El-P

Nothing will ever beat WCW "not being aware of what The Final Solution means" though. Ahhhh, WCW, how we miss ya all.

Holy fuck you can't make up shit like that ! Let's be real. The McMahons family, the entire family, are supporters of white supremacist Donald Trump, they are in business with a ruthless authoritarian theocracy. You tell me some far-right people would work for them ? No way ! Now, as to say some of this shit is conscious dog-whistling, I dunno, but it's pretty fucking embarrassing any way you wanna look at it.

This is not some random Youtube video by some schmuck. This is WWE. If you can't even check the sources of what you put in your WrestleMania promo videos, that's speaks highly of the actual level of professionalism going on here. (obviously this is not on purpose, just like the first new WALTER name was not on purpose. I mean, one should hope and plead stupidity) Then again, maybe Brian Kendrick just got an editor gig. (thankfully Dom was not working against "Iron Crosses everywhere" Triple H, because that would make the whole thing really fucking awkward )

News of the week : Vicki is a complete trash person. Shaul is not that much better apparently ("yeah, my sister was sexually abused BUT, and making this public is really bad for the Guerrero BRAND tm"). Force à la victime. Nice to see Chavo is supporting her.

Which will be the exact same as the RAW one, most probably, like they did a few months ago when Vince retired. "Everything is great, WWE Then Now Forever yaddi yaddi yadda". Or maybe...

Imagine that, being called shameless by the Auschwitz memorial.

FTR are staying. Jay White is in. Say no more, just a great episode for me for these two reasons alone. Three of my favorites workers in the world. First stadium show, in England ? Well, TK ain't playing. That was the most "very big" announcement of his big announcement (since the buying off ROH). Considering whatever mistakes and bump in the road happens on weekly TV, AEW is pretty much always slaying for its big show, this is sure very intriguing, because this is gonna be their biggest show ever, so it has to be on paper too basically. Will All In be their tentative at a Mania/WK ? Hopefully yeas, this builds to some inter-promotional stuff to help. Gawwwd the teasing is almost too much to handle. Hopefully Will is back this Summer and you know what re-match could happen at Wembley ? Omega vs Ospreay.

(Ok, I admit it, I kinda put it there knowingly it would trigger you) #NotAllBusinessLawyers

Sakura Genesis has an interesting series of big matches line-up. Okada vs Sanada we've seen before, but it's a "new" Sanada, maybe he'll approach his match with a different twist, although I highly doubt Okada is losing to him. But Takahashi vs Robbie Eagles, Bishamon vs Aussie Open and ZSJ vs Shota Umino are really excellent on paper and seem fresh, which has not been the case for a while in NJ. And then of course we have Mercedes debut in Japan against Hazuki and AZM, hopefully they get enough time, all three are terrific workers and I look forward to this one very much.

Creatively. And therefore, yes, in ratings and such. Financially they are idiot proof and have been for a long while now. Blood money on its own is enough to carry them for seemingly years and years. When you add the TV fees and Peacock overpaying, they could book Disco Inferno as WWE champ it would not hurt their money for years. The fact they are basically run by a giant sports agency now (sports agents are some of the worst parasite of society this side of business lawyers, insurance sellers and happiness managers), it will only get stronger.

This on the other hand, is quite heartwarming. (and yeah, I know some entitled little shits cookie getters already posted idiotic shit about it, but what are you gonna do, the only thing that matters is what those two said to *each other*, privately. No idea what that means for Tessa in term of pro-wrestling considering she had issues in every locker room she was, plus she's back to university anyway, but if at least she grew out of really shitty views or if it was just a misunderstanding, well that's good enough to rejoice either way, the less hatred the better)

I'm sure they already miss QR codes and Karrion Kross comebacks. All joke aside, Triple H's booking has been way overrated anyway. Vince is the one who set the most successful storylines in motion (and Heyman was credited for most of the Bloodline stuff) and the company got hot again during his watch, months before he was ousted. Trip streamlined the product and corrected many mistakes, but his qualities were vastly overstated anyway. It's easy to ignore it when the product was carried by two (even three in the last weeks leading to Mania with Dom vs Rey real getting momentum) super strong and heated feuds, but let's be real, Triple H is not, and never was, the "savior of WWE", much like his booking of NXT ended up being exposed after a while. I'm sure now every little positive thing will be credited to him while every bad stuff will be credited to Vince, but it's really akin to "Vince liked me, it's evil JJ Dillon, JR, Laurinatis who hated me" mentality in term of confirmation bias. As far as broader audience not sustaining their interest, well of course they probably won't. WWE snuffed their two hottest babyface in eons and missed their peak already. They have not learned a thing from Danielson nor CM Punk. Triple H was a lot better than late Vince overall, but he was still Triple H, the guy with the track record of the most boring, babyface killing mega-push of all-time. Pattern.

Vince being back in charge doesn't mean shit for the broader audience. No one cares about the ethical issues, as demonstrated by the (embarrassing) success of the Qatar World Cup or the Hogward Legacy game. And the casual viewer is not ingrained into "booking issues" like the hardcore niche is. It was the biggest and most seen Mania ever, it makes sense Raw drew a giant rating.

One very interesting thing Meltz said about the nature of the new company is that it will basically be a TV right's selling company. That may change a whole lot in the long-term in how things get approached. The feeling is the workers have just lost a whole lot of bargaining power in term of bidding wars and such, because the new machine won't need to sign everybody under the sun nor give ridiculous contracts. The morale plummeting in WWE because of Vince coming back is only the beginning. The first and main thing should be the ethical point, but I'm guessing no one really gives a fuck (and it's pretty sad, really), although there's no way most women, especially the younger ones (there's a generation gap in term of how they think about those matters, as demonstrated by what someone like Madusa said lately which really was quite cringe), can be happy about this. Then the booking/creative standpoint. Then the way the company will manage their talent.

I don't expect the same kinda collapse, especially since there's no such highs to collapse from, but when I stated before the fact this show had a very WM17 feel to it, I did not know how right I was.

Yeah, anything relating to women while trying to put the company over is utterly pathetic, really. "Hey, we're all working for a sexual predator who sexually harassed and assaulted several women and paid them off so they shut up, but look in the ring, two female wrestlers plus a female referee, wow, that's a Mania Moment tm, WWE is influencing the world !". This company is a complete trashfuck clown show and only getting worse with the merger in term of toxic culture.

Whatever happened to Bray Wyatt ? Where the fuck was LA Knight this week-end ? Will Endeavor fire Bruce Prichard's ass quick and dirty ? So many questions.... And when is Jay White debu... oh well Now that's an awesome news, because I love me some Jay White. Jay White vs Danielson... Jay White vs Omega... Jay White vs Mox... fuuuuck....

They are terrific. But I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy them, they've been X-division workers for years. High-flying, cool sequences and such. Both have been heels for a long time (Ace is quite the excellent douchebag), but right now as part of the Bullet Club they are more cool babyface style workers who "graduated" to winning the tag belts after their NJPW tour in the tag league last year. Yes, especially if they come as heelish outsiders trying to break them down, with Ace & Bey playing a more flying babyfaces role. And then, we can get FTR vs MCMG. Ok, I want FTR showing up in IMPACT now. Then again, after leaving WWE they were all about doing the round and even talked about wanting to face then IMPACT champs The North (Josh Alexander & Ethan Page), which would have been awesome, and they signed immediately with AEW, so...

I love FTR and don't want them to go somewhere I won't watch them, but I admit I would DIE LAUGHING if they lose and quit AEW with this timing. Although them doing the indy 'round and facing ABC (Ace & Bey) in IMPACT would be cool as hell. As far as TK's big announcement : "oh, well.... nevermind. Have you people watch RAW ? "

The opening speech by Triple H being immediately contradicted by EVERYTHING happening both in front of the screen and backstage is some of the most credibility killer stuff I've seen since, well, basically every declaration by each and every Macron's gouvernement members these last few months. Fuck, it's like Paul Lesveque just became an honorary member of LREM. Send Marlène Schiappa to Smackdown already, I mean, she's just in Playboy this week, that's very WWE Universe-like.

Fun fact, Roman Reigns is the guy with the most main event wins at Mania that left the crowd deflated (at best) : 32, 33, 34 and 39. That's what he's *actually* the GOAT at : making a sad crowd go back to their cars as quickly as possible as soon as his match ends. No one empties a depressed Mania crowd as fast as he does. When all is said and done, I don't think the Reigns years will be look at very favorably in the grand scheme of things if anyone looks at them *objectively*, despite the ongoing neverending simping for the privileged chosen one. The huge FOX TV right deals had more to do with Ronda Rousey & Lesnar, the ridiculously huge Saudi deals had more to do with Goldy or Taker (and the Ultimate Warrior and such). The product really only got hot again when the Bloodline angle involving that Sami guy really caught fire (and that Cody fellow jumped from that pissant company), he was outsold in merchandise by Bray Wyatt regularly. The guy never was John Cena, and of course let's not dwelve into the two biggest peaks of the promotion (Hogan, Austin/Rock). Most overrated mega-push of all time this side of, well, some Triple letter guy in the early to mid 00's. And his style of main events really is EVIL shit, now, with Solo as Dick Togo and the Usos as Takahashi & Sho. More of that for a year, because Endeavor is gonna want The Rock @ 40. "Let the story play out..."

WWE : Vince is only there for the sale, he won't be involved in creative People : that's right, look at the signs that Vince is actually not in control, Papa Trip is so great and Sami Zayn is the hottest babyface in years WWE : beats Sami Zayn in his hometown People : .... but it makes sense because Cody winning at Mania is actually the story, they have two insanely over babyfaces and Papa Trip is so great and really Vince was only visiting John Cena, no big deal WWE : beats Cody at Mania People : ..... but.... but it makes sense because... uh... the Bloodline storyline is the GOAT and it's gotta be Jey Uso's turn.... plus we trust Papa Trip, he said you gotta let the story play out and Vince is only there for the sale and actually everything is fine and... WWE : Vince is back in full control People : ..... but... uh... but... Cody : I will admit, the last two days have been at the same time repulsive and hilarious.

Waking up. Looking up the results. First thing red : Shane McMahon tore his quad. Then : Cody lost. Fucking LOL. I wish you all the best in your futur Endeavor (I know, I know, it was done a hundred time already) And by the way : meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Later'

Oh, I totally trust you on that one. Really, in the "real world", Vince would be considered with complete and utter disgust and contempt. It's amazing how much, for all its so-called pop culture glory, pro-wrestling is still completely under the radar. I wonder what will happen after his death, will the truths about him will finally be exposed once and for all with years of his "glory" now long gone ? Hopefully it happens sooner than later (I let you judge on what exactly I am referring to here )