El-P

Is there a card for this shit ? I mean, it's "almost live" at 11am here, so after I'm doing my DDPY stuff of the day, I may or may not click on the button and watch my very first WWE stadium card since that... you know.... other, super awkward WWE stadium show.

Because the entire history of joshi puroresu doesn't exist in the WWE Universe, so there you go. By the same respect, how odd is it that each year some japanese girls shows up and, well, shows up every other worker. Wonder why... hum... Coincidence maybe ?

No idea. But she went through a bard wire board outside the ring from the top rope. Yeah, fucking insane. Kudo would have been proud. The promo Sting delivered at the end of the show was one of the most heartfelt stuff I've heard in a while. Pretty damn real. Bound for Glory was a pretty good show all things considered, and it pretty much felt like the swan song of the old company before Hogan shows up. I know there are two more months and PPV's still, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm out of this experiment that I began in 2015. Maybe I'll get back to it at some point (in which case I'll have some months before the Hogan stuff to "enjoy" the transition), but from now on, I'm pretty much only gonna watch current stuff. To hell with the past. From what I gathered, TNA's best time in the 00's was 2005 until more or less the fall of 2006 (really excellent stuff, D'Amore at his best) and most of 2008 (the best TV Russo was ever part of, only because Dutch was there to book the good part ).

Mick Foley having an IWA Japan deathmatch on PPV in 2009 against Abyss is quite the sight to see. The fact Daffney & Stevie Richards took the two sickest bumps in the match says a lot about how far Foley was gone by then. Still without a doubt Foley's best match in TNA (faint praise, but it was a cool, sick match).

I guess because some would want to paint the segment as a proof that the promotion is red hot, when the heat had nothing to do with any character on the show, which itself bombed in the ratings. It's really amazing and ridiculous that they got so much money for a show that is at a really low point of its history it seems.

Yeah, that show was excellent from start to finish. The first part peaked with the super fun six-men match. Then the four big matches all delivered in their own ways. Ospreay vs Scurll was great, it also looked way safer than the previous one (doh!) but built and built until a great finishing stretch. The right guy won too, as it gives another dynamic with KUSHIDA maybe regaining his title against a legit heel. The tag-team match was very good, with Matt playing on his injured back (damn, this is the longest sold injury in pro-wrestling) and Nick playing fiery babyface like nobody's business. The tongans aren't a great tag team, but this match went beyond their usual level. I still don't want them to be champ for too long though. Cody vs Juice was excellent, and damn Brandi is a great valet. Gotta love the overbumping when Juice barely touched her and the little dance once she got back up. She's of the Sherry/Francine kind, just the best. And it sure adds to the whole act, although I thought it was one of Cody's better performance of late. It helps that Juice has evolved into a terrific worker. (did I just hear that Cody vs Aldis were gonna have a 2/3 falls match called by Schiavone & Corny ? 2018 is still adding up crazy shit upon crazy shit) And the main event was just a great, great match. So much to love here, especially when Okada decides to be a dick to Omega. The whole triple threat stuff is interesting if only because Cody, NWA champ, is gonna main event the Sumo Hall. It's better that they just don't throw out Omega vs Ibushi with one week build, so this definitely adds some intrigue, although of course the match won't be the same kind of great.

Ok, that was funny.

Brie vs Stephy for #Evolution. Sign it.

Agreed. Insane episode. Got to point out again how great Melissa Santos has been. The way she introduced Fenix at the start of the episode, clearly somewhat deflated but not overdoing it either. Of course, it would not get better for her as the show would go on (when she has to introduce Marty later on…). With 13-14-15, Season 4 has clearly turned the corner back into greatness. I guess we're at least half-way through the season now, and things are more intriguing than ever.

Seriously now... When I thought it was simply about a great, great fucking pro-wrestling match (I would have it as an easy top 5 this year, which is a crazy notion to begin with considering how NJ has cracked the code), we get THIS post-match ? How far has Jay White come since his underwhelming match at the Dome ? Gotta love his instinct of going for YH's blood too, as a quick "cover-up", or rather a way to get the heat back on the angle rather than YH's injury (damn, poor YH, he can't catch a break, that fall was nasty as was the cut). And then, honestly, I've watched way too much pro-wrestling for 30 years almost, and I *didn't see that one coming at all*. I screamed like a complete mark. Awesome job by Gedo (both as a performer and obviously, what a great booker). This was just terrific from A to Z. So : Tana gets his stuff back from White then faces Omega. Okada faces White. In the meantime, Jericho shows up to fuck up EVIL, than Naito gets his revenge at the Dome. 2018 is absolutely an insane and great year to be a pro-wrestling fan.

Well yeah that sucks. Janela has been one of the cool discoveries of the year for me, starting with the ridiculously fun Spring Break show. His match against Page at All In was terrific (and terrifying at points). Hope it's not too serious.

Of all the mindfuckery that happened in 2018 (and damn, that year has been the craziest in years), Tony Schiavone actually calling a Pentagon Jr. vs Fenix match takes the cake. I'm adding MLW to my pro-wrestling watch.

If that was the end of Catrina (I hope not and there's still room for her to come back from the dead), that was one hell of a send-off. Remember LU S4 was supposed to be running on a much cheaper production ? Well, that vignette was maybe the greatest ever in the entire company's history. E14 was just a blast from start to finish, LU at its best. Azteca vs Ivelisse was Ivy's best single match ever, and although Azteca did work a bit slower and it did show in spots, it was a perfectly worked match where you just don't even pay attention about the fact it's intergender anymore. Azteca is a much more interesting masked babyface than Puma ever was BTW. Glad Ivelisse is enjoying an injury-free season, she's just as good or better a babyface as she's been a heel in the past. The trios matches with XO & Ryan should be pretty cool. Mil vs Cuerno was a really nice appetizer. But yeah, where's Catrina, I miss her already too ! Still, Mils has been the constant MVP for his entire run, he conveys such an explosive monster work style. Cuerno really looks smaller compared to him now. The hair don't look very good, but we know it was probably all because he was losing his mask at Triplemania in the upcoming year. Terrific trios match, although it's kinda odd that the Reptile Tribe don't really have much in term of reptiles anymore. Daga could use a snake mask though. Yes, really. And damn, two zombis for the price of one, as FenixTaker was one hell of a visual. That guy really is talented as hell, as he acted odd in a great, unique way. The post match was a great angle too and quite the cliffhanger. Although wait, Marty's back too !! Yeah, great episode, the best of S4 and an all-time great to me (yeah, Jake Strong appeared and cut a boring promo, but what can you do, gotta have some flaws).

Bruce playing dumb about the independant contractor status on the last episode was pretty embarrassing... Not a good couple of shows the last two weeks.

Prediction : Tana finally beats Okada. After the match, Jay White talks shit to Okada for losing. YOSHI-HASHI tries to talk some sense into him. White blasts him. Okada checks on YH, who shoves him back then becomes Tana's understudy. Tana vs Omega & Okada vs White at the Dome, while YH goes for Taichi's title.

Loved Ishii vs Omega. Great match, and different from their G1 classic. At one point, you could almost trick yourself into believing Ishii had a chance. Glad Taichi won. I really like his act. Gotta love the Larry Z. like stalling at the beginning and the dog & pony show later on, with one really good false finish (that damn Gedo clutch). Goto is a good worker but I never can get myself to care about him for whatever reason. Taichi brings something different. Such a douchebag, he didn't even look happy that he won. He probably will lose the title pretty quickly though, but he's so much better than the Elgins of the world... Naito vs Suzuki redeemed themselves from their miss earlier on, with some crazy brawling and nice intensity overall, but yeah, it's a case of Hansen vs Jumbo, two great workers who just don't click that well. A bit too long and the finish again seemed a bit anti-climatic (although it's been established that Suzuki doesn't take finishers well, once you get him in a finisher he's usually done). I wonder if they are going toward Okada vs White at the Dome.

Considering how cool, funny and just plain adorable she's been on those ECW roundtables, this is pretty promising : And really, back in the days, I was very tickled by the fact her real name is actually Francine Fournier. I mean, you can't make up a more French name than Francine (doh !) Fournier (an über-typical French last name).

And so, Dixie Carter's first official appearance on TNA TV also happens a month or so after she fired Dutch and took over entire power of the company from Jarrett, with Russo alone at the helm. Crazy. A few weeks later, Corny would be fired. Yeah, this is really the debut of the "stupid era" that would just trickle down to the catastrophy that has been TNA in the 00's, until the company finally got rid of her and got a fresh start with those Canadians fellow.

There's so much that could be said... For now, let's just say the title had me chuckle. Variation on a theme : WWE Crown Jewel : Girlz GONE WILDDDD !!! (AT HOME !!!!).

It's like Lex Luger had won the title at Mania 10. Then lose it. Then have a coronation every year until Mania 14. From there you'd get the actual Lex Express era.

Sin Cara was also a Triple H project I recall. So, well, yes, it doesn't always work.

Enjoyed it too. Nash is ridiculously underrated at this point. I've always been a fan, but his TNA stint adds some stuff to his body of work as an old-guy-worker. This was clearly one bright spot of his. Like you said, his facials are excellent (and believable). Foley still looked mostly broken down, and the fact he got to bleed like a pig from what looked like a hardway cut really helped the match I think. Bad finish apart, this was quite the decent old mofos brawl, with double juice and all (and yes, I'm from the old vampire school of blood = good). That being said, there was a very sad and embarrassing spot on the PPV, which was Russo working his magic with the women. Dutch Mantell, who has been credited as the architect behind the Knockout division, had been fired for what, a month at most by this time ? Well, Russo had the women's title defended in a mixed tag match. With "babyface" Cody Deaner acting like a total white trash sexual offender, spanking Velvet until her ass got red, then forcing himself on her several times, then forcing himself on Love, the forcing himself on Rayne, then winning the match and taking off with the women's title. Yep. We went from Gail Kim vs Awesome Kong to this in a matter of two years and a half. Well, of one month, really, since although there had been some bullshit before, the fact this disgrace happened just after Dutch was fired just tells you everything you need to know. Yep, Vince Russo.

I said the next Triple H. (FWIW, I've only seen Cole maybe once or twice and enjoyed him a whole lot each time)

Adam Cole says hello. He's the next Triple H. Since Triple H will probably be the Boss by the time the Reigns lunacy is done...

Since I'll probably watch that Evolution#STEPHYRULES show, I figured I was gonna get back into the groove by watching the two women matches. Well, Becky vs Charlotte was sloppy as fuck early on. It eventually got better and developed into a pretty good match, but it was clearly nothing special. Especially with a totally fucked up dynamic. So, since Mania, WWE managed to turn Charlotte into Roman Reigns. This is a joke, right ? Vince should be put to pasture, he's completely out of his mind. Charlotte is wasted in this role. Everything about her still screams "heel". The crowd popping huge for heel Becky winning was yet another case of "here goes your tone deaf booking". Ronda vs Bliss was much, much better I thought. No idea where the hatred for Bliss comes from, she's still a terrific heel and a super solid worker. People bitching about the audience "not playing along" should ask themselves why Bliss always gets the "right" reaction. And Ronda is ridiculously good for her experience. And so, she can also sell right ? Very good match, kinda fun bullshit with the entourage. Hopefully they don't waste Ronda by making her do stupid stuff, because she's a diamond in the rough. I just watched the ending of the HIAC match (that red cage hurts the eyes). Funny as hell how the cosplay bump didn't get a big chant while Lesnar did. And hell, he looks small ! I guess the MMA Wellness program is a bit more strict... Anyway, Lesnar is the smartest pro-wrestler ever. The ratio work/money is absurd at this point.