Blehschmidt

Looking at the list, my best guess is that Ibushi is signed and will take the tournament.

Anyone else's stream gone to total shit during the main event?

I will admit to only having seen the ones done in Chikara and a few random lucha ones, but I enjoy the concept quite a bit. If you look at it in a kayfabe sense, it would take skill, endurance, toughness, adaptability, and team work to win one. It kind of tests all facets of a wrestler.

The new Evolve set with Ospreay, Scurll, Williams, Riddle, and the like is a great fucking set.

The Pre-Show Stopper! Heeling on the crowd with Punk's entrance. I like this Ryback.

Add me on the Shane Douglas list. I am a huge Franchise mark, and would likely rank him as one of my personal Top 5 Favorites ever. Not to mention that I've worked a ton of shows with him, and he is the nicest fucking guy in the world. I will 2nd Big John Studd's Royal Rumble win as well. I was super happy to see him get it, and really hoped it meant a big push for him. As for my guilty pleasure... Battle Royals. I know most people find them repetitive or boring, but there is something about them that I can't get enough of. I don't give a damn who is in them either. Men, women, midgets. Give me a ring full of people trying to chuck each other over the top rope, and I'm a happy boy!

Do we really want the kind of people who are actually watching that show (aka TNA Mecca users) coming to this board?

I'll third Taker&Kane vs Kronik as I had to watch that abortion live.

I will admit I have not seen Lince see he left Chikara several years back. However, during his time there he was constantly blowing spots and would continue to try those same spots match after match, blowing them every time. I can understand trying a new move and fucking it up, but when you constantly blow your signature moves, its a problem. I also felt his push didn't match his skill level, but that is no fault of his own, it just adds to my dislike.

I'll second that opinion on Williams, but I also find him to be quite good when he is wrestling a somewhat flashier style in his Chikara gimmick.

I kind of hope Barrett gets the indy run like Galloway is getting. Interested to see what he can do.

Holy Shit. I thought Sasha was dying on that dive.

Puts over Fandango.... Beats AJ Styles..... At least we got those pesky indy guys out of the way early and can get to the real stars now.

Apparently Lince Dorado has been added to the tournament, and unless he has improved a ton since his time in Chikara, I can only pray he goes out in the first round and doesn't screw up too many spots.

Frank Gotch is credited with popularizing sports entertainment.........fucking hell

This is something that has been bothering me for the last several years in this PG Post-Benoit era of wrestling. To me a good referee is one who is only noticed when he is supposed to be (a ref bump, a shoving match with Flair, threatening a DQ, checking if someone is submitting, etc), these days we have the referee constantly in the middle of the action, down on the mat checking on both guys after nearly every move they take, derailing the momentum of the match to wipe away a trickle of blood. It is, at least to me, a major distraction and tends to pull me out of the story being told. Don't get me wrong, I don't want the guys and girls getting hurt, but over the last several years I've just found it jarring how often I am noticing "there is the referee again, making sure someone is okay after they took a backdrop." Then last night I couldn't help but smile at the "Let Joe Bleed" chant, because that was at least in my opinion, overkill. It's a contact sport, he wasn't in any danger, shit happens.

The debut of Matanza was handled beautifully.

That's J E Double F J A Double R E Double T..... Never found his work interesting, always found his mic work lacking, and he introduced the word slapnuts to the pro wrestling lexicon for starters. The only thing I ever liked about his WWE run was him briefly getting Robert Fuller on my television. Then we get to WCW where he is inexplicably pushed way above his station, and becomes a multiple time World Champion while doing absolutely nothing of note other than contributing to the downfall of the company. Then he and his Daddy start the Jeff Jarrett vanity company, where he pushes himself on top for years and kills any shot of WWE having competition, and then he sells the coat hanger abortion of a company to a fucking idiot who has no business being in the wrestling business who keeps the thing on life support years and years after it should have died. No to mention that he's the guy who has pretty much kept Vince Russo in the business (another fine candidate for this thread)

Evolve 46 has a very good Zack Sabre vs TJ Perkins match and a fantastic Timothy Thatcher vs Chris Hero match.

Now the news I wanted to wake up too. I have for whatever reason never been able to get into the Puroresu scene, except for Hayabusa. Just something about the guy drew me in. I had VHS tapes, then DVD's of his matches, that I still watch to this day. I was gutted when he was inured, and freely admit that I had tears in my eyes when I saw the video of him walking. I knew he would never make the comeback that he always promised, but seeing the Phoenix rise again just to walk to the ring was amazing. Another legend of the wrestling world gone too soon. RIP Eiji Ezaki

Yes they are....

Show and Kane certainly needed to be kept strong heading into Mania. Fucking Ridiculous

Bull Dempsey, Sylvester Lefort, Marcus Louis, and Magno all got released from NXT today. This might actually be good for Dempsey. He seems like a guy who could get a good run on the indy circuit.

Count me on the Love PWG team. Other than last years DDT4, I feel like there hasn't been a show since at least 2011 where I didn't love at least 3/4th's of the matches on the show. Especially now when they are giving me Sabre, Thatcher, Hero, and Tommy End on a frequent basis.