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For my first article that was not a live review, I talk about Daniel Bryan giving a brief overview of his career and how I think WWE should be commended for their utiliization of him the past few months. http://placetobenation.com/defending-wwe-daniel-bryan/

2004 Must Haves: B-Boy vs. Chris Hero 4/10/04 Joe vs. Hero 5/29/04 Hero/Homicide/B-Boy vs. Punk/Joe/Whimter 5/30/04 Klein vs. Necro 6/25/04 Aj Styles vs. Matt Sydal 9/15/04 Danielson vs. Hero 9/15/04 Danielson vs. Punk 9/18 Danielson vs. Quackenbush 9/18 Aj vs. Danielson vs. Joe 9/18 Punk vs. Hero 11/26 This is all the stuff I can vouch for and some of that stuff that you may hate (quack vs. Danielson) but I think needs to be on for the wide spectrum of opinions. There is a TON more from this year though that I am not just as well brushed up on. Arik Cannon became a big deal and I seem to remember a lot of hype for 3/6 Ian match but I havent seen it. These yearbooks may be tough because the indy stuff has a ton of long matches. Again 2004 you are without needing a ton of inclusion of stuff like PWG and Chikara but between IWA-MS and ROH, the gap of time for this yearbook can take up the amount given to say WCW and ECW in some of the 1990's.

Does anyone have any more attendance figures from NWA 1983. I scanned historyofwwe.com and was alarmed at how many times youngblood/Steamboat vs. Briscos were on top previous to Starrcade including 5 times in Greensboro.

I can't fathom any profit churning company the scope of indy US wrestling be willing to accept a 23k loss on three shows and have the mindset that they dodged a bullet in certain ways.

From 1990-1995, I cant think of a WWF hyped match that I think is as bad as this one. While, I wouldnt call Warrior vs. Hogan a five star classic, it was still good. I find it unfortunate that this match still gets revered when superior stuff like Tito vs. Perfect is right around the time period.

I may have pushed back Flair's title loss to late May or so but I kind of sensed in my theory something along the lines of Barry turning in 1988. Not as obtuse as him joining the horseman per say, but along those lines. It wouldn't be my first choice (Race) or 2nd and 3rd (Brisco and T. Funk), but after those three I do think it was an interesting option where Steamboat does check off some of the requirements.

What about the hypothetical of Stemboat getting a title shot, using some heel tendency tactics to win the title, vacating the tag straps, having a short feud with Youngblood that he wins to solidfy himself as the champion, and then moving onto the Flair Starrcade 83 build? It seems highly unlikely he would turn heel at that point, but I think if he was on board and they could make it work, it could have been very sucessful and you would have the linked histories of Flair vs. Steamboat.

I do feel like right now we are getting to the point of WCW Dangerous Alliance quality from the Shield TV matches. I also feel that so far they have been more substantial because their is a sense of continuity throughout them unlike the DA matches.

Hey Guys, I wanted to get this plug out of my system. I have teamed up with Justin (bigelow34), Scott, and Brad to be the editors of placetobenation.com. The genesis was to create a website that merges wrestling in a hodge podge of other pop culture facets. The closest template to another website would be grantland.com. I want to thank a couple of you that have already had some nice things to say about the website and/or my Chikara live review. I know that we have worked very hard in the past month to get this website off the ground and looking professional. I am proud of the staff we have initially assembled and the way the site looks. I want to specifically think pwo for making me evaluate wrestling from a deeper analytical standpoint. I hope my columns reflect how much more I think of pro wreslting in this way due to the daily discussion here. I want to give a quick plug to today’s column that was posted by Andrew Riche, where he contrasts Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals from May 1998 to Dude Love/Steve Austin from Over The Edge that happened on the same night. He then weaves that into tonight’s game between the Heat and the Pacers. Justin or I will be using this thread to push new content from the website that has a wrestling slant. In the meantime, please check the site out! Chad Campbell

Did it seem like to you Stiva, that Dasher and LFC were not on the same page in the main event. I don't know if that was by design, but I sort of doubt it. Dasher kept pushing that Kingston was not getting much of a reaction and LFC was stating that it was more 50/50.

After decomposing and lisening/reading to the Chikara coverage, I am miffed at what people expected. Short of Quack coming out at the end and having a casket with a chikara flag over it, this was a pretty definitive way to end the show and at the very least say that big shit has changed. I also cant fathom reading some of the Observer feedback threads and seeing Loudspeaker/Donst as the worst match of the night while giving some praise to the overbloated nonsense that was Amasis vs. Ohphidian.

Good to see the climax of the show and I thought these matches at the end of their set were a ton of fun.

No shit Dylan, I almost thought about piggybacking on Chikara and watching and the title of the blog was going to be: God help me, I'm watching this.

Thanks for the kind words Dylan. The show in ring wise was honestly better than I thought because some of the matches featured body work that played into the finish and the tag title match built to the climax instead of your typical American Wolves affair where they have 5-10 minutes of "feeling out" and then collectively say fuck it. I wont to watch the spotfest match again but I thought I was removed from the point in my fandom where that kind of match would excite me, but damned if all them guys flying around helter skelter didn't get me pumped up watching at home. I do think the match was senseless but grounded in gaining the victory which is all I ask of that type of match. JDW: The show ended without a conclusion to the main event. Security guards who have a connection with Chikara rushed the ring and escorted all competitors out and then destroyed the set. Chikarason on commentary then announced that he saw Archibald Peck (really no quick way to describe why besides it being convoluted) and then the feed immediately cut to black.

Twitter is melting in regards to the finish. I thought it was fine given the way things had been building and actually brilliant if it is the end of Chikara.

Cheap plug alert but I ended up ordering the Chikara ippv based on olewrestling.com write ups and I am live blogging the results at placetobenation.com

I think Dandy vs. Satanico is a great stand alone match but enriched by watching that feud develop. Going through the Crockett matches and I was watching Flair vs. Windham from Worldwide and had a sense that it was a brawl disguised as an NWA championship wrestling match. I get the feeling that Dandy vs. Satanico is the opposite as it is a stakes brawl with many aspects that include brawling, but also a beautiful wrestling match with traditional elements.

Damn, forgot that 2004 was getting the yearbook treatment to. Give me a day Loss and I can have a listing on it to. I would say it will probably match 2003 from recommended matches standpoint.

I blanked on Hamrick vs. Punk. That is really great stuff and one of the best examples of a fairly common trope in wrestling.

2003 Essential stuff: Ian vs. Bull 1/24/03 - Show 300 Punk vs. Hero 2/7/03 - When Hero Met PUnk, Yes it is 93 minutes but i do think it should be included as full because it is one of the matches that transfixed the indy landscape of 2001-2006 Hero vs. Stratton 2/8/03 Jimmy Jacobs vs. Alex Shelley Hair vs. Boot hair 4/18/03 - April Bloodshowers Ian vs. Stratton Taped Fist 4/18/03- APril Bloodshowers Hero vs. Ace Steel 5/24/03 - Spirit of 76 Stan Dupp vs. BJ Whitmer 5/24/03 - Spirit of 76 Wolf vs. Hero 6/7/03 - I really liked this match and think Hero's reign was really good throughout with a variety of oppoents - When Good Friends Go Bad Hero vs. Smothers 6/27/03 - Revolution strong Style Tournament 2003 Necro vs. Toby Klein 8/1/03 - KOTDM Night 1 Ian Rotten vs. JC Bailey 8/2/03- KOTDM Night 2 Ian vs. JC Bailey 10/24/03 - Anything Goes Hero vs. B Boy 11/8/03 - TPI Night 2 Hero vs. Daniels 11/27/03 - Wrestlefeast Hero vs. B Boy 12/20/03 - Stylin and Profilyn I would really include a few more gems though from the stuff I listed in my original post though because I think 2003 IWA-MS is vastly superior to ROH and felt like a true territory with Hero being the guy vs. a variety of opponents. It also really felt like a breeding ground for stars in the business today as once Hero vs. Punk was elevated to the top, it was replaced by Jacobs vs. Shelley. Once they became established they brought it Delirous and Sydal. Going through all this stuff has made me really want to plow through all the IWA-MS stuff Waco style as there is so much interesting shit even on those early 2002 shows with Road Dogg and Candido in interesting matches.

Sure thing: Like I said in that post I am hazy on 2000-2001 so I cant be of any help there. I do agree with Bix that I was not fond of the 8/11/01 elimination tag and did enjoy the Cash Flo 3 way match. Must have for yearbook in 2002: Hero vs. Punk 2/9/02 - 2nd Anniversary House of Hardcore Hero vs. Rotten 5/4/02 - I dont think this show has a name but was in Dayton Tracy Smothers starting a riot after the Mitch Page & Rollin Hard and Mark Wolf & Bobby Eaton 6/15/02 - No Bloods, No Guts, NO glory 2002 Ian Rotten vs. Tarek the Great 10/4/02 - IWA Retro Night Drunken Death Match Corporal Robinson vs. Necro Butcher 11/1/02 - TPI Night 1 CM Punk vs. Chris Hero TPI Night 2 11/2/02 - TPI Night 2 Ian Rotten & Mark Wolf vs Bull Pain & Mitch Ryder 11/28/02 - Wrestlefeast I think that is the upper tier stuff that should make the yearbook at a bare minimum. Unfortunately, I also see 2002 as a year with a ton of edits because there is a lot of US indy stuff showcased as CZW was still pretty relevent. ROH had stuff on almost every show that could be in contention for yearbook, and you had upstarts like Chikara that I would at least have one match on the yearbook to showcase their beginning pop up days. JAPW and ECWA was also still churning out some good stuff like the 6/8/02 Danielson vs. Low Ki match. If you wanted to expand on 2002 IWA-MS here are the matches I would go with with the first one being the first I would put on the set. Chris Hero vs. CM Punk 12/21/02 - one hour draw and single cam with no commentary but a match I like a good bit Brawl to end the Bloodfeast show immediately following the conclusion of Necro Butcher & ODD vs. Mad Man Pondo & Rollin Hard on 11/28/02 - essentially Ian and Bull Pain come through the dry wall of the locker room and they have a 30 min sprawling brawl and cut promos on each other. Still really good even though it felt like they were trying to recapture the magic of the Smothers riot. Bull Pain vs. Ian Rotten 12/28/02 Tracy Smothers vs. Bull Pain 10/5/02 - 6th anniversary show M Dogg 20 vs. Chris Hero 10/5/02 - 6th anniversary show A.J. Styles vs M-Dogg 20 vs Super Dragon vs Matt Stryker 11/2/02 - TPI night 2 Eddie Guerrero vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio 3/1/02 - Spring Heat I do think some of this stuff belongs on but I realize it becomes an editing game and that is where something like PUnk vs. Hero from 12/21 could fall by the wayside to include three matches in its place. The if you have room for it or something that really interests you pile includes: CM PUnk Gauntlet 2/8/02 MDOGG 20 Guantlet 10/28/02 BJ Whitmer vs. CM Punk 11/2/02 - TPI Night 2 BJ whitmer vs. CM Punk vs. Chris Hero 10/4/02 - IWA Retro Night Necro vs. Mitch Page 7/13/02 - KOTDM Night 2 Guerrero vs. Punk 3/2/02 - Morris Mayhem

Wanted to chime in that I started with the April 88 Windham/Tully match since it may be taken down anyday now. I haven't watched the 1/88 match in quite some time but I thought this match was great. 16 minutes of all action, Windham killing himself by throwing himself into the guardrail twice, and some of the best delayed selling I have ever seen from both men. I also liked the finish since based on JJ's interference during the match, they ran through the gambit of predictable finishes but each one got neutralized leading to a satisfactory finish. I never will understand why Windham turned as the trio of him/Luger/Sting along with the last ride of Dusty going against the Horseman seems like the perfect ready made feud of 1988

I probably align mostly with childs on this one. Early 10-15 minutes were pretty ho hum with a lot of instances where i thought Fujinami looked actively bad. Then Flair bladed and this turned around big time and the ending stretch was pretty hot. Finish is dumb as hell. Good show overall though with 4 matches at least flirting with 3 stars.