SomethingSavage

JTG is at least slightly involved with Tyler Reks' new Body Spartan fitness deal. Judging by their back & forth jabs on Twitter, all signs seem to suggest that he's still under contract and just kept off TV.

Acknowledging the relationship is fine. I'm not opposed to that at all. It's when they hammer you over the head with it in EVERY television segment that it gets to be too much. It's grating already, and the angle's actually only just begun. I'd settle for almost ANY Daniel Bryan appearance without Brie attached at his hip right about now. The WrestleMania buildup was excellent for a month straight. And then this came. Now Daniel's character is married to his actual wife, Stephanie, and Kane. The belts he sought and fought so hard for - the big motivating factor & the ultimate prize behind the awesome "Journey" doc - are almost afterthoughts. But wasn't that the initial concept of the story?

I thought Road Dogg did decent enough in his matches. Never noticed the crowd sleeping on his spots. X-Pac either, but Kid knew psychology and could keep a crowd involved, alive, and active more often than not. Billy Gunn's another case altogether, in my eyes. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking this, but I just get the impression that he's the kind of guy that can do athletic things, take big bumps, and generally put all the mechanics together really well. He can show workers HOW to do things. But he's not necessarily the guy that can explain WHY or WHEN to do them. I have no idea what he's specifically coaching down in NXT, but if I had to venture a guess - it'd be more along those lines. And that's not really a knock on the guy. I've heard Bobby Eaton, for instance, as being described in the same light. Not everybody is a mind. Some guys are just phenomenal workers, will coach ya to work, but can't tell ya the Whys and Whens of it all. Just the Hows. But yeah. Just the feeling I get from Gunn's body of work. There's a disconnect at times with a lot of his storytelling and reasoning. And that's the type of thing that'll turn a crowd from hot to cold following such a big entrance, popular catchphrase, or anything else. Oh. And there's something to be said for his AWKWARD way of carrying himself. Definitely don't think he won many of the male demographic over with PLENTY of the junk he did - both verbally and physically. He looked out of place in his own skin at times, and the ridiculously stupid nicknames didn't help one iota either.

I still don't see how Batista was given more than a slight slap on the wrist, if that. More interesting aspect to me here (looking back now) is just HOW MUCH of Booker's big heel push that year COULD have started building some real steam in the back AFTER this incident. Hmm. Makes ya wonder, and it's just the kind of environment that ya think would reward that sort of thing. I mean, yeah. Booker's king act and the whole dynamic with Sharmell was OVER, but still... Interesting to consider, if nothing else...

Yup. Stoked to give this one a listen. Should be good.

Maybe I'm way off, but Bischoff just strikes me as THAT guy who walks around the bar with a beer in his hand, never really drinking it - pretending to like it and just watching to ensure other men see him standing around with it. But hey. He's back. Bettah than evah.

It was SummerSlam. They were programmed with each other for the World Heavyweight Championship at the time - and would continue to be all the way up until Dave took the title off Booker at Series. They just mixed in Lashley, Finlay, and some others to freshen it up and kill time until then.

The scrap with Booker & Batista happened right at SummerSlam time. They held off on having Dave take the belt off Booker from August until November at the Survivor Series. Hardly seems like much of a de-push though, considering that Dave was still involved heavily in the main event mix that entire time. PERHAPS they slightly cooled his jets for a month or two, but in NO way was it an actual punishment.

Regarding the double switch for the New Age Outlaws on the singles scene in early '99, Russo has stated in a few separate shoot interviews that he just did it for the sake of swerving people. Fans wouldn't expect it, and so he did it. I tend to get the impression that Vinnie Mac let Russo get away with a lot of that switching & shuffling nonsense on the mid & undercard, so long as the main event and upper echelon remained protected for the most part and booked logically enough. I remember somebody (Cornette, I think) openly stating EXACTLY WHEN Jim Ross was removed from structuring the PPV cards and it fell to Russo & Ferrarra for awhile instead. But there was a clear & definite divide in the way the shows were treated, booked, and built from that point until No Mercy '99 when they jumped ship to WCW.

Yup. Sullivan was actually doing a LOT of other things, aside from just the standard nWo invasion angle that most people remember. Been going back and watching plenty of late '96 and all '97 Nitro recently. Really good stuff all up and down the cards, even if some of the cruiserweight stuff doesn't hold up as much as I'd hoped. It's all good. The action was up to par on most nights, the main events weren't YET so bad that they took away from the rest of the show, the angles were HOT, and the stars were freaking OVER. Massively over. Say what ya will about all the stuff WCW did wrong, there for a couple of strong years under Sully's watch - they got it right. Really right. And you can easily see why they were several notches above almost everything the WWF was trying at the time.

I remember HATING Jeff's entire act at the time. It was more of a pop culture thing, I think - as I was all about the cool heels or over babyfaces at the time, and Jarrett had NO cool factor going for him at all during that run. Same can be said for his return to the Double J routine with Tennessee Lee, and looking back now? I love that stuff. Same thing here though. Jarrett's pro-Horseman campaign was a neat little angle in itself. Perhaps it suffered from starts & stops in the booking & the way some of the elements were handled, but it was still an okay story. Jeff wanted in, but the way they had him going back & forth with Debra as the manipulator/manipulated was weird and hard to follow at times. Flair's injury and time away kept him weaving in & out of the angle, which didn't help either. Mongo as the big, dumb jock and suspicious husband definitely resonated though. And Benoit was kept attached by way of the nifty little rivalry they ALWAYS kept going between Nancy and Debra. Just fun stuff there, with Debra as the southern belle, always-entitled beauty queen. And Nancy playing polar opposite as the devious diva type - heck, she even lured Miss Elizabeth to the dark side! Ultimately, I think it's another one of those things that went by under the radar of the WCW mid-card. A lot of good stuff actually started well enough and fell off the rails during this span. Maybe I'm alone in thinking this deserves to be lumped into that category, but hey. I dug it. Jeff as the out of place, redneck southern throwback trying to weasel his way into Horsemen lore worked with me. Far as Jeff's actual matches go, meh. They were hit or miss. He had a few good ones with the obvious candidates - Malenko, Benoit, and even Mongo occasionally. But he had a fair share of misfires, too. I still think his better work was always as the fiery babyface. And it's even evident in some of his matches against The Giant from this stint.

I tend to agree. Feels very puro-influenced to me, which I honestly dig. A lot actually. But yeah. If they're reaching for that official press conference feel, even in a "fallout" type of atmosphere, at least throw some towels & tracksuits on the guys. Suits and ties would be good. I know this ain't meant to be the Hall of Fame, but the actual press conferences are better. If they're going to go this route, maybe just routine "locker room" style interviews are best. The execution is a little wonky right now, but it's still early into the experiment. I hope they stick with it (or something similar) and keep running this type of free content on the Network. It's an extra little incentive for some people.

Excellent points made by both Sorrow and Dexstar here. Totally agreed, too. Playing to your fans is a different beast altogether than setting out to be a "cool" heel though. You guys are right about the fun atmosphere it creates though. It's like other sporting events, with divided crowds, home team fans, etc. And isn't it at least KINDA that dynamic that brought about the big shift in the 90's anyway? The nWo had their fans, the Horsemen had their fans, Austin had his fans LONG before everyone boarded the bandwagon, Bret had his loyalists (which eventually led to the awesome Canada/USA angle), etc. And all those fans kinda got acknowledged and brought into the show with interactions. That brought about more merch, the overuse of taunts and gestures, and the abundance of catchphrases for each character to let their specific fans play sing-along, and so on.

Ehh. Wouldn't be so sure. Didn't stop him after Booker publicly pummeled Bro-tista in front of the boys.

Did WCW ever really have road agents? Did they adhere to any kind of policy when it came to producing matches? Not saying they didn't or anything. Just that this would be the first I'd heard of it. I know they had Taylor and Sully in the back, but they were booking. EDIT: Nevermind. A quick (VERY brief, and admittedly lazy) attempt at a search brought up the names of Greg Gagne and Mike Graham as once serving as road agents, but with no time frame given or anything. Hmm.

There's been a steady march and movement back TOWARDS doing things the "good old" way though. Heels are going back to generating the right kind of heat. There aren't too many of the "cool heels" left. Even Triple H has lightened up and realized how profitable it can be for him in the long haul to - ya know - show ass and fall on his face when the time for a payoff comes. Same thing when people bash Brock for being a part-timer. Yet they fawn all over the idea of creating "special attractions" like Andre for this modern day and age. Well there ya go. That's what they've effectively built with Brock now. Lesnar stands a legitimate chance of being a box office draw as just that - an updated version of the old touring "special attraction" model. With Heyman hyping him on TV and CONSTANTLY keeping him in fans' minds, he's this lingering presence that's never too far from the forefront of people's minds. It's clever, and it can work. But back to the heels & their heat thing - I just don't see a lot of reason to bash the current product. To me, with a LOT of these criticisms we hear from Cornette and Ross lately, it's like they're lagging behind the times. A lot of these criticisms would've made sense 5 years ago. A decade ago, CERTAINLY. But lodging them now just makes them sound even MORE like dinosaurs, if anything. They're either out of touch with the product or not following as closely as they should, considering they're very much still attached to the industry.

EPIC.

Syxx definitely functioned as the Buddy Jack for that early incarnation of the Wolfpac. Thought he played the little vermin role flawlessly.

I will admit that I'm a fan of the way TNA has been handling Eric Young's main event run thus far. The push came out of left field, sure. But it's been treated tremendously. They've booked him strong. He doesn't come across as an underdog, always battling from underneath or out of his element up "in the big leagues" or anything. I dig that. They've got the guy winning competitive matches week after week, defending the strap week after week, and holding onto it. CLEAN. STRONG. WINS. That's it. Good matches to boot. Against high caliber challengers. It's only about a month in, sure. But the same can be said for Daniel Bryan, and there's a totally different approach being taken on both sides. I won't harp on the booking of Bryan TOO MUCH, because a lot of stuff in his personal life has kept him off TV. On the other hand, the whole angle with Kane has been dreadful and beyond cheesy. Mania was THE moment for Bryan, but almost everything since? It's just a mess, whereas TNA has shockingly stuck to a simple story for Eric. And it works. It's just this basic, bare bones tale of a guy FINALLY fulfilling his lifelong dream and capturing the big prize. And once he does? He shows pure fighting spirit and demands to do battle with the best in order to prove his worth, his honor, and his merit to keep it. Sounds a lot to me like TNA is booking EY like the Internet has cried out for WWE to book Bryan, at least in that sense. Plus he's brought back the Piledriver. This move is an institution in American pro wrestling. Ask somebody on the street to name 5 pro wrestling moves. You're gonna get a Body Slam here, an Elbow Drop or Leg Drop, and most definitely a great big helping of PILEDRIVERS in response. Trust me. I do sort of wish TNA would protect the Piledriver a bit more though. I mean, come on. Guys shouldn't be kicking out of it left and right. It's more of a signature spot for EY than a definitive finisher, so I get it. But I really wish they would've went the other way with that decision. But hey. That's nitpicking. It's STILL really cool to see him bust it out in just about every match. 'Cause yeah. The standard Piledriver is awesome. Enough said there.

I don't even consider Rollins a dark horse, to be honest. I really think WWE is higher on the guy than ya might be thinking. Maybe it's because he's shrouded in the shadows of a super push for Reigns and a superior talker in Ambrose, but that shouldn't do much to discount Seth's own offerings. The guy's GREAT at what he does, and he's turned heads by being able to stand out with his stunts, flips, and dives already. That doesn't even begin to take into account that they crowned him their initial NXT Champion back when they first relaunched the series & rebooted the brand completely. For anyone that saw his run with the belt, he was over with Full Sail and treated totally like a star throughout his reign. I could easily see the 'E giving him the same backing & support in a solo run down the road. The immediate big priority is clearly on Reigns at the moment. But I don't get the impression that they're exactly going to sweep either Seth or Dean aside when it's all said & done. I'm just glad that they aren't in any hurry or rush to separate the group just yet. I still think the real money's in the collective unit. They're an ensemble. Roman doesn't look quite ready to take on a full-time schedule of strictly singles matches to me just yet. I can't envision him being as over or as huge a deal without that hot tag. Dean is JUST breaking into this AWESOME uncharted territory as a fiery babyface, which I never would've expected before. No need to stamp that stuff out when it's just cooking.

Yup. Fun stuff. I find that I'm more inclined to take Sorrow's side on most things, since I tend to kick back & enjoy these shows rather than pick 'em apart piece by piece or over-analyze things. I notice mistakes and rebook things in my mind, sure. We all do. As fans, that just comes with the territory. But it's so much more fun to free yourself as a fan in the moment and just dive into the shows. It's why I try to watch (more often than not) with a group of friends and/or family. Just find it more relaxing by about tenfold. Plus you get to gauge the reaction of such casual fans for so much of the stuff. If something's specifically engaging or getting talked up, I'll go back and rewatch alone later. But that whole "analyze every tiny detail of every match" and breaking down work-rate, etc? Meh. I passed that phase awhile back. Don't get me wrong. It's cool that we've got fellow fans willing and able to do that. It makes for neat discussion and topics to talk up. But I have much more fun being the outsider looking in & listening in from out here.

HBK was at gorilla position for that match. Austin mentioned on his last Torch appearance with Keller that he was in the truck with Kevin Dunn. Just interesting to consider the different viewpoints & perspectives from guys like that - actually live at the show and in attendance, making it a point to stick around and witness that match.

Neat point, regarding 80's Hogan and Cena today. I hadn't noticed it before, but you're dead on with that comparison. He talks as if he knows what's best for everyone, even when they don't realize it themselves. That can't help his rep with people that are already soured on his vanilla do-gooder act. Back to Bray - I don't think it really matters what specific sector of the audience they're TRYING to reach with the character. The important thing to consider is that it IS reaching an audience. Point blank. That's the end goal. He's got a connection and a large portion of nearly every crowd playing along with the story. People are invested. We're actually in agreement that Bray does a lot of talking but says next to nothing. I get that. Totally agree. But that's sort of the nature of the character. He's meant to be speaking in riddles and lyrics. He's meant to leave you guessing and wondering what the hell he just said, if he REALLY said anything at all to begin with. That's kind of the desired result, for the most part. Even so, when it comes time to shill the next big upcoming match or the point of his programs at their core, he can still drive it home and wrap it together in his dialogue. It's not all wordplay without substance or meaning here. I'm still not convinced that the guy doesn't have a presence, an aura, and a charm beneath all the scripts and polished presentation though. He's a louder, larger than life type of speaker that commands a crowd. He demands attention, and I've witnessed it firsthand. I usually watch shows with friends (casual fans and marks, for the most part), and I can tell you that they don't leave the room whenever Bray's on-screen. Furthermore, if they've left for a bathroom break, a smoke break, or a quick snack - then they rush right back when they hear the music or know he's on. The guy draws people in. You can't just ignore that interest or chalk it up to him being protected.

Paha! Gotta love Will's hatred of Triple H, for sure. His paranoia of this mythical Hunter push waiting in the wings is just pure entertainment. Always dig the back & forth debates between he and Sorrow, too. Good stuff through and through. Only regrets are that we got next to no actual discussion about the in-ring work from the IC Title Match, or any proposed ideas for HOW to repackage Big E. Was hoping we'd hear some. Other than that, this one's got all the bases from Extreme Rules just about covered. So yeah. Agreed. Phenomenal freaking listen, fellas. Really enjoyed this one.

What's with the backlash against Bray's mic work lately? I don't get it. I mean, I've seen the over-hyping and overrating of his stuff on other boards. I get the feeling that some fans are on the bandwagon, pimping & praising it a little too much too soon. But it's not grating. Plus it's easy to see why fans WOULD get excited about - oh, ya know - having a NEW, FRESH guy that can actually talk and hold his own on the mic. His stuff comes across as structured, sure. But overly scripted? Nah. Planned and mapped out is one thing. But he's not monotonous. It's all in the delivery, man. And he's got a TREMENDOUS grasp on that. He's got GREAT presence for a guy that's so new to the big stage scene. The fact that he's shown next to no nervousness in giving this grandiose, wordy declarations is a testament to just how terrific he is for the role.