The Thread Killer

The US Title Tournament has been awesome. I was fiddling around with my own Tag Team Tournament so much, I haven't paid enough attention to your tournament, but I am curious to see who wins now. Also...Bockwinkle vs. Steamboat at the Greensboro Coliseum? Sign me up.

Great results. I especially would have loved to have seen Snuka & Orndorff vs. The Von Erich Brothers. The thought of Paul Orndorff in his prime mixing it up with Kerry is very appealing. Now that's fantasy booking.

Great work. I want to see that Bret and Bruce Hart vs. Morgan and Dynamite match, dammit. Especially since it went 30 minutes.

This is great stuff. I need to up my game when it comes to transcribing promos. I am doing okay recapping results but you are miles ahead of me with the promos. Results don't mean as much if there isn't a sense of story behind the matches, and you're killing it in that department.

Maple Leaf Wrestling London, Ontario - London Gardens February 26, 1981 Paid Attendance: 1,200 Cocoa Samoa pinned Tim Gerrard Doug Vines and Jeff Sword defeated Bob & Joe Marcus via pinfall Sweet Daddy Siki defeated Iron Mike Sharpe via countout Ricky “Soulman” Johnson, Sweet Ebony Diamond and George Wells went to a 20 Minute Draw with Huge Tom Lintz and The Kelly Twins Dewey Robertson pinned Moose Morowski

Thank you very much for the feedback guys. I am still tweaking my format, but my plan at this point is to just post the results for the live events, and only do detailed recaps for the TV tapings and monthly big events at Maple Leaf Gardens.

EVENT SCHEDULE: FEBRUARY/MARCH 1981

Quarterfinal Brackets finalized for NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament Now that the opening round of the Tournament to crown new NWA International Tag Team Champions is in the books, the Quarterfinal Brackets have been announced. Quarterfinal Bracket #1: The Kelly Twins vs. Johnny Weaver & Mike Rotundo This match will take place as the Main Event of the Maple Leaf Wrestling TV Taping at the Brantford Civic Center on Monday February 23, 1981. The episode will air on Saturday, February 28. Quarterfinal Bracket #2: The Della Serra Brothers vs. Dominic DeNucci & Tony "Cannonball" Parisi This match will take place as the Main Event of the Maple Leaf Wrestling TV Taping at the Brantford Civic Center on Monday March 2, 1981. The episode will air on Saturday, March 7. Quarterfinal Bracket #3: Dewey Robertson & Angelo Mosca vs. Big John Studd & Huge Tom Lintz This match will take place as the Main Event of the Maple Leaf Wrestling TV Taping at the Brantford Civic Center on Monday March 9, 1981. The episode will air on Saturday, March 14. *** ADDED STIPULATION: If the team of Dewey Robertson & Angelo Mosca win this match, whoever scores the pinfall will be granted a future shot at the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion, Big John Studd *** Quarterfinal Bracket #3: Abdullah The Butcher & The Sheik vs. Danny "Bullwhip" Johnson & Blackjack Mulligan This match will take place as the Main Event of the Maple Leaf Wrestling live event at the Oshawa Civic Auditorium on Friday March 20, 1981. * * * * * The Semifinals and Finals of the Tournament to crown the NEW NWA International Tag Team Champions Will take place at Maple Leaf Gardens on MARCH 29, 1981 More details to come!

Arena Report Maple Leaf Gardens Sunday, February 22, 1981 Hello, wrestling fans. This is Jimmy Freeman reporting for the Toronto Sun Mat Report and the Maple Leaf Wrestling hotline. If you missed the big show at Maple Leaf Gardens this past Sunday, you missed quite an event. And those of you who did it miss it, probably only did so because you couldn’t get tickets...this star studded and action packed event was sold out. As soon as promoter Frank Tunney announced this exciting tournament to crown new NWA International Tag Team Champions, Maple Leaf Wrestling fans beat a path to the box office and as a result there wasn’t a spare seat to be found this past Sunday. Thankfully, your truly was there at ringside and I’m here to bring you a blow-by-blow account of all the amazing action...so let’s get to it. This event was filmed so I’m sure highlights of many of these matches will be shown in the coming weeks on Maple Leaf Wrestling which airs every Saturday at 1:00 pm on CHCH TV Channel 11. Opening Match: Salvatore Bellomo vs. Tim Gerrard This match did not appear to be filmed, as announcers Billy Red Lyons and Mike McMan were not at ringside. Bellomo and Gerrard wrestled to a 20 Minute Time Limit Draw. After the opening match, Lyons and McMan made their way to ringside and took a seat at the announcer’s desk, the house lights went down and ring announcer Norm Kimber declared the official start of the tournament crown new NWA International Tag Team Champions. Norm announced that the opening round matches would be held in descending order, with the Number One seed match taking place tonight as our Main Event. vs. First Match: The Kelly Twins vs. Sweet Daddy Siki & Cocoa Samoa Siki and Samoa got the ovation you would expect for these crowd favourites. The fans were less happy to see the returning Kelly Twins, Pat and Mike. These Canadian brothers and former Tag Team Champions had a famous rivalry with The Crusaders here in Maple Leaf Wrestling just a few years ago. Based on the reaction to The Kelly Twins, the fans still remember them...and not very fondly. Since their departure from Maple Leaf Wrestling, The Kelly Twins have been wrestling primarily in the United States, where they have experienced success in St. Louis, Minneapolis, and especially in Indianapolis where they enjoyed a reign as Tag Team Champions. The Kelly Twins enjoyed the definite size advantage in this match, but Sweet Daddy Siki got things off to a hot start for his team and had the Twins reeling with a series of dropkicks, and his flamboyant footwork. Siki tagged out to Cocoa Samoa, who rocked both brothers with his patented headbutts. The Kelly Brothers battled back and were especially brutal, clubbing Cocoa Samoa repeatedly with a series of forearms and stomps. The other factor in this match as expected, was experience as a Tag Team. Obviously, The Kelly Twins have been together their entire lives and usually work as a Tag Team. As successful as Sweet Daddy Siki and Cocoa Samoa have been individually, this was one of the first times they worked together as a team...and it showed. The Kelly Twins managed to cut the ring off, tag in and out, and use the rules of Tag Team wrestling to their advantage. The end came when Cocoa Samoa went for his patented top rope headbutt on Pat Kelly, only to have Mike pull his brother out of the way from the outside. Samoa went down, and as Mike Kelly cut off Sweet Daddy Siki, Pat Kelly landed an impressive looking kneedrop right to the chest of Cocoa Samoa, and got the pinfall at 7 minutes and 13 seconds...much to the disappointment of the sold out crowd. Result: The Kelly Twins defeat Sweet Daddy Siki & Cocoa Samoa, when Pat Kelly pinned Cocoa Samoa with a kneedrop at 7:13. The Kelly Twins advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. vs . Second Match: Doug Vines and Jeff Sword vs. Johnny “Buzzsaw” Weaver and Mike Rotundo Vines and Sword have made individual appearances in Maple Leaf Wrestling in the past, but the two have not teamed together here. But that does not mean these two are not familiar with each other...quite the opposite. Vines and Sword have worked as team south of the border as “The Devil’s Duo.” Maple Leaf Wrestling fans may have been unfamiliar with them as a team, as the crowd reaction toward them was rather muted. Johnny “Buzzaw” Weaver is a well known, well liked and well respected veteran, and he appears have taken rookie collegiate wrestler Mike Rotundo under his wing. These two men compliment each other perfectly and the fans gave them a warm ovation. The match was a solid, back and forth affair. There was some slightly villanous behavior from Vines and Sword, which was not appreciated by the fans. Specifically, The Devil’s Duo frequently entered the ring illegally and had to be warned back by the referee, to a reception of loud boos. The end came when Mike Rotundo caught Jeff Sword in an airplane spin and pinned him, while Weaver cut off an attempt by Doug Vines to break up the pinfall. Result: Johnny Weaver and Mike Rotundo defeat The Devil’s Duo at 10:11 when Rotundo pins Sword following an airplane spin. Weaver and Rotundo advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. vs. Third Match: Rocky and Bob Della Serra vs. Sweet Ebony Diamond and George Wells This was the homecoming for Rocky and Bob Della Serra...but it wasn’t exactly a warm welcome home. Rocky Della Serra has been a major star for the All Star Wrestling promotion out in Vancouver, while his older brother Bob has been dividing his time between Puerto Rico and the International Wrestling promotion in Montreal. The two brothers have worked together a few times in the past, but this is their first time teaming up in quite some time, and their debut here in Maple Leaf Wrestling. Based on the crowd reaction to the Della Serra Brothers, the knowledgeable Maple Leaf Wrestling fans have been watching the two brothers on opposite sides of the country, and haven’t been impressed with what they’ve seen. Of course, Sweet Ebony Diamond and George Wells have teamed up here in Maple Leaf Wrestling several times in the past...but apparently you can’t beat the bond between two brothers. Diamond started the match off against Rocky Della Serra, and managed to hold his own against the muscular powerhouse. Of course, Diamond is no stranger to fisticuffs himself. Once George Wells tagged in, things started to go badly for the fan favroties...especially after the big brawler Bob Della Serra came in. Bob wore Wells down with a punishing bearhug, a couple of big bodyslams and a whip into the turnbuckles. The end came when Bob Della Serra hit George Wells with a lateral press after a long vertical suplex. Della Serra pulled the tights for insurance, but unfortunately the referee didn’t see it as he was distracted by Rocky charging across the ring at Sweet Ebony Diamond at the same time. Result: Rocky and Bob Della Serra defeated Sweet Ebony Diamond and George Wells at 6:43 when Della Serra pinned Wells following a vertical suplex. Rocky and Bob Della Serra advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. vs. Fourth Match: Tony “Cannonball” Parisi and Dominic DeNucci vs. Iron Mike Sharpe and Goldie Rogers While Norm Kimber was making his introductions, Iron Mike Sharpe grabbed the microphone and (as is his custom) demanded to be introduced as “Canada’s Greatest Athlete.” Neither Norm or the fans in attendance were impressed. Goldie Rogers seemed more concerned with fluffing up his hair and strutting around the ring while posing than he did locking up for battle, and he paid for it. As soon as the bell rang, Dominic DeNucci tackled Mike Sharpe and the two men rolled out of the ring, while Tony Parisi hit the unsuspecting Goldie Rogers (who was still strutting and preening) with a dropkick which sent him unceremoniously crashing to the mat. To the deafening cheers of the fans, Tony Parisi headed up to the top rope and landed on Goldie with his patented “Cannonball” manoeuvre..and that was all she wrote. Result: Tony Parisi and Dominic DeNucci defeated Iron Mike Sharpe and Goldie Rogers in 0:23 seconds when Parisi pinned Rogers after the “Cannonball” from the Top Rope. Tony Parisi and Dominic DeNucci advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. After the match had concluded, Iron Mike Sharpe once again commandeered the house microphone. Sharpe claimed that any manoeuvres from the top rope should be considered illegal, therefore DeNucci and Parisi should be disqualified, the decision should be reversed, and Iron Mike Sharpe should be declared the Tag Team Champions. At this point, DeNucci and Parisi were half way down the ramp towards the Locker Room, but they returned, stormed the ring and chased Sharpe and Rogers to the back. vs. Fifth Match: Abdullah The Butcher & The Sheik vs. Kelly Kiniski and Whipper Watson Jr. Kiniski and Watson are of course both the sons of former NWA World Heavyweight Champions, whose fathers sold out Maple Leaf Gardens many times, over many years. The Maple Leaf Gardens faithful gave the two legendary progenies a rousing ovation as they jogged to the ring...and then chaos erupted. Abdullah Farouk led his clients The Shiek and Abdullah The Butcher down the ramp, and as soon as all four men were in the ring...The Sheik and The Butcher attacked. The bell had not even rung when The Butcher started throttling Kelly Kiniski, and The Sheik grabbed Watson by the hair, and started repeatedly jabbing him on the forehead with some form of foreign object. Meanwhile, Farouk inserted himself between referee Fred Atkins and the action, in a clear attempt to distract the official. Watson and Kiniski fought back, and began slugging it out with the two monsters. The referee was finally successful in ordering Farouk out the ring and both teams to their corners, when the bell was sounded to start the match. Sadly, Watson was already bleeding from the forehead as a result of the attack by The Sheik before the bell, and in my opinion this match should have never been allowed to begin. Watson bravely attempted to slug it out with The Sheik, but he was already at a clear disadvantage due to his injury. Abdullah The Butcher tagged in and continued to jab and prod away at the bloodied head of Whipper Watson Jr., as manager Farouk repeatedly leapt to the ring apron and distracted referee Fred Atkins. The fans were incensed at the illegal tactics and the boos and jeers were deafening. At one point, security actually had to prevent an overzealous fan from leaping over the barricade and attacking Farouk. The fans were ecstatic when after being cut off from his partner for what seemed like forever, Whipper Watson Jr. was able to leapfrog over The Sheik and tag in Kelly Kiniski. You could barely hear yourself think as the fans came unglued...Kiniski charged at both Abdullah and The Sheik and hammered both men with a flurry of punches, kicks and forearm smashes. When Farouk jumped up on the ring apron one too many times and attempted to intervene, he got a flying dropkick for his trouble and was sent crashing to the floor, much to the delight of the fans. Eventually, Kiniski tagged in Watson and the two men started hammering The Sheik with tandem punches. The referee ordered Kiniski from the ring, which gave The Sheik a chance to tag in The Butcher. As Farouk waved his arms at the referee from the outside distracting him, Abdullah The Butcher pulled a taped object from one of his pockets and jabbed Watson right in the throat. Watson began to choke, and The Butcher followed up with a double palm thrust to the neck, which sent Watson to the canvas. Abdullah The Butcher hit Watson with an elbow drop and made the cover, while The Sheik stopped the charging Kelly Kiniski from making the save. Result: Abdullah The Butcher & The Sheik defeated Kelly Kiniski and Whipper Watson Jr. when Abdullah pinned Watson following an elbow drop at 8:57. Abdullah The Butcher and The Sheik advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. The aftermath of this match resulted in the fans pelting The Butcher and The Sheik with garbage as they made their way down the ramp. The house lights went up and Norm Kimber exhorted the fans to settle down, as a 15 minute intermission was declared. ~INTERMISSION~ vs. Sixth Match: Billy Robinson and The Destroyer vs. Bullwhip Johnson and Blackjack Mulligan The first match after the intermission was a change of pace, following the violent brawl fans had just witnessed. Technical mat wrestling was on display, as the duo of accomplished grapplers Billy Robinson and The Destroyer took on the two big brawling cowboys Blackjack Mulligan and Danny “Bullwhip” Johnson. Billy Robinson started the match against Bullwhip Johnson, and put on a clinic of holds and counterholds. As hard as he tried, poor Bullwhip ended up getting tied in knots, as Blackjack watched helplessly from their corner. Robinson and The Destroyer worked together seamlessly, tagging in and out. The end came when Johnson was able to escape an attempted elbow drop from The Destroyer. Bullwhip hustled over to his corner and made the tag. The Gardens exploded again, as big Blackjack Mulligan charged the ring and cleaned house. Mulligan knocked Robinson off the apron, and then proceeded to unload on The Destroyer with a series of punches, clubbing forearms and knee lifts that battered the masked man senseless. Robinson attempted to roll back into the ring to help his partner, but Bullwhip Johnson ran around the outside, grabbed Robinson by the leg and pulled him back down...resulting in a brawl on the floor. Meanwhile Blackjack threw The Destroyer into the ropes, and as Destroyer rebounded, Mulligan hit him full force with a lariat style clothesline hard enough to literally knock the masked man 360 degrees in the air. Mulligan made the cover, and that was all she wrote. Result: Bullwhip Johnson and Blackjack Mulligan defeated Billy Robinson and The Destroyer at 9:17 when Mulligan pinned The Destroyer following a clothesline. Bullwhip Johnson and Blackjack Mulligan advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. vs. Seventh Match: Dino Bravo and Pat Patterson vs. Big John Studd and Huge Tom Lintz This match was a rare chance to see the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion Big John Studd compete against the NWA Canadian Television Champion, Dino Bravo. It’s not often we get to see both champions in the ring at the same time...and both men are hoping to use this tournament to add yet another Championship Title to their collection. Big John Studd was accompanied by his manager, the flamboyant and verbose “Pretty Boy” Floyd Creatchman, resplendent in a pink sequined jacket which was offensive to the eyes. Creatchman was a source of constant irritation during this match, running around outside the ring yammering instructions at full volume, and engaging in verbal confrontations with the fans, the referee and even Mike McMan and Billy Red Lyons at the announcers desk. Bravo and Patterson were the clear crowd favorites during this match. Fans have taken a liking to the affable young french strongman Bravo over the past few years, and Pat Patterson has of course been a long time presence in Toronto. This match was hardly the technical exhibition that Billy Robinson put on during the previous match, nor was it the wild brawl like the match previous to that. This contest consisted of Bravo and Patterson trying valiantly to knock the massive Studd and Lintz off their feet, or mount any kind of offense that was even remotely effective. Dino Bravo was definitely taken off his game during this match, because he is used to being the strongest man in the ring and able to easily exert his will on his opponents. Pat Patterson was able to maintain a lengthy advantage for his team, as he was finally able to knock Huge Tom Lintz to the mat. Patterson tried a succession of headlocks and arm and leglocks to keep the bigger man down. Eventually, Lintz was able to make the tag to the Canadian Champion, Big John Studd. Once Studd was in the ring, Patterson tagged Bravo, and the two singles champions locked up, much to the delight of the crowd. The end came when Bravo hit Studd with a running clothesline. The impact was so forceful and so momentous that both men were carried over the top rope to the outside. The two men began to trade shots back and forth outside the ring as the referee started to administer his count, admonishing the wrestlers to get back into the ring. Studd gained the advantage and executed a crushing powerslam on Bravo on the floor outside the ring. Studd was able to roll back into the ring, but as Dino Bravo valiantly attempted to follow him, Pretty Boy Floyd hit him with a vicious kick to the ribs. Pat Patterson came around and chase Creatchman away...but it was too late. Dino Bravo was unable to make it back into the ring in time, and that was all she wrote. Result: Big John Studd and Huge Tom Lintz defeated Dino Bravo and Pat Patterson when Bravo was counted out of the ring at 12:23. Big John Studd and Huge Tom Lintz advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. The Main Event vs. Dewey Robertson and Angelo Mosca vs. Hossein The Great Arab and Mr. Fuji As much as the fans were buzzing from the previous match, the tension rose even higher as Norm Kimber announced it was time for the Main Event. There has been an ever escalating pattern of violence between the four men in this match. Fans will remember of course, that not long ago local favorite, strongman Dewey Robertson was attacked during an episode of Maple Leaf Wrestling, by The Great Hossein Arab. Robertson was simply giving an interview to Lord Athol Layton, explaining how he did not appreciate people like Hossein putting Canada down, when Hossein confronted him and spat in his face. Robertson and Hossein began to brawl when Mr. Fuji interfered and delivered a punishing kick to the back of Robertson, blindsiding him. Fuji and Hossein went on to viciously work over the popular young Robertson, until of all people...Angelo Mosca came to the rescue. When promoter Frank Tunney planned the brackets for this tournament, he made sure that these two teams were scheduled to meet in the first round. Not only will this match determine who moves on, but this will also give all four men a chance to settle their differences for the first time since the incident that took place two weeks ago on Maple Leaf Wresting. Things got off to a molten start right away, as Mr. Fuji and Hossein came down the ramp to the ring. Mr. Fuji proceeded to perform his traditional purifying ritual in his teams corner, while Hossein came to the ring proudly waving the flag of Iran. The fans loudly voiced their displeasure, but the boos turned to cheers as Dewey Robertson and Angelo Mosca charged up the stairs from the dressing room, and down the ramp to the ring. Referee Terry Yorkston was able to maintain control and keep the heroes at bay, waiting on the ramp while Norm Kimber made his introductions. As soon as Robertson and Mosca entered the ring, the bell rang to start the match. Mr. Fuji started things off for his team, squaring off against Angelo Mosca. For the opening minutes of the bout, Mosca definitely held the upper hand and he battered Fuji from pillar to post. At one point, Mosca had Fuji slumped in the corner and was stomping on him with all his might, much to the delight of the packed house. Eventually, Fuji was able to turn the tide with a few expertly aimed knife-edge chops and thrusts. Once Mosca was down, Fuji held him in place for a long while with a nerve hold, applied to the neck. Fuji eventually tagged in Hossein The Great Arab, but this gave Mosca a chance to dive for his corner and tag in Dewey Robertson. Once again, Maple Leaf Gardens came apart as Dewey Robertson leapt into the ring and charged at Hossein. This was a back and forth affair. For a long time, Robertson had the upper hand on Hossein and managed to dominate him with a series of fundamental Pro Wrestling moves like the clothesline and bodyslam. Eventually, Hossein turned the tide and put on an exhibition of suplexes, leaving Robertson reeling. After that, there was a prolonged period where Hossein The Great attempted to get Robertson to submit using his patented “Camel Clutch” however Angelo Mosca entered the ring and broke up the attempt with a well timed boot to the head of Hossein. Both Mosca and Fuji were able to tag in and out of the match several times during this bout, which was truly a seesaw affair, with both teams gaining the advantage, only to lose it back again. The end came when Hossein tried to pin Angelo Mosca following a side suplex. Mosca kicked out, and in frustration, Hossein put Mosca in a full nelson and shouted instructions to Fuji at ringside. Fuji nodded, and entered the ring. In full sight of the referee and with Hossein still holding the struggling Mosca in place, Fuji reached into his tights and threw what appeared to be a large handfull of salt directly into the eyes of Mosca, blinding him. Referee Terry Yorkston had no choice but to call for the bell. Hossein then grabbed his flag from outside the ring and proceeded to repeatedly jab it into the abdomen of the blinded Mosca. Fuji looked to assist in the assault, but he was stopped by a charging Dewey Robertson, who went outside and grabbed a folding chair and then cleared the ring. Mr. Fuji and Hossein The Great Arab were escorted down the ramp to a cacophony of jeers and a deluge of garbage being thrown by the fans. Dewey Robertson tended to the blinded Mosca as the house lights went up to end the show. Result: Dewey Robertson and Angelo Mosca defeated Mr. Fuji and Hossein The Great Arab at 21:12, when Fuji was disqualified for throwing salt into the face of Mosca. Dewey Robertson and Angelo Mosca advance to the Quarterfinals of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament. * * * * * That’s your report on the Opening Round of the NWA International Tag Team Championship Tournament from Maple Leaf Gardens, Pro Wrestling fans. Stay tuned for updated brackets and news about the upcoming rounds...more news to come!

The first rule of the Village Green Preservation Society is that you don’t talk about the Village Green Preservation Society.

Don't steal my gimmick, bro.

Here's the problem...Cornette doesn't actually say half of those things. Has he said Kenny and The Bucks are "killing the business?" Sure, he says that anybody that does anything that is blatantly and deliberately "fake" during what is supposed to be a Pro Wrestling match is killing the business. As is well documented, that includes stuff like wrestling 9 year old girls, wrestling blowup dolls, wrestling the "Invisible Man" suplexing people with your penis, etc. So on that point, you are absolutely correct. Jim Cornette has been highly critical of Omega and The Bucks for contributing to the downfall of traditional Pro Wrestling by doing certain things which he believes are detrimental to the Pro Wrestling business. But... Cornette didn't say Kenny and The Bucks aren't stars. He never said they will never be successful. He never said AEW isn't successful. One of Cornette's favorite expressions that he uses all the time is: "For people who like that sort of thing, that is exactly the sort of thing those people will like." Jim Cornette says that Omega, The Bucks and a lot (but not all) of the talent in AEW are stars to the AEW audience...but just to the AEW audience. What he has actually said is that AEW will never achieve mainstream success and popularity like Pro Wrestling used to have. Cornette famously claimed that Dynamite would be cancelled by TNT by March 2020 if their ratings didn't get any better. Shortly after he made that brazen claim, TNT not only renewed Dynamite but asked AEW for a second show. Cornette said at the time, he was obviously wrong...that TNT was clearly content to settle for an audience of 600,000 to 1,000,000 viewers every week and let that be the ceiling. Cornette claimed that he is well aware that AEW has a very devoted fanbase that will continue to follow their product and even go so far as to travel around the country to support it. He just thinks if AEW continues to do what they have been doing so far, they're never going to get any bigger or break through to the next level. As far as their past...Cornette admits that PWG was successful...but that they played to a limited audience in small venues. He admitted that Kenny Omega was successful in New Japan. He has admitted he has no idea how successful or important The Young Bucks actually were in New Japan. Brian Last has repeatedly claimed that if The Young Bucks weren't part of the Bullet Club and "The Elite" then on their own they would have been nothing more than a midcard act in New Japan. Last has also claimed that he has been informed by sources inside New Japan that no real effort was made to keep The Young Bucks in New Japan because New Japan didn't see a lot of value in them. Last has said New Japan absolutely did want to keep Omega in New Japan and would have kept The Bucks around if it would have kept Omega happy, but on their own New Japan was pretty much indifferent to The Young Bucks. Cornette has never commented on that because he happily admits he doesn't watch New Japan and has no idea what goes on in New Japan. The point is...I have listened to more Jim Cornette over the past few years than I wish I had, and I have never heard Jim Cornette claim that Kenny Omega wasn't successful in New Japan Pro Wrestling. I haven't even heard him say AEW isn't successful. I have heard him say repeatedly that he thinks they are just playing to the same limited audience, they have no mainstream appeal, and if they keep doing what they are doing they will never achieve mainstream success. The thing is, he doesn't limit that criticism to just AEW. He claims he can't figure out why WWE also seems content to keep appealing to the same limited (and diminishing) audience instead of trying to recapture previous success. I've heard him say it a million times...Pro Wrestling fans today are willing to pay more money than ever before to be fans, but there are less of them now than there have been in years. Cornette has repeatedly talked about the kind of ratings Pro Wrestling got back in the 70's and 80's and even about the huge ratings WCW and the WWF got back during the 90's. He says he can't understand why WWE and AEW are satisfied with playing to such a smaller audience now, and why they won't try to widen their appeal and try and regain that level of popularity. And yes...he has said he thinks AEW is incapable or rising above where they are now and reaching that kind of success. You can argue all day whether or not his opinion is right...maybe AEW could achieve greater success. Maybe "modern" Pro Wrestling is capable of drawing the kind of ratings and fans Pro Wrestling has in the past. That's debatable. But to claim that Cornette is denying that Omega or AEW are successful to their own audience right now...I just don't think that is true.

You absolutely do. @Laz is 100% correct. Go back and look at half the posts you've made in this thread alone. Or the Jim Cornette podcasts threads over in the podcast forum. Or the NWA Power thread. Every time anybody says anything remotely critical of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, "The Elite" or to some degree AEW at all...you tend to come out with guns blazing and pretty much try and steamroll over anybody who doesn't agree with you. You're entitled to your opinion...the only problem is that you always act your opinion is a fact and there can't possibly be another side to the argument. That's fine if that's the way you want to act, but at least own it.

I know I haven't posted any recaps in a while...so-called "real life" has been kicking my ass over the past couple of weeks. I hope to get back to the recaps soon. However... The next best thing to reading a Thread Killer recap is actually hearing The Thread Killer talk! Well...not really. PWO Good Brother @Mad Dog was kind enough to have me as a guest on his highly recommended 4Corners Podcast. (I'm not just recommending it because he had me on as a guest, I have listened to other episodes and it's a lot of fun. It's like listening to a really engaging roundtable discussion.) Anyhow...if you'd like to hear ME talk (not that I can actually think of any reason you actually would) then please check this out. And big thanks to Mad Dog, the whole process was a pleasure.

Cornette gives the impression that Lothario's feelings were kind of hurt...but maybe Lothario was understanding about it because Shawn was supposedly all fucked up a lot of the time on the pills and the whatnot. I guess there wasn't too much bad blood, because if I am not mistaken, when Shawn opened his own Pro Wrestling Academy after his first retirement (when he trained Danielson, Kendrick, London, Cade etc.) Jose Lothario was involved, I am pretty sure. EDIT: And apparently that didn't last long...and they had a falling out less than a month after the school opened.

Supposedly, after Shawn won the title at Wrestlemania 12 they did some kind of market research and discovered that Shawn was plenty popular with female fans, but male fans didn't care for him. Vince's reported idea to remedy this problem was to introduce Jose Lothario as Shawn's manager and for the two men to have a "Rocky and Mickey" type relationship. The idea was supposed to make Shawn more sympathetic and likeable...and of course when somebody would inevitably attack Lothario, they'd have a built in angle. Problems arose because: 1) As great as a trainer as Jose Lothario is, he apparently can't cut a decent promo which would have been a huge part of this plan actually working. 2) Vince has never been able to book a successful babyface manager...ever. I believe it can be done (hell, Cornette did it during the Horsemen and Midnights vs. Original Midnights feud) but Vince has never been able to pull it off. Remember Oliver Humperdink's cup of coffee in the WWF in the 80's, managing Paul Orndorff and Bam Bam? Yeah. 3) Shawn Michaels flat out didn't like the idea, so being his usual unprofessional, passive aggressive self, he decided to go along with the idea...but basically sabotage the entire thing by refusing to acknowlege or even look at Lothario half the time. Cornette (and Prichard, if I'm not mistaken) have both claimed that Michaels was pilled out of his head a lot around this time, and he was either obnoxious and belittling toward Lothario backstage, or he completely ignored the guy behind the scenes like he did in front of the camera. I'm not going to debate whether or not this was a good idea...I can see arguments on both sides. But it really didn't matter because if Michaels didn't want to buy into the story, the fans weren't going to either. The idea of Shawn getting help from his trainer who then gets attacked, and Michaels then swears revenge would have been great if Michaels had ever actually acted like he cared that the guy was alive.

Maybe I'm remembering this wrong...but wasn't this match supposed to be a Tag Team match up until right before the show, featuring The Undertaker & Nathan Jones against A-Train & Big Show, but they actually pulled Jones from the match because they thought he wasn't good enough? I remember hearing that rumor somewhere, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was on Prichard's podcast?

That's the problem, right there. I was as big of a Jim Cornette fan as you're likely to find (especially here at PWO) and I have long since thrown in the towel when it comes to listening to his podcasts. And hell...I agree with most of what he says about modern Pro Wrestling. (Most...not all.) But he just bores the shit out of me now. He sacrificed his old audience for his new audience...which is fine. He's making money, so more power to him. But I think it is shortsighted of him. I honestly don't think his whole "bash modern wrestling 24/7" act has much of a shelf life. He had a much smaller, but devoted base of fans who wanted to hear him talk about historical Pro Wrestling, the territories, etc...and he has basically thrown them over for his new audience. The Drive-Thru is essentially shock jock talk radio now. When these new fans are gone, or when he finally goes too far and says something so outrageous that he is held accountable for it, where will he be then? And then problem is, he's going to have to keep saying more and more outlandish crap to keep his current audience entertained. This isn't going to go anywhere good for him in the long run. He might not see it this way, but I honestly think Brian Last is pulling his strings and then sitting back and counting the cash...but that cash isn't going to keep coming forever.

If people are still enjoying the conversation and participating in it, I fail to see the problem. If you don't like this thread, don't post in it. I doubt your "contributions" would be missed. Pathetic like whenever somebody says anything even remotely critical about Kenny Omega or The Young Bucks, feeling compelled to leap to their defense? That kind of pathetic?

That's an excellent point and a very interesting comparison. And now that you've made that point...you're right. There are actually some significant similarities between Michaels and Brody. You would never think there would be on first glance, but behind the scenes you're absolutely right. Both guys were physically gifted, very popular, in demand and capable of having great matches. The only difference is that Michaels was interested in actually having good matches some of the time...whereas even though he had all the tools and was physically capable, Brody was so unprofessional he had no hesitation about deliberately stinking the joint up or putting in a half ass effort most of the time. All he cared about was making his money and protecting his image. Hence the seven year stretch where he did exactly zero jobs. And remember when he used to no sell guys like crazy...there is that infamous story about he and Hansen against Steamboat and Youngblood in Japan, where Brody supposedly announced before the match he wasn't going to give his opponents any offense at all. Hell, there is that famous story that Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette talked about in the Houston Wrestling episode of "Back to the Territories" where Brody was unhappy about his payoff for a match against Jim Duggan so he just sat cross-legged in the middle of the ring and wouldn't sell or do anything. I remember Cornette saying that as much as he respected Brody, that was definitely a case of a guy "going into business for himself" and "exposing the business."

That's gold. That insult is kind of a counterpoint to another one of his best comments. One of the cooks brought him a steak that was so overcooked, Ramsay said it "looked like Ghandi's flip-flop." The best part was that afterwards, the insulted cook claimed: "Ghandi didn't even wear flip-flops. He lived in the jungle."

That's a good question. You're right...Cornette gives credit or praise to Michaels very begrudgingly. He has gone out of his way to say that Shawn Michaels is one of the best he has ever seen in terms of in ring work, but at the same time he has also said that Michaels is probably the biggest asshole he ever worked with, aside from Buzz Sawyer and maybe Ole Anderson...so that's some pretty rarefied air there. Cornette was front row center to see Michaels at his all time worst during the Vader feud in 96, in terms of acting like a spoiled, entitled prima donna backstage.. Not to mention, he definitely holds a grudge because Shawn Michaels actually injured him at one point by not taking care of him during a spot where Cornette interfered in one of the Vader matches. I forget if it was on a house show or if it was during the SummerSlam 96 Main Event. I'm pretty sure it was during the SummerSlam match, and Cornette and Last talked about that during the "watch along" they did for that match on Corny's Drive-Thru last summer. Cornette also hated the way that Shawn Michaels treated Jose Lothario backstage. As much as Cornette talks shit about Omega as a person...he has certainly blistered the hell out of Shawn Michaels over the years. If you listen to that watch along Cornette did of the SummerSlam 96 Main Event, you will hear most of his criticisms of Michaels as a worker, as well. If I recall correctly, Cornette claims that Michaels knew how to make his moves look good, but he wouldn't adapt his style to fit the type of opponent he was facing...one of Cornette's big criticisms of Michaels has been that Michaels always had to "get his shit in" whether it actually fit into the match or not, and that is a similar complaint he has regarding Omega and most "modern" Pro Wrestlers. I can't honestly say that I disagree there. I think a lot of guys go into a match with a list of spots that they are determined to execute, regardless of whether the layout and psychology of the match actually call for it or not. If I had to guess, I would say that the reasons Cornette is willing to cut Shawn Michaels some slack over Kenny Omega boils down to two big factors: training and selling. Cornette has a ton of respect for Jose Lothario and he knows that Michaels was at least trained in an "old school" manner and in his own way, Michaels was protective of the business...as long as it suited him. Where Cornette has been most critical of Michaels is when he and his friends in the "Kliq" did stuff to "kill the business" most notably the Curtain Call incident at Madison Square Garden. Cornette felt Michaels should have pretty much been blackballed from the entire business for that. But Cornette at least respects how Michaels was trained, and who trained him. With Omega, Cornette has always disliked him due to the history between Kenny Omega and Harley Race. It's been pretty well documented that when he was coming up in the business, Omega attended one of Race's training camps. After watching Omega work Harley assigned Kenny to the beginners class because he thought Omega didn't have a good grasp of the basic fundamentals of the business. Omega was apparently insulted and offended by this, and has given a bunch of interviews where he basically implied that Harley Race was an out of touch, old fashioned Pro Wrestling veteran. As we all know, Harley Race is one of those guys that is pretty much universally respected by his peers...so when Omega talked some shit about Harley Race, and when Race claimed Omega didn't have a good grasp of basic Pro Wrestling fundamentals...that was pretty much it for Omega in Cornette's opinion, I think. Cornette is definitely one of those "respect those who came before you" guys. I have heard Cornette compliment (once again...very begrudgingly) Shawn Michaels ability to sell. (Having said that, Cornette has also blistered Michaels at times for when he doesn't sell.) But I know one of the many things that drives Cornette nuts about Omega is his selling...either he doesn't do it at all, he does it very briefly, or when he does sell it is by waving his arms around and bugging his eyes out. I think selling is one of the main areas that Cornette thinks Michaels has it over Omega in a big way. I think Cornette views Michaels and Omega on pretty much the same level when it comes to ego and backstage behavior...and if anything I think Cornette probably thinks Michaels was a bit worse. But I think he feels Michaels was a better worker and had a better background, especially when it came to selling.

I checked it out, and didn't much care for it. I found it was too "all over the place" with the jumping from one time period to the next. I also didn't find it at all funny. However, I could see how some people might find it entertaining and I certainly wouldn't begrudge anybody that. Over the last couple of years (especially during the pandemic) I have grown to pretty much loathe mainstream network television, so I find I am getting to the point where I pretty much hate anything on TV right now. There used to be a lot of shows I would DVR every week and follow religiously and I have dumped 90% of them, with the exception of shows like Mayans MC, Billions and Better Call Saul. Oh, and Hell's Kitchen of course...because I'm still a mark for Gordon Ramsay screaming at people and calling them donuts or donkeys. That's just good TV, dammit.

Good point. The reaction all those NBA fans had on Twitter to seeing Chris Jericho for the first time in years on TNT was proof that there is very little crossover between the two fanbases anymore.