SomethingSavage

And, of course, Warrior having his own award is made even funnier by the outrage of Moolah being honored this year. Tremendous.

Rollins and Balor are precisely where they need to be on the card at this moment. They can contribute to the shows by way of quality mid-card matches. But main event programs should demand individuals with actual characters, or at least the kind of folks capable of getting angles over. Balor and Rollins are just too dry and bland about... well, everything. They're essentially what you'd get if you took the WCW cruiserweight division, removed all the masks, stripped away all the colorful gear, and basically just had a whole division of multiple Dean Malenkos. And don't misunderstand me. That's no knock on Dean. But, without the contrasts, he's nothing unique. The Iceman shtick can work when surrounded by some showmen and some loudmouths. But booking a whole batch of these guys together at the same time is just instant death. It's a black hole of creativity and charisma when it comes to these guys. There's just nothing there. I just have no desire to see them work main events, because i don't want a lifeless series of meaningless matches for the next several months after Mania. And Roman's going to need something substantial to sink his teeth into - but neither of these guys provide that. Giving Roman a Seth or a Finn for a first challenger would be serving him another uphill battle right away.

Listening to Jericho's podcast on my commute today, and he noted that he shot Vince a text to suggest the "Sensational Invitational" as a name and a nod to Sherri. Would've worked well enough, and it certainly sounds better than what they're using.

If true, then that'll likely spell the end of my interest in this little project. Decent timing though, since I've stopped caring about any of the Schiavone stuff and Corny's podcast has found renewed life. I'm digging a lot of his recent talking points. I get that people were turned off by some of his ranting and shit for awhile there (myself included), but Corny's been bringing plenty of great insight and wrestling discussion again lately. I've been pleasantly surprised. I just saw this, but my phone's acting wonky here at work tonight and won't let me access the 605 Soopah pod. Mind recapping what this was about?

I never watch these things in full (I've gone back and caught a couple of abbreviated recaps here & there), but I'm interested in Goldberg's speech this year. The guy commanded crowds and owned the screen every time he showed up for this last run. So, if nothing else, maybe there's that..?

The closer comparison would obviously be listing Hogan as a headliner for '93. It seems silly to try to apply a strict rule or anything, but yeah. I'm in the camp of thinking they don't really belong on the list if they weren't advertised or promoted as part of the main event.

I won't even lie, I'd lose my shit over a Lashley/Reigns series. I could see some people shitting on the idea, but fuck 'em. Just serve up an endless series of aimless Seth/Balor rematches or whatever underneath it so they can get their chants in, then give me some bomb-throwing hoss battles up top after that. But yeah. Lashley storming onto the scene, wrecking shop, and ripping shit up to get the belt he couldn't capture before? I'd eat that shit up. For those that haven't seen much of his stuff in recent years, the guy's shown incrrrrredible improvement since 2014. Or fuck it. Put him on Smackdown and let him challenge AJ. Either one of those scenarios works for me. Sprinkle in some Samoa Joe, add a dash of Braun, and holy shit. We've got one hell of a year of legitimate heavyweight fights on our hands. But Balor? Another Shield breakup? My god. The sheer boredom of both ideas is compelling my body to physically shut down and go comatose. Seriously. It's that uninspiring. I have zero desire in hearing Seth's attempts at main event level promos EVER again after 2015, and Balor's idea of character work boils down to that slackjawed staring into the crowd and a bunch of collar popping. Thanks, but no thanks to all of that.

I don't know what does or doesn't make their television show every week, since I rarely have the time to catch an episode in full. But I do try to keep track via their YouTube channel & whatnot. Anyway, the Road To Redemption video on Aries/Alberto was fucking aces. Tremendous video package that really put such great focus on things. This was what every good hype video should strive to be. It highlighted their characters and personalities. It placed a spotlight squarely on the championship and its value. It allowed both guys to speak like actual human beings. I could go on & on, pointing out a dozen different things I dug about this one. Alberto's personal anecdote about his grandfather teaching him the lesson of self-discipline and self-awareness was just one of the wonderful little gems tucked neatly into the exchange. Really solid stuff here. Scope this one out if you haven't seen it. Totally has me buying into their upcoming bout in a way I hadn't expected. If I'm nitpicking, I would say that it's strange to have Aries doing the super humble baby face routine. Just knowing his history and track record (and THAT shirt), I can't help but wish & wait for the arrogant, cocky side of him to emerge and rip into Berto. But hey. I get it. Aries is doing the undersized, underdog deal here. Ideally, I'd like to see a champion (especially one packing around five or six belts) to peacock around bit more and show some conviction in his skills. Aries is dominant. He should be beaming with confidence at this stage, not out to "prove himself to the fans" like every generic crossfit fanatic working Monday nights at the moment. Overall though, this was a surefire winner with me. Aries is my preferred pick in this rivalry, but gawt damn. Berto was surprisingly awesome here. I don't know if it's the more laid back setting or what, but this style of presentation simply suits him. I mentioned the story he told of his grandpa, but he rattled off another tremendous line about Aries' size. He called out everyone for pretending size doesn't matter, because - in reality - OF COURSE it does! And obviously that's not an ultra creative, witty line or anything. But it sure was great trash talk. And, again, I have to emphasize how refreshing it was that both these guys spoke like actual human beings. This would have felt right at home on a 30 For 30 or any UFC countdown show, for sure. If some fans were concerned about these types of videos and hype packages going away with Jeremy Borash leaving, then I'd say they can safely rest easy for now. I'm not sure who was behind this one, but throw some more money at them to stick around & keep it up. With all that being said, I also watched some of the clipped matches. And omigoddamngod, why can't they find somebody - ANYBODY - to replace this Josh Matthews clown already? He's the fucking shits. I mean, honest to God, I'd just about rather get down on the ground and crab-walk through a dozen dirty dumpster fires than hear him call anything ever again. He literally said (out loud, over a broadcast for other actual people to hear) the words, "Cage is a machine manufactured to destroy armageddons!" like it's his golden idea of getting a key new talent over. I mean, for fuck's sake. He's the absolute dirt worst. WWE had perpetuated a genuine crime against all of humanity for convincing this dweeb that he's got any sense of skill or belonging in the business in the first fucking place, but then to go out and release him unto the world to go out & further poison other promotions as well? Christ. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping like hell that Callis and D'Amore can find someone else to call their shows soon.

Are a lot of people shitting on the new music? Is that a thing? Because I've really dug a lot of the new tunes. It's one of the few things that doesn't require a truckload of prefacing or explanation for me to enjoy. Cue the music. Let the guy or gal do his/her entrance, and they tend to nail it. I feel like they've actually got a pretty great track record in that category, actually.

I don't see how Benoit pursuing the WWE Championship makes him look weak from a kayfabe perspective. I mean, maybe if he hadn't ever won the WCW Championship in the first place. But he captured it first. Then he willingly left. He chose to chase the "big one" and left the Big Gold behind. That narrative fits just fine. As far as why they shifted plans and transitioned Benoit from Brock to Hunter, I don't know that I've ever read anything too definitive. But I do recall hearing Prichard talk about it fairly recently. I can't pinpoint which episode of his podcast it was, but I distinctly remember him mentioning that the move was made per (or at least initiated by) Hunter's request to work with Benoit. The way Bruce talked about it was that Hunter felt like he could have really great matches with Benoit and wanted some of those under his belt. Sounded like Hunter was fully aware of his critics and wanting to rinse off some of the stigma from the previous few years. When you consider how careful Prichard is when discussing Triple H, I'd say it's safe to assume that this is mostly true. I've never gotten any kind of indication as to when this actually occurred though. And that's also interesting, since the wheels were clearly already in motion to get to Brock/Goldberg. So maybe the original plan was for Benoit to beat Brock at No Way Out instead? I don't know. Because that leaves Eddie out in the cold, but beyond that... That's not even getting into the details of the actual venues. The atmosphere for that Eddie win is crucial to the story and the moment. It truly takes on a life of its own. I don't know that Benoit's win feels even remotely similar in that setting. Plus there's Backlash happening in Canada after Mania. I won't even pretend to know the logistics that go into that or how the timetable of changes in booking could affect any of that.

Sort of like Ambrose getting the off-brand Benoit theme?

Are people forgetting the second Evolution match? The heels removed Roman's vest during that beat down. I only remember it because a few podcasts covered it at the time, and a lot of them suddenly shifted their thoughts on the subject and were all, "Uhhhh yeeeahhh. He basically looks like the third Uso without the vest." I really couldn't care any less either way. I understand that they want him to have a definitive, distinctive appearance. I have more of an issue that they don't protect him enough. If this Mania rematch was supposedly this great idea all along, then why the hell was he being booked to take actual pinfall losses to the fucking Miz on consecutive weeks of television as recently as January? It's just 'nanners. I know diehard fans would play outraged on Twitter or whatever, but imagine how much more this Brock match would appear to matter if it were two protected, strong streaks colliding. Instead, Roman had practically no momentum before he just won one single match and got the shot. Then everyone was suddenly shouting to the rooftops about how it's been this amazing journey and such great storytelling. Except that it really hasn't been. It's barely been addressed at all since their first match. I mean, sure. They've teased going back to it, but no more than they've teased Brock/Joe, Brock/Braun, or any of his other programs. If you actually just watch the TV and don't subscribe to the insider talk, then you wouldn't really view Roman as anything exceptional lately. He went from losing a lot to getting the Mania shot. The booking is a much bigger detriment to Roman's top guy status than anything he wears or the way he walks.

I don't know if he's the most versatile. I get your logic behind the statement, but I just disagree. He has range, for sure. But I remain unconvinced that Cena's actually any good at gauging a crowd, an environment, and *especially* a situation to get a real read for what type of promo or approach is needed. I guess some would argue that he simply does as he's directed to do, but ideally the top guy should know the value in making adjustments and reacting accordingly. Can Cena do serious? Sure. Can he go comedic? Yup. But I don't really know how effective he is at either, because he's rarely ever using the right method at the right moment. Too often, he's cracking corny jokes when the situation calls for no bullshit. And he'll just randomly roam into full blown southern preacher mode for no good reason at times. So yeah. He's versatile. But when he's incapable of knowing when or where to use each style, then it's odd and just as ineffective as being a one-note promo guy in anyhow. So, while it may be a net positive in his favor, it's not a skill I'd say he's mastered. A dialed in Cena is great on the rare occasion you can get it, but his comedy is cringingly bad. And his serious southern accent is all over the map most of the time.

Perhaps it's more of a personal tastes issue among the fan base. I really don't know. But I find it hard to rate a match too highly if I'm so disconnected from the participants involved. If it's just some guys out there performing acrobatic spots without much sense of a struggle or story, then I'm not going to feel dialed in or deeply invested. For me, that's every bit as much of the problem (maybe more so) than the super saturated scene or overabundance of quality wrestling that's so easily accessible and so readily available these days. The bar has been raised. There's no denying that. But there's also this issue that the workers are putting more and more emphasis on memorizing their spots, on getting their shit in, and on wowing the crowd than ever before. They're all out there working for a rating or a review, and it feels so blatant and so transparent in just about every little motion they make. Call me crazy or out of touch or whatever, but I greatly prefer the less is more approach. I feel like these guys would greatly benefit from fine-turning their characters and sharpening the edges on their gimmicks first and foremost. That's what gets you over - REALLY over. Guys like Balor and Rollins will NEVER strike a raw nerve or pull on any emotional strings in their current incarnations. There's just NOTHING to them as characters. There's zero reason to care. So, although these guys are willing to kill themselves for your entertainment, there's no reason for the people to actually give a shit whether they crash and burn or succeed or whatever. It's all so hollow. Their fate means nothing. Their struggle means nothing. Their wins or losses mean nothing. Because, not only will they just do it all again next week, but their motivations are never clear or pronounced or anything. Basically, to bottom line it - everyone's working harder instead of smarter. Maybe these guys wouldn't need to break their backs on this never ending treadmill of rematches - hoping and praying to get a response, ANY kind of response - if they actually took the time and the care to polish their characters first and foremost. *THEN* do the work. It's like they've all bought into this mentality that it's lazy or a sign of a poor worker to go that route when, in fact, it makes the current crop look like a bunch of try-hards. They're so eager to please the reviewers and the critics. It's true. The actual work throughout much of the Attitude Era outright stunk. But the stories and the characters reached people and resonated on a personal level. Now the pendulum has swung way too far in the other direction. It's a case of overcompensating, and now we're stuck with these guys performing incredible athletic feats and exchanges - but it's absolutely devoid of any story or character or purpose. It's just matches for the sake of matches. And hey. If you're into wrestling for that sort of thing, then this is the peak of what it can be for you. But it's masturbatory, time-killing wrestling. It's a bunch of motion for the sake of movement. But it's leading nowhere. It's not about making the most out of anything. It's not about demonstrating personalities or rivalries anymore. It's just trading and exchanging and "performing." I don't know. Like I said, I'm really removed from most of it. And I've got no problem admitting that.

Who's considered the favorite to win the Andre battle royal this year? Anyone? I realize it's not highly regarded or anything, but Christ. It's almost become a career jinx to win the thing.

What's worth checking out from Smackdown? I'm considering catching the whole show for a change, which is something I haven't done since the superstar shakeup or whatever last Spring. But, if I can just cherry pick as usual, then I'll likely do that due to time constraints. And yeah. Maybe the work just all bleeds together for me lately, but I didn't find the Balor/Seth bout to be must-see or anything. The finishing stretch was fun, but the rest felt like business as usual. I'll gladly label myself as disconnected from much of the current product though - and that's ESPECIALLY evident in the case of both Balor and Rollins. I feel like there's absolutely no reason to invest in these characters. Who are they supposed to be? What are their voices? What's their identities? They're so devoid of any personalities or individual traits at this rate. It's reached an all-time low for me lately. Slapping a handful of nicknames on these guys just doesn't equate to anything tangible or meaningful enough for me. I'd prefer a mid-nineties style match - with less near-falls or close calls - if it meant getting a pinch of personality from these guys. I don't know why it's become the preferred industry standard to do things this way now, but it really drains the life out of the product for me. The only gimmicks left are "athlete" or "childhood dream come true", and it's all such sleep-inducing stuff. I get that the work is enough for some people, but it's the age of prestige TV. There's just too much other quality television out there for me to spend thirty minutes watching guys go through the motions, just for the sake of showing that they can. It's "time-killing wrestling" that ultimately leads nowhere and serves no larger purpose - other than padding out the length of a match, because critics call for great matches to be a certain length. Ultimately, that's why I'm grateful for the Goldberg run from last year. I'm holding out hope that it leads to some more big fight sprints. Unfortunately, I think it's just a service being paid to Brock and Goldberg - and it's highly likely that matches just keep being twenty minutes of time-killing wrestling, followed by the finishing stretch that actually matters to the direction and course of the story.

Except that EC3 surpasses Adam Cole in every single category aside from *maybe* making the most out of garbage & weapons matches. EC3 is a better talker and all-around character by a wide margin. Cole is essentially the next Edge - very bland overall, a highlight guy in garbage settings, but highly dependent on the level of the performers surrounding him. If they're looking to buy stock in either of those guys, then EC3 is simply the better selection in my view. I realize some may ding him for the TNA association, but the fact that he rose above that should be a major nod in his favor. Inversely, Cole has the built-in benefit of the PWG super Indy buzz, but he's also got the stink of the Undisputed Era (an all-time terrible name for any faction) and just being totally bland since his NXT arrival for the most part.

Oh yeah. I expect it to be much better, but I really enjoy Cornette in the host role. So there's also that.

I remember at the time thinking the Houston episode was one of the best they'd done. Conrad was irritating, but he was acting all butthurt about Bruce doing the bingo calls on the ECW-centric stuff - and it felt like Conrad was trying to have some fun by shitting on Houston as a response. That rubbed some people the wrong way, but Bruce's actual story itself was worthwhile.

EC3 was a consistent standout throughout just about his entire TNA run. I know a lot of people will point to the Spud feud, and that certainly is due much love. But the guy was involved in a ton of great stuff there. It's crazy, too. He was closely tied to Dixie for obvious reasons, but he was somehow able to almost insulate & isolate himself from a lot of the surrounding bullshit. His programs were almost always the best things happening in a company almost no one was watching.

Bryan losing his first match back is beyond dumb. But it's absolutely something I could see them doing, fully convinced that it's the right move to position him as the underdog with obstacles to overcome again. But this should feel like a celebration of Bryan being back. I'm going to hope they learned something from Mania 30 and grant fans a feel-good night for a change.

Yeah, but one type of condescending asshole is not really preferable to the other or anything. They're equally annoying.

I don't know how many folks still listen to Cornette's podcast (it's actually gotten really great again lately), but he pretty much NAILED it regarding the Daniel Bryan return and its possibilities moving forward. There's no way in hell there should be any talk or suggestion of Daniel turning heel. I know I've seen it suggested, but that should be the furthest thing from reality. Corny mentioned that the sign of a great promoter isn't in planning the perfect booking scenario, because plans get screwed up all the time. But the true sign of a great promoter is in capitalizing and running with something whenever something perfect lines up & lands right in your lap. ... Like the Bryan return - the return of a guy everyone believed could be permanently retired. The return of an honest to God fan favorite that was taken away at the top of his game. It's a gift. It's a Godsend. There's no way in hell they should screw this up. But, well, you know...

I saw people talking about that interview as if she was an idiot and didn't understand the question but to me it was so obvious that she was batting it away. I kind of enjoyed how she did it too. Maybe the answer to her WWE promo situation is to have Renee or someone in the ring interviewing her so there's someone to kind of lead her through the talking segments. I feel like there's a truckload of people that would benefit from the old Mean Gene style of interviewing, to be honest. Not that the nursery rhymes and super-fake-intense shoot comments have helped him any, but I still feel like Roman's best interview was that "Baby Girl" segment with the Shield and Renee just standing there in the ring doing a post-match humble brag. I know some folks are big on the Cena stuff and now some of the Brock buildup, but nah. I've yet to see that one topped. Simple, straightforward, and organic. He came across like, ya know, an actual human being just interacting with other living organisms - not some 15 minute monologue of terrible dialogue.

I'm curious, so I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. Regardless of how much of it is just a work & strictly shtick, a lot of what Conrad gets away with on Bruce's show is owed to their friendship. What's his deal with Eric? Are they close personal friends like that? If not, then there's no way he "calls out" bullshit or addresses all the Observer quotes the same way he does on Something To Wrestle. I like Conrad well enough though. He's got his faults, but that comes with familiarity of ANY host over the long haul. You just need to know what you're getting into with the guy. He plays a uniquely different role on his two existing shows, so at least there's some sense of variety.