SomethingSavage

Here's a random comment that doesn't warrant its own thread: Is it safe to say that the "This is awesome!" chants are the bastard offspring of the old "Eee-See-Dubb" chants?

Great lineup of guests, man. Glad to see the trend continue.

I always thought Sullivan did a tremendous job of booking the cruiserweights & treating them like their own separate division. It felt like a different breed or different class of fighter in the early days. And Kevin at least had them crossover into the "big" division by winning the US and TV titles on several occasions. It happened with everyone from Eddie and Dean to Ultimo, Jericho, and Alex freaking Wunderkind Wright. It didn't get sideways for me until about '99 or so. Then it sort of shifted to what Charles is talking about (in my eyes, anyway). And WWE went above and beyond, taking it to that next level and just outright treating the "cruiserweights" like jobbers. I might be alone in this, but I always thought the X-Division was promoted & pushed pretty damn well in TNA's early stages. That whole post weekly PPV but pre-Spike deal... where were they airing? Something with Fox? TNN? Hell, I don't remember. But then. 2004-2006 or so.

Working my way through this show in hour-long chunks, and it's been tremendous. Up to the second hour right now. Good times with the Titans gang as usual. Cool to note that you guys are essentially tracking the evolution of Hogan. And, side by side with the examination of the Bob/Bruno comparisons in your 70's stuff, I hope that is a regular staple of the 80's shows going forward. Hulk really was like this awkward melting pot of all these pre-existing heel habits of the time period. He was part Superstar, part sex symbol, part monster heel... It's just all these traits & qualities lumped into one undefined package for awhile there. And, to me, a lot of the fun in looking back IS in watching these guys as they find their groove, show development, and eventually carve out their own niche. Once Hogan finds the right ingredients and stumbles into his own cocaine-powered promos, he goes from channeling pure Billy Graham and switches gears, He sort of finds himself and the "Hogan promo" quickly becomes its own thing. Curious to see just HOW MUCH of that you guys actually see in his heel stint, if any at all. So yeah. Lots to look forward to, and I'm stoked about that. Meantime? We're getting great dialogue & exchanges anyhow. Pete REALLY brought the energy & excitement in his match breakdowns - ya know, the ones he didn't no-show. But yeah. Just by listening to the detailed descriptions, you guys had me wanting to kick back & watch the Slaughter/Backlund matches again. Johnny's Kal-bashing is relentless. He just doesn't let up, and I absolutely love it. Endlessly entertaining stuff. Oh. And everybody piling on Parv and clowning him for the carb-cutting had me cracking up, too. Awesome stuff, guys.

More randomness... Karl "Machine Gun" Anderson vs. Roderick Strong from Super Card of Honor 7 last year. Bleh. This was just a muddled mess to me. I really, REALLY wanted to like this match so much more going in, too. I generally dig both guys' work, but if I'm being completely honest - their matches are very hit or miss. So I guess it's not exactly unfathomable that they'd hold next to no chemistry when working TOGETHER here. And that's precisely what went down. Just a complete disconnect from the get-go. No smooth transitioning. Everything felt rehearsed and prepackaged. They'd wander aimlessly to fill time. There was a sense of dead air to it, and a good chunk of the match was kind of like each guy waiting on the other to get caught up and in place for their next planned spot. At one point, Anderson drapes Strong across the barricade at ringside. Anderson then literally stops & stares at Roddy, until Strong actually adjusts HIMSELF and waits to receive an attempted Cutter. Just awkward movements & motions on everything. Nothing felt fluid at all. Even the strong style no-sell, which I'm pretty high on in the right spots & doses, felt out of place and absurd here. Karl standing there with his hands down and leaning INTO the back-fists and strikes... just seemed weird. It wasn't like he was doing the "dare" thing that Elgin does either. Just standing there like a goof and eating some shots, basically waiting for Roddy to run the ropes so they could - you guessed it - set up the next spot. The tease for the Cutter finish was clunky at best, too. I've seen some good reversals, counters into counters, and spin-offs done to set up the Cutter over the years. This... was not one of those times. When Anderson finally DOES catch Strong with the Cutter, I guess you're meant to care or pop for it. But it's coming off a weak string of teases, and it just seems very flat. Again, I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. Ahh well. Can't all be winners, I guess. Oh. There is one badass Bicycle Kick from Anderson on the apron. Roddy eats that boot like a champ. So there's at least that. Randy Orton vs. Christian © from SummerSlam 2011. Admittedly, this one wasn't entirely random. I went out of my way to seek it out with the recent Randy thread popping up & the mentions of their feud within it. This is the big blow-off, and I actually dug it for what it was. Don't get me wrong. I get WHY Christian fans would be upset with his handling & booking throughout the feud, but come on. He's the chickenshit heel, and he played it up to the HILT. I love cowardly, seedy Christian. It's a better fit on him than the plucky underdog deal, although he's fully capable of conveying that as well. I just think it's a case of the guy being CLEARLY better suited for one role over the other. That's all. Edge coming out and dumping on Christian was lame. Besides, wouldn't it have been better for Edge to show up as the guest referee instead? That way, they could tease interference on Christian's behalf, play off distrust from Orton, and question whether Edge will call it down the middle. I mean, if they've got him locked in for the appearance ANYHOW, why not make the most of it? I get that the guy couldn't take a bump, but that's not exactly a requirement. In fact, if anything, I think NOT having him take a bump is more unexpected - especially in the context of a No DQ brawl. The actual match was fun though. I'm a sucker for call-back spots, and the moment where Christian had Randy sprawled out and set in place for the Con-Chair-To... only to SPIT down onto his face? Glorious. Enjoyed the hell out of it. Randy's reaction was PERFECT, too. The overkill onslaught that followed was PRECISELY what should have gone down, given the story that they'd told thus far. Randy's mental state, anger issues, etc. were a key part of WHY and HOW he lost the belt in the first place. It's only fitting that he unleashes that rage again in order to recapture the prize. Christian does a great job selling the punishment, too - flipping & flopping around in agony like a freaking frog in a blender. But Christian wasn't totally outclassed. He counters and almost sets up his own comeback, but not-uh. Randy does the mid-air RKO and leaves Captain Charisma splattered across the ring steps. So yeah. The hero triumphs. The villain goes down in defeat in EPIC style. The finish was definitive. For me at least, this was a seriously SATISFYING end to their rivalry. It told a great, entertaining story. And Christian was actually able to get even MORE mileage out of it on the other side - powering forward with his "One More Match" campaign for quite awhile. The only thing I'd change is some of the buildup, since I do believe the overkill comeback from Orton would've felt more justified and enjoyable if Christian had been allowed to look more like a legitimate threat going in. Winning the belt via DQ made sense from a story line perspective, but I'm just honestly never a fan of a belt changing hands that way. It set up the "spit in the face" segment of this match wonderfully, but things could have been shifted around and still made sense there. Christian could just as easily have won the belt through nefarious means (an actual pinfall or submission over Randy), then retained by tricking Orton into losing his shit and raging out with the whole "spit in the face" routine. That still would have led us here to the No DQ stipulation, the overkill spot, AND with the added benefit of Christian actually looking comparable to Randy as far as skills and rep go. But I digress... For what it was, in a vacuum, the match is REALLY entertaining. Oh, and Booker knocking Edge's outfit on commentary is a nifty bonus. I finally started to finish up the Best of the Super Juniors with some late night viewing last night. Hoping to wrap it up & catch the PWG event before the weekend's over.

Big props to Wade Keller. He never stopped saying it.

Agreed. The Snapshot concept works well in audio form. Actually hoping you'll revisit Ray Traylor, Dustin Rhodes, Waltman, etc. in this form eventually. You could get some great shows centered around those guys, especially with the right panelists talking each of 'em up. Also, there was a nagging static sound to everyone's voice for pretty much the whole show. I put up with it & endured though, 'cause I hold strong for my thugs. Err, I just dig the show. So yeah. And yup. You're dead on about those hometowns getting switched up around '04 or so there, Chief. I have a little theory that Edge was made to keep his hometown billing of Toronto for the big SummerSlam PPV in August (hot off his return from neck surgery). Lines up with the time frame & makes sense as a small drawing card, with him playing the hometown boy. Plus, if you go back & look at the direction of their booking that summer, it CERTAINLY looked like they were trying to head into a Benoit/Edge match for SummerSlam. The pieces were in place for it and positioned to LOOK that way, if nothing else. Benoit & Edge were tag partners. They had a few miscommunication spots to drop the belts to La Resistance. Edge was slicing through Evolution & picked up the IC belt along the way. The fans eventually rejected Edge's babyface shtick though, and I think THAT is when WWE panicked and put Orton into that slot instead. Before the Vengeance match between Orton and Edge (with the crowd chants of "Randy" ringing out increasingly louder & louder, and Edge getting booed nonstop), I think we were on track to seeing an Edge/Benoit main event in Canada that year though. But they hotshot the Orton push, pinned Edge firmly in the mid-card, and then worked their way into a heel turn for him that autumn. Oh, and once Christian legitimately moved to Florida, they were all over that. Couldn't wait to let the world know, hey. This guy's from Tampa. Even though, ya know. He's not.

I really need to make it a priority this weekend to catch the latest PWG show. And I still haven't watched the semi-finals and finals from Best of the Super Juniors just yet. Christ. I've formed this new highly addictive habit of just watching random matches, and I'm caught up in that loop lately. I'll bounce around from 80's New Japan to modern lucha, stopping to hit some ROH and whatever free matches WWE puts up on their YouTube channel in between. So yeah. Need to take some time out for more recent stuff.

Gonna take another look at the Keirn/Flair match from '86, as well as a Sullivan/Keirn match result I found from Georgia. Thanks for the heads-up there, Parv.

I've kind of been caught up in this phase of just plugging in random matches here & there, whenever the schedule permits for now. I'm actually enjoying it, as it gives me a chance to watch a wider variety of wrestling in a shorter span - not trying to force my way through entire cards at a time. I gave Brock Lesnar versus Hulk Hogan from SmackDown 2002 another look. I didn't even remember about the detail that Brock put his title shot at SummerSlam on the line for this one, but yeah. It packed a grander "big match" feel with or without any of that. For a free TV match, this had the buzz and aura of a "Clash of the Titans" type of collision. And that's what you want when two major superstars engage in a showdown. They kept things simple, but everything made sense. It's just two big guys laying into each other for the most part. Lesnar's elbow drops literally lifted Hulk up off the mat upon recoil at one point, which I dug. Just a neat visual to see that sort of impact on such an elementary move. Hulk's big boot to set up the Atomic Leg Drop was incredibly weak though. Hate to say it, because his punches actually had a lot more "UMPH" behind 'em leading up to that. Oh, but there's the stunning sight of Hulk freaking Hogan eating a big old running Powerbomb out of the corner. So that pretty much eclipses the weaker-than-wet-tissue kicks to the face for me. Hogan's comeback was his typical routine, but his reaction to Brock powering out of the pinfall attempt off the Leg Drop was AWESOME. Hulk goes full-on, over-the-top 80's HULKA-HARD SELL for it, getting wide-eyed and doing the head swivel in utter disbelief. It's one of those things that is easy to cast aside as being lame and outdated, but nah. I don't care. It feels do darn right in THAT moment. It's excitement, and it CAN feel like a genuine, raw reaction when done right. The finishing stretch is quite good for a Hogan bout, too. There are counters that lead to counters. There's Heyman getting slugged, which I just love. It brought a moment of nostalgia to mind when Hulk would bump around the managers left, right, front, & center. Oh, and there's the F-5. Part of me wants to like the bear hug as the choice for Brock's submission here, but it almost always looks so odd & out of place when it's done to a taller guy like Hulk. His legs should've gone limp long before his arms. I know that's nitpicking, but it would be one of those things that even the most casual viewer would pick up on - even if they couldn't quite explain WHY or put it into words, they'd still know it just didn't look right for him to be standing there, yet somehow unconscious. Of course, the real story is the post-match punishment. Man, Brock puts a HURTIN' on Hulk. It's easy to see why Brock caught on so fast, so huge when looking back at even his earliest work. The guy just brings this amplified intensity and sense of energy to EVERYTHING he does. With the bear hug, he clinches and clutches tighter & tighter - squeezing the life from Hulk, and slinging & trashing around back & forth like an enraged attack dog. Or a gator trying to devour some deer carcass or something that's every bit as big as the gator. It's crazy, but it's an enticing image that sticks with you. And that's really the story of this match. It's highly effective in elevating Lesnar and providing fans with a moment that really STICKS with you & stands the test of time. The idea that they actually produced a pretty solid match in the meantime? That's a bonus. Just a throwaway thought that entered my mind when watching the match though - Austin walked out on RAW when proposed with the idea to lose to Lesnar for free TV with no program or buildup. Here's Hulk, a month or so later, doing precisely the same job that was proposed to Austin. Anyone have any thoughts as to why? I've heard the motivation was that Hogan had the idea in mind that they'd come back and do return matches with a "redemption" program for Hulk and Brock down the line. And that's a realistic theory to me. Totally believable. And, outside of Hulk actually wanting to WIN said rematch(es), I can't really think of why they didn't at least attempt to milk a big money match or two out of the deal. Same situation COULD have applied to Austin, of course. But I don't fault the guy at all for feeling like it was a wasted opportunity to do big business at the time. And, to be honest, Hulk was losing a LOT during this period. I know most people think of that as the way it should be with older guys, but I think there are special cases for folks of Hogan's reputation and stature. When you have someone like Hulk lose too frequently to too many people, it just devalues the whole idea and loses purpose. That wasn't the case here, but some of that goes back to just how strong they pushed the post-match beat down and everything also. Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe - ROH World Championship Steel Cage Match was another random one I watched recently. It's crammed with SOME unnecessary stuff, but it's nothing too excessive. The early cat & mouse game is tremendous. And the structure & storytelling actually ends up being one of the best Steel Cage Matches I've seen put on in recent times. It captures the key elements of old Cage Match encounters and blends them nicely with all the frenzied, frantic violence of the modern day indies. It's good stuff. It's suspense in a fence! From a big picture perspective, bell to bell, the match tells a GREAT story of champion & challenger waging war inside the cage. The narrative is simple, but everything makes sense. The punishment that Joe puts on Jay is brutal but beyond fun to watch. I will say that the ring is still extra "bouncy" at this stage of ROH, and it honestly distracts from some of the bigger moments & spots in the match. Other than that? It all wraps up nicely towards the finish, with Samoa Joe busting out a twisting Muscle Buster from the top. The treatment of respect and honor at the end is one of those things I really remember enjoying about ROH around this time. Plus the visual of Jay receiving immediate attention & soaking up his blood with the towel? Yeah. I'm a sucker for the small stuff like that. So yeah. Plenty of diversity and disparity in what I'm watching lately.

Yeah. I've seen plenty from the Fabs. And I agree wholeheartedly. I'm not trying to dispute the guy's work or ability at all. Don't get the wrong impression. I was just seeing if anyone could point out a breakthrough singles performance or pivotal moment where it looked like he could certainly have been THE guy. It's one of those things where I was hoping to hear about a hidden gem I haven't discovered yet or something along those lines. That's all.

Wasn't it like...he RKO'd Mark Henry, then jumped high into the air, did the splits and touched his toes, and then double fist-pumped? It was one of the most out of character things I've ever seen and it was just hysterical. Better yet! I went back and watched some of his feud with Christian circa 2011, and he's actually doing this stuff mid-match a lot of times. Christ almighty. It's awkward, and yes. It's awesome. During spots where Christian ran the ropes & Orton would leap-frog over him, he'd literally do what Booker referred to as, "da toe touch." Occasionally and alternatively called, "touchin' dem toes." Nifty. Just to keep things in perspective, this was also the time they were playing up the "anger issues" and "disorder" of Orton again - only as a fan favorite now. He'd go into a fit of rage before teasing the Punt O' Doom or the RKO, and he'd make these ridiculous funny faces. For those that haven't seen it, I'd recommend seeking it out. Randy would warp his face around to look like a cross between Bushwhacker Luke and a bulldog chewing on a mad wasp. Bizarre behavior for your lead babyface.

Scott's gimmick as the guy that doesn't "get" it is great though. I love it. Especially when he's dropped in the middle of a panel that pretty much sees eye to eye on A LOT of universal ideas and accepts a common consensus. Scott can chime in with his enjoyment of all things Ascension or Triple Haitch, and it gets over huge with me. Intentionally or unintentionally, it's amusing and entertaining. Whether he's kayfabing us all or not even keyed into it himself, I don't know. Hell, I don't wanna know. It creates talking points & makes for good listening.

Favorite 80's metal big hair in wrestling? And a random one that could be used on any future episode... Create your own custom commentary team, using ONLY the members of Place2BeNation podcast panels. Will, Charles, Parv, Pete, Johnny, Kelly, Justin, Scott, yourselves, etc. Who would YOU like to hear call a show on color? Who would you pick to fill the play-by-play duties? Choose a traditional two-man team OR even build a three-man booth. It's up to you. OPTIONAL: Select one specific wrestling card or event you'd love to hear them do commentary for.

Certainly sounds like a prime opportunity to pimp the network. You're right about that. But I wonder how difficult it would've been for them to schedule an event of that size and importance, book a venue, etc. in time for it.

I'm curious. What singles matches would you guys recommend as Keirn's standout performances? Which ones would you recommend as being representative of his best singles stuff? Which ones, in your eyes, would indicate that he'd be a prime candidate for the Backlund spot? Not saying he wasn't considered. Not saying he wouldn't have worked. Not even trying to be confrontational or disagree, quite frankly. Just interested to see what people suggest.

Perfectly average, if anything. He can hit all the right notes, but every pitch is plateaued. He doesn't tip the scales on ANYTHING in particular, and I think that's where you were headed with your mentions of guys like Savage, Austin, Bryan, Bret, Shawn, etc. They all possess something MORE in one category or another. Where they might fall short on one end, they'll tip the scale in the other direction with something else. And to me, that's a sure sign of the greats. You've got to have one outstanding quality that is so surefire strong that it'll get you over, carry you onward, and keep you hot. Whether it's the talk, the walk, or just the attitude in between. There's got to be something that resonates and captivates people. You've got to command a crowd and demand attention with SOME aspect at some point. Orton falls a little short on that end, in my eyes. I got to see him live when he was REALLY over, fresh off the return with the tatted sleeves, with Legacy just kicking off and the whole "Viper" gimmick revving up. To me, it felt like the guy was getting nuclear over heading into WM25 or so. And even then, there was this kind of disconnect. There were pockets of people that adored him, but it never approached near the same levels as the stars you mentioned. Hell, I don't think he's even caught on as big as Batista did there for awhile back in 2005. And even that's a level lower on the pecking order than most. Like I said, I actually like Orton a lot more than most. Or at least that's the impression I get. But I really think his character just suffers from a lot of misplacement. His work is better between the ropes when he's a babyface, yet his character is more appealing as a heel. He's so believable as this obnoxious, entitled, insufferable douche. But here he's actually mellowed out A LOT in real life. He seems like a pretty relaxed, chilled guy nowadays. I just think he'd be more "over" with fans if they got to peek behind the script a bit with guys like Randy. He'd probably stand a better chance of connecting with the audience through sit-down, UFC-style buildup and interviews. He just doesn't have the presence or showmanship to do it out there with a live mic and a stage. And even THAT in itself is odd, since he's got the superstar look & then some. The charm just doesn't carry over to anything tangible in his personality. Like his ring work/character, there's a broken link in the chain. It's just odd.

Jericho's recent podcast with Bully Ray spiked my curiosity. I didn't remember their TLC 4 being all that monumental or memorable the first time around, but I realized how desensitized I've grown to Ladder Matches in general over the years. So I wanted to go back and give it another watch. Nothing outstanding for the first few minutes. It's all typical brawling, right up until Bubba takes this magnificent header for a Bulldog spot off the ladder. And then business just picks up from there. Holy hell. Bubba's bump looked like a penguin taking a big old belly flop into the arctic waters somewhere, but it made for a tremendous visual. I've mentioned how much I love Jeff Hardy's frantic, manic style of bumping before. It instantly raises the sense of danger and urgency in a match. Jeff doesn't land like someone that's trained to fall. He lands like he's been shot out of a speeding car or thrown from a rooftop. Same time? He's capable of creating these grand "moments" in time where he's airborne, and it just looks like such a masterpiece in motion. So imagine my delight when Jeff takes a back body drop over the top rope, looking like a freaking bird of prey swooping down to descend on a carcass, only to CRASH violently through a table on the floor. It was breathtaking brutality, and I eat that shit up. At one point, Spike Dudley does the Bret Hart sternum charge directly into the end of a ladder. Normally, that's not all that noteworthy. But this is Spike Dudley, and his bones look brittle enough to mash into dust upon contact. So yeah. I let out an, "Ouch" for the poor guy on that note. Christian is pummeled and PUNISHED towards the end of the match. It bordered on being overkill. He takes a slam off the top and has to spread out like a freaking filleted-open starfish just to ENSURE that he lands on the ladder for a back bump. Seriously, this bump HAD to do some damage to the guy's kidneys legitimately. Ditto for the suplex Jericho suffered onto the ladder. He landed with a SPLAT. As someone that's had lower back spasms in the past, it made me cringe a bit. There was a miscue or something on the Chokeslam from Kane for the finish. You could visibly see Kane and Jericho talking back and forth for a bit, but it wasn't so much that it really took anything away from the effect. Keep your eyes on Jericho though & you'll see him slide over on the mat to use his feet and help brace the bottom of the ladder, so that it doesn't tip over while Kane climbs. For a second, I thought he was going to kick the ladder over & the match would continue. But nah. He was just lending a helping hand. All in all, I definitely walked away from this match feeling differently about it. It certainly doesn't get talked up enough in most circles, which is really unfortunate. It's just kind of wedged in there between the first historic TLCs and the popularized Money in the Banks that followed. It's a shame, because it's got some really good stuff packed into what COULD have just been a throwaway free TV match. Everybody brought their working boots, and it's neat (to me at least) that we got to see some makeshift, oddball tag teams involved. These pairings aren't your usual longstanding teams. Oh. And JR referring to the Jericho/Christian team as the TLC All-Stars was a nice touch, since they were a merging of the only two teams that had won TLC matches up until that point. It's little things like that, which JR would pick up on and mention, that I miss. Also? His call of the Van Terminator, in which Ross shouts, "Kane just ate EVERY DAMN BIT of that chair!" My god. Calls like that give me chills, because they just FEEL authentic. They resonate like they come from the heart, spontaneously, in the heat of the moment. We just don't get enough of that anymore. I'm not the cynical type to sit around and harp on how bad the current commentary team is, but it's REALLY noticeable when reflecting back on even the random stuff like this. It doesn't necessarily need to be a classic "Austin" call or anything. Even when it came to the subpar or under-the-radar stuff, JR had a way of elevating it with his storytelling.

Some darn good stuff in this one... - Sleaze! Vince's lust for Shawn and Steph versus Justin Rozzero's lust for Sunny and a teased Hollywood Blondes reunion. Which is creepier? - Scandal! Rebooking Steph's marriage with Shawn subbing for Hunter. Card subject to change. Crazy. - Conspiracy! Does whipping, branding, and beating poor Savio Vega really guarantee future greatness? Hmm. In all seriousness though, this made for great listening from you guys. I kept hoping Aaron would finally own up & disagree with something Justin said. ANYTHING. It just makes for better discussion. But, even all in agreement, I liked a lot of what we got. Me and my friend are ALWAYS pointing out that Samoans constantly get booked to be everything besides Samoans. It's like being Samoan is the last resort go-to gimmick. Before that? They can be Persian. They can be black. They can be Japanese. Hell, Camacho is supposed to be Mexican. And he's got the bloodline of an eye-gouging Haku coursing through his veins. I mean, come on. Neat point about Corny being the new Brain. And you're right. He was essentially the Bobby Heenan to Shawn's Hogan. Legit had me laughing at the comment about Jose looking like the world's worst wingman. Shawn's rep definitely wasn't helped by his presence there. The cool factor got cranked WAY down with the male stripper suddenly going from edgy to whitebread anyhow, but yeah. He basically went from palling around with a big, hip, badass-looking bouncer in leather and shades to... the Super Sock. And I'm right there with ya, JR. Savage versus Austin, Bret, Shawn, and Taker in the early stages of the Attitude Era could have been freaking phenomenal. They could have been those feuds, those buildups, and those series of matches that we all would've enjoyed at the time. But - best of all - we could be going back and eating 'em up all over again with the Network today. It's a damn shame we didn't get it.

Loved your intro, Dylan. Really well thought-out and phrased into words. The objective makes sense to us obsessive viewers, too. We always want to hold onto a hope that there's SOME slight chance we'll come across a gem or hidden jewel somewhere. And sometimes, we find 'em in the strangest of places. Modern day TNA could be one such place. I'm sure glad you've chosen to go along as the guide though. Saves some of us from the hassle. That being said - it's safe to say your written reviews will probably be more entertaining than anything on the actual show, but hey. I haven't watched it yet. Still may not. Like you, I TRY to keep current with TNA out of some idea that I MIGHT have missed something really grand in the process of skipping out on it altogether. And, to be fair, I have enjoyed the hell out of Eric Young's title reign and MVP's shtick on the stick. Other than that? There's just not a whole lot to like. Damned if I don't try, but really - that's the sad truth of the matter. And judging by your review, I didn't miss a whole lot by passing on this week's offering. Still might check it out, just to pick up on some of the notes you dropped for myself. But yeah. This was both informative & thoroughly entertaining enough. Nicely done, Dylan. You pinpoint the landmines for us. We'll step accordingly.

Yup. Tremendous talking points all up & down this one, guys. Loved the parallels drawn between Bret and Bob. Ditto for Bruno and the other "mega stars" of each era. I've heard it all before of course, but it's real thought-provoking discussion when covered in this context. Hope the gang continues to touch base on the comparisons & contrasts of Bruno and Bob as we move along, too. Got a kick out of Pete playing defense attorney for Backlund's reputation, by the way. First the Mulligan-Sullivan conspiracy theory. And now Tatanka, "Crooked Casino Indian Chief." Brilliant. Sorrow's on a hot streak. It's fantasy booking the way it ought to be - freaking total and utter fantasy. Enjoyed the hell out of the way Johnny literally marked out for the details of the Spiros turn, too. Moment by moment as the story crossed his mind for the first time, he was just eating that shit up. Just an awesome little piece of audio there. Everything else was generally great, as per usual. Sorrow's impersonations. In-depth analysis. Thought-provoking discussion. And TRUCKLOADS of laughs. Titans is always good times with a fun atmosphere. Keep it coming, fellas.

To be fair, they DID go that route with heel Authority lackey Orton last fall... for a grand total of about one month. He faced like Cody, Goldust, Miz, Sheamus, and a bunch of random babyfaces on every single episode of TV for those first four weeks or so. And then endless Bryan and Big Show matches afterwards.

I'd probably worry about Rollins killing himself before I'd stress over the Usos. Maybe that's just me though.

Mygoddamngod. Sorrow's opening story is epic all over again. The bump. The crimson mask. Parv posing the timeless question, "To sell or not to sell..." It all just had me cracking up before you guys ever cranked up the real agenda.

Agreed. The Sullivan idea is sheer genius. Da Debil playing puppet-master and pulling the strings of the Mulligans all along... I dig it. And they've been doing them since the Rumble, I think? I know both the Chamber and Mania episodes are outstanding & well worth tracking down to give a listen.