The Thread Killer

I think Aleister Black could be money if he was promoted properly, but this is WWE - so he won't be. He's got a fucking killer look and aura, he has an unorthodox ring style and for once they actually gave him a good ring name, music and entrance. He's exactly the kind of character that kids would get behind. Unfortunately, we all know they're going to force him to regurgitate ridiculous, uninspired, generic, bland, over-written and over-produced promos so after a month he'll just be just like everybody else or "the guy with a lot of tattoos who kicks a lot." His promos are weak, so he seems like a perfect candidate for a gimmick where some mystique is called for and he speaks very little or not at all...so I am sure they'll have him spouting typical WWE-speak nonsense in no time. He's almost unique and we can't have that. He must conform and blend in with the rest of the unexceptional pack, because this is WWE and the brand is the star, not him. What he needs is to trade wins with Dolp Ziggler in a meaningless mid-card feud.

The Rebel Complex looks like a great venue for wrestling the way they had it set up for Slammiversary. There are so many venues for wrestling in the Greater Toronto Area that I was surprised they picked that one of all places, and I didn't think they could pull it off. (I had been there for concerts previously.) Now I wish I could go to this show. Seems like a great atmosphere.

If that show was on iPPV I'd probably watch it, but I don't see where it's available anywhere. I assume it's going to be filmed? EDIT: Oh wait, it's available on Fite TV.

Could not agree with you guys more, these are exactly the thoughts I had as soon as I saw him turn. He wasn't even done with the beatdown on Kofi and I was already rolling my eyes. I hate Kevin Owens when he tries to pretend he's intense/scary. If he has to be a heel, let him be a chickenshit heel. I don't think I can watch another prolonged Kevin Owens heel angle, I really don't. His feud with AJ Styles almost did me in.

Haven't heard much buzz around these parts about the PPV this weekend, Impact: Rebellion. It's in my neck of the woods and in the same venue that Slammiversary XVI was in, (The Rebel Complex in Toronto.) I thought that show was the best PPV I saw in 2018, and I thought the venue came across great on PPV. I'd be going to this show if I was physically and financially able to, but sadly I am not. I am thinking about ordering it on PPV, but it is going to be expensive. I'll probably end up seeing the show in some way, shape or form at some point - even if I wait until they show it on The Fight Network here. Gail Kim should be crazy over since she's from Toronto, so that should be huge. Anybody going to watch this show? Thoughts on the card? Only five announced matches for a full PPV seems a bit odd to me.

It's been a long time since I saw it, but wasn't Kevin pretty straight up in the Heroes of World Class documentary? Hell, he told that story about Fritz threatened him with a gun and told him that he should be dead like his brothers. It doesn't get much more "real" than that.

I have no real use for Seth Rollins as a singles wrestler and I felt the same way (except even stronger) about Dean Ambrose, but I really liked their work as a Tag Team. Hell, I thought their match for the Tag Team Championships at Hell in a Cell last year was excellent, and they were fighting Drew McIntyre and Dolph Freaking Ziggler of all people. So really, I had no time for 3 out of the 4 guys in that match as singles, but they had a hell of a Tag Title Match.

I know they both went on record back when they were both with WWE saying that it was their dream to fight at Wrestlemania. This is probably much bigger for them so I'm really happy that they're finally getting to do the match they always wanted to do. Just too bad Dusty won't be here for it, I can't even imagine how proud he would have been of his sons.

I guess the fact that Oney Lorcan has shown up on 205 Live means that his NXT tag team with Danny Burch is finished? If so, that's too bad. I thought they were great, and I'm not convinced 205 Live will "get" Lorcan's style? Not to mention I am concerned about what will happen to Burch without Lorcan. Maybe they will send him to NXT UK? Reportedly that is where Alexander Wolfe is headed. I know Burch and Lorcan made an appearance there in February.

Lord knows in his book Bret pretty much brags about sleeping with practically every woman within a 50 mile radius of every WWF event while he worked there, so I was surprised he denied it as well.

One thing I find kind of humorous is that back at the time it happened, the narrative put forward in some circles was that nobody knew about the planned screwjob ahead of time except for Vince and Earl Hebner. A lot of people didn't believe that, but I know a fair number of fans did. Not even Vince's inner circle knew. Bruce didn't know. JR didn't know. Russo claimed at the time that he didn't know, and swore on that fact when Mick Foley confronted him about it. Even Shawn didn't know, (so by extension neither did Triple H.) Then Shawn admits on Confidential that okay...he knew, and then so does Gerry Brisco...and the pendulum starts to swing the other way. Now the more time that goes by, all sorts of people claim that not only did they know - but it was their idea. Vince planned it. No, Russo planned it. No, Brisco planned it. It was Triple H's idea ("if he doesn't want to do business we make him do business!") No, it was Cornette's idea. The Montreal Screwjob has gone from being the best guarded conspiracy in the history of Pro Wrestling to something that everybody up to and including the popcorn guy knew about ahead of time. I admit to being biased against the guy, but to me Vince Russo just came across in this episode as desperate to be relevant to any conversation about anything at this point. I think he'd cop to being the second gunman on the grassy knoll if the thought it might help him get exposure or back in WWE.

I know this sounds dumb and it never would have happened, but I would've loved to see Balor, Gable and EY end up on 205 Live. And then they could move Tony Nese to Main Event.

I would certainly not begrudge him that. In WWE he won't have to kill himself every time out like he would in AEW, New Japan or the Indies. Not to mention, if anybody earned the right to coast on their reputation into retirement, it's AJ.

Oh man, I hope they have plans for Gable. Otherwise he was probably better off in that team with Roode. Which also begs the question, why have them just turn heel two weeks ago, if they're splitting them up anyway?

I hate to say this, and I hope it isn't true...but based on not just the Daniel Bryan series but the entire past year, I'm starting to worry that AJ Styles might have passed his "best before" date.

Why didn't they call them "The Iconic Experience?" The name is right there! Oh and change their names to "Kay" and "Pey" because otherwise it's too confusing.

It's something I read in an interview somewhere, so it could be bullshit. However, it has the ring of truth to it, since he sat out his entire contract without working anywhere else. Not a lot of guys would do that, 99% would ask for their release and keep working begrudgingly if they didn't get it. He just walked, which I kind of respect.

I don't know how much longer he's going to get sympathy cheers for beating Cancer, sadly. I fear that it won't be long before he's back to getting his usual reactions.

Vince gets punched in Montreal a lot.

That's not why he did it. He apparently got along fine with Enzo (and was one of the few people who did.) He asked to be called up to Raw or Smackdown, and they apparently told him he was 205 for life, so that's why he walked.

If Elias hits Vince over the head with his guitar, I'll mark out like a mofo.

I read somewhere (I forget where, but I remember it was an interview with a friend of his) that Neville is financially independent and doesn't "need" to work for WWE, so when they made it clear that "creative had nothing for him" he just walked and was fine with waiting out his contract. Most guys can't afford that or have the mindset that if they don't make it to WWE, they don't make it. Thankfully, it appears more and more guys are now rejecting that mentality, which can only be good for the business in the long run, IMO.

If you die and go to hell, you wake up watching a match being called by Mauro Ranallo with Byron Saxton on color, as Nickelback plays in the background.

So what's the deal, are The Bar broken up now?

To be fair, I think Murphy actually wants this job. Neville apparently just didn't care, and Aries is well...Aries. I don't know how anybody expected him to last based on his history.