SomethingSavage

Ugh. I wish people would refrain from speaking for others in general. No viewing is a mandatory prerequisite for seeing anything else. It helps, sure. Context always does. But it's not a necessity. I watched All In. It was some of the most fun I had watching a wrestling show all year. And I would rank it the second or third best all-around full card of the year. But I haven't seen one full episode(?) of Being the Elite or whateverthefuck. But that really doesn't matter. The recaps and buildups were explained well enough on the show itself. The whole, "if you haven't seen this, then you aren't qualified or knowledgeable enough to comment on that" talking point needs to die in a dozen dirty dumpster fires. Right now. Because it's the fucking worst, most off-putting conversation killer to ever spring up in any discussion. Anywhere. It's so closed-minded and intolerant in nature. It's why I hated the GWE process. It didn't take very long for even highly respected posters to start saying that silly shit - saying that others shouldn't vote unless they've seen all styles from all cultures to ever exist. People can only comment on what they have seen. Try encouraging them & persuading them to seek out other stuff. Telling them they MUST watch something "OR ELSE" isn't the way to go about that.

Yeah, I've heard something similar to that, now that you mention it. Even with those restrictions, I'd be interested in hearing his thoughts on some of the decisions & changes during his tenure. We already got a little bit of that - with him talking about it always being his goal to approach storylines like television seasons, with longer arcs & whatnot. I get it though. It'd be kind of hard for him to tiptoe around Conrad's criticisms of Aces & Eights or the Anti-Christ Jeff Hardy stuff if Bischoff could only really serve up half-answers in his own defense (without really pointing fingers or listing names). So yeah. It's a shame. Because I'm a fan of that TNA 2011-2012 time frame, and I'd love to hear more about it.

I won't even lie. I instantly thought of Parv and his DiBiase love after posting this thread last night. Pretty sure there was an episode of the Pro Wrestling Super Show podcast on the subject three or four years ago, too. Balor and Velveteen Dream are quality shouts also. Dream owned the scene last year, and his air-brushed tights were fitting tributes to Rude and company. Never much cared for RVD's air-brushed stuff, but Ryback had a few that were alright. I never really dug too much of Devitt in New Japan. The work just didn't match the hype. However, his entrances were out of this world. Supreme, stunning creativity and excellent execution across the board. I loved that he mixed it up with various comic book characters & shit, too. Very cool. I tend to hate the T-shirt & jeans look. It's lazy and apathetic as fuck. But I'll admit it can work for certain guys. Jeff Hardy is one of those guys. He does sometimes look like a stumbling bum in the throws of a gnarly acid trip with his awkward dancing & gyrating - and the Hot Topic look is incredibly dated - but damn if it doesn't work for the dude. But the real reason I mention him is because I've grown to really dig his face paint. It was nothing special at first, but he upgraded his paint game in a MAJOR way during the redemption run in 2012 TNA. That's when he started getting really detailed with the borders and the color schemes. He also broke out the wicked contact lenses & began painting his eyelids there, which created a seriously awesome visual for his ring introductions.

Ahh. Okay. That comment just caught me off-guard at first glance.

No worries. To be fair, the AWA episode is less about the promotion itself or its happenings and much more about Eric's introduction to the business and Verne. It's essentially the Bischoff origin story, with a few fun stops along the way. I totally understand if that holds zero interest to you, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Okay. I'm gonna need you to elaborate on that last part at least a little. Terry Funk thing?

There are no TNA-centric episodes just yet. The only one that mentions anything specific about TNA is the Q&A episode. It's a breezy, quick listen at around the hour & a half mark. Truth be told, the AWA show and the two covering his first year in the WWE are among the best. You're missing some fun stories if you choose to skip out on them completely based on the subject matter, although I don't fault anyone for feeling burned out by any WWE topics by this point. The Starrcade episodes are all enjoyable, for the most part. And I dug Havoc 98. Pretty much everything post-Pillman is a quality listen. Pre-Pillman, you could skip all of them except the Dusty episode (for the amazing Hogan run-in on the last half hour) and the Jericho one.

So, like I said, this pod has been on a really strong streak for the last several shows. As a result, I've started to go back & fill in the gap by listening to the earlier episodes I'd originally skipped over. Eric was surprisingly, refreshingly honest about his disappointment with Havoc 98. I always appreciate that. Conrad even tried to give Eric some praise for the strong buyrate, but Bischoff quickly corrects him & points out that it's sometimes worse when you get such a big audience to witness such a shitty show. You're effectively left with a larger pool of disappointed, disenchanted customers. And he's right. Jackie Chan versus Ernest Miller on pay-per-view in 1998? Sign me up. For real though, the Cat is a total guilty pleasure for me around that 98/99 time frame. And Jackie Chan was actually a pretty big hit with pop culture for awhile there. It was cool to hear Eric talk about his time in TNA for a change. I kind of wish they'd go the Prichard route and take a couple of episodes to really dive into the subject, to be honest. In any case, hearing how Garrett got his start was neat. I never knew he trained with Rikishi & Gangrel though. I always just assumed he was a Team 3D Academy guy. Oh. And Eric talking about how his deal with TNA came together was funny. I cracked up when he called it the "Jimmy Hart tax" - meaning, if they wanted to sign Hulk (which they definitely DID want), then they had to sign Bischoff (which they didn't). Tremendous. The story about sitting next to a closeted wrestling fan on the plane was great, too. Loved that. Oh. And Eric's analogy of 90s pro wrestling (pre-Bischoff) being like porn - people watched it, but nobody admitted to watching it - was pretty on point. It was cool to hear Eric throw some praise Al Snow's way, too. I'm fairly sure they only worked together in TNA, but it's clear that Eric liked Al's approach to psychology and philosophy in wrestling. I've always found that Snow is one of those guys who sounds brilliant in interviews, but I've never really got the sense that he's all that capable as a booker. I know his first OVW run (under the WWE umbrella) was panned and considered a disaster for business, but how's he doing now that he's acquired the company himself?

In the spirit of the holiday festivities, I figured we could let go of over-analysis and grading systems for a moment & just free ourselves up to talk about something shallow, superficial, and fun. So what are some instances of your favorite ring gear or entrance attire? I really dug the throwback jersey gear Chris Hero was sporting in his last big indie run. The Jordan-Bulls tribute was especially awesome. The kid in me will forever find all the old Razor Ramon outfits to be cool. That purple & gold - topped off with his chains & greased-up hair - was just slicker than owl shit, man. Even the green & yellow "lemon lime" look (which I'm normally not a fan of) somehow worked for him. And how about EVERYTHING Drago, please & thanks? I mean, Christ. The blacked out nightmare man look? The molten lava burnt orange look? The grey gargoyle look? The royal blue, the poison red, and on & on & on. All of them are winners, offering distinct and vibrant visuals. And, while this isn't directly tied to Drago or anything, I absolutely love it anytime a guy can show up for a match in unique gear to mark the occasion as something more meaningful. Grudge match gear & Championship Mode attire are always appreciated. I always enjoy the all-white appearance as well. Hell, when he wasn't killing Sting's career or crushing Cena's face or disintegrating his own kneecap, the most notable thing to come out of a Seth Rollins singles match was that sweet ultra-white attire he wore at that SummerSlam. LA Park pretty much goes without saying, especially in the white suit. And ESPECIALLY especially if a bleeding wound, a fire, and/or a riot emerges nearby. All these things are practically accessories to the LA Park outfit. And just a couple of random ones that nobody else is likely to mention: Joey Ryan and Candice LeRae had a fun nod to the Star Wars droids for awhile there. And back during the days of the original Mount Rushmore in PWG, there was a six-man tag with the Young Bucks and Kevin Steen teaming together. The Bucks came out in their usual colorful gear - looking like a bunch of taffy & tassles got rolled around in confetti & paint. But then Steen comes out with his fat ass stuffed into the same suit (MATCHING GEAR, YAY!), and it was fucking tremendous. It looked like a Nasty Boy forgot his shit & had to swipe something from the Rockers' bags. I loved it. So yeah. I'm sure I missed a truckload of obvious picks, but I just wanted to get the thread started. Hopefully we can loosen up and have some fun discussion here. Happy New Year's to you guys. Everyone be safe & be sure to enjoy every last second of 2018.

The talk show segments have become problematic on so many levels. I mean, yeah. They're overdone and exhausted, but that's the least of it. WWE has adopted the idea that the segment is not a vehicle intended for the host to "get themselves over." It's baffling to hear someone like Bruce Prichard bash a guy like Christian for attempting to "get himself over" when hosting the Peep Show. Somebody go watch a classic, MEMORABLE Piper's Pit and tell me that wasn't the exact design & purpose of the whole thing. It was a platform used to get the host over, first & foremost. Otherwise, why make such a big deal out of selecting a skilled talker to steer the thing in the first place? Instead, they've created a scenario where the host is now effectively just a mic stand. Since it isn't the host's place to get over, they're basically trotted out there like neutered mediators. And they usually come off looking pretty stupid as a result. The guests aren't protected any better either. Because this talk show style segment only further highlights the AWFUL pro wrestling trope of two hated rivals standing directly across from each other - and just talking to one another. Slowly, deliberately speaking their dialogue. And happily waiting their turn in line to do so, too. It's the shits. And so everyone - host & guests included - often come out of these things looking worse. There are rare occurrences where the Miz can elevate a scene or two on MizTV, but he's also smart enough to make sure he's getting himself over there as well. Outside of those instances though, there's nothing there. Name the last great Peep Show segment. Or Cutting Edge segment. Or Carlito's Cabana. Or whateverthefuck. What was the last memorable angle launched on one of these things? The Jericho turn on Shawn? I mean, if there's no big angle to shoot or some PURPOSE in doing these things, I just don't get it. Bringing Alexa Bliss out to get all catty & bitchy with two women who happen to be feuding this month is really just any other segment on any other week of Raw, right? I just wish they put more thought & care into how they present their performers. I realize that's a pipedream in a world where sheer content output comes first, but Christ. Everything they do feels like it's filling time to get them onto the next week. It's practically all placeholders holding together more placeholders at this point.

The constant cloning of Piper's Pit is one of those tropes that needs to die & go away completely for a long, long time - until another super special, once in a lifetime talker comes along and demands a need for it. I like Alexa well enough and all, but she ain't that. And folks are delusional if they truly believe the issue with Seth is who he's programmed with at any given time. It never matters. The guy's been paired with every meaningful act in the company, and he's never really any more over in one instance than the next. Reactions to his entrance do not mean he's over. Because that's quickly outweighed by ALLLL that silence when he's actually, ya know, performing in front of people. Seth's problem isn't his feud of the day. Seth's problem is Seth. His matches are all the same, regardless of who he wrestles. He never allows the story or the opponent to dictate the story or the match. Everything Seth does is evergreen, to his detriment. He's the king of white noise wrestling. As a result, it looks & feels like he's always on autopilot - regardless of the athleticism or physical effort involved. It's all devoid of intensity or urgency. And people pick up on that. Seth will wrestle the opening match on Raw - against a debuting opponent with no history - exactly like he will wrestle a blood feud, grudge-ending match against Dean Ambrose or Kevin Owens or Triple H. He makes no effort to tell a different story at any point. It's impossible to distinguish a "big" Seth Rollins match from a weekly Rollins match on Raw. There's always a bunch of his "hissing and reaching for the knee" selling, but he's always going to get his shit in and run through the same stuff over & over again. If there ever comes a day where the guy is actually over, I'd gladly admit it. But it baffles me that anyone would claim the dude is over now. He isn't. The people feel NOTHING for him. He has zero character or personality to speak of, and the audience couldn't care any less for what he does after they get to shout at his entrance for five seconds.

Didn't Triple H use the Indian Deathlock in the Mania match with Booker? I may be misremembering that. Shawn Michaels doing the Lord's work & "reclaiming" the Crossface for Jesus or whatever certainly was something. Matt Hardy tried to make that Ice Pick submission a thing. As far as I know, he kept it around in some capacity for a really long time, too. Eddie Guerrero had that Lasso From El Paso for a short time during the Smackdown Six era. The Big Show has tried out a truckload of finishes over his tenure. The Choke Slam, the Final Cut, the WMD, and the Cobra Clutch back-breaker (which still remains a personal favorite for me) all spring to mind. Anyone remember Batista adopting the Ankle Lock back around 2009 when he had the awesome little team with Rey? And then there was the short time he was using the Rings of Saturn once he became Kanye-style douchebag Batista. I actually didn't mind that & thought it suited him much better. The name, the Batista Bite, was fucking awful though. I loved it when Chris Hero began to utilize a plethora of Piledriver variations to put people away in PWG. Dude was basically educating the audience that any one of them could end a match. Plus, he's such a deceivingly big guy. So his Tombstone, his Gotch-style, and especially his Jumping Piledriver all looked like instant death.

I'm right there with ya, brutha. This show has been my go-to lately. Revisiting the AWA, recounting Eric's first year in the WWF, and the entire Starrcade series have all been fairly awesome listens. And you're right. There was some insightful, fascinating discussion on this latest episode. You already ran down most of the stuff I would have touched on myself. The only item I would add is a bit more on the Hogan influence & what it meant for WCW at this point. Eric does an excellent job of outlining the decline in North American wrestling actually. And that sets the stage supremely well for everything else. Bischoff admits that luck and timing played a part in "luring" Hulk to WCW in the first place, which was surprising but refreshingly honest. But he goes on to discuss how Hulk opened up doors for them globally & internationally - with promoters and companies paying upfront for shows. I'm not very familiar with the ins & outs of their tours from this time period, but weren't they touring previously in Europe with Vader/Sting on top a year or so prior to Hulk's signing? What was their business like at that time? I'm just curious to know now. Either way, Hogan was such a major coup for them. And Eric, if anything, underemphasizes that a bit. At the very least, he doesn't go overboard in overselling it. Another noteworthy item came with the talks of Turner's interest in acquiring NBC. Given Hulk's status, popularity, and familiarity to mass audiences - even more directly in this instance, via Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC - you could absolutely assume that this could have been another factor in Turner being so willing to sign Hulk at all costs. I'm not saying this with any certainty, of course. But I am sort of surprised that it isn't brought up as a talking point more often. That's all. While I'm speculating though, you can kind of get the sense that Eric only barely tolerated Jimmy Hart most of the time. He has openly bashed Jimmy's dated look & his animated personality A LOT. And Eric almost seems to go out of his way to mention it with every show he's on - which, again, is a lot. But yeah, man. These shows have had some fun moments & some fascinating talking points recently. They've definitely been better than anything Prichard has put out in a long, long time.

I tried listening to some of the recent stuff. The December to Dismember one wasn't too terrible, but yeah. The rest are the dirt worst. Conrad is constantly talking about the silly shit he collects and his friends' dicks. Or balls. Or turd jokes. Conrad is kind of a 40-year old frat boy with sub-Scott Keith-level opinions about wrestling on this show. It's pretty fucking awful, to be honest. And Tony's occasional quip isn't enough to lift it to a tolerable level for me - not with any regularity, at least. Oh. I did crack up at Tony randomly gushing some love for his favorite Beastie Boys tracks though. Wasn't expecting that.

Conrad Thompson's shtick is basically a Scott Keith gimmick.

I'm usually a week or two behind on these things, but I didn't see a download option for the latest ep.

Secret Empire was super fucking fun for me. And look. I can totally understand why it's such a divisive story for die hard Captain America fans. But I honestly dug it from start to finish. Right away, I've clearly noticed this pattern within modern Marvel storytelling. It feels like a major trend that they've found successful. And, as is the case with pro wrestling and television and almost all facets of entertainment, they're going to run it until the wheels fall off. And the hot new thing to do seems to be taking these popular, long-established heroes and turning them temporarily evil. If it works once, ya just know they're going to ride that wave again & again. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not complaining. This practice has resulted in way more hits than misses. Superior Spider-Man was an admirable, ambitious effort. It was woven with care and calculation. And it was very well-executed in the end. Superior Iron Man was a much shorter project, but it was an equally enjoyable experiment. The exploration of Tony Stark being king dickhead - with all his dirt worst traits turned up to eleven - was just such a blast while it lasted. Again, yes. It's easy to understand why these things are met with some criticism from longtime fans. But, if you approach them with an open mind, I think you'll find them harmless enough in the big scheme of things. They're not doing permanent damage to the iconic heroes from your childhood or anything. Furthermore, you've got to admire and appreciate the effort that goes into these stories. It'd be easy to tell a lazy, cliche story of good guys going bad. But that's not what these have been. There is clearly thought and focus put behind these decisions. I'm actually quite surprised that the novelty hasn't worn off with me yet. But that surely speaks to the quality and diversity of these various stories. If I had one criticism or concern to lodge at a lot of these recent stories I'm reading, it's that a lot of elements sometimes feel like they belong in a "What if?" story from yesteryear. Instead, they're being told front & center in the mainstream 616 continuity. I'm not necessarily opposed to that, but it is sort of startling to see Captain America gut himself in another dimension or suddenly adopt the Red Skull's tactics. It's fun. It's shocking. And it's honestly told in dramatic, suspenseful fashion. But yeah. It can sometimes feel exhausting to take in and accept it as the new canon. Anyway, I won't fault Marvel for opening their options and allowing more creators to operate outside the box a bit more nowadays. I do think they've been wise in selecting the right writers for handling these larger story arcs, too. Secret Empire was really well-crafted, in my view. Several issues ended on a pitch perfect note - like a well-timed cliffhanger on your favorite TV drama or something. The stakes were constantly raised with each layer of development, yet it never felt like they were piling on for the sheer sake of padding out the story. It all tied together. It all made sense. And it all served as a stern reminder that - yeah, you better believe it - Captain America is a masterful militant mind. And, given the resources, he could outmaneuver everyone on the planet and achieve absolute domination. I loved all the little moments of shock & amazement whenever another hero would come to realize who was behind the sabotage and just WHAT was really going on. That was great. The fear and betrayal on their faces were fully detailed and right on target. It sold Cap's turn as this big, BIG freaking deal like it should be. Cap's maneuverings as Hydra leader were so calculated and strategic - dividing & conquering the heroes by first separating the strongest & most formidable from the weakest & most vulnerable in the pack. There were times when things certainly seemed dire for the good guys. Cap's interactions with Black Widow, Miles Morales, and Sharon Carter were all highlights as well. They offered small glimmers of hope that the real Cap was still somewhere deep inside this new Hydra Cap - but then further reinforced that, nah. He's actually one evil bastard. Loved all that interplay. The Cosmic Cube being used as the McGuffin made total sense, too. All the groundwork and back story was in place to wrap this story up, which is why I never worried or had any issues immersing myself in this villainous turn. Of course it was temporary. Of course it was always intended to have a resolution and a way out. Sometimes I think fans get too hung up on changes & fail to just enjoy the ride in the moment. I like that they sort of left things open-ended. I mean, yeah. Cap was returned to normal, but his character was called into question. And his credibility with the public will surely suffer some dents & bruises going forward. But that's fine for the sake of character development. I never felt like the actual integrity of the Steve Rogers character was harmed at all as a result of this story, which is what I believe bothered most readers. The bit with the children fighting over a Captain America action figure - only for the closeup to reveal it's a SAM WILSON Captain America, and not Steve Rogers - was a nice freaking touch. Neat nod to all the wonderful work that previously went into establishing Sam as an alternative Cap. And, while I have no desire to see him permanently fill those boots, I do recognize that the Falcon character has been elevated in recent years (similar to what they've done for Bucky). Oh. And that final discussion between classic, original recipe Cap and extra crispy Hydra Cap at the maximum security prison was fantastic. Both stated solid arguments from two very distinct points of view. It's the sort of debate that feels like it comes from a real place, given real voices and real motivations. It's a tremendous exchange and a fitting way to close out the story. I've never really been a big Cap fan or anything - only dipping in & out at sporadic intervals throughout the years - but I've enjoyed the hell out of some of this recent stuff. Even if you're hesitant about all these stories hinged on heroes turning into villains, I'd highly recommended checking this one out. Secret Empire is pretty awesome.

Civil War 2 was another weird one for me. Overall, it definitely underwhelmed. I'd put it a peg below Original Sin (which gets elevated by way of its sheer weirdness), and I guess I'd place it somewhere around the same level as Age of Ultron (which I really didn't dig at all). Bendis is hit or miss with me a lot of times. That feels somewhat strange to say, since he was really hitting his stride around the time I dipped out of comics. He was one of my favorite "new" creators on the scene. The dude's got a knack for natural, organic dialogue. And his character development is on point at almost every turn. But, when it comes to these larger than life story arcs (the sort Hickman thrives on, primarily), Bendis just feels out of his element. It's no wonder series (and characters) like Ultimate Spider-Man and the Jessica Jones/Luke Cage shipping are often cited among his strongest contributions to Marvel. It's not just that they were his early hits. It's also largely due to them being these slow-simmering, character-driven tales. When it comes to these bigger team-oriented endeavors, you still get some of those key character highlights. But the moments are fewer, further in between, and harder to find. And they're never quite as sharp, because Bendis is busy trying to tell a story that feels larger in scope. But the payoff is never in proportion to all the table-setting he does in the first place, and so it all feels sort of unbalanced by the end. One prime example is Bendis' tendency to write or create problems with built-in solutions. I realize that's practically an accepted device in comics, but it doesn't need to be so obvious or feel so contrived. Ulysses is both the problem and the solution to said problem. He's the flashpoint and the extinguishing agent in this story. It's just lazy writing. It's way too convenient and flat for my tastes. And maybe it would be livened up if there were better beats in the story along the way, but there just aren't very many. From that first panel of his initial appearance, Ulysses never feels like a fully developed, fleshed out person. He's introduced to be a catalyst, and that's fine. But there's never really anything compelling done with him. The guy just has visions, and some folks tend to believe him. For reasons. Fair enough though. I can overlook that convenience for the sake of a good story. But it never quite gets over that hurdle. Instead, we're teased with PLENTY of dangling carrots that are quickly snatched away just as fast as they're introduced. Nothing is ever really explored - not enough to give real weight to the conflict anyway. It's unfortunate, too. Because there's actually a damn decent story waiting to be told underneath it all. The opposing ideals of prejudice versus actual justice - of assumption of guilt versus presumption of innocence - is actually a fascinating and fine setup for the story. But we're shortchanged on all that for the sake of superheroes fighting each other. Again. It's a real shame and a wasted opportunity. In fact, the big philosophical split between Captain Marvel and Iron Man feels second rate to the Inhuman/X-Men war, which is elevated for me by the Magneto involvement and the progression of Cyclops as the jaded, bitter prodigal son of Xavier. I understand why a lot of fans hated that development, but I actually admire what they did with it and how it unfolded over a long period of time. If I were a Cyke fan boy, maybe I'd feel differently. But as it stands? I thought it made for a fine story - especially with the reveal of making him a martyr and an idea, making him very much the top student of Charles Xavier in the end after all. So yeah. Don't get me wrong. The story has its merits & its shining moments. Hawkeye fulfilling his promise to Bruce Banner, the mutant mist crisis hanging overhead, and the basic bare bones structure of the Civil War 2 story are all quite solid. I guess I just ultimately didn't care for the way Bendis handled his end of things. It all felt very rushed and undercooked. As always, I tried to do a little digging to see what preceded, followed, and led to this story arc at the time of its development. And apparently it was mostly a cash grab, intended to capitalize on the third Cap movie. And that makes total sense in hindsight. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't know that going in though. I doubt I would've given it much of a chance or a fair shake. This way, even when I knew the story wasn't landing with me, I was able to seek out & find little gems that I did enjoy. So yeah. Civil War 2 isn't exactly highly recommended reading by any means - and it doesn't compare to the first Civil War in any measurable manner - but it's fun enough. I don't feel like I wasted my time. There's some good dialogue and some thought-provoking debate along the way, as well as some pretty cool action to keep you engaged as a reader. I'm currently right at the tail end of another major arc, which I can't wait to empty my thoughts about - even if it's just me talking to myself. It's an easy enough way to keep track of my reading.

Well yeah. The unknown and the unpredictability is supposed to enhance the anticipation & the suspense. When wielded correctly, that is the function. Imagining results and how the brackets MIGHT shake out is half the fun. But, again, it comes down to delivering the goods on the actual show. If you book your tournaments like shit, then you can't act all appalled when people react like that shit stinks. Conversely, if you consistently serve up satisfying results and pairings, then people will go in giving you the benefit of the doubt, merely on the promise that you'll continue to do right by them.

Big E is a good shout and a fun option, but it seems like the sort of program that would be required to level up Big E first & foremost. Nothing wrong with that per se, but it's the sort of program that occurs between the big shows mostly - rather than being featured as a pillar. That being said, I *did* use the Austin/Bret comparison, and that's precisely how their program was designed. So there ya go. But I feel like the money feud would be with Cena. There's a laundry list of reasons, but if Bryan wanted to lean into his disdain for cheap merch, bright shirts, and commercialism? Then yeah. There's no bigger target (and possible top-tier rival) than Big Match John himself.

I particularly love how Vince rationalizes his dismissal of tournaments by saying they don't draw, because you can't advertise or announce enough matches. ... Yet BOLA has been the biggest, hottest ticket on the independent scene for years. PWG has proven what really should already be known - if you build goodwill with your audience, then they will place faith in the promise that you will deliver. They don't always need specific brackets or announced matches. Book good shows with satisfying results. That's all that is needed.

Bryan's heel act has been incredible thus far. He feels like a total breath of fresh air. It's the person using his voice to convey his thoughts & present his personality - only in fictionalized settings. That's it. That's why it stands a chance to resonate and strike real, raw nerves. It isn't robotic, monotonous verbiage or white noise wrestling nonsense. I'm honestly loving it. And I'd love to see Bryan zero in on a specific target. It feels like he would greatly benefit from having a counterbalance - a Steve Austin to his Bret Hart, basically. As great as the matches are with him, AJ isn't that guy (strictly from a character standpoint). Maybe it's Rey? I mean, yeah. I realize that sounds like fan service fantasy booking that's already on the minds of people, but that could absolutely work. Rey & his masks representing the sort of consumerism that triggers Bryan to then set out on a relentless mission to remove said mask (and legacy, and heritage, etc.) from Rey permanently? I'm on board with that. I'm sure there are other candidates. Jeff Hardy is actually pretty exceptional in getting angles over also, and he has a proven track record in similar situations - with Punk in 2009 obviously, and later in an underrated program (with a fun premise) against Kurt Angle in TNA. I'm not even kidding. I could see Jeff being the popular contrast to Bryan, if necessary. Bryan's character is so ripe with potential that it basically enriches the turf all around him. It's amazing. And, just like with Becky, I truly hope they don't squander it for the sake of proving some goofy point or keeping 50/50 booking intact or whateverthefuck.

I've just been clearing through some of the eps I skipped, and yeah. A lot of stuff is retreaded territory. But the Dec. 22 1997 show was pretty fun, to be honest. It was a quick listen and afforded Bruce the opportunity to touch on a wide variety of topics. I was pleasantly surprised & mostly dug it. The story of Pat Patterson first discovering Scott Taylor on the independent scene was at least new to me, and I forever get a kick out of Pat referring to Shawn as "the Shawn Michael." I always enjoy the training camp talk from this period also. I actually wish we would've gotten more of that here. I haven't done a 97 re-watch since 2015, but I never realized one of the Usos showed up as the kid in that Santa segment. This period of television stands out for me, because it was the last time I really got the sense that Cornette was actively involved in anything on the creative end of things. Maybe he stuck around longer in an official capacity, but it was never as noticeable again. Overall, the show's quality and consistency is still on the decline. But it's not all bad. Honestly, it just feels phoned in mostly. And way, way too repetitive. This succession of 97/98-centric stuff has beaten my interest half to death. Hopefully there's a shift in the new year. Meantime? Bischoff's show is outshining this one week to week.

I'm grateful that Colt fell out of favor with ROH for awhile there, because the dude absolutely found other ways to remain relevant and one of the hottest acts in independent wrestling on his own for awhile there. He's hardly a big buzzworthy name or anything anymore, but Colt was very much that guy around 2010. Besides all that - and speaking purely from a fan perspective - I'm a HUGE fan of the rivalry he put together with Adam Pearce around that time. Their feud felt like a total throwback - involving neckbraces, piledrivers on concrete, steel chains, and fireballs to the face. It was fucking glorious. It was a real war over the NWA World Championship, and it was appointment viewing for me at a critical time when you couldn't pay me to care about anything happening on WWE television. But yeah. I'd put that Cabana NWA work up against anything going on in ROH from that time period. The Steen stuff was okay at various, scattered points. But it was badly mismanaged from the time he lost to Generico all the way up until their Ladder War. Generico wasn't around enough to properly pay off their rivalry, and the SCUM stuff felt like a discount version of Age of the Fall, despite having a decent lineup of quality personalities lumped together in there. And all the Davey/Eddie shit was boring beyond belief.

The only thing I remember learning is something I'd always assumed anyway - that Austin shot down a planned program and PPV match here with the Boss Man. Add Traylor to the pile along with Big Show, Billy Gunn. Jeff Jarrett, etc. Not that I find those guys to be an elite list of top-tier main eventers at Austin's level or anything, but man. His variety of opponents lacked any depth at a time when the business was luckily at its hottest & the Stone Cold character was at the peak of its powers. I guess it just would've been neat to see him face somebody not named Undertaker at, like, fifty-eleven different PPVs during the Attitude Era. Don't get me wrong. I don't fault Austin for taking care and being selective about who he was paired with & who was portrayed at or near his same level. He also had to feel safe and protect his body, which was riddled with nagging injuries at a time when he was smart enough to KNOW he had a shelf life as THE top dog in his industry. But that's the rational, reasonable, adult in me understanding where he's coming from. The fantasy-booking, inner-child super fan in me says fuck all that noise. Give me a 1980's Hogan-like run for Austin, where he's fed a steady diet of different challengers on house show loops every month. Give me that six days a week & twice on Sundays, please & thanks. Actually, that would make for a really fun experiment - creating an assembly line of various, unique challengers to feed to Stone Cold in 97, 98, and 99 based on the old Federation Hulk template. When you factor in all the usual suspects, the guys he actually dodged programs with, mid-carders like Waltman, a serious shot for Shamrock, the rumored Dr. Death deal, his good buddy and noted Real Man's Man Regal, and possibly guys crossing over from ECW or wherever for quick (big money) one & done paydays? You wind up with quite a fun list of challengers to build up Austin as the new champ & true ace.