Quantcast
Channel: The Wrestling Blog
Viewing all 4899 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

TWB Wrestling March Mayhem, Round 1: Easton Funplex 2

March 21, 2013, 4:40 am
$
0
0
She may not be the Champ anymore, but she's still fierce
Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy
Here we are, the final set of first-round matches! But first, here are yesterday's results:
#1 Eddie Kingston d. #16 Arik Royal, 54-0
#8 LuFisto d. #9 Portia Perez, 29-26
#4 Antonio Cesaro d. #13 Silas Young, 55-0 (TWO shutouts? REALLY?)
#12 Amazing Kong d. #5 Masada, 44-10
Alright, now, today's matchups will begin with #2 Johnny Gargano taking on #15 Big E. Langston. Langston, here as the NXT Champion, has gone up a level and given his finisher to John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Kane among others. He's also got a hilarious Twitter account, but will that be enough to overcome the reigning and defending DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion, a man who has held that belt for nearly 18 months and who defended it with dead legs? Next up, #7 Michael Elgin takes on #10 Jeremy Wyatt. Elgin has made waves all over the indie scene, but his bid is for winning the AAW Championship. Wyatt, a YouTube star and the Metro Pro Champion, has made a reputation for himself taking on the best and the brightest stars who come into Kansas City to challenge him.

Our third match pits #3 Rachel Summerlyn against #14 Steve Corino. Corino is an able vet who is known for being a King of the Old School as well as the purveyor of the Thumb to the Bum. However, if he tries that shit with Summerlyn, the fiercest competitor, man or woman, who's ever been on The Wrestling Podcast, she'll rip his thumb off (and then Instagram it). Finally, #6 Mark Angelosetti will clash with #11 Mercedes Martinez. Angelosetti has taken Chikara and Wrestling Is Fun! by storm, but Martinez is a veteran who knows a thing or two about titles.

VOTE
↧
Search

Best Coast Bias: Pancake Eaters

March 21, 2013, 4:55 am
$
0
0
Air Samoa, Trending Up
Photo Credit: WWE.com
So when you're resigned to the fact WrestleMania is WrestleMania for part-time players and part-time fans and Extreme Rules is turning into the lifers' WrestleMania it makes one cast an eye to the future.  In the closing moments of Main Event this week you could forgive yourself for being mistaken that the tag team scene of the E had an underbelly.  Titus O'Neill was throwing fools around, Darren Young was pinballing all over the place, and once again on WWEME the Usos came out on top.  It sure would be nice if they quit being So Close Now like their theme and actually got a run; it seems Team Friendship's reign with the belts is winding up in favor of Black & Neon Blue possibly as soon as WM itself.  They have an attention-getting opening with the Siva Tau, they've always been crisp in the ring so far as I've seen, and their double teams call to mind not only their unbelievably byzantine family heritage but great teams of the past.  Most flowers need sunlight to flourish; a wrestling undercard's the same way.

Speaking of an undercard you may remember all the way in the beginning of March 2013 when I was about to do an article about the devaluation of the Intercontinental Championship and the disappearance of Wade Barrett.  It was some time ago: gas was hovering around $4/gal, the nation was impatiently waiting the return of Mad Men, Anna Kendrick captured the hearts of young men everywhere.  It was a different time.  Anyway, it goes to show even cursory quarter-assery will work--you find somebody to go against Wade Barrett (in this case R-Truth), and when you can pull Miz out of the depths of his mic work he can mention part of why he wants this specific belt so badly is because when he came up watching the WWE he saw the likes of Mr. Perfect and Shawn Michaels holding this strap.   And just when you cringe at the unseemliness of a MITB winner complaining about a legal rollup BOOM!  Hammer time!  Now, some will say the post-match where Miz went after Barrett shoved him shows intent as for the second time he's gone after somebody post-match on this show; I say Cesaro him!  Kick him in the face!  Do the foreigners have to do everything right for you?  Where's my Gadsen flag and enough self-loathing to keep me from sleeping at night?! Anyhow, I'm fine with their seemingly inevitable match at WM as long as Miz DOES NOT WIN.

Also there was another fine example of cringeitude as to kick off the divas tag Alicia made mention of the charity visit she & Natalya (on opposing teams) had made, only Natalya had ruined the charity of giving to the needy by incessantly talking about Big Giant Stamford Emphasis Here Her BOYFRIEND the Great Khali OH SNAP YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT NATTY'S MAN THAT WAY EYEROLL.  WWE, trust me, for every Jericho/Trish/Christian you have roughly eighty four jafillion of these, and if I wanted to watch the Real Hoodrats of Atlanta or wherever I'd be watching it.  The only saving grace was that Aksana barely wrestled for the black hats, Layla is Layla, and eventually it ended with Natalya slapping Alicia (though she should've yanked her weave out of her head again if you were going to have that sort of 50s ethos in the prematch and the callback would've at least given me a laugh) and making her tap out to the Sharpshooter.

Oh, WWE Main Event.  What am I going to do with you?  You give me tag wrestling, a focus on the Intercontinental Championship, Natalya wrestling and Layla moving her butt around, but it's like Van Hagar all over again.  The parts that're right live in the shadow of the wrongness up front.

And right now -- if the last hour/90 minutes of WrestleMania aren't looking like your bag -- is tomorrow's Extreme Rules.  Let the players, Prime Time and other, play, damnit.

For those of us looking to hang in there and stay lifers, it's everything.
↧
↧

Hey, You, Yes, You! Support Brandon Stroud's New Movie

March 21, 2013, 11:40 am
$
0
0
Starring Goldust (not Aksana)
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Indie Go Go for Meet Me There

Brandon Stroud, friend of the blog, honorific staffer (Texas indie reviews division), and managing editor of With Leather, helping to make a horror movie called Meet Me There. He's writing it, and Lex Lybrand is directing it. They also got Dustin "Goldust" Runnells to co-star in it, which unless you've really run afoul of him on Twitter, is super cool.

As with any of these online fundraising platforms, there are a number of perks you can get for certain donation levels. You can get anything from movie swag to a producer credit. Help out a filmmaking troupe that's actually doing something original and creative. All art is enriched when good, new ideas are nurtured and supported.
↧

Put a Ring On It: The First American Joshi

March 21, 2013, 1:20 pm
$
0
0
Blayze gave the business to Bull Nakano, then got the business from WWE
Photo Credit: WWE.com
PREFACE: Over the next few weeks, staff members of the Wrestling Blog will be debating the candidacies of several possible Hall of Famers. Given the depth of the class this year, it is possible WWE will not be inducting anyone else; regardless, we hope that these pieces will stoke debate amongst you, our audience, as we head closer to the inductions on April 6th. This, by the founder, head writer, and editor TH, is the second of these pieces.

Trish Stratus is not the best woman wrestler in WWE's history.

I understand she's iconic for what she did with the Women's Title in the early-Aughts. She got the most famous of any woman except maybe Chyna. But in the ring, there was a lot to be desired. As a feminist icon, she's anything but. I understand it's not completely her fault, and that it's a function of what the company thought of women at the time. But she got down on her knees and barked like a dog for Vince McMahon. I don't care what the circumstances were around that incident, it probably set women in the business back a good bit.

The best woman wrestler in WWE's history was Alundra Blayze, and I'm not sure it's even close.

She may not be associated with the then-WWF. She was as well-traveled as any wrestler in the territory days, even if she debuted when that star was about to go supernova under the cosmic pressure of Vince McMahon and Ted Turner playing Monopoly with wrestlers and promotions. She started in the AWA. Her most iconic moments, as the feminine muscle of the Dangerous Alliance and dumping the WWF Women's Championship in the garbage on Nitro, happened in WCW. Her most historically relevant feat was being the first ever gaijin to sign a long-term contract with All-Japan Pro Wrestling.

But when she came back to America and was given the Alundra Blayze name and WWF Women's Championship in the first place, she brought back the innovative joshi style with her. She brought back Bull Nakano and Aja Kong. She brought back ideas that women weren't just as good as men, but that they could be better. She wasn't the first wrestling feminist, but she was the first American one in the modern era. God bless Mildred Burke and Fabulous Moolah, but their contributions had washed away in the sands of time and the ocean of testosterone that had swept through wrestling.

While most of the WWF at the time was awash in bad gimmicks, especially in the midcard, and ones that especially couldn't provide great matches. Cards, especially pay-per-views, were woefully top heavy, with the Hart Bros., Shawn Michaels, and Razor Ramon (when he wasn't coked out of his mind) being tasked to make sure there was something good on the shows. Blayze was there, providing that quality content. She even carried Bertha Faye to something more than a joke. Her reward was ignorance from the front office and basically the same treatment the Divas are given today.

You can say that Blayze wasn't "over," whatever the fuck that means. I seem to remember that she and her opponents engendered crowd reactions, ones that maybe weren't on the level of Bret Hart and Michaels, but certainly better than TL Hopper or the Goon. It was something to build upon. And if she wasn't "better" than Hart or Michaels, she was at least innovative and different, good in a way other than "five moves of doom" and old school psychology. Besides, Koko B. Ware is in the goddamn Hall of Fame, and he was a Stepin Fetchit with a bird.

Blayze may never get in the Hall, mainly because women and the WWE will mix at best like Greek yogurt and fruit filling they put at the bottom of it. It may mix together, but it might take more effort than some would care to put into it. It's a shame, but for awhile, she was the most innovative wrestler in WWE. If that's not worthy of being in the Hall of Fame, take everyone out and just stop doing it.
↧

Chris Masters: Real Life Superhero

March 21, 2013, 2:05 pm
$
0
0
He was a great wrestler, but who knew he was a supreme amateur crimefighter?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Via TMZ

Chris Masters has always been a TWB favorite. He came back to WWE in 2009, and he started pulling off a streak of great matches on TV to the point where it wasn't a fringe opinion to think he was one of the three best wrestlers in the company. His release from the company was the most bumming one of the modern era, at least from where I sit. He's spent most of his time outside the main spotlight, mostly working second-tier local indies, despite being linked to the Aces and Eights stable. But Tuesday night, he threw his name back in the public consciousness in a big way.

He received a call from a neighbor of his mother, saying that another, crazed neighbor broke into her house and held her hostage. After Masters called the cops, the assailant set the house on fire. Any other normal person would have waited for the firetrucks to get there, but in a move some would call stupid, some would call bold, but everyone would call fueled by adrenaline, Masters uprooted a tree, used it to bash down the door, rushed in, and saved his mother. Yes, you read that correctly. Chris Masters uprooted a goddamn tree and used it as a battering ram.

It is not advisable for most people to do that. There's a reason why in every safety course, they don't tell you to be a hero. Then again, Masters is a strong dude who can handle himself. Whatever his decision was, it turned out to be heroic. The man is a legit superhero, or at least he was one for a while on Tuesday night. Here's to you, Chris Masters.

Now someone cast him in a superhero movie where he gets to kick someone's ass. Preferably Ashton Kutcher's
↧
↧

Instant Feedback: Aces, Eights, and Sixth Senses

March 21, 2013, 7:30 pm
$
0
0
Impact opened tonight with Bully Ray in front of a camera giving an oral history of Aces and Eights, a string of vignettes that continued for the entire episode. And it was fantastic. TNA being committed to long term booking is one of the most positive developments of the last few years, and even though Bully's exposition might have been lazy or apologetic, I thought it was a much-needed reset and it brought the entire story together. Everything that happened along the way made sense, except for the excessive match losing by his underlings, of course. It was almost the same feeling I got when seeing the end of The Sixth Sense in the theater. Goddamn, that was 14 years ago. I feel old.

The vignettes led a strong episode of Impact that had a spiffy Tag Team Championship match, the start of a reimagining of the Crow Sting character through AJ Styles, Joseph Park doing his best to ham it up in a match against the dreadful Matt Morgan, and Bully stalking Brooke Hogan. That last strain made me think about the whole ethic of this anchor story. Why would Aces and Eights want to follow Bully Ray onto the title? Like, who cares if one dude gets to be the Champion?

But then, look what happened before Bully came out to terrorize his "wife." Hogan had come out to "punish" rogue Knockouts referee Taryn Terrell for being awful at her job at Gail Kim's expense by making her a wrestler and letting her beat the shit out of Kim for the terrible crime of calling her out on her shitty refereeing. It wasn't the younger Hogan's first misstep as Knockouts VP. She's been capricious, spiteful, overly emotional, and just plain bad as an authority figure. The same could be said of her father, whose favoritism reared its ugly head so many times, including in Bully's favor in his quest to get the title in the first place.

Obviously, emotional terrorism is not a heroic tactic, and no one should use love and marriage as a weapon like Bully has been doing, but maybe there is no good guy in this feud. There are sides, both terrible in their own way, but both with their own sort of underlying nobility. Hogan just wants to promote wrestling and catch up with WWE. Bully wants to get rid of the bloat. I wish the principles in this story were better, especially on the TNA side, but hey, if you have a clear direction, there are far worse places you could be.
↧

TWB Wrestling March Mayhem, Round 2: Berwyn Eagles Club

March 22, 2013, 4:50 am
$
0
0
The marquee second round match in the Berwyn region
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Hey! It's time for the second round! But first, here are the final results from the first round:
#2 Johnny Gargano d. #15 Big E. Langston, 41-33
#7 Michael Elgin d. #10 Jeremy Wyatt, 60-11
#3 Rachel Summerlyn d. #14 Steve Corino, 59-14
#6 Mark Angelosetti d. #11 Mercedes Martinez, 40-29
And now, we're back to the Berwyn Eagles Club for the second round. First up, #1 CM Punk will take on #8 Dolph Ziggler. Punk defeated Chiva Kid to be here, while Ziggler took out BJ Whitmer. This is a rematch from their 2012 series, which Punk mostly controlled. Can Ziggler get a big win here? Next up, #4 Robert Roode, who defeated MsChif, takes on the SHIMMER Champion, #5 Saraya Knight, who defeated Jay Briscoe. Roode took out one former SHIMMER Champion, but now she gets the current one, one who's even more cantankerous than MsChif. Can Knight terrorize her way to victory?

Match #3 pits #2 Sheamus against #7 Athena. Sheamus, who took out AJ Steele in the first round, will look to build upon his tournament run. However, Athena, who defeated Nicole Matthews, has an O-Face with Sheamus' name on it. Finally, #3 Alberto del Rio, who beat Shane Hollister, will take on #6 Sami Callihan, who went over Evan Gelistico. Callihan is rumored to be WWE bound, so this is a match that could happen in the future. del Rio is the World Champion, but can he withstand the Callihan Death Machine?

Vote!
↧

Friday Five: PWG

March 22, 2013, 7:20 am
$
0
0
It's All-Star Weekend!

1. Who is your favorite homegrown PWG wrestler?

2. Buy or sell: PWG needs to find a way to make iPPV work.

3. If the rumors are true and Adam Cole is leaving for WWE, who do you want to see unseat him for the title?

4. Buy or sell: Whether or not you're all for gender equity in wrestling, critics of PWG need to leave the company alone on its stance on booking women.

5. Is the American Legion in Reseda now the most iconic indie wrestling building in America?
↧
Search

Forgiving the Build

March 22, 2013, 8:25 am
$
0
0
The reveal that shocked a fandom
Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com
It's hard to fathom that the Aces and Eights story had been going on for nine months when the big reveal of Bully Ray as the President happened at Lockdown two weeks ago. I'd actually argue that the angle felt like it was going on for longer than that, given how things just felt like they were running in place. It didn't help that each week, they were either losing matches or getting chased off by two or three people to their eight, or that one of the main principles in the angle was Brooke Hogan with her wooden acting and two facial expressions. Even the actual reveal, in its shock and given the track records of the people in charge at TNA, fell a little flat, at least to me it did.

Kudos to the people who were perceptive enough to laud it from when it happened, though, because all I needed was a little refresher course on the happenings of the angle. And who better to deliver that than the club's President himself, Bully Ray. As he went all reverse Bond villain (i.e. explaining his plan AFTER it succeeded), it illuminated the entire story and gave it new meaning and renewed sense. In a way, it was The Sixth Sense of wrestling angles, except that Bully Ray and his crew weren't dead the whole time, and Hulk Hogan is a far less handsome version of Bruce Willis (Brooke Hogan and Haley Joel Osment are the same levels of irritating, though). So, everything's okay, right? It might follow to say that the ends justified the means, and that everything is okay in TNA land.

I admit, after watching last night's Impact, I would say yes, but I'm also a very forgiving critic. I can reconcile nearly everything that happened because Bully made sense rehashing it. Even the parts where the group backed off from situations where they had clear numbers made sense because it was part of the confidence game. They had to make Hogan and Sting feel like they had big swinging dicks for Bully to gain their trust even more.

That sets up an almost dangerous precedent, well, as dangerous as watching a wrestling show can be, pardon my hyperbole. Do we now have to forgive awful-seeming builds from TNA because they may have a great payoff waiting for us months down the road? Well, the answer almost has to be yes, even with the small sample size of one swerve. Remember, while Impact has been good at doing long term stories lately, this is the first swerve they've hit on. Robert Roode vs. James Storm was about as old school and classic a feud as they come, and it feels like the endgame to the Joseph Park angle is the return of Abyss. It's predictable, but that doesn't mean it's not satisfying.

And it's not like the angle itself was perfectly executed going into Lockdown anyway. There's no reason why everyone associated with the stable had to lose by means other than disqualification. I mean, invading stables need to win matches in order to seem like a threat or else who the fuck cares? Also, I know it was almost a necessity to have Brooke Hogan involved because duh, she's Hulk's daughter, but man, did she drag the story down with her relatively calm disposition (and she still does).

Still, no angle is perfect. I'm sure we could go back to any really well done story in any wrestling promotion and find only a handful out of the thousands that hit every note from beginning to end. It's not everything for the story to be perfect; it just has to be memorable in a good way. Right now, Bully Ray's long con stands as one of the best stories in the last two years in TNA or in any wrestling promotion. It has my attention going forward, and the company itself has gained an exceeding amount of in-story goodwill (key word, in-story, because as a labor slum lord, Dixie Carter can go to hell and take Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and the rest of her support staff with her). It just goes to show that one seminal moment in a wrestling angle can forgive, enhance, or just plain erase bad feelings from a mediocre long term build. Besides, wrestling itself is an industry based on moments, right?
↧
↧

Hey, Look! A Great Khali Soundboard!

March 22, 2013, 10:10 am
$
0
0
Khali, now in soundboard form!
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Via WWE.com

You can't say WWE and Great Khali don't have self-awareness and can't make fun of themselves. Here's a soundboard of Khali trying and failing to say various superstars' catchphrases. It's fun to play with for a few minutes, a great novelty, but one that is fun for the whole fandom. My only complaint? Where's him trying to say Wade Barrett? I WANT MY RED BELLY, DAMMIT.
↧

Any Shows This Weekend? All-Star Weekend in More Ways Than One

March 22, 2013, 12:05 pm
$
0
0
Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Callihan! Younger! One more time! In California!
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

It's Friday, and you know what that means. The weekend has arrived, and with it, a plethora of wrestling shows across the North American continent. The number of noteworthy wrestling promotions running shows this weekend is relatively large, but then again, wait until we get to WrestleCon weekend. I digress. As always, if you're somewhere in America or Canada, odds are there is probably a show within road trip distance, so check out Pro Wrestling Events for your hookup. The art of wrestling can only grow if you want it to. However, that doesn't mean there aren't shows that might just be a bit better than average.

The first order of business on the docket is Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's HYOOOOGE All-Star Weekend event, happening tonight and tomorrow night in Reseda, CA. The front row is sold out for both nights, and according to the website, if you're not quick on the draw, you'll miss the general admission tickets as well. Both shows are at American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, CA, and bell time for both events is 8 PM local. This show is notable for the weapons-grade guest star list which includes debuts by AR Fox, Johnny Gargano, Trent? (Barretta), Samuray del Sol, and Jay Lethal as well as the return of Paul London. The matches they've set up with those wrestlers as well as the A-list of regulars they usually have (Kevin Steen, the Young Bucks, Willie Mack, Eddie Edwards, Drake Younger, Sami Callihan, and Champion Adam Cole among others) is making me salivate with anticipation. The main event of tonight's card will be the conclusion of the best of three series to determine number one contendership to Cole's Championship. Callihan and Younger will do battle in a Guerrilla Warfare match (read, no holds barred). The winner of that match will get his shot at Cole the next night. If you want my read on it, well, expect one of two things: 1 - Younger wins and emerges as PWG World Champion, or 2 - someone else gets inserted into the title match on night 2 and wins the title. If you read between those lines, you'll know why. (I'm being intentionally vague here for reasons.)

Other matchups that are scheduled tonight that look really good are Fox and del Sol battling the Inner City Machine Guns (Rich Swann and Ricochet), Gargano and Chuck Taylor vs. the Young Bucks in a non-title match, and Steen vs. London. Saturday's notables have Steen going up against Fox, the Bucks defending the titles against the Dojo Bros. of Edwards and Roderick Strong, and in my sleeper pick for match of the weekend, del Sol vs. TJ Perkins. No matter what the matches look like though, PWG has a reputation for delivering on its cards, so this could very well be one titanic weekend in Southern California.

In the other big show of the weekend, SHINE 8 happens Saturday night at the Orpheum in Ybor City, FL, 7:30 PM local bell time. As always, you can order the event on iPPV. The war between the SHINE natives and nefarious invading force Valkyrie will come to a head this weekend in an atomicos match, pitting the rogue grou's Ivelisse Velez, Rain Maxson, Allysin Kay, and Taylor Made against the resistance force of Amazing Kong, Mia Yim, Christina von Eerie, and a debuting Angelina Love. As if that weren't huge enough, Leva Bates and Kimberly will engage in Pick Your Poison, and Reby Sky offers her career against Jessicka Havok's respect in a match that has been brewing for some time now.

For folks in the vicinity of Philadelphia and New York, Wrestling Is Fun! will be running out of the West End Youth Center in Allentown, PA, Saturday with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The regular cast of characters returns with Mark "Mr. Touchdown" Angelosetti defending his Banana Championship against assailANT. The former Gekido-turned-tecnico has been jawing with Angelosetti on Twitter all week in one of the most humorous social media wrestling feuds of the year so far. Has he gotten inside Touchdown's head enough to take all the potassium? Also on the card, Jaka does battle with Hallowicked, Dasher Hatfield will look to put down the overwhelming Viking fury of Oleg the Usurper, and the Devastation Corporation will look to squish the Colony's Fire and Green Ants.

That similar crew will head off to Boonton, NJ, on Sunday for Wrestling Is Respect at the Elks Lodge with doors opening at 3:30 PM. The show will feature two rematches from National Pro Wrestling Day. The headliner will be Drew Gulak going up against Francis O'Rourke. O'Rourke nearly knocked all of Gulak's teeth out of his mouth with a top rope suplex, but it wasn't enough to put him down. Will Gulak make it two in a row, or does O'Rourke have enough in him to force a rubber match? The second rematch features the Devastation Corporation going up against the Estonian Thunder Frog and the Latvian Proud Oak. Last time, it was messy, but DevCorp got the job done. Will we see a repeat? Also on the show, Delirious battles Jigsaw, Oleg the Usurper and Grizzly Redwood clash in a battle of beards, and Jervis Cottonbelly will try to let Gentlemania run in a civil manner all over Angelosetti.

Moving back in time to Saturday and across the plains to Chicagoland, AAW will be presenting EPIC: The 9 Year Anniversary at the Berwyn Eagles Club in Berwyn, IL, bell time of 7:30 PM. The main event of the evening will feature ACH going up against Davey Richards in a special challenge match. That ought to be interesting, especially if we see the Richards that appeared against Fred Yehi, Fit Finlay, or Sami Callihan and not Faux-Puroresu Main Event Giant Cock Slinger Davey "FIGHTING SPIRIT" Richards. Also on the show will feature Jimmy Jacobs against Shane Hollister and MsChif wrestling Heidi Lovelace.

Sunday, at Johnny G's Fun Zone in Warner-Robins, GA, Rampage Pro Wrestling will do another round of TV tapings starting at 3 PM. The war between the Black List and the Rampage Nation has been heating up for sure in the last few weeks, and it looks to be coming to a head. Expect some good ol' fashioned Southern brawling. Appearing at these tapings will be Vordell Walker, Bobby Moore, Kyle Matthews, and the entire cast of characters.

If you're in the Vancouver area, head on down to Elks Lounge 49 in Port Coquitlam, BC for Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling's We Will Riot, doors opening at 7:30 PM local time on Saturday. It will be headlined by two big title matches. First, Scotty Mac will look to conquer the King of the Yukon for his Canadian Heavyweight Championship. KC Spinelli will also defend her Women's Championship against cantankerous Canadian Ninja Nicole Matthews.

And of course, if you're in Northern Georgia or the Chattanooga area, head on down to 22 Austin Avenue in Rossville, GA for Empire Pro Wrestling, with a bell time of 8 PM and the ridiculously low price of $5 for admission. I'm not saying this a shill for the company or anything, but holy shit, five bucks for a wrestling ticket is unbeatable, especially when you get Kyle Matthews on the card against Jason Collins. Also, Cyrus will battle Drew Delight in an Empire Heavyweight Championship match, and I have it on good authority that Cyrus is a HOSS.

Again, there's a ton of wrestling happening around the continent. Go see some, because there's nothing like live wrestling to get the blood pumping, especially the caliber that's being offered in Southern California.
↧

Instant Feedback: Randy Orton Is a REAL BOY

March 22, 2013, 7:30 pm
$
0
0
A miracle happened on Smackdown tonight. Randy Orton showed something more than cardboard delivery in monotone. He actually had depth to his voice. And he relayed emotion more than just "ready to pounce with a RKO." It sounds like Cowboy Bob Orton finally wished upon a star and made his son into a real boy! Although now he needs his own Jiminy Cricket, although from the looks of it, he himself has to play conscience, or more accurately, peacemaker between Big Show and Sheamus. For a story that started out to be mostly about The Shield, they've shifted some of that focus on the resistance to it. That's always a good thing.

Another good thing was that we actually saw a glimpse into what Fandango can do in the ring. In a post match assault, we saw him bust out a pretty sweet kick from the floor to the ring, and then he broke out his finisher, a goddamn beautiful guillotine leg drop. I'm not entirely sure how much time he and Chris Jericho are going to get at WrestleMania, but I'm getting good vibes.

The rest of Smackdown was pretty ho-hum. I don't want to say that the entire build to Mania this year has been slow and lackluster, because there have been moments on RAW, but it almost feels like they're using Smackdown at less than an eighth-capacity to build to it while using the rest of the show for recaps, trailers, and context-free wrestling. The last one, I'm not opposed to, but we're two weeks out from Mania. It's time to get it started.
↧

Twitter Request Line, Vol. 28

March 23, 2013, 7:50 am
$
0
0
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, especially around Friday night after Smackdown, and wait for the call. Or don't wait for it actually. I'll try to get everything for this feature no matter when in the week you shoot me the Tweet. Anyway, here we go.

First up, @BillAtTheEnd wants a footlong coney with extra shredded cheese, but no relish or onions.

I hope you like chili:

@KMB2476 asks if I'm surprised that creative had nothing for Chris Jericho upon his return to WWE, since this Fandango match seems thrown together.

No. I mean, this is the same creative team that has had tunnel vision with the top stories over the last year or so and only really sporadically build up the midcard. Even for the guys who have been pushed, those feuds were never really well-fleshed out. So yeah, if you're not in the WWE Championship scene, or you're not in the World Championship scene, or you're not part of management, or you're not Undertaker they probably don't have anything for you. That goes for Jericho too.

That being said, I am intrigued. Even though it's hastily thrown together, I'm irrationally hopeful for Fandango's character, and even if Jericho in character is more whiff than hit right now, he can still bring it in the ring.

@GayWrestlingFan asks if Chikara's treatment of Veronica Ticklefeather is problematic, given that her worth is tied to the men she's with.

Okay, on the surface, yes, Ticklefeather is very much everything that Chikara, as a rule, seems to be against. GWP cited commentary, but I really haven't noticed it all too much. The last show I watched that I wasn't there live for was Deep Freeze, so I don't know what the deal is with the announcers. But here are a few things to keep in mind, from my point of view. One, Ticklefeather is not a wrestler, she's a manager. Two, she's a real character. She's one of many female characters who have come through Chikara's ranks of varying providence. Most of them have been strong and able to fend for themselves. Even Saturyne, who's green and a rookie, is still self-dependent. So, wouldn't Veronica still be realistic in that there are people like her in reality too? It's all about context.

@OkoriWadsworth asks what current day wrestler would make the best territorial-period Champion.

My first inclination is to say Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson because the guy can go into any match against any opponent and make him look good while asserting his dominance/superiority at the same time. He would have the air of a Champion, but the fans in that arena would never lose hope that their guy could win. That's huge for being a territorial draw, especially as a heel. But it would be disingenuous of me to ignore the size factor. Even Ric Flair was 6'1". With that in mind, I guess I'd have to go with Sheamus. He has so many things going for him. Like Bryan, only to a lesser degree, he could get in there with any opponent, assert superiority, and still leave enough hope for the local guy to win. He also has the extra added perk of being legit born overseas, which back in the day would have been HUGE, since that shit played a lot better then than it does now.

@FriskeyVsWorld wants to know how I'd turn John Cena heel.

THIS QUESTION. GAWD.

Okay, while I don't think Cena will ever go heel, there are several good ways to turn him heel. The best way is coming up at Mania, actually. They set it up by having him wracked with regret over his "worst year." By the way, that may very well have been his worst year, but his worst year is a billion times better than most people's best year. That is basically WWE's problems in a nutshell, but I digress. Anyway, the easiest way to have him go heel is to lose to The Rock again and have him snap afterwards, beating the everloving shit out of Rocky. Yes, you run the risk of fans actually digging that mean streak, because who the fuck knows what WWE fans are thinking anymore in large groups, but in theory, he's now getting booed. There would need to be some build afterwards, but you can sell the idea that he's finally sold his ideals of hustle, loyalty, and respect, and has become a spiteful, angry jerk who has lost his grip on reality.

@BrandunKyla wants me to book a WWE Trios tournament.

First are your sixteen trios, because you know WWE is lifting any idea they have from somewhere better:

1 - The Nation of Domination: The Rock, Mark Henry, Savio Vega (CROSS GENERATIONAL SYNERGY)
2 - The Shield: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns
3 - 3MB: Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre
4 - Super Friends: Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Brad Maddox
5 - Across the Pond: Sheamus, William Regal, Adrian Neville
6 - Team Hell No, Really: Daniel Bryan, Kane, The Miz
7 - The Kings of Wrestling: Antonio Cesaro, Kassius Ohno, Sara del Rey (YOU RESPECT THE QUEEN, WWE)
8 - Team Show Off: Dolph Ziggler, Big E Langston, Zack Ryder
9 - Colon Family: Primo, Epico, Hunico
10 - One MC and His Slam Dancers: R-Truth, Brodus Clay, Tensai
11 - The del Rio Corporation: Alberto del Rio, El Local, Memo Montezuma
12 - The Wyatt Family: Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan
13 - Team Stockholm Syndrome: Ryback, Stan Stansky, Arthur Rosenberg
14 - Team Mad Hops: Kofi Kingston, Justin Gabriel, Sin Cara
15 - The Nexus Leavins: Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Michael McGillicutty
16 - MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS: Pancake Patterson, Darren Young, Ted DiBiase, Jr.

AS for who'd win, give me The Shield over Team Hell No, Really in the finals after the losers unsustainable chemistry blows up in their faces.

Scott Holland of Irresistible vs. Immovable poses the hypothetical situation of changing a match finish at WrestleMania and wondering what the ripples throughout history would have been.

I would have changed Money in the Bank at WrestleMania XXVI from Jack Swagger to Christian. The Swagger run would have been better if it was better booked, but even then, there was more potential for storytelling with Christian, especially with Edge still being active. I'd have let Christian hold the briefcase until Edge defeated Kane for the World Championship in late 2010. Then, as soon as the decision was made, I'd have turned Christian, had him cash in on his best friend, and then plant the seeds for a WrestleMania World Heavyweight Championship match.

Now, if I recall correctly, Christian was injured for portions of that year, as his comeback was an integral part of the build between Alberto del Rio. I'm taking liberties with healing/preventing Christian's injuries, but the story's there. Also, it would delay del Rio's ascension, as he won the Rumble that year. Still, he REALLY didn't get his moment until after winning Money the Bank later that summer. Edge vs. Christian would have been a far better option for what would've been Edge's last match.

@robot_hammer asks if the pressure of inheriting the burden of the Streak is too much for anyone, Punk or otherwise, to break it.

Transference of The Streak like it were a material title would be a mistake. Hyping up a streak from 1-0 to the chase for Taker would also be highly presumptuous and would blow up in WWE's face. The Streak happened because it just happened. I'm not sure if it was a happy accident, that they had stories for Taker every year to happen at Mania, but it just did, and once it got a momentum and awareness of its own, they just took it from there.

If WWE were smart, the person who ended it wouldn't be someone looking to continue it. It would have to be someone who COULDN'T continue it, like a Punk or a Sheamus or someone who has a Mania loss under their belt. Then, they start a streak nonchalantly and hope the guy they groom makes it to 10-0 without getting into major trouble or losing his overness or whatever else might befall a wrestler before his career goes to its full assumed conclusion.

@JohnJohnPhenom poses a Chicken or Egg argument: Is WWE bringing in The Rock just to cash in on his movie releases, or did the studios schedule so many movies close to Mania to cash in on his wrestling fandom?

I don't think it's either, to be honest. If anything, it might be the latter, because WWE has been looking to bring back Rock ever since he left. Then again, GI Joe: Retaliation would have been out already if not for a retrofit being needed for 3D as well a demand to have more Channing Tatum in the movie. Plus, when Rock went on The Tonight Show the other day, there was no mention of Mania at all. It was all movie blitz. So maybe the two are mutually exclusive and just a curious case of coincidence.

Lee Spriggs of Wrestling Is Teleology asks if anyone kicks harder than Kana, and who in WWE should face her wrath.

I don't know about the first one. Should we break out that thing Big Show and Sheamus used to measure which one of their finishers was deadlier? For the second one? There's only one person I want to be on the receiving end of her killer kickpads of kinetic energy. Vince McMahon. Vince doesn't think women are worth anything in the wrestling industry? Let Kana kick him into submission. Then we'll see if he thinks twice about stifling the Divas Division like he's been doing forever and a day.

@sallen_87 notes that Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, and Ace Steel were all on CM Punk's biography DVD talking about his early career. She wants to know who should be on Daniel Bryan's.

The first answer would be boring and readily available. William Regal gave the man his first break in Memphis, so he's the best source to talk about his early career. Cabana and Hero, err, I mean Kassius Ohno would be good options too, especially the former since they did Wrestling Road Diaries together. James Gibson, err, Jamie Noble too since Bryan took the ROH Championship from him. Nigel McGuinness, if ROH isn't too skittish about having one of their announcers on a competitor's DVD, would be nice, as well as Homicide, and just for the lulz, Takeshi Moreshima, although he'd probably need a translator.

@Enrico_Palazzo_ requests some Kenny Loggins this week.



DANGER ZONE, LANA! DANGER ZONE!

@czach1r wants me to equate the MEGA THROW DOWN DUNK that Florida Gulf Coast U. laid down on Georgetown in their first round March Madness upset to a moment in wrestling.

If we're talking about the mass destruction and utter demoralization, then I'm going with Mark Henry putting Sheamus through the guardrail at SummerSlam 2011. If we're talking about the alley-oop nature? Take the stiffest Doomsday Device you can find from the Road Warriors. If you're talking about a thunderous killing blow in an upset? Let's go with Yoshi Tatsu's flash kick to Shelton Benjamin's dome on his WWE debut.

@chudleycannons has three questions. First, what wrestling personalities have I blocked on Twitter?

I hate advertising whom I blocked because that reeks of self-importance. It's so annoying when someone announces they've unfollowed someone or blocked another person. Who cares. But since you asked, I've blocked Reby Sky, Larry Dallas, Maffew of Botchamania, Lenny Leonard, and Seth Mates. I have my reasons for all of them, and I don't want to get into it on here. But yeah.

Second, what's the most '80s movie?

Ah geez, I'm not really sure. I'll just cop out and go The Breakfast Club.

Third, what Game of Thrones cosplay should Leva Bates do?

GoT has no shortage of strong, female characters that Bates could dress up as, but she's never shied away from cosplaying men either. The whole Westerosi cast of character is open to her. That being said, I want to see her cosplay as Khal Drogo, with Allison Danger going as the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys. OF course, if it were just Bates going to a show solo without Danger, then she goes as Daenerys, replete with three dragon toys.

Brett Clendaniel, Jr. of WrestleChat.net asks if I had to eat pancakes for the rest of my life, which ones would I choose?

This answer is easy - the latkes (read: potato pancakes) from Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, MD. There are very few reasons to go into B'more, but this is resoundingly one of them. You get two per order, and they're loaded with peppers, onions, and bacon. They're delicious and satisfying. You can keep your sweet flapjacks. I want my latkes.

Gregory Davis, Dirty Dirty Sheets' site photographer, wants me to predict what the main event of the next Chikara iPPV will be.

It will be a Grand Championship defense. With Wink Vavasseur decreeing that there will be Grand Championship matches on every card from here until time indefinite, it's going to be the centerpiece of the show. Now, will Eddie Kingston still be Champion? He'll have to get by Hallowicked, then Green Ant, THEN Mark Angelosetti. The only one I can realistically see taking him out is Hallowicked, and even then, is WrestleCon the kind of event they do a title switch? I'm asking that in earnest, because I don't know.

But I do get the feeling that it will be Kingston, and my initial lean is that it's going to be a rematch from Under the Hood with Tim Donst. I also think that's where Donst will take the title, especially now that he's got a much bigger flock around him. There aren't really any other challengers who make sense for iPPV, although there's the chance that Donst is still wrapped up in Marchie Archie by then. Then again, if any company right now is capable of weaving together multiple feuds to maneuver in and out of different stories, it's Chikara.

Like many Americans, @mikepankowski watched the US Men's National Soccer Team play a match against Costa Rica in the snows of Denver. He wants to know why we can't have wrestling in the snow.

Frostbite, for one. Wrestlers who did their pro graps in the snow as is would probably lose a great amount of their exposed skin. Dressing up in Under Armor would be the best option for mobility, but what about body warmth? Anything more bundled would affect the product. Snow soccer or American football are great. Snow wrestling... well, leave that to you and your friends to do when you get blizzard drunk.

@Delliott90 asks whom I'd build up big for Mania next year, both as a face and heel.

Well, let's get a scope together. The big good guy run will be for the World Heavyweight Championship, since the WWE Championship at Mania seems to be the domain of part-timers, uber-stars, and CM Punk. The bad guy, I'd put him on a collision course with the Undertaker. So the good guy I would build would be Adrian Neville. The man is one of the most exciting high-flyers I've ever seen, and I think he'd get over really good. Debut him after Mania, let him soar to the ranks of Intercontinental Champion, let him beat everyone you put in front of him, including guys like Randy Orton, before giving him a spotlight against Mark Henry for the Big Gold Belt in the Big Easy.

The bad guy? Antonio Cesaro. He's in a holding pattern right now cuz he doesn't have a story for Mania, which is INSANE because he's the US Champion, and there's nothing easier than throwing two guys in a match with the beef being their desire to hold a title. But I'd let him drop the US Title to, I don't know, Kofi Kingston? Then he can hunt bigger fish for a year until he's got enough cred to tackle Taker at Mania.

Finally, @redunk808 asks if I've ever had a kim chee burger, and if not, then when?

I have not, but I have had kim chee in a burrito. It was fantastic. But I've been meaning to get more and more into Korean food because I heard it's goddamn tasty. Plus, they rock the short rib, which is one of my favorite parts on the cow.
↧
↧

Paul Bearer Died of a Heart Attack Brought on by Rapid Heart Rate

March 23, 2013, 12:55 pm
$
0
0
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Via TMZ

Paul Bearer/Percy Pringle/Bill Moody's cause of death has been released as a heart attack brought on by supraventricular tachycardia, or a rapid heart rate that manifests in symptoms like anxiety and heartburn. He had been experiencing those symptoms for a few weeks before his death. While the reports say it could have been "prevented," but that whole tone puts the blame on Moody for his own death, which I feel icky doing. There are more than a few people who might not go see a doctor if all they were experiencing were acid reflux or anxiety.

Just because it's topical, there have also been reports that Moody's family is okay with his death and the urn used in the CM Punk/Undertaker feud. Just a reminder, that in and of itself doesn't make the angle "okay." So stop using it as a justification, please.
↧

This Week in Off-Topic: I'm Done with Fiscal Politics

March 24, 2013, 9:05 am
$
0
0
Hey, you, why don't you fucking pass a budget then get to making sure homosexuals get equal rights, okay?
Photo Credit: Mediaite
I used to be a hardcore libertarian. Well, I still do lean that way. I don't think government should be able to spend money willy-nilly on things, but I've softened my stance over the years in terms of where the government should cut back on its frivolous money-throwing. I've also changed in that I've become a lot less evangelical about what I think about fiscal politics. While money is probably the sorest talking point in politics, I feel like it's become very much a diversionary tactic over the real issues, those being concerned with rights, the mongering of war, legality of substances, and all those other things that people tend to use as prop issues while pretending to fight over what brand of modified capitalism is best.

To me, politics should be far less about right and left and should squarely be about right and wrong. When I look at an issue like gay marriage, there's no right or left there. Either you're for letting same-sex couples marry and have the same rights afforded to consenting adults of different sex unions, or you're wrong. But how to allocate money? Well, that's tricky.

For example, I'm married to an employee of the Federal Government who is in danger of losing one day a week, without pay, due to the furlough brought on by this sequester plan. Basically, we're going to get boned out of 22 days of her wages because Congress couldn't do its job. They didn't come up with a budget plan over bullshit posturing (especially on the GOP side), so who suffers? Not them. Congress' approval rating has never been lower, but that never translates into any change because if you go into each district where these Congresspeople and Senators come from, their local approval ratings and chances for reelection normally are pretty high. It's easy to set up a straw man when you don't have voting power over the people in office, and there's a reason why it's such a shocker when an incumbent sitting officeholder gets deposed, ESPECIALLY when that person has been in office for more than a couple of terms. Hell will freeze over before Nancy Pelosi gets defeated in election and relinquish their seat due to anything else but resignation/not pursuing reelection at all. The same could have been said for Ron Paul, who only relinquished his seat in the House due to retirement. Of course, the biggest kick in the genital area isn't so much that they're there for life if they want to, but that they can vote themselves a raise, even a simple cost of living raise, whenever they want. To put that in perspective, my wife hasn't gotten a cost of living increase for the last two years, and who the fuck knows if anyone in the private sector is guaranteed any increase in wage.

To me, the act of not coming up with a budget, especially given the circumstances, is a matter of right or wrong. The fact that Congress can theoretically face no repercussion for not doing its job is absolutely wrong, and it's infuriating. Now, to me, how they come up with that budget? That's a matter of right and left, and it's not one that I really even want to concern myself with anymore. I've gotten to the point where I don't care if they pass a budget that's completely anarcho-libertarian or full on Marxist. I'm done with thinking that there's a right or a wrong economic model for a society.

The counterargument is that "Well, communism doesn't work! People have a right to their property, so socialism is awful!" Well, yeah, I do agree with property rights. And yeah, communism doesn't really work on a large scale when you consider that a free society needs to guarantee basic human rights too. Soviet Russia wasn't a true communist country though. It was a dictatorship under the guise of communism. Same with China right now. True communism means there are no leaders. Similarly with socialism, government being so micromanagerial can cause problems. However, who wants to argue that unfettered capitalism is great too? We've seen problems in America with that system throughout our history, whether it be awful working conditions letting the titans of industry in the late 1800s/early 1900s get filthy rich off exploiting cheaper-than-fair labor. We've seen it in the last 15 years when deregulation led to the housing bubble and all the shit that came with it when it burst. On a large scale, no form of government or financial model is going to work perfectly. We have to work with what we've got.

And that's why the only ideal that is worth fighting for is one that encompasses the guarantee of basic human rights to everyone. If you can't guarantee freedom of speech, religion, assembly, self-defense, fair trial, entrance of contracts, and all that other fine stuff that is theoretically guaranteed to us in the Constitution, then you've failed. But in how we get there, whether through pure capitalism, pure socialism, or some mixture in between, I don't care. As long as it works and can guarantee that what I pay into the government is actually being used in a way that isn't totally awful.

Life is all about making compromises. You need to figure out what you're willing to compromise on and what you absolutely can't allow. As it turns out, I can compromise on my money. I'm way over arguing over the merits of regulation, deregulation, capitalism, socialism, or whatever fiscal cliffs that Congress is shooting at us as a boogeyman.
↧
Search

TWB Wrestling March Mayhem, Round 2: Turners Hall

March 25, 2013, 3:55 am
$
0
0
Is Christopher Daniels too much for Bryan this round?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Alright, we're back for another week of MAYHEM, but before we get into the next batch of second round matches, here are the results from Friday's action in the Berwyn Eagles Club:
#1 CM Punk d. #8 Dolph Ziggler, 47-15
#4 Robert Roode d. #5 Saraya Knight, 40-19
#7 Athena d. #2 Sheamus, 32-28 (WHOA)
#3 Alberto del Rio d. #6 Sami Callihan, 36-23
And now, we get to Turners Hall's second round matches, starting with #1 John Cena going up against #9 Tim Donst. Cena, who defeated Izzie Deadyet, has the WWE Championship in his sights, while Donst, defeating Ryback in his first round match, wants the Chikara Grand Championship. Which potential challenger will get the win here though? Next up, #4 Jessicka Havok will go up against her CZW tag team partner #5 Adam Cole. Havok, who beat Davey Vega, and Cole, who took out Jon Davis, didn't get the job done against Sami Callihan and LuFisto, so maybe there's some tension there? Regardless, they'll get the chance to take it out on each other in this match.

Third match will pit #2 Daniel Bryan against #7 Christopher Daniels. Both have achieved the status of cult hero in their promotion especially in conjunction with tag teams. But will it be Bryan, who defeated Darin Corbin, or Daniels, who took out Eddie Edwards, who gets to advance? Finally, #3 ACH goes up against #6 Bully Ray. ACH defeated Mark Briscoe, while Bully eliminated Eric Ryan. It's a battle between the new hotness, and the old vet who finally got his chance to shine as the centerpiece of a story.

VOTE!
↧

Tim Donst Had a Hell of a Weekend

March 25, 2013, 4:45 am
$
0
0
Photo via @tdonst

That's Tim Donst drinking a Pabst Blue Ribbon while a stripper with a unicorn mask works it in the background. Every single argument on planet Earth is irrelevant right now. He also tweeted a picture of a gash on his arm from doing god knows what, but I'm not even linking to that because why sully the perfection of Tim F'n Donst nonchalantly drinking a hipster beer in front of a unicorn stripper? YOU'D BE INSANE TO WANT THAT, PEOPLE.
↧
↧

Chirp, Chirp, Chirp: WSU An Ultraviolent Affair Review

March 25, 2013, 5:05 am
$
0
0
In the TH style. Original airdate of this was February 9, 2013.

Highlights:
  • Neveah put Jessie "Bonesaw" Brooks down with a bridging German suplex in the opening match.
  • In a match that featured more spitting than normal, Christina von Eerie defeated Kimber Lee with a straitjacket lung blower.
  • Veda Scott pinned Niya after the Mind Trip, but special guest referee Jana missed Niya's foot on the bottom rope.
  • Cherry Bomb ran her mouth with some sublime trash talk, but she wasn't able to overcome Kalamity and her Kalamityville Horror.
  • In a Beyond Wrestling showcase, Chris Dickinson used a way-too-deep pull of the tights to roll up Addy Starr. Afterwards, he pulled his pants down and shoved his ass in her face, as per the stipulation.
  • Athena went to war to try and claim Jessicka Havok's WSU Championship, but she was felled by an avalanche Air Raid Crash.
  • In a falls count anywhere match, LuFisto used a Burning Hammer from the apron through a table on the floor to put down Mercedes Martinez. After the match, Lufi offered her hand, which Martinez accepted nominally before rescinding it with an attack after Lufi turned her back.

General Observations:
  • Neveah wore a CZW t-shirt for the opening match, which led color commentator Cindy Rogers to ruminate over a war between CZW and WSU. I really hope that was just something to make conversation and not a thing that's going to happen.
  • No more a contrast between two performers than between Christina von Eerie and Kimber Lee in their entrances. CVE's was stoic, understated, muted even. She didn't even do her "OY! OY! OY!" chant, while Lee played to the crowd and even did a split in the corner on the second rope.
  • If there was any better way to get over than by habitually spitting on your opponents, then I'm not sure what it is. CVE continued her streak from the week before at National Pro Wrestling Day by hocking loogies on Lee at various points in the match.
  • After the fall, CVE took the time to step on Lee's back and wipe her feet. Delicious heel moves are best ones.
  • Niya's ring gear would have been nice if she was going to the club. That's all I'll say about that.
  • Veda Scott took the opportunity to attack Niya before the bell. I've been noticing a marked mean streak in Scott, which would make her more an ambulance chaser rather than a prestigious defense attorney. I think that's how you have to go as a wrestling lawyer though.
  • Okay, if you're in a wrestling crowd and chant "You fucked up!" at what you perceive to be a botch, please do us all favor and don't procreate. This popped up twice during the Niya/Scott match, and both times, the flub wasn't even that noticeable.
  • The match was an "Uncensored Opportunity," which meant there was a roster spot on the line. Niya was "robbed" of a roster spot, so of course she'd be really fuckin' pissed. Even with the terrible gear, she won me over with her temper tantrum.
  • I'd feel like a hypocrite if I didn't mention how bad Kalamity's gear is either, but in my defense, I think Kalamity makes it a lot easier to forget that she's dressed like a lingerie model when she really gets pumping in the ring.
  • Cherry Bomb, oh man, look at the mouth on you. Mark Henry may be the best in-match shit-talker in wrestling history, but judging on this match alone, I'd say she was giving the World's Strongest Man a run for his money.
  • Okay, I think they have something with Cherry Bomb here, because she heeled it up something fierce in this match. Forget just the trash talking, it was the stalling, the licking of the palm before chopping, the eye pokes. Amazing work.
  • Although the look on Kalamity's face, like she was about to get her head dunked in some dogshit, when Cherry Bomb grabbed her by her hair, was priceless too.
  • Okay, I get wanting Addy Starr to get her ass kicked in an underdog scenario. She's good at taking a beating. I also get wanting to get Chris Dickinson over as a major bad guy by having him pull the tights on the deciding pinfall. But that tight pull was way too deep in that I really didn't need to see her ass. I really didn't need to see him pull his pants down and sit on her face either. That was disgusting, and I'm saying that as a guy whose line is pretty hard to cross.
  • You know a match is going to be awesome when the first move in it is a gamengiri to the boobs like the one Athena landed on Jessicka Havok.
  • I think Havok was watching the Cherry Bomb match backstage and thought she had to upstage her with her own shit-talking. I gotta say, I think of the chirpers on this card, Cherry Bomb wins the night. Dunno, I think Havok relied on the word "bitch" a little too much.
  • Okay, in another life, Havok must have been a torture master in some medieval dungeon, because she busted out probably the most sadistic new submission hold I've ever seen, grabbing Athena in a chinlock with one arm and wrenching her leg back in a standing single crab with the other.
  • "I'M GOING AFTER YOUR WEAVE!" Oh man, that's just evil, J. Hav.
  • I hope Michael Elgin and Davey Richards watch this match at some point, because when someone does a top rope Air Raid Crash, it should fucking end the goddamn match, goddammit.
  • LuFisto came out to the announce table during her entrance, placed Pegaboo down, then went over offset of the entry way to attack Mercedes Martinez before she could know it. That's planning!
  • The event was held at the Flyers Skate Zone, which is a hockey rink most of the time, so it was only natural that Martinez sent Lufi into the boards. The ref was too chicken to call two minutes for boarding, but the two ended up in the penalty box anyway, jousting on top of a table, a sequence that included Lufi using a broom handle to whack and choke Martinez.
  • Lufi used the railing on the bleachers as leverage for an octopus hold. Let that sink in for a little bit.
  • Martinez went for a fisherman buster on the apron after one in the ring couldn't finish Lufi off, but then Lufi took it to the next level with a Burning Hammer to the floor into a table. I don't care who you are. When you see that, you either cringe, mark out, or do both.

Match of the Night:Jessicka Havok (c) vs. Athena, WSU Championship Match - They tore the remains of the house down that Jazz and Rachel Summerlyn did most of the work on at Queen of Queens last year. This time, they were the ones who brought the place down all by themselves. In the rare case where the sequel was better than the original, Athena and Jessicka Havok may have thrown gasoline on the fire lit that could turn out to be one of wrestling's great modern rivalries.

The match had a classic bully/underdog feel to it, with Havok as the brash, mouthy Champion asserting her dominance in unique and painful-looking ways. The way she moved seamlessly from tortuous move into even more excruciating variants. She turned a camel clutch (where she was biting Athena's neck) into a backbreaker into a lariat. She combined submissions and strikes like she was a medieval dungeonmaster. Maybe the most spiteful and awful thing she did was lock Athena into another camel clutch, scream "I'M GOING FOR HER WEAVE!" and try to rip her hair out while face-washing her on the mat. Those verbal taunts though, man, they were best touches. She hurled screaming obscenities and taunts to Athena as she was trying to break her. Evil that lets you know its evil is the best kind, and Havok certainly let Athena know the providence of her intentions. Spoiler alert, it was baaaaad.

But for every barbed prong Havok shoved at Athena, the Wrestling Goddess had something to throw back at her. It was mostly her kicks, especially a single leg dropkick she went back to time and time again. At times, her comebacks were lightning quick, whether it was coming out of nowhere to sweep out Havok's leg into a heel hook, or trying like hell to get away from Havok's death grip and slid under her into a pumphandle hold. Her pluck would be the end of her. As she climbed the top for her O-Face, Havok intercepted her, thumped her to the mat with an avalanche Air Raid Crash, and put her down to even their series at two. That being said, I wouldn't mind if they went 2,000 matches.

Overall Thoughts: Okay, first thing's first, the Chris Dickinson/Addy Starr angle was pretty awful in its execution. I get the intent; I think that Starr is such a natural at getting her ass kicked that when Dickinson amped the apparent stiffness up towards the end of the match, it might have appeared overstated because she's so fearless about bumping hard to the mat. However, I don't think there's any excusing the angle. Apparently, there's set up to it, but for people who haven't followed Beyond Wrestling or kept up to date with it, the lack of context will definitely take them by surprise. Again, everyone has a different line, and I know that not everyone is going to see what happened in the post-match angle as feigned sexual assault like I did. But I think it's a signpost of how far we are to getting to true gender equity.

That being said, as bad as that angle was, the show at large was silky smooth with a ton of high moments. I thought it started out slowly, but it started to kick into high gear with Niya/Veda Scott and rose exponentially with each match, Dickinson/Starr excluded. There seems to be a bit of a dichotomy between the lower card and the main event, but WSU right now has a lot of wrestlers who can carry the top half of the card while the ones below have promise. I'm not sold on Ezavel Suena or Niya, but I think with a little more experience with the company and its oeuvre, Kimber Lee, Veda Scott, Neveah, Jessie Brooks, and Christina von Eerie can grow and make the promotion as deep as SHIMMER without having to bring in all the joshis (and that's not a knock against SHIMMER either, by the way).

The questionable segment on the show was really questionable; I don't want to see a guy shoving his ass in a woman's face without her consent ever again. That's a really black mark. But I feel like if I can forgive WWE for its transgressions, and if I can forgive R-Pro for its transgressions, then I can let this one slide. The show was good enough to want to recommend it and keep following the new direction of the promotion.
↧

Thanks for the Memories, Now Let's Go Make Some More

March 25, 2013, 8:10 am
$
0
0
Not related, but hey, Kaitlyn! American flag!
The Wrestling Blog passes two different milestones today. First, today is the site's fourth birthday. Four years ago today, I posted my first article, created the "triple h sucks" tag, and thus a movement was born. Whether it's an artistic tour de force like some idealistic lads and lasses out there think or a bowel movement like certain dirtsheet fans from across the pond, it's been a fun ride. Just as momentous, this is the 5000th post in blog history. I didn't plan to have the two milestones happen on the same day, but for the sake of me not spending too much of that free Google bandwidth on navel-gazing, I'm glad they did.

I have spent a good chunk of my life not only watching wrestling, but now writing about it in hopefully an intelligent manner. I started writing the blog for myself and because that's what I just liked to do to get away from the rigors of my math-and-science related day work. I'd be lying if I said I am still writing completely and totally for myself though. If no one read this page, I'd have ditched it. It's why I've been stressing participation in the TWB 100 so hard (by the way, have you gotten your ballots in yet?), why I have comments enabled, why I post articles to r/SquaredCircle, and why I'm so active on Twitter during the free, televised stuff.

I'd like to think I've spent the last four years and 5000 articles creating something of a track record for a different voice in pro wrestling commentary. That voice now isn't the same as it was in 2009. Hell, it's even been amplified by having Butch and Danielle aboard as regular writers. It's all about evolution, and I want to keep evolving and growing until I feel like I don't have the capacity to do so anymore.

So what does all this mean? Well, I it's really not a major signpost. Nothing's really changing on a fundamental level. It's good to look back and reflect every once in awhile though, isn't it? But one can't spend too much time reflecting or else you're going to fall in the pool and get all wet. So I look forward with my staff, my readers, the subject about which I write, and even my critics and see where I can go from here. As it turns out, the only place I can really go is forward, and that's where I want to go.

So yeah, that's my pledge to you. I am going to keep moving forward. That doesn't mean ignoring the past. I have been meaning to watch more classic wrestling. That's not the point, which I hope is that I will continue to try and look at all wrestling (and various off-topic stuff, natch) through current lenses, or through evergreen perspectives. Always strive for something resembling intelligence, insight, truth, and entertainment. Hopefully, you guys will all sign off on that and maybe tell a few friends to hop aboard.

Also, in an unexpected twist of serendipity, today is also Danielle's birthday. It's amazing that one of the writers that I have on staff happens to share a birthday with the site's anniversary. Please wish her a happy birthday, whether in the comments or on Twitter. Also check her work out at With Leather, and be sure to frequent her site, The Mandible Claw. She's doing good work, guys, and even independent of that, she's an awesome person who deserves your greetings and salutations.
↧

From the Archives: AJ Cruise vs. Mikaze

March 25, 2013, 10:05 am
$
0
0
Today in about a few hours, I'm kicking off the Top 100 Matches of 2012 list. I watched a lot of wrestling last year, probably between 1800 and 2000 matches as a very rough estimate. To cull that list down to 100 took a lot of agonizing decisions over what matches should make it and which ones I had to leave off. Some were slam dunks. Others would have made it if I was in a different mood that day. Here's one of the ones you'll end up seeing in honorable mentions. It's from Connecticut Wrestling Entertainment's Madness in March IV from March 10, 2012 between AJ Cruise and Mikaze. Mikaze actually has made a bit of a splash for Beyond Wrestling, and in this match, both he and Cruise break out some aerodynamic pyrotechnics and big impact moves. Just because I limited myself to 100 matches on this best of list that will start to be unveiled later today doesn't mean there were only 100 matches worth watching in 2012.


↧
Viewing all 4899 articles
Browse latest View live
Search