SomethingSavage

Meh. I hear enough from Justin Credible on the Torch LiveCast. He's actually pretty insightful and brings up a lot of issues that are often overlooked.

To be fair, it did look like they originally planned to elevate Fandango - at least to the IC Title status. Granted. That's not a huge shove, but it was something. Sure seemed like he was primed to take the spot with Wade and Miz in the Triple Threat last year. But Fandango was injured, so the moment passed, and the nod went to Axel instead.

Good call with the first Flair match in WCW. The first time he tangled with Sting, the babyface versus babyface encounter, was slightly different than most Hogan matches as well. Might even argue that he ventured a bit outside his realm & usual comfort zone in some of the stuff with Arn and Vader, but he's more run of the mill Hogan in those instances than the former two mentioned above. So yeah. I think Hulk was smart enough to realize when he wasn't getting the love from the southern fan base. He didn't totally adapt or anything, but he made noticeable efforts to be flexible here & there.

Been on the Busick bandwagon for awhile now, but I clearly need to seek out more Thatcher. Dug the show, guys. Great panel. These instant reactions always deliver. I'd like to loudly echo Dylan's thoughts about the pre-show (and post-show) panels. Cracked me up when Kris suggested that they really kayfabe it up with Daniel Bryan's injury. I agree, but it just sounds like some serious fairground carny promoter level shit when you actually SAY the words. Or hear them being said. But yeah. Slapping a neckbrace on the guy and telling him to play paralyzed would dial up the sympathy more than the way he just kind of strolled out there and did his usual thing. I'm totally neutral on the Bo stuff myself. It was harmless, but it served its purpose in giving Bryan a brief, non-physical "moment" to trump a pesky heel. I loved that Lawler popped IMMEDIATELY and got all giddy for the "Boner" pun though. I liked the women's match for what it was, and - maybe I'm in the minority here - I honestly think THIS is the sweet spot they should aim for with the divas. Stop pigeonholing them into the "dead air" spot on the card. Quit consistently tossing them out as the final buffer match to allow people to catch their breath before your big main event. If it's a match for the Divas Title, treat it respectably, and give it a quality 10 minutes or so. I don't think anything beyond that is needed. I don't think it's justified. These girls can be great at what they do, but if they're truly great - you'll know it in ten minutes. Rare, special occasions here & there? Sure. Give 'em more. But do that sparingly. Month to month, I'd give them a slot like the one we saw with Naomi & Paige here. Plenty of time to get their stuff in and showcase what they can do to the viewing crowd. Anything more would feel like a drag. Meantime, I think the new buffer match honors should go to the comedy filler stuff. I'm talking Adam Rose, Sandow, Bo Dallas, or whatever gimmick they're trying to play up for laughs. 'Cause the comedic stuff is all over the place. Very hit or miss. Bad comedy won't make much of a dent in the show if it's put in that "dead air" spot. But good comedy could give the audience a little light humor and a few laughs before the "epic grudge match" style main event of the month. Nice call on the old Problem Solver finish for Cody & Dustin, too. I noticed it and wondered if they've been going back and watching some "last legs" ECW stuff. Sure seems that way. Cody's busting out Tanaka's Diamond Dust... and now the Flapjack DDT from Simon & Swinger. If not, it's just a really random pair of moves to suddenly add to the arsenal. But I'm with Johnny. I think it's just a matter of them ironing out the wrinkles and figuring out the best way to plug in Cody's new move-set and shtick. I doubt it takes 'em too long. Was waiting for Dylan (TNA reviewer and all) to note that Stardust looks a lot like an intentional rib on Jeff Hardy's Willow act. I could be WAY off the mark there, but I don't know. I could definitely see it. If so, WWE's doing it better and likely going to take it a lot further. And I'm absolutely unafraid to admit - I actually don't mind Willow. Don't get me wrong. I don't think it's what a company like TNA should be doing with a star the caliber of Jeff Hardy while he's under their employ. But how can one totally hate a character that's basically a cranked up junkie, just freely frolicking around the forest in a mask & cheap indie costume? I mean, come on. It's great. The oddball selling, the maniacal laughter... it really is too much.

Changing the nature of the character would only neuter him. Changing the guys across the ring from him wouldn't do any damage though. Keep Bray the same. Just change who and what he's fighting. That's it. Simple as that. Happened with the Shield - ironically enough, WHEN they went to war with the Wyatts. To be frank, once he goes babyface, he's going to eventually evolve as a character and the bizarre aspects WILL get toned down. But rushing it would do damage to the act, if anything. Call me crazy, but I think Bray could remain heel and get A LOT of mileage out of the old bait & switch tactic. Tease giving the fans the things, the spots, and the moments they want - only to rip them away. This functions at the character level, too. Yes. He's essentially a cult leader, but establishing dominance and making the rules goes hand-in-hand with that. They could even talk it up like he's "testing the faith" or loyalty of the sheep that follow his way.

Is this the one where he's all kicked back & cozy next to a fireplace, but fully decked out in some swank purple suit & tie or something to that effect? If so, I've seen it. Been several years, but yeah. Good stuff on his early days and relationship with Oscar and Mo. Didn't he mention making some cameos in films and stuff? Did anything ever materialize from all that?

In terms of ring gear "hiding" or "masking" a physique, I actually always found that Big Daddy V losing the top was a major image upgrade for him. It drew a response. It grabbed your full focus & attention by the collar and roughed it up a bit. And that was the point. Here was this guy with grotesque layers of blubber & sloppy folds of fat CRUSHING and SQUISHING his foes into dust. It was great. I hear that the pitch was Dusty's idea, and Vis was initially against it. But I loved that stuff. The tattoos rippling around like riptides is a disturbing, hideous kind of visual that sticks with you. I think it was Taz that said on commentary that he looked like a human lava lamp, which I thought was tremendous.

And that's in for the win.

Great post, Parv. I'm pretty much on board with everything you said there. Never called for less characters or dwindled diversity in wrestling. The fact that Luke Harper is among my absolute favorite guys to watch in the WWE says that I really don't give two shits about what a guy looks like. It's far more remarkable when a guy can physically do these feats & things that he doesn't, at first glance, look like he SHOULD or COULD actually be doing anyhow.

Haha. Hardly ranting about anything. But like I said - I can see if it came across that I thought work rate correlated to good work. And that's not the case, so I'm sort of stuck defending something I didn't INTEND to imply in the first place. And I'm not interested in doing that, so yeah. Basically just came here to address the body fat issue, like I said before. And I've done that. I think we're all pretty much on the same page about everything else, although I still say that his look COULD create the impression with others that he doesn't care much. Or, in the WWE's case, that he doesn't care enough in their eyes. And that's a shame, since anyone who knows Hero knows he's dedicated to the craft enough to tweak his style, train students, and so on.

Your points are all valid, Dylan. But nah. I never intended to imply that work rate = good work. In fact, the ONLY time I referenced "good work" and those standards at all was to say that Hero has shown me NO SIGNS of his own work suffering as a result of the gut he's gained. You could point out that I pretty much implied that work rate is directly related to conditioning however. And that's why I mentioned the strength coaches, MMA fighters, outside sources, and so on. But you're absolutely right. Anyone that's a fan of a specific guy's performance really shouldn't give two shits about any of that stuff. At the end of the day, if you were entertained then that's all that matters. Of course, I pretty much closed my last post on that note. So I kind of fail to see where the disagreement lies in much of anything. I actually think we're almost all in agreement. The only thing I even came here to say in the first place was that body fat in the pro wrestling context has some MAJOR misconceptions. Body image in pro wrestling has scaled back & forth from marginally unrealistic expectations to MAJORLY unrealistic expectations. And I just wanted to clarify that taking body fat to EITHER extreme - whether it be super-vascular lean mass or sloppy fat - is detrimental to the work rate. And it is. Of course, I suppose you're right about the art behind the performance. And I never meant to undersell that, but I guess I can kind of see how it'd seem like I did just that. I mean, specifically in the cases of guys like Vader or Bigelow, you could certainly say that their images ENHANCED their performances. They'd still look and behave like monsters, but some of those spectacular spots aren't nearly as awe-inspiring when they're done by slim or trim monsters instead of the super heavyweight ones.

Damn it, Dylan. You hilarious son of a bitch, you.

Again, I'd love for you to go back and point out where I ever ONCE stated that less fatty looks equated to better wrestling potential. If anything, all I said was that taking EITHER body image to the extreme was detrimental to the overall performance of an athlete. And it is. Again, that's not some kooky social construct that just recently popped up in our culture. That's science. I'm sorry you disagree with biology, bro. I really am. I actually pretty much stated ALL of that myself. So I appreciate you agreeing with me, since I sort of fail to see just WHO you're arguing with at this point. Because, again, all I ever pointed out was how the body runs off of excess stored energy. That's it. Never even specifically spoke about Hero, other than to say that this one particular picture of him - which I never saw before today, so I can't say that I've fairly even seen him compete in THAT shape - is not the image of a fit & healthy guy. And it isn't. I know that there have been spindly-armed, potbellied wrestlers in the past. I know they've had outstanding matches and been promoted as legitimate ass-kickers. But where did you see me dispute ANY of that? Oh. You didn't? I'll carry on then. Tell you what though. If you really and honestly believe in your head that carbs, glucose, and (as a DIRECT result) body fat has nothing to do with maximizing peak performance and having "gas in the tank" - then talk to MMA fighters sometime. Chat with a strength coach. Talk to a power lifter. I dare you to speak with someone from a real combat sport or anything REMOTELY athletic outside of the pro wrestling bubble. In the real world, that's how this stuff works. Hell, AMATEUR wrestlers and PRO cage fighters - the closest things to being cut from the same cloth as pro wrestling - have literally KILLED THEMSELVES trying to master the perfect formula and cycle to time their diets just to be in top form. If glucose really plays no part in peak performance, then why the hell do you CONSTANTLY hear so many of these MMA fighters talking about how the slightest adjustment in their diets or training before a big fight has made all the difference? It's hardly a throwaway assumption. Just for the record, I really hold no preference on the matter. If a guy can perform and entertain me, then I really couldn't care any less what he looks like. When potbellied Hero snaps off a crisp rolling elbow to the jaw, and his opponent sells it like it's nap time? Then I'm all over that shit. Does it matter to me that it came from a guy who looks like he spends 75% of his time in a rocking chair on his front lawn with a cold beer in one hand & a bag of Funyuns in the other? Nope. Not in the slightest.

If appearances don't matter, you're saying you'd get the exact same enjoyment out of Kawada if he wrestled his entire career in a chicken suit. Probably, he'd just present a different sort of enjoyment, or he'd be an ass kicker in a chicken suit, works either way. Agreed actually. I mean, I mark for El Hijo del Pandita. So sure. Why the hell not?

Somebody PLEASE point out where I said the guy would blow up 5 minutes into a match or even slightly indicate that he would? I'm begging ya. I've seen plenty of Hero. I've seen RECENT Chris Hero matches. And the guy hasn't shown much change in his quality of work. So it's all a moot point. But I never said anything about his work suffering. I said he isn't maximizing his potential as a performer with a gut like that. And he isn't. The fuel in the tank is only half full when you look like that. Similarly, I also stated the same for guys who go TOO LEAN and put hold onto no energy reserves whatsoever. Never once said Hero's work was weaker now versus before. But nah. I was more or less addressing the issue of body fat in wrestling. I read the part you went out of your way to bold. I stand by that statement. That's not an image of a guy that you'd classify as fit & healthy. Period. Both in the sense of a "social construct" and a "biological" one. Because hey. That's science. That's the human body. Did I say he was knocking on death's door? Nope. Did I say he was morbidly obese? Don't think so. Did I even partially IMPLY that he couldn't work as a result? Nope. If anything, my point about guys being TOO LEAN kind of hinged on the notion that the "ideal" body type should be met somewhere in the middle.

Sorry, man. Should have clarified. I meant to ask for more details about the "people" internally drawing that comparison. Are there any specifics or details about WHO is buying into or putting over this idea? I'm not a rumor mill guy, and I don't read any reports or Observers or anything like that. So, unless I run across it here or on another board I happen to frequent, then I don't usually hear about it. Strikes me as an odd comparison, too. No built-in baddie for Bray to immediately oppose, as with the evil foreigner that helped establish the "American Dream" moniker in the first place. No go-to threat like Gary Hart and his troops. No hometown, homegrown, super sympathetic victims like the Grahams to save from the perils of said evil. None of that exists with the Bray deal. He's just a guy that's getting cheers and noticeable reactions. The Dusty equation was filled to the brim with showmanship and overflowing with charismatic charm, but there was a lot more that went into the success of the turn than that.

Okay. Color me curious. Can ya elaborate on that one?

Body fat is stored energy. It's excess glucose. In that sense, it's good for professional athletes to have some. I'm not a guy that wants everyone to look ultra-ripped and super lean, because you generally feel miserable. You're temperamental. You're edgy. And - what's worse - you usually drive yourself to stress, which can drive your body into a catabolic state ANYWAY. And that just means you have to work harder to convince your body to hold onto what muscle mass it DOES have, because it's constantly fighting to eat up that mass (or ANYTHING) to remain in an anabolic state. So yeah. Carbs and sugars are essential in giving athletes that explosive strength and power. Proteins and fats simply cannot be converted as quickly OR efficiently into that kind of energy. To that end, I have no qualms with guys having excess body fat here and there. But if you honestly look at THAT particular picture of Hero and believe he appears fit & healthy, then it's a waste of time explaining anything further. I'd be happy to discuss it more in-depth, but really. Come on, man. A protruding potbelly not only paints the image of a guy that doesn't give a shit (and KUDOS if that's the gimmick), but it also means he's not maximizing his true potential as a performer. Likewise - and to be completely fair and impartial - I would say the same thing if a guy was worried more about appearing super lean and dehydrated. Because there's no way in hell they're going to go out there and perform at their PEAK without the kind of glucose reserves that (yes) goes with a little extra water under the skin and above the skeletal muscles. And sure. Maybe it's not the sexiest thing on the days when it happens to hide your abs, but hey. It happens.

Punk's insomnia issues probably didn't help, but I saw a noticeable difference after he altered his diet. During the memorable WWE Championship reign, he talked about how he'd went vegan and quit eating meat altogether. The guy just looked depleted and flat. It wasn't a lean look either. There was nothing remarkably more vascular about him. There wasn't any added muscle tone. He just looked worn and withered. I'd heard he did a Q&A at a Comic Con or something sometime last year, and he'd mentioned that he felt 100% better after he'd started eating meat again.

Yeah, and I certainly see the appeal in BOTH to be honest. That's why I prefer the series of rotating themes over a string of Snapshots or a string of lists. But they're all good, and the guests thus far have made for excellent discussion anyhow. The format itself is neat, with the Listener Question & Recommendations always tacked on at the end as well. If I had any real request, it'd be that we get some non-stateside talent featured in the Snapshot sometime soon. LA Park, Wagner Jr., or (heck) even Konnan from Mexico. Misawa, Kobashi, Tenryu, or even Liger from Japan. Stuff like that could be ideal info for fans that are unfamiliar with those guys AND equally neat for listeners that already are.

I don't know. I'm not entirely sold on the Stardust shtick just yet. I'd rank it at a comfortable third place behind both Dashing and the plastic mask phase for Cody. I don't know how well it holds up in some folks' memories, but I loved that stuff. The displaced "deformity" issue, the use of the face-mask as a gimmick and a weapon, the paper bags for the fans, and the feud with Mysterio were all highlights that I recall really enjoying. It's one of those things that felt deep and thought-provoking by pro wrestling standards. It wasn't exactly subtle or anything, and yet they barely scratched the surface with the potential they had there. In fact - THAT deranged, self-absorbed, clearly irrational, image-obsessed, facial dysmorphic disorder version of Cody's character is the one I'd love to see turn on Dustin in the end. Not Stardust, and not even Dashing.

I was honestly hoping you'd post a pic of Punk from around his OVW days, when he was desperately attempting to bulk by all means. And he just resembled some human-sized bloated toad frog tucked & stuffed into 'rasslin trunks. Some guys just don't carry the weight well. NATURAL muscle mass is something that takes a long time to cultivate. It isn't going to happen overnight. Noticeable mass isn't gained that quickly. And I think Punk learned that it's easier to be athletic, lean, and comfortable near his natural body weight than stressing himself over what he felt were others' expectations. As far as aging overnight? I see a little of that in Shawn, but I don't think anybody pulled it off like Flair. Guy didn't age a day in WCW practically. Even in his early WWF return of '01, he looked essentially unchanged. Then BAM. Instant old man around the Evolution stuff.

Yeah. Whatever works. Rotating themes are cool, but I wouldn't stick too strictly to any specific format. I mean, sure. I dig the variety we're getting so far. But if you can line up a good panel or guests that want to discuss a certain something - by all means, roll with it. At the end of the day, I'm just a major mark for lists. So the more Top 6 we get, the better.

I'm an avid weight-lifter myself, but I have buddies who absolutely CANNOT wrap their minds around the sort of discipline that goes into dieting or exercising - much less keeping a regular routine. So I get it. I get the line of thinking that some people just DO NOT care to get up & put the time into a gym session or whatever. Totally understandable. But when it goes hand-in-hand with your line of work - say, when you're an athlete or doing physical work - it kind of goes with the territory. And, let's be real. There's so many options. It's not like you HAVE to lift heavy iron. You can be lean and look "ripped" enough just through smart nutrition and HIIT cardio. There's also body-weight training, etc., etc., etc. So, in that case, if he just lets himself go when left to his own devices - then yeah. It kind of gives off the impression that he just doesn't want to put in the work that goes along with his occupation. And that's a shame, because Hero is clearly devoted to his craft in other areas.

Well, yeah. Yoko was no Vader. Only one guy was, and not many were even comparable to be frankly honest. I guess I never really considered the two as straight-ahead comparisons, because the characters felt so uniquely different. I mean, I get the REASON behind the comparisons. Both were the top monster heels of their companies at the same time, and both were given that parallel path with the monster push. But I can easily enjoy Yoko for what he was - faults and all. It would typically be easy to write him off as lethargic or lazy, but you can watch the footage and clearly see that's not the case early on. He didn't get sloppy fat and SOOOO slow until his girth got REALLY out of control towards late '95 and '96. In '93 and '94? No way. The guy was going hard. Yoko was busting his big ass to make his smaller opponents shine. He wasn't immobile and making them work AROUND him. He'd let them orbit a bit, work their offense, but he was almost ALWAYS actively selling. He was teetering, he was teasing the giant "timber" moment, and he was generally thinking of ways to work the crowd into his contests. He enhanced the interactive atmosphere by drawing the audience in and making them WANT it - whether "it" be him just taking a bump or whatever. Didn't matter. I might like Yoko more than most, but I really think some of his stuff is underrated in the big scheme of things. I really dig the Survivor Series '94 match with Taker (and Chuck freaking Norris), as well as his stuff with Bret and even (yes) Hogan's defense against him from KOTR. Your reference to the '93 time frame, placing Yoko atop Titan and Vader atop the Turner tower, got me to thinking though. If the WWF had wanted to directly combat WCW's booking strategy with the SAME style and template, they could just as easily have gone with Bigelow during this period instead of Yoko. Say what you will about his report attitude issues or whatever, but Bam Bam was versatile and agile enough to mirror the same things Vader was doing in WCW at the time. He could've played the part of monster heel as WWF Champion and worked a wide range of challengers. Because, while I'd never argue that Yoko was a better in-ring worker than Vader, I will say there are times when Vader probably could have benefited from being the recipient of WWF's booking while at his peak in WCW. Basically, Vader was putting together a better portfolio of in-ring matches. No doubt about it. But Yoko was receiving a better push and building the right "monster" reputation as a result of it. Don't misunderstand me there. I think Vader was tremendous in his run on top as WCW Champion. But there are times when he could have & likely should have been more protected as their monster asset.