jdw

DDP's ribs is a great one. Kawada had stretches where the knee was a more focused storyline, such as after the 1993 RWTL. Other times it just happened to be what someone was going after... and he sold the crap out of it for storyline reasons. The final matches of 1988 would be an example. Suspect Kobashi's knees became a known weakness, but he's Kobashi... so he sells them when he feels like it. Misawa's back/neck was a bit overplayed one by hardcore fans. It was there in the storyline occasionally like in 1994... but after that usually just a matter of Misawa getting dropped on his head all the time. It was less a specific storyline at that point... hell, just a momentary one since he's sell damage until he was time to get up. John

21 times in 1998, which is a pretty decent number given (i) no matches in January, and (ii) no matches after 12/7. In fact, just one match until 3/2 and just one match after 11/16. 18 matches in between those two dates. 19 times in 1999. Just once in Feb, and was done in the first week of November due to the injury. Not a massive impact of SmackDown on that number as it only was just starting when he went out. I would be surprised if any "anchor" wrestler in the WWF had wrestled on TV 20 times in a year prior to 1998. That's setting aside stuff that aired on MSG/Spectrum/NESN/Z Channel, and just counting stuff like the syndication, USA Network, SNME and The Main Event. Doubt Shawn worked that much on TV in 1996, Nash in 1995, Shawn or Bret in 1997, Bret in 1993-94, Hogan in 1991, Warrior in 1990, Hogan in 1989, Savage in 1988, Hogan in 1984-88, etc. I think we could say Austin was there at the change. John

He was suffering from Parkinson's and was dead for several days before being discovered? You would have thought he was under daily care. John

As far as completely stopping watching, none. I still watch wrestling here and there. Just a far lower priority in things I spend time one. As far as various promotions: WWE: Somewhere along the line of the unending HHH push. Brock getting put over so well by Rock, only Trip create his own World Title, was the starting of the slide of me just loathing to watch it. Still, I continued to watch weekly through at least the following Mania, but the combo of the insanity of Angle along with the HHH-Book storyline, had me cutting back after Mania. Even the Eddy/Benoit pushes didn't draw me back into fulltime watching since I knew they wouldn't end well. All Japan: The Split. Never much interested in the Mutoh Era. Was already annoyed with the working style in the promotion going back to 1998 (and probably some of 1997 as well), so it was easy enough to move on with the Split. Never strongly got into NOAH since it was an extension of the work I disliked in All Japan. New Japan: Hash-Ogawa clusterfuck storylines. Hadn't been enthused by the Sasaki push, the junior division when Ohtani got the belt, etc. But Hash-Ogawa was the tipping point. Joshi: Aja and Kyoko leaving AJW was a sign of how bad things were, and I just found AJW too depressing to watch. I was an AJW fan, and didn't do a good enough job investing in the other promotions. Probably my error as there was good non-AJW stuff to watch, but (i) it was the height of the Nitro Era and way too much US TV stuff to watch, and (ii) it still would have been depressing to watch a genre destined to doom. :/ Lucha: When we stopped going to shows regularly. WCW: Watched to the bitter end. John

It's terribly sad news. Far too young. John

Wasn't it obvious to everyone that Daniel was having fun with that? John

This is a good match, a good deal of fun, but really feels like a spot-a-thon. There probably is a tipping point in the number of people involved in a match and the amount of time on the clock to fill where you're stuck with a spot-a-thon. Give the Midnights and the R'n'R or Fans 15 minutes, and you're going to get some storyline laid out. The MX and Fans did it in less than 15 at the Clash. But when you get to 8 wrestlers of this quality needing to get their shit into a 15 minute TV match, it's almost like a four man tag filled with quality workers having just 7:30 of Nitro time... so you're going to have short segments, and people getting in and out to get shit done. It doesn't really lend itself to 7 minutes of FIP. This would be a really good Nitro Match, or more likely tossed over on Thunder where it would have 15 minutes as a main to do what it want) rather than get rushed and cut down to 10 on Nitro so we could get a Big Angle at the end for the run over). From the same month, Barry & Dustin vs. Larry & Austin on the PPV has a strong sense of being a fully formed match, even if it's got a ton of stuff crammed into it and worked at a more up tempo pace that you're typical US PPV tag in those days. This? More like a time filler match packed with a lot of spots done well by a good group of workers. Does it feel like a match that if you *never* saw it would be a major loss? Not really. From nearly all of these guys, you'd rather watch some matches +/- four months that let you see the individual workers have more time to show what they can do. But that I don't mean only singles matches, but akin to the tag mentioned right above where we're able to see more from Barry, Dustin, Larry & Austin that then can flash here because (i) they have slightly more time to work, and (ii) they don't have to share that time with double the workers. Good, well worked, but disposable. Akin to some of the Jumbo & Co vs Misawa & Co six-man that are perfectly sold, have loads of fun things in them... but there were 30+ of them... I enjoyed them, but plenty are disposable. John

Watched this today with Hoback. This is one of the more insanely fun matches we've watched in a long while. I wouldn't call it a "usual" MOTYC or probably rate it as high as Loss had it on his list, because it's generally not what we think of as a MOTYC. It's fun, it's goofy, it's spotty... it doesn't really grab you in the emotional way that a MOTYC usually does... instead taking you on a fun, trippy ride of coolness. It feels almost like it would be an off the charts semifinal or third from the top match below something not remotely as entertaining, but much more "serious". Don't know if any of that makes sense, and probably comes across as not complimenting it... but it's a match that's hard to peg other than "FUN". I suspect that if a lot of people watched it after reading this thread (or ones similar to it), they'll be for a good chunk of the first fall thinking: "What bong are these guys pulling loads from to think this is something great?!?!" Because the first fall is pretty removed from making you think you're watching a great match. Heck, I don't even know if it's good. Just kind of there, eventually getting the Heel Fall out of the way. And if you read through this thread, there really isn't a warning that the first fall is pretty pedestrian... to be generious... Then business picks up, with all sorts of things big and small. The finishes of the two falls are among the most creative, enjoyable, "hit the rewind to check out again" that you'll ever find. But before they even get there, they toss out loads of fun things. Highly recommended. John

Anyone watch this off the Steamboat DVD? Thoughts? John

In generally, most of it is awful. But most of all of TV is awful, like most of all wrestling programs are awful. But I watches the first two episodes of the final four of this season's Top Chef last night, and it was pretty damn solid. From the teasers of the Final (which airs tonight), it looks really good. That is... if one goes in for cooking competitions, of which Top Chef is the best produced. There no doubt are other good reality shows, especially within their own genres. But lots of it is crap, and doesn't get my viewing interest. The thing is... there's lots of reality that is so bad that it's DOA. The WWE's notions on reality tv sound like DOA stuff. Since it's the WWE, they'll commit to it and have a whole season in the hopper, so it will have to air. But looking at some of the concepts as long term (i.e. multiple seasons), I don't see the WWE getting any winners here. Other than Tough Enough. John

So how bad is this Legends House going to be? There's that level of "so bad it's good"... but this is the WWE, so I'm not sold they're going to hit that level and instead sink to: "Damn this is really stupid." *click* John

Any update on the Yahoo gig? No articles by Dave since January 29, so it appears he's done even if they haven't wiped his old stuff off the archives. John

The classic work-shoot-fabe mentality. John

JR never works for storylines. John

And Rock *is* that good of an actor, relatively speaking. We're so use to shitty "wrestling acting" over the past decade that we forget Rock, Stone Cold, Mr. McMahon and Mick ran circles around guys who work way too hard at it like Trip. John

The other noticable thing about the segment is the Rock got in 15+ minutes of material ripping Cena (going 10 minutes past the 11:05 time slot) before Cena showed up. I tend to agree with Sek: the segment was designed for Rock to show Cena ass after ripping Cena a new one for 15 minutes. I suspect the Rock and others in the WWE will be working their favorite reporters and fanboys to get across that it's a Shoot to try to amp up more interest in the PPV... and given how the WWE books to TV as well, to the next time either is on TV to rip the other. John

Looking at the promo not, the writing is so obvious that you have to think that some smart ass fan would have screen capped it in the past and bagged on him. John

Folks also might want to look at last year's promos with / about Cena to see if there was evidence of crib notes on Rock's wrist. Anyone think he would suddenly start doing it tonight? Guy's been doing long promos since before Cena was even in the business. John

“Debra 2:20 says I got arrested for beating up my wife.” That made me laugh out loud for some reason -- as did plenty of other lines in the review. Someone here needs to volunteer to review all of the WWE's movies... *looking at Daniel and Jerome* John

Review on Grantland: We Found It on Netflix Instant: Hunt to Kill With Steve Austin John