El-P

What competition ? I mean, really. They only night where there was an actual competition, they got slaughtered. Now, the Rock and the Fox debut effect drew that number. I guess they are gonna have Austin next week and Taker the following week then Sting then Edge then... whoever is available and not too dead yet.

One other thing : Tony Schiavone interviewing people right at the entrance. That brings memories of Mean Gene doing the same in front of the Nitro entrance.

That part flew over my head ! Yeah, can't they steal Jake Hager from AEW ? I mean, he's a sure known MMA commodity and now an AEW Superstar. WWE needs him. Now.

I admit that cracked me up because I don't watch MMA and really I don't remember Cain without his mask during the AAA events (I've seen him, but I don't remember what he looked like). His body certainly wasn't Brock-like, or even, gasp, old-ass-Shamrock-like (who looked freakish in his IMPACT appearance last week). Now I can't picture him other than looking like Fake Festus.

"It's happening again. It's happening again."

WCW Reprazent

Cool ! Love to watch shit on Youtube ! Seriously, how cool is it to be a pro-wrestling fan in 2019 ? It's just the best to me. And I say that after becoming a fan in 1990.

Of course they did. But it doesn't matter one bit. Next week is the important number (just like it is for NXT and AEW). Yeah, how crazy is that ? After 20 years, because of the Fox deal, Smackdown becomes the A show. It's kinda bizarro world in a way.

Is it less than TNA weekly PPVs ? Well, you know, what I said about Taven making the right choice… maybe not after all...

They know were their bread is buttered. With Lesnar vs Cain on top, they really should rename the show Bloodsport, would be fitting.

We truly live in crazy pro-wrestling times. The last 12 months have been ridiculous.

Well, hopefully WWE is not putting someone in danger because they are desperate for ratings in their attempt to crush any kind of opposition.

Especially Edge himself. I mean, he was risking total paralysis if he worked only one more match, and now he's medically cleared ? I bet Daniel Bryan wishes that AEW thingy had come up way earlier...

Well, it was not weird to me, but I've watched SCU do their stuff on BTE forever now, so...

It's kinda funny to see reaction of people unfamiliar with stuff you're familiar with. Basically, every town SCU go is the worst town they've ever been in. They are over as fuck, but unlike the NAO or, gasp, Nzo & KKass, they are terrific workers (even Daniels at his age is still excellent) and they are the perfect opening act to start a show hot. Drunk Randy Orton > not drunk Randy Orton

Does anyone has trouble to connect to the board lately ? It's crazy slow for me at times.

Of course she had to get involved. She's a classic valet and she's part of the act. Bitching about that would be like bitching about Sherry getting involved in a Randy Savage match. And honestly, the Stephy comparisons that come up regularly have to stop (generally speaking, not pointing at anyone one in particular). Brandi did not inherit a company because she's daddy's girl. She's a worker, she hustled alongside Cody to get where she is. And if we're talking about talent, she's a terrific promo anyway and like I said, she's been a classic valet like you don't see anymore. The Stephy comparisons are ill-fated and honestly, kinda feel like misogynic to me (since we don't hear anything about Cody "booking himself like HHH" for instance, nor do we hear anything about Omega or the Bucks or Chris Daniels, when they all are company officials like Brandi...)

Hopefully. And I'm absolutely part of this. I watched more or less the last three weeks of NXT, just to "prepare myself" to this week, and honestly I'm not gonna keep watching. It just doesn't interest me, it still totally feels like WWE to me (despite talent I like a lot). With AEW no in full effect, I have less than zero reason to force myself to watch anything I don't really like. Agreed. It could get very interesting politically speaking if Trip's NXT on TV ends up being a failure.

Finally took the time to watch the show. Marked the fuck out for Tony, who looks great (DDPY in effect) and I can't imagine how he must have felt, 18 years after that grim last Nitro. Some mentioned how relatively restrained the show was and I agree and it is exactly what it should have been. They are here for the long haul. Introduce characters like Guevarra, SCU, Britt Baker, MJF, shot some angles to build to the next PPV and some long term storylines, have a feel good moment (Riho winning the women title, which I did not expect, like I did not expect Nyla to be that good considering how green she has looked thus far), have a heat moment (the final angle), have a surprise that is not like the biggest thing ever (Jake Hager "from Belator"). So many people not even seen thus far that are gonna make their TV debut in the weeks to come. Riho & Nyla kinda stole the show, as the crowd was kinda quiet at the beginning and going crazy at the end. Love me some Riho, she's the perfect underdog. People who think she's not credible have not watched enough joshi. She's their Cuty Suzuki. Hager, well, at least he looked better and more significant than he pretty much ever did. He still has that "deer in the headlight" void kinda look, but I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt. If they can make me care even one bit about him, that'll be a feat. PAC looked terrific. MJF is gonna be such a star very soon. Dustin is not retired yet ! The tag-team tournament has a bracket (so unlike WCW) ! So much fun. I have all intentions to enjoy this ride a whole lot.

Except it's a mistake to consider the RAW audience as the core fanbase for "pro-wrestling". It's the core audience for WWE. Thus far, it's been showed with PPV buys overlapse (or lack thereof) between audiences that AEW fans mostly aren't watching WWE.

And this marks the first time since Nitro beat RAW sometime in 1998 (Hogan vs Goldy at the Georgia Dome ?) that a WWE program has been beat in the ratings by opposition. And it wasn't even needed. Well done Vince. Talk about damage control and backpedalling. I wonder if HHH would want to switch some people from that pissant company with anyone of his NXT guys now... Anyway, I did not expect that at all. But it is pretty awesome.

It is. It's been a long long time since I have enjoyed (and hell, even listened at this point) an episode of Brucie's podcast, but this one was a return to form. I suppose the topic was refreshing for Bruce and it's quite an interesting one. The ending is kinda depressing though, with Yoko going through his weight issues until his death. But yeah, even if you have thrown the towel a long time ago, like me, give this one a listen.

To the pay window, baby. (well, he's doing night club business in Vegas, so I guess that's conducive to taking pic with hot girls)

Not on my part there isn't. There is hope AEW will succeed, and by that I don't even mean "beat WWE in the ratings", I just mean being able to exist on a large scale and provide a true alternative for both pro-wrestling fans who aren't WWE fans (aka me, for instance) and workers. But the idea that the WWE and its predatory tactics could take a hit (which sadly in this context means NXT "failing", whatever that means since they are only on TV as a counter program) is indeed appealing. So it's less NXT than "an element of the WWE machine". I mean, the state of mind of many, me included, is "Let us have something else to watch for fuck's sake." Of course, I could live with IMPACT and be happy about it, like I was with LU, but a larger scale alternative is a breath of fresh air.

It must be nice for the NXT guys & girls to know the ONLY reason they got on TV is to fuck around with fellow workers who are only trying to make a good living.