El-P

Now I really wonder if Bumfuck, South Dakota is anywhere near Parts Unknown.

Damn. From El Hijo del Shibata to Dick Togo's new NPC. Talk about a kiss of death already.

Gotta love TKO exploring the idea of running less house-show as "cost cutting" measure. Yeah, because they don't make enough money as they are. I guess the idea is not so much putting smiles on people's face anymore, uh ? It's fascinating how WWE is now basically just part of a rights-fees management company. It's pretty ironic when the pro-wrestling product is actually more focused on being pro-wrestling fans friendly, more than ever probably, thanks to Lesveque. Wonder what would happen if/when he gets removed for reasons (which may be many, including health).

Ospreay working the first TNA-is-back TV tapings is quite cool. The guy really wanted to work in the actual TNA-named company. That comes after they made him a really good offer, which shows they are serious about getting bigger free agents too.

CMLL in 2023 is the gift that keeps on giving. First, the return of Tessa Blanchard, and after La Rosa Negra and her made up, I'm just glad I get to see a bit more of Tessa, I missed watching her in the ring. Her past backstage issues may still be a problem for US companies (yeah, the irony of that comment in the current context), but I'll be glad to see her pop up in CMLL from time to time at the very least. And then, the teasing for Andrade coming back to Arena Mexico. I guess no one had this one on their 2023 (or 2024) bingo card.

If Okada signs with an american company, it's not because he wants to work for NJPW more than occasionally, or at all anymore. Okada's aura in WWE would so not translate at all. His identity is being the Ace of NJPW. That's not something you can transfer to a US company, especially WWE, with just snapping your fingers. Hell, Shibata in AEW does not come off even close to what he was in NJPW (although mostly working ROH in front of half-empty buildings don't help). Saying he did everything in NJPW is ignoring he can be grumpy Jumbo Tsuruta beating up the up and coming generation for years. Plus, it's still a different culture, although this has changed a lot with pro-wrestling becoming more and more of a global market. If Okada leaves NJPW and Giulia leaves Stardom (both for WWE too), that would paint a pretty dim picture of Bushiroad's management. Losing your top foreigners was bad enough (White and Ospreay, and one could argue Mariah May could also have become something for Stardom if she had stayed, although she never went higher than tag champs), but the two top native stars (although Giulia lost the belt early, I think it's safe to say she's still considered the biggest star long term) at the same time in both companies would be just terrible.

The Continental Classic has been a total blast thus far. Good cast, despite so many big stars not being in it, terrific matches after terrific matches, a feel of importance and freshness. Everything I ever wanted from AEW. The Women though... jeez, Kiera Hogan vs Abadon ? Really ? that's it ? There was really a need for Vikingo vs Sabian, you couldn't get Statlander, Skye, Willow, hell even the Outcast in that spot ? Where has Taya Valkyrie vanished btw ? I'm sure Mercedes and Giulia are salivating at the prospect of working there... Yup. Parasocial relationship with "stars" are bad enough, but with companies, now that's the most absurd effect of ultra-capitalism. Same thing goes for Apple (although maybe not so much now), Starbucks and the likes. People are just brainwashed. I gotta say I did not expect such an advance for the second All In, especially with prices that have been said to be higher. Although let's say they get 50.000, which would be great, and WWE zombies would call it a huge fail, so there's no way out of it with these people. 2001-2018 really has had a disastrous effect on US pro-wrestling.

When he's a 30 years old heel in the late 70's, saying shit like this doesn't matter. When he's a 75 years old creep who's been accused of sexual assault in a post #MeToo world, it does. The excuse of "But it's always been his character" doesn't fly for one split second. I would be baffled if Coach TK let this guy have a live mic again. He brings nothing to the product anyway (apart from being embarrassing). In much more positive news, Serena Deeb seems close to making a comeback, after a year of serious health issues (seizures). Meanwhile, is Thunder Rosa ever coming back ? Also, All In apparently sold 33.000 tickets after day 1. Well, I guess that bet is won again.

Damn, Zach Effron is already 36 years old. I saw that Maura Tierney is in the movie. Funny, Helen Solloway from The Affair (ya know, that show with an awesome first two seasons and a collapse as brutal as WCW in late 1999 afterward) in a pro-wrestling movie.

You're missing the point. MJF has not been accused of sexual assault in a documentary (and let's be real for a second now, that's not the only thing Flair has been accused of). Which of course means that Flair should not be on TV anyway, but him dropping that line, with no context of him being a performer anyway (not that it would make it less gross, let's be real) apart from just being side to side with Sting during his retirement tour, makes it a thousand times worse than anything that's been said in the context of fictional characters having issues with each others and talking shit about it.

At least they heard the backlash. There's a super obvious edit in the middle of Flair's promo. Kinda sucks that Sting's retirement tour is being stained by horny grandpa. Sometimes, the pleasure of watching pro-wrestling comes from the smallest things. During the 8-men between Dark Order & 2.0 and the Best Friend Extended, which is absolutely a match that happened, Danhausen at one point gets the purple hat from his tights and puts it on his head, and Wheeler Yuta on commentary goes "Come on, a foreign object !". Beautiful.

Yup. Teenage girls today are into K-pop and videos you have no idea about (and neither do I) on Tik-Tok. Not into 80's Texas rasslin'. It's like thinking 2023 Japanese teenage girls would automatically be into a Crush gals movie. Wrestling bubble + time capsule. The trailer makes it look like it will be one of those cleaned up version of history, like 99% of biopics are anyway. Lots of footage from a good ol' Texas family and not a whole lot about a bunch of womanizing coked up jocks who'll end up shooting themselves and bust their hearts on drugs. Hopefully it will not be too much of a revisionist history and mindless celebration of the legend, because the wrestling footage itself looks damn good. Yep. Plus AWA did not go from fucking hot to fucking dead in a heartbeat. It was already super soft and looked dated for a while by the time it got on life support. And yeah, Larry Z. and all.

Late WCCW is probably some of the worst shit I've ever seen. Even late AWA is less depressing. Hey, more corporate lay off in WWE offices. McKenzie Mitchell being one of the victims. No idea how she fared in NXT, but I remember her being kinda cool in IMPACT, and she sure had the look to get the big WWE contract. I wonder what's next for someone like her though now if she wants to remains in the pro-wrestling landscape. With Renee Paquette & Lexy Nair, AEW has it more than covered with the two best backstage interviews in eons and TNA has Gia Miller, who's really good too.

No one watched the old stuff on the Network. It's not worth the effort for them. (and yeah, I know, not *literally* no one) And really now, they are already making completely ridiculous bloodmoney and TV rights, why would they bother for some drops ?

I'm basically one of them, although a bit late to the party (I really did not get all of them completely before 2018). And I totally echo the sentiment, that's actually pretty much what I said earlier on. And yes, there definitely have been a switch of part of the audience, that goes back for a while now, with the current audience being more shared with WWE (and sounding more like a WWE audience too at times). Well, yeah, please do then. Just have him show up with a bouquet of flowers at Sting's retirement will absolutely do.

The same. Both. Although that says a lot when I have enjoyed Copeland's last two bits (the promo on Collision and now this entire angle, although obviously Cage was terrific too) and am actually sold on their match now, considering how much I disliked pretty much everything that led to it previously. Having in it happen in WWE territory (Montreal) is smart too. It's gonna be interesting to see how Copeland fits once the entire WWE-angle-that-never-took-place thingy is done. That's where the "jury's still out" part comes in. Well, that's true. And I guess them not going FOREVER before triggering Billie vs Athena is ok after all, considering some of the track record. Still, I do thing this is too early. Dynamite was excellent. That is all.

It just occurred to me that in two weeks, there's that Final Battle thingy, strictly on Honor Club. Nothing on the card yet. The ROH title is basically vacated and gonna be part of the Triple Crown. The Tag champs are MJF and Adam Cole, so let's say this is dead in the water. The TV title has been vacated. The 6-men are with Gates of Agony again, and the Pure title has gone back to Yuta since Shibata had to go back to Japan (maybe due to visa issue). Yeah, maybe it's time to wrap it up. Have Athena, who's been carrying this whole thing since day one anyway, main event against whomever they can dig up (and really I have no idea who that she has not already beat, and it's way too soon to have the break up with Billie), have her give a big speech afterward about how she carried this mofo, and is now relinquishing the ROH women title and challenges for Toni Storm at World's End (and wins, because as much as I like Toni Storm's goofy character, I'm not sure this is good for the World Title scene, and Athena is the best women performer they have and one of the best period in the company, there's no reason why she isn't all over Dynamite and Collision and PPV's). And let's end this ROH nonsense and refocus. Get the best of those on Rampage as a cool little C-show, and get done with it.

Yup. No way he's doing a job for Roman on his way to the White House. That would be bad booking.

I did not. If what I said about Punk made you so insecure about your own tastes (and really, people enjoy whatever the fuck they want) to the point the only "rebuke" you thought about was "oh... uh... you Kenny-brained frog", well, I guess the "fragile minds" does not apply just to Punk but some of his fanbase too, the parasocial aspect of it being quite fascinating. Oh anyway. Forget it.

Totally agree. Funny, Mox just did an interview where he just mentions that fact, that they should always keep themselves as the alternative. As far as QT leaving because of a change of direction, the kinda baffling thing is that he said it was going more toward NJPW style vs storyline. Wait, what ? They never seem to have ran more angle and WWE-style stuff than in the last 6 months. Also, the guy's aspiration is to be a wrestling star and not a coach. Well, good luck with that. Like I said, I enjoy the guy a lot in his various midcard roles, but he ain't gonna get much more than this in WWE, even as a Cody guy. Maybe TNA is the right place, but even there, they have this mentality now of mostly sticking with TNA originals and guy they really build up for years when they come from bigger places until they are seen as IMPACT/TNA people first and foremost (like Steve Maclin).

Xenophobic insult on the PWO board. So not only did CM Punk exposed himself as a complete sell-out by going back to the E, but you exposed yourself too with that one. Nice job. Clap clap clap.

That being said, it's not like Jay Strongbow would have made any friends anyway, considering what was said about him on pretty much every shoot interview by everyone ever.

And then pass it on to Swerve at Double or Nothing. Then to Ospreay at Wembley. There, Coach TK, I booked your main event scene for 2024.

Maybe it was on a later Collision then, all his promos then kinda blend. He sure said it on RAW, although that was right at the cam after the promo and not on the house mic (which is why I guess one could think it was a jab).

Didn't he use the exact same line, or something equivalent, during his Collision Big Comeback Speechtm too though ? I think there was something to that effect already back then.