El-P

Fuck yes. Either Speedball or Alexander. Gimme one or the other, then the other the following week. Billie Starkz going after Mone is *all* about building Mercedes vs Athena at All In Texas, and Athena winning the title in the stadium, right ? RIGHT ? (hear me well Coach TK)

The Fantastica Mania show from 02/28 was so awesome. Maybe the most purely *fun* night of pro-wrestling of the year so far. Goto vs Tanahashi was a thing of beauty. I almost bought Tana winning. Goto going through Nagata will also be beautiful, most probably.

MJF vs Hangman into Mone vs Momo into Ricochet vs Swerve : best 3 opening match sequence ever. Great match after great match after great match. Okada vs Brody was a Savage WCW match : "You beat my ass, then Rainmaker". Brody looked terrific. piss-break match (after 6 months or so in the company, the Hurt Syndicate are still producing jackshit, tag titles are deader than dead, fix this) Then... Toni vs Mariah : MOTYC (loved Mariah & Toni paying hommage to Ian & Axl) into Omega vs Takeshita : MOTYC (Omega is a genius at pro-wrestling) into Ospreay vs Fletcher : MOTYC (I have no words) Ridiculous. A few big spots & the bullshit "saved" a main event that had no business main-eventing. Closing the show with Swerve, which I totally expected (likewise getting rid of the stupid cash-in gimmick, hopefully they don't do it anymore ever), was the right choice, because the show had already peaked. 3 times. Ridiculous streak of classic matches, interrupted by a pathetic tag team title match (get the belts back on great tag teams; job Lashley to Swerve and off my TV they can disappear) and a misplaced (and really, which should not have been booked despite the decent build-up of the last few weeks) world title match (Swerve needs to beat Mox next month and the Deathriders storyline ends, it was a failure, time to wrap up, NOW). Almost a legit GOAT show. Almost. In term of pure peak quality, probably at the very top.

The last few weeks really have been terrific TV, and apart from the tag-team championship match every match on the show has been built really well (Mercedes vs Momo is what it is in term of build, but with an outsider working in Japan you can do so much) and every match (apart from, well, the tag team match) should be a banger, including a bunch of legit MOTYC level shit on paper. There really has been a distinct change after the few worrying week-to-week shows chockfull with awfully long promos and old guys after old guys. Made a better job at "restoring the feeling" than they have in eons. Really a tremendous winter season after a (very) shaky start. Hopefully they keep that focus train going.

Gotta love : 1/TKO lauching a boxing promotion with the Saudis. Really, it's just a matter of time before Mania happens in beautiful, progressive Djeddah. Gotta love the cognitive dissonance when that one happens (hell Rumble already happens next year, wonder if CM Punk will dance around that one) 2/Taker pulling his strings so his HOF wife (which in itself is funny already) replaces Mickie James in S2 of that reality TV show they are doing. 3/The Carmella stuff which really no one talks about because WWE is such a great place to work now and they treat everyone really well and have you seen the gates ? Wow. So great.

Neverthought he was gonna be anything more than a midcard guy, honestly. Really good worker, but not overly spectacular. Not much in term of charisma/character. Always been that way, including during his TNA days. It's amazing looking back at him winning the TNA title twice, for those who do remember (because it was nothing but forgettable). Ortiz was injured I believe, but same. Although, not exactly same because he always was the more charismatic of LAX back in the days. Still, he's been absent for ever by now. Maybe when Eddie Kingston gets back, who knows.

From all other form of entertainment point of view, 99% of pro-wrestling is B-movie level shit *at best*. I've seen some porn movies with better acting and more actual depth than 90% of pro-wrestling angles and acting. Pro-wrestling is inherently ridiculous. Shit, the Cena turn on Cody, in term of dramaturgy and acting, is fucking pathetic when you put it against even the most basic cheap-ass TV show. Cinematic matches brought something pretty unique, yes, *in the context of pro-wrestling*, because it worked from within and embraced the ridiculousness of it (well, for the most part).

Nope. The opposite, in fact. I'm all for an all cinematic wrestling promotion, really. Make something fresh and absurd. Pro-wrestling is stale. The pandemic years were the most fascinating times for pro-wrestling. I miss stuff like TNA's Wrestlers House and the Good Brothers shows. And of course, the whole idea of Lucha Underground, which was based on regular matches, but had that whole cinematic production around it. (and yeah, this was B-movie shit and it's why it was great, as opposed to the B-movie shit happening inside the ring as regular angles/matches and lauded by ridiculous "THIS IS CINEMA" claims)

Contract expired. The guy has been on contract for one year, has worked a handful of ROF match, was involved in one angle with Cool Hand Hang & Ruby Soho, never to be seen again. I actually thought he was really good too. But really now. Why sign all these people to never use them ? Apparently there will be more non-renewal, and with such a bloated roster, it's time to trim down people you don't use or don't plan to use in a significant way. And speaking of the infamous Knight family, Saraya has signed an extension in October, she hasn't done anything (not to mention talked about maybe wanting to go back to WWE one day, which is always a great way to get booked). Considering what she has brought to the table (not much), I doubt we'll see much more of her. Leila Hirsch is gone too. That is too bad. I always enjoyed her. She got fucked by injuries, but she had a lot of potential to be something different. I doubt WWE would pick her for obvious reasons. In TNA, no doubt. Fénix being gone is a good thing. There was no point just hanging on to his contract. It won't change anything to the dynamics, and as much as I LOVE to watch Fénix, the truth is, there's so much awesome workers in AEW, including on the lucha side, that his absence has not been felt on the programs. Now that the malcontents are gone (BTW, have you seen Miro first thing going to Quatar to do a job for.... Alberto. That certainly says a whole lot about *his* character. Good riddance), Coach TK should really be a lot more picky in term of who he signs. Only top tier workers (like Alexander/Speedball) or potential game changers (not that there are any on the market) or younger workers with true potentials, and only people who actually want to work there. As far as people not being used, whatever happened with Scorpio Sky ? Is he still under contract ? Last seen waiting in line to get into Private Party's private party.

It was quite interesting to me that Ronda actually became a champion first in StrikeForce, since the UFC would not have women fighters. Then UFC just bought the competition, which really must have sucked like WWF buying WCW, and Dana just handed Ronda a UFC Women Champion belt. You can't get more pro-wrestling than this (and crappy pro-wrestling to boot)

Well, that's why a monopoly is always bad. The one thing I got from the Pride episodes, is that it was a fucking circus. So, the pro-wrestling show comes back in three weeks with this, well, not too exciting line-up on paper. Wonder what episode is gonna kick-start it as they usually want to start with a bang.

One day there should be a serious historical, socio-economical and stylistic study on why WWWF/WWF/WWE has always been the dominant promotion and yet lamest style (come one people, be real now), and why maybe it has always produced the lamest style *because* of its dominant position (due to it being in a privilege position since its inception aka NYC based).

Honestly it was kinda bait & switchy, but not *really*, as people were talking before the fact that it was probably gonna be an angle anyway leading to another match. The fact it happened in Korakuen and was on free live streaming was a give-away that it was building to something else. Plus the intai talk of Tam Nakano going on for a while. But yeah, the rematch should be one for the ages, of done right. Probably less frantic than this one, I guess. Blood ? Would be quite the sight to have a bloody Tam saying goodbye. She really has been my gateway to current joshi puroresu.

I really don't give a flying fuck about MMA, but I did watch the Dark Side of the Cage episodes about PRIDE and Ronda Rousey. The PRIDE ones are fascinating. Remember the old "debate" about "Is PRIDE pro-wrestling ?". Well, of course not. But never has a legit MMA promotion was as much linked to pro-wrestling as PRIDE was. Including in term of being a shady-as-fuck company. The fixed Takada matches are evoked, although it's just a blip on the radar. The biggest focus is on the ridiculously dirty yakuza involvements. Also, watching old decrepit Helio Gracie at ringside, it's always a good time to remind people that this guy was actually linked to a fascist Brazilian movement in the 30's. There goes the "great" Gracie family. The Rousey episode was interesting for a newbie like me, although I had basically heard every bit of it through Meltzer during her WWE days. Between her mom being a complete asshole (I am so chocked to learn that a high level athlete raising her child to be a high level athlete is actually a toxic fuckhead, ya know) and her having to develop a particular style because she was already concussed like crazy from her judo years, it certainly puts an interesting twist to her personality. And yeah, again, she was SO pro-wrestling. I have no idea how anyone even tolerates the sigh of Dana White these days, unless you're, ya know...

Which is why this angle is ironic. Because from Dwayne to Cena to Cody, we have the alignement of the most picture perfect of WWE-made corporate champs, both kayfabe wise and in reality. And really, what John Cena's era of WWE represent is the dirt worst idea of pro-wrestling imaginable to me. All of it : the presentation, the in-ring style, the promo-style, everything. Dwayne was the first step. Cody is the last evolution. It's been incredibly successful, like a huge, empty and soulless Hollywood blockbuster is incredibly successful. All three together is like the perfect match for *this* angle at *this* Mania. But if that was all that pro-wrestling had to offer, I would have ceased being a fan a long time ago. (not to mention the contextual stuff that makes WWE unwatchable to me, but that's beside the point) On Sunday night I was watching the latest Mystery Wrestling show (promoted by Evil Uno) on Twitch. And you had Uno and Allie (the Bunny, who looked quite happy) shooting the shit about this and that (some really fun inside stuff, like how a simple bodyslam is the worst bump to take) while some absurd matches are taking place in front of a handful of people in Gatineau, Quebec. And have them mark out at Stu Grayson and Gabe Kidd having a complete banger that would not look out of place on an AEW show or the NJPW G1 Climax. And I was like, "Yeah, this is why pro-wrestling is so fun to me, still to this day".

Getting to watch a major joshi puro match live on Youtube for free is quite something. Korakuen Hall packed and hot as hell. Match was insane and terrific too. By the end there was almost 65K watching the stream, which is quite something.

Strictly speaking about character arc, Cena's heel turn as every bit as big as Hogan's in 1996, if not bigger, since Cena really had never been a heel as a top guy. Much bigger than the Austin one, as Austin had been a heel only 4 years before. As far as business goes, it is nothing like Hogan turning in 1996. Hogan turning was a major shift in the pro-wrestling landscape and was the beginning of a new boom period first for WCW, then for the entire industry, after a ridiculously down period, and switched the power dynamics. Cena's turn means what in the grand scheme of things ? WWE is *already* hot as hell, breaking gates record every other show, filling stadiums like nobody's business. They already are on Netfix (although the drops week to week showed that it had been quite overrated in term of worldwide audience, maybe that Cena angle is gonna fix that for a while though). Mania was gonna be another record breaking event, Cena turning heel or not. Does that makes it even bigger ? Sure. But not *that much* bigger. Cena's retirement year was already gonna make it bigger no matter what. As far as the angle itself, there's SO MANY layers of irony in that it's basically a redux of the entire heel Corporate Champ angle from the Attitude era. (the only thing I actually saw from the event was that clip of Pat MAGAfee being triggered, while Drake was in the background. Which is also an amazingly ironic sequence)

Watched the clip of his intro. Gotta love that his music theme is a super generic cheap-ass version of his AEW theme too.

Great article. Papa Hamada was so awesome as already an older guy in those M-Pro 6 men. And of course, loved him showed up in ARSION to tag with his daughter Ayako. A truly understated but über-influential stylistic figure in pro-wrestling history.

After a very shaky start of the year to say the least, last month or so as been the best batch of AEW weekly shows in forever. Really loving the pacing and the mood of the shows lately. And next PPV looks ridiculous on paper. This is how you "restore the feeling" without having to hammer it. Also, I'm getting Mike Bailey and Josh Alexander aka half the reason TNA had been fun to watch the last few years. Hopefully they don't get *too* lost in the shuffle (which they might), but whatever I can get from them, I'm gladly having.

Whatever results it is, it sucks. Maybe it's time for that Tam Nakano retirement. She really was the gate for me to get into Stardom a few years back when she had the white belt. Hopefully it's not Saya leaving. That would be terrible.

This is less a lawsuit than a fan fiction. But I mean, he's a comedian, and he probably made CM Punk and Tonk Khan laugh at the same time, so from that point of view, that's a win.

WWE not celebrating Black History Month as they used to do is certainly telling of *something*. But of course, there's no politics in WWE, ya know... Also, WWE employees morale going down as they get jack shit as raises while stockholders are making all the profits is actually hilarious. I'm sure they love the current public discourse about WWE being hotter than ever and Netflix money stadium sellouts and shit. Can't believe it's already Mania 88. Time flies.

Considering how much of a clusterfuck the preparation of the whole thing had been, this was a hell of a fun show. Not a PPV, but certainly not a Collision either. Mercedes is so fucking great. It would have been too soon for Harley in term of a follow-up considering her experience, so that was the right result. Super fun match. Cope getting emotional by the crowd chanting his theme was pretty cool. Match was excellent. Result was certainly interesting. I can see why they did it too, but that was kind of a downer again. Buddy hurting his ankle probably hurt the match. It was good, but it was not on par with the best weekly CC Okada matches. Main event was exactly what it needed to be. Storm winning the title back using her infamous rookie hold was the cherry on the cake. Need I say anything about that tag match ? This. Big time Kawada/Taue vibe to it. AEW has been on a roll. Revolution on paper already looks stacked as hell. Ospreay vs Kyle in a cage ? Omega vs Takeshita ? Maybe Mercedes vs Momo ? Make me happy AEW !

Too early for the NXT GM ? Yeah, too early. Next year maybe. Maybe they can put Col. De Beers in. For the gimmick, you know.