If any a time existed for Chikara to put on one of their signature atomico matches, it was when their match was placed on the first National Pro Wrestling Day. The Resistance Pro crew had just put on their display of misogyny and showed how gross wrestling had the capacity to be. The cure for that bullcrap was eight of Chikara's finest showing how good the art could be. Plus, Los Ice Creams gave the world the phrase "ME GUSTA RANDY ORTON" for the first time in an entertaining manner.
↧
From the Archives: Chikara's Atomico from National Pro Wrestling Day '13
↧
The Chikara Wrestle Factory Is Returning to the ECW Arena
The Chikara Wrestle Factory, the school associated with the recently-returned wrestling promotion, is returning to the ECW Arena after two-plus years away. The school had been conducted in the iconic arena until it was sold and wrestling events were abruptly halted from happening there in 2012. The school was relocated to the northeastern suburbs of the city of Philadelphia in the interim.
The school's return to the historic venue is not the first sign of wrestling being welcomed back into the building. Extreme Rising ran television tapings there before the New Year, and they have another round scheduled for March 1. With the Wrestle Factory reassuming the Arena as its home base and other promotions holding shows there, I wonder if Chikara will return to having shows at the building sooner rather than later. Obviously, any news of the Arena becoming the company's Philadelphia home once more is speculation at this point, but things are looking up.
↧
↧
The Wrestling Blog's OFFICIAL Best in the World Rankings, February 10
 |
| My new favorite player, and he hasn't even been drafted yet Photo via the Associated Press |
1. Michael Sam (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Last night, Sam, the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, publicly came out of the closet (he informed his team, the Missouri Tigers, before the season, and they went 12-2 this past year). If he makes a NFL team this upcoming season, he will be the first out-and-proud player in league history. For someone to do that BEFORE he earned his first contract is brave and outstanding. I hope he becomes the best defensive player in NFL history.
2. Alpha Female (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Honestly, she went easy on Jenny Rose by only throwing her through drywall. If they were in her native Germany, she'd have thrown her through a beer keg. If you don't think she could throw a human being through a steel keg, well, why don't you dare her to do it? Huh tough guy?
3. Daniel Bryan (Last Week: 2) - When Bryan and Randy Orton have another one of their patented RAW television main events and he's only risen to the third spot on the list, you know some serious shit went down during this grading period.
4. AJ Lee (Last Week: 4) - So, when is WWE going to fire JBL and Jerry Lawler and hire her as the full-time RAW color commentator? She can pull a Kevin Steen and commentate her own matches when she gets the call to wrestle.
5. Mark Henry (Last Week: 7) - Henry will return to RAW TONIGHT. He's celebrating by splitting the wig of every joker who decides he or she wants to make a joke about him possibly impregnating guest host Betty White.
6. Russell Brand (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Brand gets a lot of hate for things that I may or may not agree he deserves, but the man's words after Philip Seymour Hoffman's death are worth reading.
7. Mickie Knuckles (Last Week: Not Ranked) - I still am in fear for Denver Colorado's (the man, not the place!) life after she threatened to skull fuck him Friday night. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who wouldn't follow up on a threat like that.
8. Paesano's Paesano Sandwich (Last Week: Not Ranked)OFFICIAL HOLZERMAN HUNGERS SPONSORED ENTRY - I had one of these sandwiches this past week and I'm pretty sure I died and went to heaven for a minute because my vision went all plaid and I saw a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo. I saw it, man. SAW IT. Didn't hear it. SAW IT.
9. Roy Hibbert (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Hibbert is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, but if he ever decided to switch careers to something he'd be better at than playing basketball, I think him going into WWE would be one of those few jobs that would fit the bill.
10. Sara del Rey (Last Week: 10) - SARA DEL REY FACT: Her 2014 goal is to turn Betty White into the best WWE wrestler on the roster. No one told her that White only coming in for a guest spot and isn't going to NXT, but that won't stop her one bit.
↧
Instant Feedback: You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round
 |
| How many times has this scene kicked off RAW in the last six months? Photo Credit: WWE.com |
The amount of recursion within WWE programming in any given portion of the year is staggering. Remember, around this time last year, Daniel Bryan and Kane were on their second or third reboot of the Dr. Shelby therapy treatments. They interacted tonight, only Kane was now part of the machine that Bryan has been fighting since SummerSlam. They have history, but that history has been lost to the greater narrative. I hold out hope that maybe, just maybe, they call back to the Team Hell No days and WWE gives the audience something to latch onto, but I can't help but feel like another skip on the LP is coming soon.
Funny that one group escapes this malaise is the Wyatt Family. The lone spark of character development on the show was driven by them. Their appearance at the end of the Mark Henry/Dean Ambrose match elicited some of that superstar aura from Roman Reigns as he led the charge towards an aborted battle. Why, however, are the Wyatts the one faction that escapes the constant setting and resetting of the same acts in the story?
The theory that makes the most sense is that the writers can only seem to concentrate on one group's narratives at a time or else they'd either get fried or they'd just confuse Vince McMahon with all the moving parts, well, moving. With the Wyatts being the beneficiaries of advancement, everything else remains in a state of stasis at the absolute best. At worst, the narrative creeps back to a prior reversion, because hey, it worked before, hasn't it?
Shows like tonight highlight the reason why RAW is at its best not when it is looked upon as a story, but as a show where things might happen. Whether those moments are connected to a prior astral tether that holds everything together or not seems irrelevant because the structure of the show renders it as such. For every electric weekly serial that is produced, WWE seems to put out at least one show where it throws the leftovers into the microwave and see how well the crowd eats it up.
But the Wyatts and The Shield kept it from being a total waste. So did the plentiful amount of solid and satisfying wrestling matches and singular performances. WWE's roster right now has a bunch of guys and gals on it that excel at taking the same oeuvre and at least dressing it up. Orton tonight was his predictable best self as the sniveling trust fund Champion trying desperately to find an angle that will keep him in management's good graces. But without story progression, those morsels are just remixes on the same song. No matter how great the original was, releasing the same base material with little tweaks here and there is going to get old pretty quickly.
↧
Showdown at the Hollywood Bowl
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
I haven't been this hype for a trios match since the moments leading up to the King of Trios finals in 2012. In one corner stand psycho hillbilly cultists who don't shower and maybe wear lamb masks. In the other is a paramilitary group for hire that has a thermonuclear reaction brewing at its core, threatening to blow the group apart. The Wyatt Family and The Shield didn't have to throw hands last night in order to get me psyched for their tilt at Elimination Chamber. All they had to do was what they did last night - stare menacingly at each other. They all seem to be quite good at that.
↧
↧
Busick Out, Gulak In at Feeding Frenzy
 |
| Gulak will have his hands full Sunday Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Biff Busick has not been cleared to wrestle on Sunday against Kevin Steen at Beyond Wrestling's Feeding Frenzy. He was tasked with hand-picking a replacement, and last night, he chose sometimes-rival and professional friend Drew Gulak to take his place. Gulak is the current Combat Zone Wrestling World Champion, a status that maintains the contest's main event aura. I believe this match is also a first-time affair.
Gulak's insertion into the match will more than likely change its complexion. While Gulak and Busick are similar, the former has more a tendency to grapple while the latter has more of a proclivity to brawl. Steen is one of the best brawlers on the indies right now, and his technical prowess is couched more in his actual wrestling move arsenal. I will be very interested to see if he can work Gulak's style of match. Either way, the wrestling public will find out at Fete Music in Providence on Sunday.
Gulak's insertion into the match will more than likely change its complexion. While Gulak and Busick are similar, the former has more a tendency to grapple while the latter has more of a proclivity to brawl. Steen is one of the best brawlers on the indies right now, and his technical prowess is couched more in his actual wrestling move arsenal. I will be very interested to see if he can work Gulak's style of match. Either way, the wrestling public will find out at Fete Music in Providence on Sunday.
↧
The Wrestling Podcast, Episode 129: Eamon Paton (The Inspire Pro Episode!)
 |
| This guy couldn't even walk two years ago. Now, he's main eventing the next Inspire show. Photo Credit: Kelly Kyle/Texas Anarchy |
Eamon Paton of the Wrestling Mayhem Show and the voice of Inspire Pro Wrestling comes on the show this week to discuss everything about the fledgling wrestling company in Austin, TX. He gets into how the company was founded and how they want to contribute to the Central Texas wrestling scene. He describes the various unknown talent who are working for the company as well as establishing his desires to be a nexus point within Texas for people to come in and show their wares for the Austin crowd. We run down the Light the Fuse card, including the inspiring story of Franco D'Angelo, who came back from paralysis to continue his wrestling career, the breakout potential of Ray Rowe, getting to work alongside Rachel Summerlyn in the broadcast booth, and the enigma that is the Great Depression. WE then get into some Twitter questions, which include dream matches, how Eamon got involved in Inspire Pro, and the role women will play in the company.
Inspire Pro Wrestling|Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|YouTube
Direct link for your downloading pleasure
↧
The Best Moves Ever: Buzzsaw Kick
Sure, a simple kick might not have the wrestling-finisher pizzazz of a powerbomb or a piledriver or a flippy-shit special on the surface. A kick to the head, however, will kill some brain cells in a shoot fight. Besides, when done right, it looks damn sexy. Kana perfected the roundhouse kick to the head, but the OG of the kick to the dome, at least in my experience, was a man whom she threatened to castrate. As a bonus, Yoshihiro Tajiri precedes his kick with the green mist, another awesome move.
↧
Your Midweek Links: Good on You, Michael Sam
 |
| Chikara's back Photo Credit: Zia Hiltey |
Wrestling Links:
- The Wrestling Podcast, Episode 128: Bryce Remsburg [Being for the Benefit of Mr. Azerbaijan]
- The Wrestling Podcast, Episode 129: Eamon Paton [Turner the Paige]
- Let's go home [Wrestlegasm]
- The rebirth of Chikara [Voices of Wrestling]
- Storytelling lessons from World Wrestling Entertainment [Harvard Business Review]
- The Best and Worst of RAW: Thank You for Being a Friend [With Leather]
- The Heart is RAW: An Empire by the Sea [International Object]
- RAW: Damage limitation [Wrestlegasm]
- Interview: Dynamite Dan, son-in-law of Dynamite Kid [The Only Way Is Suplex]
- Dragon Wars: The hope and hostility of the YES Movement [False Underdog]
- The Ring of Honor influence: How one small company impacted WWE [WWE.com]
- The Roy Hibbert Roundup: Thoughts on George Orwell, Flappy Bird, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin [The Score]
- The WWE's New New Generation [Voices of Wrestling]
- The Best and Worst of Impact Wrestling: I Can Put My Arm Back On, You Can't [With Leather]
- Jesse Ventura: I move around in Mexico so the drones can't find me [The Verge]
- The Merch Table: WWF Cookbook Special [Wrestling on Earth]
Non-Wrestling Links:
- “Michael Sam’s draft stock will plummet because it’s a distraction” = “We are terrified about how shitty our players are.” [The Footbawl Blog]
- "The eagle has landed," the amazing behind the scenes story about how the Michael Sam story unfolded [OutSports]
- Michael Sam shouldn't have to do this alone [Deadspin]
- Peter King Doesn’t Even Bother To Ask An NFL GM To Go On The Record With His Disdain of a Gay Player [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
- The Daily Win: Michael Sam and the NFL's Status Quo [SB Nation]
- Michael Sam being gay will only be a distraction to those who allow it to be [Wide Left]
- Michael Sam stares down criticism [Sports on Earth]
- How not to talk about Michael Sam [Groupthink]
- Michael Sam shines an incredibly positive light on Mizzou [Rock M Nation]
- T-Pain slams homophobia in hip-hop for six straight minutes [Gawker]
- The Westminster Dog Show Rankings, 2014: Sorry Again, Spaniels [SB Nation]
- Marcus Smart shoved an old fan and I will now stifle my laughter [The Mighty MJD]
- The Gaslight District: The dangerous precedent set by the Woody Allen molestation allegations [Pajiba]
- Let's stop rewarding powerful white misogynists [Groupthink]
- Missing Pokemon embedded in X and Y's code is the star of the next movie [Kotaku]
- The most worthless Pokemon could still kill you dead [Kotaku]
- Check these classic games as romance novels [UPROXX]
- Keith Olbermann obliterates the nightmare that is the Sochi Olympics [Warming Glow]
- Ten games from sitcoms that should be in the Olympics [Pajiba]
- The Fickle Pig: The Sandwich Smith [On Sandwiches]
- 29 common myths about booze, debunked [io9]
- Meme watch: Lays'"Do us a flavor" crowdsourcing campaign hilariously backfires [UPROXX]
- Hot take: Richard Nixon and friends on Super Bowl XLVIII [The Classical]
- Quiz: Which team would the Eagles resemble if Eagles fans were in charge? [Philly.com]
- 20 astounding facts about Blazing Saddles on its 20th anniversary [UPROXX]
- Russell Brand opens up about Philip Seymour Hoffman [UPROXX]
- Aaron Sorkin pens a remarkable obituary for Philip Seymour Hoffman [Warming Glow]
- The mock draft ruiner is back [Boring as Heck]
- An open letter from the Death Star designer [Dorkly]
- 12 signs Jor-El was much more of a dick than Superman [io9]
- Cuckolded: Why do so many men fantasize about watching their wives cheat on them? [Playboy SFW]
↧
↧
Daniel Bryan Channels Richard Sherman
Via Telly
Daniel Bryan appeared on the NFL Network, presumably to celebrate his Seahawks winning the Super Bowl. During his appearance, he recreated the infamous rant uncorked by Richard Sherman after the NFC Championship Game. Thanks to Mike "Christmas Ape" Tunison from Kissing Suzy Kolber for capturing it.
↧
Best Coast Bias: Más Lucha Libre, Por Favor
 |
| Add him to the list Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Out of context, it's hard to explain to an outsider certain aspects of professional wrestling. If you're into the WWE, then usually these certain aspects are usually related a certain troika of NXT graduates.
No, not those guys -- the ones they're facing at Elimination Chamber.
How do you explain the joy you get watching a psychobilly cult leader chase a midget in a bull costume? Or the guy who looks like Jason Lee photoshopped to 2000% doing a shockingly good damn-we-miss-you-Eddie style slingshot senton?
As with most things Stamford-based, there's still problems ahoy in the presentation. Because nothing says Black History Month in WWE like taking away a black man's identity, especially when the name in question is Langston. (More on that later.)
So why sludge through the treacle? You know why: an above-average to great wrestling match is the best deodorant, and in getting in maiming shape to take down the Shield they put on a hell of a trios match against Sin Cara y Los Matadores. It wasn't a shock the match was good, but the match being that good was. A receptive crowd who seemed willing to root for everybody regardless of alignment helped, to be sure, but this was the platonic ideal of a Main Event main event: a two-segment showcase opening the show where some of the best rosters on the deepest roster in WWE history got to do their thing, and more.
You know what's really astounding? While the crowd tried to rally Mucha Lucha on several occasions, they never really booed the Wyatts. Seemingly everything was met with oohs and whoas, and it's not surprising as to why. It's a shame Mistico wasn't alive to see this episode of Miércoles Noche Estrellas. As it was, the Tito disciples took punishment and got their masks screwed with while Sin Cara flew around springboarding into almost everything from headbutts to Steamboat presses. Unfortunately for him, the slow attrition towards the end that escalated into cutting it down to one on one meant he was at the sadistic whims of the World-Eater, and one psycho-looking crossbody later it was easy for him to make the acquaintance of Sister Abigail. That said, this is right up there with Sin Cara/Del Rio a few short weeks ago as likely MEMOTY candidate members when 2014 wraps to a close. For Crom's sake, Luke Harper did a slingshot senton bomb as a taunt. You gotta tip your hat when warranted.
Lest you think this was a one-match episode, let me say to you nay. Aksana and Natalya also put on a match that delivered beyond the expected realms, but in retrospect that was less stunning then it may've seemed. Natalya seems to have come back from her little vacay down to NXT hooked up to the Rejuvenation Machine, and Aksana's been steadily improving in the ring less accidentally orbital smudging kneedrops. The lovely Russian seemed to be debuting/more fully developing a knee-based offense (thus making Continuity Bear do the Sprinkler) and NattieKat survived the first wave only to get washed under another one. Seriously, some guys on the roster could learn from Aksana's clothesline, so quick and cutting it almost didn't seem to happen. And her spinebuster's more than perfectly serviceable. Like a Big Rig Eddy bomb, who cares how we ended up in this Earth-2 if these are going to be the results? Hell, even the ending was an old chestnut in new wrapping--the one time Aksana gave in to ego and tried to do her sexy Secretary crawl into a kick Nattie wrapped her up and hooked her into a mid-ring Sharpshooter.
Said area would soon be the chalk outlines of a game Drew McIntyre and a fully hindered Jinder Mahal, as the Intercontinental Champion emerges last nameless like some kind of diva but still the same freight train with a pulse he's been since flipping alignment. Mahal sticking up for his friend and demanding a second match with him lasted shorter than the time it'll take you to read this sentence: 15 seconds of offense, trucked off the ropes, Down Come The Straps, and ENDING. But before that the former Intercontinental Champion showed signs of life that only serve to stoke the memories of long-suffering fanboys like myself. Maybe DMC should get Natalya's flight plan to Full Sail and keep buttressing what he put on here. Finding himself outwrestled and outpowered early, he tried a different tack--throw a bunch of big boots to the face really hard. Off the ropes, one-legged, using the ref as distraction bait, thwack thwack thwackity thwack. For somebody who's supposed to be the roster's floor Drew was making it look like the roof came in before he took the belly-to-Bayley, 747 splash, and eventual ENDING. Even better, his slap of Big E. Langston to spark a comeback got him five huge body shots in the corner.
To the person at Chez Vince reading my columns about making Main Event more like NXT: much obliged. Keep putting together more shows like this and stay on my arm, you little charmer.
No, not those guys -- the ones they're facing at Elimination Chamber.
How do you explain the joy you get watching a psychobilly cult leader chase a midget in a bull costume? Or the guy who looks like Jason Lee photoshopped to 2000% doing a shockingly good damn-we-miss-you-Eddie style slingshot senton?
As with most things Stamford-based, there's still problems ahoy in the presentation. Because nothing says Black History Month in WWE like taking away a black man's identity, especially when the name in question is Langston. (More on that later.)
So why sludge through the treacle? You know why: an above-average to great wrestling match is the best deodorant, and in getting in maiming shape to take down the Shield they put on a hell of a trios match against Sin Cara y Los Matadores. It wasn't a shock the match was good, but the match being that good was. A receptive crowd who seemed willing to root for everybody regardless of alignment helped, to be sure, but this was the platonic ideal of a Main Event main event: a two-segment showcase opening the show where some of the best rosters on the deepest roster in WWE history got to do their thing, and more.
You know what's really astounding? While the crowd tried to rally Mucha Lucha on several occasions, they never really booed the Wyatts. Seemingly everything was met with oohs and whoas, and it's not surprising as to why. It's a shame Mistico wasn't alive to see this episode of Miércoles Noche Estrellas. As it was, the Tito disciples took punishment and got their masks screwed with while Sin Cara flew around springboarding into almost everything from headbutts to Steamboat presses. Unfortunately for him, the slow attrition towards the end that escalated into cutting it down to one on one meant he was at the sadistic whims of the World-Eater, and one psycho-looking crossbody later it was easy for him to make the acquaintance of Sister Abigail. That said, this is right up there with Sin Cara/Del Rio a few short weeks ago as likely MEMOTY candidate members when 2014 wraps to a close. For Crom's sake, Luke Harper did a slingshot senton bomb as a taunt. You gotta tip your hat when warranted.
Lest you think this was a one-match episode, let me say to you nay. Aksana and Natalya also put on a match that delivered beyond the expected realms, but in retrospect that was less stunning then it may've seemed. Natalya seems to have come back from her little vacay down to NXT hooked up to the Rejuvenation Machine, and Aksana's been steadily improving in the ring less accidentally orbital smudging kneedrops. The lovely Russian seemed to be debuting/more fully developing a knee-based offense (thus making Continuity Bear do the Sprinkler) and NattieKat survived the first wave only to get washed under another one. Seriously, some guys on the roster could learn from Aksana's clothesline, so quick and cutting it almost didn't seem to happen. And her spinebuster's more than perfectly serviceable. Like a Big Rig Eddy bomb, who cares how we ended up in this Earth-2 if these are going to be the results? Hell, even the ending was an old chestnut in new wrapping--the one time Aksana gave in to ego and tried to do her sexy Secretary crawl into a kick Nattie wrapped her up and hooked her into a mid-ring Sharpshooter.
Said area would soon be the chalk outlines of a game Drew McIntyre and a fully hindered Jinder Mahal, as the Intercontinental Champion emerges last nameless like some kind of diva but still the same freight train with a pulse he's been since flipping alignment. Mahal sticking up for his friend and demanding a second match with him lasted shorter than the time it'll take you to read this sentence: 15 seconds of offense, trucked off the ropes, Down Come The Straps, and ENDING. But before that the former Intercontinental Champion showed signs of life that only serve to stoke the memories of long-suffering fanboys like myself. Maybe DMC should get Natalya's flight plan to Full Sail and keep buttressing what he put on here. Finding himself outwrestled and outpowered early, he tried a different tack--throw a bunch of big boots to the face really hard. Off the ropes, one-legged, using the ref as distraction bait, thwack thwack thwackity thwack. For somebody who's supposed to be the roster's floor Drew was making it look like the roof came in before he took the belly-to-Bayley, 747 splash, and eventual ENDING. Even better, his slap of Big E. Langston to spark a comeback got him five huge body shots in the corner.
To the person at Chez Vince reading my columns about making Main Event more like NXT: much obliged. Keep putting together more shows like this and stay on my arm, you little charmer.
↧
Not Cool
 |
| Screen grab via @JaimsVanDerBeek |
Yeah, that kid is definitely grabbing him some of Nattie Neidhart's chest. If your first reaction is "YEAH KID! GET YOU SOME!" or something like that, I feel you're part of the problem. If he gets encouragement now, then he'll learn that women are objects and that he can get away with that kind of thing for the rest of his life, and boom, the cycle continues. His entire contingent should've been thrown out of the arena. And folks why people from outside of wrestling fandom look down on those who enjoy it.
ETA: Twitter user @iowavesmusic points this out:
ETA: Twitter user @iowavesmusic points this out:
@tholzerman Kid goes to pat her on the shoulder, misses, then immediately cringes. There are full gifs all over. I think it was an accident.
— David Murphy (@iowavesmusic) February 13, 2014↧
The Elephant in the Room That Lita Is Riding
 |
| No, PS Hayes, she's not just a "chick" Photo Credit: WWE.com |
No more was this point hammered home than during the induction hype video. Nattie Neidhart and other women gushed about how Lita was an inspiration (conspicuous by her absence, Divas Champion and number one Lita fangirl AJ Lee), but joining airspace with those women were Michael PS Hayes and Michael Cole. Okay, having men talk about women in wrestling isn't problematic in and of itself, but then again, WWE's authorial intent when women are in the balance is less than welcoming. All I had to hear was about how Hayes thought Lita was a "chick" and how Cole talked about her being the girl you didn't bring home to mom 'n dad but wanted to date anyway and the point became inherently clear.
Calling out WWE for totally discounting the agency of an entire gender is like shouting into the abyss, of course. However, WWE really isn't the only outlet that struggles with the revolutionary idea that the only way differences between the genders should be measured is through physiology. The anonymous (read, cowardly) backlash against Michael Sam in the NFL is based on the idea that a gay man can't be "manly" enough to fit into a macho locker room. Thinkpieces trying to ascertain what things belong to men and which belong to women are still being written. Even playing with Legos is up for referendum on manliness. WWE lags behind with a considerable pack.
But if the company can be shockingly progressive in how it handles gays within its rank, then why does it still persist in treating women like warm receptacles for male genitalia? Women are proving around the world that they can be as good if not better than their male counterparts in the ring. Female viewership hovers at a not-insignificant 35 percent. The number of hardcore female fans is growing in visibility, and they are doing some greatwork in thealternative media.
Gender roles are dissolving before society's figurative eyes, and instead of being part of the resistance to that erosion, WWE should start getting ahead of the curve. Trotting out scuzzballs like Hayes and clueless shills like Cole to honor a woman entering its Hall of Fame is lagging behind it. The only way to enjoy Lita getting into the Hall from my point of view is to throw out authorial intent and frame whatever happens in one's own interpretation. But that intent remains problematic, which will continue to chase a company that should know far better.
↧
↧
The Perfect Knife for Cutting Ashes?
So THAT'S where Mike Quackenbush is getting his operating income for Chikara. Okay, okay, sure, the Ginsu Chikara series of knives may not be related to the wrestling company - according to the Ginsu site, the brand has been around for nearly 100 years - but I find it hilarious that if the wrestling promotion ever decides to change identities into a deathmatch promotion that they have the perfect supplier of weapons.
A tip of the hat to @JB_Shakes for pointing this out.
A tip of the hat to @JB_Shakes for pointing this out.
↧
Throwback Thursday: Can't Get You Outta My Heart
For as much as post-Fingerpoke WCW is maligned, the company had a lot of good ideas, one of which was the 3 Count stable. Comprised of Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore, Shane Helms, and sometimes Tank Abbott, the group played on the proclivity of the "average" or stereotypical wrestling fan not to like bubblegum pop music. Of course, groups like N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, and O-Town dominated the pop charts at the time, so for a change, a wrestling stable playing off pop culture was actually topical and timely. Two of the three main members of the group are seen here lip synching to their biggest "hit" and theme song, "Can't Get You Outta My Heart." Please forgive the WCW announce team for talking over it; they knew not what they were doing.
This week's suggestion comes courtesy of @witty_retort, Rhode Island's foremost fan of Batista, circa 2005.
This week's suggestion comes courtesy of @witty_retort, Rhode Island's foremost fan of Batista, circa 2005.
↧
Happy Valentine's Day from The Wrestling Blog
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Just wanted you to know that I LOOOOOOOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.
↧
Any Shows This Weekend? SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
 |
| Will Kevin Steen be smiling after meeting Gulak? Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Today is Valentine's Day. You may love different people, but everyone who reads this sure loves wrestling, so what better way to celebrate that love than to go to a show? Plenty of companies are running shows, and you can find a complete list at Pro Wrestling Events. For the big shows, see below.
SATURDAY
Pro Wrestling Xperience will be rocking Internet pay-per-view Saturday with Rise of a Champion IX. If you wanna see the show live, head to the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center in Concord, NC at 8 PM local time. Highspots will be offering the iPPV feed starting at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time. Caleb Konley will be putting his PWX Championship on the line against Cedric Alexander in the main event. In a tag team grudge match, the team of Dojo Bros. Present: Eddie and the Edwards (consisting of Roderick Strong and Trent?) will battle Country Jacked (Adam Page and Corey Hollis). D'arcy Dixon and Mia Yim will compete in a women's showcase match. Also appearing on the show will be "The Manscout" Jake Manning.
CWF Mid-Atlantic will present the End of an Era with a show at the CWF Sportatorium in Gibsonville, NC at 7:30 PM local time. The main event will pit current Mid-Atlantic Champion Arik Royal against former Champion Corey Edsel. Edsel currently holds the record for longest reign with the title, but if Royal beats him, his own reign will surpass Edsel's. Also on the show, Trevor Lee will battle Ric Converse. Also appearing on the show will be the Mecha Mercenary.
Deep Southern Championship Wrestling's Valentine's Vengeance III will be live from the DSCW Arena in Blue Ridge, GA, doors opening at 7 PM. Among the talent scheduled to appear is Cyrus the Destroyer.
Empire Pro Wrestling heads back to 22 Austin Avenue in Rossville, GA with the doors opening at 7 PM local time. Among the wrestlers booked at this show are the Hamill Bros. and Ace Rockwell.
Platinum Championship Wrestling will roost at the Main Event in Porterdale, GA for a 6 PM bell time. The main event will be Stephen Platinum's retirement match against Shane Marx. Also appearing will be Chip Day and the Washington Bullets.
SUNDAY
Beyond Wrestling will present the first of two huge shows for Sunday with Feeding Frenzy at Fete Music. Head over to the venue in Providence, RI for a 3:30 PM local bell time. Come hungry and thirsty, because Championship Melt will be providing grilled cheese sandwiches, while Revival Brewing Company will have FREE beer samples for people 21 years and older. The main event will pit Kevin Steen against Drew Gulak in a first time ever meeting. Gulak replaces the injured Biff Busick. Gulak's original opponent, Kimber Lee, has an open contract ready to be fulfilled. In a grudge tag match, Michael Elgin and Tommaso Ciampa will wage war against Jaka and Chris Dickinson. The CZW World Tag Team Championships will be defended by the Beaver Boys of Alex Reynolds and John Silver against the team of Tremendous Investigations, Dan Barry and Bill Carr.
In the other big title match, AR Fox puts his Chilean Lucha Libre Championship on the line against Shynron in a rematch from the opener of the Tournament for Tomorrow studio tapings. In what ought to be a highly inappropriate contest, SeXXXy Eddy will invade Beyond to take on its resident pervert, Johnny Cockstrong. The Hooligans will rumble up to New England to take on the team of the Juicy Product, David Starr and JT Dunn. Anthony Stone will battle Myke Quest to determine the stipulation for Stone's match against Nicholas Kaye at the next event. Finally, a whole mess of tag teams will engage in a Feeding Frenzy match, including EYFBO, the Devastation Corporation, and Le Tabarnak de Team.
The second big show this weekend happens at the Marchesa Theater in Austin, TX, as Inspire Pro Wrestling will promote Light the Fuse. Doors open at 5:30 PM local time, and the main event will be a huge match pitting former friends against each other for the Inspire Pro Championship. The Champ, Mike Dell, will battle his former friend and miraculous comeback story Franco D'Angelo, who went from not being able to walk to winning a shot at the title in his first match back at the last show. D'Angelo's co-conspirator, Matthew Palmer, has his own challenge ahead of him as he must try to lift the Heaviest Sumo in the Land, Jojo Bravo. Ray Rowe continues to stake his claim as Inspire's big match ace as he welcomes the challenge of Robert Evans, while ACH makes his final appearance in Texas for nine months as he battles Sammy Guevara.
In a no holds barred, no rope breaks match, the legitimately insane Scot Summers takes on the cocksure Ricky Starks. Paige Turner will look to continue her winning ways within the XX-Division as she battles Miss Diss Lexia. The enigmatic Great Depression will look to shake out of his doldrums and take his frustrations out on the man who formerly was made of Too Much Metal, Gregory James. Ken Carson will be in six man action, and the Pump Patrol will present their first annual battle royale. Among those scheduled to compete will be Cowboy James Claxton, Thomas Shire, and Barbi Hayden.
PWX is back Sunday at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC for a round of television tapings. The show starts at 5 PM local time, and it will be headlined by a title vs. title match. The winner of the Konley/Alexander match from the night before will put his PWX Championship against Matt Hardy's WrestleCade Championship.
If you love wrestling, then seeing it live is the best way to experience it. The big companies are good, but the local companies and national indies are the ones where the best new ideas and the up-and-coming wrestlers are doing work. They can't grow unless you support them. Besides, your favorite wrestling company or wrestler may be out there. You just don't know it yet.
SATURDAY
Pro Wrestling Xperience will be rocking Internet pay-per-view Saturday with Rise of a Champion IX. If you wanna see the show live, head to the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center in Concord, NC at 8 PM local time. Highspots will be offering the iPPV feed starting at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time. Caleb Konley will be putting his PWX Championship on the line against Cedric Alexander in the main event. In a tag team grudge match, the team of Dojo Bros. Present: Eddie and the Edwards (consisting of Roderick Strong and Trent?) will battle Country Jacked (Adam Page and Corey Hollis). D'arcy Dixon and Mia Yim will compete in a women's showcase match. Also appearing on the show will be "The Manscout" Jake Manning.
CWF Mid-Atlantic will present the End of an Era with a show at the CWF Sportatorium in Gibsonville, NC at 7:30 PM local time. The main event will pit current Mid-Atlantic Champion Arik Royal against former Champion Corey Edsel. Edsel currently holds the record for longest reign with the title, but if Royal beats him, his own reign will surpass Edsel's. Also on the show, Trevor Lee will battle Ric Converse. Also appearing on the show will be the Mecha Mercenary.
Deep Southern Championship Wrestling's Valentine's Vengeance III will be live from the DSCW Arena in Blue Ridge, GA, doors opening at 7 PM. Among the talent scheduled to appear is Cyrus the Destroyer.
Empire Pro Wrestling heads back to 22 Austin Avenue in Rossville, GA with the doors opening at 7 PM local time. Among the wrestlers booked at this show are the Hamill Bros. and Ace Rockwell.
Platinum Championship Wrestling will roost at the Main Event in Porterdale, GA for a 6 PM bell time. The main event will be Stephen Platinum's retirement match against Shane Marx. Also appearing will be Chip Day and the Washington Bullets.
SUNDAY
Beyond Wrestling will present the first of two huge shows for Sunday with Feeding Frenzy at Fete Music. Head over to the venue in Providence, RI for a 3:30 PM local bell time. Come hungry and thirsty, because Championship Melt will be providing grilled cheese sandwiches, while Revival Brewing Company will have FREE beer samples for people 21 years and older. The main event will pit Kevin Steen against Drew Gulak in a first time ever meeting. Gulak replaces the injured Biff Busick. Gulak's original opponent, Kimber Lee, has an open contract ready to be fulfilled. In a grudge tag match, Michael Elgin and Tommaso Ciampa will wage war against Jaka and Chris Dickinson. The CZW World Tag Team Championships will be defended by the Beaver Boys of Alex Reynolds and John Silver against the team of Tremendous Investigations, Dan Barry and Bill Carr.
In the other big title match, AR Fox puts his Chilean Lucha Libre Championship on the line against Shynron in a rematch from the opener of the Tournament for Tomorrow studio tapings. In what ought to be a highly inappropriate contest, SeXXXy Eddy will invade Beyond to take on its resident pervert, Johnny Cockstrong. The Hooligans will rumble up to New England to take on the team of the Juicy Product, David Starr and JT Dunn. Anthony Stone will battle Myke Quest to determine the stipulation for Stone's match against Nicholas Kaye at the next event. Finally, a whole mess of tag teams will engage in a Feeding Frenzy match, including EYFBO, the Devastation Corporation, and Le Tabarnak de Team.
The second big show this weekend happens at the Marchesa Theater in Austin, TX, as Inspire Pro Wrestling will promote Light the Fuse. Doors open at 5:30 PM local time, and the main event will be a huge match pitting former friends against each other for the Inspire Pro Championship. The Champ, Mike Dell, will battle his former friend and miraculous comeback story Franco D'Angelo, who went from not being able to walk to winning a shot at the title in his first match back at the last show. D'Angelo's co-conspirator, Matthew Palmer, has his own challenge ahead of him as he must try to lift the Heaviest Sumo in the Land, Jojo Bravo. Ray Rowe continues to stake his claim as Inspire's big match ace as he welcomes the challenge of Robert Evans, while ACH makes his final appearance in Texas for nine months as he battles Sammy Guevara.
In a no holds barred, no rope breaks match, the legitimately insane Scot Summers takes on the cocksure Ricky Starks. Paige Turner will look to continue her winning ways within the XX-Division as she battles Miss Diss Lexia. The enigmatic Great Depression will look to shake out of his doldrums and take his frustrations out on the man who formerly was made of Too Much Metal, Gregory James. Ken Carson will be in six man action, and the Pump Patrol will present their first annual battle royale. Among those scheduled to compete will be Cowboy James Claxton, Thomas Shire, and Barbi Hayden.
PWX is back Sunday at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC for a round of television tapings. The show starts at 5 PM local time, and it will be headlined by a title vs. title match. The winner of the Konley/Alexander match from the night before will put his PWX Championship against Matt Hardy's WrestleCade Championship.
If you love wrestling, then seeing it live is the best way to experience it. The big companies are good, but the local companies and national indies are the ones where the best new ideas and the up-and-coming wrestlers are doing work. They can't grow unless you support them. Besides, your favorite wrestling company or wrestler may be out there. You just don't know it yet.
↧
↧
Instant Feedback: The Royal Treatment
 |
| Whoa Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Even if Cesaro didn't get the duke over Randy Orton in the main event, the show would have made the Swiss Superman look every bit the threat as the seasoned wrestlers in the Chamber would have to win. Wins and losses don't matter as much as the cacophony surrounding you does. That chatter may not matter as much as it did even 15 months ago; JBL's hijacking of the broadcast booth into a festival of ass-kissing and dissonance. I can't stress how much JBL has submarined the already poor quality of WWE announcing, but I could write an Awful Announcing-style blog chronicling how much he fucks things up.
Still, the chatter matters when it comes from Triple H in his "fireside chat" segments, and that importance is amplified when it is singled out during the telecast rather than left to watching solely on the website. The sad thing is that the negative chatter matters too. How can you expect people to care about Damien Sandow, The Miz, or even Cesaro's tag partner, Jack Swagger, if the idea that they're in slumps or on losing streaks is hammered home? For as much as folks like Daniel Bryan have gotten over on their own merits, the narrative still matters.
But when that narrative matches the action on the screen? Then a total eclipse happens, and it is brilliant to behold. I never thought in a million years that Cesaro would get a win over the reigning and defending WWE World Heavyweight Champion, let alone clean, but after a sunset flip powerbomb, roaring European Uppercut, and the Neutralizer, his dark horse status was legitimized. The wins-and-losses-don't-matter talking point tends to look silly when everything comes together.
And yes, everything came together for Cesaro tonight. He won't win the Chamber, but he won't need to, just like Alexander Rusev didn't need to eliminate a soul at the Royal Rumble in order to look like he made an impact. Presentation in pro wrestling matters for so much of a performer's weight within a given narrative. Tonight, Cesaro's figurative weight became that of a hippopotamus on a binge-eating diet.
↧
Twitter Request Line, Vol. 65
 |
| WHY DID THEY TAKE OUR KRUGER AWAY FROM US Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Notre Dame fan and taco connoisseur @NDEddieMac asks why I think they scrapped the Leo Kruger gimmick, and what is with all the name drops.
I'm baffled and discouraged by Kruger's gimmick and name change too, man. Kruger seemed to find a niche as Wrestling Kraven, and like Batista in 2010, his work in the ring improved with his advancement in character. The Full Sail crowd is kinda hot for everything that isn't CJ Parker, so I can't see him not being over as the reason. Maybe they took the Kraven ethos seriously, and had him "commit suicide" after losing 2-0 to Sami Zayn in that best two-of-three falls match? I don't know. What I do know is this Adam Rose gimmick feels derivative, and he's going to need to nail it.
Now, as for Antonio Cesaro becoming "Cesaro" and Big E Langston becoming "Big E," honestly, I don't think it matters. For one, WWE has been giving their women singular names forever, so I'm glad it's practicing some semblance of gender equity. But really, WWE is your entertainment provider/wrestling company, not your mother. They can call those wrestlers by one name or fifteen names. HOw you want to refer to these wrestlers is up to you.
/plans on calling Triple H "Fuckface von Shittinmouth" from here on out
Stephen T. Stone of the Complete Shot Blog asks which HOSS FIGHT I want to see in WWE this year.
WWE gave a preview of it on RAW Monday. I want to see a 20-minute, RAW-or-pay-per-view main/sub main event match between Antonio Cesaro and Sheamus. Both men have the potential to be the best wrestlers in WWE regardless of size; for me, Sheamus was hands-down the best guy in WWE in 2012, and Cesaro was at least in the running with Daniel Bryan and Goldust this past year. If WWE were to give these two a platform and an extended story to tell, they would tear down the arena. Sheamus is maybe the best ever at looking realistically vulnerable as a big man, which plays to Cesaro's strengths excellently. Meanwhile, Sheamus also has the imposing stature and roughneck moveset that looks best when implemented against the Swiss Superman.
Co-author of Irresistible vs. Immovable, David Kincannon, asks what Christian being the only one to lose to Randy Orton in the build for Elimination Chamber so far means.
You could read something into the rumors that WWE isn't going to offer Christian another contract once his current one is up, or the fact that noted Vince McMahon ass-kisser JBL is parroting the "CHRISTIAN IS UGLY HURR HURR" talking point now that he's back as evidence that Christian is just there to play out the string or because one straggler in Creative goes to bat for him. Personally, I think Orton losing all five matches would be a bad look going into the Chamber. If I were booking things, he would've lost to Cesaro, needed Kane to beat Bryan, and beaten the other three cleanly but by the skin of his teeth. Of course, the Sheamus match on Monday is looking more and more like an Orton win now, but who the fuck knows anymore.
What I'm trying to say is the win over Christian was less a referendum on Captain Charisma and more an indictment on how weaksauce week-to-week WWE booking is. Again, I know creating 267 hours of original content a year (roughly 250 more than a regular TV show) is difficult, but that strain doesn't necessarily absolve them of creative mistakes.
Father of the World's Strongest Baby, @AyYoAlo wants me to pretend that I'm JTG. Do I stay on the roster even if I'm barely on television, or do I try to seek employment elsewhere?
Well, according to the salary reports floating around, JTG will approximately make $120,000 during 2014. Getting paid six figures basically to travel, hang out backstage, maybe wrestle once a week for a dark match, and keep being associated with the "WWE Superstar" label sounds like a pretty decent deal. Of course, all of the above is contingent on that $120K figure being accurate, but for the sake of argument, I'll assume it to be true.
Obviously, money isn't everything for everyone. Professional fulfillment is a strong draw for some folks. Now, is JTG one of those people who needs to do stuff in addition to being compensated financially? I don't know. However, I have no problems drawing a paycheck for doing not a whole lot. I'd stay on the roster for as long as I could, train at the Performance Center in preparation for the day when Vince McMahon realizes I'm dead weight, and then go on from there. This economy is not kind to the unemployed, and for as much intrigue or reinvention as JTG might be able to pull on the indie circuit, if I were he, I would wanna suck on that WWE teat for as long as I could.
The folks at the What A Maneuver podcast ask who the ONE TRUE TIGER MASK is.
C'mon bro, Satoru Sayama is the one true Tiger Mask. He's the original guy under the hood, and he had the most memorable string of matches anyone had under said hood. Besides, Tiger Mask II attained his own glory without the mask as a guy you may have heard of, Mitsuharu Misawa. The other Tiger Masks are all clones of clones anyway.
Official Royal Rumble statistician Scott T. Holland asks whether I'd rather wrestle the opener or the penultimate match on a big card.
Give me the opener all the time. The penultimate match is a toss-up. Sometimes, that match will be Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, a match that gets scads of time and a story behind it. Other times, you'll get to be the cool-down match that everyone goes to the bathroom for. But the opener? Everyone's in their seats for that match, and you get to set the tone for the event, whether the match is thrown together or has a story behind it.
Michigan's finest, @sallen_87, asks if the WWE Network doesn't render them obsolete, which Best of Compilation would be a must-buy for me.
Well, first I would go back into the DVD sets that I have already and FINALLY finish watching my Eddie Guerrero best-of comp. I started watching it one day and just never got back into it after I stopped. But as for wrestlers who never got official WWE releases, I want to see a Dynamite Kid comp, but only if WWE gets footage from his New Japan work against Tiger Mask. Dynamite may be one of the most influential wrestlers ever, but I struggle to agree with whether that influence was good or bad. I want to see the straight dope and judge for myself.
Local Chikaraphile @GayWrestlingFan asks if I make anything of the Bond-theme for the upcoming Chikara shows.
I'm sure Chikara has a reason for this thematic choice of show naming, but that reason eludes me at the present time. Maybe it's comparing the Jimmy Jacobs-led villainous conglomerate of henchmen to SPECTRE, although Jacobs is far more dashing than Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
Future weatherman and former Penn State blog maven Dan Vecellio asks if Cody Rhodes is a future WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
This question is tricky because a fundamental difference could exist between my view of things and reality. Personally, I see Cody Rhodes work in the ring and see a fundamentally pure babyface wrestler who seems to know how to orchestrate a crowd to his advantage. But I've had the argument made to me that WWE doesn't see things that way because this partnership with Goldust has done more to put the shine on the bigger brother than get the little one over. I can see that being the case, even if I don't agree with it. WWE wouldn't be having Rhodes jump off cages if they didn't think he was the future. I can see him winning Money in the Bank and cashing in honorably (or even dishonorably if they want him to go heel again).
@OkoriWadsworth asks what the better export from Detroit is: The Motor City Machine Guns or coneys.
Since hot dogs can't take part in misogynist stories involving their girlfriends, let's go with the coneys. Apologies to Alex Shelley, of course.
Moustachioed Robocop enthusiast @NielJacoby asks how I'd book a Real Americans breakup.
I wouldn't break the team up as much as I would split them from Zeb Colter. I don't think Jack Swagger is ready to be a singles superstar (I don't think he'll ever be ready), but as an enforcer/tag partner/gatekeeper, he could have a really long career. Cesaro is the guy who has the most upward mobility, and I think if they stay tethered to each other, they could help each other out in the long run. As for how I'd split them from Colter, I would keep building tension between the team and manager by having Colter's anger level at their mistakes grow and grow until he's furious at them over nearfalls within matches. The breaking point would come at WrestleMania, when Cesaro and Swagger lose to whatever team Hulk Hogan decides to manage. The next night on RAW, Colter blows a gasket and fires them on the spot. Swagger and Cesaro don't take kindly to it and approach Colter until his new team of new Real Americans, Ryback and Curtis Axel, rolls out to attack them.
Quidditch maven @chudleycannons asks which wrestlers would make the best curlers.
I honestly have very little clue about how curling works except that it takes concentration, upper body strength, and Canadianness. With that in mind, I'd probably go with William Regal, who is patient and has excellent concentration during matches, Mark Henry, who is the World's Strongest Man in part because he's got a rock solid upper body, and Christian, because he's Canadian.
@DexDynamo wants me to choose a member of the Chikara and WWE rosters to switch places and give reasoning.
I would put Eddie Kingston in WWE, after dropping the Grand Championship to Icarus, of course. He's done about all he can do in Chikara, and he's gotten himself into great shape over the last year or so. From WWE to Chikara, I would transplant Justin Gabriel. He seems not to be doing anything in WWE right now, and he'd be a great stylistic addition to the Chikara roster.
Assuming he doesn't win the Chamber, my Barclays Premier League sherpa @RTVWOW asks what I'd like to see Antonio Cesaro do at WrestleMania.
Mark Henry is the World's Strongest Man. Cesaro is the WWE's official purveyor of Feats of Strength. Put two and two together, and you get the World's Strongest WrestleMania Matchup.
@TheEnforcer4 asks if I think Cesaro is good to his mother.
This TweetBag sure is Cesaro heavy, isn't it? Anyway, I think not being nice to your mother is illegal in Switzerland, so he's probably grown up with that maternal fealty imbued by law.
The folks over at the Bushido Blog ask if I prefer long hair/tights Chris Jericho or short hair/trunks.
Give me the long hair and the tights any day. As good as post-comeback Jericho was at times, the short hair and trunks always felt weird to me. Classic Jericho with the glitter t-shirts, the lion's mane hair, and the long tights was always his best look.
Semi-anonymous Philly sports maven @jackcantcook asks what five wrestling themes I'd like to see figure skaters do a routine to.
5. The Wyatt Family Theme - Let's get weird, shall we?
4. Quebecers Theme - Honestly, the Canadians don't need help doing ice sports, but some enterprising Quebecois figure skater NEEDS to do a routine to this song.
3. Mark Henry's Theme - The judges wouldn't dare give the skater or pair using this theme anything lower than a 9. Not even the French judges.
2. Real American - ESPECIALLY if someone uses it at Sochi this year.
1. American Males Theme - Ditto above, only up the irony factor by a billion.
Foremost fan of California's First Corgi, @rancho_king33, asks if WWE should bring back Championship scramble matches.
I actually dug the concept of the scramble match. I would like for WWE to bring it back as a yearly staple instead of Hell in a Cell because the Scramble is the kind of match it can book with random guys without cheapening the gimmick. Hell in a Cell is a blood feud culmination match.
Once and future TWB writer Bill Dempsey asks who's better to end the Streak than Roman Reigns.
Reigns is definitely a good choice, but Daniel Bryan remains the best choice to end The Streak. Bryan right now is set up so that things outside of winning Vince McMahon's Brass Ring©. Getting the chance to wrestle Undertaker would be the ultimate sign of respect from the last remaining member of the old guard in good standing, and winning would signal that he's the chosen one of the locker room, a mantel he could carry like the Undertaker did throughout most of his career. Taker never really held a whole lot of titles in his career for how long it was, but nearly every match and feud he was in was important. Bryan beating him could symbolize a similar importance and lessen the blow of him not getting as many title runs as you or I might think he should get.
That all being written, we now know that John Cena will be the one to end the Streak, because that's how it always works out.
In honor of NBA All-Star Weekend, @Tvs_Tim_Biewald asks me to come up with a Skills Competition that befits pro wrestling.
A skills competition would be a great addition to WrestleMania weekend, especially since the WWE Network will be in place by that time. You could get really creative with the different kinds of events, but I'll kick it off with three:
Body Slam Challenge: A freestyle event where the competitors look to perform the most impressive variant of a body slam. Whether the move is performed on a really fat guy, an exceedingly tall and muscular fellow, or multiple wrestlers at a time, whatever is adjudged to be the most impressive by the panel wins.
Skin the Cat: How many times can you "skin the cat" without getting rope burn on your hands? This event will get repetitive, but trying to get back into the ring while hanging from the top rope is a talent worth measuring.
The Flippy Shit Challenge: Get the Performance Center training ring in there and challenge wrestlers to see who can do the most impressive flips and twists mid-air. Since this challenge is most like figure skating of the three, Sylvester LeFort will always serve as the infamous "French judge" just so he can undersell everyone in the contest, especially that dirty Englishman Adrian Neville.
I almost went with "Hornswoggle Tossing" as an event, but somehow, I don't think that one would go over well.
Displaced Philadelphia expat @wildvulture asks if because of DDP Yoga and the Wellness Program whether this generation will last longer than prior ones.
All I could think of when I read this question was John Cena headlining WrestleMania L against Aurora Rose Levesque because of a combination of DDP Yoga and stem cell milkshakes that he consumes every day. In all seriousness though, while the conditioning methods are getting better and better, the art is getting more and more high impact, and diagnosis tools are getting more precise in locating problems with the body. Wrestling is never going to be so safe that the traditional dangers of joint damage, paralysis, and CTE are going to go away. That being said, DDP Yoga/Wellness/other conditioning methods combined with a rotating offseason could help stars stay healthier longer.
But then again, the silver lining of the Hulk Hogan era for a lot of fans is that it ended. Do you really want to see John Cena and Randy Orton's careers prolonged that much?
Noted liar, fraud, and co-host of the Wrestling Culture podcastDylan Hales asks why I'm still awake.
I'm actually not. I've been sleeping through writing this blog for the last three years.
@HeyDarsie asks if John Cena's 14-time World Championship mantel means as much as Ric Flair's 16-time record.
I used to think title reigns didn't mean as much anymore, but I don't think that the big Championship will ever not be over. I think title reigns, both the length and amount, mean as much as what the people promoting the art want them to mean. I don't want to generalize about every wrestling fan, but I think the vast amount of fans out there will take a good portion of what the wrestling companies give them at face value. While I don't watch like that and don't advocate consuming wrestling thoughtlessly, many people "turn their brains off" when they tune into RAW or go to any kind of wrestling show at any level.
So if they're told a title means something, guess what? It means something. Obviously, the generation gap will cause arguments. Some of those who grew up watching Ric Flair's title reigns are going to swear that the belts don't mean as much today as they did back then. However, wrestling tropes have remained remarkably stable over the last 30 years outside of a blip during the Monday Night Wars that I think both Flair and Cena are somewhat similar.
Marc Normandin of Over the Monster and Sports on Earth asks if The Shield were to continue on without Roman Reigns, which wrestler from NXT or the current roster would I want to replace him.
My dream replacement for Reigns is actually someone not even on the roster right now. I would love to see WWE sign Uhaa Nation and insert him right next to Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins after Reigns invariably splits from the group. Going from what they have in house, however, I would go with Leo Kruger. Abrupt name-change aside, he already has a similar motif, and he's similar to Reigns in size and look. HE would be the perfect replacement.
Future podcast guest and representative of Bucky's 5th QuarterAndrew Rosin asks whether or not I think Cesaro will be a main event player this time next year.
WWE has this weird habit where a guy breaks out and gets hot, and then it cools that person down by doing something monumentally stupid like booking them in a no-win angle against John Cena or giving them an insane losing streak angle. I don't know what the post-WrestleMania season holds for Cesaro. He could win the Money in the Bank briefcase in July and headline Survivor Series, or he could spend three months jobbing to Great Khali. Given the god-mode treatment he's being given now and his sheer size in a company that values size though, I'll give him 3-1 odds to be a main event type dude by next year.
Finally, @PhilaBCoulter asks how pro wrestling handled a gay athlete coming out better than the NFL has so far.
I can't speak for other promotions, but WWE seems to have handled one of their own coming out for one big reason: Pat Patterson. The worst kept secret in the WWE locker room was Patterson's sexuality, and surprisingly in the face of a lot of people within the company having almost caveman attitudes in other areas of social progress, he was able to rise to considerable power within the structure of the Federation. I guess having the guy who MADE the Royal Rumble being gay was able to soften attitudes around the company towards other gays. Either way, their attitude has been pretty good, at least since Darren Young came out.
Then again, I've heard some pretty nasty stories about how Chris Kanyon was treated during his time in WWE, so maybe it wasn't all sunshine and unicorns...
↧
Best Coast Bias: Then. Now. February 27th.
 |
| All revolutions need their queens Photo courtesy of the M. Sterling Tumblr |
On a woefully underpromoted show that's coming up on something called the WWE Network, there's scheduled to be an unofficial triple main event that'll make even the hardest hardcore tumescent. We leave aside the fourth installment of Zayn/Cesaro for later on--like, say, the next installment of the Bias--and focus on the other prongs that'll form this Voltron of awesome to kick off Full Sail in a live televised environment.
Lest you think the Emmalution is merely a new thing brought to RAW to befuddle Summer Rae, this is a movement that began in earnest last year here in NXT as Emma's seemingly unlikely run to the Women's Championship tournament finals claimed Summer as a victim. Since that went down, Emma's wanted two things: another shot to prove she can beat Paige for the belt since the last time around was a coin flip that went the enchanted raven haired lady's way, and any opportunity to show her more serious side by beating Summer across the nose, eyes, and face. And, of course, she can wrestle, too. Getting her together with Alicia Fox this episode was like some sort of heretofore unimaginably delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
This match had all the little acoutrements that go on like sprinkles on a sundae: The Lovely Renee Young at the table, Tensai marking out for bubbles and doing the Emma Dance at the table, Alicia's Best Northern Lights In the Business, and Emma torquing the Emma Lock on her way to another win just like she did over NattieKat earlier in the year. So the Australian dance machine used her victory to announce that she hoped Paige felt better soon (thus explaining the absence of the champion lately) because once she did, SHE WANTED THE BELT HYFR. That's when things broke down in Central Florida, as Summer's sidekicks Sasha and Charlotte helped her and Alicia beat Emma up. Don't worry, true believer: the calvary arrived in the form of Nattie and Bayley, and Emma even managed to get her hands on Summer for a brief secon. That's a four-on-four match (assuming Paige can join the side of the white hats) that needs to happen. Anything that makes Continuity Bear do the Dougie while showcasing the depth and talent of the women's division here as opposed to "the big leagues" needs to happen.
Speaking of other awesome things that need to happen, how would you feel about Bo Dallas lying helpless on the mat while Adrian Neville flies off and Red Arrows him? Hey, even better -- how'd you feel about it happening from the top of a ladder?
Now, then: what if the choice was between making sure Bocohantas was splatterfied but good or grabbing the NXT championship? This is the $64,000 Question come 2/27, as the show concluded with Triple H holding the NXT title (settle down boss and let me finish the sentence) overhead to illustrate that it was going to be on the line, on a hook, over the ring. The NXT Championship match to highlight the first TV show would be a ladder match, thus psyching up everybody in the building who's name wasn't associated with groundbreaking two-sport athletes or J.R. Ewing. It was really odd, since for a seemingly virtuous guy Bo waited until Adrian Neville had yet again disposed of Corey Graves with the aforementioned Arrow before coming out. He didn't even smile.
He looked like a menacing lunatic on a mission, almost as if it ran in his family or something. It's a shame, since he missed a pretty decent match betwixt the former NXT tag team champions. He missed a so-that-was-pretty-effin-ridiculous handless corkscrew Asai suicida from his future challenge, and then Graves started working to kick his leg out from under his leg just as he did to break up their union. It was like Neville was some sort of bloke in some kind of competition! But he survived the barrage to avoid Lucky 13, and in another nice little piece of history repeating managed to pull off a vault to the top rope by leaping onto it from the apron gut first before straightening himself out and letting loose with the prettiest finisher in NXT (sorry, Tyler).
While Rusev added Sin Cara to his list of victims, Sylvestor Lefort's Quixotic quest to get over on Mason Ryan failed yet again, and Tyson Kidd looked more the nimble MVP of Superstars than ever in beating a distracted Aiden English, make no mistake about it: with the countdown on the title matches to come got the spotlight, in the form of two challengers who've proven their bona fides since their last title loss and are set to close the deal for the first singles belts of their WWE tenures.
It'll be interesting to see if either -- or neither -- of them succeed in that effort. But it's safe to say in both cases it'll be damn fun to watch,
Lest you think the Emmalution is merely a new thing brought to RAW to befuddle Summer Rae, this is a movement that began in earnest last year here in NXT as Emma's seemingly unlikely run to the Women's Championship tournament finals claimed Summer as a victim. Since that went down, Emma's wanted two things: another shot to prove she can beat Paige for the belt since the last time around was a coin flip that went the enchanted raven haired lady's way, and any opportunity to show her more serious side by beating Summer across the nose, eyes, and face. And, of course, she can wrestle, too. Getting her together with Alicia Fox this episode was like some sort of heretofore unimaginably delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
This match had all the little acoutrements that go on like sprinkles on a sundae: The Lovely Renee Young at the table, Tensai marking out for bubbles and doing the Emma Dance at the table, Alicia's Best Northern Lights In the Business, and Emma torquing the Emma Lock on her way to another win just like she did over NattieKat earlier in the year. So the Australian dance machine used her victory to announce that she hoped Paige felt better soon (thus explaining the absence of the champion lately) because once she did, SHE WANTED THE BELT HYFR. That's when things broke down in Central Florida, as Summer's sidekicks Sasha and Charlotte helped her and Alicia beat Emma up. Don't worry, true believer: the calvary arrived in the form of Nattie and Bayley, and Emma even managed to get her hands on Summer for a brief secon. That's a four-on-four match (assuming Paige can join the side of the white hats) that needs to happen. Anything that makes Continuity Bear do the Dougie while showcasing the depth and talent of the women's division here as opposed to "the big leagues" needs to happen.
Speaking of other awesome things that need to happen, how would you feel about Bo Dallas lying helpless on the mat while Adrian Neville flies off and Red Arrows him? Hey, even better -- how'd you feel about it happening from the top of a ladder?
Now, then: what if the choice was between making sure Bocohantas was splatterfied but good or grabbing the NXT championship? This is the $64,000 Question come 2/27, as the show concluded with Triple H holding the NXT title (settle down boss and let me finish the sentence) overhead to illustrate that it was going to be on the line, on a hook, over the ring. The NXT Championship match to highlight the first TV show would be a ladder match, thus psyching up everybody in the building who's name wasn't associated with groundbreaking two-sport athletes or J.R. Ewing. It was really odd, since for a seemingly virtuous guy Bo waited until Adrian Neville had yet again disposed of Corey Graves with the aforementioned Arrow before coming out. He didn't even smile.
He looked like a menacing lunatic on a mission, almost as if it ran in his family or something. It's a shame, since he missed a pretty decent match betwixt the former NXT tag team champions. He missed a so-that-was-pretty-effin-ridiculous handless corkscrew Asai suicida from his future challenge, and then Graves started working to kick his leg out from under his leg just as he did to break up their union. It was like Neville was some sort of bloke in some kind of competition! But he survived the barrage to avoid Lucky 13, and in another nice little piece of history repeating managed to pull off a vault to the top rope by leaping onto it from the apron gut first before straightening himself out and letting loose with the prettiest finisher in NXT (sorry, Tyler).
While Rusev added Sin Cara to his list of victims, Sylvestor Lefort's Quixotic quest to get over on Mason Ryan failed yet again, and Tyson Kidd looked more the nimble MVP of Superstars than ever in beating a distracted Aiden English, make no mistake about it: with the countdown on the title matches to come got the spotlight, in the form of two challengers who've proven their bona fides since their last title loss and are set to close the deal for the first singles belts of their WWE tenures.
It'll be interesting to see if either -- or neither -- of them succeed in that effort. But it's safe to say in both cases it'll be damn fun to watch,
↧