BillThompson

I decided I'm really going to dig deep into Thatcher as I really do believe he has a low end case for my top 100. I'm going to keep track of the matches I watch in here, with links to the reviews I write for my blog and Free Pro Wrestling, and little reviews in here for the matches I'm not writing up at either site, Here's what I have so far, Beyond Wrestling: Secret Show (04-13-2014) Timothy Thatcher vs. Biff Busick Reviewed on Blue Thunder Driver Supreme Pro Wrestling: SPW Arena (02-17-2013) Jeff Cobb vs. Timothy Thatcher Reviewed on Blue Thunder Driver Pro Wrestling Bushido: La Jaimica (10-16-2011) Timothy Thatcher vs. Fit Finlay Reviewed on Blue Thunder Driver All Pro Wrestling/Vendetta Pro Wrestling: Terror Dome '12 (10-20-2012) Chris Masters vs. Timothy Thatcher Reviewed on Blue Thunder Driver PREMIER Wrestling: Mr. Athletic vs. Old School (12-15-2013) Sledge vs. Timothy Thatcher Reviewed on Free Pro Wrestling

Sadly, I don't think there will be any competition for WWE anytime soon. People like to point to Lucha Underground, TNA, or RoH, but they're just fooling themselves. I can't see any of those companies ever reaching the level where they are actual competition. Maybe LU, but even that would take a concerted effort, and a ton of breaks, over a ten year period to get them to that point. Honestly, it may end up being something like WWN, where they branch out to foreign markets and create a distribution service that is not dependent on TV in any way.

Dinastia, Mascarita Dorada, & Octagoncito vs. Mini Charly Manson, Mini Histeria, & Mini Psicosis (AAA on Televisa 07-27-2012) First, holy hell is Manson not really a Mini. He's huge, clearly above the Mendoza line of Minis. Dude can move though, and he makes ample use of his height to bully around the Tecnico team. The real star, and this shouldn't come as a shocker, is Dorada. He takes a hellacious beating in the beginning of the match and with the way he bumps he really sells the beating to the audience. Dorada may be under a mask but his body mannerisms managed to grab me and make me care about what was happening to him. That's the sign of a great wrestler, if you ask me, someone who is willing to give up his offensive exploits to sell and bump like crazy for the Rudos. Of course once Dorada has recovered he flies around like only he can and all of his offense is dynamic and energetic in the best of ways. Psicosis and Histeria are really good as the tough guy heels, way overconfident in themselves but able to back it up for the most part. What the two of them do that is very important to the match is to take on the role of great bases. They let Dinastia and Dorada bounce off of and around them and make all of their opponents offense look good. Dinastia and Octagoncito are interesting cases. Octagoncito doesn't do a whole lot in the match, but he's capable when he does get into the mix. It's just that he appears to be out matched skill wise by everyone else in the match. Then again maybe this was just an off outing for him. Dinastia flies better than Dorada, but he doesn't have the timing or sense of place that Dorada does. For instance a Standing Shooting Star Press is great in theory but busting it out to break up an innocuous pin attempt isn't exactly the best use of such a move. Dinastia is a guy who, if he reigned himself in a bit more, and paid attention more to aspects beyond just flying around I could see being really, really great. All in all a really good match that falls just short of great.

A good question I'd like someone to ask, "If you're so upset by part time wrestlers taking away money and opportunities from full time wrestlers why did you accept a gig as a part time comic book writer where you are taking money and opportunities away from full time comic book writers?"

A new post from moi, Sledge versus Timothy Thatcher from PREMIER Wrestling in December, 2013.

I gotta say, as much as I love this place, posts like that one are too antagonistic and "I'm right, you're completely" wrong, and kind of put a damper on things. We're all part of a community here, let's keep things a bit more friendly, it really helps the discussions.

Two people have been hurt by it, and it's been performed by Styles and others thousands of times. The problem in this case is with the two people who didn't take the move correctly. They are professionals and they messed up. I know that Tatsu has taken responsibility, but I believe Lionheart places the blame on AJ.

Remember when Lance Cade blasted Bobby Lashley on WWE.com for taking time off for shoulder surgery? Remember which one is still alive? I think people are misreading the fragile comment. I took it as a reference to Punk's ego, not his physical being. In that respect he's not wrong, because even the most die hard Punk fan shouldn't be able to deny that he has a very fragile ego.

Forgot to post this a couple of weeks back, Drago vs. Pentagon Jr. vs. Fenix from the third episode of Lucha Underground.

I'm someone who wasn't high on Rusev at all when I first saw him on NXT earlier this year. He had good eye candy in Lana, but otherwise I didn't see any promise there. His offense looked weak for a big man, he had terrible timing, was never in a position to really sell/bump, and seemed to lack "it" in the ring. A number of months later and my tune on Rusev has changed. Somewhere along the way he got "it" and his entire game has started clicking. Really great at selling, bumps well when he needs to, has gotten much better on his timing which has helped his offense to look more devastating. He's gone from a guy I thought was awful to a guy who I think is really good and as long as he keeps improving is trending towards being great.

Haven't listened yet, neither of the two Fire stations I'm at today and tomorrow have fast enough internet for me to download anything to my iTunes. Will get to it on Sunday though. I did hear that he relayed a story about him getting a positive on the concussion test and then WWE sending him out there despite having the positive concussion test. I wonder, and I asked Bix about this on Twitter, if anyone has asked Chris Nowinski his thoughts on that bit of info? I know he's saddled the Legacy Institute right up next to the WWE. Now, if they knew the WWE was doing this stuff then that makes me think less of Nowinski and the institute. And if they didn't know and don't make some sort of comment or distance themselves from the WWE after hearing about it then I question the legitimacy of their work.

I'll be honest, it's gotten to the point where I don't give a shit what others think of this board or the people who post here. If you're here there's a reason you're here, and if you're not then there's a reason you're not. I don't have time for trollish arguments, so I don't engage in them anymore. And for the most part this place is free of them and engages in discussion I actually seek out. Not sure what this means in the long run, but whatever, I don't really care about this whole "How others perceive PWO" nonsense anymore.

Joey Abs was a really good worker actually, which is why it sucks he got stuck in that gimmick.

Good thing I don't care about her bank account.

I liked the idea the The Main Event brought up of airing some of the Podcast One shows in a live capacity, kind of like what ESPN does with some of their radio shows. The shows are already there, and it would be a good fit to have Austin, Jericho, Ross, or someone doing that sort of thing on the Network. Also, the match commentary idea was another great one. Have wrestlers/promoters/bookers/reporters/anyone in the business really do commentary for various matches on the Network.

You can't think it's anything but the worst match ever though, and if you do you're just being a contrarian.

Are you referring to the way promoters viewed him, or fans? I can see either way to be honest, but I have no problem with death matches and wouldn't hold them against a guy.

In my PPV rewatch project I'm up to the Smackdown 6 era. It's not an era that is doing Edge any favors. It's clear as day that he can't keep up with the other five, and that just about every great match he's in is one where he's being carried. I talked before about the idea of guys being in a lot of great matches where they themselves weren't great and how we should view that. Edge is the poster boy for that, and the more I watch these great matches where Edge has to have his hand held by better workers I'm convinced that these matches shouldn't really be held in his favor.

It was long and boring, not some crime against humanity. I know being hyperbolic, "worst thing ever!" is your thing, but give me a break. Yes, it's my "thing." That was the worst match I have seen in years, maybe ever...and if I can vote for it being so in any sort of poll or anything, I would. Without hesitation. Everyone in the match was bad. Naomi looked like she got injured. There were botches left and right. It was too long. The crowd was completely dead. What was good in ANY of it? Paige yelling one-liners that you can only hear because of the silence from the crowd? It was hot garbage. Anyone that tries to defend it is just trying to be contrarian. This gimmick of yours where you tell everyone what they're thinking before they even bother to post is boring.

Guys not living up to their talent, definitely. I think, and I may be alone in this, that booking consistently let Kurt Angle down. Sure, he had some stretches as a top guy, but every time he was about to become thee guy his legs were cut out from under him by terrible booking. Yet, he's still an all time great wrestler in my mind because he lived up to his talent and entertained the heck out of me as a wrestler. Someone like Marty Jannetty is infinitely more disappointing because he always had solid booking behind him, and yet at every turn he squandered his opportunities and wasted the immense amount of talent he had.

I'm keeping this to what I've watched since my return to wrestling earlier in 2014 (I'll probably update this along the way), 1951: Fred Kohler Enterprises: Chicago International Amphitheatre (01-01-1951) Buddy Rogers vs. Lou Thesz 1975: All Japan Pro Wrestling: Open Championship League ’75 – Day 10 (12-15-1975) Dory Funk Jr. vs. Horst Hoffman 1976: All Japan Pro Wrestling: Summer Action Series ’76 (07-24-1976) Billy Robinson vs. Giant Baba 1980: Universal Wrestling Association: El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos (04-13-1980) Gran Hamada & Satoru Sayama vs. Perro Aguayo & Babe Face 1981: New Japan Pro Wrestling: Bloody Fight Series ’81 – Day 29 (09-23-1981) Stan Hansen vs. Andre the Giant 1982: New Japan Pro Wrestling: 5th Madison Square Garden Series (04-01-1982) Steve Wright vs. Tiger Mask 1983: Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre: Arena Mexico (11-25-1983) Atlantis & El Hijo del Santo vs. Fuerza Guerrera & Lobo Rubio 1984: Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre: Arena Mexico (03-02-1984) Herodes vs. Tony Salazar 1985: National Wrestling Alliance: Starrcade ’85 (11-28-1985) Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard 1986: World Wrestling Council: Anniversario ’86 – Day 1 (09-19-1986) Ron Starr vs. Invader #1 1987: World Wrestling Federation: WrestleMania III (03-29-1987) Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat 1988: All Japan Pro Wrestling: Summer Action Series ’88 – Day 20 (07-27-1988) Stan Hansen vs. Genichiro Tenryu 1989: National Wrestling Alliance: Chi-Town Rumble (02-20-1989) Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair 1990: Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre: Super Viernes (06-01-1990) El Dandy vs. Ángel Azteca 1991: World Wrestling Federation: WrestleMania VII (03-24-1991) Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior 1992: World Championship Wrestling: WrestleWar ’92 (05-17-1992) Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson, Beautiful Bobby, Larry Zbyszko, Rick Rude, & Steve Austin) vs. Sting’s Squadron (Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, & Sting) 1993: World Championship Wrestling: SuperBrawl III (02-21-1993) Big Van Vader vs. Sting 1994: World Wrestling Federation: WrestleMania X (03-20-1994) Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart 1995: New Japan Pro Wrestling: Battle Rush ’95 – Day 3 (04-16-1995) Lord Steven Regal vs. Shinya Hashimoto 1996: World Wrestling Federation: In Your House 10 (09-22-1996) Mankind vs. Shawn Michaels 1997: World Wrestling Federation: WrestleMania 13 (03-23-1997) Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart 1998: Extreme Championship Wrestling: Heat Wave ’98 (08-02-1998) Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka 1999: Extreme Championship Wrestling: November to Remember ’99 (11-07-1999) Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome 2000: World Wrestling Federation: Royal Rumble ’00 (01-23-2000) Cactus Jack vs. Triple H 2001: World Wrestling Federation: Unforgiven ’01 (09-23-2001) Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin 2002: World Wrestling Entertainment: Unforgiven ’02 (09-22-2002) Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit 2003: World Wrestling Entertainment: Royal Rumble ’03 (01-19-2003) Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle 2004: Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre: Guadalajara Domingos (04-18-2004) L.A. Park vs. Último Guerrero 2005: Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre: On Televisa (02-25-2005) Último Guerrero vs. Místico 2006: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling: Genesis ’06 (11-19-2006) Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle 2007: World Wrestling Entertainment: Royal Rumble ’07 (01-28-2007) Umaga vs. John Cena 2008: Ring of Honor: Northern Navigation (07-25-2008) Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson 2011: Pro Wrestling Bushido: La Jaimica (10-16-2011) Timothy Thatcher vs. Fit Finlay 2012: All Pro Wrestling/Vendetta Pro Wrestling: Terror Dome ’12 (10-20-2012) Chris Masters vs. Timothy Thatcher 2013: Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre: Domingos Arena Mexico (10-06-2013) Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Virus 2014: Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre: 81. Aniversario (09-19-2014) Atlantis vs. Último Guerrero

I recently started posting at another board, and it's interesting to hear their takes on some of this stuff. Not the podcast itself mind you, but top heels and such. For instance I just came from a Triple H topic where every poster but me proclaimed the guy either the best heel of all time or one of the best. It's just a difference of opinion, but it's interesting to note nonetheless.

I'll say this much, ie; Sexy Star, she's a pretty good worker and has looked decent on the show so far. Problem is none of the matches have been laid out to play to her strengths.

Obviously, which is why I'm only referring to interviews he's given when not in character. However, I think it's pretty clear that like a lot of performers the character of Triple H is an extension of Paul Levesque the person.

I'll be simple and say I don't have a problem with the move or the set-up of the move.