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I loved at the very end of the tag match, Ciampa ran to do the "keep the guy on the outside from breaking up the pin" spot only to back off the second the ref counted three. Subtle yet great way to put a guy over when someone nicknamed "Psycho Killer" wants no parts of you than what's absolutely necessary.

So per WWE history, next week Braun cuts a promo on Roman telling him his brother was weak? I say that jokingly yet at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened.

I've heard from video game historians that there's very much an attitude that what happens behind closed doors stays that way in Japanese business culture. With how secretive a business wrestling is anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if its even worse there. There have been some exposés written though, e.g. Sayama's and 80s NJPW head ref/sometime booker Mr. Takahashi's. Japan business culture has a very kayfabe-like culture where things don't get discussed with those outside the company, and even more so with foreigners. To use your video game example, Nintendo has everyone scratching their heads over discontinuing the NES Classic (which was basically a money printing machine for them), and they never really gave any answer to why they did it other than "because reasons". Now combine that with a business like wrestling that adds another million layers of secrecy and bullshit, and it's amazing we ever get any inside news from there.

Nia is fine when she's fighting off multiple attackers or when she blindsided Mickie last week and sent her into orbit. What sucks is when she has to do a one on one match where she has to do longer stretches of offense and it's even odds on whether she'll mess something up and nearly kill someone.

There are several examples on the Network of previously mandated censoring that they didn't bother undoing when the issues were resolved. I'd imagine they just feel it's too much of a pain in the ass to go back over everything.

Watts must have been really upset at the Lawler-Kaufman angle, devoting the opening segment of the first show after their match (which had nothing to do with his territory) to him cutting a promo on why non wrestlers don't belong in the ring.

Makes sense since I started watching regularly in 86. Speaking of WWF 80s jobbers, Terry Gibbs just showed up on these shows with an amazing permed fro.

Watching Mid South episodes, and it's so bizarre watching Iron Mike Sharpe presented as the guy who gets wins over jobbers. Like, I know he was a midcard guy in most places before he went to the WWF but as someone who's formative fandom years included large quantities of Iron Mike as the world's loudest jobber it's a trip.

Prime Time was the WWF equivalent of the NWA Saturday night 6:05 show, with the twist of the banter between Heenan and Monsoon being the best thing most weeks,

It just seems the argument you're trying to make is giving JBL the benefit of the doubt that there's zero evidence he deserves to get.

James Ellsworth is a geek character who's sole purpose of existing is to be made fun of. There's probably an entire other discussion that could be had there, but he's *supposed* to be made fun of. Mauro in theory is supposed to be on equal footing with JBL and there's no storyline reason for him to be saying anything about a guy as far as everyone knew at the time was just the lead announcer of SD.

I mean, if people really want to take up the cause of JBL as their hill to die on, more power to you I guess.

How exactly did JBL go "batshit crazy" on him? He went off on that wannabe ESPN shouty head show on the Network past the point of just being a heel announcer and to the point of being an unprofessional shithead.

Yeah, it shouldn't have to come down to the character of the person being bullied to decide if it's something worth getting upset about. Saying Mauro should have known better than to take pride in someone acknowledging his work because the company he works for has fucked up insecurity issues is some enabling horseshit. You should be able to do a little boasting about your craft without worrying your insane asshole co worker will go batshit crazy on you.

Of course, since admitting that it's nothing more than high school level bullshit bullying would mean they have some responsibility for either taking part or not stopping it from happening.

In the latest update, Dave mentions it appears the injuries are legit and Shibata may not ever be cleared to wrestle again.

A key point is all the stories coming out making it clear that the bullying was authorized and/or endorsed from on top, so it would make it harder for WWE to make JBL a scapegoat and act like that solves the problem.

A non WWF/WCW wrestling show getting major PPV exposure was a mind blowing occasion. It was supposed to be the springboard for ECW to get to the next level, and I guess for a brief period it was, but it ended up in retrospect being the blowoff show capping off 5 years of Paul E getting his company to the big time. Everything since seemed to be Paul chasing the dragon trying to get back to the level of this show.

If he wants to do it, he could probably make a decent living doing the indy circuit to see if he really wants to try it full time without having to jump head long into the grind and/or bullshit of working for WWE.

He hit a nasty headbutt that split his own head open legit.

Real or not, headbutting someone with such force you bust your own head open in a worked environment is a stupid thing to do even by Japan's "what do you mean head shots are bad" philosophy.

The funny thing is with WWE's line of thinking Balor will get a rep for being injury prone out of this and Jinder will get a pass for nearly killing him twice (the spot where he kicked the rope into Balor's face and left rope burns on his forehead).

Unless he gets diet tips from Jinder.

Alexa being able to pull the human equivalent of Grumpy Cat face at a moment's notice will never not be funny to me.

Prime Time from 1987 is the next classic content being uploaded right now.