SomethingSavage

Downloading now. Going to dive into the audio sometime this week. Enjoyed the hell out of the episode from a few months back where you had Grimmas on to rebook Goldberg's streak. Fantasy booking is a tricky thing, but I really dig the selections you've made for this project for the most part.

A few spring to mind that haven't been mentioned yet. Also, yeah. I may be alone in thinking some of these, but it is what it is... - Akeem, the African Dream. Gang took the ball, ran with it, and just fully embraced the gimmick change. And hey. Plug jive-talking Slick into the mix? And yeah. It gets over huge in this household. A guilty pleasure in every sense for me. - 3 Count. I think Jimmy Hart was onto something with that idea. This group had the typical heel traits & attributes that you'd expect, combined with the added goodness of tapping into a timely trend (at the time). Boy bands were doing gangbusters then, and this actually gave WCW the chance to grab hold of some semblance of pop culture. They fumbled it, but it still had its moments. - Rico, particularly after he became the Adrian Street clone. Maybe I'm just a huge mark for the character, but I thought Rico played (and looked) perfect for that role. His interactions with Charlie Haas, Jackie Gayda, and Dawn Marie turned out to be more entertaining than they had any real reason to be. - The "Super Heavyweight" Holly Cousins, where they'd literally carry scales to the ring & demand their opponents to "weigh in" before each bout. Tremendous.

Knox is no Gallows, but he's an okay "big man" worker at times. Had a string of solid matches against Rey over on the SmackDown brand in early '09 or so. Regarding his ECW run as the jealous boyfriend though, Knox worked a tag match with Test against Dreamer & Sandman that at least felt a little authentic to the original ECW rep. Kelly did a run-in, got her skirt lifted, spanked, and even kissed Tommy if I recall correctly. I may be remembering that wrong though. Either way, it was a fun cluster and not all bad.

Ohmygoddamngod yes. That Big Show versus Flair match is outstanding. In fact, I posted about it over in the "What Are You Watching?" thread sometime last year. Here. Found it... The Big Show © vs. Ric Flair for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Lots of fun. I remembered really enjoying it at the time it happened, but there was a lot of people that soured INSTANTLY on Show's involvement with the ECW brand as champion. Looking back on it, I think it holds up as a tremendously worthwhile train-wreck. There's bloodshed & brutality. There's Big Show behaving like a big mean bastard. There's Flair eating an ENORMOUS amount of nasty violence at the meaty paws of the champ. Just lots of neat stuff crammed into this one. I guess it's technically a "championship challenge", with the story being that the Nature Boy seeks out Show and vies to attain the one "World" belt in the company that he hadn't yet captured at the time. But, even so, it quickly breaks down into an all-out brawl. Flair fights for his life and resorts to desperate measures, strictly to survive. And Show brings the heat, like a territorial carnivore that's out to keep anything & everything all to himself. There are plenty of fun spots sprinkled throughout. Almost right away, Show bludgeons Flair with a barrage of headbutts that cracks the Nature Boy's noggin WIDE OPEN. Taz notes that Show's walking around with a massive friggin' "HEAD LIKE'UH POLICE HORSE", so yeah. Fitting description. Naitch goes straight into peril mode. There's a nice visual of Show towering over Flair, who's kneeling and just absorbing the punishment that's being poured down onto him. But then (!) Ric goes into his toolbox of tried & true maneuvers - it's a low blow! Vicious uppercut DIRECTLY to the uprights! And it's followed up with a second. Then a third! Christ. Crotch shots & nut crackers. The crowd comes alive for that, as Dirty Trick Ric kicks things into a higher gear. And Ric Flair goes EXTREME, reaching for the barbed wire bat and introducing various weaponry into the match. It doesn't take long, and Show is soon wearing his own crimson mask. And, if the image of Ric Flair wielding a barbed wire baseball bat and a trash can wasn't enough, then we get Slick Ric busting out... THUMBTACKS. Show takes a bump into the tacks, but he pops right up. Show rises from the tiny bed of nails like this big, badass fire-breathing dragon - ready to plunder, pillage, and rape. Yup. He's ANGRY, folks. And the mood QUICKLY changes, as Show goes OVERKILL with his onslaught. Clothesline. Chokeslam. And then the Cobra Clutch Back Breaker - which is a finishing sequence that I'd LOVE to see him bring back sometime. It's absolute devastation. Show just manhandles Flair into position, hastily humbles him, drives him down across the knee, and then takes him to the mat for Nap Time. We get ANOTHER neat visual of an exhausted and broken Flair, just lying there on his side, caught in the big, bad bear-trap that is Show's Cobra Clutch. Flair's chest is heaving up and down, gasping for breath, with a pond of drying & caking blood smeared all down his torso. It's fantastic. Show isn't satisfied, so he proves his point further by lifting Flair (still in the Cobra Clutch) and just FLINGING him across the ring like a piece of trash. Ric is flung FACE-FIRST and lands in the scattered thumbtacks. So yeah. The Nature Boy goes above & beyond the call of duty in helping Show to look like a newly awakened MONSTER here. The commentary is strong and dialed directly into the story. It all just comes together really well in the end. Post-match, there's an awesome closeup that actually shows a thumbtack still STUCK in the skull - just hanging there like dandruff in the back of Flair's bleached blonde 'do. And this came before Flair was routinely doing the American Onita shtick in every major match he'd work for WWE. Just a drastically insane change from the older, slower version of standard Flair we were getting for much of his run prior to this stuff. The whole deal doesn't drag on too long either. And the treatment & attention given to Flair is something that SHOULD have carried over a lot more. Heck, this whole booking phase of Show as ECW Champ is extremely underrated altogether.

I'm in this to jump aboard the Silas bandwagon. Been a big fan of the guy, going back to his title reigns in AAW. He was pretty much doing the same shtick then that is helping to get him noticed now, and it's just tremendous. Yeah. Not sure why he's always been hellbent on sticking that flippy corner spot into ALL his matches, but it's a staple for him. Guess he just wants people to know he's athletic, but yeah. Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean ya always should. And, as it's been mentioned, it's actually detrimental in this specific case, because it takes away a bit from what his character is supposed to stand for & represent anyhow. A lariat would suit him well. Even if they don't play up the "Stan Hansen's nephew" rumor as a gimmick, I wish they'd put some effort into establishing the lariat as a credible finish for him. They could steal a page from Adam Pearce's "One Last Ride" days in Hollywood - where he was using creative setups to "lure" guys into the path of his lariat. And then they put it over like a million bucks by having victims "bleed" from the ears and suffer "busted eardrums" afterwards. Good stuff. On a similar note, I wish to hell that Ciampa would find a new finisher for himself also. The Powerbomb setup for a basic backbreaker is clunky & contrived. Not only that, but you've already got both Roddy Strong and Cedric Alexander busting out badass backbreakers for finishes, up and down the same cards. It's just too much. Truth be told? The way it looks when he lands it, the backbreaker should hurt Ciampa's own knees and shins more than anything. Just a goofy indy move, in my honest opinion. It's something that's meant to look "innovative", but in all honesty... it's just stupid.

The "Hybrid Fighting Rules" match between O'Reilly and Cole is probably worth scoping out, too. It's the one with Cole losing his front teeth & bleeding buckets from the mouth for a few minutes at the end there. Not the best in terms of storytelling or structure, but it's a heck of a fight. They both bring the stiffness and unleash some brutal strikes. It's the match that helped (eventually) elevate both, but it especially helped to launch Cole's singles career afterwards.

Yeah. You're just about to reach the stretch of shows where Havoc will get to shine a bit more. Both his match versus Angelico & the one against Mundo are lots of freaking fun. And you're right. Cuerno's dives look fierce. Still waiting on Aero Star to bust out some of his more INSANE stuff though. He's got this fantastic suicide dive to the outside, in which he launches himself like a frog shot out of a blender, but then he STICKS the impact & falls face-first onto the floor like a dead fish. It's hands-down one of my favorite "desperation" spots in all of wrestling right now. Say what you will about the little faults & flaws with the program, but Lucha Underground has actually made me excited about current wrestling again. Outside of the annual New Japan super-cards and some of AAA, I haven't really been able to genuinely look forward to things in awhile. With Lucha Underground, I've got that feeling of hype & anticipation back. I'm especially interested in seeing IF & when they'll approach the subject matter of a Mask Match - whether it's versus another mask or somebody's head of hair. I get the feeling they'll tread smartly & put over the history and prestige of the hoods, what it means to drop a mask (and practically an entire identity) with the loss, etc. Furthermore, I could actually pinpoint a few guys in the promotion that would likely BENEFIT from the loss. Muertes is one. I know he's not meant to be Mesias or Banderas in this "reality", but I don't care. The guy's got a GREAT look that could only raise his intimidation factor & overall presence. I just don't think the Muertes look is as defined or streamlined as it could be with a guy like that. Puma's another high-profile guy that could afford to shed the mask at some stage. I don't know if it's the mask itself or what, but something's lost in translation between what I normally see from Ricochet... and what I've been getting from Puma. The match layouts are fine, and the execution is up to par with his usual stuff. But I don't know. There's just a disconnect. A guy like Fenix, on the other hand, can take a crowd & OWN it while still being under the mask. He's got this amazing sense of showmanship & charisma that I just don't see from Puma - but I *have* seen at times from Ricochet elsewhere. Just an odd deal really.

While I can absolutely understand your stance on their approach, I'm really not bothered by the way it's been presented. Ryck's a monster, and he's been treated as such. So it totally makes sense for him to look like a beast out there up against a female. Star has been made to look competent and credible against the smaller guys, and I don't think that's ever looked TOO far-fetched or out of place. It's not beyond the realms of possibility to see Sexy Star knock a member of the Crew off their feet or take down Chavo with a dive, for example. On the other hand, if she were to be striking and slamming Ryck, then it'd be cringeworthy and a little too much for me to buy into the act. I'm not a big fan of the "men versus women" component, but I haven't really seen a case where they've taken it too far just yet. Even the brutality of Chavo cracking Star across the head with a chair was used to maximum effect, in my view. It felt like a "holy shit" deal, and it put over Chavo as this despicable bastard in that moment of time. Furthermore, I really haven't seen them present Sexy Star as a viable threat to any of their top guys, so I'm not really worried about it. There's way too much to actually ENJOY about the program for me to be bogged down & bothered by little cases of women getting underdog hope spots in on some of the male competitors. It just doesn't detract from the show for me. But yeah. From all instances I've seen, it just seems like Star has spunk & fire. She wants to prove herself. She's a spirited fighter, and she believes in herself as a combatant. That doesn't always carry over to reality, which is what we got here with Ryck. Makes perfect, believable sense to me. They're not really pushing her as anything more, and even the commentators tend to make a case for her as being this chick with a lot of pride & spirit - but not necessarily the attributes to back it up all the time.

I'm definitely looking forward to the show. Rey & Mysteziz as a team doesn't really do anything for me, but there's still something to be said about Rey's return to Mexico regardless. I actually prefer the team of Mysteziz & Fenix to be brutally honest, and I really thought they were hitting new strides together as a pairing. But I can understand why they'd slot Rey into this spot - the familiarity and all. And the fact that we'll get to see Pentagon Jr. - who I'm EXTREMELY high on these days - interact a bit with Mysterio is just icing. Might not amount to a whole lot in the end, but there's a chance it could be something fairly memorable. I've been a big fan of Aero Star for awhile. The entrance, the ring gear, and the INSANE dives & the overall performance he pumped out against Super Fly in their Mask Match has sold me on him completely - not to mention the decent stuff he's done in Lucha Underground. So yeah. He's likely THE major longshot to win the whole damn thing, but I don't care. I'll be rooting for the guy. 'Berto versus Cage? Ehh. While I enjoy both guys, that one could go either way. Could be harmlessly entertaining, or it could go off the rails & turn into trash real fast. But half the fun's in waiting to see. Hoping that Blue Demon's participation is kept to a minimum in that trios. Fenix & Fantasma Jr. could EASILY steal the show. All in all, I think this stands a chance to turn into a really fun night for AAA.

Yeah. I can certainly see the case for Rush, but I don't know. I definitely need to go back & watch some of his hair matches without any distractions. Any other recommended stuff of his I should check out? And as dated as my pick might be, my go-to guy for this would (still at this stage) be LA Park. Guy's absolutely unafraid to get in fans' faces or WHATEVER it takes to rile them into a frenzy. Same time, he's right at home & completely comfortable in just cutting a rug to entertain the crowd. Plus he's PROVEN that his act holds that crossover appeal to fans of just about any variety. Heck, I know people that have fallen off from their fandom since the Attitude Era - but they can vividly remember "La Parka" from his WCW days.

Christ. I'm REALLY hoping that Russo rumor is bullshit. Let him record his podcast & hop the first flight back home. Lucha Underground is thriving on its own merits. Here's hoping they give it time to truly grow & prosper without attempting anything as extreme or desperate as putting Russo on payroll. Can't imagine how they'd convince themselves that it's even remotely a good idea anyhow. The exciting action is today's new "crash TV" concept. It's the hook that helps to set Lucha U apart. Fans aren't going to buy into wrestling as the "male soap opera" that it was in the Attitude Era heyday. That's just not a selling point in today's scene. Maybe I'm off the mark there, but I really believe that. Television in general has reached such a tremendous new height in terms of quality storytelling. There's no way people are looking to wrestling for that stuff. Instead, I believe Lucha Underground has found a fine balance between the in-ring action and the (awesome) approach to their soap stuff. It's ramped up to full cheese factor, but it is SO damn fitting for their image. It's Tarantino meets video game cut-scenes, and it just clicks. There's no need for Russo to infect that formula with his outdated ideas. Simply put. Moving on... I'm loving the push they've placed on Pentagon Jr. If they play this right, I think they should eventually visit the notion that some competitors are "afraid" (or at least wary and concerned) about signing up to face him in combat. Play up the intent-to-injure idea, and play it big. Seriously invested in seeing who ultimately turns out to be his "Master" at this rate, too. Loving the slow-build and development for Havoc's character. It's great to see Cross finally getting things into gear. That Del Rio promo though? Holy shit. He KILLED it. Absolute intensity. Felt like a genuine emotional outcry from the guy, and I bought it. He had a fire & zest that just reinforces what his babyface run in WWE should have been. We got slight glimpses of it during the Big Show feud, but they completely cut his legs out from underneath him following that with all the Zeb & Swagger stuff. ANYWAY... Not a huge fan of his matches with Texano in AAA, and I think I would've honestly preferred to see Perro brought over to feud with him instead. But hey. I can see why they'd just bring the Texano grudge stateside in the meantime. It should serve well enough for an introduction to 'Berto and what should be an entertaining run for him. Lucha U deserves major props & bonus points for the way they presented his debut, too. Doesn't matter that it was just for some mic time & not a match. Reminded me of the days when TNA was actually a promotion that attracted bigger stars & names like Christian and Kurt Angle back in '06. They hyped & promoted the signings in similar fashion. But yeah. Lucha U treated this like a big freaking deal, and I'd say it paid off. Felt like a legitimate "moment" for me. And, to his credit, Alberto seemed to be digging it himself.

Random question, I know - and I'm posting it here, strictly because I'm unsure as to where else it'd apply - but a friend & I were talking modern lucha vs. modern puro recently... and, since this place is primarily my favorite board nowadays, I wanted to gauge your guys' thoughts on something... Who, in today's lucha libre, would you put on par with Nakamura in terms of showmanship, charisma, and presence? Anybody? It isn't necessarily limited to Mexico either. They can be working stateside. Hell, Puerto Rico could apply - if there's anyone on the island that warrants a mention. I'm just curious. At times, I watch Nakamura & feel like he's absolutely at a level all his own in terms of aura & behaving like a HUGE star. Guy demands undivided attention. But I'm eager to find out if anyone exists in modern day lucha that'd compare. I'm not taking a stand and saying there isn't - quite the contrary, actually. I'm definitely hoping to discover that there are at least a couple of candidates that could hold up and AT LEAST make a case for 'em in the same sense.

Yeah. 2013 is the surefire runaway winner for me. That summer stretch was specifically hot, with Bryan being built up towards the title. They had him run through every other participant from the MITB "All Stars" Match (minus RVD of course) on TV in the weeks leading up to that PPV, and it produced some REALLY strong stuff - matches with Sheamus and Christian particularly. Plus there was that brief babyface program with Orton, ending on a high note with their Street Fight on RAW one week. There for awhile, they seemed to REALLY dial in on the Authority influence and maximize their possibilities with it. The stories of Bryan being screwed, HBK being manipulated, Cody's firing, Dustin's return, and even the early phase of Big Show's suspension were weaved together fairly masterfully - especially compared to the way it all ran off the rails later. Even if you were bored with Rock/Cena and Ryback/Cena, the early portion of the year saw PLENTY of tremendous trios matches from the Shield, some entertaining moments in the final days of Team Hell No, etc. And, while I'm tempted to say 2012 for some of the Mark Henry moments and high-end Sheamus matches versus Big Show, Ziggler, and Bryan - I'd stick with 2013, because I'd take that Mark Henry swerve scenario over just about anything else from 2012 anyhow.

Generico's entire stretch during that 2011 BOLA is freaking phenomenal, to be entirely honest. It's as solid a modern underdog performance as you're gonna get ANYWHERE, in my opinion. The finale with Steen isn't anything extraordinary or groundbreaking from those two, but it tells a superb little story. Plus it's strengthened by their built-in backstory & rivalry behind it. Oh, and the post-match stuff with the BOLA trophy & the kid is simply tremendous. If I were Mercury, Noble, or whomever - it's the single best "moment" I'd point out to WWE to emphasize Zayn's value & illustrate his stock as the potential next Rey Mysterio style babyface for the company.

Yup. This was phenomenal. Tremendously fun, easy listening. Looking forward to future episodes & whatever games Johnny can conjure up. Good stuff. I'm interested to find out if the "prizes" ever change up, too. Could be cool to "award" the losers by forcing them to do their own impersonations of Sorrow's signature voices or something, etc. Just a thought, but now I'm rambling... Anyhow, this was great.

Agreed. Really dig this format specifically & the whole series in general. Far as TNA timelines go, I can see the reasoning for a look back at the 2010 stretch. It's abysmal stuff for the most part, with a few "misses" littered here & there - like the London Brawling tag team, the Pope character, "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal as a sort of Hurricane Helms-esque babyface, the awesome Lockdown cage match between Anderson & Angle, etc. But most of that is overshadowed by the burial of the X Division, the terrible handling of the championship situation, the use of AJ Styles as Nature Boy Lite, and so on. If you guys get around to it though, I'd MUCH rather see something like a spotlight on the TNA time frame of 2012 - that hot stretch where they actually appeared to be making stars out of Bobby Roode, James Storm, and Austin Aries. Hell, even Bully Ray felt genuinely rejuvenated and red hot. The X Division was thriving, Daniels was reaching his apex in arrogant slimeball heel mode, and just a lot of good stuff was going on for awhile there.

Yeah. Dylan pretty much touched on most of 'em... For me, personally, I thought the absolute best of the Hardys/Wolves/3D saga came BEFORE they ever actually kicked off the official series. The straightforward Dudleys/Hardys match from Impact, right before the series, was - for my money - the best thing they put together. The finishing stretch is really hot, and it kind of strums the same notes as the awesome Briscoes/Hardys match in OMEGA. Nowhere near the same level of steam, 'cause both teams are doing babyface shtick & there's that absence of Jay Briscoe just piling on the heat... but still, it was solid enough to stand head & shoulders above the rest of the 2014 tag series for me. Far as the actual Hardys/3D/Wolves trilogy goes, I think both the original Triple Threat & the Full Metal Mayhem matches are worth scoping out. No, they aren't the original TLCs, but they've got a similar vibe. One's a chaotic scramble & the other's a fun garbage brawl with a couple of cool spots mixed in - like an "accidental" assist on a Dudley Death Drop, the usual INSANE Jeff Hardy bump, etc. The Tables Match can be skipped entirely though. Just a plodding, paint-by-numbers affair to set up one spot & then the next, and then the next... and so on, until they reach the end-game there. Eric Young had a great World Title defense against Bobby Roode on Impact. His Slammiversary (Steel Cage) defense against Lashley & Aries ain't too shabby neither. Gunner vs. Storm had a real underrated rivalry, in my opinion. Both the Last Man Standing & I Quit Matches are violent, vicious, and worked with a heightened sense of urgency & aggression. I honestly haven't gone back to see how well they hold up, but I remember REALLY liking them at the time. There's an abundance of blood and some sick spots with chairs & stairs thrown in there, so yeah. I'm willing to be they're still worth the watch. Lashley's World Title defense against Aries on the (Destination X?) episode of Impact from Manhattan was TREEEEMENDOUS. There's some great dives, killer strikes, and wicked bumps by Aries in that one. He plays the perfect cat & mouse game with Lashley and really helped to first turn my opinion around on ole Bobby last year. Lashley's matches with Roode are pretty good, too. I didn't realize how they were rated in the first place, so I never realized they were being overrated anywhere. They're nothing spectacular, for sure. But they're worked well, and it's honestly some of the best treatment they've given to their World Championship since the Aries/Roode series in 2012. So I enjoyed 'em. Oh, and there's a decent single title defense against Hardy, with Jeff taking (yet another) dangerous flat-back bump on the steel steps. I doubt it makes anyone else's list, but since the pool is still kind of shallow as far as a "Best of TNA 2014" goes... I'll offer up Magnus vs. Samoa Joe from Lockdown. No, it's nothing extraordinary - but again, it's a smartly executed match that plays to the parts & strengths of both guys. There's some stiff strikes, some snug submissions, and generally just a good story being told. But then comes the deflating finish, which is really what took it down a lot for me in the end. For just a bit of variety... Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne from Lockdown is decent. Another one that might be a bit harder to find is their one-on-one rematch at the One Night Only crossover with Wrestle-1 (from Japan!). It's a better straightforward match, and Madison looks like she nearly breaks her freaking neck a couple of times. The Tigre Uno debut against Manik at Lockdown is supremely fun. It's just a quick sprint, but it put him over big and stood out enough for me to still remember it here. Again, just tossing stuff out there, since the list isn't too long anyhow.

Lawler was clearly in his element during the Attitude Era heyday. I think, at times, he was a lot of fun to listen to - the jokes were landing, his personal preference of heels over babyfaces, his kissing up to Mr. McMahon on commentary, etc. It just worked. They never really replaced him though. Heyman was awesome for about a year in the role, but they desperately need to find THIS generation's fit for color commentary. JBL had a good routine going with Cole during the brand split days, but again - it didn't last long. I know it's a talking point that's been beaten to death & back again by now, but really - the announcing is terrible on their main shows. Sure you're in the right place? 'Cause that sort of discussion is *KIND OF* what gets done 'round message boards & such. And, only to point out the obvious, but this IS the "Current WWE" thread by the way. Just sayin'.

A blue dot to the face would fix that. I never understood the obsession with having the announcers look any certain way. I can see demanding them to appear professional, sure. They're spokesmen, but they're the "voices" - not the "faces" - of the product. At the end of the day, nobody's going to tune in due to Michael Cole being "prettier" than JR, or anything else of that sort. It's just absurd. In fact, the case could be made that JR, palsy-ridden and all, carried the company at its height of popularity. And Lord knows Gorilla wasn't out there looking like a rockstar when he did the same. For Christ's sakes, Lawler's mug looks like a pipin' hot baked potato most nights. And there he is, damn near every week... I hardly see why they find so many "issues" to nitpick about. If a guy like Regal or Christian can provide a breath of fresh air behind the booth, they should just shoot for it.

Michaels vs Perfect from Stars & Stripes Forever (March '91, right around Mania hype season) was tremendous. Heenan's killing it on commentary, the bumping is insanely energetic, and the action never drops off from bell to bell. Just a HIGHLY entertaining little throwaway match that actually serves to build up the IC Title feud at the time. The singles matches from the Survivor Series Showdowns were always solid, too. Haven't checked lately, but I know most of 'em used to be up on YouTube.

Still sticking with my (re)watch of the entire Championship Wrestling From Hollywood series, going all the way back to the start. Thoroughly enjoying what I've seen (again) thus far, as almost everything feels fresh & new to me again. It's been so long since I've seen a lot of this stuff, so it's truly a treat to look back on it now. The quality holds up quite well. And - I've said this before - but the presentation & format really feels like a precursor to a lot of the stuff we later got with the NXT relaunch. It's just a streamlined show, with very little filler or throwaway air time. Everything feels progressive & meaningful, which seems to be a staple in most of the NXT and even Lucha Underground programming we're seeing these days. Specifically? Guys like Willie Mack, Peter Avalon (yes), and especially Scorpio Sky are bringing the heat. These guys just go out there and consistently tear it up in their matches, no matter WHO they're facing on a weekly basis. It's great. The Austin Aries vs. Scorpio Sky "Best of Five" series was phenomenal. Simply put, I think it belongs among the more mainstream series that anybody has put out. Bell to bell, the action is intense and fierce. The matches are strung together seamlessly to tell ONE big story, yet each can be absorbed & enjoyed on their own in absolute isolation. Aries is relentless and vicious in his assaults, busting out badass submissions and just behaving like a predator through & through. Meanwhile, Sky plays the part of the baby in peril PERFECTLY. He's no Rey Mysterio or even Sean Waltman for me, but he's still pretty darn spectacular in the role. Garners sympathy like a champ, sells the hell out of a concussion angle, and has you rooting for him straight up to the finish. Speaking of finishes, I love the little angle they ran at the end of the series. A fun sort of swerve, without taking ANYTHING away from the efforts or substance of the story they told. There's also this really cool image of Austin Aries ripping apart a fan's sign that proclaims, "Austin Aries Cheats!" Aries looks directly at the camera and says, "No way. Cheaters never win. And I won! I wonnnn!" Just awesome stuff. Among other things, Willie Mack and Joey Kaos (who I'm admittedly not a big fan of) actually delivered a damn fine Lumberjack Match one week in my recent viewing. The stipulation made sense, fit the tempo, and was used about as well as I've ever seen. The match actually felt like a proper payoff & conclusion at that time, although they DO revisit the rivalry just a month or so later. Still? It's treated as a substantial gimmick for a change. I'm that guy that'll stand up for Matt Striker on commentary, so I don't mind Todd Keneley's geeky references or phrases at the announce booth. I actually think it's fairly impressive how many he'll bust out during - for instance - a RockNES Monsters match. Goes a little overboard at times, like Striker. But hey. Like it or not, we live in a Geek Squad world these days. Nerdist culture IS today's pop culture. So it fits. Stu Stone, in full villain mode by now, was a hoot on commentary recently also. During a Nick Madrid match, there's a full flock of fans at ringside, all sporting these bright yellow Madrid T-shirts. Keneley mentions 'em, and Stone runs with it - talking about how they're all related to Nick, living together & crammed in a single bedroom apartment up the road. Loved it. Other comments that had me cracking up? "I hate to give him credit, Todd... ... ... so I won't." And when Todd makes the cliche comment of, "What's it gonna take to keep Nick Madrid down?!" Stu calmly comes back with, "Well... it's gonna take the referee counting to three." Tremendous. Another enjoyable discovery for me has been the Tribe. I don't recall liking much AT ALL about these guys before, but I'm seriously digging 'em this time around. They're just a real roughhouse type of team. Hawaiian Lion's stupid name is misleading, because the guy busts out some BRUTAL throws & suplexes left and right. He just destroys dudes with Saito Suplexes, T-Bones, Exploders, and all kinds of other goodness. Even Navajo Warrior brings to the table a stiff Bray Wyatt bodyblock and (my personal favorite) Running Death Valley Driver. Their offense is just SICK at times. If the Ascension were doing THIS kind of stuff, then maybe they'd look like a threat on the big stage. Oh, and the Tribe brings the added advantage of the warpaint. So there's bonus points for that. Plus they pack a freaking scalping hatchet & leather strap to the ring. Those HAVE to rank right up there among my favorite foreign objects of choice. "Pretty" Peter Avalon has been a revelation of sorts, too. I remember liking his work early on, before a lot of the PWG stuff, but man oh man. I didn't recall him showing signs of it THIS soon. But there he is, bringing stellar matches to the forefront from day one. There's a particularly awesome opener with Famous B on one episode that I've already gone back and watched a few more times. Just crisp, swift, and REALLY FUN offense from the guy. He doesn't quite topple Aries, Sky, or Mack for my MVP of the series overall - but he's certainly in the discussion, which is saying something. But I guess perhaps the absolute BEST part of this series rewatch experience has been reliving the SUPERB storytelling of the Colt Cabana & Adam Pearce rivalry. Make no mistake, it's a feud that deserves to go down among the best of the best. And I don't care who disagrees. I might lose a debate on the subject every time, but I don't care. I'd still state the case & at least present an argument for it belonging in the conversation. It's simply THAT great. Recently, I just got past the point where Colt dethrones Pearce for the first time. Adam promptly disappears from TV - something we should see MORE of with former champions - to sell the importance of the situation. Better yet is the idea that Colt immediately inherits all of Pearce's enemies and challengers, RIGHT AWAY. That's exactly how the concept should be carried, with a champ being an island unto himself & a giant target to everyone around him. Even his best of friends... Oh, and I ended my rewatch this week on Pearce making his return... and reluctantly making a split-second decision to actually SAVE Colt from a gang beat down. It's a fantastic little moment that seems SO much more important & dramatic due to Adam's absence from television. I do remember where the story goes from here, but I honestly don't care. My enjoyment of the angle and the story they're telling isn't dampened at all by that fact. I'm just loving reliving the whole thing all over again. Said it a few times before, but yeah. Between this rewatch & ongoing Lucha Underground, my interest has been revitalized & refreshed again after REALLY taking a dive in the summer and fall months this year.

I honestly think that sounds tremendous. This sort of angle could be used to pile on the heat for his first World Championship shot. Even if he fails, I think he comes away with enough momentum to keep marching forward for awhile. For anyone concerned that Rusev would drift aimlessly after being beaten, I think there'd actually be a built-in extension of this gimmick for him to work beyond that. Just have him turn into a type of "trophy hunter" instead of a title collector. As he'd maul & mow down opponents, he could rip away a piece of their character or costume as a trophy. Of course it'd have a shelf life also, but at least it'd keep him progressing towards something & FEEL like he's consistently achieving something.

Finally got around to watching this year's Tribute To The Troops event. Call me crazy, but I definitely dug it as a throwaway "special" kind of show. Genuinely just a real feel good theme throughout the whole thing. Kicking the thing off with Hulk's "Real American" was great. Maybe it's the holidays, or maybe it's me just being a sucker for nostalgia... I don't know. But I got goosebumps when I saw the Hulkster, the flag waving, and THAT entrance. Matches were mostly meh, but it's whatever. The Boot Camp battle delivered some decent action on that front. Sarge doing the intro for it was a nice freaking touch, and hey. It was solid enough for what it was - a bit tame for my tastes, but the crowd seemed into it. I normally don't care for musical acts and performances in the middle of a show, but it felt totally appropriate for this one. The entire scene was certainly enhanced by the fact that the crowd looked to be actively enjoying it all. Gave things a boost by looking like an actual concert atmosphere. I was surprised that NOBODY even commented on Daniel Bryan's actual health or status during that segment with Rusev. That was strange. If you'd been away from awhile as a regular viewer, then you could've EASILY bought into the notion that Bryan was back & cleared for competition. Bizarre. Ryback delaying Harper in that vertical suplex was a pretty sweet spot. The finishing stretch was fun, too. We've seen it several dozen times, but that's alright. And at least they STILL seem intent on protecting Dolph & presenting him in a positive light. All in all, not a bad show at all.

I think there's also a point to be made about the people that tried jumping onto the "cut the cord" bandwagon before it was as viable or easily accessible as it is today. Can't speak for everyone, but I knew a good portion of older folks that are a bit discouraged about moving away from satellite again - after previously trying to switch totally over to Netflix or Hulu only in the past few years or so. I've been running strictly from wireless Internet and streaming devices for years now. No complaints on my end, but I can certainly see why some would be disinterested in the idea after running into roadblocks with it before. People want convenience and relaxation when it comes to watching their shows & stuff - ESPECIALLY in this day of binge-watching obsessions & such. Can't exactly fault 'em for spending more funds or whatever to get that and not run the risk of buffering or anything.

Yeah, Dusty always had his moments. I think familiarity & overexposure are detrimental to just about ANY announcer, really... but the three-man booth had a way of keeping some of those things in check at times. I like that he allowed Heenan to get his shtick over & get his shots in on him, as he always seemed to be a good sport about it. Another match that comes to mind - just off the top of my head - is the Rey Mysterio debut against Malenko. Dust put 'em over strong there. He talked up the talent & skills of BOTH men, even comparing Dean's arm work & grip strength to Danny Hodge. Totally random, I know... but it's something that always stuck with me whenever people wanted to knock Dusty on commentary.