WingedEagle

Where is this hour (and the next, if applicable) airing beyond the Network?

This is the exact nonsense I thought it'd be.

Andre time!

The Alicia Fox deal won't impact things in the slightest, and granted we don't know the surrounding circumstances, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Travis Browne doesn't exactly have a stellar civic reputation when it comes to women or a long history as a selfless member of the WWE UniverseTM. Its obvious why they made this call and am not surprised in the slightest, but it doesn't sit well.

I could see this if they want to build to the big matches in a rather straight line. If they opt to spread things out a bit more I could see AJ/Nak or even the Bryan/Shane tag open up. Perhaps Smackdown tag titles?

He didn't wrestle in small venues in Indiana in front of 25 people for IWA-MS for free because Ian didn't pay him nor did he do an extensive New Japan tour that consisted of him having Meltzer six star matches against Kenny Omega and Juice Robinson? They don't like that he was pushed to the top over Daniel Bryan, even though time has shown that Reigns was a better choice if nothing else for his health. I think WWE has finally learned that if you want your babyfaces to be over, you don't put the fans in a position to choose between that babyface and Daniel Bryan. Sheamus, Batista, and Reigns. They're idiots because they're booing Reigns instead of Vince and Hunter (yes, Hunter). It's symptomatic of a larger belief that Vince books solely based on his own personal tastes instead of what the audience wants. The truth is more complicated than I think either side wants to admit, though. This is usually the case. In wrestling and just about everything else. People want simple but only so much actually is in fact that simplistic.

Slacker. Looking forward to you getting delirious given how late this'll be going. I am beyond pumped for this card. Really excited for the show. Is PWO loading unusually slowly for everyone else today?

Some brief thoughts on a terrific show. I need to rewatch the last 2 matches and am very much looking forward to that. Ladder Match: WWE/NXT multi-man matches almost always exceed expectations. Whether its the agents/producers and/or the talent involved, they find creative and effective ways to spotlight everyone in the match and this was no different. There were moments for everyone here to shine, with Dream and Ricochet standing out the most from where I sat. They also did a great job maintaining suspense until the very end as I didn't see Cole winning, and while I do find that booking questionable I'm curious to see where they go with it given the booking of the tag titles. These matches as a rule never hold up quite as well on rewatch as more traditional outings, but there's no denying how great a job they did mixing in ridiculous spots with a number of storyline/character points without ever feeling like a tired car crash. ****1/4 Baszler/Moon: I'm still waiting for someone to carry Baszler to the heights she reached with Io Shirai in Stardom last year. But outside of Ciampa (who's in another league) she's probably the most effective and natural heel in the company right now. Its a great character and you can see how comfortable she is with it. On the other hand, Moon and the company have done next to nothing to make me care about her in the build to any matches, and she's not the easiest wrestler to connect with in the ring. A friend mentioned that this match was pretty sloppy, but in a good way, as that lent itself to some strong struggle and conflict. I think that's right on point. For whatever reason this just didn't connect with me in the way you want from a great match outside of the extended choke at the end. They did a great job there in the vein of Tanahasi/Suzuki from the end of January and was the best part of this match. I think Baszler will shine more with babyfaces she can really dominate, like a Kairi Sane or Candice Lerae, or perhaps an ace type worker like a Shirai, who doesn't exist on this roster right now. Moon just doesn't fit into what seems to be her strong suit. This was good, that's just why I don't think it was capable of being much more than that. ***1/2 AOP/Undisputed Era/Strong & Dunne: Definitely didn't see this turn coming but with Fish out and Roddy having lost just about every big match as a babyface, it does make some sense. Not much to say about the match itself. AOP continue to look good and hope that continues if a promotion is indeed coming. This wasn't as strong as I hoped for, but it was all about the angle. ***1/4 Almas/Black: I still don't quite get Black at this level, but on this night Almas cemented himself for me as a major player. The Gargano feud and Vega undoubtedly brought him there, but he's now got the confidence and presence to go along with work in the ring that is devastating (those elbows and knees!) but also self-limiting in an important way. He understands exactly who he is and how he should present himself while mixing in high spots for maximum impact. I'd like another run with Gargano, but if he is in fact moving up I hope its with a legit push. Its really something how they have Vega interfere in every match -- repeatedly -- but never seem to overdo it to the point that it takes away from the match. I like how the finish played off of her involvement along the way as well. **** Gargano/Ciampa: So this was fantastic. I've seen a ton of praise for this already, with many calling it among the greatest matches in NXT/WWE history. It wasn't quite there for me as at basically the entire way it didn't draw me in the way Gargano/Almas did in January. That's not a knock but if I liked something a few months ago more, I can't quite go that high here. Whereas that match felt like it flew by and had me on the edge of my seat for the duration, this seemed to run a few minutes long and overstayed its peak just a bit. That's not a knock on the match, just what was occurring to me on a comparative basis with January. I absolutely love how they pulled off a long match that was built on such intense hatred without ever really working it like a traditional bout. The emotion and hatred were palpable throughout and you never lost sight of the fact that this was a blood feud. Speaking of blood, I was *positive* we were getting a bloodbath here when the ref had gloves on before the bell (as well as at one later point in the match), but obviously that wasn't the case. The bumps and big spots here were spaced out and given time so that everyone of them mattered, from the work ringside and on the floor to the spots around the crutch and brace. Also just a masterful job building and teasing a bump on the exposed apron early before paying it off late. Yeah, this was pretty great but in the moment I didn't think it was among the best matches I'd ever seen, hence the rating below. On the other hand, there aren't many wrestlers or matches that evoke such strong feelings when watching them. Johnny Gargano is now involved in a few of those, including on this night, so maybe it should be higher. Either way, wrestling is freaking great and despite watching a metric ton all weekend I am stoked for another marathon tonight. LOVE THE WRESTLING! ****1/2

Moon was indeed half of Asuka's best match thus far. I don't see any reason to hate her, but outside of one phenomenal feature on her that bizarrely aired after a Takeover match with Asuka, TV has given anyone zero reason to think she's all special. Very oddly presented for much of her run.

Can't play along live as I'm heading out to diner and starting the show a bit late, but very much looking forward to it.

Thanks for making the sacrifice. Let me know if anything worthwhile beyond Walter.

Just think about what life is like with a name like that -- struggling to order food or make a reservation while keeping a straight face.

Oppor-tu-nity, brother. Jim Ross! Haha. It did give me the opportunity to watch the 4th quarter of Cavs/Sixers, and for this was I was grateful.

Poor Hillbilly... He's probably not an internet/smark favorite, but I'd argue that he's deserving. Remember, he did a lot for Coliseum Video after his in-ring career ended. I thought thought his speech was pretty decent, just TOO long! Ha he may very well be deserving. I just found his speech ridiculously boring and it made me wish they had a band to play him off.

I like it too, especially this year, but the show is too damn long - something has to give. One less regular inductee? Less Dana Warrior spouting off gibberish? I don't know what the solution is. I'd axe the celebrity induction and Dana Warrior but its unlikely that would happen. I don't think there's any need for a Hillbilly Jim type. Cut 1-2 spots and the show is much more manageable.

I really don't mind the Warrior stuff beyond the obvious issues with him. From all appearances it seems like they're doing something genuinely nice for people who are really admirable that have persevered through terrible hardships and really appreciate being there. Forget whatever motives may or may not be driving it, but I'm glad the people honored in this fashion have had that opportunity.

Sawa is an incredibly fun watch. For someone apparently wrestling for the first time in 7 years he was in great shape and ridiculously quick. His strikes and holds were a lot of fun and he had a terrific presence, as does everyone in this match in their own unique way. I really liked the layout with heat on Sekimoto building Sawa's hot tag, followed by a stretch where the Japanese duo got to show off on Thatcher. Everything Walter did looked typically great and strong. He's one of the few wrestlers who always seems to maintain the perfect pace at every stretch of a match. Good stuff that deserved a bigger crowd. ***3/4

I have asked around a bit and so far I know that people have had it working via chromecast not sure about fire stick. Thanks, that's a good sign.

Joe and Lashley seem like reasonable bets early on. You'd think an Ambrose heel turn, if its in the works, would occupy him and Rollins initially before either/both move onto Roman. Plus Braun at some point, as well as AJ or anyone else who potentially moves over from Smackdown.

I'm onto the Evolve shows after Suzuki/Riddle and then perhaps some of the WrestleCon show if I can figure out what to watch there. We'll see what I can squeeze in before dinner & Takeover. Then a couple hours tomorrow before Mania to catch up on other stuff. What a weekend. AJPW's Carnival opener will have to wait till next week, along with undoubtedly some other shows.

I'm very excited about this tourney as the lineup is stacked. Has anyone tried watching AJPW's new site through a Fire Stick?

That's where I am on this. Don't really see the hype about Gage, this match or show in general.

You *need* to watch more of him. Especially in settings that don't limit him like this. One of the best in the world right now.

I saw that coming… Yep, it's probably gonna be the end for me. Regardless, Prichard being on the WWE payroll in any shape makes the whole thing completely worthless. Yep, that frees up some podcast time.

Mark Heny is THE MAN. He seems like such a good guy. Is that Martha Hart there?