Kronos

I just started the 1985 reboot tapes. I am into Feb 1985 so far. Very enjoyable and informative. But if I never hear "Lanny Kai" in that voice again, it'll be too soon. It's the sound that makes me punch babies.

I agree with you guys about how much better this match is than one would expect it to be. I don't agree that it's better than the Bret vs Diesel matches. At least, I like those Bret matches better. Maybe it's because Kevin Nash, for all of his personal unpleasantness, actually has a personality in the ring. The weakness here for me is everything but the match. The commentary is particularly bad, and the after segment is certainly representative of its era. But it's definitely nice to be surprised by late era WCW, even if I do still have difficulty watching Benoit matches.

Everything you guys said, and more. This is a fantastic segment. One of my favorite moments happens before the match. During the video of The Rock book signing, they show a girl who is about to start sobbing because she's so excited to meet him. Despite my comment from other videos from this month about what a jerk his character is, the dude definitely knew how to get over with the fans. My big takeaway here is that I feel like I need to be watching this 2000 weekly TV. I believe it's all on the network, so I may have to get after that. Even if I'm just watching selected segments for discussion, I need to be watching them in order. After watching this segment, I pulled up the clip from a few days later where Cactus Jack is introduced for the Royal Rumble (instead of Mankind). I haven't seen that one in a while, and it's just as fantastic. HHH has had his moments of treating others like crap, but he sells this angle beautifully.

I couldn't get into this one at all. The pace is so slow. I don't mind a slow burn, if it's building some drama. But this isn't building anything. It's just slow. I find myself constantly checking my watch. Part of it I think is that I have no connection to either one of these wrestlers, and they're not doing anything to develop one for me. I've certainly seen them both work in the past, but I think they've probably always been with somebody who I either like or who does a better job making me care about the events in the ring. We do get a couple of reasonably cool spots, such as the double stomp through the table. And the pace picks up a little bit in the last minute or two. But it's not really anything we haven't seen before. If we must have a hardcore joshi match, give me Kudo v Toyoda anyday over these two.

Excellent. That should keep me busy for a bit, thanks!

Rockers are clearly being sold here as the next big thing, both in the commentary and in how much flashy offense they get throughout the match. But it's Arn and Tully who are the real joys to watch. I don't know why Bobby Heenan on commentary, who was managing them at the time, doesn't play up their veteran experience compared to the young new kids. Even though not explicitly stated, that's the kind of match the Busters are working. Shawn and Marty start out in control, doing all sorts of cool moves and looking like they're going to win quickly. But then the Busters take a moment to confer with Bobby and each other, and they start to work their own way. They demonstrate their experience as tag partners, and they never really give up longterm control through the second half. We get a number of great little moments, such as one point where the ref does not see the tag. Anderson turns to the crowd at ringside and points out that they all saw the tag. Every time I watch Arn Anderson, he becomes more of an all-time favorite.

This one doesn't waste any time on promos before the match, unlike their January 6th match. Instead they do that in the middle of the match, and it works beautifully. Angle yells at the crowd for not appreciating him for being born in their town. The match is a fun little TV match, fought with a lot of intensity. Tazz gets involved, and they seem to be setting up a feud between him and Kurt Angle. But he really just looks silly even next to Angle, much less next to The Rock. It's no wonder nothing really came of his big debut.

"HHH, you threw every member of the rooty poo crew at The Rock!" Rocky's promo takes 4min, and the crowd are eating out of his hand. Angle is so hated. I really like the idea that people hating because he's a jerk ass, especially the way he brags about how awesome he is. He does a great job cutting old school promo that puts over Rock while still selling himself as a heel. Rock then starts again, complimenting Angle in a way that comes across as an insult. Truth is, Rocky is more of a dick than Angle. The match is fun enough, with Rock perhaps being a little bit dominant but by no means squashing Angle. The best part for me is when Angle is taunting the crowd at one point. Then Blackman runs in. There's a DQ. It's the Attitude Era. The post-match segment is pretty great, even if it's a little bit Hogan-like that Rock has to come back and get cheered some more.

New York City crowd hates Kurt Angle, even before he starts bad-mouthing the Knicks. He really was a fantastic heel in these early days. Was Tazz's appearance expected, or was it a surprise? The New York crowd obviously pops pretty hard for him. Angle does a nice job selling for Tazz and giving him the win to establish T as a badass. That's really about all that happens here, as the match is only a few minutes long - more of a TV match than a pay-per-view match.

That's pretty much what I was thinking. They need to keep people paying attention to their product anyway they can, and that includes people who are not paying for the Network. Give them something valuable on the YouTube page, and it might entice them to subscribe to get even more. Also regarding the Southpaw wrestling videos: I like the way I just stumbled across them on YouTube one day. Or maybe somebody tweeted them. Either way, it was very easy to watch them without having to log in to my network account and find them. And while YouTube comments are frequently stupid and trollish, I still enjoy that aspect of being able to comment on videos and chat with people. That's something the Network does not have.

I have been anti-Reigns. But admittedly, I've seen little 2015-16 from him. I've decided to get over myself and be open minded. What '15 and '16 matches should I look out for? Or even 2017, if there have been some?

Hey, I'm a Colorado guy , as well. I've gone to a bunch of their shows and had a great time. But yeah, that new show is all Russo and Mercury arguing. Yuck. I intend to give them plenty of chance But the first impression was mixed, indeed. Glad to hear the live shows are fun. ETA: I caught some May 2000 Nitro clips on youtube last night. There was a backstage segment with Russo and Bischoff screaming at each other about how to run the company, who's in charge, etc. That was 17 years ago. Russo's doing the same thing on the first two episodes of RMP.

Last night before bed, I followed up the March 1988 SNME with the Superstars go home show for Mania 4. Every time I see the British Bulldogs on WWF tv, I can't believe how vicious they are in their squash matches. They really don't give their opponents anything at all. And they look like they are out to genuinely hurt the other guys. Plus, watching Dynamite give two headbutts in a single squash match just makes me sad. Wasting his brain and body that way for a match with zero import. . . Have you ever noticed how Mean Gene yells everything? I can understand why the commentary table speaks loudly - the crowds are hot. But when Gene's in the studio making announcements and such, he's so damn shouty. I guess it's Vince's way of making WWF product exciting and lively compared to the more sedate guys at places like Memphis.

I really like the sequence with Virgil getting in the ref's face, as Andre approaching like some kind of monster from the other direction. It's Andre who is level-headed enough to keep Virgil from doing anything to the ref. But it all sells Andre as a creepy threat.

Yesssssssss, well chosen.

Ambrose entertains me almost every time. And Roman Reigns will put me to sleep if he's not in there with somebody good. (The Hell in a Cell against Rusev is a perfect example of a match that felt endless.) Carried may have been too strong a term. But I feel like he did the bulk of the work to make the match interesting. Lesnar was very well used, though they did a good job of keeping him out of most of the match. So his contributions had great impact, but he was prevented from dominating the match all the way through. Reigns has much better punches than Ambrose. DA's punches are shameful. I have no problem making that admission. Maybe I will come around on him one day. The way his matches are laid out and he is sold, it feels a lot like John Cena. Unfortunately for Reigns, John Cena is a more rounded performer.

That Heenan leap to the floor is amazing! Harley's pretty dang mobile for being so fat. We actually get two table spots, though it does not break until the second time. My only complaint here, which doesn't bother the crowd at all, is that this match is a perfect example of Hulk Hogan working as a heel even though he's the baby face - such as using the tape to choke. But it's a fun match with a hot crowd and some cool spots, so I don't complain too much.

Beefcake's gimmick is silly, and his tights are slutty. (And yet it's The Hammer who flashes the moon!) I often find that when I watch Barber in the 1980s, I enjoy his work a lot more than I expect to. This match is no exception. Valentine does a lot of good selling, and the pace is pretty fast while not losing control - considering that you've got the Honky Tonk run-in as well as the Jimmy Hart interference. Also, it's interesting to watch this match right after some current WWE product, as I have just done this evening. The ropes here are so much more loose. But then, none of these guys is in danger of doing a springboard missile dropkick, so the ropes don't need to be super tight. Is this indeed the blow-off match to the Beefcake/Valentine feud? Because if so, I absolutely agree with you that it's a bit meh from that standpoint. But as a match on its own and as a lead-in to WrestleMania 4, it works for me very well .

Nice overview, especially your comments on 9. It's been quite some time since I watched it, but I recall enjoying it. My response to WM 9 is always, "This is way better than it's reputed to be." ___ I am catching up on some recommendations from WWE. Fastlane: Reigns v Ambrose v Lesnar - I still can't stand Reigns, but Ambrose carried him to good match. Mania: Charlotte v Becky v Sasha - hot crowd. Terrific pace and drama. Raw (post Mania): Owens v Jericho v Cesaro v AJ. Crowd was super into all four guys, but they were white hot for Claudio. Great fun. CWC: Ibushi v Perkins. Well done flippy spotfest. I got bored quickly, though. Raw (Nov 28): Sasha v Charlotte, FCA. Serious hatred here. They used the stipulation beautifully, ending in a really nasty backwrench submission off the handrail.

Sasha Banks is one of the craziest bumpers I've ever seen. We're talking HBK levels of wacky bumping. Also, no matter how cool the Styles Clash is, my heart is always in my throat. Terrified of someone breaking a neck.

Where are we now? Trump as Diesel 1995? Miz 2009? X-Pac 2001?

My local indie, Rocky Mountain Pro, has recently rebranded themselves. And they hired Vince Russo. I watched the first two episodes of weekly TV on the FITE app. Very nice production quality -- better than most of the internet weekly tv I have seen -- plus a good looking venue (I look forward to visiting it) and some solid character work. And soooooooooooooo much Russo. It had maybe 20 min of total actual wrestling between the two hours of shows. Lots of backstage vignettes, and lots of on-screen Russo. The wrestling was decent enough, what there was of it. I am trying to decide whether the product is poor - it sure feels like a lower budget TNA or late Nitro - or whether I am just prejudiced against Russo.

So far, my first experience has been solid. I signed up for Floslam last weekend, in time to watch the IPW:UK show live. The service worked well. And the Floslam team had someone livetweeting the show, including posting GIFs. (and responding to mentions - I jokingly asked if they were going to post a GIF of Kennedy's bare ass from the show, and they replied, "I just started this job; not trying to get fired already.") I will probably try another show or two before the month ends, prior to deciding whether I want to buy in for the year. (I'd also like to have access to the college women's gymnastics, grappling, and other sports - the annual sub gets you all those, too.)

Niiiiiiice But why would anyone want to watch matches with both Dandy and Casas in them?

A number of you guys have mentioned that Japanese tapes were a lot easier to get ahold of in the 1990s. Therefore the bulk of the discussion was about Japan, and that led to people being trained that Japan was special.(I'm not saying it isn't special.) I think it happened later, too, at least in my experience. I came to wrestling late in life. I discovered the existence of Indies like Ring of Honor in 2007, after I had been a fan of the WWE product for almost 2 years. If you were a fan of that product in 2007, it was absolutely encouraged that one should watch NOAH. And from there, it obviously proceeded back to All Japan. Same for a new fan of women's wrestling: one immediately gets advised to watch the Japanese women. Aside from Sarah Stock, nothing I watched or discussed on forums led me to Mexico. No one was telling me as a new fan that I should be learning about Lucha. I barely knew it existed. So in those early days I put in the work to learn to understand and follow Japanese wrestling. Not Mexico. Then when it became my turn to suggest good matches outside of the WWE scene, what I knew was Japan. It's a self-perpetuating cycle.