dexstar

Not that anyone cares about my lurker opinion, but don't get lost in the forest with this argument or whatever, please. Put aside the methods and opinions and such - the GWE project has produced some incredible content for myself, a life-long wrestling fan who is thoroughly enjoying just hearing the differing views and methodologies at work. I don't know if there's a person on this earth that my personal taste would run more counter to than JVK, but I still enjoy hearing his thoughts

I'm really excited. A ton of guys I have heard about it or seen glimpses of but don't have a real full knowledge of. Just watched the Reed-Neidhart series and loved it.

Bought this day, just wanted to say it's awesome.

Not sure where to post this but this seems like a good place Go watch the DDP-Craig Pittman match from Nitro on March 10, 1997 I always kinda thought he was working people about how big of an influence Jake Roberts was on him but he basically wrestles a recreation of a Roberts match from Superstars, it's uncanny. Hadn't watched DDP in a long time so it really stood out, maybe everyone else has already noticed though. I can't unsee it now whenever he comes up on Nitro on the Network.

What about a part timer? Jericho feuded with Wyatt....

I think this is pretty spot-on. At least in my own personal experience. I hang with a lot of people who are super into UFC and I also enjoy it, and the appeal of Ronda, at least to us, hasn't been "omg she's hot" - it's the fact she's a killing machine. Being a woman has little to do with it, she's just great at her job. Sasha is the closest WWE has to that right now, IMO. I think a growth in women's wrestling is inevitable over the next few years because of the fact there are more and more great women athletes coming up, women's sports in general are finally rising in popularity, and a rising feminist outlook among younger folks. I think this #DIVASREVOLUTION stuff is not working out great, but there are going to be growing pains. A wholly realized, completely different presentation of women in WWE wasn't going to arise out of thin air in one Raw segment.

What if they kept him face, and pushed him as a Deus Ex Machina solo "Hound of Justice". Like, he wouldn't be directly challenging Seth Rollins for the title, but instead showing up in different places on the card to help guys the crowd is into - I'm thinking guys like Dolph - when the odds go against them. Music hits, he comes out, is the badass equalizer, moves on to a different situation on his one man crusade. And then eventually he actually goes after the champ on his own for whatever reason. Basically like a full-time version of this Sting "Vigilante" gimmick they are working. I don't know if that's necessarily a good idea or not, just trying to figure a way they can keep him a face, keep him an asskicker, but placed into situations where the music and the ass-kicker routine gets the "THIS IS AWESOME" idiots to cheer him.

This would be aweeeeesome

This made me laugh. Pretty much the easiest way to get certain segments of the crowd behind a guy is for there to be stories about how the company is holding them down. Look at how over Ziggler is despite not being very good at anything except being a Billy Gunn tribute act. And I was only half-joking. It seems to be the most sure-fire way to get some support for a guy these days. Reality Era!

Plant a bunch of stories the company is down on him and they want Braun Stroman to be the next big thing and that he's gonna beat Reigns in a program. Also, convince everyone he's dating Sasha Banks and Cena/Nikki feels threatened by the new couple. Meta-booking for the win.

I'd be more interested if the angle was Undertaker had dementia and escaped from his nursing home to fight Brock

Cole talking about "so many great Japanese superstars in WWE" and then citing Toru Tanaka and Mr Fuji before a long pause and dropping in Antonio Inoki was pretty great.

Bummer. I was looking forward to it. I might have misheard but it doesn't look like it. Maybe they'll do the full card when they show it later?

I dig Balor's entrance mostly but the best descriptor I can come up with is "Mad Max Strip Club"

Tag team match was earlier before they went on live, according to Cole on commentary.

Which blog? Why even hide what you're talking about?! That's weird, honestly. Not like anyone from there is going to see it and get offended. Anyway, the "wrestling is an art form" silliness that gets thrown around here is one of my pet peeves. Wrestling may indeed be an art form, but when the executives and most of the wrestlers don't think so or treat it that way, it becomes a very empty, pretentious talking point. Cageside mostly, Grantland's pulled it before too. And a lot of the user-generated stuff on the bigger conglomerate clickbait sites. Sorry you thought it was weird.

I say this as a guy who enjoys soccer, not your drunk uncle at the bar who thinks they are all wimps - I reallllllllllllly hope they work diving and flopping into his style.

Not many things bother me ... but certain blogs on large corporate platforms where every. single. fucking. writer thinks they are an expert on "logical storytelling" are really grating. Saying that a wrestling company needs to just "follow basic storytelling" is, like, a meaningless phrase. I don't think many of these people can explain basic storytelling outside of a wikipedia level (or TV Trope level) understanding of hero's journey. It's also almost always code for "they didn't follow my fantasy booking".

If the goal (of this incredibly unlikely match) is simply to help sell out an approx. 100,000 seat stadium one time and make one single huge event, does it even matter if Brock is a babyface or heel? I think they'd just be banking on the general wow factor of Austin-Brock.

It was the standard script they followed as part of the attraction match it was. This certainly seems to be the reasonable answer though I'm disappointed it's not something more exotic. Has any non-lucha promotion ever used the minis as a regular part of the show? Obviously they were in a bit of an angle with Bundy/Jim leading up to WM3 and I remember them popping up in for a few weeks in like 96-97 when the WWF was throwing a bunch at the wall, but other than that?

I bet a Dr. of Thuganomics who does nothing but G-Rated raps would get boo'd by everyone.

Yes, also noticed the repeated use of ref spots. Always challenging the officials to fights. Rowdy little dudes.

I've seen ... several ... 70s/80s US Minis matches the past couple weeks (let's ignore the "why" on that) and in each one (all tag team bouts) the partners argue with each other, a lot. Miscommunication, punching each other, etc. Is this just dumb coincidence from the ones I've seen or is there some sort of "midgets are untrustworthy" trope that I'm unaware of?

It must be something with the move because Nigel McGuiness would do that move god knows how many times in his match to the point people got sick of Nigel From a kayfabe view, I guess if that's in your arsenal you'd be stupid to not use it every single time you got knocked into the ropes.

I like Ambrose but if I see one more rope recovery clothesline spot tonight I'm going to throw my beer at the tv. After I finish it.