SomethingSavage

Haven't seen anything from the show yet, but yeah. It's looking rough. I've followed TNA since day one and, at times, defended it. But even I dipped out around the time Angle beat Lashley for the belt. Came back in and out to see how they were handling EC3 with his eventual title win, etc. But nothing's kept me around for more than a week at a time. It's cool to see guys like Trevor Lee and Everett getting some exposure. But I really think they're better off just shining up their reps in PWG until they strike up a developmental deal. TNA has such a stigma around it. To be honest though, if they're freed up to do both separate of each other - then I guess I can't fault 'em for making money wherever they can. Certainly seems like a move I'd second guess myself, but hey. I'm not paying their bills. Don't mind the decision to move the belt onto Matt. Galloway would have felt like a fresher choice and a better alternative in a lot of ways, but Matt's practically a brand and a known commodity. There were worse routes to take. Really disappointed in how they've handled Eric Young since his title run. The guy felt like a surefire, mainstay top-tier babyface around that time. But he's felt incredibly miscast and out of place since the turn on Roode. It's just a terrible misuse of the guy. The Angle series is something that, on paper, actually sounds pretty good. But I don't think it's produced a single quality match. And they've been given every gimmick and stipulation that you can conjure up - Stretcher, I Quit, or whatever. You name it. I think it's a case of the characters functioning much better with the dynamic flipped. Young as the underdog babyface with a boatload of spirit and heart against the aged, bitter former American hero in Angle just makes for a much better story. I'm not saying they shouldn't have at least stumbled across a quality performance - even with this face/heel dynamic by now - but yeah. Nobody's buying Eric Young as some sudden sociopath, when his most appealing traits stem from being the lovable, joyous, fun-loving underdog. He's a showman through and through, but they've tried presenting him as this vicious bastard. And it's just been totally hokey.

I can't fault anyone for at least assuming that Corino would be a decent color commentator. The guy comes across as really enthusiastic and entertaining in conversation. I've always enjoyed him on podcasts and in interview form. But that just doesn't translate to his announcing. At some point, it should've been recognized and rectified by now. Striker's redeemed himself enough with me. I won't hold the atrocious AAA show against him. He's been a lot of fun as the super fan who occasionally marks out (bro) in Lucha Underground. And, unlike some, I didn't really find anything awful in his job with New Japan and JR last year. Call me crazy, but I've heard MUCH worse in the past year. Ultimately, I don't mind calling Striker a "good" commentator. Not great, but good. He can hit key points, fill in blind spots for unfamiliar fans, rattle off names left and right (to a fault at times), and provide historical context. He covers the bases well. One thing I don't mind giving him points for is his enthusiasm and excitement at ringside. I realize some people enjoy bashing him for that stuff, but nah. Not my thing. I'd much rather have a guide that gets genuinely invested and excited about what's going on than one who just hits the basic notes, recites information, and moves on. Striker's far from the first or finest choice, but when you consider who's out there and openly available - he isn't far off. I don't think I'd ever care for a pairing of him with Kelly though, which is why this decision just sounds so absurd. Now Striker with Ranallo or Striker with JR again? Sure. I think it'd offer a better balance. There's just no appeal in the Striker and Kelly combo though.

Agreed. Very useful. I try to stockpile any gems or recommendations for later listening, as there's only so much time in a given week. Definitely appreciate it.

This podcast series has quickly become one of my favorites. I love the wide array of shit we get with the actual off-the-beaten-path matches & all that... But also the variety of stuff represented in the non-wrestling recs every week is tremendous, too. Some of it isn't for me, but some of it certainly is. And that's the great thing about hearing new shit tossed out there at ya. Bojack Horsemen is incrrrredibly unique. I really dig it. Enjoyed the hell out of the first season back around the holiday season last year, and I just recently finished blazing through season 2. But yeah. Phil pretty much nailed everything about what makes the show so damn great. It's appealing on a lot of freaking levels - sort of taking the best elements of your successful modern comedies that take the more "heartfelt" episodic approach (like the Office or Parks & Rec) and combining it with some of the over-the-top animated humor you're used to seeing in prime time. But it comes together really well and creates something entirely unique. Some episodes are moodier than others, for sure. But each one has its share of hilarious shit. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but the finale of season 2 packs a serious punch. The last line is a quote for the fucking ages to anyone that's familiar with depression. It's upbeat and optimistic, in a show that actually prefers to move in the other direction a lot of times. That makes it even more powerful as a moment. It's just a simple statement of clarity, but it's so freaking fitting to close out the season. And, for anyone that's known or dealt with actual severe depression in their family or close friends, it's the type of thing that resonates. When you see how they handle it, you just nod along and KNOW they're getting it right. It isn't about being depressed and wanting to end your life. It's quite the opposite - in that it's someone who's severely depressed, underneath everything else in life. But it's someone that just wants to learn to live, cope, and get through another day. Great job with this one, guys. Also curious to find out if Will likes Bojack, finds it too bizarre, or whatever.

I'm less than an hour in, as I forced a stop before you guys dove into the Abby talk. Had to save something for my commutes today. That being said? Yeah. I'm digging the discussion so far. I'm just stoked to hear the islands get some exposure & attention here. Boricua seemingly has an answer for everything, and even when he doesn't - his estimations and explanations are insightful enough anyhow. Just a tremendous guest, and I hope he's back on when you guys take more time to spotlight guys from the Caribbean. The comparison to Lawler completely makes sense, and it's one I've constantly alluded to in the past. Never really thought about the parallels with Onita and FMW for whatever reason, but that was a cool observation by Dylan as well. Still got over two hours of this stuff to sink my teeth into - so I'll likely be back with more thoughts - but I had to express a bit of appreciation for finally getting around to some Puerto Rico talk.

Got this one downloaded & geared up for listening sometime during commutes this week. Can't wait. Sometime back when the Exile series had just launched, I put in a request to Kris for more Puerto Rico content. I figured maybe a 1 or 2 parter on the territory in general, but separate snapshots on individuals serves even better.

Any chance of us getting the full list now? It'd be greatly appreciated. I've had to listen on the go, but I'd definitely like to sift through some of the matches and revisit a few others.

I haven't got a chance to check out the show just yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. I've been busy at work, and I'm trying to wait until I'll have enough free time to fire up the old SMW shows to follow along as ya go. I just know I'm going to step away from the podcast wanting to revisit everything for myself. That being said, I just wanted to say that I'm stoked about the project. And I appreciate you going the extra mile to make it so widely available in different places. The "Awards" as a bonus are a nice freaking touch, too.

Awesome timing. I just revisited the two '95 episodes after hearing last week's Exile about the start of Nitro and the lay of the land in the Fed. And agreed. Always fun stuff in these.

Dylan's line about Will - "He WILLED it into existence!" - cracked me up. Oh. And bonus points for pushing Pete's new gimmick as the fringe & tassel tights wearing Old Buck. That needs to be a thing now.

All that stuff was much later, and it actually served him well to necessitate the babyface turn. Kurt was fairly straight-ahead early on. The brief feud with Blackman, the stuff with Jericho, and even the alliance with Edge & Christian saw him *mostly* as the straight man of those programs. Sure. He was geared toward comedy, but the core of his character was mainly built around being a legitimate "real" athlete and preaching the 3 I's. Hell, even if you just go back to his first match, he wasn't doing ANYTHING inherently "evil" or underhanded to elicit a heel reaction. He was just a golly-glad-to-be-here guy - but the crowd responded to his offense with "Boring" chants. So Kurt took to the mic, launched into a tirade, and that was that.

Is there anyway we can get a download option enabled?

I am absolutely on board for more of the Grudge Match segments in the future. Loved this concept. I found myself siding with Will on some & with Justin on others. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say that it plainly illustrates everything I dig about this podcast series. It's two guys with diverse backgrounds, links, and preferences in their pro wrestling. It'd be pretty monotonous if they both offered the same view and opinion on every guy, every character, and every match. Bret versus Cena is still the only one I haven't completely made up my mind about. There's something to be said about that '96 and '97 run for Bret, from a character standpoint, that seems worlds better than ANY character work we've ever seen out of Cena. The hero that is forever stuck on his high horse, pushing his own morals, unable to accept the way the world is changing around him, etc. It's just such a deep and fascinating deal. That's not to say I don't dig Cena's in-ring contributions. He's certainly got a longer list of "big time" matches. And the knock against Bret is about him working his ass off for the big stage but reserving his energy & coasting on the smaller shows. And I get that. But who's to say Bret wouldn't have kept it turned on if he had been put into more of those big time matches? It's just a different era. I take nothing away from Cena. He produces quality. He delivers quality. He's incredibly consistent. But he's working a schedule that allows him the opportunity to work a MUCH greater quantity of those "big time" matches than Bret got in his heyday. Who's to say Bret wouldn't hold himself to the same high standards and bust his ass on a weekly basis, if he were booked into the same main event matches on TV and PPV week in and week out? I can buy that. He just wasn't in an era where they geared things that way. Obviously, there's still a lot of other factors and variables to consider, but yeah. Every time I think I've settled on Bret, I go back to Cena. And vice versa. Definitely looking forward to more of these discussions though. Couldn't help but nod along in agreement when you guys were talking about favoring the appeal of organic, improvised, almost unorganized spots... versus the too-crisp, too-clean, ultra-polished dance rehearsal spots. It's not something that I'd demand above the safety of the performers first & foremost, but it's something that IMMEDIATELY stands out in a match when you get it. It's such an art to pull off a staged fight that carries a real sense of struggle and urgency to it. But enough rambling. All in all, another great episode, guys.

Jimmy Rave vs Drew Galloway and Rave vs. Kyle Matthews, both from within the last year, are up for free on YouTube. They're worth checking out.

I've heard fairly decent things about News as Cannonball Grizzly, though I admittedly don't recall ever seeking out any of his matches to find out for myself.

When is this project going to kick off? I've got the entire SMW collection on one of my external hard drives, but I haven't watched any of that stuff since at least the summer of 2013. Now I'm thinking I'll bust it out and try to delve back into it as you move along. This pod should certainly make for a great companion piece to the footage, and I like that it could be an easily accessible gateway to get unfamiliar fans plugged into Smoky Mountain.

Yeah. I'm blazing through both parts in the truck & on commutes, so a full list soon would be greatly appreciated. Definitely want to take some time to shuffle through my own blind spots afterwards.

Agreed on most of Parv's points above. This was my favorite of the Trial series by far, as I just feel more invested and engaged with Hulk as the subject here. I was definitely siding with the defense going in, and I still stand my ground there - but the cases presented and the arguments from both panels were REALLY thought-provoking and incredibly convincing. You guys have blazed through a lot of the usual suspects - the Faces of Death from WCW, the extreme influences of Heyman's booking philosophy, Hunter in the Fed - so I'm eager to see what names you pick up for the Trial series when you start reaching outside the box a bit. So far, it's been a tremendous exercise in examining these guys from all sides.

I don't know if it's absolute ignorance or less than a handful of people in the office actually getting the reference, but I'm surprised the Five Knuckle Shuffle has made it through the entire PG era push entirely unchanged.

Even Bray's theme? Which came with him from NXT? How about Seth's? Which started out as his babyface tune in NXT and has now been used for his heel solo run? And what about Kevin Owens? His theme's the same. Come on now. I mean, yeah. I get the point, and I agree that the entrances are given a more grandiose feel in NXT. Things just feel more polished and customized for the characters. You lose a bit of that luster at the main stage, when these guys are doing video game step-by-step entrances about 90% of the time. But then, if everyone altered their entrance, then things like the New Day wouldn't stand out as being so entertaining and unique when they actually switch things up. Can't have it both ways. You've got to set the rules before you can have the exception. I don't mind the repetitive, monotonous entrances on the weekly TV. I just wish they'd alternate it more when the situation actually calls for it. Bypassing the poses when there's a high stakes match, jumping the bell in heated blood feuds, acting leery towards a stipulation, etc. But they usually only do that sort of stuff AFTER all the robotic entrances and signature mannerisms are adhered to, which is what's silly about it. The entrance music is what it is. I think it's sort of a dated topic now, to be honest - because, like I said, most of the younger guys are keeping their music from NXT anyway.

Yeah. Daniels started doing that in TNA with the talking point of being a true "Ring General" in matches, but it wasn't nearly as concentrated an effort. Cool to see him finally sharpening the edges on it a bit.

Remember back when the Shield versus Evolution program was in full effect and they teased the Aitch/Reigns showdown a few times on TV? Call me crazy, but I still think I'd rather see them shoot for an epic, grandiose clash with those two than any Rollins/Hunter match in the immediate future. I know Seth vs. Hunter seems more logical and essential to the story, but man if I don't love that Hunter/Batista match in the cell. And I'm digging the hell out of Reigns in those big fight style matches. Maybe that's just me. Maybe it'd turn out ugly and sluggish as hell. I don't know. But the booking of Rollins hasn't given me much reason to care about any kind of a collision with Hunter down the road.

Yeah. Things like vehicular manslaughter and attempted murder by way of sledgehammer certainly fit the bill. But I'm a little more lenient when it comes to weaponry and foreign objects, I guess. I don't know if that's a case of being so desensitized to the violence over the years or what, but a lot of it just seems to come with the territory of modern wrestling. You basically know you're going to get overkill with the hokey weapons, every bit as much as you're going to see a finishing sequence of at least ninety-five near-falls. I'd say it takes something seriously gratuitous, totally unnecessary, and/or just really fucking stupid to catch my attention and get me to shake my head at this point. The cinder block spot always seems REALLY fucking stupid, but I actually dig the visual of it when it's done right. It can look terrible, but it can just as easily look really cool. It doesn't work quite as well in wrestling as it would in some comic book or action movie fight scene. Light tubes are another neat visual. I'm not a big fan of death matches at all, but there's something about seeing the glass shatter and the shards bouncing around the mat with every impact afterwards. It's also why I enjoy a roll of quarters. There's something about seeing those coins bust loose and explode in the air with a mean-looking punch or a nasty haymaker. Same can be said for Chris Hero's recent use of the iced down elbow. Just a tremendous, visually stimulating scene. https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CM3VgrXWoAAVW3c.mp4

I'm not someone that feels like the top stars should actually spend all their free time studying tapes or reviewing footage or anything, but I'm at least a little surprised that Flair has never actively sought out the Bret/Austin WM13 match. At the risk of sidetracking the thread a bit, I think that's what separates Austin as a host. He makes it a point and a priority to watch matches, interviews, etc. in preparation for his guests. Don't get me wrong. I like Flair's own approach. It's entirely casual and comes across as refreshing for the sake of having some variety with all these wrestling podcasts lately. But yeah. It's somewhat strange that he hasn't checked out a match as highly hyped as Bret/Austin. Makes me wonder how many Hunter and HBK matches from that Attitude Era time frame he's gone back and watched. Maybe he just bullshits his way through a lot of it.

I've listened to dozens of Raven and Jake interviews over the years, and it's clear that the both of them share a lot of the same thoughts & opinions when it comes to psychology. I've heard both of them credit the Sullivan learning tree at times, but I don't know that I've ever heard Sully go to the "wrestling is a lot like sex" analogy quite as often as those two. Seriously. Seems to be their go-to line in most discussions about psychology. That being said, Jake is a fascinating listen. (Raven, too - if we're being fair & entirely honest.) So I'll be giving this one a listen soon.