SomethingSavage

Got this one downloaded, but I'm gonna save it until Monday or Tuesday. Gotta long drive to Houston for work stuff next week, and this should help to keep the road rage at bay while wrestling with traffic and shitty drivers. Come to think of it, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Part 2 has dropped by then. Just in case.

The majority of those TNA "One Night Only" PPVs are atrocious and completely irrelevant. It's like they exist in a vacuum, with no actual connection to ongoing continuity or anything at all. However, I'd say that there are two of them that I honestly enjoyed - "Hardcore Justice 3" and "Old School" from 2014. I believe they were taped right before New Year's Eve 2013 on back to back nights in reality, but both shows were surprisingly good for TNA standards at the time. The look, feel, and presentation was unique. The ring announcer (no idea who he was) should have been signed to a deal right then & there. The shows themselves were structured differently than you'd expect, feeling MUCH more like a typical House of Hardcore or bigger indie event. I can't say for sure, since I'm totally unplugged to any of the insider news and gossip, but I walked away with the impression that Dreamer MUST have had a hand in helping with these. I know it was being tossed around that he was in talks with TNA around this time, and he actually appeared on both shows - so that theory holds up & seems to be plausible enough anyhow. There was neat variety on the shows. The crowds in Poughkeepsie and Lowell offered a refreshing backdrop. Jeff Hardy and Abyss both took bigger bumps than you'd expect for a throwaway, meaningless show in their Monster's Ball Match. Eric Young & Joseph Park had a fun spot-fest with Bad Influence in a Full Metal Mayhem match the previous night, with EY looking head & shoulders above the rest like an actual star & true showman. Ditto for EC3, who had an entertaining hardcore bout with Tommy Dreamer on one of those nights. There was also Austin Aries in a decent little X-Division Cage bout with Sabin, a surprisingly spirited brawl between Bully Ray and Ken Anderson (with a nasty superplex onto a guardrail and other stuff), along with a Lethal Lockdown main event that actually capped off a mini-angle that ran throughout the night and led to a cool little payoff DURING that Lockdown finish. So yeah. I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it at the time and actually kept both shows saved to one of my spare hard drives - just for the hell of it. Can't recall the last time I really dug a TNA show, but those two rank right up there. Maybe I'm overrating some things. Maybe I was just in a REALLY good mood when I caught the shows. (Hey, it's happened. And I WAS coming off a weekend of a family get-together and several B-days with friends.) But I dug the hell out of the stand-alone shows at the time - enough so that it got me back into checking out some of their TV, but then of course that quickly faded. Other than that though, you're absolutely right. The TNA One Night Only events have been embarrassingly terrible at times. I do recall seeing a fun Aries vs. Angle match on one of those one-night-tourneys they ran early on - consisting mostly of Austin Aries doing old school Eddie Gilbert like Memphis heel shtick, with tons of stalling and cheap tricks - but it's not enough to recommend the entire show, which honestly felt like everyone taking the night off, working super slow styles, and just phoning it in until the end.

Looks like a fair assessment. What else was on that No Mercy show? Isn't that the one with the hot little Tajiri/Mysterio match? Might have to go back and give that one a re-watch. Nothing else I regularly revisit, aside from the Tag Title Ladder Match and the super-fun hoss fight Stretcher Match from Judgment Day.

Meh. A shitty, forgettable year for the most part - but Vengeance '03 stands head & shoulders above the pack. It's been awhile since I watched it last, but I remember REALLY digging the show at the time. And I've watched it at least a few times - every couple of years or so - since.

Christian was doing some announcing or pre-show panel stuff for NXT there for awhile, and I thought he was a fantastic fit at the booth. No idea why they haven't given him a shot on some of the regular shows, even if it's just SmackDown.

I'm glad someone mentioned this, since I recently brought it up elsewhere - specifically back around SummerSlam weekend. The current WWE scene needs more of this, basically. The almost universally praised NXT Takeover event in Brooklyn didn't have a single heel win on the show. Not one. Each and every babyface act got to triumph. The crowd got to celebrate time & time again. Not only did the fans GO HOME happy, but the entire event itself was like a momentous payoff. It was essentially set up, seemingly by design, as this huge feel-good spectacle. Then you look at SummerSlam. I thought it was a fun show overall - with some damn decent matches on the card - but yeah. The flat finishes, non-finishes, lack of finishes, etc. really hurt the atmosphere. There's a glaringly noticeable difference in how those things are handled AND ESPECIALLY the type of crowd reaction and participation it generates as the show progresses. Not only was the order of matches structured better with the NXT show, but there was a building of hope and anticipation with the outcomes. The heels continually got their comeuppance. The heroes were triumphing in succession. And, even though I absolutely understand that you can't do that each and every month, you can still CERTAINLY find creative enough ways to send the fans home happy at the end of the night. I realize people sometimes shit on the idea of the way they'd always find a way to end a show with Hogan posing or whatever back in the day, but it's really a smart strategy & wise decision overall. I'm not calling for every WWE "special event" to end on a positive note, but it's DEFINITELY something that should be occurring more often. I mean, Christ. We have to go back to, what? Maybe Survivor Series last year was the most recent time it felt like the show ended with a feel-good moment? Everything else feels underwhelming, indifferent, or the Authority & Rollins squirming away for the sake of retaining "heat" on them. I don't think we need the babyfaces to dominate the championship scene like it's the World Wide Wrestling Federation or anything. But I do think it'd be better to return to a formula that sees more & more occurrences of Austin beer-guzzling celebrations or Hulk pose-downs to close out the shows.

The divas division suffers from the same issues as the mid-card. There aren't any characters to truly care about. There's no connection between the protagonists and the crowd, and therefore it's harder for the antagonists to really get heat. They're presented like a bunch of catty, bitchy "divas" on a consistent basis, and that's about it. In that aspect, they're all (at least a little) somewhat unlikable. At the end of the day, when they're portrayed like that, then fans are more inclined to pop & cheer when they break into a genuine "cat fight' scene - like Lana and Summer Rae at SummerSlam - versus an actual grappling contest or some shit. If they'd streamline things, give attention to detail, and put some effort into promoting each character with individual qualities, motivations, and stories - then yeah. It could take off. As it stands? All they've really done is infuse the division with new faces & warm bodies, given it a bunch of lip service, and (credit to them) given them more time for longer matches. But the idea that longer matches are going to turn the whole thing around seems weird to me. They're not bringing anything new to the table. It's not at all like the cruiserweight division in terms of being groundbreaking in its time. Not at all. It's the same spots and style we're used to seeing. It's just being allowed more time on a more regular basis now. That's simply not enough. The reason Sasha in NXT worked is because she was a compelling character. The reason the payoff for Bayley worked is because it played into her connection to the audience. There was an investment there. The audience was engaged. There was a reason to care. Does anyone really care that Nikki is about to set some record? I think they COULD be. But it just hasn't been presented in a manner to make anyone care. It's not like she's built a story or a statement on it being anything of importance to her. And, even if she did, they've done so very little with her - again, from a character standpoint - that there's little sense of investment into her anyway. NOBODY cares what matters to the character if the character isn't meant to matter to the audience in the first place. They can trot them out there for lengthier matches, more near-falls, "better" matches, etc. all week every week. I don't see that being enough to make a dent in the big scheme of things. Because that was never really the root of the issue. Maybe I'm in the minority in thinking along those lines, but that's my thoughts on the matter anyhow.

I've said it before, but the concept of this show makes for tremendous listening. It's really informative and interesting. For people that have always been aware of and in tune with the sheets, I could see this being a neat trip down memory lane. For those that weren't ever in touch with the news & rumors sort of stuff, there are some brand new talking points. It's a really fun way of putting a new spin on the past - and keeping it interesting with rotating guests, casual conversation, etc. It's been consistently enjoyable every week.

That's not what happened though. Hogan's negative influence wasn't something that gobbled them up in the long run. Hell, the stink of '94 and '95 was almost INSTANTLY visible. Business turned around for them - BIG TIME - with that 96 to 98 period. That's the "long run." That's what happened. The downfall of WCW is what followed in the even LONGER run. Pinning all of that on Hogan's shoulders seems like a stretch, to say the very least. Furthermore, I think Hulk showed that he's willing to play ball once he returned to the Fed in 2002 anyway. If anything, he took too many falls and losses during that return run. There's a noticeably different Hogan in effect when he's left to his own devices versus when he's not being allowed to call all his own shots. But being selfish and unaware of what's always best for an entire company kind of goes hand-in-hand with being a top guy. Even Austin, at his peak, was paranoid and self-centered about what HE was doing - regardless of how it benefited (or hurt) anyone else. Cases could be made for almost anyone that worked on top, especially during periods of hot business. He has absolutely shown that he's willing to do business when he's involved & it directly benefits him. Is it really Hogan's place or job to be mindful & thoughtful of everyone else's place, push, or position at all times? I don't think so. Hogan wasn't a booker or a promoter. He was a performer. He was talent. It's Bischoff and WCW that put him in a position to call his own shots. That stuff falls at the feet of Bischoff & company for their trail. But then, they've already done that episode.

Anything in excess can be a detriment. That's not exclusive to Hogan. In the WWF, Vince had the sense and business acumen to take the wheel and steer things in a different direction when business got bad with Hulk growing stale on top. Eric never really seemed to grasp that concept with WCW once the nWo had run its course. Hard to fault him for various reasons, but that's what separates those with a mind for the business & those that have a hot marketing idea or once-in-a-lifetime promotional tactic to exploit - and then little else to offer. Early nineties WCW was enjoyable to its die-hard fans, but it wasn't doing blockbuster business or anything. Hulk didn't change that, but - again - it's hard to fault anyone in the company for wanting to try something new to turn a big profit. Hogan was wrestling to the general public. To the mainstream man on the street. To the people that WEREN'T watching WCW at the time - the people they were looking to hook in. Again, it goes back to excess. They didn't necessarily need to wipe the entire slate clean & bring in every Hogan crony along with Hulk, but is Hogan really to blame for them bowing & bending to his every whim or demand? The guy's gonna take whatever he can get. And whatever negative waves he caused during that dreadful 94-95 period were washed away almost entirely by the MASSIVE business he did for them in late 96, 97, and the first half of 98. The nWo was such a significant factor in the Attitude Era and Monday Night Wars. And I don't see them becoming true water cooler talk without Hogan's name & rep attached to that money train. Hall and Nash were buzzworthy. But Hogan sent it over the top in a way that Savage, Sting, or Luger never would have done for them. Seems sort of counterproductive to ONLY analyze the negatives. Doesn't this sort of border on confirmation bias from the very start, if you're not going to counter with the positives? Always enjoy these Trial shows though. Hopefully you guys will give Hogan a fair shake. Looking forward to hearing how it all shakes out.

There's a wide range of talking points and plenty of variety in the names listed there. Can't wait to dive into the episode and get the gang's thoughts. Daniel Bryan feels like an ongoing story, but the sheer magnitude of missed opportunity and bad timing for his misfortunes has to rank really high on the list for unluckiest. Although Bret's career is another one of the biggest tragedies to me. I was a huge Hitman fan back in the day, and it's just a real shame that his career came to such an abrupt end - especially with the landscape of the company he was in during that time. It just felt so lackluster - like the guy deserved so much more. Even his WWE comeback felt so half-assed and weak. Never did feel like the proper payoff. And what's worse is that, considering Bret's style, he really should have been able to outlast the end of WCW and eventually find his way back to the Fed for a few final dream matches - whether it be with Kurt Angle, post-2002 returned HBK, Jericho, Hunter, Brock circa 2003, or whoever. The WCW run and errant kick from Goldberg isn't the same long "laundry list" of bad luck Bryan seemed to endure recently, but it could be just as monumental in terms of derailing a lot of future business. DiBiase is a strange case, in that I feel he's both extremely lucky and, simultaneously, somewhat unlucky. It's a shame that he was pigeonholed into the Million Dollar Man shtick, basically sacrificing any sense of his prior identity or great in-ring attributes for a pretty lackluster in-ring track record after his crossover into the Fed. That being said, Ted's still reaping the rewards of that gimmick to this day. It set him for life. To his credit, he tackled the act and fully embraced it - but plenty of guys would've killed for the chance. Nash is a politician and a power broker, through & through. He's money hungry and not ashamed of it. I think he's a case of just being far more cut-throat and conniving when it comes to that stuff. The stories he and Hall tell about how they renegotiated their contracts - TWICE - with WCW just goes to show that he was the ultimate opportunist. I know it's not a popular opinion, but it's hard to fault a guy for getting paid while he can. Lot less to do with luck than intellectual strategy at the end of the day, I'd say. Not sure that Ahmed was unlucky - just really sloppy & stacked with poor instincts as a worker. Always dug him as the ultra intense powerhouse with a MAJOR sense of urgency & an aura - sort of like a more explosive Sid at the time. But Sid had stronger presence and safer habits. Ahmed was kind of doomed from the start if he wasn't going to slow down, get some seasoning, find a safer pacing, and apply those practices to his working style. Kennedy is an interesting conversation piece. The guy seemed to be primed as a pet project for the Fed for at least two years, and then they just went ice cold on him. I know there are various stories out there, depending on who you ask, but yeah. Looking forward to hearing your guys' takes on him. I feel like Triple H, Beefer, Jake, and Pillman have all been covered in depth elsewhere - so hopefully more time is given to some of the other cases, although I can absolutely understand why all these guys would come up in the conversation. Should be another stellar show.

I was having the same problem - both on my S5 and my laptop. Found it downloadable over at SoundCloud, but it still doesn't appear available over at the PTBN site.

Both of these, please & thanks.

If they could have drawn out the Cena US Open Challenge long enough - say Mania season or so - and then felt comfortable with calling Gable up to the main roster, he could have been a tremendous fit for the guy to dethrone Cena. It'd be a Kurt Angle like push right out of the gate, and that shit's always a gamble, for sure. But he's rapidly looking like a natural in the early stages already.

ROH's lowest lows came at a time when everyone was made to be "super serious athlete" types, devoid of almost any unique qualities or colorful personalities whatsoever. I'm somewhat surprised that the fan base would still be even remotely opposed to that stuff after such a dark period there for awhile. It was the drizzling shits - to the point where you could check out the main event or one match from a show & pretty much get your fill, because the rest of the card was basically the same characters working the same spots and running the same angles. It was a total absence of diversity - and variety is crucial to building any great wrestling card, let alone a TV show.

Surprised to hear ya struggle to find a suitable name for the male stripper occupation, Justin. I mean, Shawn Michaels was right there in your fave five, man. Honestly though - while it was never played up as his actual side job or anything - the guy did everything but go streaking. He danced the part, he dressed the part with those chaps, and both his pre-match AND post-match Hogan like pose-downs were essentially just strip teases. And there actually were Dog Catchers in 90's Memphis. Of course they'd feud with the Moondogs and dress in thrift store Big Boss Man shirts with knockoff Grappler masks. 'Cause hey. It's nineties USWA. Not sure how that got past Will, but it happened. Another tremendous show though. These things make commutes and even traffic so much more tolerable.

Why sure. I can picture Fuller showing up on set for an interview after the big reveal, bragging & boasting about how he got the Villanos to agree to the hit for a cheap deal and a hell of a bargain. "The value of a peso AIN'T WORTH MUCH, after all!" Then, after a hearty laugh, a couple of the Villanos shoot him a sideways look of ".. the fuck did you say?" And with that, Fuller quickly changes his tune - excitedly putting them over and giving them an exaggerated pat on the back. "But these boys don't mind getting their hands dirty for dirt cheap!" Plus they got plenty of mouths to feed back home in Mexico. These Villanos are breedin' like rabbits, and they just keep coming out meaner, nastier, and uglier. Heck, their kids are coming out so mean, so nasty, and so ugly - that even THEY walk around with them there masks! You bet'cha. And so ya see, this is a war the Armstrongs just CAIN'T WIN! 'Cause the Villanos won't ever stop coming, and the ole Tennessee Stud is gonna see to that - 'cause he won't stop forkin' over money to 'em until the JOB IS DONE. For the Armstrongs, the buck stops here. The proud - AND PAID - Villano family is gonna drag every Armstrong out to pasture and put 'em out of their misery. And when it's all said and done, Bullet Bob is gonna have to go out and buy all his boys some masks to hide their hideous BALD HEADS. ... ... ... Okay then. I need to stop.

I've never even seen a clip from that show, but you can bet your bottom dollar I'd tune in to see Johnny Ace showing up to support Daniel Bryan in physical therapy rehab or "coaching" John Cena on the fundamentals of ring psychology and working a main event match. Ace doing "Daddy's Home" and trying to endear himself to Bryan and Cena as the new fatherly figure would be gold. Book it, E.

Well I bought that "Million Dollar Man" Ambrose pitch - hook, line, and sinker. My mind initially shifted to him being programmed with Hogan, but then? Holy shit. Another idea set in. Newly crowned WWF Champion, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, in a feud against Mr. Cold Card Cash & Coke, Dean Ambrose. Pure madness - the matches AND the interviews. Talk about fucking aces. And so here's my money.

I love this place and everything it has to offer, but I try to enjoy the best of both worlds. Personally, I'm not about to sit down and watch a wrestling match - let alone an entire show - with the direct objective to analyze it, criticize it, or pick it apart. I just can't function that way. It's a hobby, and it's an escape. I want to continue to be enthralled and entertained by that. I'd just drive myself away from it and quickly grow disinterested if I started to treat it like another chore. I've got enough of those. On the other hand? I certainly appreciate the hell out of the guys that tackle the subject that way. I lap up the huge abundance of podcasts this place pumps out, and I find myself immersed in the analytical side of things while listening. I can agree, disagree, and totally see what the hosts & guests see as the discussions roll along. Again, it's just not something I'd actively seek out to do myself. I'm glad there are people who commit to doing that stuff on a regular basis, because it enhances the viewing experience when you can watch a match or show and enjoy it on multiple levels - not just at the surface, but for all the little nuances and fine details as well. The analysis and picking apart of stuff is entirely supplemental for me though. Wrestling is just like movies or theater or any other form of entertainment, really. Of course there are going to be critics, and they offer great insight at times. And I'll always take their opinions into account. But, at the end of the day, that's all any of it really is - the opinions of fellow fans. I'm not about to be swayed from seeing a blockbuster summer movie, just because a critic or two tells me it's garbage. I'll seek it out anyhow - possibly wasting my time in the process - but I'll judge for myself. Same with wrestling. Same with music. Same with anything. So yeah. It sounds like you're letting yourself get overwhelmed about nothing, really. The analysis and reviews are incrrrredibly interesting and insightful to hear, and I love that we've got such an abundance of the stuff right at our fingertips these days. But don't let it turn your fandom into a freaking chore or anything, man. We're all just fans. We all have opinions. We all have favorites. Watch the stuff YOU like. Review the footage YOU want to review. But don't ever let it become a chore. Otherwise, what's the point? Kick back and enjoy as you watch. If you feel inspired to write or talk about it afterwards, then obviously it's worth writing or talking about. If not, then it probably isn't. There's no gun to anyone's head to categorize or compartmentalize every second of footage. Anytime you can't free yourself up to enjoy wrestling and get caught up in the moments as a fan, then you're doing it wrong. Just my two cents.

I don't know. If Flair pretends to praise some of Russo's ideas or puts over the feud with David in 2000, I might have to tap out.

Holy shit. That fantasy feud between the Villanos clan and the Armstrong family sounds like the last great chapter of Continental or Smoky Mountain that should have fucking happened. I could see it now. - Months of TV with random beat-downs by the Villanos, invading from south of the border as hired hitmen for an unknown benefactor. - Singles matches building to the big super-card, where it's a team Villanos vs. team Armstrong elimination match, with all masks waged against all heads of hair. - The Villanos get the monumental win, when the benefactor reveals himself and costs Bullet Bob's family their dignity (and HAIR). - All building to one final blow-off in a cage or side-by-side double ring War Games style cage match. Bloodshed. Tattered & torn masks. You name it. ... Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I'd just add that I thought the show was great. Another straightforward conversation that hyped me to scope out these matches. Enjoyed the back-story with Phil explaining how Cactus was his gateway guy into tape trading, and I was hoping Kris would kind of follow suit. The added "recommendations" section to close out the show is a nice touch, too. Looking forward to these each time now. I'm assuming that background noise towards the end there was Phil's dog doing a run-in to rip & gnaw at a squeaky toy like a ravenous rudo working the cut. Great show, guys.

I'd gladly tune in to hear The Rock run down his opponents to the tune of the Three Little Pigs and other Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Don't know how well it'd work with Austin though. /-:

Digging this concept and enjoyed the hell out of the first episode. Just a quick, breezy conversation with Will and Phil just getting me psyched to watch a few matches. Really appreciate having the footage for these readily available right out of the gate, too.

I'm a big fan of Brian Cage for what he is, similar to (yes) the Young Bucks. I don't know that he could ever translate the same way to a mainstay main event performer though. He doesn't have the best instincts. I do find him to be a truckload of fun in most powerhouse spot matches - like the stuff with Ciampa - or even the chaotic multi-mans he'll get tossed into. There's several interviews out there online of Cage talking about his time with WWE developmental, by the way. Apparently he botched something pretty badly with a poorly timed/executed spot on one of their bigger cards, and it put him in a bad light with the trainers & higher ups at the time. Then, when they attempted to bring him back in a bit later, he didn't pass one of the tests. By his own admission, Cage claims he wasn't aware that something he was taking would rule him as a "failed" exam, and so that leaves a lot of people to draw their own conclusions. Cage seems to enjoy doing what he's doing. He's getting a LOT more bookings lately, thanks to the exposure in PWG and LU these past few years. He's never had any all-time classics or anything in my eyes, but I've been digging some of his work. He's had some fun stuff with Matt Hardy in Vegas, all the entertaining TV with LU this past season, and one incredibly fun (and underrated) rapid-paced, hard-hitting bout with Roddy Strong in PWG last year or so.