gordi

Another recommended correction: I neither listen to podcasts nor subscribe to streaming services, but I was still required to list which type of podcasts and services I use.

The first one felt a little too much like "my turn/your turn" and "look at all the cool moves we can do!" to me. Also: I did not like that huge spots like the Avalanche Dragon Suplex were kind of blown off and a fancy Short Arm Clothesline meant Death. I am still not a huge fan of the current trope of "everybody has one finisher, and a big match can't end any other way" but it bugs me less now than it did then. Perhaps most importantly: I watched the first one after the fact, aware of Meltzer's "extra star" rating and went in thinking, "So, you think this is better than 6/9/95, do you?" so I was predisposed to find fault with it. With this one, I really liked how they told that story of "two guys who know each other's every move, and have figured out how to counter/reverse their opponent's offense." I felt they did a superb job of that, as in: I don't think anyone has ever done more with that idea in a wrestling match. I really really liked how they seemed more into making each other look good rather than just showing off all their cool offense. I loved how they sold pain and exhaustion in the third fall, rather than playing the role of indestructible supermen with limitless cardio. Also: Quite possibly my mind was just more open to enjoying this one. Truly, though, I was drawn right into it and the match kept its hold on me for the entire duration. I did not think, going in, that there was any chance of that happening.

Funny that you chose to phrase it that way, since it quite literally did change my mind.

Yeah, that's a great little detail. I guess it means (in kayfabe-breaking terms) that whoever is available on a given night can put on the red mask and make a few extra bucks.

On the Back to the Territories with Savio Vega he talks about how young kids would gather up a bunch of rocks and sell them to people going into the shows. I can't tell you how much I loved that little detail and how much it added to my appreciation of the crazy PR fans. Holy crap what a great anecdote that is! It lets the imagination paint such a vivid picture from one specific detail.

You made the right decision. That show was a chore to sit through.

I think that I have just been upgraded from "guy who pays a bit of attention to current New Japan" to "Rabid New Japan Fan Boy" by that show. I'm all hyped up for the G-1 now. I don't know if I have ever been hyped up for the G-1 before. I haven't been to a live G-1 since maybe 2009. I might have to go this year. I am all excited about the Cow Palace show...

Well... the Young Bucks sure as hell proved me wrong tonight. The Dominion Tag Title Match was all about them fighting from underneath, selling body part damage, and playing spunky underdogs. Hot damn, that was some good pro wrestling! Wil Ospreay impressed me tonight, too, showing personality with some subtle heel work against Hiromu. The Main Event was a damn masterpiece. Young Bucks, Ospreay, and Okada all showed a ton of character in there tonight. The Bucks showed fire fighting from underneath, Ospreay worked hard to give Hiromu a dramatic come-from-behind story in their match and also sold the neck pretty well, and Okada sold cumulative pain and exhaustion just beautifully. It feels weird to be this happy about being proven wrong about all of those guys. That was some damned fine pro wrestling. Hell of a show. And speaking of character work: Jericho was just amazing tonight, going full heel and holding nothing back.

Dominion is easily one of the best pro wrestling shows I have ever seen. We got a spunky underdog vs big tough champions Tag Title match with an actual story based on long-term body-part selling; A highspot intensive Junior Title Match with some actual character work and drama; A violent and intense IC title match with hardway blood; and an absolute f'n masterpiece of a Main Event that told exactly the right story and had me hooked for 70 straight minutes. I'm blown away.

Well, I missed the first two matches because I was working, buying snacks, getting to my friend's place... I arrived about half-way through Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre, Jr. vs Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano and got to see Ishii and MiSu brawl after the match. That was a pretty good start. NEVER Openweight Title Match was pretty good. I wasn't paying super-close attention because my friend and I were catching up and I was showing him pictures of my daughters. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship was amazing. I am a huge Young Bucks nay-sayer but they were incredible here. A spunky underdog babyface performance with an actual story based around long-term body-part selling. Damn. I enjoyed seeing Rey in New Japan, and I loved his mask. Cody continues to impress. I also loved the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship. I am on record as not liking Osprey at all, but I loved his performance here with the subtle heel touches. He and Hiromu have GREAT ring chemistry. They pulled off a ton of stuff with a crazy high level of difficulty and combined that with some good character work and focus on a body part that played into the finish. Jericho vs Naito was intense and violent with some hard-way blood. It provided a good contrast with the matches before and after it. Variety in booking and work on a big card is definitely a good thing. Jericho's heel performances in New Japan have been excellent so far. Again, big moments combined with actual character work. The main event was a f'n masterpiece. I HATED their WK match last year. This had me hooked in for every moment of the entire 70 f'n minutes. They played it perfectly, reversing and countering everything because they know each other so well now, and then somehow pulling off big moves while selling utter exhaustion throughout the third fall. The best pro wrestling show I have seen in years and years. A candidate for one of the best shows of all time.

So... Karen War Cloud?

I got a kick out of you starting the show with Crockett saying that Riddle is getting too arrogant, then end the show with Riddle calling him "Davey Baby!" I'm happy with Los Infernales getting the title shot. As always, you do a great job using squash matches to build up.your wrestlers and angles heading into the next big card. Snuka vs Haku should be hawt! Rude & Fernandez vs the Road Warriors! Yes please. And you cap it all off withnRich handing Riddle his comeuppance.

Stilton is an excellent comparison for Billy Robinson and I cannot fault your reasoning. However, I would have gone with Lancashire Cheese, or more specifically the mature Tasty Lancashire (as opposed to the young Creamy Lancashire or the mass-produced Crumbly Lancashire... and even more specifically: https://www.stamfordcheese.com/product/lancashire-bomb-cheese/ Maybe we can give that one to Marty Jones. He was #136 on the GWE. I really like the comparison for Choshu as well. Makes sense to me.

I like the brief write-ups for the tourney matches. Helps to fill in the blanks for some of the names we might not know.

The Can-Am Connection EXPLODES in Wisconsin! I like how you are dropping Goto right into some hot action, facing Brito and Race right away. If the plan is to eventually team up Goto and Saito... well, that is a very good plan! They could be an excellent team: Tough, nasty, and sleazy-looking.

Kabuki vs Saito! RIght on! Exactly as violent as it needed to be. Big Leon is definitely starting to transform. Is it time? Is it time? What's going on with the Sheepherders here? Garvin vs Squire Dave sounded like some stiff, nasty action. Nice to see Regal get a big win. Big Dan is really taking a lot of punishment lately.

Perfect (or Tully) vs Hammer sounds like a great TV Tournament final match. Harts vs Russians and Bulldogs vs Demolition! Tag scenes are hot all over the place! I like how almost all of us make sure to put on big tag matches and push that division. The stuff with the Horsemen is always great, you do such a good job writing them up.

The turnbuckle comes off "somehow" eh? Where was Jimmy Hart during all of this? I'll bet there were more than a few chops thrown during those Flair vs Wahoo matches.

Inoki is a great choice for a partner vs Abdullah & Singh. He has plenty of experience dealing with them.

The Asian Mist! I forgot that Khan had that in his arsenal.

I think staying away from news and business stuff is a smart move. I think history and curation are exactly the right way to go. It's an underserved (and often sadly poorly-served) niche. Hopefully you'll be able to round up literally thousands of old school fans, and literally thousands of newer fans who are just getting into NJPW and/or the Indies. With so much content out there it's nearly impossible to know where to spend your time and attention. A history and curation site that points people in the right direction could be a great resource for wrestling fans looking to expand their horizons. I often idly daydream about doing a similar type of project (probably a list-heavy one) for people who are just getting into Classical music. Goes without saying, but if there's anything you need help or support wise do not hesitate to ask. As Matt D correctly says: I am sure I am not the only one here who will have your back.

This week's new one from me No Geeky Man

I love when that happens. The "Aha!" moment is my favourite thing about doing anagrams. Particularly if I've been turning it over in my head for a while.

Here's a clue: He worked at 9 WrestleManias in a row.

Great show this week, top to bottom. Watts and Corny play off each other perfectly. It's great to see the crowd getting behind Reed & Simmons. Honky calling out Lawler continues to be one of the best angles going. And, like everyone else, I love seeing Double Adrians.