SomethingSavage

Bruce has been doing his part to dispel the Savage/Steph rumors since 2013 or so. Highly doubt him repeating it again here will make a dent. People will keep parroting what they've already heard.

Listened to the Austin/McMahon episode at the gym this morning, and Conrad asked about the reasons why more wasn't done with PCO - who was still only 30 years young by '98. Taken out of this conversation's context, Bruce's answer sounds like something that could be said about Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, or a dozen other "dream match" main event level guys today.

They've covered the Mega Powers angle at least three times before this - the Savage specific show, Hogan's 80s breakdowns, and the very early episode on just the angle itself. So yeah. Can't imagine anything new out of that one. Regarding RVD, you really should listen to the episode. It's refreshing to hear Prichard praise RVD's uniqueness and gush a bit over a guy you wouldn't normally expect. And with RVD getting popped for possession at the speed trap, Prichard hinted that it was pretty much common knowledge in the back that Rob had been "cutting corners" and finding ways to beat the policy. And really, if you know anything about piss tests, they've become increasingly easier to beat. Hair follicle? Not so much. But piss tests ain't really no thang. So yeah. Some blame obviously falls on Rob. But the company clearly knew what they were getting into there, too. Besides, regardless of what Bruce says, there's no way I'll ever be convinced that they were ever 100% all in on RVD as the guy. At best? His WWE Title reign lasts into SummerSlam. They were always going to be back at Edge/Cena in time for Unforgiven in Toronto. I think it's plain to see the WWE Title reign was just a way to kick start his ECW Title reign anyway. I could see Rob getting a lengthy run with *that* belt - probably into the December 2 Dismember deal - but his WWE Title reign wasn't long for this world anyhow.

I literally only watch their super cards and never feel like I miss a single relevant thing. I've never seen a single episode of their TV, but it sounds terrible. I mean, I'm sure they occasionally have a match worth watching or whatever. But I don't feel obligated to see every above average match put out by every company on earth or anything. So, if the TV isn't even slightly compelling, I'm good.

Oh. And I forgot to mention - Braxton Sutter as the punching bag of the women's division is just tremendous. Pretty much kills him as a serious singles guy, but fuck that. It's fun stuff.

It was silly to take the title off him in the first place. They should go with Aries until they settle on making their next top guy. Pentagon is fire and a tidal wave they could ride temporarily, but he's not sticking around for them to build a bunch of TV and angles around. I thought the Redemption show was more good than bad, all things considered. It's true that much of the first half would've felt entirely skippable - if it weren't for Scotty Steiner. He's started to show his age a bit, and the T-shirt/middle-aged tat look does him no favors, but the guy showed up & put in work. I popped HAYOOOJ for the top rope Frankensteiner. And then that backstage interaction with Petey was just aces. Loved the callback to the Colt podcast with the Cracker Barrel reference, too. Pure fun there. I'm really digging what they're doing with their Knockouts division at the moment also. Or should I say, "again?" It's honestly probably their most consistent division, all things considered. There have surely been drop offs and declines at time, but they always seem to rebound and thrive - even at points when the rest of the company feels lifeless or totally uninspired. There's plenty of clearly defined characters among the current batch of Knockouts. Rosemary has been a favorite for awhile already, and she's almost transcended into this Taker-like gatekeeper role for the time being. Her feuds feel like standalone issues that exist outside of title contention, and that's pretty cool. Allie is essentially what Bayley could be, if her gimmick and bubbly appeal wasn't wrecked & buried by two years of bad booking. It's easy to invest in someone like Allie, and - because of that - it feels especially rewarding whenever she gets a title run like the one she's finally experiencing at the moment. Su Yung's look is tremendous. It really catches your eye. I was initially worried that it seemed too similar to Rosemary's act during her days with Decay, but nah. The undead bribe stuff works well enough on its own. It's creepy, and she plays it to the hilt. Oh. And the six-man hardcore war was fun, too. They didn't reinvent the wheel by any means, but it moved along at a quick pace. And it was packed with plenty of big spots & weapon shots. It delivered on what was advertised. (I *did* find the two OVE cutter spots to be memorable.) On top of that, it furthered the Eddie/Callihan issue. And, while the angle was also something we've seen before, it was executed really well. Those Singapore cane shots from Eddie were something else. Fucking fierce shots for everybody. I'm not sure where the wife miscue is heading, but I liked the chaotic scene we were left with here. It all felt totally appropriate for the war these guys have waged against one another. Oh. And that visual of Callihan, slumped down and just dying on the vine, was fucking fantastic. So there's that. I try to steer clear of spoilers, especially when it comes to these enormous taping sessions. So I'll try to wait until the stuff starts to air and see how things play out. I know they catch a lot of shit and snide remarks for being a glorified Canadian indie or whatever, but there are way worse strategies than what they're doing. I don't fault Callis at all for attempting to build some goodwill with a loyal, proven, die hard wrestling fan base and potentially expanding from there. Maybe it isn't ideal, but it's certainly not a bad idea either.

I was just kidding around about Corgan. Well, mostly... Billy actually made some noticeable improvements to TNA during his time there, to be fair. His overall influence varies, depending on how much you believe he was behind versus Borash and even Matt Hardy to some degree. But yes. Corgan's fingerprints were clearly on some of that stuff. Part of me wishes he would've been allowed to go full throttle with his vision - just to watch it become fully formed, if nothing else. I like what he's attempted to do with the NWA revival. And I especially enjoyed it at the start. But I don't know. It does feel like the direction is meandering a bit with time. Truth be told, we already witnessed a better NWA revival in recent years, and credit for that is owed to Dave Marquez and his CWF Hollywood promotion. *That* was the last time the NWA brand truly felt like it COULD mean anything substantial, and it was happening on a much more clearly designed stage than what you're getting now with Corgan's efforts. Don't get me wrong. I'm not discounting what Billy's been doing. I've dug it. But calling it the best thing to happen to the NWA - even just in more recent times - is to overlook a good two or three year stretch of time where they were really crafting a cohesive, compelling story around the championship. Hell, the best thing about Billy's NWA thus far - besides those early few weeks of Tim Storm as grizzled vet on his last legs, defending his hilltop - is the fact that it's helped mend fences and rebuild the bridge between Marquez's CWF Hollywood and the NWA brand. In an ideal world, Marquez would have a bigger presence & profile in the grand scheme of things.

Saw a post somewhere that said they're trying to make Dolph and Drew the new Shawn and Diesel... ... Except that they just did Shawn and Diesel with Alexa and Nia. So there's that.

Isn't Gabe notoriously butthurt about even the slightest criticism, too? Not sure he'd feel the love from you guys calling out his hypocritical philosophies or pervy commentary.

Just caught the latest Vampiro episode on my drive home the other night, and I absolutely loved it. Never would've imagined these two guys getting together and just shooting the shit so casually - sounding like a couple of guys that go way back or some shit. Very cool. I popped when Austin asked, "Hey, man. Whatever happened to SKELETOR..?!?" with genuine interest in his raspy voice. I just about lost my shit when, alongside Vampiro, I pieced two & two together to figure out just who he meant. God bless pro wres. Because here is Stone Cold Steve fucking Austin - interrogating into the whereabouts (and body type!) of LA Park. Vamp goes on to do his rep *some* justice, but I'm not gonna lie. I was really hoping he'd dish out more info, and especially serve up some recent match recommendations for our favorite rattlesnake. Shit. In my heart of hearts, I don't know if I wanted anything more in that fleeting moment than to believe Steve Austin was sitting up late that next night, perusing the tubes & surfing the webz in search of essential Park matches from the last few years.

In theory, this could be one of my new favorite podcasts. In execution, I think it could still use a little work. To be totally fair, I've only listened to a few episodes so far - and I've enjoyed most of them, for the most part. The shorter run time is a refreshing change of pace, to be sure. The guests and their stories have remained positive and more celebratory in nature than you might believe going in, which is nice. There isn't a lot of bitterness or resentment to be found here from anything I've heard. Definitely looking forward to consuming more of these and getting all caught up. I love the project itself for its sheer potential, if nothing else. The hosts themselves? I could almost take 'em or leave 'em, although they'll occasionally bust out a quality talking point from time to time. I still feel like the line of questioning could use some tightening up and some follow through at various points. But yeah. The conversations are light and easy listening. The main drawback is in the lack of deep dives or continued discussion on certain subjects at times when the conversation might call for it. But hopefully that improves over time. Here's hoping more people give this a shot.

And just how heartbroken is Billy Corgan about it all? I'm disappointed with the Aries belt collector bit coming to such a sudden & abrupt end, but I won't even lie. I'm curious to see how they handle the fallout with the next several weeks of TV. Pentagon packs plenty of buzz right now, so he isn't exactly a major drop off or a downgrade. I'd still prefer to see Aries in that seat for awhile longer, but I'm still on board to see where they go from here.

I actually enjoyed the RVD episode more than I would have guessed. Some solid insight into situations, some fresh backstage takes, etc. You can practically skip the first 20 minutes or so. It's mostly shilling for their Network deal, but once it gets going - it's really worth the listen. I think there's a fascinating underlying theme threaded throughout it all. You really get the sense that WWE resented Rob's attitude or demeanor - as if they were upset that he wasn't a total mark for the business. That's certainly the mentality that seems to come across to me anyhow. There's a reoccurring theme of them prodding him to show personality, needling him to show more appreciation for working with Shawn, and so on. They don't exactly do a deep dive analysis on the subject or anything by any means. They just scratch the surface, but yeah. It clearly comes up again & again. Also found it ironic that Prichard could clearly side with the WWE logic of Rob not being enough of a showman on one hand, but then he would turn around and gush over how impressive RVD was when he was allowed to speak naturally & just be himself.

Considering the recent roster shakeup, I think I'd almost prefer to have him back on Smackdown. I really dug his first run there, with no less than 25 guys in his "Fave Five" at any given time. But any Booker is good in my book. His energy is infectious, and his chemistry with Graves is pretty good. I couldn't even tell you what they thought Coach brought to the table. Zero presence. No energy. No identifiable personality or traits. He was practically stealing money by sitting out there.

Stoked to hear this, to be honest. Booker is a fucking blast at the booth.

It's Bruce, not Tom. And I finally got around to filling in the gaps and listening to the few past episodes I'd missed. The XFL episode was tremendous - a great companion piece to Ebersol's 30 For 30. I really enjoyed it, and it served as a solid reminder of why I originally enjoyed the show in the first place. I still dig most of their current stuff, too. It's just that they lean WAYYY more into their shtick and routine now. And Conrad can occasionally overdo it with the results reading. But there are more hits than misses most weeks. I won't be seeking out the Network eps or anything, but I'll continue to follow the MLW content as long as it exists over there.

Just watched the Jacobs/Whitmer cage match again last year. Has its faults, but it's still a blast. I'd be curious to see how the Aries/Jacobs series holds up though. Been meaning to go back & check those out for awhile.

So is the show only available on the Network now?

I stopped listening when we got back to back weeks with Conrad taking ten minutes (that felt more like twenty-five) to "call out" Scott Steiner. Only to, minutes later, emphasize that it's all a rib. Because it's all about being entertaining. And nothing says entertainment like telling people you're trying to be entertaining. If it's less of that and more of Tony's actual introduction and reaction to a new side of the sport, then yeah. I could maybe go for that.

Never get tired of hearing Bruno tell his story. His childhood and then his early upbringing in the States is forever fascinating. And I especially enjoy the way he describes his discovery of bodybuilding and nutrition. It all comes together wonderfully and creates this coming-of-age tale. Bruno's story is actually so good that I always recommend people to check out his RF shoot interview, because it's a lengthy deep dive that provides a lot of details. And I could probably count on one hand the number of RF shoots I'd recommend.

Exactly. It came off as incredibly ill-timed to tweet this, for both the reason of fucking decorum and that it came off as an extension of his "twitter fight" over Andre's height from last week.There's a time and a place, and the day the man died isn't it. That being said, I'm sure Dave's obit is going to be amazing. Agreed. I deleted that post - after reading Dave's other comments but before seeing you'd quoted it - but you basically summarized my thoughts there, man.

I don't follow wrestling Twitter at all, so that's all news to me. I was only responding to what was said in this thread. Appreciate you sharing some of Dave's other thoughts though. Definitely helps to put things into context, and he comes across like someone with good intentions in mind. Still stand by my points about it being more of an issue of the timing versus the message (at least in my eyes), but yeah. This fleshes things out a bit more.

It's about showing a little class and letting some time pass before addressing silly shit like that. Dave sells speculation and his opinions every bit as much as facts and numbers. So it's downright fucking weird and at least a little odd for him to feel this sudden sense of obligation to correct someone or call out an inaccuracy in such a time of sadness. There's a time and a place for those things - but how about a little time for grief and mourning? It's a basic, natural ordeal for most humans. I don't get why people are acting like it's so strange that people would feel like he should just shut the fuck up and let them pay their respects for a moment before he starts convulsing about stats and shit again. There's literally like 364 other days of the year for him to do that. Honestly, it's fucking bizarre and at least slightly troubling that some people can't wrap their heads around that.

Exactly. The issue people are pointing to has nothing to do with accurate historical journalism or anything. It's an issue of common sense, decent courtesy, and behaving like a human being. I get that people are saying Dave is just doing his job, but those same people are purposely acting like they don't realize that there's a time and a place for these things. Regardless of anyone's relationship with Bruno, this just feels like the worst possible time to get bogged down in that junk. At best, it's in poor taste. At worst? Yeah. He sounds totally aloof and oblivious to the norms of, ya know, actual society around him. And lol @ the people defending Dave by calling it "fake numbers" in a worked sport. Meanwhile, Dave is the one that's over-the-top OCD about those "fake numbers." Just silly.

I loved all the conspiracy theory and true crime episodes, so I'll likely give it a shot eventually. Should be pretty 'nanners, but could be a refreshing change of pace.