The Thread Killer

You can tell Daivari is a heel playing head games with the champ, because he drove his car through the curtain and honked the horn. Only a heel would do that. Or a person who is really proud of his car, I guess.

So the Cruiserweight Championship finally gets defended on the Main Show, not the Pre-Show...and it has to be a Tony Nese defense.

I have no interest whatsoever in this match, but I am a big fan of Shane McMahon ripping off an old Bugs Bunny cartoon when he makes the announcer keep bellowing his name.

Based on her worked "limp" I'd have to guess yes.

You said it. After watching a bunch of Impact and MLW, the difference in camera work is really jarring. Considering the higher budget, you'd think WWE would be better...but no.

I've been watching this show for exactly 9 minutes and I already want to punch Byron Saxton in the mouth. I never appreciated how much Corey Graves keeps him in check before, by barely letting him talk.

I don't see any fallout for Vince either, since WWE (showing their typical tact and sensitivity) have already released excerpts of an email Ashley Massaro allegedly sent them last year, attempting to "mend fences." Pretty sickening that this poor girl's body isn't even in the ground yet and WWE is releasing private emails to basically say "this wasn't our fault, see?" I guess they're worried people are going to draw a line from her previous claims of CTE, to her reported depression and suicide, to WWE.

Touched a nerve, did I?

Well, we all know Rovert is the most reliable source because he has a lot of Twitter followers and is friends with a lot of wrestlers and wrestlers have even been to his house...but then again Conrad also has a lot of Twitter followers and he knows even more wrestlers who have also been to his house, so I don't know who to believe and the world is just so confusing to me right now.

I know if you go back and read this thread, I basically come across as the world's biggest Eric Bischoff/83 Weeks fanboy but I am way behind on this podcast, which is why I haven't been posting my usual effusive reviews every week. The last episode I listened to was Uncensored 95, back during the second week of March. I am about 9 weeks behind on this show. I still catch Cornette's Drive Thru every week and I have listened to the first two episodes of Grilling JR, but aside from that I have stopped listening to other podcasts. Having said that, I have heard nothing but praise about the Collision in Korea episode from multiple sources. Considering that I tend to agree with about 99% of the opinions and reviews posted by @SomethingSavage, I am going to go out of my way to check this one out soon, based on his recommendation alone.

One of the most interesting things with Aries going to MLW is the fact that Jim Cornette is working as a promo coach behind the scenes, in addition to his role as Color Commentator. I know Aries isn't going to need help with his promos, but they're going to run into each other and there is a significant amount of heat between Aries and Cornette. Neither seem the type to avoid confrontation or put it aside, either.

I haven't seen this episode yet, but if there's somebody passionately defending Moolah, it's probably PWO's own "iamthedoctor." Defending Moolah seemed quite important to him.

That particular rumor about Gino Hernandez and Paul Boesch is covered in detail in the Houston Wrestling episode of "Back to the Territories" hosted by Jim Cornette, featuring Bruce Prichard. (I highly recommend that episode, by the way. Prichard might be full of crap, but he loves talking about his start in Houston working for Paul Boesch.) They discuss that particular issue at about 2:25 of this clip.

This thread has taken a very weird turn.

Didn't he also have a really good house show match against Steamboat that made tape, back when he was still in The Hart Foundation? I think it was from Boston Garden, but I don't remember the date. Maybe I am remembering it wrong. EDIT: Yeah, I found it online. Steamboat vs. Hart from the Boston Garden on March 8, 1986.

I can totally see why you felt that way, but it didn't make me too uncomfortable for two reasons. Firstly, it was JR who first voluntarily brought Jan up. I get the impression (and I could be wrong) that Conrad might not have even gone there if JR hadn't brought her up himself and shown such a willingness (and maybe even a desire) to talk about her. Secondly, I think Conrad used the timeline of JR's relationship and marriage to Jan to try and get him back on track when he got off topic, like saying "so were you married to Jan at this point?" Like I said, I can see why you might feel that way, though. When JR first started discussing his personal life I was actually a bit shocked, because that certainly isn't something Bruce Prichard or Eric Bischoff ever do. I've never heard any of them mention what was going on in their marriage at the time of one of the shows they're reviewing or anything like that, so when it first happened on this show it did feel almost like we shouldn't be hearing this stuff. But I got used to it rather quickly, and considering his reputation I actually respected the fact that JR was making himself so vulnerable in such a public forum.

I forgot to mention that, and that was one of the parts of the show that made me legitimately laugh out loud. JR: "Dennis Brent has every single episode of my radio show saved on cassette." Conrad: "Wow...really?!" JR: "Yes, I'm just trying to figure out a way to monetize them." Conrad: (pause) "I have an idea about that." JR: "I'm sure you do." Another quote which made me laugh was this: JR: "Jim Herd got his job in WCW when his only experience in Professional Wrestling was his friendship with Sam Muchnick. I guess that means that if I was friends with Buzz Aldren, it would qualify me to be an Astronaut."

I checked out the first show and thought it was pretty good. There were some annoying technical issues which Conrad of all people should be past by this point - inconsistent volume and the sound of microphones constantly bumping into people's faces, etc. Personality wise, I for one have no issue with "grumpy old man" JR. It's who he is. I'd take that over him trying to pretend he's somebody he isn't. He was also refreshingly candid about his personal life, much more so than Prichard or Bischoff. He talked a lot about how his demotion at WCW affected him personally, not just as an announcer. He talked about his relationship with Jan, his placing work as a priority over her, and his drinking. In some ways he really opened up. He also got into more detail about how his association with Bill Watts has actually hurt him in a lot of ways, which is new and something I'd not heard him say before. He talked about how a lot of people treated him like shit when he first came in to the WWF - I especially liked the story about Gorilla Monsoon lecturing Lord Alfred Hayes for being a prick to JR. Another highlight was the story of his car being vandalized as he was having his very first meeting with Vince McMahon. I will say this much...it is very clear that Conrad is going to have a hell of a time keeping JR on topic. Sometimes Conrad would ask JR a question and he'd go off on some rambling tangent which had nothing to do with the question, and then come meandering back around and still not have answered the question. Bischoff is notorious for long winded answers, but it's usually on topic at least, and he has a point which is somewhat relevant to the subject of their show. There were a couple of occasions during this debut show where Conrad would ask JR a specific question about his leaving WCW and JR would end up using it as a chance to grouse about something entirely unrelated. I get the impression that Conrad is going to be a lot more respectful of JR than he is of Bruce and Eric, but man he's going to have his hands full if he wants to actually discuss the topic at hand, and not have shows constantly derailed by JR complaining about these young kids and their fancy internets nowadays. For people who are worried about the "Meltzer bashing" which is a hallmark of the Conrad Thompson podcasts - I don't think that is going to be much of a problem. JR was very matter-of-fact in saying that yes, he talked to Meltzer and had a subscription to The Observer, and that Bill Watts and Paul Boesch read it as well, and talked to Meltzer. There were a couple of occasions when Conrad quoted the Observer and JR calmly stated "that didn't happen" but there was never any anger in it. I don't think we're going to have to endure the vitriolic nonsense you get from Prichard and even Bischoff at times about Meltzer. Having said that, if there is one thing all these podcasts, shoot interviews, documentaries and books have illustrated over the past few years, it's that Meltzer got worked by his sources sometimes. I am sure some of the hardcore fans who think anything Dave Meltzer says is gospel will take issue with some of the things said on this show, but I found JR to be refreshingly even-handed on the subject in his debut show. So overall, a bit bumpy but not a bad start. I'd already take it over Prichard's show, because you can tell JR gives zero fucks at this point, and is most likely going to say whatever the hell he wants. Everything I've heard from Prichard lately either sounds like he's bored out of his mind and is totally phoning it in, or he's totally back in WWE protection mode, which makes sense of course...but it doesn't lead to a particularly revealing podcast. I think we could get some interesting insight out of this show, provided you're not one of those fans who hate JR and are going to automatically discount everything he says.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again (and to paraphrase The Iron Sheik): Fuck the Lio Rush. That stunt he pulled at his final CZW show before reporting to NXT where he no-sold being powerbombed from the top of a ladder through a table was one of the most unprofessional things I've ever seen. As was his "joke" about Emma getting released. As is his behavior right now, taking his problems with his job public and trying to make it about his race. He's in the exact same boat Enzo Amore was in, he's an immature jackass. Fuck him.

Agreed, wholeheartedly. I've seen the WWE World Class Documentary and I've seen Heroes of World Class, and this might have not covered any new ground, but this really did show how hard it has been for Kevin to carry all this around with him, and who could ever possibly blame him. I can't even imagine the pain this man has to deal with every day having lost five brothers and his father...not to mention how his father behaved towards Kevin before he died. That whole story about Kevin trying to steal the rifle and get sent to jail, only to have the guy tell him that he loved him was heartbreaking. All of these shows have been very dark, but this episode actually made me still feel sad after watching it - like it stuck with me.

Initially, I had no issue with anything Cornette said about Bischoff, especially since Bischoff (apparently inadvertently) took a shot at Cornette's parents. I do have a problem with how Brian Last and all Cornette's Twitter followers jumped in and piled on to the point of absurdity. As much as Conrad Thompson can annoy me, I couldn't help but notice how he went out of his way to steer clear of the whole thing, unlike Brian Last. The part that I found especially pathetic was how after Cornette himself took the initiative to get Bischoff's phone number, and call him and they ended up putting the whole "feud" to rest - Cornette then just had to go the extra mile and crow about how you don't want to mess with his Twitter followers and get in a couple of extra shots at the end. I get why Cornette is so vindictive towards Russo, because Russo got him fired, twice. But in this deal with Bischoff he took it too far and after the whole thing should have been over, he was still acting like a little kid. It appears the whole thing has subsided now and they have both made light of it since, but I still think it was ridiculous for supposed grown men to be acting like that...especially when it came to whipping up a whole "Twitter Mob." It's really no different from how Prichard and Russo fanboys go after Meltzer relentlessly on Twitter. Then again, Meltzer seems to love provoking people on that platform as well. That is one of the several things I have grown to loathe about Twitter.

Yeah this new twist in the Cornette/Prichard relationship is weird, and it must be a fairly recent development. Cornette appeared as a guest at a Prichard live show in the fall of 2017, Cornette interviewed Prichard as part of his "Back the the Territories" series for Kayfabe Commentaries (probably the best show in that entire series, IMO) and Prichard guested on Cornette's podcast a few times. Not to mention, they seemed to delight in taking (seemingly) good natured shots at each other on their own respective shows - Prichard doing his Cornette initiation and talking about George The Rat on his show, and Cornette calling Prichard "The Artful Dodger" on his. Cornette has never shied away from saying that he thinks Prichard is a bullshit artist (hence the Artful Dodger nickname) but there seemed to be a genuine sense of camaraderie and respect between the two of them. Not to mention the fact that Cornette is very close to Bruce's brother Tom. I know Cornette has always taken issue with Prichard's Meltzer bashing and his attitude towards Jarrett and the Memphis territory in general, but who knows what the source of this new disagreement is. It's probably more serious than the recent falling out between Bischoff and Cornette, which was over erectile disfunction pills of all damn things.

I've heard different stories about that whole debacle with Pearce refusing to drop the title to The Almighty Sheik, so he dropped it to Cabana but nobody in the NWA told Cabana that The Sheik was scheduled to get the belt. Cabana reluctantly drops the belt to The Sheik, who then goes on tour with Zero-1, and refuses to come back to the States and drop it back to Cabana, so they strip him of it. Because I think that whole deal is covered, I'd like to see that Seven Levels of Hate DVD, but the only version I can find has the Documentary but not the matches.

I saw the show and will probably write up a review at some point in the next day or two. There were a couple of good matches but overall I didn't like that show at all, I found it to be a letdown for a variety of reasons. I read online that Brian Cage suffered an injury during the World Title match, which would explain a lot, because that match was a slow, dull mess - highlighted by at least three times that you could see Johnny Impact blatantly talking to Cage while applying rest-holds. I was actually going to write a review and rant and rave about that, but since Cage apparently got injured that makes a lot more sense - now I feel kind of guilty for getting so pissy about that. But damn, that match was awful and they probably should have pulled the plug and ended the match early, because...ugh. I haven't seen Elgin in ages, and the last time I did see him he sure as hell didn't look like the guy I saw last night. The time I saw him prior to last night, he had a pseudo-mullet and his body was somewhat egg shaped. Conversely, last night he was bald, and in excellent physical shape...a physique improvement of almost Jinder Mahal-esque proportions. I still don't care about him.

You're right, and I am actually willing to own that, for my part. I guess I am an Eric Bischoff apologist, to a degree now. I didn't start that way, for sure. I didn't like Bischoff one little bit during the "Monday Night Wars" because I found him to be smug, arrogant and like everybody else I just assumed that he basically was able to beat Vince because he just bought a bunch of has-beens with Ted Turner's money. I also bought into the popular narrative regarding Bischoff in the so-called "IWC" as dictated by Dave Meltzer and the book "The Death of WCW" by RD Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez . 99% of Meltzer's reporting, and the Death of WCW book especially, do not paint Bischoff in a flattering light at all. I started listen to 83 Weeks hoping it would be entertaining, but expecting it to be another version of STW with Bischoff playing the part of Prichard. I was pleasantly surprised. Yeah, there are many times that Bischoff is full of crap. There are times (the Pillman episode springs to mind) where he is flat out wrong, and obnoxious about it. However, the further along the show went, the more I began to find two interesting facts. Firstly, (unlike Prichard for the most part) Bischoff is generally quite happy to own his mistakes, if they are mistakes he is responsible for making. He will admit when he fucked up, and will even provide details of how he fucked up. Hell, he'll try and point out times he fucked up that other people don't think he did. Conrad Thompson loves to talk about what a great year 1998 was for WCW, how much money they made and how good business was. Bischoff doesn't think that, and he is constantly pointing out that the success they had in 1998 is pretty much attributable to the success they had in 1997, and the mistakes he made in 1998 led to his downfall in 1999. Secondly, a lot of the popular "facts" that have been put out there about the inner workings of WCW are either flat out wrong, or at least misleading. That is why Bischoff is constantly promoting the book "Nitro - The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW" by Guy Evans. He had nothing to do with the book, (aside from being interviewed for it) and in fact he doesn't come off looking great in parts of the book - but at least it is an accurate description describing Bischoff's time in WCW. It includes interviews with and information from people Meltzer and even Bischoff himself had never even met, talked to or didn't know about. That book is a must read if you're planning on talking about the behind-the-scenes aspect of WCW. I defy anybody to listen to 83 Weeks and then come away and tell me their opinion hasn't changed about Bischoff at least a bit. You don't have to listen to the whole year of shows...start with the November 12, 2018 show - the "Eric's WWE Debut" show, and go up to the December 31, 2018 show covering Starrcade 1995. That's only 8 shows, but they cover his time in the AWA, WWE and the highlights of his time in WCW, specifically the yearly Starrcade shows. On top of that, read the book by Guy Evans. If you are willing to approach this topic and be even a bit open-minded about it, I think you will be in for as big of a shock as I was. To be clear, I don't think Eric Bischoff is a saint by any means. He has definitely has some personality flaws, including a healthy (or maybe unhealthy is a better word) streak of misogyny and a possible substance abuse problem. He can be as full of shit as anybody else in the Professional Wrestling business. 83 Weeks is partially his chance to give his side of the story, but it's also a partial attempt at image rehab for him. I'm also not an idiot. I worked with criminals for over 20 years, I can usually tell when somebody is trying to con me or pitch snake oil to me. There are times where Bischoff's persona now is about as sincere as Conrad's "aw shucks I'm just a fan like you" act. I still maintain that if you look past that, there is a lot of interesting information and at the very least, entertaining stories in there. The main differences between Bischoff and Russo is that Bischoff actually accomplished very impressive things in the Pro Wrestling business, he actually respects and still loves the business and most importantly he is willing to admit his mistakes. For my money, Russo accomplished much less than he claims (or thinks he did), he has done permanent damage to the business that is still being felt to this day, and he pretty much refuses to admit he made any mistakes at all.