SomethingSavage

I'm a pretty big fan of Cornette, but I would not even argue against that at all. I don't even know about the memes or tweets, since I'd rather chew shards of broken glass than go near wrestling Twitter. I don't necessarily dislike Omega. I just think he's vastly overrated. I followed much of his work in New Japan and enjoyed him quite a bit following the turn on Styles. Everything before that was bad comedy, and I feel like his lack of actual character hurts him in the US. That's just my two cents. I mean, what is he even supposed to be? Japanese tourist guy? Even his Tron video thing is just him backpacking around like Dora the Explorer. Tf, man? Be something. Say something. It's all just nonsense. It's like he is completely uninterested in the stories or the character beats in between - he just wants to get back to the part where he can play Black Swan or whatever the fuck in the ring again. "Best Bout Machine" is also a terrible fucking nickname. It's just the dirt worst, for a number of problematic reasons. I don't criticize his actual wrestling too much, because I get that I'm not his target demo. I don't buy CrossFit cardio flexing as any type of admirable feat in pro wrestling though. I find it obnoxious whenever Flair touts his elliptical or StairMaster sessions as some sort of accomplishment also, so it's not like I'm biased against Omega or this current crop of wrestlers. It applies across the board. If I want to criticize Omega's actual wrestling, I'll start with his reliance on excess. He throws V Trigger knees like they're right hands. And, while some of them look truly sick, that sort of defeats the purpose of trying to make it a kill-shot. It also gives off the impression that he's not as well-rounded as he'd like you to believe. But hey. That cardio, am I right? He also pauses to priss and preen and peacock way too much. It totally takes away from the urgency of a contest. But hey. He could probably flip a monster truck tire like nobody's business. Good for him. As far as him drawing monumental houses, ehh. I don't know. There are all these claims of how over he is and shit, but I don't buy it. Nobody knows this guy. He exists only to a very small, very specific group of people. He's not widely known. He's not all that over. And he never will be with the way he is currently presented. Steve Austin was over. Goldberg was over. Hogan. Rock. Even Punk and Bryan for a short flash. All these guys had a buzz and excitement around them. They got people talking and stirring. But nobody anywhere wants to be Kenny Omega with his pew pew finger bangs and his Ramen noodle mop top. Truth hurts. Being offered a fat contract from WWE is another hollow claim these days. Seth fucking Rollins is earning top pay there. He is so not over he's under. Nobody buys a Seth shirt. Nobody knows he exists outside a wrestling event. Nobody thinks about Seth Rollins or Kenny Omega. These are non-entities in the pop culture lexicon.

THIS. All of it. Omega looks like a goof. I don't care if he can play fight for 90 minutes. Cool story. Nice cardio. Whatever. That doesn't make his shit interesting. I don't want to watch him for 9 minutes - let alone 90 - if he's going to pause and drag his foot across the floor like a preening ballerina every chance he gets. I wasn't knocking anime or comic books. Of course they're bigger and more widely accepted than pro wrestling. I'm not too tuned into anime, but I know my fair share about comics. So don't misunderstand me there. The bottom line is that I don't think Omega appeals to a broader audience than what they've already got. It's like Cornette says - they're singing the same songs to the people who already know all the words. And that's it. It won't grow or get any bigger or anymore support. It's a very finite fan base, because a guy like Kenny Omega - with his interprative dance routine - does not stand a snowball's chance in Hell of resonating with Joe Blow down the block. Nobody new is going to see this guy and think they want to be like him. They're going to wonder what the fuck went wrong with wrestling since Stone Cold left, with Omega's pew pew hand motions and his quirky ticks. A guy like Austin resonated with red-blooded males for obvious reasons, but let's not overlook the simple small things. A middle finger is a gesture HUMAN BEINGS ACTUALLY DO. Even the crotch chops of DX were things people would actually say or do in real life. That's why they resonated. That's why people dug it. It was wrestlers reacting like actual living, breathing human beings for a change. Nobody knows what the fuck Omega's curtsies and rubbing and pew pewing is all about. It's just fucking weird, man. And when he's SUPPOSED to be in fight or flight situations? That makes it a hundred times worse. NOBODY ON EARTH behaves that way. Off-putting is, well, putting it mildly. It's not believable. It's not going to strike anyone as anything. It's just... Odd for the sake of being odd. I've seen some people bring up things like the People's Eyebrow in comparison, but no. Just no. You need to have a certain charm and charisma to pull that off. And Rocky epitomized cool. Omega looks like the weird artsy kid who got really buff after high school because he thought it would make people stop laughing at him. He's Carrot Top. I chuckled at the Cactus Jack comparison, for real. But it's night and day. Omega carries none of the threat or danger that a Cactus Jack could and did. Randy Savage eyes? Come on. You'll tear a rotator cuff reaching that hard. Omega conveys the Macho Man as much as any ten year old kid could by just opening his eyes real wide. There's no genuine sense of madness there. He's just a guy trying way too hard to act eccentric and flamboyant. That's all. And, while I know people get up in arms about being all-inclusive and shit these days, I just don't believe many people are going to view that as anything special. He always looks like he's gliding and preening. He's much more a Tonya Harding and much less a Brian Pillman. Scratch that. Tonya conveyed more of that madness I was talking about. Regarding Cornette being a con man - come the fuck on, man. You might as well condemn anyone and everyone in the business if that's the case. The business is filled with people who will take advantage of opportunities to earn the most they can from it. And bless 'em for it. That's the point. This whole mindset of trying to change the world through wrestling that Omega goes on about is such silly horse shit. He's in it to make money, too. I'm not sure if you're aware of that. But they're not out there play fighting for free. Cornette isn't "making bucks" off a business that he hates. He's making bank off a fan base that enjoys listening to what he has to say. Being mad at him for that is sour grapes.

I still really enjoy some of his match reviews, to be honest. His breakdown and analysis of some of the modern stuff sounds exactly like stuff I'd say, even if I disagree on his overall evaluation of some of the talent involved. Calling out Kenny Omega's stupid pew pew finger guns as "stagey and showy jazz hands" was just pitch perfect. It's the type of things fan boys may defend, but honestly. It looks so dumb to anyone outside the bubble, and it's part of the reason he looks like a big dork a lot of the time. Maybe he could pull it off if he conveyed any kind of danger or intimidation, but nah. He just looks like a guy pretending to be Goku at an anime convention or something.

I mean, is JR the moodiest motherfucker on the planet? Pretty sure he's runner up, if not. There are still some decent discussion points here or there. But, at the drop of a black hat, the guy can go from thanking the fans to just spastically bitching about the words "war" and "push" like a fucking madman. In the most condescending manner imaginable. Without any provocation whatsoever. It's a little weird and awkward, like hearing your crazy uncle rant and rave about some deep-rooted personal grudge he still holds from his days of high school football or some shit. Although it's not a priority in my rotation or anything, I'm still sticking with the show and giving it a listen. But man. He makes it hard to get through some weeks.

Vince doubling up Arn's paydays at the end absolutely sounds like a clear case of unnecessary flexing. Total power move though & pretty much what you'd expect from him. I felt bad when Arn started talking about how God must hate him. It's a little sad anytime we (as human beings) become THAT invested and emotionally tied to our finances & money. What we earn shouldn't determine our self-worth, but reality has a way of informing us otherwise. And I've been guilty of feeling the same way he talked about here, so I don't think anyone is really immune to it. This still remains my favorite wrestling podcast, by the way. Arn is excellent. My only complaint is that his shows are too short! Whereas some of the Bruce and Bischoff shows have gone overboard with their run times, I'm never left with that impression here. I always wish we could've gotten another story or three from Arn.

Right. And, like you said, I understand the reasoning when it comes to commerce and the demands from USA Network. But for their specials? For WrestleMania? Who was crying out for these 4-hour extensions? Who asked for shows to turn into these dreadful festivals? Maybe I've just aged out of wrestling, but I don't get it. And I stuck with this stuff for 30 years, so I guess I take it to heart when I'm struggling to even enjoy it anymore. If this design for marathon shows is meant to be strictly fan service, then maybe show more restraint for how often it's done. Because, at some point, it stops feeling like fan service & starts becoming this HUGE barrier of entry that stops anyone from getting into the product at all.

Who are these marathon shows even designed for, really? And I don't ask that to sound like a dick. I ask out of genuine curiosity, because I don't see the appeal to anyone. I mean, I *guess* maybe there are some folks out there who binge on wrestling the same way people binge on Investigation Discovery niche shows or anything else, but fuck me. It's just too much. To be fair, yeah. I've probably seen 20 matches or less in 2019. So I'm not exactly keyed in at the moment, nor do I care to be. But shouldn't something like that be telling? It's problematic. Arn Anderson addressed it on his podcast, saying it's clearly a red flag whenever people are choosing to leave before the biggest main event on the biggest shows of the year. And he's personally witnessed that. These marathon shows just feel like exhausting, bothersome chores. I can't imagine ever watching wrestling like I did before - not in this current model. The shows are just too fucking long. If it weren't for the option to cherry pick and watch a match here or there in total isolation, I wouldn't ever watch anything at all. Just as an example, I caught some free time before a shift recently. And I felt like I wanted to watch some wrestling - a rarity for me these days. Somehow I wound up going with Sasha versus Becky from HiaC, and I thought that was a fucking blast. Like I said, I'm out of the loop. So I don't know how well it was reviewed, but I had so much fun watching it that I went ahead and watched the Roman/Bryan versus Harper/Rowan tag that followed it. AGAIN, I enjoyed the shit out of the match. But by then, I was done. I couldn't imagine sitting there and trying to FORCE FEED myself another three hours of the same thing. There's no way I could ever ask anyone to watch a wrestling show with me ever again, because the commitment is just unrealistic. Obviously I could go on & on about burnout and oversaturation, all of which have been discussed before. But yeah. I just don't understand how THIS marathon show model has become the framework and the trend by which all of pro wrestling must now follow.

I'm just here to echo the grief and sorrow over the loss of our beloved Lucha Underground. Even when it was clearly starting to struggle, the show remained fun and endlessly watchable. That's a crazy cool feat for something so inherently disposable as weekly pro wrestling.

The 2-hour format isn't ideal for rewatch value or anything, but I do think the format can still carry that episodic feel. It's also possible to weave stories and performers in & out of each show within that 2-hour window. Again, it's all about creativity and effort. Burnout and fatigue are real issues in anything that is CONSTANTLY churning out product though. And so, on the one hand, it's hard to pin too much blame on them for taking the lazy, tired route that they do. On the other hand, that's a clear indicator that the model needs adjusting. The infrastructure itself is a weak, flawed design if you can't find a way to get the creativity powered up. And yes. I was mostly describing WWE in my previous post. But shit, son. Even THEY have gotten it right in the recent past. I always point to that Fall 2016-Spring 2017 run of Smackdown shows as proof positive that they can still pump out a weekly show that has me WANTING MORE. Sure. It didn't last very long. And perhaps it was never sustainable. But they did it. And, before that superstar shakeup gimmick, it really felt like they had stumbled onto something that helped to energize their television. Performers didn't feel overexposed. Rivalries felt raw. Each division was rotated on & off the show in key spots. There were enough breadcrumbs placed out on every show to keep you following along until the next episode. As far as current AEW and Impact go, I can't speak to them. I don't find it hard to believe that their weekly shows are watchable though. I was still catching every pay-per-view from those two up until the beginning of this year. Right now, I only watch whatever promos/segments a friend of mine recommends on YouTube. Actual match-wise, I seek out every big Jericho, Cody, and Callihan match. These guys get it. If you want a summary of what my tastes are in 2019, that says it. I want angles. I want feuds. I want stories. My days of analyzing every match and forcing myself to seek out anything that gets good reviews are far, far behind me at this point. I've lived that part of my fandom, and I just feel like I burned out on it. I have no desire to watch wrestling as a chore anymore. I have no desire to force-feed myself everything that's out there. I'm good with catching four or five matches a year from guys like Jericho, Cody, and Callihan at this stage. I realize that makes me an extreme outlier around here, but fuck it. Diversity is healthy. And, if the only link I have left to my lifelong wrestling fandom are those guys, then that's cool. That works. Serve me up a short, succinct video package that explains what these guys have been doing for the past three months. Show me the story of their latest rivalry. Give me a match that doesn't overstay its welcome. And I'm a happy camper.

The issue isn't the length of the weekly shows. The issue is the format and the lack of compelling stories. When the characters and their arcs are worth watching, you will follow along and be left on the hook for more. When everything hinges on "good matches" and athleticism, you're basically watching gymnastic displays for hours on end every week. I can't imagine trying to force myself to watch anymore. Wrestling today feels like a giant time-suck. It's almost strategically devised to kill time. To eat up time. Let's draaaaagggg this match out so it can be twenty minutes at a minimum. Let's talk in circles, in the most verbose manner humanly possible, without ever actually serving any purpose or accomplishing anything. It's just the dirt worst. A lot of times (not always, but certainly mostly), when I try to watch, I can't help but notice that the matches would be so much better if they were more condensed and compressed. A match isn't REQUIRED to go twenty minutes to be a classic. I hate this mindset, and the best thing about some modern Brock matches have been the small glimmer of hope that this might change. But it only seems to be the exception & never the rule. A lot of times, it feels like they've got a five or ten minute story to tell at best, but they stretch it and force it & hammer it into place until it's 20-30 minutes of tedious torture, because hey. Stars. Cardio. All night. CrossFit, bruh. I listen to some podcasts that focus a lot on film directors and screenplay writers, and something that has come up quite often is the art of the action scene. And one of my favorite talking points centers on the idea that a good action sequence will ultimately leave the participants in a different state or position than they were before it. That is really the only way to give purpose and weight to a fight or its result. Otherwise, you just get a shitty, late night martial arts movie. And I'm not naive. I understand this is wrestling. Not film. Not even good television, to be honest. And there NEEDS to be matches for the sake of matches at times. But the "at times" has become "at all times" in 2019, and almost every match feels & functions like just another match to fill out a card. Hardly anything has purpose or weight or direction. It's all about filling time. Killing time. Putting something out there to get through the show. I'm sure a lot of you will disagree. And what do I know? I've largely given up on pro wrestling in 2019, after 30 years of nearly uninterrupted fandom. It just isn't interesting to me anymore. The podcasts and the discussion are enough. The actual shows feel like chores, and I can't sit through them without feeling like I should be doing (and enjoying) something else with my free time.

Well, to be fair, I brought Flair into the conversation because he is one of the most prolific examples. Arn didn't mention him in the original discussion, just so we're clear. It's not something you can entirely pin on anyone specific. That whole crop of JCP heels seemed to adhere to the same mentality - as Arn noted, the Horsemen were about "shitting it and getting it." They were bumping and feeding for anything with a pulse. And, while I can absolutely agree that NY and Memphis reached cartoon levels of ridiculousness, it's also fair to say that the idea of "always having a great match" in Crockett is just as detrimental if you ALWAYS apply it, regardless of opponents or card placement. You can't treat George South like he's Sting and *not* expect diminishing returns on reaction, on credibility, on perceived value, and on everything you do in general. I mean, of course there will always be the diehards who will subscribe and follow and give you a free pass. But the broader, wider audience isn't going to buy that shit time & time again. Some of them never "unsee" the time you got your ass whipped by a nameless, faceless nobody. And for what? All in the name of "putting on the best match possible." Ugh. Gross. It's a mindset that runs rampant to the detriment of the business today. In fact, the only reason it's any worse now than it was in JCP is because nowadays they literally verbalize it *in canon* and ON TELEVISION - not just when they're blowing smoke and patting each other on the ass at the bars.

Yep. The Stallions story, in particular, is what I was referencing as Arn talking about as a sort of "Aha" light bulb moment about hierarchy. I do think that's one of the criticisms you could place at the feet of Flair and other NWA guys who put this weird emphasis on having long, "great" back and forth matches - regardless of the opponent. I realize it's kind of glamorized that they can "work with a broomstick" or whatever, but that doesn't mean it makes sense. Because it doesn't. If you're getting your ass whipped by a George South or a Sam Houston just as easily as you're begging off for Hulk Hogan or a Dusty, then where's the line? You need to establish the framework for future developments. If you bump around for a Mulkey or a no-name one week, then what does it mean when a rising Magnum or a Ricky Morton stands up to you and seems like they've got your number? It means nothing, because you also just got your ass kicked a week ago by a guy nobody knew. I get it. There's a pride in being able to work with lesser skilled guys, but that doesn't mean you always SHOULD. It's flexing for no rhyme or reason. Leave that shit on training drills. It lends nothing to the story, more often than not. I also think that's led us to the current state of "back and forth, equal Even Steven" bullshit where guys feel the need to flex their athleticism & their cardio - regardless of face/heel dynamic or card placement - but that's an even deeper discussion altogether.

No need to torture & torment yourself with more 2010 TNA, man. It's mostly an awful year for them. I'd still go out of my way to recommend everything from Lockdown 2011 up until Lockdown 2013. They really felt like they were onto something. Acts felt over. There was a certain momentum to things for a moment there. I don't have the time to go back and watch week to week like I used to, but I *am* curious as to how much was me hoping they'd finally put the pieces together and how much of it actually holds up today. But yeah. I dig your reviews, so I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts if you ever get around to it. Jackass heel Jarrett, the unexpected ascension of Aries, the awesome overhaul of Bully Ray, Roode killing it in classic NWA champ fashion, the redemption saga of Jeff Hardy, James Storm feeling as over as he'd ever be, Kid Kash being the Bob Holly of the X Division, and even an incredibly underrated capper to the Hogan/Sting story all unfolded around that time. There are some supremely enjoyable matches to be found, for sure. But it's more about the feel of their momentum and the way they finally seemed to have found direction & focus for awhile. Guys like Bully, Storm, Roode, Styles, Aries, etc. all had arcs and stories. In real time, it was fun to follow week to week. For me, there was this and there was CWF Hollywood. WWE wasn't doing a whole lot for me. The way I remember it - I'd mostly tapped out on everything except TNA and Marquez' studio wrestling in Hollywood, with PWG BOLA and Wrestle Kingdom getting buzz and being what kept me a fan through a pretty dire period. So I admittedly am I bit biased, I guess.

The Armageddon 04 episode wasn't too bad. There's still ample saltiness for sure, but there's also plenty to enjoy. As a proud Rollins hater, I'm loving the not-so-subtle shots at Seth. I'm particularly amused that a discussion about Maven of all people is what originally brought it on. But yeah. Given the same push and positioning, I see no reason why Maven would draw any better or worse than Seth Rollins. They're equally ineffective, bland, and inconsequential to everything. They make no difference in either direction. They command exactly the same amount of attention. Same/same. Watching a Seth Rollins match is a lot like looking at a car commercial. It evokes the same response. It's just movement and a bunch of turns. Means nothing. All motion. Zero emotion. Guys who somehow earn bucket loads of money without earning it sums up Seth Rollins to me. Well done, JR. That Jerry Lawler news story sounds like a Coens Brothers film waiting to happen. Professional entertainer is out of town, so his stripper one night stand & her goon squad attempt to burglarize his secret jukebox safe in his home. Just rescript the finish so that The King returns home off the road in time to stumble upon the heist, and boom. Instant screenplay. I totally forgot about that funky period when Big Show was using the F-5(00) as a finish. What a weird, petty thing.

I'm fairly hot & cold toward this podcast. The Lawler episode was certainly a letdown. I will say that I enjoyed hearing JR briefly go on (very glowingly) about how much Jerry genuinely loves the business. I can definitely see that ringing true. But yeah. The week prior, JR tried to pitch it to people like it would be more about Lawler's less discussed stuff - speaking specifically about Mempho and his AWA ties. Instead, it was basically a beat by beat breakdown of Jerry's WWF tenure. Which we should expect coming from Conrad, but it's doubly lame because we JUST got the same ground covered by Bruce over on that show. There was very little to discuss here. It was just reading facts and results, which is the most tasteless go-to recipe for these Conrad shows. And unfortunately it feels like we get these more often than the interesting ones.

Arn really is an all-time great storyteller. It was so interesting to hear him address his final four or five years with WWE. I'm not surprised by any of it, but it's really telling to actually hear everything confirmed. You get the feeling is was very deflating to have his feedback and opinions dismissed so regularly. Most of all, I enjoyed hearing Arn address the grueling schedule of 80s WWF. He really digs into the details & gives you a glimpse at how burnout was a real issue. It hits home for me. Not that I'm bumping and feeding for a living, but I had my fatigue days waived last winter and worked 50 straight days. This year, I put in 43. And I can only imagine figuring in flights and travel and unfamiliar cities, new co-workers coming in, etc. Particularly, I was glad to hear Arn address how some guys were more than justified in just getting through house show matches with basic, minimalist work. Why the fuck not? It's one of those things that made me cringe during the GWE process - hearing how guys like Bret Hart or even Greg Valentine would get knocked for "coasting" through some random fucking house show match that was never intended for worldwide consumption and painstaking analysis, 30 years after the fact. It's easy to forget these were real human beings, with real bumps & bruises and miles on their minds and bodies - probably smack dab in the trenches of an insane travel schedule. But yes. Please tell me again how Bret was a lazy piece of shit for running that same spot on back to back nights again.

Absolutely agreed. I particularly enjoyed hearing Arn share his "aha" light bulb moment about hierarchy and how to gauge his bumping/selling for underneath acts versus top guys. It's a distinction that even some all-time greats and Hall of Famer have struggled to properly grasp (or maybe even learn altogether), so that was cool. This show all around has been such an interesting, easy listen. It's my favorite pro wrestling podcast by far at the moment. I love that we finally get Arn divulging on some of his own personal stories (as promised when the show was announced), but we also get him touching base on a ton of other topics. There's plenty of variety in the multiple Q&A episodes, which have all been enjoyable. Conrad gets a nod here, too. Dude isn't quite a chameleon in the host chair, but he definitely feeds off the energy of his co-hosts. Here, with Arn, he comes across more attentive amd studious. The dick jokes are still there, but they come across more like levity, and Arn's deadpan timing actually drives them home in a way that has to be heard to be fully appreciated. I specifically dug it when Conrad asked Arn to compare & contrast the touring schedules of the Fed and Crockett from the 80s. It's something you've heard people comment on a hundred times, but Arn breaking down the details of 6AM flights and that one insane loop around the entire country was awesome.

This show has had some moments, but yeah. The frumpy, grumpy JR has become more and more noticeable. I did crack up during the ad read for some cell service or WiFi or whatever, where Conrad is selling it & JR comes in with, "Eh, if you're a user... If you use the internet, ya know... You're gonna want to check this out." Hell of a sales pitch on a podcast.

Chris Jericho's 2008 kick-started a second career that's basically just been a series of reinventions & rejuvenation projects. Say what you will about the stumbling blocks he's encountered along the way - like that unfortunate period where he was trying to keep up with the incoming indie darlings - but Jericho has remained one of the absolute BEST character performers in the business ever since then. I'm not sure that he'd even be my top pick or anything, but he's definitely in the discussion for sheer consistency as well as quantity & quality of reinventions. I mean, yeah. He was already stale off that "save us" comeback campaign and in need of SOMETHING, but it wasn't like Black Reign in TNA bad or anything. His lows just weren't ever really that drastic or low. Hell, that 2008 alone was aped and Xeroxed and copied time after time, to mixed results. Remember Jack Swagger suddenly dressing in a suit and tie and trying to use Bockwinkel-sized words when he won the World Title? What about Miz? He swiped the whole act once Jericho had moved away from it and onto his next phase.

I haven't heard enough JR in AEW to give any kind of fair criticism, but I did try to watch some of that Moxley/Omega match and heard Jim shout about how these two guys are doing everything in their power to "put on a great match." I thought that was both a clear indication of what I hate about modern wrestling's presentation AND representative of what I don't ever want to hear from Jim Ross. Even in forgettable (but super fun) matches like the TLC 4 from Raw Roulette, JR was always a fucking master at putting over risk, danger, and damage. He emphasized bodily harm and physical feats. Seriously. Go back and watch any garbage plunder match, and you can find JR increasing the enjoyment level exponentially. Because he isn't normally babbling about "toys" or "play time" or whateverthefuck. Here he is now, trying to fit in and be contemporary to the same modern fans he hate Tweets back & forth with, spouting bullshit about great performances and stealing the show. It's not what I want from anyone. And it's especially not anything I'd want from Jim Ross.

I've only seen Jericho/Cody from Full Gear and none of the weekly stuff, but I always make it a point to check out Jericho's promos from these shows on YouTube. The man's sense of style is king-sized and should be celebrated accordingly. That is all.

One of my best friends is a diehard wrestling fan. Between him recommending things and the occasional podcasts I listen to, I'm still pretty aware of what's going on. I just can't get into things without story arcs, characters, or progress of any sort. I always feel like I should be doing something better with my limited free time than watching guys pretend to fight - and stretch it out as long as possible, so they can humble brag about their cardio and their skillz on social media or whateverthefuck. What's the date/title of the show you were referencing? I was actually a big fan of all Impact's big shows last year, and you've definitely sold me on at least giving this a look whenever I catch the time.

Rusev tossing out Mike Jones' phone number has got to be the best thing to come out of WarGames. I tried watching this show, after some strong recommendations from a friend. Outside of some Cody and Callihan matches, I just haven't seen any wrestling this year. And I guess it's safe to say 2019 pro wrestling is not my thing. Mauro's announcing is as off-putting as ever. I dug what I heard from Nigel, but all I could think about was how he clearly didn't know what to do with his hands anytime he was on camera. I'm sure it was just nervous jitters, but the dude was handwringing and clutching his palms at a crazy rate. The show is obviously not grabbing me if these are the things I'm picking up. The matches were probably good. I honestly wouldn't know. I caught myself constantly glancing around and looking for any excuse to stop watching. It probably didn't help that the opening video package was sooo fucking tired and dated. Hey, guys. 'Member when WWE carefully created those killer opening video packages to kickstart their big shows? None of that now. Every video looks & sounds the same. "Make history! Our time! Sacrifice! Respect! Glory! Honor! Tradition! Epic! Buzzword!" Just gross. I was pretty checked out by the time they opened the show if I'm being honest. 30 years of fandom, nurtured by 1980s Mid-South, the Von Erichs, Rock-n-Wrestling, and Attitude. But this is where I hop off the train, fellas. I still listen to occasional podcasts. Arn's has actually been a welcome addition to my rotation. And I don't mind seeking out Cody's big matches four or five times a year. But yeah. Modern WWE by any name or color scheme is not my thing.

I've given up wrestling in 2019 after 30 years of fandom, but holy shit. You may have sold me on seeking out this show.

Watching anything WWE in 2019 reminds me of the meme of the conversation between a CFO and CEO. CFO: What if we invest all our time and energy into developing our people, and then they just leave us? CEO: What if we don't, and then they stay?? Welcome to WWE in 2019. Where they're too gun-shy to develop or market or promote their own talent. Where their paranoia prevents them from creating any stars. Where everyone and everything is designed to remain perpetually in place at the same specific level forever. WWE Gratitude. Get it? For real though. God bless you guys for braving it out and sticking with it, but this shit sucks soopah hard. I can't even imagine being bothered to keep up anymore.