C.S.

Intriguing I'm surprised no one has mentioned Razor Ramon yet. Some of the greatest vignettes ever, and he more than lived up to the hype in the ring. Even though I knew he was previously the lame Diamond Studd, those Razor vignettes got me pumped up. They were so effective that when WWE by and large copied them wholesale for Carlito, I was excited about him too. His debut and first few months were actually pretty good, so I don't want to say he wasn't a success just because he eventually descended into midcard purgatory. Underwhelming Maybe I'm the only one, but I liked the Beaver Cleavage vignettes and was actually looking forward to seeing him debut. The minute he stepped out onto Raw though, he was a bust. The character did not translate at all. Sean O'Haire's "Devil's Advocate" vignettes were tremendous, but he lost all momentum the minute he actually had to step into the ring. I remember liking Mordecai's vignettes as well, but he ended up being a major bust. Ditto for Nathan Jones. Those "Colossus of Boggo Road" vignettes were amazing, but his in-ring work was not.

From the sounds of this, Bryan will eventually wrestle somewhere else. Even now, he isn't convinced by the test results and doesn't agree with WWE's decision not to clear him. “When I told them that I was taking this test in New York City, they said, 'OK, well let us know the result.' Well, the test hasn't been peer reviewed, and I'm not saying it's a bad test, all I'm saying is this is not something that they're using the standard medical facilities,” Bryan added, his skepticism evident even today. Alas, something showed up in the testing that WWE didn’t like. “It showed a little something and then that becomes the automatic no and I'm just like 'uhhh,' ” the emotion of that moment still evident in his tone as he recounted it. http://www.recorder.ca/2016/08/15/bryans-love-for-wrestling-runs-deep

CM Punk on wrestlers' reactions to Conor: "I think the thing that shocked me the most about what Conor said was the number of people who work there who responded to him who should know better … I don’t feel they got worked, they got worked. ... Ric Flair, c’mon. Just stop. Just knock it off." http://www.cagesideseats.com/2016/8/15/12492774/cm-punk-pro-wrestlers-got-worked-by-conor-mcgregor Smartest thing he's said in over a year.

Agreed, the way they're pushing Ibushi as the favorite pretty much guarantees an upset and star-making moment for someone else at some point.

We all read it. Just because you want to inaccurately insist that something is ageism doesn't make it so. You also construct a false narrative that every older wrestler who criticizes today's industry or talent gets automatically dumped on for it. That's absolutely not true though. There have been plenty of instances of older wrestlers criticizing younger ones without the fans automatically labeling them old, out of touch, and any other "ageist" insult. Stone Cold is the biggest example. He is always offering constructive criticism of today's talent, and fans seem to agree with him for the most part. Even when Shawn Michaels called out Dolph Ziggler for being a carbon copy of other wrestlers who hasn't gone the extra mile to establish his own identity, I don't recall anyone really disagreeing with that. About Osprey and Ricochet specifically, a bunch of wrestlers commented on the lack of selling in that match - I know for sure that Austin was one of them - and they weren't lambasted for pointing that out. It was a valid criticism. Vader saw a gif - a gif and not the entire match - and proceeded to have an opinion about two wrestlers, their style, and everything else under the sun. Many fans - including me, I'll admit - were just as guilty of that. But the difference is, I ended up watching the match and revising my opinion. (But even if I still felt the same way afterward, at least I would have been armed with all the facts.) I'm not sure Vader ever did. (Of course, after the first tweet or two, it turned into a giant work and Vader expertly trolled and heeled all the "smart" fans.) Keep in mind, too, that there are a lot of older wrestlers who are bitter, out of touch, and spew off a ton of nonsense and make themselves sound bad in the process. "We knew how to work, brother." Vader's comment only added to that baggage.

Vader is 60 years old. Name any other sport where that would be acceptable. You can't, and it would never happen. Wrestling is indeed a different beast and there has been plenty of acceptance of older guys - both points mentioned above. But two things to keep in mind here: 1. Vader started this by acting like a grumpy old man going on a soapbox along the lines of "these damn kids" and "things were better in my day" (not direct quotes, just the general sentiment of what he was spewing). I'm sure it quickly turned into a work after that, but I don't think it was one in his first post. 2. More importantly, Vader played the heel throughout all of this. No matter how "smart" wrestling fans may think they are, the "smartest" ones are usually the dumbest and easiest to work and troll. They got worked and trolled hard here. As I said in the Ospreay/Vader thread: "Looks like Vader beat Will Ospreay. Really hope this is leading to a rematch and series. Otherwise, wow, what a pointless result. Won't affect Ospreay's career one bit, but still, what does it do for the barely-active part-time Vader?" A couple of folks replied with compelling points, and like I said, this won't hurt Ospreay. Couldn't have been too satisfying for the RPW fans in attendance though. Maybe this is leading to more, but maybe it isn't? I wouldn't know because I don't follow RPW and haven't seen the match. If there are more matches and more money to be made (maybe a DVD set of the entire feud), good. If not, I'll ask again, why have Vader win? He has barely anything left in the tank while Ospreay potentially has decades to contribute. If this is a once and done, it won't dent Ospreay career either way, but what does it do for Vader? Nothing. He gets the same payday either way. Asking a valid question isn't ageism.

Looks like Vader beat Will Ospreay. Really hope this is leading to a rematch and series. Otherwise, wow, what a pointless result. http://www.sescoops.com/vader-vs-will-ospreay-results-rpw-uprising-2016/ Won't affect Ospreay's career one bit, but still, what does it do for the barely-active part-time Vader?

From Wrestling Inc.: IMPACT VENTURES NAMES BILLY CORGAN AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT, CURRENT PRESIDENT DIXIE CARTER BECOMES CHAIRMAN NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- IMPACT Ventures [iMPACT], the parent company of TNA Wrestling and IMPACT WRESTLING, today announced the appointment of Billy Corgan as its new President. Current President Dixie Carter becomes Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of IMPACT. As President, Billy Corgan will be responsible for leading day-to-day operations for IMPACT and its affiliated brands. As Chairman, Carter will focus on long-term planning, strategic partnerships and global growth. "Billy is a visionary, an iconic artist and savvy businessman with an incredibly gifted creative mind. He has built a decades-long successful global brand, and also has a deep passion and understanding for professional wrestling," said Carter. "In working with Billy over the last 16 months, he has impressed me to the point that I've been in discussions with him to take an elevated strategic leadership role within the company. The more we discussed our vision for the organization, the clearer it became that position needed to match his commitment." "We are entering an exciting new era for IMPACT and will be working to continue to define our brand, develop global strategies for success, and structure for future investment and growth," added Carter. "These moves, effective immediately, signify the team's determination to work together to effectively cover more ground and capitalize on TNA's current momentum that has seen ratings rise in recent months." Corgan, 49, is an American musician, songwriter, producer, TV writer and poet, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins, who have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and won multiple Grammy Awards. Corgan joined IMPACT in May 2015 as a senior producer. "I believe in this company, its passionate fans, the talented roster and the dedicated staff and crew," said Corgan. "I am committed to this great opportunity and will use all of my resources and connections to drive the success of this company. This year we have made significant strides in establishing a strong foundation for our future and will be aggressive in continuing to evolve and grow the IMPACT brands." IMPACT's flagship broadcast IMPACT WRESTLING airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Pop, and in more than 120 countries around the world.

My thoughts on next week's announced matches: Note: I have not read spoilers, so if you have, please keep them a surprise for the rest of us who are enjoying watching these matches "live" without knowing the outcomes in advance. Thank you. Jack Gallagher vs. Akira Tozawa: I have a sinking feeling that Tozawa will win this. Maybe "sinking feeling" is not fair, because he's one of the better people in the tournament. He's not quite on the top tier but very slightly below that - and still very much a high-quality performer. Jack Gallagher, though, is something really special. I want him to go as far as he possibly can. I hope WWE sees him the same way and not just as "the third Vaudevillain." (You know this is what will happen as soon as Simon Botch gets himself fired.) Tony Nese vs. THE Brian Kendrick: Kendrick was so good - surprisingly so - in the first round that it will be such a shame if he loses here. But I realize the point of these old veterans is to put over younger talent, and I understand and accept that. With Nese's physique and great moveset, WWE probably sees dollar signs in him (he just needs a character and personality). Anthony Bennett carried Nese to a good match in the first round. I'm sure Kendrick can do the same and make himself look good in defeat (assuming that's what happens). Ho Ho Lun vs. Noam Dar: Based on the comments in this thread, these are probably two of the least interesting people in the entire tournament. I'll cop to not minding Lun though. I like his Hong Kong background and the fact that he's being credited as bringing wrestling to his country by opening a school and federation there. There's an interesting story to be told with that. Plus, his name is Ho Ho Lun, which is so fucking awesome and chantable. Noam Dar does nothing for me whatsoever, to the point where I'd rank him #32 out of 32 in this tournament. Too harsh? Maybe. But I just don't care about this guy at all. First Israeli-born competitor in the WWE? Don't care. Scottish accent? Don't care. Jetlag? Too bad. Still, he'll probably win again - just like he stole his match in the first round - because someone high up obviously does care.

Great show this week! - Tajiri vs. Metalik wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be, but it was still good, and it picked up steam toward the end. I was a bit sad to see Tajiri lose, but he had to put the younger talent over, especially someone with as much promise and upside as Metalik. - Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander was fantastic, especially in the last 5-10 minute. Kota won, as expected, but this was a star-making match for Alexander. I loved it when they cut back at the end to an emotional Alexander, the fans thanking him, and Triple H endorsing him. Anyone else notice that Mauro referred it as "the state of Mexico" during the Metalik match? BTW, damn it, Metal-eek or Muh-tah-leek? They still can't make up their minds!

Who?!?!

I loved the way Dean completely buried the fuck out of Lesnar for being such a lazy prick. I'm so over Brock and his over-inflated push. I'm actually rooting for Randy Orton to win their match, even though I know that's bad, because Orton is the absolute worst candidate to be the one who finally goes over Lesnar. Austin blindsiding Dean at the end was a bit weird, but Dean handled himself very well and reacted like a pro, even though he was obviously taken aback.

Current favorite wrestler to watch: Shinsuke Nakamura. His presence is magical. Last fun match you saw: Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa (CWC first round) Wrestler you want to see more of: Shinsuke Jack Gallagher. This seems to be more about up-and-coming young guys, which I was too tired to realize last night, so I changed my answer. I think we'll be seeing a lot of Shinsuke regardless, thankfully, so no point putting him here. Last live show attended (if applicable/different from last time you answered): A WWE house show a few years ago headlined by a Cena vs. Miz Streetfight and Punk vs. Del Rio. Evan Bourne returned (between Wellness violations) and wrestled Dolph Ziggler in a very disappointing match. Ryback was also here, before he returned to TV. Match you're most looking forward to watching: Shinsuke Nakamara on the main roster vs. Seth Rollins, John Cena, AJ Styles, etc. Hell, even Dolph because they're both "flamboyant." Last fun interview/promo you saw: I guess Cesaro's "shoot" about his placement on Raw Last interesting thing you read about wrestling: Pat Patterson's book. It's fantastic! Last worthwhile podcast you listened to: Legends With JBL with Booker T. Will be watching Stone Cold Podcast with Ambrose tonight. Most fun you've had watching wrestling lately: CWC Favorite recent post on this board: Instead of a post, here's a thread I love and wish got more attention - Under-the-radar wrestling book recommendations Favorite thing about the wrestling landscape in the past three months (if you live in the past, then go with your past three months of time-traveling): A tie between the rise of Shinsuke and the CWC.

A lot of great points in this thread. Just want to quickly respond to this for now: How long ago did JBL write that? Like much of America, he's most likely changed his mind since then. A tweet from April 2015: I'd say that's more WWE's bad for giving him a column where he was allowed to espouse his views uncensored in a way that wouldn't draw the company a dime and only potentially turn paying customers off. Probably why stuff like that is no longer done.

Was I the only one hoping this was about Roman Reigns and Conor of The Ascension? :\ Anyway, a bunch of wrestler tweets about this in one place: http://stillrealtous.com/ric-flair-chris-jericho-aj-styles-sheamus-respond-conor-mcgregor/

I read both Booker T books and still found the JBL interview compelling stuff. Nothing "new" maybe, but it was still great to hear it in this setting. BTW, as hit or miss as Ride Along has been (at worst, it's been a complete bore), the episode with Jericho/Henry and AJ Styles/The Club is worth watching - mostly for Jericho and Henry. Wish the entire episode had been about them. AJ/Club weren't nearly as interesting because they were obviously kinda limited and hamstrung by what they couldn't talk about - e.g. most of their careers. Even though Jericho and Henry was obviously a bullshit setup for the show (they had never ridden together before), it was still a fun listen.

Surprised there hasn't been more mention of this here. Is it because it's JBL, who internet smarks are conditioned to hate? Anyway, it was brilliant. In fact, I consider Legends With JBL to be hands down the best show on the Network. There was some ridiculous hate thrown Michael Hayes's way after that episode of Legends With JBL, just because Hayes is usually unlikeable and has a checkered past, but I thought he came across great and very honest with JBL. You couldn't convince some people here of that though. They were so predisposed to hate Hayes that their judgment IMO was severely clouded and compromised.

Perfect description of the show. But did Roode's debut seem relatively heatless to anyone else? He got somewhat of a reaction by the end, but it all felt really small and muted.

Mountain News WYMT: "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton reportedly missing

Not my posts, of course. But don't worry, I'm pretty sure the OP posts to several boards and picks and chooses which responses to use.

Hard to pick just one, so I'll suggest a few: - Snuka murder situation - Triple H and Stephanie getting together - Vince Russo leaving - Shane leaving I almost put CM Punk leaving, but I doubt he lost much sleep over that. Punk's departure arguably pushed Bryan's ascension forward, but it had no negligible effect otherwise IMO.

Truthfully, the Tensai gimmick was tone deaf and dead on arrival no matter what his alignment was.

That's true too, but regardless of the history or reasons, they still raised the bar and gave everyone else something to aim for. They also opened my eyes. To be honest, they've done nothing for me as a tag team in NXT. I had no reason to care about them before the CWC. (I'd never seen Gargano before NXT and had only seen Ciampa once.) Other than Gargano vs. Ciampa, these were my favorite matches in the tournament: Jack Gallagher vs. Fabian Aichner, Kota Ibushi vs. Sean Maluta, and Brian Kendrick vs. Raul Mendoza. I'm probably forgetting one or two other standouts, but in all of my examples, both guys shined. That hasn't been the case with every match in the tournament IMO.

Nese is 38 years old. He's had plenty of time to develop a character. Anthony Bennett, at 21, is already leaps and bounds ahead of Nese in that department. I'd question Nese's instincts here, not "The Kid Who Don't Play." We're going in circles here, so let's just agree to disagree on this. Anyway, my thoughts on this week's show: - Rich Swann vs. Jason Lee was underwhelming to me. Swann didn't impress me as much as I was hoping, but to be fair: 1. This was Swann's first match after a shoulder injury. 2. Swann has his character and mannerisms down pat. Awesome stuff. 3. I'm sure Lee was suffering from the dreaded jetlag. Seriously though, the commentators missed a major opportunity to go into Swann's anger when his facial expression turned because they were too busy droning on about Cena speaking Mandarin. Who gives a fuck? - Noam Dar vs. Gurv Shira was nothing special, and the wrong guy won - only because Dar is the first WWE wrestler ever born in Israel. Not sure why that matters but it was a major talking point and something they obviously see value in - for this round at least. My only hope is that they see more upside in The Bollywood Boys as a tag team and sign and push them that way. - Jack Gallagher vs. Fabian Aichner was great fun, and contrary to the silly comment that was posted earlier, I liked Aicher even though he had muscles growing out of muscles. In any other match, Aichner would have been the star. He's the perfect example of someone making the most out of this opportunity even in loss, which is something that not everyone in the tournament has done IMO. As for the winner, Gallagher was amazing. I love everything about the "Extraordinary Gentleman." His wrestling style, his look, his character, his mannerisms. No one else would be able to make those trunks, boots, and ridiculous little mustache work, but Jack Gallagher pulls it off. - Wow, wow, WOW at Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa. They showed that they're among the most seasoned wrestlers in the tournament with an incredible match that told a brilliant and brutal story. Easily the best match of the CWC thus far. I cannot say enough good things about it, and I hope both men's stocks have risen considerably because of it.

I totally concur. I even started this "Microscope" thread in defense of Douglas.