Loss

Okay, so I just watched this match, and my God, Tim, you're right. Best match of the 70s by a large, large margin. Incredibly modern, in that it could take place today and fans wouldn't be disappointed by the action at all. I think that even the best 70s AJPW stuff is typically going to require patience from the viewer, but this match was such an enjoyable breeze. Anyone who has enjoyed any matches from AJPW in the 90s owes it to themselves to see where many of the ideas appear to have originated. I don't think I've seen any other 70s matches built around so many false finishes, but the coolest thing about this is that this isn't a superficial match where the action is there because the thought is lacking. Robinson starts off attempting to be a nice guy, but as the match progresses, he gets more aggressive and more focused and gets the best shit-eating grin you'll ever see on his face after low dropkicking Baba later on. Speaking of the low dropkick, that's been a really common transitional move in the US since about 1995 when Eddy Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit entered WCW. It's one that was impressive at first, but it's been overused and no longer grabs my attention like it used to. This match made me appreciate the move again, if only because in the context of 1976, this wasn't commonplace and seeing Robinson pull it out was very cool. So much desperation in the matwork communicated through the pacing and facial expressions, so much build, and man, was Robinson ever laying in his shots. The corner forearm later in the match after the Irish whip was a thing of beauty. Brawling on the floor reminded me a lot of Akira Taue matches and the tease of the nodowa, and the match layout is eerily similar to Misawa/Kawada on 6/3/94. I'll be watching this quite a few more times.

I've never thought there was a problem with being political, so much as there is a problem with being unprofessional. I can't think of a time when Bret refused to do the right thing for business (let's not mention That One Thing since we all know where each other stands on it). I can think of many times Michaels has been in that position. It's like with HHH. I don't care that he's married to the head writer and that he wields a lot of influence. I care that he's using that influence to protect himself at the detriment of others.

Not really. Bret lost every belt he won in the ring. Bret missed only one show. Bret faked no injuries to get out of jobs. Bret never showed up for work drunk or stoned. Much more professional than Michaels.

I'm watching this tonight, if only so Tim will stop trolling me.

Sounds like it was something more serious than that.

I believe so, but I'm pretty sure the finish was changed or the match didn't happen. I know Steiner didn't lay down for sure. The Flair tirade was pretty brutal, and it would have been fine had they at least not both been heels, or been in a program ... or something.

...TNA brought in Kevin Nash. TNA also brought in a midget to jerk off in a trash can. Both had equal value to TNA. Those people are typically the people who pride themselves in not believing in wrestling anyway.

He also went into that tirade against Ric Flair for no reason on Nitro.

He's injury prone, 42 years old and TNA has much better options to build their future around. TNA writes the kayfabe. If those guys beat Steiner, then those guys can beat Steiner. Simple as that.

Well, there were the days in WCW when he would attack front office staff physically when they asked him to do something he didn't want to do, a particularly famous altercation with Terry Taylor. He was a pro in WWE though.

If he's a midcarder, has a good attitude about doing jobs, can wrestle without hurting himself or anyone else and won't do anything stupid to bring bad publicity to the company, bring him in I say. Those are lots of big ifs.

I wonder if it's common knowledge that Riki Choshu is Korean in Japan.

You rarely hear anyone say a bad word about Bob Backlund either. And unless they're trying to suck up to Vince, you don't hear many people bashing Bret (although that's a big group admittedly).

Seriously. This is like the third or fourth ribbing/hazing story we've heard of involving Benoit in the past year alone.

I still have not seen Baba/Robinson, and I would love to watch it tonight Tim, but I don't own it. I've been home with a 102-degree fever, with bronchitis, vomiting and ... um ... gastrointestinal issues all week now. Medicine seems be doing nothing; maybe a great match will at least make me forget how shitty I feel for a little while.

Trish/Mickie is really the only feud that's gotten anything close to Mania-level build this year.

Do you think Foley is going to get plenty of interview time before Wrestlemania? That's probably the real chance that angle has in getting over.

Regarding the heel/face argument, I think you can build around a top face, a top heel or both, as long as the tag team in question is someone who can carry feuds with other guys who may not be as talented and is someone the crowd has an emotional investment in watching, whether it's to see them win or lose. Ric Flair drew for many years as a long-term heel. Also, while it sounds nice in theory, always putting the most talented guys in the top positions in every situation isn't always the best route to go. At this point, if the goal is to rebuild the tag division (and who the hell knows if it is?) they should pick the teams that stand the best chance of getting over and put them against the most talented teams in the company to get them over. I wouldn't say MNM has been portrayed as weak so much as they have portrayed as inconsistent. Yes, they've jobbed to the last two singles champs in handicap matches, but they've also gotten pinfalls over Batista, Guerrero and Misterio, all top stars in the company at the time they laid down.

It's been a gradual shift in Benoit since his late 2002 face turn. Coincidentally, that's usually the time frame people say he started to deteriorate, and I once shared that viewpoint, but the more I watch him now, the more I realize he made a really seamless transition from junior to heavyweight, and now he's wrestling a main event style. Benoit still has it, it's just that "it" isn't what it used to be. Still great, will always be great.

I think the next top draw for WWE will be Hispanic since that's their fastest growing market. Carlito is improving, he may step up, and the planned feud with Rey this year will only help his progress. Misterio is the other guy I'd build around. They really, really need to find some pretty boys who can somewhat work, because there's very little at all that appears to women about WWE right now. Sure, you have guys like Cena, but the male fanbase rejects him for the same reasons the female fanbase adores him. I'm thinking a tag team is the way to go. The Hardyz were once a female/teen draw, but that's obviously ancient history.

I can't stand Jeff Hardy, but he wouldn't be as over as he is if he didn't have the charisma. You can't expect everyone to be as boisterous as The Rock or Ric Flair.

I hope they have a classic angle in the bag for HHH/Cena, for their sake, that they're saving for this show.

Fans are allowed to do whatever they want to do, of course. It's just really hard to suspend disbelief when *anyone* breaks kayfabe, no matter who it is.

I do think with that much time on NBC, it's too valuable to let a match run over 10-12 minutes. 6-8 minutes should be more the norm, so they can showcase as many guys on the roster as possible. Definitely no long in-ring promos.

The ratings will probably be fine.