El-P

They're working a xenophobic Brexit angle, hopefully. Damn those racists coming out of the woods seemingly everywhere in Europe now.

They should just get ADR back and make him & Paige a heel couple. Play on the pro-wrestling heritage, the age difference and the sex & drug attitude and shit. They money.

Day 17 - A-Block. Kokugikan ! SANADA vs. Tenzan So, is that gonna be Tenzan's last G1 match ever ? Probably, also he showed he had still enough in the tank to have a bunch of good matches. This was no different, with SANADA showing good fire. Still, Tenzan's booking was puzzling at best. What was the point of him flopping that badly ? Makabe. Vs Ishii Makabe has the worst Vader-like forearm shots, just floating over Ishii's head. Apart from this, it was two bull going at each other, and it was a spectacle it should be. Ishii's so good. I've really come to terms with him not being a simple one-trick poney. Best Makabe match of the G1 probably. Fale vs. Tonga Tonga's story in the G1 is most compelling than Tenzan's, especially since it looked like actually improved along the way. This was a good match, with nice Bullet Club hierarchy bullshit at the beginning. Tama playing babyface against monster Fale kinda reveals himself better in that role too. Tama grew on me and the win worked very well there. Goto vs. Marufuji A bomb throwing exchange, with Maru looking superior to the energetic samurai warrior, working from underneath to maybe qualify himself for the final. highspot based match, and Maru looked amazing most of the way here, with some really nifty stuff. Say it again, he's been the best and most compelling "creative" worker post 00's. Excellent match. Tanahashi vs Okada Great beginnings with Tana being a dick to somewhat heel (I guess) Okada. This is the ultimate japanese blowjob match. Okay, so they go long. Nice focused, repeated attack on the knee by Tanahashi, which wasn't sold the best by Okada, especially after Tana always went back to it with some brutal looking stuff. Still, built to one hell of a match, but Okada was too short on selling to me to get above excellent-to-great match, which is earned a good part thanks to the drama during the finishing stretch and some legit great moments (Tana has the knack for making them happen). Tanahashi is still a great fucking worker despite some execution issues. Okada can work great matches, but I would not call him a regular great worker, from what I've seen on this G1. One hell of a first Kokugikan show, with a fun undercard too.

Beckett is just as fun when I read it. I've seen Cap au Pire on stage though, it was insane.

And ? That's the only worthy purpose. I love Beckett. I couldn't give a flying fuck he was a Nobel prize.

The Nobel prize is politic if anything else. Because really, art doesn't need prizes at all. And to give a Syrian poet the Nobel right now would have been, if anything else, a signal or sorts. Maybe put back some focus on what's *still* happening in Syria while the world doesn't give a fuck anymore, unless it is to close the frontiers because to hell with refugees. But oh well. I have nothing against Bob Dylan, really. It's just that, like you say, they can give it every year. They can give it to Dylan if they please some other time. Now ? This leaves kind of a sour taste. As a non-fan especially. Now, I understand why fans would be delighted.

I won't do a 14 years Highway to Hell thread, I warn you. I already gave up after I reached the end of the weekly PPV's era.

How is fucking Bob Dylan relevant in 2016, no matter how great you think he is (which is heavily subjective), when on the other side you got a Syrian poet who is considered as the greatest Arabic poet today, who tangles with issues like Islam and violence, the arabic revolutions and such while, if you believe the specialists, bringing news forms in the entire field of arabic poetry. Times, they are a-changing, ya know. But anyway. Such goes the world. Star Power, as Sonic Youth would say.

Damn. I was pretty much saying the same thing five years ago, only in a more assholish way. At least I've been pretty consistent on this one.

"Storytelling" is the most overrated aspect of pro-wrestling criticism. Really, those guys don't tell very complicated stories, and not a whole lot different stories either. Time to dig up that quote about luchadors not doing anything that old grandma at ringside couldn't grasp from the get to.

Yeah, Bob Dylan is really relevant in 2016. Meanwhile, current Syrian poet Adonis, and I mean *current* in every sense of the word, doesn't get it ? Really ? It's somewhat a travesty actually. But whatever. I mean Obama got the Nobel prize in 2009, so it really means shit. Except some would benefit more from the worldwide media attention (not to mention not being washed up rock'n roll glories from 40 years ago). Senile gibberish hippies indeed, all respect due to Mr Zimmerman. Yeah, whatever.

Wait. What ? Mickie James ? That certainly is appealing to me.

Wow. And Dixie Carter will leave one hell of a legacy too.

Shoot-style, obviously.

A Block B Block MOTYC Ishii vs. Okada ****+ as they say Marufuji vs. Tanahashi Elgin vs. Naito Naito vs. Shibata Honma vs. Naito Naito vs. Nakajima YOSHI-HASHI vs Naito Quite excellent SANADA vs. Tanahashi Nakajima vs. Shibata Okada vs. Marufuji Nakajima vs. Nagata SANADA vs. Okada Shibata vs. Omega Tenzan vs. Marufuji Ishii vs. Marufuji Tanahashi vs Goto Ishii vs. Tanahashi Damn fine Tenzan vs. Ishii Nagata vs. Naito Fale vs. Goto Shibata vs. Honma Ishii vs. Goto YOSHI-HASHI vs. Honma Fale vs. Marufuji Omega vs. Yano Goto vs. Okada YOSHI-HASHI vs. Nagata Fale vs. Tanahashi EVIL vs. Nakajima Tenzan vs Okada EVIL vs. YOSHI-HASHI Tenzan vs. Goto Nakajima vs. YOSHI-HASHI Ishii vs SANADA YOSHI-HASHI vs. Elgin Goto vs Makabe Nakajima vs. Honma EVIL vs. Naito Shibata vs Nagata Good it is indeed Makabe vs. Tenzan Omega vs. YOSHI-HASHI Tonga vs Ishii Elgin vs. EVIL Makabe vs Marufuji Honma vs. Omega Naomichi Marufuji vs. SANADA Shibata vs. Elgin Okada vs. Makabe Omega vs. Elgin Tonga vs. SANADA Omega vs. EVIL Fale vs. Makabe Honma vs. EVIL Tanahashi vs Tenzan Shibata vs. YOSHI-HASHI Okada vs Fale Nagata vs. Omega Omega vs Nakajima Honma vs Elgin Unoffensive Makabe vs. Tanahashi Yano vs. Nakajima Ishii vs. Fale EVIL vs. Nagata SANADA vs. Makabe Naito vs. Yano Tonga vs. Tanahashi Honma vs. Yano SANADA vs. Goto Shibata vs. Yano Okada vs. Tonga Yano vs. Nagata Tonga vs. Goto Yano vs. Elgin Marufuji vs Tonga EVIL vs Yano Not good Makabe vs. Tonga Nagata vs. Elgin Tenzan vs Tonga SANADA vs Fale Fale vs. Tenzan

DAY 16 - BBLOCK Omega vs Nakajima Is it me or are they rushing Omega to the top already ? Seemed kinda rushed as a match too, with Nakajima seemingly out of fuel against goofy Omega. Good match, but at this point I kinda expected better. EVIL vs Yano Funny, Yano does look like he can win at any time, in an sleaze-bag Yoshi Ogawa way. Short. Non offensive. Kinda funny. The usual Yano deal. YOSHI-HASHI vs Naito An escalation match in that first, you go, this is very good. Then minutes are passing and you think, it's actually excellent. And before it ends, you're like, great match. Naito goes after YH's injured shoulder for a while, which is a nice change from the usual knee attack. YH really grew on me despite some of his offense, I do enjoy the stiffness. And he comes very very close to winning that one before eventually falling down to the master. That Naito is a piece of work. Shibata vs Nagata Old kicks vs Now kicks. Perfect pairing. Nagata is grumpy and doesn't shy away from zeroing on the bad shoulder. This is crisp, doesn't get goofy (always a risk with Nagata) and really gets focused on the kicking and shoot-style attacks of both men, including some neat mirror spots. Very good match. Honma vs Elgin Totally srpint style. Would be perfectly nice for ten minutes or so, but it kinda goes on forever without building to anything. And Elgin rushed through dangerous spots like they are bodyslams, a typical terrible indy mentality. Honma doesn't reign him in, so it never goes beyond good, it's an inflated match without direction and too much kick-outs. Proof ? The ending seemed like a relief and not very climatic. Elgin has lots of potential, but can get silly quite easily. Finally, the road to Kokugikan is over. Quite the ride with a bunch of great matches and tons of good stuff. Still, it feels like it's way too long.

Holy shit : http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2016/10/FERNANDEZ/56422 I haven't read it yet, but this is pretty amazing. Le Monde Diplomatique is like the best, most detailed newspaper in France, it's only monthly and it goes pretty deep into issues (and it's the only real intellectual, left wing newspaper too). One page on lucha libre and as always, it seems pretty well documented and has something to say about the americanization of lucha since the inception of AAA. I love that newspaper.

DAY Fifteeeeeeeeen. ABLOCK This stuff is officially running way too looooong. Kokugikan already. Marufuji vs Tonga Maru is awfully nice to Tonga. Maybe he fears him like he's his father. No stiff chops. Nice running around action. Quickness and shit, that was smart on Fuji's part, as it's Tama's strong point. Falls apart at the end though with some blown spots. Pretty good overall. Ishii vs SANADA Maybe SANADA is just miscasted as a heel. Ishii seems motivated again, which puts some fire under SANADA's. Bull vs dickhead. Although SANADA isn't enough of a dickhead. Nice work. Looks painfull. Some no-selling, fighting spirit style. Ok, this is very good and spirited, with SANADA pulling a nice upset. Tanahashi vs Tenzan Holy shit, Tanahashi is being a prick to Tenzan and actually gets booed. This guy really is the master, although he looks banged up on offense at points. Something his kinda lost with Tenzan at this point, although it's a good match, but there's no way Tenzan was winning. Well, ride in the sunset already, bull man. Okada vs Fale Ok, so Okada knows how to work with Fale. Builds to the good old bodyslam, like it's WWF in 1987, and it's really good. Damn, Okada is pretty giving to Fale, working a legit false finish and WHAT THE ??? Now this is one upset I could live without, as it kinda stains the huge Ishii win to me. Fale is a pretty good big man, but the IWGP champ, really ? Still, good match, efficiently worked. Goto vs Makabe Goto the young samurai warrior is making old scared up brawler Makabe the underdog. Interesting. Work is stiff and crowd pushes Makabe. This is Makabe's best match of the G1, and Goto's effort strongly indicates he's going far. Yep, this was impressive on both part, with some huge bombs. I still love the Spider Suplex. Very very good. Well, not bad for the last non-Kokugikan show of the A-Block. Tenzan should have received more though, and Fale got way too much for my taste. You could feel Goto's momentum in the main, which was nice.

Oh for fuck's sake. A losing streek. The "If I don't win this one I retire". The babyface getting the very last chance at getting the title against a heel that screwed him before. Title in line. Have you seen Rocky ? Plus, I'm not even saying this as a criticism, it would have made no sense whatsoever to have Dolph lose. Well, of course personally I'd rather have the Miz keep the title, but that's beside the point. It was obvious because it's the oldest story in pro-wrestling. That's why it also worked like a charm and stole the show. Well, there was no competition, but it was legit very good.

I guess no one watched that PPV anyway. Not a big loss apparently. That Triple Threat match was the usual clusterfucky business with cutesy spots galore. Waste of time. Tag team match was just there. The heel Usos are losing steam already. What the fuck was that outfit ? Mis vs Dolph was really good, but they did lost me at the very end, with the boot spot followed by the fucking Spirit Squad. And one finisher kick out too much too. This was lame, as was the finish, but the again most of Ziggler's offense looks like sloppy shit anyway. Overbooked finish aside, this was building into a very good and super heated match, with Miz clearly directing traffic again. Maryse reminded me again that being a valet is a lost art, she barely does anything except her two token spots, so she's just a body that's just there. And it's not like they do eye candy cam shots either, so. Did anyone really think Dolph was gonna, gasp, lose ? I mean really ? Of course he was winning that one. That's the most basic pro-wrestling story. The last match looked awful indeed, but I am not wasting my time with Orton & Bray, two black hole against each other. The women matches, well… Becky Lynch was missed. And Carmella was at her best doing goofy stuff with Enzo & Cass. One match show.

Basically they finally figured out that their future was the indies. But yeah, seems pretty unreal to be honest.

That's what Twitter does to one.

A Block B Block MOTYC Ishii vs. Okada ****+ as they say Marufuji vs. Tanahashi Elgin vs. Naito Naito vs. Shibata Honma vs. Naito Naito vs. Nakajima Quite excellent SANADA vs. Tanahashi Nakajima vs. Shibata Okada vs. Marufuji Nakajima vs. Nagata SANADA vs. Okada Shibata vs. Omega Tenzan vs. Marufuji Ishii vs. Marufuji Tanahashi vs Goto Ishii vs. Tanahashi Damn fine Tenzan vs. Ishii Nagata vs. Naito Fale vs. Goto Shibata vs. Honma Ishii vs. Goto YOSHI-HASHI vs. Honma Fale vs. Marufuji Omega vs. Yano Goto vs. Okada YOSHI-HASHI vs. Nagata Fale vs. Tanahashi EVIL vs. Nakajima Tenzan vs Okada EVIL vs. YOSHI-HASHI Tenzan vs. Goto Nakajima vs. YOSHI-HASHI YOSHI-HASHI vs. Elgin Nakajima vs. Honma EVIL vs. Naito Good it is indeed Makabe vs. Tenzan Omega vs. YOSHI-HASHI Tonga vs Ishii Elgin vs. EVIL Makabe vs Marufuji Honma vs. Omega Naomichi Marufuji vs. SANADA Shibata vs. Elgin Okada vs. Makabe Omega vs. Elgin Tonga vs. SANADA Omega vs. EVIL Fale vs. Makabe Honma vs. EVIL Shibata vs. YOSHI-HASHI Nagata vs. Omega Unoffensive Makabe vs. Tanahashi Yano vs. Nakajima Ishii vs. Fale EVIL vs. Nagata SANADA vs. Makabe Naito vs. Yano Tonga vs. Tanahashi Honma vs. Yano SANADA vs. Goto Shibata vs. Yano Okada vs. Tonga Yano vs. Nagata Tonga vs. Goto Yano vs. Elgin Not good Makabe vs. Tonga Nagata vs. Elgin Tenzan vs Tonga SANADA vs Fale Fale vs. Tenzan

THANKS FOR THE ANSWER !!! Well, it had all the aura of a huge win. D14. BBlock Yano vs. Elgin Elgin apparently knows how to work the ga-ga too. Which is fun. There's something unsettling about Yano's demeanor. This guy is more creepy than funny. Or maybe he's freepny. He's an odd cat, but he can work comedy around anyone, with some good actual serious work, and it makes his character a spoiler of sorts. I like the fact his bullshits get him wins. Upper tier of Yanoism. Shibata vs. YOSHI-HASHI They go straight into sprint mode. Nice work, kinda auto-pilot though, not much in term of dynamic established here, and YH doesn't work as an underdog. If anything, it's Shibata who looks banged up. Good stuff. Small town match. Nakajima vs. Honma Small town or not, Hona is fucking over everywhere. Nakajima really grew into a dick more and more as the G1 progressed, and it shwoed a bit here too. Good, stiff back and forth action, the kind that doesn't dive too deep but sure delivers in term of building an exciting match. Very good. Nagata vs. Omega Omega is kinda Dick Muroch. He's half masterworker, half goof-on-coke. Nagata looks kinda old at points here. Shaky selling, by that he barely shakes his worked-on legs while on offense. Enjoying the fact Omega is going for the Nagata lock on Nagata, that's a true dick move. Finishing stretch had some goofy no-selling, not surprising considering those two, but it was still quite a good match overall, despite the kinda thrown together structure. EVIL vs. Naito Another stable member vs aniki match. They don't care about that fact apparently, busting each other without remorse. Naito makes the usually always true heel EVIL look like an underdog here, with the crowd behind him. Hell, EVIL comes close to pack it up I'd argue they played a bit too much equal by the end, Naito should have won easier than this, but it sure made EVIL look strong in the end. Very good match, probably EVIL's best. Small town show with some routine work, but enough good stuff.

I'm gonna finish this if that's the last thing I do here. Day 13 A-Block Tonga vs. SANADA What the hell happened here ? This is actually a good match ! And Tama is more than game. Finally he puts together something playing into his strenghts (the fakes and quick counters). SANADA was also on fire. In a way, Tama is totally ready for WWE. But then again, since he's using the RKO, not really. Fale vs. Makabe Doesn't work on paper. Works in actuality. Two big, lumbering bull charging into each others until one finally falls on the ground. Rather stiff, big man wrestling. Fale's finisher is still lame though. Good stuff again when it shouldn't have been. Tenzan vs. Goto So, Goto effectively killed Tenzan's G1. And it felt like it too. Great sense of a very last ride from Tenzan, and what is probably his best match of the G1. This was the most purposefull Goto ever looked too. Very very good stuff. Ishii vs. Okada MOTYC. MOTY maybe. Ishii pulling out all the stops, right from the get-go, to upset his boss and IWGP champion. Both are great here, but Ishii was the best. The chop during Okada's little Rockyesque routine was so cool. Well, he did got up a bit early after that outside DDT, but still, his selling and facials made it believable. Terrific work. Is that Ishii's biggest victory ever ? (I know, no one is gonna answer me) Marufuji vs. Tanahashi They had no chance of following the previous match at the same pace, so they didn't even try. Smart approach. And they still built into a great match. Maru really went from a running around high flyer to a guy who's chopping his opponent's chests into raw meat. Must be a pain to take those chops, some of the most brutal ever, really. Tana is still the Ace, it's obvious. Damn. That show. Two matches that overdelivered, the best Tenzan match of the tournament with an emotional response, and two great matches. The A Block was getting murdered by the B Block until then, but this changes the balance. Right pairings in the final two matches helped a lot I guess.