Childs

This. Along with the story about how they aren't going to be Adam for months upon months worth of work that he's done for Powerbomb.tv because of all this. If people want to keep subscribing too, whatever for them. I want places like Beyond to make money. However, I am out. Their defense of the companies we stream can do whatever they want, we give them full control is a bullshit argument. I guess that speaks to what I meant. You have this cool idea that seems to be gaining steam with a whole bunch of worthy companies on board. And you jeopardize the whole thing over fucking Michael Elgin and Ian Rotten? Absurd.

I do not pretend to know the inner workings between the founders. I read the thing Lash posted on Twitter and he struck me as overwrought, not that I blame him for wanting to steer clear of the Elgin mess. Do we actually know the other partners were vehement? Or did they just feel Elgin was not a big enough deal for them to cross Smart Mark? Really, no one comes off as terribly sympathetic.

I could not give less of a fuck whether Powerbomb streams shows featuring Michael Elgin. But if they end up ruining their business over it, that would be monumentally stupid. Hope it does not play out that way.

I like him a lot more as Prince Puma. I think he wrestles at least somewhat differently in that role. Granted, the matches that all stand out the most are the Muertes matches and that might just be a case of him having a base to work with instead of someone with a similar style to force a lot of overall excess. I liked his match with Rey in what, 2016? But that was Rey. I do think he might hit another level in NXT as they streamline what he does a bit more. He has a lot of tools.

Ricochet has developed greater presence and command of pacing over the years, but his matches still feel shallow and choreographed. Never been able to get past a certain level with that guy. Ospreay just comes off as such a tool. His facial expressions alone make him a tough pill. I know he works as a heel sometimes, and that may be the right path considering his inherent douchiness. He is a terrific athlete, so he has something to build on.

This was my kind of match--two big ol' dudes just bucking for position and knocking the shit out of each other. They didn't milk the drama enough to distinguish it as a true classic, but I could see it standing up as one of my most rewatchable matches of the year. My only nitpick would be that Walter goes to the chop-the-post transition too often. He does a good job with it, but it's become a bit cliche.

I worry about the degree to which it will be co-opted by WWE. But I guess they had to be onboard for footage/access reasons. Also skeptical of anything in which Shoemaker is treated as a wrestling expert. But I hope they nail it.

Tyson was a much, much bigger sports star than Rousey. She could be a great asset in a different, long-term way. But for a one-time publicity pop, he was a bigger deal.

Were they sports fans? I feel like most mid-level sports fans would know who she is.

Gargano-Almas was an all-time WWE match. Nothing on the Rumble approached it. But you have to give them huge credit for pulling off two memorable Rumble matches and a big show-ending angle. They have not hit the big picture this well in awhile.

Well that was quite a show. Great weekend for WWE.

That was pointless. Glad it did not drag but yuck. And the crowd gave zero shits.

Great fucking Rumble.

Rey!

I try not to be a stick in the mud but feels wrong for the Rumble to start in the first hour.

That main event just floored me. Very good show to that point and then it went to the stratosphere. I cannot remember the last time I got that sucked up in a WWE match.

Wow. Here goes your WWE MOTY and maybe your MOTY period. Innovative, violent, incredibly dramatic, great story for both guys, tremendous crowd. Wrestling does not often blow me away these days. But this blew me away.

His general lack of clarity also hurts him with stories like this. It becomes hard to tell what he is actually trying to say or whom he has actually interviewed. He needs an editor.

As an addendum, curious to hear from Dylan if he thinks Stutts's firing will hurt the company's creative roll? Not the No. 1 issue, obviously, but I would hate to see the hard work of many undermined by one person's fuck-ups.

I thought the tone of the piece was reasonable. Bruce clearly stated that Stutts crossed lines in multiple ways and presented his firing as the right call for the company. He finished by saying that even though Stutts is contrite, he will have to back up his words with actions. The "loves women" thing struck me as appropriate context, describing this big-personality guy who lost his way. I mean, the piece could have been harder on facts, but I didn't read it as an apology for Stutts.

My (limited) understanding was that Elgin was accused of mishandling an assault allegation against one of his students, not of assaulting the woman himself. Is that wrong?

I don't fully understand the Elgin story or why people are now angry at Dave. Not saying people shouldn't be angry at him. I just haven't seen a good synopsis of the situation.

Its weird to me that people remember GWE as this dark thing. It was an exciting, engaged period for the board. Was there a bit of collective hangover? Yes. But I would do it again. Not sure matches will ultimately work as well, because there are just too many of them. But should be fun regardless.

I'll end up watching the big matches after the fact, but there's not a single one I'm truly anticipating. I'm sure the main will deliver in the way that NJ mains do, but I don't feel an affinity for either Okada or Naito. Jericho-Omega is semi-intriguing if they work some hate into it, but I don't trust Jericho at all. When was his last great big-match performance? If he tries to keep up with Omega athletically, could get ugly. I've enjoyed broke-down Tanahashi quite a bit so I'm hopeful he can deliver an unexpected MOTN with White, who at least brings some tools. Can't imagine the junior clusterfuck being anything more than a decent sugar-rush match. I always hold out hope for Suzuki matches, but Goto is such a void of charisma that I don't expect much more than a generic slugfest. Regardless, it's always fun to wake up and read the reactions to the show.

Is there any real reason to get wXwNOW if you have Highspots? Highspots is great, btw--huge archive, reliable, regularly updated. Powerbomb is really coming on, and they seem genuinely devoted to creating the best possible product. I also recently subscribed to Progress for a month to catch up with their 2017 stuff, and it's a good service. I'll probably give WWN a shot, but I'm not sure I'll keep it all 12 months.