SomethingSavage

I understand the guy wants to show off a little & "impress" the audience with his athleticism - but there are wiser ways to go about accomplishing that AND still fitting within the context of his character. I'd rather see him take chances with risky dives and desperation stuff in frantic, chaotic brawls than setting up contrived corner spots for flips & flops and whatnot. It's just a bad habit he could really afford to outgrow, especially with the exposure the ROH/DA deal could potentially offer him in the future.

I've liked a lot of Silas' stuff in AAW, but he just hasn't clicked here. He's always had that tendency to do the goofy flippy stuff - seemingly just for the sake of showing he CAN do it. It reminds me of someone like an early Chris Jericho, in the sense that Young could REALLY benefit from abandoning those bad habits, working to his strengths, learning his own limitations, and refining the character work a bit more instead. ROH isn't AAW, and he's not going to be "big fish" here. I have no issue with that. In fact, I'm *kind of* inclined to believe he could benefit from being placed in a tag team - at least temporarily. I know that division's stacked in its own right at the moment, but giving Silas someone to interact with & reflect off of on a regular basis could be exactly what he needs to let his personality shine through. I realize the "mismatched oddball" tag team thing can get tiresome, but with the right combination? It's a formula with a surprisingly decent track record. I can think of worse fates for Silas than pairing the "Man's Man" with a pretty boy or wimpy type & see if they can cook up some chemistry together.

Absolutely agreed. Some of my favorite "phases" of PWG are when they have to intro new talent off the heels of their usual guys getting signed. It's a cycle that they've sustained the whole way through. Plus the send-offs are almost always handled with class, and the new guys generally bust their asses to make a good first impression. Win/win for sure.

I always liked the idea of Bret actually getting big wins with quick cradles & flash pins. It made every hope spot seem like something that could legitimately end the match - which, ya know, is sort of the purpose of 'em in the first place.

Unless he's dominating precious television time, then I see no problem with featuring a sideshow act like Cheeseburger. He's something different to spice up the card. It's comedy. Whether it's what appeals to the niche or not, it's something ROH needs to take into account if they ever have a hope in hell of expanding or growing. I'm glad they've recognized that. Variety is key on keeping ANY pro wrestling card interesting. What's the harm in having a comedy program for Cheeseburger? They're sprinkling in serious elements with the big bumps & table spots, which could honestly lead to something fun as an end product. I don't see the need for getting all upset over it, to be brutally honest. But, like the Wee-L-C and everything else, it's going to have the people who actively enjoy it & those who blast it. Not for everybody, and that's fine.

But the big question is - once Kelly loses, is he entitled to a rematch? Or does he have to put up his mask in order to get another crack at the crown?

I really wish they would've held off on running another Cena match with Owens. They're gonna end up burning through this feud in the same way they did Bray & Rusev. It's just rushing things for no rhyme or reason, in my view. They could've easily spiked interest by "rewarding" Owens' victory over Cena last month by slotting him into the MITB match. That would've AT LEAST given us three viable options in Kane, Reigns, and Owens as potential winners there. Cena could easily have done something else on the show, whether it be another open challenge OR even "earning" his own spot in the MITB match, just to spite Owens and possibly get his hands on him again. Instead, they'll likely given Cena his win back here. I hope I'm wrong there though - and they don't rush back into that pattern of putting Cena over the guy multiple times in a row - just so we know who's who in the pecking order. Cena's the most generous & giving top guy they've ever had. He's willing to do whatever, but it's a matter of the decision makers always wanting to rush to give him his wins back. The whole Even Stevens booking is just murdering momentum for guys like Ryback, Bray, Rusev, and possibly Owens next. At some point, they need to strap a rocket to one of 'em and quit with the stop & start stuff. Instead, as it stands - it's like Vince took a bathroom break during the buildup video package on the night of Elimination Chamber, Hunter quickly flipped the finish to put Owens over, and Vince returned from relieving himself just in time to yell over the headset for Cole to announce the rematch IMMEDIATELY. That way, ya know, Cena gets his win back or whatever. As a result, Owens' big star-making night, big post-fight promo, and big triumph - which actually meant A WHOLE LOT in the moment - is quickly swept away & left behind in the grand scheme of things. It's similar to the way they treat stipulations, which is why I think it's actually a deep-rooted source of the problem with their booking. The matches deliver. The action is great. But these "special events" usually lack any special appeal because the booking is so awful. And poor Barrett. My god. One year ago, he was struck down with an injury at a time when he REALLY seemed to be hitting a brand new stride. He was taken out of the MITB briefcase match, where he actually looked like an outlying dark horse candidate to win the thing. Fast forward to today? And the guy's struggling to get wins over R Truth on the pre-show. Yuck.

Fun stuff for sure, and a closer competition than most this time around. Kelly goes over by a banana peel & the skin of his teeth in true touring champ fashion. The mag headlines are hard as hell to guess right. The JBL promo in Randy's voice had me cracking up. "He eats pizza. YOU eat pizz-ahh?" Good stuff.

I don't see anything wrong with Rusev as a standalone talker without Lana. I think he's shown himself as capable, especially since the split with Lana. But he's hardly been working with great material, so there's that. But yeah. Steen's got the most upside in my opinion. Even if you find his work from the indies to be overrated, the guy's got the gift of gab. He's clever & witty - but he can mesh that with this sense of being sinister and an absolute asshole. As a talker, I'd rate him above Rusev, mostly because I think he's been better at building big fights through his interviews. WWE sometimes hinges on those sound bytes and those little "in the moment" remarks that can't be scripted or recreated in post-production. Steen's better at capturing those gems than a lot of guys on the roster at the moment. In terms of being a promo guy, I actually think it'd be more interesting to compare him to a guy like Punk & see what people consider to be his ceiling as a potential main event player. Will they give him as much leeway with his dialogue as they did Punk? Or do they try and filter most of his stuff, etc.

To this day, my grandfather will still recall a tremendous little tale of having me with him to meet Dusty Rhodes & the JYD outside of a gas station in Shreveport. It's one of my very first pro wrestling memories, and I can't emphasize how much it's meant to my relationship with my grandpa over the years... The fact that we still get together every year to catch WrestleMania (and usually some of the lead-in shows or fallout shows)... The fact that my grandfather can BARELY figure out how to send photos or texts with his phone, but he sent me a text message in the middle of the night to ask if I'd heard about Dusty's passing... Just a really crushing piece of news this week. And everyone's right. It's so staggering that it's so hard to even comprehend right away or even properly put into context just yet. Clearly there are bigger stories to break & all that, but it's rare that something happens so sudden to make you really step back & think about how the actions of someone you never really "knew" helped to shape your own personal life, relationships, etc.

Another supremely fun episode, guys. I got a kick out of Justin's approach to the draft, almost swiping away some of Will's surefire picks for himself right away. Nice "on the fly" stuff from Will at the end of the draft segment - at least that's the impression I got - when he had them swap places & book each other's rosters for a card. The draft itself is just another interesting & thought-provoking concept that I'm looking forward to enjoying more as you guys move forward with this project. Will's reaction to Cody's mustache being mentioned was priceless. Oh, and we need more Vince Russo impersonations from Justin. "SCHWERVE! I'm not puttin' you ovah, Dixie!" had me cracking up. The best part of these shows is just the sheer amount of ground you guys cover in each topic. I've stepped away from this one with a new Watch List for YouTube a mile long, so I really appreciate that.

Lawler was in prime position to have a huge, memorable moment that year. What the hell did they do to end up so far off the rails with that one? The buildup was mostly great. The emotion & drama was heartfelt and real. It's one of those times they just had to get out of their own way & let the story write itself. The right outcome was staring them straight in the face, and they went another way with it entirely. Somehow then there's suddenly Austin and Jack Swagger attached to it, a DQ finish goes down at Mania, JR pops in, there's straps and an athlete's feet angle or some shit... I don't know. Just insane how badly they wrecked & ruined it all in a matter of weeks.

I haven't watched early singles heel Shawn in awhile. He had some good matches here & there - one against Savage with Sherri at ringside, and one or two with Duggan that I dug. Going back to his Rockers days, I liked the babyface performance he had with Mr. Perfect around WM7 time. But even Shawn himself has said that things didn't really "click" for him as an offensive heel until he started working with Razor. So there's that. Going back to Austin though, I REALLY like his stuff in USWA with Adams. I reviewed most of their gimmick matches somewhere on here last summer - maybe in the "What Are You Watching" thread or something. But I'm with Will. There's something about rookie Austin that I really enjoy watching. There for awhile, it felt like you could actually see him improving by leaps & bounds - in just about EVERY match he'd perform. Austin worked with this sense of urgency & energy from the very beginning. He wasn't the most polished. He wasn't smooth. He wasn't sleek. But come on. Was he really meant to be at that point? The guy was greener than goose shit. That being said, he makes up for his flaws & small faults by working with that said sense of urgency. He's also got GREAT reactions, right out of the gate. Things that get so much discussion around here lately - like selling, facials, and character work - are aspects that Austin seemed to "get" early on also. His performances are highly reactionary. He's like a raw nerve. At the same time, Austin has the good sense to hinge those early performances on his athleticism a bit more than you'd expect. It's not something he relies so much on later, but when he only had so many tools at his disposal? Yeah. I'd say he worked with what he knew, while still learning the other skills on the job as he went along. And to his credit, he picked it up VERY quickly compared to most.

I actually like a lot of Holly's matches & especially his character work at times, but nah. There's no reason why someone with the internet - meaning instant access to SO MUCH footage at their fingertips - couldn't easily comprise a list of 100 guys better than Bob. He just doesn't have the consistency or the overall output of "great" matches to make a list like this one. The lifespan & length of Holly's career gave him plenty of chances to have memorable matches. One COULD argue that he didn't ever have a sustained push near the top, so he wasn't "allowed" to have the great, big epic style matches. (I've seen that discussion spring up recently, which is why I mention it.) But, in reality, Holly worked & functioned on EVERY level of the WWF/E cards over his time with the company. That means he worked with a wide, WIDE range of opponents - which could & should have equated to more memorable matches. I like enough of his stuff, but the quantity of high quality work just isn't there.

I haven't seen enough of Trent in solo action, and Fish is always worth scoping out for me - even if he doesn't *always* deliver. Very inconsistent performer in my view, but when he's on - he's fairly freaking terrific. So yeah. I'll track down the Trent/Fish bout, the Dorada match for sure, and the finals of course. Glad they went with Kyle/Kushida, since that's the showdown I was banking on since the field was first announced. And now we can all gleefully await the crowning of Kushida over Omega soon to come.

Well of course. Somewhere, an enraged Scott Steiner just body slammed a calculator onto concrete. "Math is FAT."

Glad to hear that Roddy quickly grew on you. I don't know if Parv has seen much of the guy's work, but yeah. It's easy to dismiss Strong based on his bland, generic appearance - but the guy can GO. He shifts gears better than just about anyone out there today, and he's REALLY got his game on point lately. His strikes look precise, swift, and vicious. His backbreakers are barbaric. I know Parv is a sucker for variety when it comes to suplexes, so I could see him being sold on Roddy with the right match list viewing. No doubt. Plus, as you pointed out, Strong's suddenly developed this knack for being a total dick to the crowd (and officials). I've absolutely enjoyed every minute of his PWG heel stint since last year. He's just a total prick. He might look like your everyday average accountant (more incentive for Parv there?), but the guy's got a mean-streak and some nasty offense. Something else I've noticed about Strong's improvement over the last year or two also - he doesn't always resort to that "Go, go, go" style like he used to. I mean, sure. He's got all those backbreakers and big "spots", but it isn't always done to the point of overkill. He's much better these days at managing his timing & pacing in matches with that stuff. Don't get me wrong. He still goes for that string of high impact maneuvers towards the end of his matches, but it's usually reserved for that bridge between the meat of the match & the big build to the finish. General thoughts on the rest of your recap for the show - I still want to see the demolition derby of Sabu/RVD versus the Hardys. I don't care. The train-wreck appeal's there until I see the countless botched spots for myself. I liked when Bad Influence came out as the Road Warriors on Impact's "Throwback Thursday" back in the day. Not sure why they did it again here, but I might watch that piece just for that. I've only seen Sydal work PWG and ROH since his WWE release, so I can't speak for his body of work as a whole - but I honestly haven't enjoyed too much of it. I wouldn't say it's actively atrocious or anything, but it's been relatively disappointing. He's had a few good matches here & there, but he worked Chris Hero in PWG for example and couldn't get a good match out of THAT. The foot injury that took forever to heal might have something to do with him seeming a bit "off" at times, but I don't know. Just haven't been blown away by anything in particular - although I will say I liked his makeshift team with Sabin, who's another guy I really wanted to like more outside the usual setting.

Finally got around to listening to this one. Enjoyed it immensely, guys. Really digging the separate "Falls" format. It's cool that you got creative enough to customize the show without having to go too far off course or anything. The restraints you put in place helps keep things on track & steered on topic, too. Good stuff. Looking forward to more episodes, for sure.

List your most "Definitive" champion for each championship. Obviously, this could apply to everything from the more traditional & established championships - United States, Television, Intercontinental, WCW, ECW, WWF/E, IWGP, Triple Crown - to even some of the lesser discussed ones - ROH, PWG, TNA, UWF, European, Hardcore, or whatever's your pleasure. Just rattle off your choice of who springs to mind when you think of each belt. Not necessarily who made the best champion, who had the best defenses, or anything like that. Just who you think represented it best & why that's your choice.

I'd prefer Lord Steven Lethal.

Which is sort of ironic - when you consider there's a big banner hanging on the wall at the developmental center that says, "You're not here to FILL a spot. You're here to TAKE a spot."

I've only seen Trevor Lee vs. Hero in PWG, but I absolutely loved it there. Sounds like they worked a similar formula - with Hero bringing the badass strikes, and Lee selling like a champ. The bit where Lee's legs go limp and he sloooowly folds up like a lawn chair is tremendous.

Agreed actually. The Man Scout gimmick is one of those things that I find to be really fun in doses, especially if you're a part of that live atmosphere. It can be a little grating when it drags on too long, but meh. As long as it doesn't take up too much time or detract from something that would otherwise be an outstanding match on the card? I have no problem with the gimmick. It's purely shtick, and things like that'll always have their place on pro wrestling cards. Cedric vs. Kendrick seems worthwhile on paper, so I might check that out for myself. Sucks to hear they didn't seem to gel so well though. I've found that I almost exclusively enjoy Everett when he's booked in frenzied, fast-paced Three Way Dances. Otherwise, I don't care much for his stuff. But booking him out there alongside both Aero Star and Jack Evans? Christ on a crutch. That's a bit much. It's almost like "too much of the same thing", and it could quickly feel like stylistic overkill. Could be a neat train-wreck thing though. The 12-man tag is the opposite of the Cedric/Spanky match to me, in that it looks like a complete cluster on paper. But I've seen plenty of PWG matches with the same template, and they generally turn out to be fairly entertaining. I don't care much at all for the Addiction anymore, and I'm probably the only person on Earth that'll say I actually liked their work in TNA (2012-2013) better than practically everything they've done since returning to the indies. I don't care though. This match has Roddy, and I'll watch anything with Strong these days. Bonus points for Liger being there. The main event at least has some name value and makes sense on the star power scale, so there's that. This could have been a "dream match" on somebody's fantasy booked cards about ten years ago, but I don't know. I will say that I've enjoyed the Hardys more & more in garbage matches these last few years all over again though - and I particularly found their TNA series with the Dudleys & Wolves to be surprisingly fun. Looking forward to the rest of your write-up, man. There's just so much wrestling to catch up on right now, and I barely have time to browse around for reviews & recaps. So you guys posting 'em here sure does make all that tracking a lot easier.

Not to be "that guy" but Austin beating Lesnar would be like Andre beating Hogan at WM3. It makes zero sense. True. And I was thinking the same thing. Counterpoint argument being that Austin returning in Texas, only to lose, kind of ranks right up there with Austin turning heel in Texas. Just seems sort of stupid. Of course there's seemingly no benefit of putting Austin over Lesnar in 2016, but the same could be said for A LOT of their booking decisions at Mania events. It's hardly a stretch to see them going that route, given how much they like to protect their legends and past stars on these cards. That being said, with the amount of money they're throwing at Lesnar over the next few years, maybe they'll go the bold route of Lesnar/Taker again. Brock beating Stone Cold in Texas might not be on the level of ending the streak, but it might not be too far off in terms of monumental moments. All depends on the presentation & the hype that goes into it.

Remember last year when Evolution & the Shield were at war, and everyone was certain that would lead to Reigns/HHH? Personally, I'd still be on board for that ahead of Rollins/HHH.