The Thread Killer

I am just really glad that they are not stripping Punk of the title and that they are going to have an Interim Champ. Because if there is one thing AEW needs, it’s more people walking around carrying title belts.

So the first episode of this show was released yesterday, and I just finished listening to it. I figured I'd share my initial impressions and see what other PWO Good Brothers thought. We talked about this podcast in the Conrad Thompson thread here in the Podcast folder, but I figured that now the show has officially premiered it probably deserves it's own thread. Firstly, this was definitely not like the other podcasts on the Ad Free Shows service. All of those shows follow Conrad Thompson's tried and true blueprint. Namely, the host (usually but not always Conrad himself) announces a topic and follows some very specifically researched questions/bullet points regarding that topic. The format is usually liberally sprinkled with quotes and opinions from Dave Meltzer and the Observer, who along with Wade Keller and the Torch, seem to be the primary research source for these shows. The star of the show then reacts to this research and shares their memories and opinions of the topic being discussed. The first difference with this show is that Matt Koon is the cohost. Once you hear his voice, you will likely recognize it. Koon has done a lot of voice-over work on the other AFS podcasts, especially in the early days of Something to Wrestle. Koon had actually stopped working with Conrad and moved on to other endeavours, however this past week he mentioned on Twitter that he came back to specifically be the new cohost of this show. I can't really rate how he did, for reasons we'll get into in a moment. Secondly...this podcast went off the rails pretty quickly, but not in a bad way. Matt Koon tried to follow the the Conrad Thompson blueprint, but he was unable to do it. The topic announced was "The Emergence of AEW." The problem was that William Regal had very little to contribute to the subject, because at the time AEW was forming and taking it's first steps, Regal was seriously ill and almost died. I know this story about Regal almost dying really flew under the radar. In fact, I had no idea that Regal had been seriously ill over the past few years. At this point, I highly recommend that if you didn't know about this story (like I didn't) you search out the two part episode of "Talk is Jericho" featuring William Regal that Jericho hosted with William Regal shortly after his AEW debut. It's really something. The entire first part of the episode is just Regal recounting his horrific health challenges that he has faced over the past few years. It is an extremely compelling, very emotional podcast and I really recommend it. During this debut episode of his own podcast, Regal actually asks his listeners to go and listen to Jericho show if they want to know about his illness, because he doesn't want to go through reliving it all again. I don't blame him, because during the Jericho show, Regal actually broke down reliving it all...something I am sure he didn't want to do on the very first episode of his own show. So unfortunately, Regal couldn't really discuss the birth of AEW, because he missed most of it...but that doesn't mean this podcast is not worth listening to. Far from it. As a matter of fact, they should really rename this show "The World According to William Regal." I never would have guessed it...but this man apparently LOVES to talk. And I don't mean that in an insulting way...but I am telling you, once Koon handed over the show to Regal, Regal pretty much took the ball and ran with it. I can't honestly tell you how Koon did as a cohost, because he barely got a word in edgewise. Once Regal started talking...about his life, his experience and most importantly his philosophy about working with talent...he was off to the races and there was no reigning him in. It's funny...I always viewed Regal as somewhat soft-spoken and reticent to talk about himself. Which in a way, I think he still is. I was worried that he wasn't going to have much to say or that the host would have to pull answers out of him, and I those fears I had are pretty much dead already. The YouTube version of the show ran well over two hours...and that was with Regal discussing a situation that for the most part, he wasn't even involved in! I can't imagine how long he'll go once they talk about something he actually experienced firsthand. I think the bottom line is this...if (like me) you are a William Regal fan and if you've found him engaging, informative or entertaining when he was a guest on other shows then I think you are probably going to love this show, because as I said...the man is not shy about sharing his philosophy about Pro Wrestling in general and he does not hesitate to go into great detail about how he views the industry and working with talent. If you are looking for a show where the host just reads off a list of questions and the subject gives answers and dishes backstage dirt...this is probably not going to be the show for you. Regal has already made it abundantly clear since he left WWE that he's not going to bash his former employers and he reiterated that here. That just doesn't seem to be the kind of guy he is, and I am personally fine with that...I am here for listening to his unique take on Pro Wrestling. The only other piece of advice I would give regarding this show would be this...I no longer subscribe the Ad Free Shows service and I didn't want to hear interminable ad reads, so I chose to watch the YouTube version of this show. That was fine...I didn't get the ads, but the editing was exceptionally choppy. Regal would frequently be cut off mid-sentence because Koon had to cut in with an ad read. And I get that...it's the nature of the beast. If you're going to listen to one of these shows, you either have to put up with the ads, you buy the ad free version, or you watch the YouTube version and put up with really third rate edits. Next time I will probably just listen to the version with ads...but we'll see. Anyhow, that's my take. If you like listening to William Regal talk and share his overall philosophy, you'll probably love this show. Did anybody else listen, and if so...what did you think?

Back in the 80’s we used to snort lines of caffeine right off the bare backsides of strippers, 300 nights a year and twice daily on weekends, brother. Nowadays, all these kids want to do is play video games in the locker room while sipping their no-caff, non-fat lattes.

Lots of rumors circulating online today that TK is planning another ROH PPV for July. I’m there…but I best see The Briscoes on that card. Hell, considering the fact that they are partially responsible for the success of the last PPV, why not book Briscoes/FTR II?

I guess, but it begs the question why they fired him instead of just transitioning him out of his wrestling job into the coaching role when they decided they didn’t want to use him in the ring anymore. Lord knows they have done that with other guys. I guess the bar isn’t really set all that high if Billy Kidman got transferred from being an active talent into being an agent.

I find the logic behind Joe Hennig being hired as an agent/producer with WWE…confusing. ”Joe, you are not talented enough to warrant us pushing you, in fact you’re not even good enough to work here, so we are going to let you go. However…you ARE talented enough for us to hire you for a job where your responsibilities will be to help tell other people how to do their job. You know…the same job you weren’t good enough at to actually do yourself.”

I am glad you started this thread, @El-P. We had discussed it in another thread here but I think it got buried. I would hate to see his death go by without people noticing it. I hope people take a few minutes to watch that video about Goto made by @BAHU that I linked to, because it's really good and people might find it interesting if they are unfamiliar with his work.

I don't understand. The world doesn't make sense to me anymore. I watched that match. I thought it was okay. At first I appreciated the fact that they seemed to be going more Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl and less ECW arena brawl, so I was enjoying it to a degree. But then they pulled out the ladders, and the tables, and the barbed wire, and I became disenchanted. And then Jake Hager was involved in choking out Bryan Danielson, and I became upset. Bryan Danielson should be wrestling technical classics in the Main Event of PPV's, and Jake Hager should be appearing at the auto show and charging $5 for his autograph, and then getting depressed when nobody wants an autograph and more people line up to see Virgil than him. But then everybody started praising this match, and I became confused. Why do so many people whose opinions I usually respect love this match, when I don't? When I was a younger man, I used to go to ECW shows all the time, and I loved a good crowd brawl. Am I becoming the PWO version of Jim Cornette? Maybe I need to go back and watch this thing again.

Yet another story of a threesome gone wrong. It’s a tale as old as the ages. When will people learn? Whenever you have a threesome, somebody always ends up feeling left out, and chaos inevitably ensues. This could’ve all been avoided, if only threesomes were outlawed.

That is sad news. I just came here to see if there was an RIP thread for him. I first saw him when I bought the 95 IWA KOTDM tournament and saw him fight Dan Severn for the NWA title. Then as I got into FMW I saw lots more of him, of course. I remember learning a lot about him from @BAHU’s awesome History of FMW podcast series. He was a unique talent for sure. Probably Onita’s best rival? I think probably some people sleep on how good he was because he was doing the death match stuff, but honestly I think he was a very solid worker. RIP EDIT: Turns out Bret just did a podcast dedicated to him last month…

That makes sense, but if last night's show proves anything...what makes sense isn't always what you're going to get with AEW. Hell, not having your most popular team on a 4 hour PPV, and reducing them to a curtain call after the cameras are off...now that makes no sense.

I remember when Ad Free Shows first started, Conrad hosting a special podcast called "When Tony Met Eric." It was basically just a recorded conversation between Tony Khan and Eric Bischoff, which turned into a Mutual Admiration Society meeting. They spent so much time complimenting each other, I ended up turning it off...it was kind of nauseating. That led to Bischoff making a couple of appearances on Dynamite. The love remained strong. Until TK said something negative in an interview about how Bisch ran WCW, and the shots started to fly back and forth. Punk ended up getting roped into it. Now, we're at the point where TK is basically slamming his fist on the table and shouting "FUCK THAT GUY!" at the Double of Nothing Post Game Press Conference. Times have changed. I find it a little odd that he refuses to answer any questions about MJF and wants to rant about Bischoff, because...really? Who cares about Easy E at this point?

That was alright I guess. About as good as you could expect…probably? Not totally sure how I feel about it. I may have to watch it again

Finish got botched and those guys never should have gone over, but it was still a damn good match

This match rules.

Give me an extended feud with Team Taz vs. Swerve & Lee and I am there all day, I love these guys.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Lee and Swerve take this one.

For my money, he is the best technical wrestler in the business today. I would just much rather see him in meaningful singles matches. I loved the roll he was on when he first came in to AEW. This whole BCC deal hasn’t done much for me, tbh.

I dunno…it seems like a huge waste to have Brian Danielson doing shit like this…never mind taking the loss.

Guess I spoke too soon. Ladders, tables, barbed wire and fire extinguishers now. Moxley just can’t help himself.

How did Jericho not think that table was going to collapse when he went for the Walls?

I give these guys credit for avoiding most of the tired, worn out, supposedly hard-core ECW arena brawl clichés

Daniel Garcia and Adam Cole need to have a posedown.

All dressed in white, huh? I wonder if they are going to bleed. And if I never heard Judas again…I’d be a-ok with that.

I suppose it would be too much to hope that all ten guys turn on Justin Roberts and beat the ever living shit out of him?