SomethingSavage

Lucha Underground is the one wrestling program I can binge watch like an actual television show, so I typically wait until I've got a good chunk of five or six episodes to burn through at once. My comments will likely be scattered & staggered (and always late), but I *am* stoked that they're back for another season.

The obvious problem with the Twisted Bliss off the top of the pod being that Sasha was just showing her teeth as a heel by betraying Bayley, and Bliss was meant to be the heel champ fighting for sheer survival. Booking her to do the big risky stunt down the finishing stretch was some of that weird, ass-backwards stuff they do nowadays and try to brush it aside as just a sign of the changing times. It's not. It's just a poor decision. That's a high spot reserved for babyfaces - not for the heel champ who is about to tear into the fan base with a mocking promo a few moments later. I have no issues with her in-ring work though. She's improved by leaps & bounds since the Becky series, for sure.

If there's one talent with a guaranteed golden ticket to succeed, gift-wrapped for superstardom, it's gotta be Velveteen Dream. With that being said, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they fucked him up on the main roster within three months.

You guys were right. Jericho's response was great. He's clearly lightened up on a lot of his animosity toward Bischoff since writing the book, but he still called "total bullshit" on some of Eric's recent claims all the same. I'd kind of forgotten what a dick Scott Hall was said to be back then. Sheesh. Pissing on Benoit's cowboy boots? Needling Jericho about his "little Terry Taylor push?" Just seems like the guy was a miserable prick, despite making big money like a bandit at the time. Jericho's impression of Hall was pretty horrible, and yet the cadence was kind of on point at the same time. Cracked me up. The line about WCW still owing his dad money was funny, too. I never read any of Jericho's books, so I never knew the "man of 1,004 holds" shtick was Disco Inferno's idea. Never would've guessed that. I don't know why really, but Jericho just sitting back - going dead silent - whenever Conrad would do his goofy, exaggerated belly laugh was amusing to me. Happened at least three or four times. But the "two brownies for two gentlemen" psych out test had to be the absolute best. Loved that little story. Just goes to show the effect Vince's reputation can have on people. And then for the whole secret meeting at Vince's house to ACTUALLY turn out to be a trial of trust in reality?! Tremendous. So yeah. This one's well worth seeking out and giving a listen, guys. It's a soopah fun listen overall, and it really is the perfect companion piece to Eric's episode on Jericho.

He's said that at least a dozen times on the podcast. He always follows up by clarifying that he hates the high risks, the dangerous bumps, and the potential for injuries.

Why would anyone feel sorry for them either way? Before? They were making big money, staying drunk, hanging out with friends, and being spoiled, wined & dined by sponsors. Now? They're making big money, staying drunk, hanging out with friends, and living at home with their families. Hardly a charity case in need of donations either way.

I also like the "bullshit" guys being included. It mixes things up and practically forces matches to become more diverse or die trying. Yano isn't ever a terrible pick for that role, but somebody different would've been nice anyhow. And yes. Beer City Bruiser in this thing could've been the bee's sleeves.

At this point, I honestly feel like watching wrestling with the distinct purpose of "rating" it is detrimental to the overall viewing experience in the first place. If you can't simply enjoy something without the obsessive need to validate it via some weird criteria or ranking, then perhaps you're taking things way too seriously. It's a hobby. You aren't obligated to see everything, rate it, and document it. Just enjoy it every now & then for fuck's sake. Star ratings are the shits. I don't need to check in with someone - journalist or not - to know if I actually did or didn't enjoy something I just saw for myself.

^^ I figured part of the reasoning behind putting the IC Title on him was for the US dates. The Alexa Bliss episode was the next random show I pulled up for my commute, and I honestly wasn't expecting to get much out of it. It was definitely one of the weaker episodes overall, but the conversation was breezy and engaging enough. There was the usual praise for Dusty, Terry Taylor, etc. But then there were a couple of interesting bits beyond that, too I remember when Alexa first stormed onto SmackDown, there were tons of memes and gifs springing up with her vast array of reactions & facial expressions. Then, suddenly, that just stopped. She explains that Vince approached her backstage after the move to Raw and asked her to dial down the outrageous, over-the-top expressions. Vince apparently told her it was "too much." I found that surprising, since it seems like something Vince would love. I was also slightly curious to see (hear?) how they'd approach her eating disorder, if at all. Of course it didn't come up, and it's not like I was bothered by it or anything. Jericho likely knew nothing about it (admitting this was the first time he'd spoke to Bliss at length), and Alexa only mentions it in passing - talking about how she weighed 96 pounds on her first day at the PC, when she was told she'd need to gain some weight before they allowed her to workout & bump in the ring. Anyway, it was a decent listen overall. Not one worth seeking out or anything, but it's not like I felt like i wasted my time either. Alexa has a bubbly personality throughout, and her enthusiasm when discussing horror movie monsters is infectious as fuck.

I don't really have any feedback for the latest few shows or anything. They're all kind of retreading previously covered ground for the most part. So I'm just doubling back to say - as a result of the Bob Holly episode, I've now started on his book and have sought out several interviews, shoots, and radio appearances featuring the Big Shot himself. Gawt damn. This man's a fucking goldmine of quotes and interesting stories. I mean, it's reached a point where I'm genuinely interested in sitting & hearing his thoughts on the Wellness Policy for twenty minutes and shit. Bob just walks, talks, sounds, and generally behaves like 80% of the people I tend to socialize with around here. It's a refreshing, "no fucks given" take. But I really just came here to share this - according to Bob (when asked about his favorite stuff in WWE besides the hardcore division), there was a segment that got axed for time restraints and never aired that he wished would have made it onto TV. Around 2000, apparently there was "A Very Holly Christmas" segment scheduled. As laid out by Bob, it would've revolved around Hardcore, Crash, and Molly decorating their single-wide mobile home for the holidays. The segment sounds like a sort of precursor to the Slater's Got Kids stuff we got a couple of years back, with more & more members of the Fighting Holly family slowly piling into the small space of the mobile home - until it was like sardines in a can. Eventually, the scene deteriorates into elbow nudging and then shoving - until it's an all out brawl among the family. The trailer park is trashed in typical hardcore match fashion. Roll credits. Oh. And there was some sort of running gag about Bob wearing one of those hideously loud, ultra festive Christmas sweaters. And he just sounded so disappointed that this thing never made air. How can you not love this guy?! It really is a shame we never saw it though. Because that sounds tremendous.

Enjoyed the first episode a good bit. I understand why you would start with Kaufman, although Jerry was admittedly distanced from a lot of the process there. We still got Jerry speaking to his own booking strategies & philosophies a bit, which was cool. No mention of Bruce or any silly bullshit, which I appreciated. Can't wait to hear Jerry tackle a topic in which he was more involved & hands-on. Solid start.

That's awesome, man. I've only ever collected comic books (and stopped that in high school), but is there an abundance of those old mags available out there? Let us know if you discover anything interesting worth sharing.

Wasn't the "JTG is still employed" deal a running gag for awhile?

I'm trying to wait until mid-week to check it out. I listen to a lot of podcasts with my current schedule, and I've grown to love Jericho's show in general. But this one clocks in at just over two hours, so I'm trying to save it for one of my heavier gym sessions. I don't want to listen in smaller sessions at work, and it's too long for my commute to/from work. I'd like to listen to this one uninterrupted.

What's the definition of succeeding on top though? Business doesn't tank? Because I don't expect that, by any means. But he's not going to excel or anything. And the matches will be "good" from an action-filled standpoint, but they'll also be monotonous and repetitive. Because he's incapable of selling angles or stakes. I guess it's just a matter of tastes & preferences. If you dig the matches as isolated matches - like turning a video game on & off afterwards, with no ramifications or continuity attached - then sure. You'll probably dig it. But yeah. I wouldn't expect a Seth main event run to make a dent either way. But that's more about the nature of their business model today than anything. The story development, the presentation of the program, his nonexistent character, and his inability to make a single thing mean ANYthing still convinces me that it would suck all the same - regardless of how bulletproof their model seems to be at the moment.

Well yeah. I'm just going based on their history & way of doing things. If that were the case, it would open the floodgates for a truckload of guys - several of them still better suited than Seth for said spot. He's still the guy with no personality or identity, working heated grudge matches with six months of story like they're a throwaway at the top of the hour on Raw. He's athletic & flashy as fuck, but guys like Jeff Hardy do so much more with so much less. They're capable of making shit mean something, which is something I've yet to see from Seth in any situation. It's all near falls and kick-outs and "sequences" without consequences or drama of any kind. Seth could be in main events if he's booked to be in main events, obviously. But it's not optimal. Then again, the whole structure and nature of the business is turned sideways with TV rights deals and everything - so it's not like I'd be shocked to see it happen. It's just be really, really awful. That's all.

Wait. So Taker/Hunter's Hell in a Cell wasn't the End of an Era?!? ... I don't know what to believe anymore.

Agreed. Seth is generally awful, but it's a matter of context. He's precisely where he should be, doing precisely what he should be doing at the moment. Plus he's winning more often than not. Nothing is expected of him outside of having good matches. That translates to favorable crowd reactions. He's the cruiserweights on Nitro. Placing the demands of main event matches & segments does him no favors. He's a proven failure and falls WAY short in every category when it comes to that stuff. I just feel like a lot of people miss that point. His current over-ness isn't a sign that he should be elevated back to main event status. It's a sign that what he's doing right now is working. After all these years and all this experience, Seth still just comes across as a guy with zero sense of storytelling or psychology. His grudge matches and blood feuds are worked exactly the same as his opening IC Title defenses on weekly Raws. Intensity, urgency, and purpose is nonexistent. It's all flashy moves and working spot-to-spot. You can practically see the gears turn in his head in between everything. To be fair, some of his selling has improved a bit. But not by much. It's still mostly random knee-slapping and snake-hissing. As a worker, he's every bit as flawed as a Davey Richards - which is why I find it so strange when people are willing to overlook one but not the other. Seth may just benefit from being one of the few segments that eases the suffering of sitting through these dreadfully long death march cards these days. I don't know. As far as the IIconics go? Meh. I mean they've got a stupidly spelled name. But Seth has like, what? Twelve stupid names & they all mean nothing. The IIconics are okay in their roles, but they're still figuring out how to distinguish themselves from the other female factions & characters. Seth simply has no character to speak of. So it's sort of a toss-up. I do enjoy Seth's matches alot more lately, so I guess he comes out ahead overall. But it's alot closer than it should be.

Still going back and listening to some shows I've missed over the years. This week, I chose a handful of Jericho's shows to get me through my drives to & from work. A recurring theme in a lot of conversations is the idea of Vince behaving like this big, overgrown frat boy backstage. It's childish, of course. But it's also really cool to hear. Vince just purposely bumping into guys in hallways - shoulder blocking them, sneaking up on them and whispering in their ears, etc. is just plain fun to think about. Vince emasculating guys is something you hear quite a bit about, too. In this day & age of snowflakes, precious feelings, and everyone loving to feel outraged about ANYTHING at a moment's notice - I can see how that might bother some people or whatever. Still, hearing the story of Vince constantly teasing Johnny Ace about his horrible hair and his frosted tips when Laurinaitis first came on board was tremendous. I love listening to Jericho talk about the little things in his dealings with Vince the most though. You get the sense that they really have a unique relationship, and it's something Jericho seems particularly proud of as well. You hear Austin mention A LOT on his show that it's absolutely vital for top talent to develop a relationship with Vince, and Jericho reiterates that by outright pointing to it as something that helped to turn his career around. Jericho offering insight about Vince's approach to motivating guys is fascinating, too. "Look, that was good. God damn it, that was good. But you're not as good as you think you are. What if we tried this..." Good stuff.

Just a heads up for anyone who dug the Jericho episode of Bischoff's podcast - today's Talk Is Jericho is the rebuttal from Jericho's point of view. In a pretty cool twist, Conrad is hosting & steering the conversation again. Mileage may vary, and I'm not even sure when I'll get around to listening. But Jericho is usually dependable for a few good stories. Could be a fun companion piece to the Bischoff pod, which (I thought) was excellent.

The first Piper episode of It's Always Sunny was a blast, but I always got a kick out of the Futurama episode where Bender joined the Ultimate Robot Fighting League. Bender adopting a Gorgeous George gimmick and going by "Gender Bender" was great, but The Foreigner was just the fucking best. "I'm not from here! I have my own customs! Look at my craaaaaazy passport!" *nuclear heat ensues*

I hope they have the good decency & the common sense to give Elias the IC title. The guy's got alot going for him & actually stands a chance of becoming a bigger star for them, if they don't drag their feet on the deal and give him a legitimate shot. He really is superior to Seth in every conceivable way that actually means anything. Plus, this could free up Seth to move into the main event mix, where all his flaws will be exposed again & everyone can put him back in proper perspective so shit makes sense again.

Well, not necessarily. Rich people do stupid shit all the time, too.

No, but peace of mind breeds happiness. And a certain sense of peace comes from feeling secure. Financial security is key in our capitalistic world. That's just reality. Of course it's great to feel fulfilled artistically and creatively. But, when push comes to shove, responsibilities will take priority. Not everyone can realistically afford to pursue Disney fairy tale goals over real world bills & obligations. Obviously the key is in finding balance & a comfortable middle ground. If we're using Sabu as one end of the spectrum, then look no further than a guy like RVD for an example of that middle ground. The guy's probably perfectly satisfied with his legacy and impact in th business. Plus he made some money-driven moves along the way - enough to set himself up comfortably. Now he can call his own shots as he pleases. That's an attainable goal, which ticks off the artistic AND financial boxes. It's a little silly to pretend the only options are "total sellout" or "broke bum Randy the Ram."

That's awesome. Can't help but wonder what the catalyst was for that. I mean, it's kind of crazy to imagine a wrestling character transcending so much and embedding itself so deep into a culture that way. Just wild. I *did* decide to do a little digging into Khali's promotion and some of its results over the past few years. There's no real way to confirm exact numbers or anything, but there's footage and photos to see. And it all looks really impressive and a bit awe-inspiring. Very cool stuff, to be honest. The show Jinder was speaking about on the podcast (from last Spring) involved the stretcher job angle and Khali's eventual rematch for revenge at the following event. And now it looks like Khali's gearing up for another round of shows. The last one was back in February - with the claimed house being around 35,000 - and his next two are set to take place on June 29th in Mandi and then on July 7th in Solan. I never intended to turn this Talk is Jericho thread into a Festival of Khali Appreciation or anything, but fuck it. Khali is drawing huge houses, headlining with the likes of Crimson, Brody Steele, Mike Knox, and others. He really *is* the Carlos Colon of India in some ways. I'm fascinated by all this at the moment.