soup23

I remember the tie Dye shirt. What up Mach! Macho Man takes Sids place in the big main event. The crowd cant be bothered to care about this and we still are paying Buffer so all is well. This angle really just gets worse and worse.

We get our first tones of Rap is Crap so that will be stuck in my head all day. I think P got boo'd here. Also, Tony is checked out along with Bobby but Bischoff is JBL bad in the booth right now and total turn away heat.

What a weird heel team here. I do like Bagwell as an apron guy and am not opposed to him being a focal point but Benoit really shoud have been too by this point. Bagwell pinning Flair didn't seem like the right move compared to the other choices.

This was always so random that she would show up for this one appearance.

Please stop beating the table Konnan. Gene saying homies makes me laugh. This feels ridiculous even though P was a big name around this time. P says THE WCW too. Swoll is here too.

Pretty good stuff all around. I don't like board games made me pop huge. The orientation manual with Busch beer there on the table was great. I bet Austin had a blast filming this and it shows.

What is the gimmick here. A short segment to shake my head to.

Match was a big ol cluster until Sid runs in for the shocking swerve aligning himself with Savage and the ladies. A fitting end to a shitty feud overall. If you paid for this, I don't know what to say.

Action looks ok but I am sort of sad to see Page depushed into the tag division. Jersey Triad was a faction I never really got behind for that reason.

You don't like me, Bite Me. Man did I fucking hate Rick here. Clips of the match and Sting suplexes Rick on the ramp. I too couldn't believe Jericho was still hanging out as I can only imagine that broadcast. The dog stuff has sucessfully suceeded the Nash/Savage shit as the worst thing we have seen this year and that says something. Just a completely dreadful stuff with Dillenger running with security as they cut to the crowd taking a big shit on this. Steiners promo isn't as bad but this was SO AWFUL.

Piper saying he had a partner Phantom and Menace made me want to vomit. Flair vs. Benoit/Malenko really could have been good stuff but I digress. Clips from the finishing match and it actually looks fairly spirited for a Piper 1999 match. After escaping the sleeper, Flair brings out his trusty brass knuckles and receives a kiss from Asya. Figure four is applied with help from Arn. Bagwell helps Piper and gets a decent reaction. His hulk up from the shots of Flair were straight out of the Clash 1 playbook. Piper then decides to deck Bagwell in a decision that makes no fucking sense to me. The crowd is baffled and just stares there besides popping for the spinebuster like always. This is odd stuff and why Piper and Flair are allies is totally asinine.

This is the genesis of the gimmick that would help these two guys get over. It was such a change from their outfit earlier in the disc on the super soaker commercial.

Looks like Test got the friend line. Oof, I know how that feels.

This seems so odd and overall gross with figures that sweat.

Being hot Pisses Jeff off. Him and Debra have a super soaker fight. WWF didn't market to kids though.

Gerner is all taped up from the fireball. The decide to attack Balls because they realize he is isolated. ECW is more self aware than WCW at this point as at least we get Gertner vision make some sense of why we are seeing this footage. The Dudleys definitely got over big in ECW but I still have enjoyed the vast majority of their stuff compared to everything else.

This was weird to see compared to all the other ECW stuff and I also liked how Memphis just did a worked shoot and we get ECW which desperately tried to do those to less effectiveness over the years.

Memphis does it again. Just as last week was pretty week with not a whole lot going on, we get this great series of vignettes. Dave Brown was awesome not letting Doug have the live mic. We also get a great dilemma that Randy Hales goes through culminating in getting Doug from the parking lot and sending him in. I am so glad to see DWB had something left in the tank. After everything Hales is still unsure as Gilbert is yelling as a loose cannon and Randy says this is why he didn't want him in the company. We follow the crew to the parking lot and it ends the show in great suspense. Dave Brown was outstanding throughout all of this.

Corino again continues to impress as he is starting to gain some reputation for what he is doing and being able to be believable in the ring with the World champion. Match was fun with a sprawling brawl much like the Dudleys vs. Axl/Balls match and some nasty bumps by Spike. Taz gave Spike just enough offense for this not to be a true squash. Nice show of respect at the end from Taz puts Spike over big. ***

RocketCrypt in Good Will Wrestling Thread Said: Loving the shows so far. About to dive in to the Starrcade one shortly. I don't know if this is the right place to mention this, but I just finished listening to Will's appearance on the Place to be Nation's The Main Event show, and I don't think I've ever found myself shaking my head in disagreement as much when listening to a podcast. As well as coming across as being genuinely unlikable, the dude who spent the majority of the show at odds with Will appeared to have a completely opposite philosophy on wrestling to myself. Whether it was towing the WWE company line, or just being sucked in by their rhetoric, I got the impression he could easily be on their payroll. I think it was mentioned that he used to be employed by them at one point or another. If it wasn't for a couple of the other guests and the host holding it together, I would have had to tap out after five minutes. I'd be interested to know if anyone else felt a similar way. Soup Response: I couldn't agree more. Will made his age argument which I don't like. I am 28 years old and may not have been around during the peak of the territory days but have went back with a revisionist eye and judged my footage as we all have. Age is something that can't be changed, however that doesn't disqualify an opinion. Besides that, I agreed with Will's points and didn't understand the notion of "It's Scripted" as a defense. I also thought some of the other blanket statements like Bushwhackers being the equivalent of Daniel Bryan, Cena being bigger than Austin, Hogan, etc, HHH having great matches since hes been back including the WM 29 match (I also was in attendance for and it sucked ass), and that there is no way HHH vs. Sting will be a bad match were thrown out there with not much basis and in the case of the Cena one, empirical evidence suggesting otherwise. I have commended Scott publicly for letting the guys get out their points and stepping in when he needed to as a host. The episode was certainly lively and really displays the spectrum of opinions more than even the Royal Rumble reaction show might have.

http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-main-event-episode-30-wrestlemania-31-preview/ In one of the most electric episodes in history, join Scott with Ben Morse, Andrew Riche, Will H from PWO and debuting guest Aubrey Sitterson as they preview WrestleMania Sunday. Join us for a unique roundtable discussion on the show and what the results would mean for WWE’s future. So sit back and enjoy the fireworks in the latest edition of the Main Event! Editor’s note: there is an audio glitch about six minutes in where the intro repeats – stick with the show, it continues. We’re working to correct.

I kind of don't get the booking here as I would have switched the kawada and Kobashi TC defenses. Kobashi vs. Misawa was a hotter feud and Misawa getting his revenge on Kawada after dethroning Vader would have been better suited for this match than this feeling like a battle of the titans where neither guy can really afford to lose. This was also the matchup that produced my MOTY in the past two years and the greatest match of all time in 1997. Throw in another ****3/4 match in the October 97 match and expectations were insurmountable for a portion of this. Opening work sets the tone they are going long. The mat work was engaging to me. Kobashi hones in on Misawa's arm right away. With 1/20/97 we had the ferocious work of the arm where he was posting the arm and hitting it over the guardrail. This is a more calculated, systematic approach. Going after Misawa's arm makes a ton of sense to me from the META sense of the 90's with the elbow being the great equalizer and the micro sense from 5/2/99 resulting in Misawa beating Vader which Kobashi was unable to accomplish. Stuff gets milked to the core in an arm lock submission but I dug the slowed down approach that set the tone. Misawa throws an elbow finally and guess what, it allows him to take over on top. He runs through some of his Tiger Mask offense and then locks in a chin lock. Kobashi fights back that but runs into a nother elbow and a gutwrench suplex. We are seeing some bursts of action and then a slow down. Kobashi keeps trying to utilize his chops but even though he has presented himself as Misawa's equal in most areas throughout the series, the chops are still overall inferior to the elbows. Kobashi has to either combo the chops or or add new wrikles like spinning back chops which is does to the throat to take Misawa down. The next big sequence happens when Misawa gets too flashy for his own good. His bursts of offense had worked so far in the match to gain control but he tries his dive over the top and eats a powerslam to the floor. Kobashi then gets on the apron and slams the arm from the apron intot he guardrail. There goes the systematic approach as now the aggression is on. Kobashi is great working this over and Misawa reaches down and hits an enzuguri to gain some breathing room. Kobashi catches him coming to the apron and works over the arm some more but this time Misawa gets desperate and we get a backdrop onto the floor. My favorite selling of Misawa happens here after the elbow suicida and the frog splash when Misawa covers and winces in pain from the elbow. Misawa angles for a Tiger Driver from the apron. Kobashi comes back with a half and half ont he floor and takes back over. Inside a German from Kobashi gets the closest nearfall of the match as it feels we are entering the finishing stretch with the crowd heat there. Powerbomb, Stun Gun from Powerbomb position and Orange Crush get another near fall from Kobashi. Moonsault gets a really close nearfall and a good argument can be made from me that that should be it and I would label this a strong MOTYC. We are 33 minutes in and stuff has progressed in a natural manner with big moves and logical work for the most part. However, Misawa does kick out. Kobashi looks for his lariat and the Burning Hammer. I enjoyed Misawa figting out fo this as it showed some desperation you typical don't see too often from him. Kobashi gives him the lariat that extinguished him in the Hansen 93 match and Misawa has to do a rope break with his foot. Outside we go which is disappointing and Misawa again pulls out a highspot with a hurricanrana of Kobashi into the railing. Once back inside, things sludge down again as we get more struggle from each other. The Tiger Driver 91 is the next big thing and the nearfall filming is super dramatic with Wadas hand being inches from the mat. That again gives the viewer hope though that there is no way Kobashi will go down this time. He is able to pull out a suplex I don't know that hits Misawa on his dome. Both guys get up dramatically and Kobashi hits a running lariat which without a doubt should have been the finish. Rinse and repeat but this again would have resulted in a MOTYC if it ended there and I still could have followed everything. Kobashi charges again and hits the elbow by Misawa culminating in the rolling elbow. Misawa continues his high spot oriented offense in this match with a rolling senton of the middle rope. He then hits a weird cobra clutch suplex of his own for another nearfall. Kobashi makes one final stand with chops. Two elbows stunt that and we get the Emerald Flowsion to put him away in 43 minutes. I don't know if there is a more perplexing match in the 1990's. I agree with Loss that there was absolutely portions of an all time classic here. Bloated is also a word to use but it didn't feel overly long to me, just that there was 3-4 matches and intertwining themes that never quite came together in a way. As a match, it is as of right now the 4th best match between these two and still great in my opinion but also a match to analyze instead of loving. I did get lost in the nearfalls and the wrong guy won. Kobashi had pushed Misawa to the limit and this should have been his coronation. Part of my osmosis for these matches is thinking about JDW's AJ pimping post and his comments that this technically great match bored the shit out of him. I cant see that at all but this match does have definite flaws. I look forward to watching their 2003 match now again after revisiting this series. ****1/2

Nash gives a groggy interview relaying the events from MOnday. He doesn't know who was driving the hummer but he has been on the net and saw that Scott Hall was one hypothesis out there. Nash petitions to use the elbow drop on Sunday. I don't understand why the elbow drop would be banned when someone just got in a vehicle accident but whatever, this build has been dreadful.

Interesting interview. Sable comes off pretty rigid and does better as this goes along. I credit Aresenio for relaxing her with jokes and she actually represents herself well IMO by the end of this. Feels like a long way since her vs. Debra feud just a month ago.

Sweet match but I think I liked it a little less than Loss and Tim. The brothers did work a cool style and Ishikawa/Ikeda is a big tag team. The contrast of the Malenko brothers was fun to see and them picking up the win felt well earned compared to the All Japan tag clips we just saw. Battlarts continues to be on a good role. ***3/4