrestleMania X8, played off Rich Thomas’ planned walk over to all the 31 festivities), this is almost surely a nonessential experience.

They dress the same, why can't they be friends? Photo Credit: WWE.com

I missed out on last week's SmackDown, but when I saw the results I felt that my undoubtedly vast and loyal readership wouldn't be too fussed about it because there were, like, four matches and one of them involved Ryback, and no one wants to read anymore about how little I care about Ryback. This week also only had four matches, but one of them was a gauntlet match, which was more like five matches in one and went a long way toward making the show worthwhile. With that said, I'm more than ready for WrestleMania to have come and gone. The build this year has just worn me down instead of hyping me up. Fresh starts are needed all around.

Most Disappointing Friend – Mark Henry
Mark Henry popped in last week to berate Roman Reigns and got speared for his trouble. Now, tough love might be just what Reigns needs to rein in some of his smug superiority, so I was looking forward to Henry returning this week with perhaps another dose of medicine that Reigns wouldn't be able to dismiss this time. Instead, Henry was full of praise for Reigns because apparently attacking your elders is the best way to earn their respect. Now conveniently on Team Reigns, Henry and his new young friend were put into a tag match against Seth Rollins and Kane. This still could have salvaged things, as Mark Henry crushing people is one of my very favourite things. Alas, it was not to be. Henry was instead crushed himself backstage. Not only is Mark Henry doing Roman Reigns no favours by indulging him and giving him more odds to overcome, but he also deprived me of something fun to watch. I am unimpressed. Speaking of Roman Reigns, can we chill with the endorsements from others and the overcoming of odds? Roman Reigns can be cool and entertaining. He's done it before. The obvious hand-holding and micromanaging and prodding him along like he's an action figure and not a live performer is not doing him any favours. In a world that is entirely artificial and constructed, it's necessary to allow for genuine connection. Let the man breathe, and, at the very least, stop switching out his catchphrases every two seconds.

Something Friendship Something – Paige, AJ Lee, and the Bella Twins
I don't even know what to say about this anymore. Paige had a match against Brie Bella, AJ Lee and Nikki Bella were on guest commentary, Jerry Lawler made horrible comments, and we've all seen this before. Nikki and Lee were hardly able to say anything because the match was so short. The match itself had a promising start, with both Paige and Brie coming out aggressively, but then it was over. It might be the same old story with the same players, but I'd still like to see a decently long women's match. I did appreciate the segment later in the show that had several other women in the division talking about the upcoming tag match at WrestleMania like it was an issue occupying all of them and they'd all chosen a side. Anything to make this re-tread seem important and get some other people involved. However, up until now there has been absolutely no indication of the investment shown in that one segment and I'm guessing there won't be again. Just one competently told and developed story is all I want, WWE.

Should Be Friends – Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper
It wasn't much of a stretch to come up with this one when Ambrose and Harper faced each other wearing almost exactly the same attire during the gauntlet match featuring all of the Intercontinental title hopefuls. Aesthetic similarities aside, Ambrose and Harper have also found themselves in similar circumstances since the break-ups of their respective groups. While Erick Rowan and Roman Reigns have both clung to the past, continuing to do what they've always done, and Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins have sought to become ultimate baddies, Harper and Ambrose are loose cannons, carrying chaos with them wherever they go. Think of what these two could do if they joined forces. On the other hand, their confrontation during the gauntlet match was pretty boss, so I'll be content if they just continue to face each other. I'll also be watching to see if their characters continue to progress along similar lines. I also want to mention how much I enjoyed the gauntlet match in general. It started out fairly inauspiciously, with Ambrose quickly dispatching Stardust and R-Truth (and I am super not okay with Stardust and Goldust not getting a match to themselves at WrestleMania), but then things picked up in a big way and the successive confrontations (Ambrose/Harper, Harper/Daniel Bryan, Bryan/Dolph Ziggler) got better and better. It ended with Bad News Barrett coming out to decimate the competition left standing (including dispatching Bryan with the mic, which is one of my favourite things. It makes such a satisfying *bonk* sound), and after weeks of haplessly having his title stolen he looked like a champion again. The ladder match at WrestleMania is the one to which I am most looking forward by far

Best Continued Friendship – Tyson Kidd, Cesaro, and Natalya
This team is still going strong, with Natalya once again getting the win for her team and all three of them celebrating together. Their match against Los Matadores, including El Torito, was fun while it lasted and could have gone a long way toward making Los Matadores believable contenders to the titles...if only it hadn't been billed as an “interspecies” match. I feel like no thought whatsoever was put into this. Either El Torito is literally a bull, which is silly even for wrestling, or people with dwarfism and women are different species than human, which is awful. And either way, why is it okay for a woman to face a literal bull or a little person, but not human men? What are the parameters here? Also, Natalya defeating El Torito for the win was cool, but it was played off as a comedy bit. They are both legitimate competitors. Treat them as such.

Angelosetti was down a bit, but he was never truly out in 2014 Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Back into the swing of things with some hard-hitting indie women, an entertaining pair of WWE superstars, and the most debonair yachtsman in the Chikaraverse.

60. Mark Angelosetti
Points: 1338
Ballots: 19
Highest Vote Received: 3rd Place (Jeff Stormer)
Last Year's Placement: 69th (nice) Place

TH: Mr. Touchdown's high-intensity style fit well in the Chikara tag and trios scenes in shorter bursts. He was a big reason why the big Campeonatos de Parejas match at the finale was so tight as well. All in all, a solid frame for Angelosetti.

Jeff Stormer: After quietly making the turn in 2013 during the shutdown, 2014 was Mr. Touchdown’s chance to show the world what a tecnico he could be. And, apologies to Mr. Luger, he proved he was the total package. From effortlessly lifting The Shard for over 30 seconds at You Only Live Twice, to taking the beating of a lifetime at Tomorrow Never Dies, he filled whatever role was required of him, whether as sympathetic hero or conquering champion, with a seemingly boundless reserve of energy.

Nick Ahlhelm: Mr. Touchdown was a world class heel during his run in the old Chikara. He wasn’t ever the best wrestler in the ring, but he made up for it with some awesome promos and some great integration of his football background into Chikara’s style of craziness. But in 2014, Mark Angelosetti became a full-fledged face, even befriending Archibald Peck. With the Throwbacks now on the same page, they became a formidable force and quickly won the Campeonatos de Parejas, which they kept until the end of the year. In ring, Mr. Touchdown finally got to show just how dynamic a worker he was, pulling out a lot more high-flying moves and some solid mat work as well. He proved he was a great competitor even when he had to play on the up and up.

Brad Canze: I've been a Mr. Touchdown fan since I started watching Chikara a few years ago. He's got the look, the build, and crazy athletic ability. If it weren't for his height he would probably be tearing up NXT right now, but I still think he'll be there eventually.

TJ Hawke: Mr. Touchdown broke out in 2012 and became one of the best prospects in all of wrestling. Unfortunately, he's been stuck in Chikara's house of crap since then and his standing has actually gone down since his rookie year as a result. He's still as talented as ever though and delivered whenever The Throwbacks could escape The Flood storyline. Check out The Throwbacks' matches with The Submission Squad, The Pieces of Hate, 3.0, and The Devastation Corporation.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

59. Natalya
Points: 1344
Ballots: 25
Highest Vote Received: 13th Place (Jesse Dlugosz)
Last Year's Placement: 84th Place

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

58. Blaster McMassive
Points: 1387
Ballots: 20
Highest Vote Received: 7th Place (Mat Morgan)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: If I had a vote for "Most Improved" wrestler, it would go to McMassive. He's learned how to control his lanky frame and command presence like the true hoss that he is. Plus, he has a sweet tope con hilo.

Jeff Stormer: The Devastation Corporation’s rise to the top in 2014 would’ve felt false had it not been anchored by talents like Blaster McMassive. He seems to embody all the best things about Chikara, an outsized personality in the ring, keenly aware of how to interact with the crowd, and capable of going from funny to dangerous in an instant. Plus, he throws some of the best clotheslines and crowd dives in wrestling.

Nick Ahlhelm: Let’s be honest, no one in modern wrestling more represents the word HOSS in modern wrestling than the current Chikara Campeones de Parejas and King of Trios winners, the Devastation Corporation. While his partner proved a bit more dynamic in the ring, Blaster was a huge part of that dominant run. And while their hoss status was well secured in 2014, it looks like the future can only get brighter for Blaster McMassive as he continues to grow as an in-ring competitor.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

57. Dasher Hatfield
Points: 1405
Ballots: 21
Highest Vote Received: 4th Place (Jeff Stormer)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Hatfield has really found his niche as a tag team anchor and has developed into one of Chikara's overall top hands, period. His versatility in the ring helped stabilize the Throwbacks' big run as a top team, and he was able to play both Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson with equal aplomb. He's really grown into his skin.

Jeff Stormer: Dasher’s been around a very long time (and has been good for a long time), but 2014 felt like a landmark year for him. Teaming with Mr. Touchdown as tecnicos seemed to bring out his best qualities, making him more energetic, an even bigger crowd-pleaser, and a positively electrifying hot tag. None of which is to undercut his singles talents, however--in matches such as his NPWD bout with Eddie Kingston, he showed the kind of adeptness with both comedy and hard-hitting brawling that cemented him as an anchor of the reborn Chikara.

Nick Ahlhelm: While Icarus might have been the official ace of Chikara in 2014, it’s arguable that the true heart of Chikara is the Old Timey King of Swing. Dasher Hatfield finally won the Campeonatos De Parejas in 2014, a confirmation of his importance to the promotion after years of service. His months away seemed to only allow him to get in better shape as well, which served him well in marathon contests for the titles throughout the year.

TJ Hawke: Dasher Hatfield has long been one of independent wrestling's best-kept secrets. He almost always delivers in tags and singles matches, which is not something a lot of independent wrestlers can say. While he couldn't escape Chikara's artistic catastrophe the entire year, he and Mr. Touchdown always delivered in tag matches when they were not held down by The Flood storyline. Check out The Throwbacks' matches with The Submission Squad, The Pieces of Hate, 3.0, and The Devastation Corporation.

Photo Credit: Lee South/Impact Wrestling.com

56. Ethan Carter III
Points: 1408
Ballots: 24
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Brandon Stroud)
Last Year's Placement: 77th Place

Joshua Browns: It's strange. It feels like Impact is pushing Carter hard, but they never seem to put him in a position where his abilities in the ring can be showcased. Based on the way he projects his character into his promo work, he seems like he might be very good, but too many screwy finishes, and too many odd opponent pairings to be able to really judge.

Brad Canze: Seriously, you could put every other TNA performer in a box marked "ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS" and leave me Carter and I would be happy. He is a dude that understands the fundamentals, is an old-school worker, and is also funny as shit. Carter is like if Harley Race were also Andy Samberg. There may be some leftover goodwill from his NXT run there, but if TNA is as much of a sinking ship as some dirtsheets may suggest, Ethan Carter III is the first person on my lifeboat.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

55. Alberto del Rio/el Patron
Points: 1410
Ballots: 22
Highest Vote Received: 12th Place (Dan Vecellio)
Last Year's Placement: 21st Place

TH: Racism cut el Patron's WWE year short, but he did some good work before he left, even if it was in a diminished role thanks to terrible booking. He was a steady hand early in the year and had some good stuff with Dean Ambrose later on. He even had one last run with Rey Mysterio for old time's sake.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

54. Heidi Lovelace
Points: 1459
Ballots: 24
Highest Vote Received: 12th Place (Willow Maclay)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: After two years of paying dues, Lovelace broke out big with some showcase matches around the Midwest and Northeast. Her spunky, spitfire offense complemented her tendencies to take a huge ass-whipping, and it provided some great matches as well. However, her most memorable single contest was probably against Danny Cannon in a match where they played tit for tat until the final bell.

Frank McCormick: With a kicky haircut and kicky kicks, Ms. Lovelace has been the Young Lion of my heart long before she won the Cup. I think what I like about her is how serious she is about her craft and developing said craft. I don't mean that she's humorless and SUPER SERIOUS like some wrestlers can be (anyone who regularly appears in both Chikara and Olde Wrestling simply can't be humorless), but that you can see her concentration and her determination to get better and better. Now back from a Japan tour, I expect great things from her.

Nick Ahlhelm: This may be my Midwest regionalism or Chikara fandom showing, but I can think of few stars that grew into their talent like Heidi Lovelace. Through her work in Chicago independents to appearances in OVW to her work in the dwindling Wrestling Is promotions, she showed an abundance of heart and talent against men or women. She put on a great showing throughout the Young Lions Cup tournament that led to her becoming the first woman to hold that title—but hopefully not the last.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

53. Chris Hero
Points: 1461
Ballots: 23
Highest Vote Received: 4th Place (Niel Jacoby)
Last Year's Placement: 25th Place

TH: Hero inched even closer to the American Tenryu gimmick in 2014, showing some prime grumpiness especially against younger lions in PWG. While he made headlines for other reasons, his in-ring work remained at a high level.

Samuel DiMascio: Imagine being one of the best wrestlers in America and the main talking point about you is your weight? That is something Chris Hero seemingly has to deal with constantly. Entering the year he was still a relatively fresh act on the indie scene after his stint in NXT and probably set up his top match against AJ Styles which felt like and older ROH matches that had length, depth, and tons of STUFF! He also had real hoots against Ray Rowe in Inspire and Colin Delaney in 2CW. While he could be self-indulgent at times he was too good at putting on hard hitting contests that hit at the right time for me to disregard him as a top tier guy on the independents.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

52. Eddie Kingston
Points: 1467
Ballots: 24
Highest Vote Received: 4th Place (Erica Molinaro)
Last Year's Placement: 40th Place

TH: The War King's character arcs played more of a role in informing his ring work in 2014 Chikara, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. While he deprived audiences of the more classic bouts they're used to seeing him in, he was able to show versatility. It was an all around solid year for Kingston.

Frank McCormick: When Eddie Kingston wrestles, he wrestles his own inner demons as much as his opponents. There's a rawness to him that draws me into his matches. This emotional voyeurism sometimes makes me feel a bit perverted and intrusive, but it gives a dynamic vibe to his matches that no other wrestler brings.

Nick Ahlhelm: Few wrestlers are consistently as solid as Eddie Kingston inside a wrestling ring. But while Eddie continued to be a strong performer in 2014, much of his story in Chikara was cemented by events outside the confines of a match, as he joined and then left the Flood. But despite his era as Grand Champion being over, it is clear that Kingston lives and breathes Chikara and will continue to be a major star in the next year.

Erica Molinaro: Eddie Kingston might just be the most underrated story teller in the wrestling business today. When Kingston is in the ring, you could write a novel based on his facial expressions alone. His work last year after he lost the Chikara Grand Championship was masterful. From wrestling to just walking to the ring, no one embodies their character like Kingston.

John Rosenberger: Eddie Kingston plays the role of moralistic loner better than anyone in the game. Every move in his Chikara storyline made sense, from his early disinterest in wrestling after losing the his self-identity In the Grand Championship, to his fervent, conflicted pursuit to destroy anything in his way to reclaim his destiny, it was all pitch perfect. His work in AAW and AIW showed a man who was as passionate to prove himself in the ring despite having an already strong reputation.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

51. Ashley Remington/Dalton Castle
Points: 1497
Ballots: 23
Highest Vote Received: 4th Place (Dan McQuade)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: I always knew Dalton Castle was a steady hand in the ring, but the gimmick change in Chikara boosted him to the next level. Not only did he show signs of being a great storyteller, but he was able to purvey a style of wrestling that was warm and endearing, which is rare. He's an absolute gem of a wrestler in the perfect character that produced harmonious results in the last year.

Jeff Stormer On a day in which Chikara came back from the dead, King of Trios was announced, Kobald was killed, Deucalion's horrifying visage was revealed, and a new Grand Champion was crowned, Ashley Remington, marked by no more than a few minutes of online fanfare prior, managed to steal the show. That alone is worth pointing out. But what makes Remington so special goes beyond that one show; -he spent the entire year proving he was a master of winning over crowds in the ring, combining the lightning-quick comedy the Chikara faithful expect with pitch-perfect facial expressions and body language, and enough physicality and technical skill to back it up. A truly spectacular combination of "right performer, right character, right moment."

Frank McCormick: Dalton Castle has been around for a while, I know, but I never really encountered him in my indie viewing. But then Ashley Remington sailed into Chikara on a yacht of fruit baskets and finger-guns and OMG, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE HIM! With a wink and a great German suplex, he stole my heart.

Joshua Browns: I love this dude. I think there's a ton of potential here.

Brad Canze: I was privileged enough to be present for the best comedy match of 2014, at Chikara's Moonraker event, and Ashley Remington was the piece that made the whole thing work. His whole deal as a Yacht Dad who gives his losing opponents fruit baskets set up the bit in that night's eight-man tag, which saw the fruit basket being crushed, which turned Remington's affable finger-guns into weapons, causing referee Bryce Remsberg's shooting death and rebirth as The Undertaker. It was amazing. None of it would have worked without Ashley Remington, both as a character and as a part of the match. This is a guy who gets timing from both the wrestling and comedy standpoints. If WWE ever moves their idea of "comedy" past The Honeymooners I expect Ashley Remngton to be an important part of that.

TJ Hawke: As I wrote about extensively on PWPonderings, Chikara's 2014 was an artistic catastrophe. Ashley Remington managed to overcome that tough in pretty much every appearance he made for the company in 2014. He had a killer gimmick that got him instantly over with Chikara fans, and he backed it up in the ring show after show. Everyone should go out of their way to watch his match with Archibald Peck. It was one of my favorite matches in all of wrestling for 2014.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

50. Green/Silver Ant
Points: 1564
Ballots: 22
Highest Vote Received: 2nd Place (Dave Kincannon)
Last Year's Placement: 34th Place

TH: In a year of transformations, Silver Ant's metamorphosis was thankfully only superficial. He remained a versatile ring general with a sharp focus on strong mat exchanges, which he showed in a masterful Iron Man match against Drew Gulak at Wrestling Is Respect's final show. Stepping in at the last minute for an injured Biff Busick, he and Gulak almost completely blunted the sting of WIR's kayfabe closure. It was from there where he was called upon to wrestle in story-driven matches, but again, he's one of the most versatile wrestlers on the scene. He was able to draw emotion from the crowd and put in good work along the way. Green Ant may have only made the upgrade to Silver, but his in-ring ability was solid gold.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

49. Max Smashmaster
Points: 1566
Ballots: 22
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Jeff Stormer, Erica Molinaro)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Two words perfectly sum up Max Smashmaster: Certified Hoss. He was already on the path to greatness before, but this year, he owned his bigness and became a spectacle. He was the best part of perhaps the best stable Chikara has seen since the heyday of the BDK.

Jeff Stormer: Max Smashmaster is incredible to watch. Equally adept at playing the powerhouse or throwing swanton bombs; capable of making his opponents seem six inches tall, or like the certified gods of fuckshit mountain, with a super expressive face, quick wit, and skillful comedic timing.

Joshua Browns: The rise of Devastation Corporation was Chikara's most successful venture in 2014, and they're primed to be big-time players. Smashmaster gets bonus points for the amazing physical transformation he's undergone.

Nick Ahlhelm: Who doesn’t love the hossiest HOSS in Hoss-ville? Max Smashmaster embodied the word devastation in his run up to taking two of Chikara’s top honors in 2014. While he certainly doesn’t have the physical appearance of a typical WWE or TNA star, Smashmaster showed that he could both deliver and take some massive hits during the year. And much like his partner Blaster McMassive, he continues to grow better and better with every battle.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

48. Big E
Points: 1578
Ballots: 30
Highest Vote Received: 19th Place (Dan McQuade)
Last Year's Placement: 16th Place

Photo Credit: WWE.com

47. Wade Barrett
Points: 1591
Ballots: 26
Highest Vote Received: 8th Place (Joe Drilling)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Ryan Foster: Before getting hurt, Barrett embraced his weird “Bad News” gimmick as successfully as anyone this side of Damien Mizdow and was really delivering in the ring as well. Barrett is always a breath of fresh air in WWE’s midcard, where he brings an element of power and stiffness to a group dominated by smaller, more athletic types. Probably the second most unfortunate long-term injury of the year.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

46. AJ Lee
Points: 1751
Ballots: 28
Highest Vote Received: 18th Place (Mike Tunison)
Last Year's Placement: 14th Place

Nick Ahlhelm: Since the era of Mickie James, no one has dominated the WWE women’s division like AJ Lee has in the last few years. Bun unlike Mickie’s era, AJ has far stronger competition among the divas, which helps her to have stronger matches. With a focus on a few more women’s matches at pay-per-views not treated like bathroom breaks, she also has more chances to showcase her talents against the likes of Naomi, Paige, Natalya and Nikki Bella. Women’s wrestling in WWE still has a lot of room to grow, but with AJ and Paige at the helm, it has every chance to succeed.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

45. Jay Briscoe
Points: 1795
Ballots: 27
Highest Vote Received: 6th Place (Kris Zellner)
Last Year's Placement: 67th Place

TH: Briscoe got another run with the ROH Title, but most of his best work in 2014 came in tag matches, whether in ROH or barnstorming around other promotions. His best singular performance came in a match against the Hardy Boys. He brought such intensity against Matt Hardy that it elevated the match to high peaks, and that's a huge plus in my book.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

44. Kimber Lee
Points: 1823
Ballots: 23
Highest Vote Received: 3rd Place (De O'Brien)
Last Year's Placement: 96th Place

TH: She's a wrestler! Lee adopted that tagline in 2014 and conquered every promotion she stepped foot into. She handled all roles well in the ring well. Against Mickie Knuckles, she was the willing canvas for her opponent's gonzo violence. She formed excellent tag teams with two different partners in two different promotional spheres. She began a story-oriented career in Chikara, and she took center stage in headlining matches in Beyond Wrestling. And in every different role, she excelled, throwing bombs, taking offense, and breaking out of the pack to become one of the stellar wrestlers in the country in the last year.

Frank McCormick: Princess or just plain Kimber Lee is one of the toughest, most fearless performers around, with the best forearm barrage in the biz. But what I particularly like about her in-ring work is something that seems very superficial: her voice. In particular, that she uses it in the ring. Her banshee shriek strikes fear into her enemies and brings renewed vigor to her friends. It's a little thing, but it has a big effect, at least for me.

Brad Canze: The criteria by which I ranked Kimber Lee so high was thus: I was watching the 2014 King Of Trios streaming, my girlfriend walked into the room, saw Kimber Lee, and sat down and watched the whole match, and declared Lee her favorite wrestler by match's end. Lee had a ton more accomplishments than that this year, but I think captivating a non-fan from randomly walking in on a match is a great endorsement.

Martin Bentley: It's difficult to think of a more in-demand female wrestler in 2014, at least one that doesn't come attached with a mustached sleazeball as part of the booking package. Kimber Lee was nearly everywhere over the year (though there were a couple of places she had public falling outs with) - whether it be dominating the competition at Beyond Wrestling, getting into gender wars at WSU, journeying up north to SMASH and impressing there, becoming a perrenial contender at SHINE, or raising her stock even higher at SHIMMER. Even her Princess alter-ego at Chikara became more popular, to the point where she's now a regular character there. I originally compared her to Sara Del Rey when she was first gaining momentum, but there's also a little LuFisto in there too in the way she keeps taking beatings and keeps coming back for more.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

43. Bobby Fish
Points: 1851
Ballots: 29
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Ian Riccaboni)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Joey Splashwater: Some forget about Bobby Fish when putting over the amazing work reDRagon has done due to Kyle O'Reilly being the standout member of the team but Fish is tremendous. I always saw potential in Fish to be something special and I was proven right in 2014. The MOTY with the Young Bucks at War of the Worlds was one of the greatest wrestling matches I've seen live and Bobby Fish was pivotal to making that as outstanding as it was - a frequent occurrence when he wrestles.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

42. The Miz
Points: 1877
Ballots: 30
Highest Vote Received: 12th Place (Angelo Castillo)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Rene Sanchez: Maybe the most underrated worker in the second half of 2014 in the WWE, The Miz was wrestling the equivalent of handicap matches during the entirety of his tag team run with Damien Sandow (Mizdow). The work that was being done in the ring can be lost to the wonderful distraction that Sandow became on the outside, but Miz deserves this spot because he continually put on solid matches while everyone ignored him. That is quite awesome in my mind.

Ryan Foster: The Miz has always faded comfortably into the background of the WWE roster. He’s been far too good to be bad, but not good enough to stand out from the pack. That changed in late 2014 with his re-imagining as a delusional “movie star” who tries to wrestle tag matches by himself while his “stunt double” Damien Sandow becomes more and more popular. It took real skill for Miz to not only essentially wrestle as a one-man tag team, but always get the crowd to believe that this time Lucy wouldn’t pull away the football and we would get to see Sandow in the match.

Brad Canze: My ballot actually had The Miz one spot higher than Damien Sandow/Mizdow. Miz is still this little fratbaby whose offense lands like a feather pillow brushing against a bowl of Jell-O, but his selling is first-class, and in his matches he has not only been working double-time in the ring to keep Mizdow out, but he has been working quadruple-time as a heel to get Mizdow over as the lovable underdog. And Damien is wonderful, as he has been in every instance I have seen him since his debut, but The Miz has hit another level of which I truly did not think him capable.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

41. Damien Sandow
Points: 2146
Ballots: 34
Highest Vote Received: 5th Place (Dan McQuade, Brandon Armstrong)
Last Year's Placement: 33rd Place

TH: No one did more with less help from the bookers and agents than Damien Sandow. He owned every parody he was asked to play and then some, showing some serious pantomime chops while acting as Miz's stunt double. But he also had a few gems before he was relegated, most notably against John Cena in January.

Rene Sanchez: The “comedic” gimmick that Damien Sandow was saddled with after being unceremoniously discarded from the main event scene should not have worked. By all means, using the majority of their time on TV and in matches trying to get laughs is supposed to be a death knell for a performer’s career. Yet Sandow is no average wrestler and he showed it in 2014 (and as he had in previous years, but I won’t get into that here). The sheer genius of performing a match by on his own on the apron and outside the ring deserves the praise it is receiving on this list.

Ryan Foster: Damien Sandow’s placement on this list is fascinating because it involves a re-thinking of what we mean by good wrestling. Sandow was finally rewarded for a year of cosplay jobberhood with the role of a lifetime as Damien Mizdow, stunt double for the Miz. Mizdow’s antics during Miz’s matches were jaw-droppingly inventive and succeeded on a level far beyond the basic comedy of the concept. Does it count as wrestling if you’re never tagged in to the match, but still contribute to its quality in a major way? For me it does, and was one of the best things about WWE in 2014.

Tomorrow's entry will look pretty strong if you ask me.