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Shawn on commentary is out of control. Lawler sucking up and then getting punked was a nice moment that made DX more loathsome. King vows to knock his lights out later on.

I didn't like HBK calling the belt a piece of tin. This was probably my least favorite Shawn segment in a while honestly. It is more potshots centered around the main event at a PPV.

I dont remember this at all but this was a good effective hook to get people to care about the tag division.

This started out methodical but interesting with the basic arm work on Ace and of course the leg work on Kobashi. The final sequence was hot and I thought Ace especially looked very competent hanging with the other three and being fiery with Taue. Little touches like some punches to the stomach and other things make the match a good one to a very good one. Finish set up the big show well.

It may be a cop-out but I agree that right now time is still an issue. I have seen that many people my age or younger are more wiling to accept wrestling as a form of entertainment even if it isn't something that they don't watch. However, I still think individuals 30+ still have the perception that this was something that was presented as real but also claimed to be real and there is examples of the extremes they went to protect the business. Jon Hamm is not Don Draper. However, when he does interviews, he is still a cool motherfucker. Ditto for Emilia Clarke when discussing Khalessi. These paradigms need to be shifted in wrestling. John Cena portrays himself as a goofy, fun kid loving babyface. In real life interviews, he continues this motif. In Total Divas, he is an obsessive, demanding, alcoholic, perverted man which is worse. His true life character in that show is "worse" than the on screen persona. Humanizing wrestlers and wrestling as a whole as a form of entertainment would go a long way to it being presented on equal footing as television shows and other forms of entertainment. From an on air product role, I do think more episodic, tighter writing, and deeper, nuanced character work are key. Looking again at the promo Flair lays out when he returns in 1997, it is tough for me to see a persona in WWE today that could do that layered a promo and performance. Perhaps Paul Heyman. The Wyatt clan looks cool but I'm still not sure what they are trying to accomplish in the promotion. This is one of the perils of not having another major promotion but having a set timeline for certain storylines/characters would be beneficial in the long run and hook viewers into a specific story arc where you know an endgame is coming.

MMA should be used sporadically (think of only CroCop vs. Nagata and Frye vs. Takayama off the top of my head) however this was important. Gracie looked dominant from the onset and submits Takada in easy fashion.

A match I would throw up as the audience was wrong. They went out and crafted a well worked match. It is amazing to think about how young Taka still is given his presence and composure during all aspects of this match. I liked the work that he did where he seemed to be dodgy and shady but also resilient. Finish was built to strongly. One of the more under-heralded matches of 1997 and a match that for sure will be in my top 100 year end.

Good god Delphin looked like a monster. I asked Charles if he had a legit injury or just did a roid rehab. Anyone know for sure? I love M-Pro 6-mans even though this did feel a step down from some of the stuff we have seen before. The double chokeslam overhead throw that Kaientai did here needs to be lifted by Reigns/Ambrose pronto. Fun times all around and Delphin looked good.

The match looked good and Hennig getting a clean win looks impressive and is put over well by the announcers. We even get Bobby resulting back to the old days and saying Yeah when Hennig wins. Flair chases Hennig away and then cuts a promo for the ages. It is striking to think about who in current WWE could cut this promo now. No script, no lip service, just pure emotion. Does it ramble a little bit? Yes. Could things have been read through and tightened up? Yes. Would that had erased some of the raw emotion? Absolutely. This felt like a great toast at a wedding where the best man is a little buzzed but hits the emotional points at the exact moment he should and the crowd is right along with him for the ride. Flair shows vulnerability here but also talks about being the Man. It is incredible and layered.

Another fun segment showing Tenay inside of Arena Mexico and giving us the origin story and brief history of EMLL.

I can't believe my eyes but the lead up to age in a cage has been done well and the crowd is hot. This was really effective of showing Piper changing the rules and Hogan/Bischoff taking measures to ensure that didn't happen. I loved Piper getting a comeback with the beatdown and the NWO just wanting to drag Hogan out.

Lesile Tenay has discovered that Goldberg played for UGA. He is on the case.

This crowd is awesome. Really fun Memphis feeling angle where the faces get one up on a heel, seriously injure him, and everyone celebrates. The NWO principles including Hogan and Bischoff do a great job getting this over with their panicked look and yelling at the paramedics. Even Elizabeth's acting is spot on in this segment. I loved this a lot.

WCW acknowledges Pillman's death. I would have liked to have maybe seen a brief discussion with Tony and the crew but this is serviceable.

Really feels like this is the first night of DX that we are familiar with Shawn crotch chopping and saying suck it on his way to the ring. Ross and Lawler's interactions are getting better with king talking about how funny Shawn picking his nose was and Ross saying it wasn't that funny. Shawn superkicks Bret getting the first big shot in on the road to Survivor Series.

Few things left in wrestling floor me at how tone deaf they are. I hadn't seen this in many years and when it happened live, I wasn't able to fully understand the ramifications of how tasteless it was. watching this segment 17 years later, and on a day that Vince lost 350 million dollars felt fitting. The psychological brain of Vince had to be a mess around this time but that gives no excuse to this travesty of exploitation and the way he asked the terrible questions. I honestly don't know if any promotional tactic done before or after this sits as badly for me as this segment does.

Jim Ross gives a classy video tribute of Pillman to how much he had to overcome in his life.

Vince overall on this show is real fascinating being sympathetic in this segment, helpless in the DX vs. Hart Foundation stuff, and a supreme jerk in the Melanie Pillman segment. This was one of my favorite Austin segments in a while as he ratcheted all of the no hell raising character arcs he had at the time into wrestling feuds.

Interesting stuff just wont let up in 1997 as we get this firing promo from Jimmy Cornette going on a rampage against all the buddies Bischoff wanted to have. I do agree that if you are the #1 promotion at the time, you would find this as flattering but it does have a edge to it that WCW should have paid attention to.

It is quite humorous seeing Michael Cole getting trolled so hard here. This promo with Shawn is some of the most egotistical prick stuff I have seen. He is on another level of being a dick. HHH feels so much like the football center trying to be buddies with the jock QB and get his second hand scraps. The DX vs. Hart Foundation stuff from around this time almost has a sense of dread to it. I would be interested if it felt like that at the time. Knowing the outcome, I get a horror movie vibe where you know something is coming around the corner, just don't know necessarily what just yet.

Yes, they did as well.

Sad moment. About all that can be said about this.

On episode 9 of The Kevin Kelly Show, Kevin talks about Global Wars in Toronto and chatting with Jim Ross. Kevin welcomes DDP as his guest and he talks about DDP Yoga, Scott Hall, Jake Roberts, his Shark Tank appearance and the future of his business. Kevin and Justin then hold a wrestler draft as if they were starting their own promotion (don’t forget to vote!) and Kevin answers all your #AsKKevin twitter questions! The Kevin Kelly Show is available on iTunes and Stitcher by searching for Place to Be Podcast and can be downloaded and listened to below. Email the show at [email protected] and send questions to Kevin (@realkevinkelly) on Twitter using the hashtag #AsKKevin. Don’t forget to follow Place to Be Nation on Facebook and Twitter. http://placetobenation.com/the-kevin-kelly-show-episode-9-featuring-diamond-dallas-page/

The Van Hammer tour is about to kick off. I am waiting in a Ticketmaster line as we speak. Hammer's voice never matched his body type or his persona. This seemed destined to fail even by this point.

Fall is here and King looks like a lite bright with this sweater. He turns his attention on Jeff Gaylord and he has some stern words for him. This feud feels like it is really petering at this point.