SomethingSavage

JR was extra cranky & super salty on those last few episodes. He goes the fuck off on everyone from emojis and his own daughters' texts to "click mongers" and the little bastards that can't create their own promos. It's awkward and embarrassing and AMAZING to hear. I don't love it, but I damn sure don't hate it. I guess the weirdest thing is how the smallest talking point can set him off, and he has no problem derailing the whole ass conversation in order to huff and puff about pushes and wars and other assorted horse shit. It's fascinating. The Conrad watch-alongs need to die a sudden death in a dozen dirty dumpster fires though. Those shits are the worst. There's never any redeeming value to them. It's just random babbling and unfunny inside jokes about Conrad's house or whatever dick sponsor they've got to plug that week. The only entertaining watch-alongs i've ever heard from Conrad's camp came on the early days of Tony's show, which is the only one I completely steer clear of anymore. But the ECW and Mania watch-alongs with Tony were at least enjoyable enough back then. All this recent stuff is a chore and only serves as meaningless background noise.

Again, I pay no attention to the rumor mill or wrestling Twitter. So I had no clue about Impact being the stop gap for her to "rebuild her rep" with folks backstage. I just knew the peripheral talk I'd heard about her having a bad attitude, and even that dissipated after I started following her Knockouts run anyhow. I get the fascination with knowing these people and the gossip. I listen to a lot of the podcasts, after all. I just don't let it affect my enjoyment of anything. Pro wrestling is an escape. If it's not enjoyable, I'm not making an effort to keep up. If 2019 has taught me anything, it's that I can step away from my 30 years of wrestling fandom, come back 12 months later, and really not have missed much of anything. So when something like gossip and bullshit detracts from my enjoyment, then yeah. I'd rather just tune it out. Call that whatever you want, but life's too short. I've got enough going on with my own priorities than to worry about the real life character of people I'll never meet or interact with anyway. Now don't get me wrong. If Tessa had spit in my face and called me the N-word, then yeah. We'd be having an entirely different conversation right now. But that's the thing. One is real world. One is at a distance. Again, racism is something I have very real, actual experience with. And I'm not the type to fake or force exaggerated outrage over something so serious. If it bothers folks, then it should bother them across the board. Murdoch shouldn't get a pass because he throws a mean working punch. Hayes shouldn't get a pass for drawing crowds to the Superdome. There is no good excuse. But I can separate what I see as entertainment from the shit I experience in the real world. I can still watch Tessa matches, Hogan matches, etc. I can still see Mel Gibson movies. This doesn't mean I forgive or sympathize with the things I've heard them say or do. I do appreciate you sharing that perspective though. Like I said, I wasn't aware of that being Tessa's situation - a time out of sorts in Impact for bad behavior. I never got that impression just watching the show and following her story there. And I'm glad. It's blissful ignorance, because I've enjoyed her run and will probably continue to enjoy her run there. Good stuff. Proud to say I've actually managed to watch everything on this list, except the Gauntlet and the North/Rascalz tag.

Agreed. Very well said, and I appreciate you sharing that bit about the specifics. As mentioned, I don't fuck with wrestling Twitter. And I've deliberately stayed away from the other thread because of that. And you're right. I'll still watch and enjoy her. I think it's easy for some fans to say they won't watch Impact or Tessa, when in fact they weren't watching Impact or Tessa before anyhow. If this were a woman in AEW or WWE, I don't think they'd be so quick to make such exclamations. And really, that's what rubs me the wrong way. People are outraged, but only up to a point. At least I'm being honest about it. I'll keep watching. But so would everyone else, which has been established and shown over time - just as you'd reiterated. So yeah. Everyone is welcome to discuss it and voice their disgust, but if anyone were truly that outraged, I find it hard to believe they'd still be watching any of this stuff. A blind eye is a blind eye. None of us get to decide which one is more excusable than the other.

I greatly preferred her as a heel, running the Knockouts division. I get that they wanted to switch her babyface based on crowd reactions, but yeah. I'm right there with you. If this doesn't dissipate overnight and continues to follow her, they might as well lean into it and let her channel it into the character. I remember hearing something about her attitude when she wasn't signed to a WWE deal. But in the time between that happening and her Knockouts title run, I guess I just never thought about it again.

I don't dislike you, man. We've had some decent interactions here on the board. Racism is something that's triggered me on this board before though. It *is" something I have personal experiences with, and it's not something I feel like can be judged at a distance, without context, or by a handful of people who have never even met in person. Do you know my race or ethnicity? That's rhetorical, because the answer is no. And that goes both ways. But I do feel like this immediate outrage over shit is ridiculous. And I come here to talk about the rapidly dwindling handful of things I SOMEHOW still enjoy about pro wrestling. That's why wrestling Twitter sets me off. It's a fucking cesspool. Nothing good ever comes from it. It's always petty, childish bullshit like this. It's back & forth he said/she said shit that's better left handled between individuals in person. But it plays out for all of us to see and render judgments, as if they mean anything at all. But they don't. The only point I'm making is that those of us who watch Tessa and enjoy her are likely going to continue to watch. Just like the rest of you haven't stopped watching ANYONE ELSE in the history of wrestling based on similar accusations. You're lifers. So it's all sort of pointless to act all outraged and upset. Everyone is here, pretending to be more upset and bothered by something that is, in fact, a very real subject. Tessa's career isn't going to be canceled by your exxaggerated outrage. If you weren't watching her before or taking Impact seriously before, then it's no big loss that you won't now. But if you were, you wouldn't stop. Just like you haven't stopped watching WWE's God awful shows because of the Usos terrible choices or anything else. That's my point. I'll watch, because her arc and her run in Impact is one of the few remaining things I enjoy in pro wrestling. It certainly sucks if all this is true. But everyone deciding whether she is or isn't racist based on a few tweets is something really worrisome.

Just to be clear, I posed a question. I never defended anything for Tessa. But hey. You assigned me opinions about Hulk Hogan's work for some bizarre reason. Why stop there, I guess? I asked about the recency of these events. I don't think it's an unfair inquiry to make. Is that a defense? Maybe, but only if you're feeling extra sensitive and easily offended in the first place. But hell. You already made up your mind you were outraged about a MADE UP opinion that YOU ASSUMED I HAD about Hulk Hogan. So again, who knows how you connect these dots in your head? I only randomly mentioned the Usos because I know you love to bring up their drunk driving whenever possible. That's a freebie. I don't feel strongly about them either way. This. But my original statement was more on the, "I'll gladly ignore it" side of things and less about any "admiration" or excusing it. I'd never excuse racism, and if anyone knew me on a social level they'd understand that pretty clearly. Or maybe someone could assign me an ethnicity here to go along with my assumed opinions? So nah. Would never excuse racism. However, I *do* live in the real world and have personally experienced people resorting to racism as the lowest bar & the last resort of insults. It's ugly. It's intolerable. But people use it to get a reaction when they've been embarrassed or outed. That's not an excuse. That's realism. I'm choosing to ignore this sudden backlash against Tessa (for now) because I have been enjoying Tessa's work in Impact. Is that shallow? Is that superficial? Sure it is. But I enjoy about three or four whole things about pro wrestling right now. I'm not you guys. I can't watch 55 hours of pro wrestling every week. I can catch three or four matches sometimes. So maybe I have more incentive to overlook shit that has no actual, tangible affect on what I see as entertainment. I'm not going to crucify her over some he said/she said shit. How many of you guys will never watch another Hogan match? I still do. I still love his 80s HulkAMania stuff and don't mind revisiting it a bit. How many of you pledge to never listen to another Michael P.S. Hayes interview? How many of you have sworn off Dick Murdoch? I'll wait. How many of y'all boycotted CWF Mid-Atlantic after that shit with Stutts came out? What's that? Crickets? So yeah. Let this shit play itself out. Maybe she is a wretched, scummy human being underneath it all. Maybe she isnt. I don't know. I pay no attention to wrestling Twitter. It's not something that has any influence over the three or four things I enjoy about wrestling anymore. Sue me.

You're one strange cat, jack. I can't even tell why you're arguing against yourself here. First, you bring Hogan into the conversation on your own. Then you (for whatever reason) ASSUME I rank his work lower than Tessa's (again, no idea why). But you don't stop there. Then you cut off your own momentum and argue that he's actually better than her and other internet darlings. The actual fuck are you talking about? I didn't say a word about Hogan. I didn't even mention Tessa's work rate or internet darlings or any other dates terms you borrowed from Scott Keith to cobble together that little unnecessary tirade. Maybe you'll come back with a fiery response about how I support the Usos' drunk driving next. Who the hell knows how you connect these dots the way you do?

Of course. One of the few things in wrestling I'm excited about just has to get shit on by the cesspool that is wrestling Twitter. In any case, I'm good. Still going to follow her story and root for her anyway. Fuck it. Sign me up as a Tessa fanboy. Pro wrestling being populated by mostly shitty human beings is nothing new. And how recent are any of these incidents? I ask, because that's relevant to evaluating who/where she is in her life at this particular moment. People live, experience, and grow. I just don't know. I also don't care. There are so very few things I actually care about in wrestling anymore, so yeah. Fuck it. I'm selfishly going to look the other way on this one and continue to happily enjoy her work, regardless. I realize it could hurt her chances in getting signed to a bigger deal, but meh. Again, I'd selfishly rather see her in Impact than AEW anyway. Sucks that she may not get a chance to clash with some of the women on the WWE roster for sure, but it is what it is.

I actually think that could be the best move. Tessa's title win would be more about the moment - the capture - and what it represents anyway. It completes her arc. It solidifies her as a first. And it is the ideal culmination of the story. But what then? Anything else is extra. If she signs and stays on, then maybe keep the belt on her until she loses steam or a hotter act comes along. If she is moving on, a quick switch back to Callihan doesn't undo any of that. It frees up Tessa, and it puts the belt back on a central figure. I would definitely be on board for Tessa to take this win, now that I think about it. Callihan's role as the straw that stirs the drinks in Impact won't be damaged in the slightest. The guy lost all his big blowoffs against Edwards, Cage, Swann, and Pentagon in the past. Dude just keeps trucking and being a trashy, hateable heel all the same.

HYPED. STOKED. LOVE IT. For real though, that was a great video to summarize their history. The shiner on Tessa's face just sent it over the top, too. Tessa describing Callihan as "disgusting, vile, and shameless" was just pitch perfect. I don't know if there's a more accurate description for his character at this point. He's one of my favorite heels in the business right now, hands down. How do you guys feel about the idea of Tessa actually winning the big one? I've got to wonder if it's a move that would rub some fans the wrong way. On the one hand, I feel like Tessa winning is the logical conclusion. It completes the circle. That's her character arc. She entered the men's domain against Callihan. She was beaten. She regrouped, disposed of his disciples, and has clawed her way back to challenge him a second time. It only makes sense for her to win in the end. On the other hand, Callihan JUST kick-started his title reign. And I really feel like he's one of the best at getting over angles and feuds - with Edwards, with Pentagon, with Swann, with Cage, with Tessa - that he's earned a seat in the throne for a moment. It's actually exciting, because I feel like the outcome could go either way & I'd be satisfied, regardless. I *do* have faith that they'll ultimately go with Tessa, whether that's now or a delayed gratification later down the road. But then you run the risk of waiting too long, which is really the balancing act of being a booker. I guess I think Callihan could have more longevity and mileage as the champion, becoming embroiled in blood feuds with various babyfaces. But Tessa feels like she has this wave of goodwill and momentum that should be seized while at its peak. What do you guys think?

RockNES Monsters had a better video game-based gimmick name, but maybe I'm alone in thinking that. I could definitely see how it would go over the heads of some folks. You guys are right though. The Super Smash Bros were a fun act and a solid team. I never got behind the idea that they were the best unsigned tag team in the business at any point in time like some have touted, but they were fun and exciting for sure. The Dark Order stuff is some 1999 Acolytes level horse shit. I feel like a pinch of brain power and an energy drink could get them to stir up a list of a dozen video game names that could work for them.

That's so weird. I'm guessing they saw zero dollars in the idea of the Shield as a babyface trio, which is just wild & incredibly shortsighted. The company spent a full year & a half building up the Shield and their strategic, tactical teamwork. They nearly reshaped their shows to highlight trios and tags for awhile. The landscape of many weekly cards basically became like the Horseman being challenged by various rotating babyfaces, but in a modern context. I remember once them making a big deal out of a Cena/Sheamus/Ryback (and later Big E) team. Then there was Taker coming in to side with Team Hell No. They really worked to establish the Shield. But breaking them up in time to do a meaningless undercard match between Roman and Dean for Mania 30? Gross. The fuck were they thinking? I was disappointed that they even cut the Shield babyface run as short as they did. I thought they still had another year in the tank as babies before splitting them up into singles.

100% THIS.

I realize they keep covering topics ranging from 95 to 98 and even 99, but honestly. Everytime I drop in to listen to one of these shows, it sounds like they're spinning their wheels. Doesn't matter the year or the event, you're going to hear discussion about Scott Hall being a drunk, Kevin Nash and Hogan being manipulative, and Randy Savage possibly signing with the WWF. I feel like that has become the WCW legacy via this podcast. If a fan listened to this show but didn't experience the promotion itself in its heyday, I feel like that's the vibe they'd get. The best things to come out of these repetitive shows are the occasional laughs at the expense of Jarrett's dick dancer clothes, the Bagwell bashing, or the lines about early DDP looking like a county fair con man. I'll still check out something whenever they discuss some out-of-the-box topics, but these long stretches in between are ROUGH. I'm almost tempted to give the Starrcade 93 episode a listen, but I feel like it will mostly just be more talk about how Bischoff didn't like Vader as a person or whatever. Meh.

I don't disagree, to be honest. I dug that episode. I sometimes have to search & sift through JR's bitching & groaning to find little gems to enjoy, but this one was alright. I liked all the talk about Flair and the NWA Championship especially. The unfair comparisons, what he did to boost Sting and Luger, etc. It's all material that has been covered elsewhere, for sure. But it's neat to hear JR weigh in with his thoughts on Flair's influence overall. I also liked his brief talk about sometimes being expected to fake or force more emotion or excitement in his commentary. I don't want to misquote him, but it was something along the lines of needing a better beat or tune to make a hit song. In other words, give me something to work with & I'll gladly match it.

Quality recommend on those Reliving Wrestling docs, which I've only recently discovered. Odd choice on some of them, but I'd love to see more of them get made. Good stuff.

I'm right there with ya, brutha. At one point, it really felt like you and I were the top supporters for this show. And with good reason. But yeah. It's been in a total slump for months. The topics are all so redundant. The combination of Conrad's tired template plus Eric's less-than-exciting business speak makes it difficult enough, but when there's no attempt to switch up the subject matter? YAWN. It's weird. 1997 is the only year I've actively gone back and watched the full year of week to week wrestling shows. Because it's exciting and infinitely watchable. But it's also the year I never care to hear covered in a podcast ever again. Give me more TNA coverage. Give me anything else. When Eric has been given something different - TNA, Korea, the AWA - it's produced some of his absolute best episodes. But this 96/97 WCW stuff is just beyond boring to me now. This is actually how I keep caught up on some of Cornette's stuff at times, but I hadn't even thought of doing it with Conrad's shows. Bruce and Eric are shows I can skip altogether for months at a time. I still try to check out JR's when I can, and Arn's is actually still a favorite.

Does anyone still care enough to follow this show? I've listened in bits & pieces during some commutes, but it all just sounds so mundane and monotonous. The topics are extremely repetitive at this point. It's a shame, too. There were times when this ranked among my favorite wrestling podcasts. The TNA episode was so refreshing. I may be absolutely alone in this, but I really wish they'd review some of the monthly TNA PPVs from the 2010-2013 Eric and Hogan regime. Fuck it. I'm a fan of that period, and at least it would offer new talking points. 1997 news & notes have been beaten to fucking death, revived, and killed again.

The latest Ask Arn episode is worth checking out for the "Day in the Life of a WWE Producer" question alone. Although I'm not sure Arn quite understands how word documents actually work, I still get his point. I can sympathize with a job feeling like it leaves you very little time or space to breathe. I actually would've liked him to dig deeper into the "reports" they were required to type.

I saw they were doing some sort of countdown for their top 10 matches of the decade on their YouTube channel, too. Appreciate the heads up, man. Maybe I can get away with just catching these shows and knowing what I saw from BFG to get back up to speed on everything. What's the date for that recap show? Last week?

If I'm looking to get back into following Impact week to week, what's the best (most recent) starting point for that? I went back and watched both Bound For Glory and that awesome one-night traditional, territorial throwback episode. But that's it. In terms of recommended stuff, how far back should I go to avoid missing out on some of the more awesome/recent stuff?

Maybe this has already been mentioned here, but we are currently binge watching the TV show Banshee. And it's glorious, violent wall-to-wall fighting and fucking. It's over the top. It's outrageous. It's that male soap opera stuff through and through. Anyway, we're only into the second season. But we've already seen Lana show up for a guest shot and get coke snorted off them tiddies in a bathroom stall. And we just now finished up an episode that basically had a steel chain match inside a rundown single-wide trailer house. This big Native American bastard literally busts out a Lariatohhh, a belly to belly suplex, and a fucking German sooplay onto a wooden gahdamn table. Fantastic. Highly recommend.

Oh. And regarding Omega's character - okay? So he's a joyful, expressive Japanophile. How does that translate to combat sports? That's the obstacle on his shoulders. That's the whole purpose and point. He's supposed to find a way to apply that. He simply hasn't. The guy doesn't convey any message or meaning. He's just gamer nerd guy who is happy to be here and always pleasant? He's basically a Teen Titan Go! cartoon. Sorry, but that's not an interesting character in pro wrestling. Maybe it could be. Hell, maybe it has been. But Omega sure as shit hasn't cracked that code for himself.

Lulz @ the idea that someone has to be unhappy with their lot in life if they enjoy Cornette. While I enjoyed the nice bow at the end of your post about pro wrestling being a place for everybody (very cool), that part was just hot garbage. Because I've never been at more peace in my life than I am now in my 30s, but I still enjoy the shit out of Corny. And I still recognise that Kenny Omega is terrible. Although, right. I'm not a gender fluid snowflake. So I suppose you pegged that one correctly. *Shrug* Exactly what I came here to say. Cornette is smart enough to appease both sides of his own audience. The Drive-Thru is very much its own thing (and honestly my favorite) with an emphasis on Cornette's stories and booking philosophies. The Experience is what usually makes the "headlines" (if you would even call it that) and receives attention though, because that's where he goes to rant & rave about the state of modern wrestling. Both are enjoyable enough. But yeah. Cornette isn't strictly bitching about what he hates. Just listen to the guy gush over some of his own stories and memories of Memphis with Scott Bowden for a second. Or hear how he handled a specific situation in Smoky Mountain. You can practically hear the passion dripping from his every word. You're completely dismissing him based on some shitty article you read or something, because you're clearly not listening to his shows if you believe any of that.

I was reading over some of these comments and just had some potpourri thoughts to add. To be clear, I never said Omega wasn't successful. Clearly, the guy is successful. He's earning a good living, doing something he loves. I'm not going to take that away from him. What I did say is his character stinks. Because it's borderline nonexistent. And I said his mannerisms are goofy and quirky. Because they are. All those things are major elements in the makeup of a wrestling match. The body of the match shouldn't hinge on athleticism alone. I think my last post got a little lost in the "over" discussion, which wasn't my intent. Because there's a long list of even mid-card lifers who are more over than Omega. But I believe a more level comparison could be made with Cody Rhodes. Cody is genuinely over. He feels over. He ACTS over. He is perceived by the audience to be over. The guy is embraced. Cody has established a connection with crowds that I can't see Omega ever achieving in the States. And nobody on God's green earth is likely to make a case for Cody being more athletic or more (cross)fit than Kenny. But Cody sure as shit feels more over. Because he understands character. He understands engaging the audience. He understands storytelling. And, like it or not, those things matter so much more in the body of a wrestling match than athleticism or cardio. I'm not convinced that Cody's name doesn't sell an event every bit as much (or more) than Kenny's name in 2019. Yep. Omega simply hasn't shown that he's equipped to hit any emotional beats. What even is there to connect to? What is even mildly interesting about the guy? I know I have read reviews and even heard podcasts where people say they were emotionally invested in his IWGP run, but I followed along through all of that and no. That wasn't ever the story the promotion was presenting, and it certainly wasn't any big dramatic journey Kenny Omega himself ever sold or told through anything. Not in the matches. Not in promos. It's like fan fic some fans have created in their minds and just attached to the series. And don't get me wrong. Some of the matches were great. The action with Okada was tremendous at times. But there was no big suspenseful chase or pursuit. There was no big dramatic thread. It was just matches with finishes that built off the foundation of what came before it. And that's not dismissing what those guys did. I'm just saying. There's nothing to the character or his approach to storytelling. I truly believe Kenny Omega just isn't equipped with the tools to approach wrestling in that way - in any deep, meaningful way. It's all flash and fireworks and fizzle with him. It's about flexing what he can do physically. With some twirls and tip toeing and shit sprinkled throughout for flamboyance or whatever. I don't know. The big draws in wrestling are rarely going to be the most physically gifted. Because a casual audience isn't going to be attracted by a 90-fucking minute wrestling match. That shit is appealing to no one outside the bubble. And probably only a small portion of those inside the bubble anyway. It's the talk. The hype. The suspense. The character. The conflict of said characters. That's the draw. When it comes to those things that matter most, Kenny Omega is absolutely bankrupt. He's going into that gunfight *pew pew* shooting blanks.