The Thread Killer

I definitely classify myself as a libertarian. And you are right, there are many different subsets, factions and philosophies when it comes to libertarianism. Some of them are actually very far to the left of the political spectrum, some are to the right, and some are…just plain weird. The fact that Glenn Jacobs ran for and holds political office at all was a pretty good indicator to me of what kind of libertarian he is, I think he is basically an anarcho-capitalist. I have to admit, I was actually a bit surprised to see him tweet that statement regarding the recent supreme court decision. I am hardly an ardent follower of his, but he has made a lot of statements in the past that led me to believe he did not believe in governmental regulation over any aspect of what can be perceived as personal liberty. Then again when it comes to him as I said, many libertarians would consider the very act of running for or holding a political office to be an anathema to the “true” libertarian philosophy. I would be happy to discuss the different schools of thought within the libertarian scope of political and philosophical theory, but this is PWO after all. Besides, if the last few days have taught us anything, it’s that it is becoming increasingly impossible to have a civil discussion about any major political issue without it inevitably degrading into name calling and shouting rhetoric. I honestly am starting to wonder if it is even possible to have a debate where you can actually effectively change somebody’s mind through the process of reason and logic.

I think they might be going to the every other week “Ask Me Anything” format like they used to do with Arn. They already have a second one scheduled and he’s only what, five weeks into this podcast? That seems like lazy producing to me, but what do I know.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to watch this, but I had the chance and checked it out, and am I ever glad I did. I don’t watch NJPW and I didn’t know some of the guys but overall I enjoyed the hell out of that show. The only thing that really didn’t do it for me was the ridiculous comedy and overall nonsense in the YB match. Their whole act is beyond stale. But their lame comedy couldn’t ruin what was one hell of a show. And I am beyond stoked about Claudio showing up.

He absolutely shouldn’t be doing it. He doesn’t want to do it, and he even quit doing it at one point, very briefly. He openly discussed this on the show a year or so back, that Brian Last talked him into going back to doing the AEW reviews because that’s what people wanted to hear. Last is so desperate to maintain the listener numbers that he doesn’t care if Cornette wants to do it anymore. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Cornette has openly discussed retiring from the podcast over the last few months. I think he is well over all of this stuff and just doesn’t want to do it anymore. Ultimately the responsibility for what Cornette does falls on him of course, there is no two ways about that. But it is pathetic to see how desperate Brian Last is to have a successful podcast and he basically keeps nagging or begging Cornette to keep doing the endless AEW reviews because that’s what gets them listeners. Cornette is at the point now where he is skipping matches or fast forwarding through them because he knows he’s going to hate them. But Last wants him to watch stuff he hates, just so their “fans” can hear Cornette lose his mind and swear and insult the talent. Then his “cult” goes and parrots everything he says on Social Media and the dollars roll in. I really believe that one day soon, Jim Cornette is either going to put his foot down and say he isn’t watching any more modern wrestling, or more likely he is just going to quit the podcast altogether, regardless of how much money it is making him. He has joked about it several times over the last few months, but there is some truth to it. He is making enough money from his memorabilia business, and his other investments. He is starting to really think about retiring from all of this. I would not be one little bit surprised if a year from now Jim Cornette is 100% retired from the pro wrestling business, aside from his memorabilia sales.

I don’t mind this show, but I am pretty sure it is going to go into the category of a podcast that I will only check out if I have an interest in the topic that week. There have been some shows that I will listen to regardless of the topic because I really like the host. I don’t think this is going to be one of those shows. I really like and respect Regal but he seems to have a standard set of responses for pretty much any question and it’s going to get really old, really quickly if I am not selective in which episodes I choose to listen to. If they start to cover his years in WCW or his European career I will definitely check it out, but I can’t see myself sitting through a two hour episode about NXT or the Attitude Era.

Foley really does have a tendency to go over stories that not only has he already covered in his books, but even on the first few episodes of this podcast…so that’s a bit irritating. But the show is still a winner for me, and after a few episodes it has definitely become my favourite current podcast already. The newest episode covers Wrestlemania 13 and has a couple of real gems… - Mick talks about the first Buried Alive match with himself and The Undertaker. He talks about how long it actually takes to bury somebody with dirt, and that the process was taking so long that they sent out extra heels to help him cover Taker up. He talks about how one of the heels that comes out to help is none other than Triple H, and he jokes that it is the first documented case of Triple H burying another talent. - He tells a story about Kevin Sullivan getting an interview with the WWF during the height of the Attitude Era/Monday Night Wars. He says that Vince knew who Sullivan was and had Stephanie interview Sullivan for a position on the creative team. The only problem was that Stephanie had no idea who Kevin Sullivan was and actually asked him for a résumé. That reminded me of a story I heard about Stephanie talking to Jeff Jarrett one time, and not only being unaware that he was a third generation talent in the professional wrestling business, but that his grandmother was one of the most successful promoters of the territory era. Great stuff.

Yeah, it’s kind of ironic in a way. Conrad resorts to doing watch-along episodes pretty much out of laziness or when he has run out of topics or ideas. The end results are generally not great and I end up wishing he’d do less watch-alongs and just do his normal show. With Cornette, I am so over listening to him criticize the modern product, I end up wishing he’d do less of his normal show and focus more on doing a watch-along, where he is so much more interesting and insightful. Not to mention, you can just tell by the enthusiasm in his voice that Cornette finds doing a watch-along more interesting as well. You can tell he is so much more engaged in the process when he does that, focusing on what he is really good at. I said it much earlier in this thread I think, or the Cancellation of Jim Cornette thread, but he has become trapped in a pattern. He has become famous and is making a lot of money off ranting about the modern product. You can tell if he was left up to his own devices he probably would not watch it at all, but he has to for this podcast and all he ends up doing is saying the same thing over and over again. Hell, he has been reduced to reviewing Raw at this point. And the blame for most of that, and the fact that he does not do more watch-alongs falls squarely on the shoulders of Brian Last.

It is also one of those stories that is so incredible, if you read it as fiction you would think it was implausible or unrealistic, but it really did happen. A man with six sons who lost five of them…three to suicide? It’s still mind boggling.

That’s a “controversy” that’s existed for a long time and not just regarding Omega. I remember Jim Ross talking on his podcast about how Flair used to get hassled by bookers because if he really liked an enhancement talent, he would give them a chance to shine during what was supposed to be a squash match. I think Flair once let George South get the upper hand on him for a few moves during a TBS Studio match. I recently heard Jake Roberts say the same thing about Joey Maggs…the guys liked him so much they would sometimes let him get a lot of offense in, much to the chagrin of the booker. Hell, even Jim Cornette has admitted the Midnight Express would do the same once in a while. Kind of the opposite of what Brody or the Road Warriors would do.

How was the Briscoes/Good Brothers Tag Title match? I had wanted to see it, but I thought the Good Brothers had really lost a step over the last few years, specifically Gallows. I know the Briscoes can pull a decent match out of pretty much anybody but I thought the Good Brothers might be a challenge, even for them.

The outpouring of condolences on social media for Tim White is pretty overwhelming. It sounds like that guy was loved by everybody who knew him.

I wish Conrad would use Jon Alba as the cohost on all of his other podcasts and get rid of Paul Bromwell. Although, I am pretty excited he is working with Sean Oliver now for the Kevin Nash podcast.

I too frequently attend live Pro Wrestling events and hold up signs which are completely blank. I feel it adds to the aura of mystery which surrounds me.

The thing I find hilarious about this whole discussion, is that from what I gather from reading other posts they have made, I think it is a pretty safe bet that both @C.S. and @El-P are pretty far to the left on the political spectrum. Never thought I’d see the day that I would see somebody accuse Jerome of misogyny. Terrible taste in wrestling sure, but never this.

He has given a bunch of interviews where he has said that he has no interest whatsoever in ever being a full time singles wrestler. He also claims he wants to retire very early. But who knows, I have heard a lot of guys say that and then they end up sticking around for a variety of reasons. At this point he seems pretty sincere about being a Tag Team wrestler exclusively.

Uh, can I just be the voice of reason here, and point out that Vince McMahon is innocent until proven guilty? We don’t know what really happened behind the scenes. If anything, it sounds to me like this is all on Johnny Ace and Vince might not have even known what was going on. That has happened in the past, Johnny Ace has cruelly mistreated somebody and we have later found out that Vince was unaware. Like when all those talents have been released, many of them said that Vince or Hunter liked them and would have kept them around but it was Johnny Ace who fired them. Not Vince. I’m just saying, based on everything we know about him as a human being and as a professional, if anybody deserves the benefit of the doubt it is Vince McMahon.

There is a hilarious clip on YouTube of the late, great Norm MacDonald as a guest on Conan O’Brien’s show. They are talking about that sprinter who killed his girlfriend Oscar Pistorius. Norm mentions it, and then Conan quickly interjects and says “allegedly.” Norm agrees, and says “Yes, allegedly. But also…really.”

Because on the off chance that Hardy actually decides to fight the charge, and is miraculously found not guilty, he then has a legal case for libel against anybody who declared him guilty before a legal conviction. The odds of that happening are minuscule of course, but on the off chance it could happen, the theoretical slanderer could conceivably have to pay thousands just to defend against a charge of libel. Better to just throw the word “alleged” in as a qualifier, to legally cover your ass.

I finished the second episode last night. It was pretty good but @Matt D is spot on and pretty much hit the nail on the head in his analysis of the dynamic between Matt Koon and Regal. Regal is very charming and interesting to listen to, but I can see his standard responses getting really old, really quickly without a host that can keep him on topic and hold his feet to the fire a bit more.

Interesting look at the rankings based on download numbers, of North American Pro Wrestling podcasts for last week, as determined by Apple podcasts: 1. Foley is Pod 2. Gentleman Villain 3. Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru 4. Talk is Jericho 5. Something To Wrestle With 6. Busted Open 7. The Jim Cornette Experience 8. Grilling JR 9. Oh You Didn’t Know? 10. My World 11. To Be The Man 12. The Sessions with Renee Paquette 13. DDP Snake Pit 14. 83 Weeks 15. The Steve Austin Show (?!) 16. What Happened When 17. AEW Unrestricted 18. What Culture Wrestling 19. After the Bell with Corey Graves 20. The Kurt Angle Show *** Granted, this is only based on Apple podcast numbers and not any other platform, but you have to assume that the rankings and total downloads are probably pretty similar no matter the platform. Some interesting observations here: - Everything single one of Conrad’s podcasts are ranked in the top 20 except for Arn and Matt Hardy’s. There have been rumours going around that Arn’s podcast is barely getting any listeners and that they are thinking of pulling the plug on it, and based on this those rumours might be true? - There have been no definitive figures released, but rumour has it that Foley‘s podcast has done monster numbers so far. - Pritchard‘s podcast is still a beast even though it has gone downhill steadily and he has been phoning it in for the last few years. - 83 Weeks has taken quite a nosedive. At one point it was Conrad‘s second most popular show. I think the fact that they have run out of new topics and have been reduced to doing watch alongs of old Nitro episodes has really hurt the show. Mind you, Bishoff has that new AFS Exclusive show with Jon Alba called “Strictly Business” that concentrates solely on the business and financial end of Pro Wrestling. I have heard good things about it from people I know that are still signed up with AFS, but I am not re-subscribing at this point. - Busted Open is way more popular than I would have expected. Same with Renee’s show. - I can’t believe Road Dogg has a podcast in the Top 10. I can’t help but wonder if this is still a novelty or if the show has legs. - What Culture has a podcast?! - I can’t believe how popular the Steve Austin show still is, it is totally reruns now. He hasn’t released a new episode in a very, very long time. Conrad once said in an interview that Austin’s show does crazy numbers, and based on this I have to believe it. - Both Conrad and Brian Last have claimed separately that if you have a podcast that does more than 350,000 weekly downloads, you can easily make a six-figure income from your show, based on getting a contract with a Madison Avenue advertising agency. Sean Oliver confirmed this as well in an interview I saw with him. Jim Cornette has not one, but two shows in the Top 10. That dude must be laughing all the way to the bank. And LOL at the fact that not one of Brian Last’s other multiple shows are sniffing the Top 20. No wonder he is so crazy jealous of Conrad Thompson and never passes up an opportunity to take a shot at him.

That’s pretty much my concern too. I am not sure if Matt Koon has the ability (or the inclination) to reign Regal in when he starts to meander. That’s kind of why I now wish that Conrad was hosting the show. He has a ton of experience from dealing with Eric Bischoff in keeping the host on topic, or at least getting them back on topic when they wander off.

The first episode was about the NXT reaction to the launch of AEW. The second was the “Real Man’s Man” gimmick. The next is about the first NXT Takeover. I am starting to worry that Conrad and Company don’t know that Regal wrestled in England or WCW.

I am into the second episode now. I don’t hate it. Over the years, Foley has gotten on my nerves at times, but the man is a natural storyteller and the last few years of doing his one-man show have definitely helped him hone the ability to recount different tales from his career. Both of these first two episodes are pretty much rehashing stuff that Foley covered in his books, but they are still pretty enjoyable. If you have not read his books, I would highly recommend this podcast. If you have, you are not going to hear anything new here but that doesn’t mean it is not worth listening to.

They erroneously assumed that because he worked backstage in NXT that he would be able to share the details of how NXT reacted to the launch of AEW. That was very poorly planned for two reasons. Firstly, Regal was not around in NXT at that point because he was literally on his deathbed. Secondly, he has made it pretty clear he has no intention of dishing dirt regarding the backstage details of stuff in WWE/NXT. Regal did a very good job of hiding his illness from the so-called “wrestling media” because as I said, I think the story flew pretty much under the radar at the time. So I don’t necessarily blame them for not knowing that, however to me it seems to be common sense that you would run the topic for the very first show past the host well ahead of time, and find out if he had anything to contribute to the conversation. It almost felt as if Matt Koon was finding out while they were recording that Regal had nothing to contribute to the topic. As I said though, that does not mean this is not worth a listen, especially if you like to hear William Regal’s take on the industry in general and him explaining his general philosophy. Like I said in my original post, I think it’s hilarious that they managed to do over two hours on a topic that Regal really was not involved with directly. The topic for next week is the “Real Man’s Man” gimmick.

As somebody who is a big MMA fan (I have been watching since pretty much day one, when it was “NHB” not MMA) and I have a large group of friends who are also fans of MMA, and not pro wrestling…including family who actually train in the sport… Believe me, “Interim titles” are not even necessarily all that popular with hard-core MMA fans either. @sek69 hit the nail right on the head, it’s really just a promotional tactic to try and sell PPVs, and it dilutes the importance and significance of championship titles. From where I sit, most interim champions are not seen as legitimate and I don’t know anybody who thinks they are a good idea aside from promoters. You end up getting a guy who misses one title defense because of an injury, and the promotion ends up slapping an interim championship fight in the mix for a short time. It’s really stupid, and like I said it delegitimizes the actual legit champions. Any other legit MMA fans around here can feel free to argue with me, but that is the way I have always seen it. I was disheartened to see that trend starting to appear in pro wrestling as well.