SomethingSavage

Nothing official or definitive has been said yet, but the news that "Straight Up Steve Austin" is going to be a new half-hour talk show on USA could be an indicator that it's probably done. It's been six months since he said he would be taking a few weeks off to recharge, so yeah.

I'm still waiting to make my mind up on Kofi as champ. With that being said, I've absolutely praised his efforts in recent months. He took an opportunity and totally made the most of it. He gave a wonderful, spirited performance back in that gauntlet - one that eclipsed the overrated Raw gauntlet match people were praising just a year before. Kofi took the story meant for Ali, openly embraced it, and made it his own. He won the people over and had them fully in his corner. I respect the hell out of that. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, he's still kind of just the same worker. Working the same matches. Hitting the same notes. Without Daniel Bryan there stirring the drink, the cocktail as a whole just isn't as satisfying. And so now we're left with this weird aftertaste - where Kofi's still *sort of* riding high on that Mania momentum, but it's also slightly awkward and out of place at best. I just wish he felt the freedom to alter his character a bit. He can't keep tossing around pancakes and stuff all the time. There can be comedic elements that remain intact, for sure. But I'm also left wanting a rougher edge in my top champion, ya know. In short, I've enjoyed the shit out of Kofi's journey. But he needs to step it up now that he's in this spot. To be fair, it doesn't help that he's gone from Daniel Bryan - magnificent, revelation of a heel - to heatless Kevin Owens and retread mid-card lifer Dolph Ziggler as his prime opposition. This is truly uninspired stuff, even if Kofi is racking up some wins. Sometimes, the quest to reach the top of the mountain is the story. Sometimes that's all the fans want to see. That doesn't make them racist or hypocritical. Sometimes you want a guy to get there. But then he's standing there atop the mountain, and you realize you don't really like the way that looks after all. Maybe that's how some people feel. Maybe it's a combination of everything. I don't know. Like I said, I'm still reserving judgment and waiting for them to give him a worthwhile opponent again. Because it's kind of hard to rate his status as a top guy when he's essentially still booked like a mid-card guy, working mid-card opponents in the middle of the card.

This. The women were finally the main event of WrestleMania, sure. But these women were the main event of WrestleMania at a very specific point in history where being the main event of WrestleMania no longer really means what it once did. When Chris Jericho had Meltzer on his podcast a few weeks back, they were talking about how Mania sells itself now. And Jericho jokingly said the main event next year could literally be Funaki vs Bryan Alvarez, and attendance would still be the same. Buys would still remain unharmed. And he's right. The women were the main event because, "What could it hurt??" And the answer is, "Nothing at all." Besides that, the buildup was some sub-WCW 2000 level shit. I know Becky has had her fans in the lead-up, but honestly. The whole Becky/Ronda/Charlotte feud was practically lifted, copied, and pasted from Nash/Steiner/Goldberg at fucking New Blood Rising. Oh noooo. They're not following the script, y'all. What now?!? Gross. Awful, hideous stuff. And hopefully we can now put to rest this silly, GREATLY exaggerated idea of Becky being Stone Cold 2.0. She's not the second coming of Austin. She's not the Yes Movement part deux. She ain't even Bret in 94. It's a month after Mania, and she barely feels any more over than any other woman that's held the belt before her. The phrase "nothing special" sounds mean, and I don't mean it to be. But she really is presented as nothing special, and so she comes off that way. Already. One month after her BIG, career-defining win - which itself felt like nothing special. Honest to God, go back and watch Mickie James versus Trish from Mania 22. As it happened, that win for Mickie felt like a bigger deal - a more significant moment in history - than the finish to the forced scene we saw unfold last month for Becky. And none of this is a knock on her, by the way. She gift-wrapped them an over act, and they still managed to royally fuck it up before they could drag it across the finish line.

I mean, it's not interesting. But nothing they're doing is anyway. Might as well do it, in that case. It can't be any worse than just seven or eight overly long wrestling matches that amount to nothing & lead to nothing. They've got to produce fifty-eleven hours of content every week. At least this offers variety. Is it good? Nah. Is it funny? Nope. But it's different. So, while I'm not exactly watching any of it closely, I can see the appeal in at least trying it. As far as the old hardcore division goes, I think you just about nailed it. Crash Holly handled the comedic aspect of it very well though. I actually think the ideal design to his reign(s) should have involved him being spring boarded up the card as a result of the momentum & the traction he gained as Hardcore Champ. Instead, he just kind of petered out. It felt like they just sort of let his popularity die without ever really trying to capitalize on it. I'm not saying he should've been IC Champ or anything like that. But he could have been a fun underdog character in the middle of the pack for years after that. Looking back, I guess Spike Dudley sort of inadvertently inherited that spot anyhow though.

What are the chances the 24/7 title was a Bruce suggestion? He seems to look back on the hardcore title silliness with rose-colored glasses, and I'm pretty sure he has fond memories of producing the Crash Holly stuff. I don't exactly think it's a good idea, but at least it's different. If it fills up TV time with anything other than another meaningless wrestling match that stretches over three segments, then sure. Bring on the childish, unfunny comedy skit I guess. If they somehow stumble onto something that gets over, then good on them. If not, then alright. It's just another Monday. Because it's not like they were getting anyone over with the seventh super long wrestling match on Raw every week either. With their booking and presentation, I actually think there's an argument to be made that this has a higher chance of success than any of their usual stuff. Their usual stuff is just that bad.

Look, I love the show. And when Eric's on, he's on. But nothing bothers me more than when he slams the brakes on a whole conversation by pausing to point out that he's not going to let the dirtsheet rumors & gossip get to him anymore... Right as he proceeds to rant and rave about the dirtsheet rumors & gossip for 5 minutes straight. The best episodes are almost entirely devoid of these things. But it's like he just wakes up some days and decides he's going to be extra ornery about it. The quality of the show kind of depends on which Bischoff you get that week - the evasive one who picks apart the way a question is phrased literal word by word, or the guy who tells entertaining stories and offers genuine insight into every single element of the business.

Dolph felt crazy over for awhile in 2012 and 2013. People were really into him while he held the briefcase - all the way through that Cena feud, the AJ Lee association, and especially his title win over Berto. In fact, I still think that double-turn PPV match with Del Rio is one of the best, most well-rounded performances you'll ever get out of Dolph. In the category of "given chance after chance and never really made it", I mean... Yeah. He's guilty. But he ain't Seth Rollins. He's had a few different startups that were done a major disservice by bad booking and weak follow-through. The 2013 turn, the 2014 Survivor Series, and the IC title program with Miz all immediately spring to mind. And I wouldn't be all that surprised if there were one or two more I'm overlooking. Like, Dolph isn't exactly my favorite worker by ANY stretch of the imagination. But neither is Kofi. And I've been so pleasantly surprised by how well that whole angle worked out. I'm not about to sit here and say Dolph couldn't have pulled that off, given the same story, the same spot, and the same opponent in Daniel "Das WunderKING" Bryan.

Do they even sell matches as being "brutal" anymore though? Seems to me everything gets pushed as "exciting" or "entertaining." Hell in a Cell. Money in the Bank. TLC. They're all sort of pushed as being stunt shows and Demolition derbys. Not violent fights or battlefields.

The recent episode covering that time Vince did a thing and bought WCW is pretty fun. I always enjoy Jericho chopping it up with Meltzer about these historically significant topics & whatnot. It was cool to hear Dave give Hogan his due and really emphasize how valuable he was during the expansion. I especially dug how he said it's practically impossible to explain to fans who grew up on today's wrestling - because there is no one like Hulk Hogan in wrestling anymore. Not even close. Good stuff and accurate as fuck. It's easy to forget just how successful that Invasion PPV was at the time. It still stands as the most bought non-WrestleMania PPV ever. I didn't realize that. When Dave brings it up, Jericho doubles down & adds that his payoff for that show was the second biggest he ever received - second only to one of his Mania paydays. That's wild. And there were nine other guys that had to be paid from that main event. I mean, I knew business was great for them in 2000 and 2001, but holy hell. They must have made some ridiculous money off that show. Dave was totally professional toward Bischoff and gave him credit for his business acumen as well. He notes that Eric had turned the company around before and helped them to earn a profit, so it's not out of the question that he could do it again. Combined with what I've heard from Eric's own podcast this past year - detailing some of his decisions in eliminating costs and addressing expenses - I actually found this to be the most interesting part of the show. Towards the end, Meltzer mentions that it was under Bischoff's direction that the top stars of WCW started to get sidelined and shelved by WCW Champ, Scott Steiner. I remember the angle well, but I had no idea that was a Bischoff call. But it makes total sense. He was slowly clearing the board and preparing to hit the reset button for the purchase. I'm eager to hear Eric and Conrad cover another one of those dying days shows on 83 Weeks sometime. Hopefully Eric remembers enough to discuss the angle and the big reboot itself at some point. I know Eric has gone out of his way to avoid saying too much before, but Conrad seems to have a way of getting him to divulge a bit more. So here's hoping...

I won't have you disparage the good God damn name of Tony Nese that way. Seth is shit. None are lower. And the reason they keep adding belts is because that's all they know how to book - title matches, endless title rematches, and matches to determine challengers for (you guessed it) more title matches. Need a new gimmick? _____ time title holder or title chaser is all they've got for you. Need a hot new angle or storyline to get us through the next year? Champion for _____ days will do the trick. Literally. It's all they ever do anymore. This should surprise no one.

Hangman Page being considered a top guy going forward is probably the least likable thing I've heard about AEW so far. I mean, it's not the dirt worst idea. But it's not exactly something that gets me excited. When did people start seeing this dude as a top guy? And why? If it's a very recent thing, then please. By all means, recommend me some viewing so I can see for myself. I'll gladly remain open to having my mind changed on the guy. But in everything I've seen from him for the last 5 years or so, he strikes me as a perfectly passable mid-card guy. No harm in that either. But I always think back to that feud with Jay Briscoe in ROH. They're having this wild, violent, bloody battle. And I'm starting to see Page as a possible threat. A believable threat. But then he just has to sprint across the apron with all the coordinated athleticism of a crippled goose & do a gainer through the air with that silly Shooting Star Shoulder block shit. And he whiffs. Completely. And Jay has to sell it like a shotgun blast to the face. Page rejoices. The rest of us weep in embarrassment and reach the realization that this guy is looked at like a geek for a reason. But hey. If the consensus is that he's leveled up from being a Bullet Club B-team guy, let me know.

I haven't noticed this enough for it to strike me as an observation or anything yet, but I'll be paying attention to see if I notice it more going forward. Any other notable examples? I definitely thought JR was referring to Neidhart at first - but didn't want to go there due to the timing with his recent passing and all. But then Conrad threw the Lex curveball and JR went along with it from there. JR speaks in generalities, well, in general though. A lot. As long as we continue to get good stories and shows of this caliber, I'm good with it.

Alright. I'm fully on board with this show for now. The latest episode reviewing the events surrounding Beware of Dog was a sleeper hit. Plenty of entertaining stories and little gems. It was a topic I honestly wasn't expecting much from (especially since Prichard already covered it a few years back), but I really dug it. Buck Johnson. Bearcat Johnson. Bobo Johnson. Porkchop Johnson. Junkyard Johnson. Thunderbolt Johnson. Whateverthefuck Johnson. The story of coming up with a name for Ahmed Johnson was tremendous and should be heard by all. Enjoyed the story about having lunch with Rocky at the diner. Rock expressing how he'd like to pay for both meals but doesn't have the money is pitch perfect. Even if you told me it was embellished or exaggerated (and I'm not saying that it is or anything), it sums up everything about the Rock's personality that you've heard from countless people before. Good stuff. Loved hearing JR go into detail about Yoko's weight gain and health issues. We've heard some of this stuff from Bruce before, but JR tackles it with a more personalized approach. He recalls explaining to Yoko that he is going to literally eat his way out of a job if he doesn't change his lifestyle. Also, apparently among Yoko's favorite foods were fried turkey tails slathered & dipped in mayonnaise. Yikes, Yokes. It's good to hear so many people (Austin, Corny, JR, even Bruce) sound off on Savio Vega's skills and put him over as a great worker these past several years. I hope it resonates and reaches more & more people, because I still hear/see some folks talking about Savio as if he's just the punchline for how disappointing or underwhelming a "mystery partner" reveal can turn out. Apparently, an early idea pitched for the Goldust character included having Marlena wear a PROSTHETIC PENIS. That's right. So that the outline of a dick could be visible through her gowns and dresses. Incredible. I cracked up at Conrad calling bullshit whenever JR tried defending the Goldust premise. Conrad outright asks JR if he even knew what "androgynous" meant before hearing it used to describe the Goldust character. "Naw. I can't even spell it now!" At least Ross sort of relents and admits that he just heard it repeated so many times in those meetings. Next week is Over The Edge '99. That should be interesting. I give The Lapsed Fan a lot of shit (and rightfully so), but their coverage of that show was among their very best ever. I'm curious to see which angles or approaches Conrad chooses to employ, because there's just SO MUCH ground to cover. And with Jim being right there at ground zero as the tragedy happened, oof. It's a delicate deal, for sure. I didn't give JR's old podcast any time whatsoever, but this new format absolutely works for me. JR as the host with rotating guests was meh. But JR as storyteller, answering questions while Conrad hosts and serves as a steady tour guide is much better.

I've never actually watched along with any watch-along podcast. I listen at the gym, while commuting, grilling, doing yardwork, etc. I mean, it's not like it's a requirement or a prerequisite to enjoy the conversation. Things are fairly easy to follow. If anything, I'd imagine it would be more distracting than anything to try to watch a show and focus on the podcast audio simultaneously. There's nothing groundbreaking to be found here, but it's a decent little listen. Both guys are having fun and talking about random stuff throughout the show. My main takeaway was Bruce randomly busting out a Lance Russell impression at times. So there's that. Conrad goes into a bit of a sidebar about television ratings and fan criticism that I wish they would've delved into a bit more as a broader discussion, but it just kind of petered out. There's a Q&A episode coming up in a few weeks, and they sort of teased that there would be some discussion about past versus present booking philosophies. If they actually adhere to it, then that could be interesting.

It's no wonder why interest in WWE is way down. Even setting aside all the issues with their presentation and storytelling that we've touched on before... Too many of the guys on TV today seem like they learned to work in a Gymboree in front of a small circle of their friends and peers only, and it shows. Nobody works the crowd. No attempts are made to engage the audience. Nobody even tries to establish any real connection. Nobody elicits a raw reaction. Nobody reaches to invoke any kind of actual human emotion. It's all stringing together moves, like they're at the PC trying to pop their peers or impress the road agents with their "workrate" or some shit. Everything looks & feels like it's being done SPECIFICALLY and ONLY for the sake of receiving a grade or a scorecard at the end. NOTHING feels like a struggle or a fight. There is no urgency. There is no forethought put into what an individual would actually do in any setting. It's all just "hurry up and get to the next rematch." Even worse, they mistakenly confuse all the pregnant pauses, the contrived facial expressions, and the terrible dinner theatre dialogue for "drama." And so that gets done to death. On top of that, we're smack dab in the Gratitude Era - where any match that even has a small fraction of a chance in hell of feeling like something special is immediately undercut by a bunch of their enemies rushing out to pat them on the back, take a bow, or try ultra hard to come up the wittiest way to say, "Congratulations!" on social media. It's pretty fucking awful at best, y'all.

Their whole act was perfect for ROH. They played nicely off Punk's legacy and his past fling with Maria. Plus the years & years of having their talent pool "raided" by the big, bad corporation. Plus the fact that Bennett was tailor made for the WWE house style of the time. It just fit and clicked so well in a very specific context there. As far as WWE's declining viewership goes, I honestly don't know what it would take for them to come to the realization that it truly is the stars that draw interest and viewers. The brand doesn't sell shit on its own. You need stars. You need attractions. You need competitors with momentum to oppose rival competitors with momentum. This 50/50 nonsense needs to go. This start & stop stuff is garbage. Stop punishing your audience whenever they choose to like something. The self-contained breathing apparatus that was John Cena is gone now, and it shows. Everything feels like it's on life support. The big money is there, but the decline in actual quality is drastic & downright astounding. WCW made big money in 1997 and 1998, too. Then '99 dropped 'em in their tracks like a heart attack. Same/same. The McMahons' bizarre hang-ups and insecurities have caused them to withdraw and retreat away from promoting people like actual stars. But those fortress walls they've built to keep everyone caged in like slaves to the system are the exact same walls that keep everyone from getting over. It's fucking madness, y'all. Bring on the Elite.

I'm not trying to pile on the guy or anything, but Earl's work really took a nosedive during his time with TNA. I'm honestly unsure of how many people are aware, which is why I mention it. But yeah. If you thought the cadence of his count looked poor towards the end of his WWE stint, it eventually got much MUCH worse. And he got less & less mobile. And slower. And less involved. And less dependable at doing much of anything. That's not me being ageist. That's just me observing his performance and his work. That's just common sense. Besides, if you're talking veteran refs who CAN bump, who are reliable, who get involved, who actively enhance every match - then they've already got Knox right there. Dude's the best ref going today. Period. But hey. Good on Earl for getting a paying gig. I ain't mad at it.

I really dug all the merchandise talk on the Slamboree '97 episode. The little sidebar about TNA trumpeting their "per head" numbers when they were drawing 200-300 people into the buildings was amusing, too. I've heard about it enough, and I certainly believe the numbers to be true. But I just can't "see" any Sting shirts or merch from 1997. I mean, I guess the masks sold like crazy? Because I definitely *do* recall seeing those things everywhere. But for me? In my mind? It's just a sea of nWo and 3:16. I'm talking black tees errrrwherrrr for almost 2 years. Oh. And those DDP shirts with the purple & powder blue coloring. The idea that Sting merch was ever outselling nWo swag is still strange to me though. It just doesn't seem accurate, even if it is. I loved hearing Eric's detailed breakdown on the 4-man booth, too. We've heard Bischoff go "into the weeds" about commentary before, but this was another level. If you ever want a complete, thorough analysis of Eric's thoughts on commentary and the various forms it can take? Look no further than right here. Bischoff does an excellent job in covering the purposes of color commentary, play-by-play, expert analyses, and well-timed humor. He gushes over Heenan's wit, Dusty's timing, and Tenay's encyclopedic knowledge. But his description of Tony might be the most on point of them all - calling Schiavone the "traffic cop" of the announce booth. I had some major time to fill today - between Legs Day, meal prep, and my drive time between those - so I was also able to burn through the Uncensored '96 show. This one had less stuff of interest for me, but it was still another solid show in all fairness. Eric goes hilariously HARD at Beefcake. This ranks right up there with the awesome Bagwell and Jarrett rants from previous episodes. Unfortunately, the Uncensored show features a lot more Meltzer ranting. It sort of derails the discussion a few different times. It's not quite enough to drown out the positive points of the whole show or anything, but it *is* enough to drag things down and feel like an unfortunate return to an earlier era. Oh. And they took a moment in the open for the Slamboree '97 show to react to the response for the Korea show. Conrad points out how it's been interesting to see the downloads trend upward after word of mouth spread, since initial downloads weren't high and people probably weren't familiar with the event.

It's tremendous, man. Not much actual wrestling talk, but I think it's pretty close to perfect in terms of tackling the subject matter. There *is* one minor meltdown on a Meltzer matter, but it comes when Conrad reads the rumor Dave reported about Hogan supposedly declining to participate to avoid doing a job to Inoki. Eric had previously already covered Hulk's (lack of) involvement, and so it felt kind of unnecessary for Conrad to even retread that news bit. Same time? I tend to believe Bischoff here. Like you, I could probably come across as a Bischoff apologist, but I don't know. Eric presents the facts (there would be no merch money for Hulk here, Hogan was not contractually obligated so it would be strictly voluntary for him to work the show, and Hogan had no real motivation to go into this semi-hostile territory for a show). Plus Hogan is the same guy who willingly offered to do a job for Jacques Rougeau in a similar situation, while Hulk was practically at the peak of his powers. I doubt he would've went running away from a job for Inoki, who Hulk has seemed appreciative of at various times. But I'm hardly going to demonize Hogan for not wanting to travel into uncharted territory for a non-paying gig during his scheduled time off, ya know. Call me crazy, I guess. And yeah. I'm with you, @The Thread Killer. I let my wrestling podcasts sit on the back burner for awhile and drifted over to other stuff for a couple of months. I do this every so often to keep things fresh & prevent burnout. I let this show sit from the Uncensored shows on up until this past week. Now I'm burning through this backlog, along with some select Something To Wrestle shows and of course the new JR stuff (which is probably what drew me back in, if I really look at it). I know our thoughts sometimes line up fairly closely, but I'm curious to hear you reflections once you get a chance to check it out. You always seem to point out or give voice to little things I miss in my reviews anyhow.

That episode covering the Collision in Korea was downright FASCINATING. Seriously. It leapfrogs most of the field & instantly ranks right up there among the very best podcasts I've heard. This is Bischoff at his absolute best. The story Eric told about going for an early morning run is so engrossing and enthralling. His descriptions of the people and the scenery PUTS YOU right there as if it's happening in front of your eyes. It's like hearing this cinematic screenplay described to you through your earholes. Very interesting stuff. Also dug the details about the tour and the altered take on historical events. Some creepy stuff thrown in there, too - particularly the part about how malnourished the people appeared, and how they would eat their own dead in the more poverty-stricken populations. Oh. And I got a kick out of Ric Flair being weaponized as the ultimate embodiment of "evil" American decadence. Good stuff. Highly recommended for anyone out there who hasn't checked it out yet.

Percy Watson quit the company to pursue his acting career, in what could legitimately turn out to be the most exciting thing to happen in WWE this week.

Still going back and catching up on some older episodes I'd skipped. That Mean Gene tribute was awesome. Loved the glowing praise Bischoff gave to Gene's involvement with the Hulk Hogan heel turn in '96. It made me go back and check out the actual segment itself, and yeah. Okerlund is absolutely the perfect selection for that spot. Nothing to really write home about the Spring Stampede '94 episode. You guys have touched on the Missy Hyatt stuff enough, so I won't retread some already tired terrain there.

I just randomly came across a clip of Mojo Rawley's new entrance and gimmick & whatnot. I'm not sure what in the actual fuck I just saw, but it... It wasn't good, y'all. It wasn't fit for television. It was awful. Embarrassingly bad. Like, sub-Ascension level embarrassing. Like, Mantaur level shameful. Glacier's long-ass entrance, complete with snow flurries and overly drawn-out karate thrusts, wasn't this cringe-worthy. I mean, the guy never had a particularly "good" act or anything. But oof. This was BAD. He's got to be thinking this is truly bottom of the barrel stuff. I legit felt bad for him.

He was inexplicably over a few separate times. It's weird. Overall, I don't think I dislike him quite as much as most. I mean, he's tolerable. And I've come to enjoy him (at times) in brawls. But he's not very good at the fundamentals or the in-betweens that matter where it counts. The guy got by on presence. He carried himself like a star, and so some influential people perceived him to be a star. He came along at a time when that loud, brash, bombastic personality and cadence was what EVERYBODY thought they should ape in order to be a top guy. Everyone had it embedded in their mind that they needed to talk like The Rock, essentially. Kennedy did that. Dude literally talked like Rock and walked like Austin - even did the head bob trash talk mannerisms. Kennedy was like a living, breathing CAW where somebody mashed up the traits and movesets of the Attitude Era's most over guys or something. Really strange to look back on now that I think about it. But yeah. Check out that cage match with Kurt, if nothing else. It's violent. It's bloody. It's a glorious, fitting finale of a dogfight that just doesn't get enough love in the grand scheme of things.

I've been letting these episodes build up for about 2 months now, but I randomly decided to listen to the Spring Stampede '97 show at the gym today. It's another easy, solid listen. Eric's thorough breakdown on the skills & talents of the one Lord Steven Regal was epic. That was some GWE on PWO level shit and should be sought out by all immediately. Truly good stuff. Oof. Conrad goes in HARD AF on the Public Enemy. "Na-na-na-NOBODY. THAT'S WHO." legitimately cracked me up though. And I still get a kick out of the running joke of Bischoff shitting on Jimmy Hart at every available opportunity. He doesn't go out of his way to say anything here. But there's a point where Conrad lists off Hart's name, and Eric audibly lets out this groan of suffering & sheer agony. It's hilarious. Like the sound of a middle-aged man wrestling with the world's worst recorded case of heartburn. Eric's hang-up on the front back kicks & front round kicks and whateverthefuck else kicks is just bizarre. It's his equivalent of McMahon's corporate buzz speak and mandated terminology. The rant about Tony calling the kick by the wrong name was funny through, because absolutely no one on God's green earth gave a single solitary fuck what the kick was called. Except Eric Bischoff, of course. "Rob Van Dam as Glacier" was a rumor I was totally unaware of. Never realized that was even a thing. Eric actually had quite a bit of fun with the gossip & rumors on this show. Hope that trend continues, actually. I don't know how much of Ultimo Dragon's stuff holds up, but I think the question has me interested enough to go back and check out some of that stuff. I remember really digging the matches with Rey and especially Psicosis from WCW, but that's going off memory alone. I may go back & scope some of those out real soon, if nothing else.