Dav'oh

I'm sure her splits-based offence does the trick for the teenage boy demographic, but as a wrestler she's...not very good. Even just standing on the apron she looks terrible. Oh, Aaliyah's sleeping! Much better role for her.

Control Your Narrative

"When a wrestler/promoter puts their name to any of this 'news', then I might believe it." Am I alone?

I find it hard to believe Kingston is so thin-skinned. I’m sure he’s heard a lot worse than “hit the gym, Tubby”. He’s probably said the same thing to himself a thousand times. It had to be a culmination of things - or bollocks.

So, Flair ten-nil? Eight-two at the worst?

(The thing is, "Income Tax" isn't a tax, it's an interest payment. Governments regret calling it a tax as it's thought to make people instantly hostile to the concept. People think they "made" or "earned" a hundred grand last year, not realising they just borrowed it. Every year they're asked to pay the interest on their borrowings; it's rare the government calls in the capital. It's a debt, not a tax. Pay your debts.)

It's not PPV bonuses that CM Punk would be throwing out, if he breached his contract and went into business for his self. He can make that money back with an autograph-signing or becoming a caffeine-dealer (). It's the spotlight. That's what he craves. He's not cutting off his nose to spite his face. (And wasn't Punk the recipient of "doesn't listen to the veterans" back in the Fed? Or was the Tony Atlas "don't tape your fists" just a one-off?)

Fantastic match. Great spots and sequences, well-paced, well-timed, well-executed. That spot had the crowd forgetting the rules. (And even got me, home alone, to audibly gasp.) Amazing counters throughout. Wonderful story wonderfully told by two of the best.

I don't think any 2022 Ospreay-Bashers have both oars in the water.

Looking to the future, New Japan are sitting pretty with their foreigners - White, Ospreay, ZSJ, Cobb, Jonah, Lawlor, the other El-P, chuck Finlay in there too. Plus whoever they can snaffle from AEW. Natives? Hiromu, obviously. But who of the heavyweights have their best days ahead of them? Sho and Yoh are disappointing, Sanada probably means well, EVIL must know he's shit. Yoshi-Hashi? Pfffffft. O-Khan? I'm really drawing a blank.

Wasn't Tama the proudest, most shit-talking Bulleteer not so long ago? Now he's a Power Ranger (although I see elements of very early Liger costume in the outfit, too)

Yes, it's Wear Your T-Shirt to Work Day in the undercard. It's never a good look.

Did You Know? You need more Zack Sabre vs Tom Lawlor in your life. As for the semis, Naito is yesterday's newspaper compared to Ospreay so I'd go with Willy. Tama...only seems to win because he's booked to win (yeah, yeah...). I mean, he's not outstanding at anything, he doesn't have a greater offence or slicker mat skills or can brawl with the Hansens of the world, his "fighting spirit" is nothing special, but here we are.... Okada has to win this. Okada vs Ospreay is the only "money-match" of the possible outcomes.

Didn't they used to "tank" the third hour because ratings would drop off regardless, making the end of the second hour the "main event"? I was thinking during Ziggler/Theory that this was a decidedly mid-card match, and thought back to when Hogan would leave at half-time, making the Killer Bees vs Rougeaus or such the "main event".

Yeah, you're probably right. I guess I was hoping for "now this creepy lecher with his early-stage dementia is gone, the only way is up!" from the board. That's how I'd sell it to the gamblers - sorry, investors - keep it positive.

From the Feds's 2022 Q2 SEC Filing: "the loss of services of Mr. McMahon could have a material adverse effect on our ability to create popular characters and creative storylines". Yeah, nah. I can't believe they're still fellating him in absentia.

Golf clap

It was the moribund nature of the audience that made it hard for me to get into British grappling originally. But sometimes the crowd seemed to be there for a Sunday afternoon larf, which sucked, too. Still not a fan of tiny rings nor the rounds system, luckily there's enough great workers to negate those personal nitpicks.

Conversation overheard in Tokyo, 16 January, 1994. Translations coutesy of Dav'oh. (My Japanese may be a bit rusty - Dav'oh) I finished it there so as not to give too much away, but if you only eavesdrop on one heated discussion this year, make it this one. I don't normally give star ratings to overheard conversations but this was all the stars.

Re: Kevin Dunn "Fightful Select has reported that even though several WWE talents don't like Dunn's production style, believing it undermines their work, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque has stated he factors into the promotion's plans." Yes, it's a little vague, but yes, it's a little deflating.

The first wrasslin' book I ever bought was Judo Gene's book on wrestling holds. Liger's surfboard was the rolling-upside-down-double-knee-and-shoulder-lever, iirc, among many tricked-out holds. By all accounts a gentleman and a legend. RIP.

SHOUTEN-KAI!!! Prince Devitt once said it was the biggest cunt of a move to take (I'm paraphrasing). I believe him. Good match, as you'd expect from these two.

Filthy Tom looking right at home in the ring opposite Okada. Been really impressed by him (this is my first real exposure to him). Lawlor will never main-event WrestleMania, but then, not many do. Tarzan Goto - is he still perennial bridesmaid? Feels more like a flower girl these days. Doubt he goes over Tana here though I'm happy to be wrong.

Zach Sabre Jr just gave us a sub-one minute EVIL match. Our Saviour.

Pro-wrestling really is a Home for Shit Tattoos. Baristas are a close second.