JaymeFuture

Just to drop this in here, but the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now up, debating the Worst Pay-Per-View Matches Ever! Taking your nominations for the lofty title, the panel runs the gauntlet and discusses some of the absolute worst drivel to ever see the light of day and collect your money in the process, including the Patterson Vs. Brisco Evening Gown Match, a litany of WCW Hulk Hogan bouts, the Bash 91 Scaffold Match, TNA's finer contributions, Triple H Vs. Scott Steiner, Undertaker Vs. Giant Gonzalez, Warrior Vs. Goldust, Lesnar Vs. Goldberg, Cole Vs. Lawler and countless more abominations to boot. A really fun show this week, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/nj3v3t/SCG_Radio_80_-_The_Worst_PPV_Match_Ever.mp3

That's cool - can certainly appreciate that, just trying to get a mix of positive and negative week to week. We did the Desert Island matches shows so just felt appropriate to play the other side at some point too.

So for this week's podcast we're delving into some truly awful stuff, and looking to debate the Worst Matches to ever "grace" a Pay-Per-View broadcast, and as such are looking to get your nominations for what you think should take the wooden spoon. Simply put, what is the worst match you personally feel you've ever seen on PPV? Could be an outright four-finger stinker, or a promoted match that just fell so far short of expectations that it'd scarred your fandom forever - which do you feel is the worst, and please explain why. As always the best contributions will be read on the show and you'll be credited accordingly. So what's your pick for this lofty honour? EDIT - Our show debating the Worst PPV Matches Ever, featuring many of your contributions is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/nj3v3t/SCG_Radio_80_-_The_Worst_PPV_Match_Ever.mp3

Just to drop this in here, but the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now up, as we talk about how the biggest wrestling weekend of the year went down! Breaking down WrestleMania, NXT Takeover and Monday Night Raw, the panel talks about what worked, what didn't, the issues WWE faces in 2016, the call-ups, Nakamura Vs. Zayn, the Women's Title, the lay of the land and so much more, as well as taking your feedback on a historic weekend of pro wrestling. A perfect show to cap off your 2016 Mania season, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/krepnd/SCG_Radio_79_-_NXT_Mania_32_Raw_and_Beyond.mp3

It's just the tried and true formula of what connects to the most people on an emotional level. Joseph Campbell wrote a book (talking movies and stories in general) called The Hero with a Thousand Faces that does the best job of explaining why it works psychologically, and if you ever read it you'll see how closely it mirrors wrestling. Establish the normal world early (face is better), an event occurs that contradicts positive feelings (in theory the heel cheating), and the hero has to get to an even keel before the climactic scene of do or die, success or failure. For the purposes of pro wrestling, the rare matches that break the formula can be captivating if done right. A lot Lesnar's matches standout as awesome by contradicting the formula because we already know he's different. If two guys on your local indy show in front of casual fans and families tried the same thing it wouldnt work 9 times out of 10, and I've seen people try with my own eyes. Formula becomes formula though laziness or time tested reasoning. In the case of match layout its the latter, and it only makes it more fun when people play with it. The laziness is when people either don't do it properly (heel just gets the advantage without cheating or without the pivotal change truly meaning something), or aren't clever enough to play with what people know and have fun with it. One of the reasons I think Tully and Arn are the best team ever is because they would do so many things that you think are the changing moment in either direction, but its just a tease and we aren't there yet. And then the change would come and it'd always be satisfying.

I'll add an extra half star if the Mean Street Posse are sat at ringside on a couch. Reckon Hell in a Cell goes last over HHH/Reigns?

I've grown to hate the trend of coming up with a name to "merge" two singles guys. Rated RKO, for example, I thought was an awful name. But with that said, I thought Beer Money is the exception and was a tremendous name. Hollywood Blondes, Demolition, and both Road Warriors and Legion of Doom are cool as fuck names. Also, Power and Glory~!

Just to drop this in here, but our latest show is now up, the SCG WrestleMania 32 Preview Supershow! With the biggest weekend of the year on the horizon, we talk all about both Mania and NXT TakeOver Dallas, breaking down every match, talking about the build, giving predictions, taking your feedback and analysing all things current events. In addition, we run down the entire roster one by one and discuss whether we'd cut them, push them, turn them, bring them to the main roster or send them to NXT after Mania. And of course, we announce the winner of the first SCG Giveaway! A supersize show for WrestleMania week, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/drz5ib/SCG_Radio_78_-_WrestleMania_32_Preview_Supershow.mp3

Join us as we go back to 2006, looking at the roster to decide who to cut, call up, push, switch brands, and discuss the main directions through to WrestleMania 23 in 2007! Discussing all the moves WWE made instead, such as the return of ECW and DX, we also take your comments on what you felt needed to be done in place of what was a rather awful, regressive year. All that, and the announcement of the first SCG giveaway! A very fun show this week, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/edjv6y/SCG_Radio_77_-_Rebooking_WWE_in_2006.mp3

Watching stuff back to prep for this - Smackdown is even worse than I remembered, and my God was Vince orange.

So, for this week's podcast we're going to look at the WWE in 2006 and attempt to rebook the year with what they had, and would like to hear what you would have changed if you had control. Would you have brought back DX? Would you have brought back ECW? How far do you go with Edge? How do you deal with the John Cena crowd issue in its infancy? What do you do with the World Title in Batista's absence? Who do you push and who don't you push? What angles would you have done? It's in your hands. As always the best contributions/suggestions will be read on the show and you'll be credited accordingly, so in what was a very unique year for WWE, what would you have done differently if you had the chance?

Thank you very much, glad you like it! It really was the only appropriate outcome. Sadly not, which makes me weep. Rick Steiner in 1999/2000 and Harris Boys I was dying to get a vote.

Just to drop this in here, but the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now up, for our first Room 101! Taking your suggestions, we discuss a litany of wrestlers and personalities and debate whether they need to be banished to oblivion. We discuss the likes of Jim Duggan, Dino Bravo, Dolph Ziggler, Kurt Angle's TNA run, Mick Foley Post-2004, DX 2006, Bob Holly, Chief Jay Strongbow, Ed Leslie, The Honky Tonk Man, Vince Russo, The Nasty Boys, Kevin Nash, Brother Love, Triple H, Vince, Stephanie McMahon and countless others, and debate if should be inducted into the vault never to be seen again. A really fun show this week, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/mgz6ui/SCG_Radio_76_-_Room_101_Wrestlers_and_Personalities.mp3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/mgz6ui/SCG_Radio_76_-_Room_101_Wrestlers_and_Personalities.mp3 Join us for the first Wrestling Room 101! Taking your suggestions, we discuss a litany of wrestlers and personalities and debate whether they need to be banished to oblivion. We discuss the likes of Jim Duggan, Dino Bravo, Dolph Ziggler, Kurt Angle's TNA run, Mick Foley Post-2004, DX 2006, Bob Holly, Ed Leslie, Chief Jay Strongbow, The Honky Tonk Man, The Nasty Boys, Kevin Nash, Brother Love, Triple H, Vince, Stephanie McMahon and countless others, and debate if should be inducted into the vault never to be seen again. A really fun show this week, check it out and let us know what you think~!

So, for this week's podcast, we're doing a show based off the old Room 101 television show, where we're looking for you to submit one nomination for a wrestler or wrestling personality from any point in history that has annoyed you so much, you wish to banish them to oblivion for good, the figurative "Room 101", and more importantly, why. You can be as flexible as you like with your pick - it can be a certain period of a wrestler's career (American Bad Ass Undertaker, for example), or if you really dislike someone's body of work you can just toss their entire career in there. You can be obscure as you like in who you choose, it really just comes down to the person (wrestler or personality) that grinds your gears the most, and your explanation will be key in whether or not the panel agrees on the show to banish your suggestion to Room 101. As always, the best nominations will be read and you'll be credited accordingly. So who has always annoyed you personally enough to go into Room 101, and why? EDIT - Our Room 101 (Wrestlers and Personalities) show, featuring many of your contributions is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/mgz6ui/SCG_Radio_76_-_Room_101_Wrestlers_and_Personalities.mp3

Just to drop this in here, but the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now up, as we return to The Monday Night War Timeline, talking March and April of 1998! Breaking down all the big stories, we talk Mike Tyson and WrestleMania 14, The Austin Era begins, the rise of Goldberg, the split of the New World Order, wrestlers jumping ship, DX "invading" WCW, Ric Flair gets suspended, Vince McMahon and Steve Austin go face to face, and Raw finally wins the ratings after almost two years without a victory. An absolutely amazing period to cover, with all the facts, figures and backstage news from the Wrestling Observer Newsletters of this crucial time, this was a tremendously fun show to do. Check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/dsbmj2/SCG_Radio_75_-_The_Monday_Night_War_in_1998_-_Mar_and_Apr.mp3

Just to drop this in here, but the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now up, Part 2 of our "Desert Island Duels" series! Taking your feedback, we discuss the possibility of being stranded on a desert with only three wrestling matches to watch forever - which ones did you decide to take and why? We break down matches such as HHH Vs. Cactus, Bret Hart Vs. Roddy Piper, HHH Vs. Rock, Angle Vs. Michaels, Royal Rumble 2001, Lesnar Vs. Cena, Misawa Vs. Kobashi, Punk Vs. Cena matches not at MITB, and quite literally a ton more. This series was a really fun blast of nostalgia and positivity with personal recollections and moments with a tremendous emotional connection. Check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/qyreex/SCGRadio74-DesertIslandDuelsPart2.mp3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/qyreex/SCGRadio74-DesertIslandDuelsPart2.mp3 Join us for Part 2 of our "Desert Island Duels" series! Taking your feedback, we discuss the possibility of being stranded on a desert with only three wrestling matches to watch forever - which ones did you decide to take and why? We break down matches such as HHH Vs. Cactus, Bret Hart Vs. Roddy Piper, HHH Vs. Rock, Angle Vs. Michaels, Royal Rumble 2001, Lesnar Vs. Cena, Misawa Vs. Kobashi, Punk Vs. Cena matches not at MITB, and quite literally a ton more. This series was a really fun blast of nostalgia and positivity with emotional personal recollections galore. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Just listening to the first ten minutes of Observer Radio now. I don't know what's going on but there's some weird shit going down backstage with this whole thing. Meltzer alluded to HHH smashing Reigns in a fair fight and not being in the opening segment as a part of it, and that lots of people see a power struggle coming, with references to life imitating art here and the choices of words used in the segment itself. Pretty fascinating.

I'd love a long list of Triple H's good points that delve into the absurd. "A man with a bigger Motorhead memorabilia collection than that so-called rock star Chris Jericho, the man who taught the Samoans how to fight, and the most requested sperm donor in the United States - Hunter Hearst Helmsleyyyy!"

Trips surely, and it'll be the most self-fellating segment in history that could actually be wildly entertaining if they do it right. "The Man that will break the legendary Mania 3 attendance record, the greatest professional wrestler of all time, and a legend in the bedroom - Triple H"

Scattered thoughts after watching the show last night: Network feed was easily the worst it's been for any PPV show I can remember. Brie's cradle was a disgrace to Mr. Small Package The New Day/E&C stuff was going alright until they felt the need to shoehorn in the League of Nations for a useless cameo. Felt like it fell off a cliff as soon as they came out. Glad Styles went over, and the match with Jericho was damn good, but I can't help but feel that they don't work smoothly together. In fact, it looked like a potato/receipt fest almost the whole way thought. Then again, Jericho tends to lay it in and AJ's always snug as a bug, so maybe it's just natural. Either way, bit of clunkyness at times, but hellafun. I laughed my ass off at Show, Kane and Ryback inexplicably winning and it looking like the Wyatts were just falling apart at the end, with Rowan clutching his knee on the floor like he was legit injured, Harper dropped right on his shoulder at the finish and screaming "OWW!", and Brown Snowman just getting laid to waste. I can't be the only one that saw this show and thought they had second thoughts on Wyatt/Lesnar. Assuming Snowman eliminates all three of these in the Andre Battle Royal. I wonder what the $1.6 million man thought about losing in the pre-show, watching Tamina and the Social Outcasts make the PPV. I actually really liked the main event. Didn't have the creativity or spectacular highs of the Rumble 3 Way, but that was a remarkable standard to be compared too (for my money it's one of the best triple threats ever done). The crowd was exactly as expected - Lesnar getting over like God by acting like him in the match, Ambrose getting far more support than Reigns. I think all the talk of Reigns' goose being cooked is premature - it's not like we didn't know this would happen as soon as they announced this match, we got exactly what we expected. The thing that fucks it is that I don't know what metric they're really looking at to gauge Reigns as a success or failure. They seem blissfully in denial with the state of the Raw ratings, I don't hear that his merch does particularly well, house shows are steady but that's about it. If things go up, we'll know about it. If things stay on the existing course, even if its downward course, I don't see them changing much because malaise is the auto-setting right now. Still, you look at Reigns and HHH at the end and think "that's the big match for the Mania that's supposed to break the record. Huh".

Just to drop this in here, but the latest Squared Circle Gazette Radio is now up, Part 1 of our "Desert Island Duels" series! Taking your feedback, we discuss the possibility of being stranded on a desert with only three wrestling matches to watch forever - which ones did you decide to take and why? With fun nostalgia reliving countless classic battles and some awesome personal stories of what different matches meant to you, this ended up being such a blast we're coming back next week for more. An uplifting show that reminded us just why we love pro wrestling - check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/5u7tdk/SCGRadio73-DesertIslandDuelsPart1.mp3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/5u7tdk/SCGRadio73-DesertIslandDuelsPart1.mp3 Join us for Part 1 of our "Desert Island Duels" series! Taking your feedback, we discuss the possibility of being stranded on a desert with only three wrestling matches to watch forever - which ones did you decide to take and why? With fun nostalgia reliving countless classic battles and some awesome personal stories of what different matches meant to you, this ended up being such a blast we're coming back next week for more. An uplifting show that reminded us just why we love pro wrestling - check it out and let us know what you think!

Memphis Heat is such a fantastic doc, one of my favourites. Podcast is a great idea, and must be called "Walking in Memphis".