SomethingSavage

Meh. I don't expect there to be much in the way of new stories. They've already covered SOOO much Austin, Boss Man, Rock, Russo, and 98 in general. If you'd ask me beforehand, I could have sworn they already covered this show. Surely they'll at least retell the Jerry Brisco story for the 500th time.

I can't even fathom sitting through a 3-hour Raw and actively wishing for an overrun, just to get a real sports feel. But hey. That's me.

You guys are mighty optimistic to put faith in this company to save Becky's spot against Ronda until Mania. I'd say the more likely scenario is that they do a quick one-week reheat of the angle once she's cleared, then quickly feed Bex to Rousey before moving onto Charlotte for Mania. Maybe it'll headline a "hard" 3-hour Raw or something. Hope I'm wrong, of course. I much prefer the idea of Becky breaking through and swiping the Mania money match away from Charlotte. I just don't think it's a realistic expectation is all.

Agreed. It feels like they've been in a rut for awhile, and I've only been dipping in & out - whereas I used to never miss an episode. I've actually built up a backlog of episodes for only the second time in the show's history, and I'm really not all that motivated to wade through this whole slew of 98/99 PPV cards to get caught up. I doubt I'd be missing much. Bruce's strength lies in his bullshitting and storytelling, but there's just zero fun to be found in these things lately. It's fallen into full-on formula mode - mainly with Conrad reading results, and Bruce punctuating it with a brief response of some sort. I did check out the entire Regal show though, and yeah. It was disappointing. But that's mostly because I'd already heard most of the material directly from the man himself. So hearing it reiterated in secondhand bits & pieces just left something to be desired. That being said, at least it had Bruce telling a few stories about Regal. So there's that. I'll probably go back to stockpiling them in case I ever convince myself to give it another shot. But it's fallen way, way down the pecking order for me. The format or the material could use a shakeup. I don't know that I ever need to hear Bruce talk about anything that happened in 1998 ever again. Get out of my life with that shit already.

What he said. Imaginary Stories was the bee's tits.

There's a charm to his trippy, dated dialogue though. When the stories, the conflicts, or the characters aren't clicking. Yeah. It can seem rough. But on stuff like Spidey, Cap, the FF, and even Dr. Strange - it can be a LOT of fun. Stan's writing & handling of these characters in their infancy was so innovative and imaginative in a culture and time that was starved for something like that. And, for awhile there, it seemed like he was never at a loss for ideas. Even if they weren't ALL slam dunks, Stan had way more hits than misses. When you step back and look at his creativity combined with the sheer workload, it's downright AMAZING what he was able to do for the industry. Stan Lee was transformative.

Infinity was a banger of a story. Enjoyed the shit out of this one. Short, sweet, straightforward, and it packed a punch. These cosmic level events and space opera stories can be very hit or miss with me, and Thanos himself isn't always given the greatest material - despite being an awesome presence with a neat motivation to fuel his quests and desires. But this one works for me. Thanos is in full-on beast mode. Better yet, he's surrounded by a downright cool gang of henchmen here. The Black Order, who I totally missed out on & knew nothing about prior to this reading, is one badass crew. They're elite killers. They're essentially the Four Horsemen to his Apocalypse. Great visual designs for each one of 'em, too. Oh. And the back story of how & why Thanos selected these individuals is pretty fucking cool, too. The idea that he summons them in their weakest & their most dire moments - when they literally reach the point of wishing for death - just works oh so well. It fits perfectly into Thanos' established obsession (and fascination) with death. I love it. The general outline involves Thanos ordering his Black Order to go out & slaughter planets & entire species. They threaten with annihilation by force, but offer these victimized cultures a way out. Thanos requires a "tribute", which basically calls for each race to serve up the heads (literally, the decapitated HEADS) of all their children between a specific age. Eventually, it's revealed that Thanos has been secretly hunting for his son. He is seeking to find his son and have him killed. We never really get a full, detailed explanation as to WHY - which diminishes the story just a bit for me. But that's something I may have missed in a companion book or a tie-in or something along the way. *shrugs* I don't know. Doesn't matter. Everything else is a BLAST. The battle scenes are nuts. The scope is GIGANTIC. And a diligent, determined Thanos is something to truly behold. Dude's RELENTLESS. And powerful as fuck. Thor gets some BIG heroic moments to shine here also. His battle cries offer up these awesome scenes that make you just want to pump your fist in the air. They're great. And his fight with Thanos - brief as can be - is king sized for the way it's handled. I dug the way Black Bolt was depicted here as well. I've never been an Inhumans guy. I mean, Jenkins' depiction of them was okay back in the day, but I've never felt any need to seek them out or anything. With that being said, Black Bolt evacuating his people but remaining atop his throne to meet the impending threat from Thanos head-on? Fantastic. Loved it. As always, I did a bit of digging to assemble some sort of frame work before diving into this story. And I guess this was the beginning of Marvel's push for the Inhumans to supplant the X-Men. So I can understand why it would rub some people the wrong way. But I've been so far removed from all that stuff, and so I could totally immerse myself in this story, in the stakes, and in the awesome scope of it all. Good stuff. Hickman continues to deliver as a writer in my eyes. At this rate, I cannot wait to get around to his Secret Wars story at some point soon.

To be honest, if Becky was vomiting herself stupid, then she probably shouldn't have been hoisting people overhead for German suplexes in the first place. Sounds like a silly decision by all parties involved, but shit happens. There's a reason NXT told Alexa she wouldn't be allowed to start bumping in training until she gained some weight. She had developed an eating disorder during her competitive bodybuilding days also & was weighing about 90 pounds. Becky's tremendous, but that shit's stupid and dangerous for the girls themselves and anyone that's in the ring with them.

That was Hogan, devoid of every ounce of his physical athleticism, still managing to create magic and a memorable moment. His sheer showmanship and charisma carries that performance, and it's fucking fantastic. You will never silence some of the Hulk critics and haters, but that BFG match with Sting is basically Hogan having a crazy fun match using the only attribute he had left. I love it. Absolutely adore it. And that point in the post-match where Hogan rips the shirt? Goosebumps. Brought a legit grin to my face at the time, too.

My comic book consumption has slowed down drastically due to work and family priorities, but I'm still working my way through various Marvel story arcs I missed over the last 12 years or so. Civil War was a weird one for me. I originally tried to ignore all the tie-ins and whatnot, and I was totally underwhelmed to be honest. It was only when I backtracked to the beginning and tried to follow EVERYTHING chronologically that the puzzle came together for me. And from there on? It made much more sense. The story itself felt more cohesive. The characters and their motivations seemed clearer. The whole picture just came into finer focus overall. The Frontline stuff contained some of my favorite moments. I'm generally a fan of the quieter, slower, more reflective moments in between the big battles & stuff. So Frontline really helped to accentuate the main title in many aspects. It offered a unique perspective to see things from the reporters' level & follow along as they tried to cover the news - and eventually even unravel the mystery of the registration act itself. At times, the tie-ins told better stories than the core book. I mean, the premise of Civil War absolutely works for me. The public losing faith in its masked protectors? I get that. Fearing superheroes' potential after all that death and destruction? Wanting a scapegoat for the lives of those children? It's a very raw, real, emotional issue. I just wish they would have made it MORE about the philosophical differences between Cap and Tony Stark. To be fair, it started out that way. But things kind of got diluted as the story progressed. It eventually found its way back in time to wrap things up. Overall, it was a satisfying read. And I'm certainly glad I went back and gave all the sidebar stuff some proper time & attention. In summary, Civil War started strong & finished strong. But - for a good chunk of the middle portion - I found myself much more interested in what the tie-ins were doing with the material. Wolverine was in total revenge mode, out for blood & uncovering this secret sleeper cell sent by Namor. Cable and Deadpool were out for answers. The Frontline stuff. All that kept me engaged and invested in the story more than Cyborg Clone Thor or whatever the fuck. I also read Age of Ultron. I honestly don't know why. Ugh. This book. I never really "got" Ultron, even back at the peak of my fandom. He just never struck me as anything great. I dipped out for awhile when Busiek was writing Ultron Unlimited, so maybe there's secretly a gem of an Ultron story lurking out there that I'm unaware of. But this one is NOT that story. Marvel is absolutely unafraid to show its love for dystopian alternate futures. Days of Future Past. Age of Apocalypse. Even Age of X. These stories NAILED it. Two are classics. The Legion story isn't nearly iconic, but at least it felt harmless and brief enough to be fun. It didn't feel like it overstayed its welcome or anything. And let's face it. The best part of these future stories is the chance to see the different, aged versions of your favorite characters. All those stories gave you that. But the aged versions in Age of Ultron aren't even all that fun or different. I mean, the Black Widow look is unique, I guess. And Cap became... Uhh, Colonel America. And borrowed Nick Fury's eye patch. So there was that, I guess? I don't know. The story starts out hot and had my interest. The heroes operating from hideouts, having to rescue a kidnapped, drugged Spidey? Humans being hunted by Ultron drones? Vision being manipulated and serving as the stand-in avatar for Ultron? I dug all that. I was on board. But fuck. It all fell apart FAST after the time travel started. Wolverine asking his past self to kill him is a huge hole in logic that I can't comprehend. Would Logan's character really be so upset and so depressed by seeing his friends murdered that he would rather just die to forget it? Fuck nah. He'd be out for blood. He'd be on a murderous rampage. Not this sappy, suicidal stuff. And the time-released virus idea read like such a contrived concept. I mean, it's comics. I get that we're always going to have an Ultimate Nullifier or whatever to bail us out in the end. But at least get imaginative or creative about it. Give us an artifact, an item, or a McGuffin that's halfway interesting. This time-released virus shit just came across as lazy and half-baked. Since getting back on this big comics kick a few months ago, I don't think I've been so disappointed by any of the major story arcs I've read. And I've given most of them proper praise & glowing reviews. So I really don't feel too bad about shitting on this lame, nothing happening story.

Okay. Settle down. I mean, yeah. Becky is fiyah. But there ain't a promo on God's green earth that has anybody anywhere clamoring for Seth Rollins to headline anything. But yes. Becky is da man. Carry on.

Hasn't he been a focal point every year at Survivor Series since returning? I know people love to hate them some Shane McMahon, but there are WAY worse things with this company than putting Shane O'Mac on camera a little more a couple of times a year. I mean, at least you can connect the dots & draw a logical conclusion as to WHY they do it. His return was a big deal and met with a mostly positive response, even if the Taker match was shaky. And even the Owens grudge wasn't terrible. Hell, the cell match itself was pretty fucking fun. It carried a decent sense of danger and unease around it, which I really dug & appreciated in the actual moment. So yeah. Hate the guy if you want, but they could (and continuously *do*) go down shittier paths than this one. If anything, they should lean further into it. Let Shane completely ape his sister's real life, creepy-smiling corporate character. Let Shane come out on stage and take a bow with his Smackdown children. Let Shane welcome us to the GRATITUDE ERA, where they're winking & nodding & performing & sports entertaining & congratulating & creating movements & pushing for positive change all across the universe and shit.

Good lists, guys. I'd overlooked a lot of these, but this makes me want to scan back and do some re-watching myself. Oh. And that Joe/Aries match from Slammiversary 2012 is a tremendous sleeper hit. Fast-paced, hard-hitting, hot opener in front of a hot crowd. The first Aries/Kendrick match from 2011 should get a shout, too. They had two fights on PPV that year. One was at BFG and was just okay. This was the other one, from like a month before that, at No Surrender.

Kurt Angle vs. Ken Anderson from Lockdown 2010 is a truckload of hate, caked in blood-soaked fun. James Storm vs. Chris Harris in their Texas Death Match. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries from Destination X 2012. Austin Aries vs. Lashley from the Destination X 2014 special episode of Impact is an infinitely watchable power/speed bout. Jarrett vs. Angle. They're all pretty enjoyable in different ways, but their first two clashes at BFG and Genesis are probably their best. Can't recall which ranks ahead of the other though. Austin Aries vs. Bully Ray from Sacrifice 2012 comes to mind, although I honestly can't tell you if it's all that good. I'm including it because it brings to mind good feelings - of a time when the company felt buzzworthy, both guys were experiencing hot streaks, and Aries was really catching fire as a baby face by standing up to Bully. Oh. And those chops. Christ. Those chops do some fucking damage to Aries' chest. I'm sure some more will come to mind with time, but that's all I got for now.

I'm loving later-in-life Jericho here. See, I don't think the advanced age/physical limitations are hindering him. At one time? Sure. It was like he was struggling to keep up and being overly ambitious for what he was actually capable of doing anymore. Now? Not so much. I think he's proven to be smart enough to adapt, and his matches have been a blast. They're heavier on brawling, on character elements, and on storytelling. But I'd argue that those things were always his better attributes anyhow. As someone who has seen his precious spare time decrease considerably (and progressively) over the last few years, I have to say - I appreciate shorter matches. Fuck the idea that these main events all need to be some iteration of the Okada/Omega draw. Or anything remotely close. Give me variety in these time lengths. Give me a ten-minute sprint to shake things up once in awhile. I'm down for all that. And I just don't have the time or patience to sit through a bunch of filler wrestling and padded match lengths anymore. If it doesn't feel essential to the story, I'm usually skipping ahead or glancing at the clock & feeling guilty for not using my free time more wisely anyway. I get that this is an odd stance on a site called ProWrestlingOnly and all, but I'm just being honest. I'm not 18 years old with seemingly unlimited free time. Fuck going Broadway. Give me great matches, for sure. But get on with it. I'm not bothered one bit by the rematch with Naito. It fits. Seems like the next logical step for both guys. I wasn't really expecting Naito to headline again just yet. Maybe I'm in the minority there, but it's like - if he wasn't going to get that top spot, then this is a suitable consolation. NOT going with the Jericho rematch would've felt like an equally egregious missed opportunity at that point.

But was the New Japan show "necessary for feminism", y'all? Did it help "push for change", you guys? ... I don't think so.

If his goal is to get people to point out how shitty his opinions are, then kudos. He has won this day. Being a journalist and all, perhaps his priorities should aim a smidge higher though? Just a thought.

Meh. Dave Meltzer is a dinosaur. He was good for his time, but his views are primitive by the elite standards of today's wrestling critics. Their understanding and analysis of storytelling/psychology is much more advanced. Dave only thinks within one box. It's an oddly-shaped box full of Japanese guys and Crossfit fanatics, and it makes a strange thigh-slappy noise whenever you lift the lid to look inside.

Are they entering that mandatory Survivor Series mode where they're going to start pretending that the two brands really hate each other & represent drastically different philosophical values or some shit? I would normally say it's shoehorned in and disruptive to their ongoing booking, but there really isn't any ongoing continuity to adhere to, so... Problem solves itself, I guess.

Shawn can't get over with modern Meltzer. Not enough Crossfit. Dave is essentially just a movez mark at this point. I mean, yeah. He happens to know a lot about history, so he's knowledgeable enough when it comes to facts & figures. But as someone with actual good taste? I just don't see it. I'm not even completely convinced that he'd recognize good psychology if he saw it anymore. Seems like it would have to be pointed out to him & then fully justified in his mind. Honestly, I could rattle of twenty people who offer better insight and more viable opinions than Meltzer. His fetishes & favoritisms for the flashy stuff have risen and been catered to in today's wrestling, and those things have bred to create a really shitty Twitter account with the social skills of a rug. I get that some people love and defend Dave, but holy shit. I can differentiate my respect for him as a historian from my thoughts of his ratings & his sliding scale of what qualifies as great wrestling.

Wait. They abruptly & unexpectedly lose Roman to a life-threatening illness, and their immediate solution is to suddenly bury their second biggest star? In favor of what? Another Brock run with the beef red belt? Fuck me running. 2018 WWE has to be a strong contender for single Worst Booked Year of any major promotion ever. I guess you could disqualify it on the grounds that the booking has never mattered less in terms of their profit, but fuck. This is a dreadful low that makes 1999 look at least tolerable. Both are shit. Don't get me wrong. But one is the shade of shit in which NOTHING ever happens & nothing matters. The other is a different shade of shit in which TOO MUCH happens & tries to matter.

Are there any angles on this show? Is it strictly matches? I've been trying to find the easiest access point to get into it, but my spare time is limited & nothing has really sparked enough interest just yet. I did seek out a couple of podcasts with Court, but he's all buzzwords. You've got to work extra hard to get any sense of what he's really saying - and all I ultimately came away with was that it's a one-hour show with Shane Strickland as their champ.

Anyone watch the Wagner/Jarrett hair match? Is it worth checking out? Or ANYTHING on that show worth seeking out? I've neglected lucha for a year+ (aside from some LA Park insanity, which is forever a priority), but I figure I'll end up with plenty to catch up on at some point when I truly start to miss it. That's typically how my fandom goes with all things.

Big Show talking about meeting Scott Hall in WCW for the first time was great. "Hey. Remember to tuck your chin when you take my finish, okay?" Tremendous. Recently burned through the Mark Bell episodes. I realize plenty of wrestling fans have zero fucks to give about bodybuilding or powerlifting, but I love it. Steve's training & nutrition episodes are some of my favorites. Smelly and Stone Cold chopping it up about Tony Atlas' crazy impressive physique and his best bench press was unexpected but awesome.

Isn't the prince basically just fantasy booking his favorite Attitude Era stars, and WWE is doing their best to accommodate his every wish? That's the impression I've gotten anyway. ... If so, gotta wonder how many missed calls have been placed to 317 Gimmick Street.