SomethingSavage

You really hit the core of the matter at the end there. No one is "cool" in WWE, and they seem incapable of promoting or presenting anyone as cool. Stone Cold was cool. The Rock was cool. DX and the nWo were cool. Cena, up until the time he became a main event mainstay, was a flicker of a flame - but he had some of that cool factor. Has anyone since then even come close? There have been similar sparks. The Punk pipebomb and the Yes movement made small waves. But nothing has ever really resonated. Nothing has branched out beyond the bubble. Again, I honestly felt like they could have had that with Braun. If he had beaten Brock - clean as a sheet - in their first encounter, then there was a chance. At the very least, he could have been a new mainstay star. But he barely even feels like a factor anymore. The mishandling of Roman could be a series of articles on its own, so I don't really need to revisit that here. But it's worth mentioning, because he is another guy that could have reached another level and possibly carry off some of that "cool" swagger. I still to this day remember that "baby girl" line he dropped on Renee Young and seemed like a fucking boss wayyy back in the Shield babyface run. Where the fuck did that guy go? Everything is so contrived. Every role is so ridged. They are constantly recycling the same character archetypes that have failed to get over - and I'm talking truly OVER - time and time again. Roman is still struggling to stay afloat, playing the same tired part. Guys like Gable are doing the same Mighty Mouse routine that failed folks like Rey in the past. Nothing is cool. Nothing is buzzworthy. Nothing is worth talking about. Nothing is worth going out of your way to see, unless you just happen to be stuck in the habit of watching it by chance. There is no drive. There is no draw to outside interest. The worst part is that they seem perfectly comfortable and content. They seem to be at peace with this stuff. Until that changes - until there's a monetary necessity for them to allow someone to be COOL again - then these are the type of acts we will be left to endure. They aren't cool, iconic characters. They aren't top draws. They aren't memorable, hot acts. They're just a bunch of consolation prizes and rote, basic paint-by-the-numbers templates. It's a bunch of wrestling CAWs with variant colored tights and awkward, unique poses at the entrance ramp. That's about the best you'll get in the meantime.

This. Absolutely this. Braun Strowman, specifically, felt like he was on the verge of becoming a breakout guy for them. He had a catchphrase that sounded cool - something actual living, breathing human beings wouldn't be embarrassed to say. He was presented strongly on television. He won a lot. He was protected without it appearing obvious that he was being "booked" that way. Because he had the aura to seem credible. Braun's feats of strength were strategies that COULD have easily come across as lame or contrived, but they rarely did. Instead, they carried this almost Marvel movie appeal to them. Sure. You knew they were staged stunts. But it was like watching Vin Diesel crack a concrete rooftop with his Hulk stomp or whatever the fuck. It was just plain FUN watching Braun wreck shop and (let's face it) pummel poor Roman week after week, month after month. But then they murderized Braun's momentum, sacrificing him at the altar of almighty Brock. And nothing was ever the same for Strowman again. Truth be told, that was the last time I really felt excited about ANYTHING the company was doing. Braun and Samoa Joe both on Raw, coming across as legit ass-kickers, had me interested again. But when Braun hit the brick wall of Brock, that really felt like the beginning of the end for me. By the time it got so bad that even the smartest of my fellow fans were fantasy booking Seth fucking Rollins to be "THE GUY", I just knew this company wasn't for me anymore. The safest bet is that he'd have his feelings hurt by a stray comment or chant around the time of the 15th entrant. Mauro would go dark for the remainder of the show. Many heartfelt thoughts & prayers would be Tweeted.

But also, fuck Mauro. Because they could have a Crockett Cup style tournament, dedicate it to Dusty and Murdoch and Eddie Graham and Bill Watts and Gordon Solie and Lance Russell, and I still wouldn't watch if I had to endure endless Drake references and Cardi B lyrics throughout every match.

Right. And I think that's what surprised me even more. There was no mention of Arn beating Hulk. It just didn't come up. And you'd think that would be a talking point, but nah. Arn is strictly bottom line & all business. I dig it.

This show continues to serve up some good stuff. I like to let about 2 or 3 episodes build up, so that I can listen through a workout without changing podcasts or anything. So I've still got some catching up to do. Arn discussing the art of getting guys over with the TV Title time limit was phenomenal. He really digs into the how's and why's of it all, which I greatly enjoy. Arn talking up Lex was an unexpected surprise, but I was glad to hear it. I know a lot of us here at PWO have done our part to redeem Luger's reputation a bit through reexamining his earlier matches, but I still believe his broader reputation has taken a beating. It's almost as if most fans slot him into the same category as the Renegades and Warriors (another who has had similar redemptive reviews done on his body of work), but Lex wasn't actually at that level. Arn keeps it simple, but he breaks it down to the most basic elements. Lex never hurt him. Lex never hit him in the balls or teeth. Lex never dropped him on his head. Lex was okay in his book. I also got a kick out of hearing Arn's response to Hogan coming into WCW. "How can I get myself in a spot to take that big leg drop?" Good stuff. This is why Arn is the fucking man in these conversations. There's no ego or bullshit. He's straightforward and as down to earth as it gets. Calling the TV Title the "blue collar championship" was something I dug, too. Arn's assessment of just how over Daniel Bryan was, in comparison to other acts in 2014, was fantastic. He basically said when you take away all the music cues, the bright lighting, and the production smoke & mirrors and magic of television, Bryan was still every bit as over at the live events without any pomp and circumstance. Even when the cameras weren't rolling, you'd never know it. Because they came alive for Bryan all the same at that time. Arn and Conrad chopping it up about Nikki Bella's Misawa elbow was straight up something I've heard on so many PWO podcasts here. I ate that shit up. It was amusing to hear Conrad start to complain about a lack of clean finishes on free TV main events, only for Arn to come in and completely school him on the idea of actually SELLING AND PROMOTING your big matches with clean finishes - without putting your feuding acts against one another on free TV constantly each and every week. Oh. And Arn's breakdown of heel heat is worth seeking out, for those that haven't heard it. I love the way he uses logic and common sense to explain these things. To summarize, he basically says - heels today all want to kick in the babyface's front door, assault him while he's home, burglarize his house, and then stand around and brag about what he just did to the babyface for 20 minutes. To everyday, normal folks? They just see a badass killer with a set of big balls. They see another Stone Cold. The idea of a heel is actually - heels sneak in the backdoor and try to steal from the babyface's house, without ever getting caught or alerting anyone of his presence. When the babyface catches him, the heel should flee like a bat out of Hell. Flee. Not fight. Not stand his ground, unless cornered and given absolutely no option. But everybody wants to be the next Steve Austin. Everyone wants to be presented on equal footing. Nobody wants to play the part of a coward or a pest. And the characters suffer for it. The heat suffers for it. And without proper heels, you sabotage the role of the babyface before he ever has a chance to get going in the first place. Seriously though, Arn is outstanding on this show. I wasn't sure what to expect in the beginning, but I'm having a blast catching up on these episodes now. All are worth hearing, for sure.

That's a fair question, although I think she'd have to be paired with a quality babyface for the dynamic to change. She DOES carry herself with a certainty and self-assurance that could cast her as the defacto heel against a stronger character babyface. But, even then, I'm not entirely convinced until I see it. Doesn't seem like a stretch to imagine that though. Her selling for sympathy is THAT strong to me. And let's not forget. She had already crossed over into that cool geek territory, well before the actual turn took place. She was receiving cheers and crowd support for being so arrogant and self-assured in everything she did. I know wrestling fans are notoriously fickle and love to go against the grain, but I'm not so sure she would shake their support so easily by returning to her "bad" roots. I'm a huge fan of Sami, so I may be biased in terms of just HOW MUCH I enjoyed their chemistry together. Callihan has been fantastic in every single angle & feud for years now. He made Cage interesting. He solidified Swann as something substantial & more than a Koko B. Ware tribute act on the undercard. He absolutely got the most mileage out of a program with Pentagon and Fenix involving masks, fakeouts, and head-shaving. He provided Tessa with a nemesis to fuel her meaningful arc, after doing the same (admittedly at a lower level) for Eddie Edwards two years earlier. So yeah. I'm sure Sami's casting as the vile, despicable scumbag certainly helped. But Tessa more than carried her weight in their encounters. The fact that she defied Callihan - the crown prince of white trash - en route to her title win just made the moment a little sweeter.

I think that line about Foley making all his bumps count and tie them directly into his personal is the critical element missing in most modern workers. They seem to mostly subscribe to the idea that the spectacular bumps ARE the point. But nah. Foley always knew the point was to USE the bumps and the matches as a means to enhance the persona. To get his character over. Because he always recognized the value in being over as a character first & foremost. Because one you are established and over, you can get by with so much less. It's physical economics. It's knowing your worth and maximizing the bumps. Modern workers are missing the forest for the trees, because they rely on the bumps to get the matches over. Not their characters. They put no stock in the character development anymore. The goal shouldn't be to get the matches over. Matches come and go. But that's what this ratings-chasing mentality has bred into this generation of workers. Everyone wants the stars. Everyone wants the applause. And they don't mind wrestling to an audience of practically nothing but their peers if it means they get a pat on the ass and an "Atta boy" in the back. It's so fucking backwards when you think about it.

I was initially worried about her babyface turn in the beginning, just because her general demeanor and presence seemed to scream, "HEEL" all over. Looking back, that's crazy. She has absolutely owned it in her role as a babyface. Her selling and dramatic shifts during her matches feel as authentic as anything you'll see in 2020 professional wrestling. And I mean that. She *does* come across as an undersized badass, eternally engaged in these uphill fights against male opponents. I watched the title win against Callihan with a couple of friends - one a die-hard like you guys, and one a strictly super casual viewer who hasn't paid attention to Impact since the Hardys left. And I say all that to point out a reaction from the casual fan/friend of mine. At one point, when Tessa is simply selling her ass off and gritting it out while caught in a leg lock by Sami, she is just fighting and struggling in a scene that calls back to the year of our Stone Cold savior 19 and 97... And my friend's jaw just drops. Almost to himself (but loud enough where we can hear), he says, "That's one tough bitch." Now I know that isn't politically correct. I realize some of you may be outraged as we speak. But that's fucking real, man. That's raw, visceral reaction. That's connecting with a previously untouched audience. That's Tessa Blanchard. A Seth Rollins and a Kenny Omega never stand a chance of doing that. The fuck even are they? Zero character depth. Zero reason to connect or invest. Someone here recently told me I didn't get Omega, because his "character" is actually just that of a fun-loving video game geek. Okay? Show me evidence of that carrying into his matches. Show me how he EVER conveys that anywhere. He doesn't. Outside of a video where he trots around like Dora the Explorer with his backpack, I don't see it. If a casual fan watches Kenny Omega in a match, they'd never pick up that he's a carefree nerd. They'd think he's cosplaying Adrian Street or early Goldust with his prissing & preening and weird flamingo leg shit. There is no reason to take him seriously, because he makes no effort to treat anything seriously. It's all athletic flexing and "teehee, look what I can dewww!" But I digress. Tessa Blanchard is leagues better than some of these guys who get touted as the best in modern wrestling. Because she has struck the balance & masterfully blended elements of the old school with all the contemporary fixings of today. She's literally in the middle of a run that's showing it can be done seamlessly, and there's really no need to sacrifice one for the other.

Be bold. It's 2020. Make it an icy wristwatch or a gaudy BattleBowl ring.

Absolutely agreed. I noticed very early on in her Knockouts division run that she had a way of commanding the crowd and really drawing your attention to every little thing she does. You're not passively watching her matches for the bumps or the spots alone. She makes all the in-between stuff so engaging. Her selling is supremely on point, and I honestly feel like that is what has elevated her game to another level lately. She's gotten SOOO good and skilled at all the little things - the fundamentals that form a real foundation and solid understanding of professional wrestling - that it's allowed all the apron bumps, table spots, and other shit to actually MEAN that much more.

I completely overlooked the "woman" worker specification. I don't know that I'd rate anyone above her. I think there are some that might eclipse her in terms of GOOD quantity and sheer volume of matches. But I'm not convinced she can be touched in terms of GREAT quality when it comes to major payoff matches. I love me some Sasha, but she doesn't always show up the same. Ripley is another on the radar, but I wouldn't put her at that level yet. Charlotte is very hit or miss, although I would note that she's had plenty of matches that fall in the GOOD category. Becky is solid but nowhere near as sharp as she's made out to be. And Shayna is one I struggle to rate properly, because I think so much of her appeal has (thus far) hinged on her heel demeanor. How does she fare in the babyface role, for example? She's almost been entirely the dominant heel defender. Tessa has completely killed it from both sides of the allegiance fence already. It's hypothetical versus proven examples, which admittedly is unfair. But it's what we are given to judge here. I'm not intentionally sleeping on Asuka either, who has really felt reenergized by the heel slant this past year. I haven't seen enough of Riho to know where she would fall in this discussion. Can you recommend me anything? If so, much appreciated. Ultimately, I believe it's the small things that separate the good from the great performances. And a lot of that comes down to the in-betweens. There's simply no filler and no fat to trim off a Tessa performance. She has a way of engaging her audience from the first second to the last. Her presence helps, but Sasha has a great command of that as well. It's just that Tessa has practically mastered the art of combining all the elements - the selling, the fire, the story, the threading of all these things together - to push her ahead of the pack in my mind.

Arn's is by far the best one going right now. Every now and then, you do still get glimpses of him attempting to talk kayfabe though. It doesn't ever dertract from the show, and I honestly believe it's just his natural inclination to go there. But I noticed it again in the TV Title episode with him talking about what a fight it was to win the belt from Wahoo, as if it were an actual contest. Bischoff's show has been strictly background noise for me for a long time - with the TNA episode being the last one I found enjoyable. There was the start of a thought-provoking discussion about long-term storytelling versus short-term angles on the latest Bret episode (I believe), but neither Eric nor Conrad dove deep enough into it to make it as interesting as it could have been. Unfortunate that this show has become so weak after several strong episodes earlier on.

I have zero interest in overanalyzing the comparisons to compile lists or anything, but I'm more than willing to discuss some of Tessa's performances. Specifically, she was fantastic last weekend. And yes. She comes across like one of the very best in the world at this moment - and honestly, it has felt like she's belonged among that class for about two years now. I found it ridiculous (and still do) when people here lined up to trumpet Sasha Banks as "the best wrestler" in 2014. That idea certainly hasn't aged well, and I never really bought it to begin with. But somehow, the idea of Tessa Blanchard receiving the same praise doesn't seem so far-fetched. The major issue will obviously be how some people receive intergender matches. The believability factor is going to be a big element in how her performances are viewed and discussed. However, when you actually look at her work brick by brick, she is absolutely amazing. In 2020, women could be perceived as the new cruiserweight style underdog. What I mean by that is that undersized wrestlers used to draw instant sympathy. Nowadays, it's so commonplace to watch smaller guys battle bigger guys. David and Goliath is still a match template, but it is so commonplace that it takes a special performer to get it right. With intergender wrestling, I think it draws out a more visceral response. But going back to Tessa, she absolutely knows how to tap into that. She clearly gets it. Every moment, every second, and every inch of space is filled with SOMETHING meaningful. There's no dead air in her performances. She's either struggling, fighting back, firing up, or selling her ass off. Seth Rollins should be forced to watch Hard To Kill everyday for the rest of his days to see how to sell a knee. Kenny Omega should be forced to watch Tessa Blanchard for the rest of his life to see what a match can look like when you perform like it's combat and not like it's a dance recital. Whereas Tessa treats things like a fight - displaying fury, anger, and agony - Kenny treats things like a prep rally - with goofy facial expressions, prissy twisty prancing, and jazz hand finger puppet bullshit. Seriously. The way Tessa approaches the "downtime" in her matches is so smart and critical to the overall performance. There's very little chance she'll lose your attention or give you reason to disengage from the story she's selling you. In 2020, I feel like that's such a rare feat and nearly a lost art in pro wrestling. I'm not saying there aren't wrestlers that still do that. There are. But they are few and far between. And if the likes of Rollins or Omega get discussed as being some of the best, with their performance art athletic exhibitions, then Tessa certainly smokes them in all categories when it comes to actual PRO WRESTLING. I realize that may make me an outlier on the issue (no surprise there). But I don't care. I'll stand by it. Show me a Kenny Omega match (that isn't led by Okada or Jericho) that even comes close to looking like a struggle. Show me a Seth match that ever looks like anything but an excuse for him to flip and flop around like a frog in a blender. Tessa manages, time and time again, to blend the contemporary in-ring style with the more emotion-based storytelling methods that have always proven timeless. Move trends come and go. But it's the selling, the fire, and the story that will never go out of style. Years from now, when a lot of the "greats" of the here & now are exposed as spot-based workers with no transitions and empty, soulless performances - I absolutely believe Tessa will stand out head & shoulders above the pack as someone who was doing it right.

This. I think people have lost sight of the point. I don't think anyone is exaggerating outrage over this or anything. It was just dumb, tasteless, and pointless. Plus it's a pretty low bar when people have to say things like, "Well give him credit. At least he admitted he sounded dumb, tasteless, and pointless." Well okay. So we're celebrating people for having common sense and behaving like courteous human beings now. So that's something.

It should be interesting to see if there's any kind of accountability in the aftermath of this thing. It's unfortunate, but yeah. Obviously that was just excessive. And again, I enjoy the act. But come on. Common sense has to come into play at some point. I love it. And, to his credit, RVD carries off the glazed, hazy-eyes look like nobody else. That, along with his "give zero fucks" nonchalant demeanor puts this over the top for me.

Eek. I mean, obviously that was too much. But hey. I'm enjoying the shit out of this RVD heel run overall. It's unfortunate that somebody was dense enough to let that fly like it was no big deal, but yeah. RVD in this role has been a win on the entertainment end of things. His character is basically an exercise in the idea of, "What if Shawn Michaels never got his shit together?" in 2020. It's an amazing experiment in fantasy booking that scenario. Think about it. A clearly wasted, arrogant dickhead who walks around bragging about his talents and how he revolutionized the business through matches and movez. In this world, Shawn never sobered up. Maybe he split with his Nitro Girl wife and hooked up with a newer model - a twerking, pornstar-ish exotic dancer. In any case, what they're actually doing is a truckload of fun. I mean, sure. It's gratuitous. It's gross. It's obnoxious. It's borderline uncomfortable to watch them kiss and grind on each other like a couple of animals in heat. But that's the point. You aren't supposed to find it cool. You aren't supposed to nod along and parrot Rob anymore. You aren't supposed to agree. You're meant to feel that this guy is smack dab in the thick of a midlife crisis. And Katie Forbes is a key ornament to help accentuate that. I'm not sure if I'm a big fan of the threesome shit they've introduced now, but time will tell. As it stands, I've been digging what they've had Rob doing with Katie by his side. The twerking. The new gentleman's club theme music. The matching gear. It's all just the right kind of annoying. Plus it's a fresher presentation for Rob, which was lonnngggg overdue.

Did Mick discover time travel and go back to give Vince a thirst for low-brow humor and silly comedy? Because Vince eats that shit up. It's entertainment, pal! Seems a little silly to pin that on the shoulders of Foley. Wrestlers would still be participating in hokey skits and stuff without Mick's sock puppet or awesome Corporate surrogate son story from the Attitude Era. There is no one source for why wrestling is shittier today than before. It's a multitude of reasons. Mick may be guilty of inspiring a bunch of backyardigans to jump off rooftops or some shit, but blaming the guy who got comedy right for all the unfunny shit that followed him is a pretty big reach. Let's do better, guys.

I honestly believe this is a peak at the more casual, looser Hunter. This is his humor. It's him sounding dumb when he tries to get too cute or too clever, because he's just not the quick-witted comeback type. It's the King of the Ring "bi" comment all over again.

YES, BUBBA. I listen to a lot of film/movie podcasts, and I love anytime they dig deep into the philosophies of actors. Some of Cage's personal choices when immersing himself into roles are just fascinating. Not only does that translate to some bizarre, COMMANDING moments captured on screen - but it's just plain bonkers to hear how he arrives at some of his decisions. He literally creates motivations and life choices for roles that most wouldn't even think twice about. Fascinating. Ehh, Horsemen? Calling them JBL's Cabinet would be... Kind. This feels like something on the level of Edge's Familia or Regal's Roundtable or the Corre. If Rollins would man up and agree to lose a Hair Match in the end, then I'd *maybe* give them Jarrett's Southern Justice. But that feels like their ceiling. I cannot in good faith give them a higher ceiling than that.

Gonzo Nic Cage is fucking mesmerizing. Scope out his performance in the Bad Lieutenant sequel/reboot if you haven't seen it. But DiCaprio was on another level in Once Upon. I still haven't gotten around to seeing Uncut Gems yet, but I hope to rectify that very soon. They already fucked it up. In 2017. Anything now is just reheated leftovers. I never got the impression they were going to get behind the guy. Drew's basically back in the same spot he was in BEFORE he left the last time. It's going to take another tour through the super indies and satellite promotions just to rebuild him again.

It's looking like I won't be able to catch the show in full until Thursday or Friday at the earliest, but I'll gladly read your guys' thoughts on the show before then. I'm hearing good things about the Edwards match. And here's hoping the Moose match was a fun brawl. Dude usually goes full throttle in those.

I don't need to balance a checkbook or analyze my budget to know I didn't pay a single red cent to see a WWE show in 2019. I certainly struggled with whether or not I had outgrown pro wrestling after 30 years in 2019, but it turns out - I just don't care to waste my time watching shitty wrestling, presented with the backdrop of shitty stories featuring shitty characters. That's all. Give me good characters with some solid conflicts, and yeah. I'm there. Even if the action takes a back-step or two (Powerrr, I'm looking at you) I would still rather tune in and see that. Just tell good stories. Just present strong characters. That's how you get me to part with my money and my precious free time. This idea of hammering out content, content, content above all else needs to die. It's become all about working harder, not smarter - with the emphasis on athletics and action. Fuck that shit. Give me quality over quantity. Give me an hour of good shit over three hours of wretched, meaningless filler designed to do nothing but kill time and get us to the next stop. Ahh, the optimistic yin to my pessimistic yang. I'd love to see Roman get an actual ace championship run, but fuck. Feels like that's been overdue since 2016. And they REALLY scorched some earth with him after that weak ass stuff last year. How utterly incompetent & creatively bankrupt do you have to be to fuck up a cancer comeback story?

Okay, I popped for that. Delirious should feel his way right out the door. Dude's run as booker has been almost entirely a dud. The few bright spots under his watch (heel Matt Hardy, the New Japan/Bullet Club tie-ins) all kind of occurred AROUND his plans. It's hardly like he spear-headed any of it. What's his big claim to fame? What was his best idea? I mean, I'm not about to argue that Bully Ray has had any gangbuster great ideas anywhere either, but at least the dude is generally regarded as a creative guy by some people in the business. I don't know that anyone touts Delirious as remarkable at anything.

I had forgot about the show being this weekend (mostly due to my hectic work schedule and having to put in some 16-hour shifts this week), but the combination of that awesome YouTube video and now this has made it must see for me. I'm tempted to check out the results here from work, but I may just wait and catch it on replay after the fact. Either way though, I'm definitely going to watch. It sucks that some folks are having a hard time getting there. I hope it doesn't cause too much last-minute restructuring for their plans. But that storm was crazy down here. My friend was completely snowed in over in West Texas, which is just nuts. The weather patterns have been insane all year down here. End times, bruthas. Might as well watch a little bit more rasslin a'fore we go dinosaur.

Absolutely loved that Barely Legal episode, and I believe I posted my initial thoughts about it over in the WHW thread. I also recall really enjoying the Mania X8 watch-along from Tony and Conrad. Tony put over Rocky and Hogan HAYUGE in that show. Any recent ones you'd recommend? I've steered clear for a long, long time.