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Austin has more of an aura to him now with this crowd. Even though he has a title match at the next PPV, he still has his sights set on Hart and is a crazed man going after him. Sweet segment to provide a hook to watching the whole show.

This gets really lost in the shuffle because it is not in contention for top 10 WWF matches ever but it was fantastic. The selling and cutting off of Austin's knee was great throughout. So was Austin's resilience to not give up. Brutal action but within the confines of a match. The ending felt like both at a stand still. Shame the crowd was pretty dead for this as it was awesome.

Mankind was bumping around like a loon. The chairshot and bump through the table was especially brutal. The aftermatch was a lot worse than I remembered with both Taker and Mankind looking weak. Fireballs are really cool but not at the expense of something this business exposing.

Neat to see Manny this late in his career but he has honestly never been one of my favorites overall. Thompson was really green and was lead to a decent if basic match. Ending felt pretty cheap. Snapshot of 1997 indies and an old legend like Manny and nothing more.

Taz has been my most surprising promo of 1997. This got a little too smarky at times with the good match talk but Taz directing his anger to Alphonso and RVD was a smart move and kept it coherent enough to be effective.

Very heartfelt speech from the Funker. Real classy considering it is ECW.

Soundcloud was sent another extremely pushy email today.

was it first one with Jim Crockett promotions?

2/4/94 M PRo 6 man tag Midnights vs. RNR Express WrestleWar 90 Flair vs. Funk GAB 89 Those are the first three that popped into my head of really fun matches that can be watched in any mood and don't require a half hour time commitment.

This was my favorite podcast so far. I never knew the Starrcade 83 match was the first NWA title match in a cage. I thought you guys did an excellent job running down and analyzing all of the major cage matches.

Tony Salazar vs. Herodes (3/2/84) Really excited that we get the grudge match between these two. Herodes has the awesome beard still and dominates the first few minutes until Salazar comes firing off and wins the first fall. Salazar starts off hot on the second fall and posts Herodes. The ref admonishes Salazar in order to give Herodes back the advantage and him rams Salazar’s shoulder into the turnbuckle and clubs and cranks it away. Salazar responds by going after Herodes shoulder. I love the intensity being displayed here. Referee gives Herodes the second fall with an armbar submission. Salazar gets busted up at the onset of the final fall and is a complete mess. Herodes does a straight choke and this has gotten grim. This choke is really nasty and he comes back firing some body punches. Salazar is able to come back with some wild punches and is really selling the beating well. Salazar is doing some excellent selling of the blood loss. Herodes gets posted now on the outside. Nice bulldog on the outside. Salazar posts and bulldogs him again. Now Herodes comes up a complete mess with the blood just gushing out. The back and forth punches when they get back in is great as you would expect with both guys missing some because of the blood in the eyes. Herodes especially squinting because of the blood flow is great. Herodes with a huge dive to the outside. Salazar responds with a big dive on his own. Herodes again is trying to clear his vision. Diving headbutt and some big time nearfalls that the crowd bites on. Herodes even gets one with a big senton. Referee goes down and Herodes responds with our best nut shot of the set so far. He pins him down but the ref asks the crowd whether a foul commenced. The crowd tells him yes and Salazar is declared the winner. Great final fall and bloody grudge match overall. ****1/4

I actually had those two Murdoch vs. Jumbo matches back to back in 90's on my ballot. I liked the first fall on the first match a lot better but enjoyed the progression and finish of the second match more to eclipse it.

Jerry Estrada vs. Ultraman (3/2/84) My favorite old ass crazy bumper from the 90’s, Estrada shows up. Ultraman was great in the trios match so I look forward to what he does in this title match. This starts off very mat based with some snug arm work that does not look like it feels good. Estrada really impressed me working this hold mentality throughout the first fall based on what I have seen of him and he wins the first fall with the same submission that Vera did previously. Estrada takes off the second fall again working over Ultraman’s arm. Ultra gets ins ome flurries but has remained pretty grounded. He finally is able to maintain the advantage with a wheelbarrol slam into a submission. Ultra starts off the third fall hot with some enzuguris and suplexes to some extreme nearfalls. We get some of those great Estrada bumps now off of these suplexes. Estrada has a look of pain with every move that he applies that is really good at selling the damage he has taken. Estrada gives a flash dive to the outside then of course has to take a bump into the chairs himself because that is what he does. Big running knee lift is missed by Estrada in the corner and a great dropkick and dive combo to the outside is followed up by Ultraman. Estrada goes back to the old standard in this match, working the arm. The doctor comes in to see if Ultra can continue and he waves it off given Estrada the win. Huge celebration takes place. I thought this was great and showed good versatility for both of these competitors. ****

Enrique Vera vs. Dos Caras (2/26/84) Dos Caras has never been one of my favorites. I should probably rewatch the All Japan matches since I watched them two years ago when I was real wet behind the ears with lucha stuff. This is a good contrast to the previous match on the same card. The deadlift spot where Caras pulls Vera up is really great. Some minor clipping occurs throughout this match but I don’t think we miss much of anything. Vera takes the first fall with a submission. Vera starts off fast in the second fall with two quick dropkicks to try to put Caras away. Caras is able to roll him up to get the quick flash pin. Third fall slows the pace back down. Tons of pin and submission attempts. Really nice surfboard is executed by Caras. Vera does a really awful dive off the second rope. Vera redeems himself with a good dive on the outside to Caras. Caras is able to get the momentum on the victory roll for the win. This match was good but mostly bland. It feels like one of those matches that at the end of the process you look down and see it ranked in the bottom quarter and it’s a realization of how strong the overall set was. ***1/4

Solar, Ultraman y Super Astro vs. Sergio El Hermoso, Bello Greco y Rudy Reyna (2/26/84) Never watched anyone on the rudo side before and we get a very grainey camera angle on this one that will probably be tough for me to distinguish. First fall is a blast with tons of fun stuff going on too numerous to name. All three of the faces are able to come in and look good. Second fall begins with a rudo beating. Huge bump to the outside takes out the apron. The chase around the ring resulting in the back elbow smash was the greatest face spot I can remember of that sequence. Those punches by Ultraman that Tim references are super. Finsh was hectic and conclusive ending. This match was a total blast that I could have had 5-10 minutes more of. ****

El Faraón, Herodes y Mocho Cota vs. Lizmark, Ringo Mendoza y Tony Salazar (2/24/84) Starts in progress with Herodes and the entire rudos completely kicking ass. Mocho Cota again endears himself to me by tearing apart Lizmark in the corner. He also gives some huge dropkicks to Mendoza to take the first fall. Cota presenting his missing fingers to the crowd is another brilliant touch. I am to the point where I am ready to see every match of his that has made tape. Salazar is a bloody mess and the Rudos are just wailing away on him. Mendoza tries to drag him to the outside and Cota responds by banging his head against the apron. Lizmark tries his hand and again gets beat up. Brawl continues on the outside and then back inside with round two of Salazar getting creamed. Finally Lizmark and Mendoza have had enough and the big comeback commences. Herodes takes a big bump in the corner. Salazar especially shows a lot of good fire in this segment. Stereo dives are made to the outside. Finish makes sense in the fact that Salazar is seeing red and when Herodes goes for a nut shot he responds giving the rudos the win. Really fun match that didn’t have a ton of flow but made up for it in passion and hate. ***1/2

Atlantis y Lizmark vs. El Egipcio y El Faraón (2/17/84) This starts with a heated brawl between Satanico and gang. Lizmark and Atlantis come out and get their ass kicked immediately. Lizmark comes firing back and is great using all sorts of flashy moves including the springboard armdrag. Atlantis looks good in his segment and has continued to impress me throughout this set. First fall ends with a butterfly suplex, powerbomb combo. Really rudo vs. tecnico structure with almost every offensive move from Eqipcio and Faraon is of the kick/punch variety. Rudos take the second fall just clubbing away and ending it with a senton. Third fall starts with more of the same. Egipcio kicks with Lizmark in a submission are not very inspiring. Lizmark makes the big comeback and Egipcio is looking for a foul to be called to no avail. Huge diving headbutt allows both Atlantis and Egipcio to be pinned. It now comes down to Lizmark and Faraon. Lizmark has the win in his grasp until Faraon says enough of that shit and rips off the mask ending the match. The crowd is pissed at this development and someone in the crowd has to be restrained. This was a fun tag but too inconsequential to place high on a set like this. ***1/4

Mocho Cota vs. Americo Rocca (2/3/84) Time for the rematch. Cota is more animated at the onset mugging for the crowd. First fall was more beautiful wrestling. Cota spinning out of the chinlock was incredibly cool. Cota trying to frustrate Rocca by rubbing his face like you would pet a dog is also awesome. The arm submission work looks very nasty and unique. Rocca seems to be showing a little more viciousness in this rematch which is appreciated. The flip over victory roll finish was awesome and the perfect way to end the first fall. Cota again is awesome at the beginning of the second fall getting dropped on his dome and trying to shake out the cobwebs. Cota comes firing back with more desperation and aggression because he has to even it up. Constant one arm takedowns and slinging him into the turnbuckle. Big senton and Cota uses his knee to help with pinfalls. Cota finishes him off with a submission that I am sure has a name, but hell if I know what it is. Cota gets a little overzealous coming in and gets posted. The third fall has a much faster pace. Rocca goes for a pin but Cota catches his arm and we get another double pin. I don’t want this feud to end. Third fall being abbreviated made sense but does place this one slightly below the first match. ****1/4

My favorite match with Funk on commentary was the Clash 6 Flair vs. Steamboat match and I think my favorite overall Cornette commentary performance was on Clash 8. Both were very good as the respective singles/tag experts on Starrcade 89 though.

I have always loved Vince and Lawler calling Bret vs. Owen at WM10. Another under the radar pick for me is the main event of WM 7. That is a match where the commentary could have been really bad, and yet even with Regis in there was really good at putting over Hogan.

I liken my favorite thing to Memphis. Memphis did have too many turns from time to time that could get tedious but there is always something endearing about seeing Jerry Lawler help a young RVD to the back and other Eric Embry fighting with everyone in 1991. I actually think the WWE storyline going on right now is probably some of the most cross promotion we have seen in a while even though all feuds besides the HHH hast all the power storyline feels compartmentalized.

Please tell me you are doing Rockers vs. POP from 1/90 next?

Mocho Cota vs. Americo Rocca (1/27/84) The first fall of this is some of my favorite lucha matwork wrestling this side of Blue Panther, Llanes vs. Dandy and dandy vs. Azteca. Giving a running play by play would be mundane but I was completely engaged in everything transpiring. The referee making Cota break the headscissors as a choke gave a nice little narrative and the match was off and running from there. Every submission looks like it could be it, at one point Cota has a pin attempt with all of Roccas limbs tied up that I don't know how he kept escaping from. Rocca wins with the Gory Special which is a fantastic finish to a caida like this. Cota gets in gear in the second fall and schools Rocca at almost every turn. The stuff is done on the mat but with a great viciousness attached to it including the submission finish. The third fall now is for the championship and Cota is even more aggressive ringing out the arm and sending it into the turnbuckle. He then hooks on a nasty looking chinlock that looks more like a rear naked choke a treated as Rocca is in sever danger from it. Cota's second keeps pushing Rocca's legs from the ropes and a fan responds by pelting garbage at him. Cota's throws are something that written here don't seem like much but he does them with such force and disregard that they really look vicious. His whole demeanor in this match has been superb. Rocca makes his big comeback with some pin attempts and a couple of dropkicks. Victory gets caught by Cota and we almost have the Owen vs. Bret finish. HUGE dropkick from Coata sends Rocca to the outside then we get probably my favorite dive of the set up to this point as Cota goes out like a missile and Rocca goes flying back. Both men thankfully make the count and Cota is frustrated. Cota runs the gauntlet of nasty submissions but Rocca wont give it up. Cota slaps the mat in frustration. Bridging armdrag by Rocca and some dropkicks but he gets into the ref. Cota hits and armdrag and even though the legs are under the ropes, the dazed ref doesn't see it. People are not pleased with this. Bring on the rematch. ****1/2

I try to search through your blog Ohtani to see if you had reviewed it but didn't see it. In fact, I couldn't find much of any writeups on this match which made me think I might be on an island which is not entirely uncommon. (I think most people would call both this and the 8/24/94 joshi main event tag good matches but I had that one my #2 match of 1994 and ***** too). There are things I value more in wrestling than anything else. A coherent storyline with a finish that pays off the story of the match is probably the #1 thing. I know lucha is a completely different animal from US wrestling but it was amazing to me to see how resourceful Satanico was throughout this match and that everytime you thought Atlantis, had his number, Satanico dug deeper in his bag of tricks. He was clearly the rudo in this match without having to play hide the chain or goad the crowd constantly. The finish being as clean as it was for him quite shocked me. I have seen rudos go over in these types of matches and maybe Satanico was positioned higher at this point but it didn't seem like it would have been a monumental upset for Atlantis to win. Something like Rude's title win or even Flair's win over Luger at Starrcade 88 are celebrated as evidence of how a rudo can win a big time match rather cleanly by being resourceful. This brought that to another level. Add to it double juice, some stiff shots, and Atlantis graceful dives and dropkicks and I really am struggling to find 25 matches in history I like better right this moment. I plan on rewatching it again so I'm not totally glazed over but at worst, I see this match dropping into the fucking great level.

They linked to a response Keller wrote them. They left the actual article involving HHH's interview as is and there hasn't been any public mention of the mistake on podcasts Simmons and/or Masked man have done since.