El-P

I wonder if he got creative control on that one. Lance Storm with the usual based take (as they say) :

As we say in French "Trop long, pas lu". Plus he already was on my ignored list for a reason. Anywoo. If you think Def Rebel is shit (like everyone does), one reason is that it's been confirmed that they are actually using AI. https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/singer-ellie-price-finds-def-rebel-used-her-vocal-sample-for-fatal-influence-theme/ Because, of course. (and ironically enough, from the various awful themes I've heard in TNA from NXT people, Fatal Influence is probably the "better" one)

The funny thing is that, junior wrestling in Japan really has never been considered at the same level as heavyweights either, with a few exceptions, the original Tiger Mask being the biggest star this side of Inoki for a while. But even Liger, when he was at his peak, would almost never mix it up with the heavys and thus would never get the top spot in the promotion despite being one of its biggest star (and let us forget the disastrous short Liger "heavyweight" stint). Like Hiromu today, which I think is ridiculous and actively hurting NJPW today, this guy should be pushed ahead of any of the new generation heavies and be in the G1 (how's that for a fresh idea, uh ?), he's the closest thing to Naito they have still. With the style getting much more homogenized, the weight division difference feels like something of an outdated concept. A guy like Kosei Fujita is better than anyone from his generation, on every level. But being slotted as a junior prevents him from ever being a main event star unless he "graduates". The term itself tells everything you need to know. Makes no sense when really, El-Phantasmo is the exact same he was as a junior, for instance.

He's still able to get over, as showed on Collision, so everything is not yet lost. But they absolutely need to kick him to the curb in spectacular fashion. The issue being, it means Jericho has to come back... (which, of course he would have anyway)

205 Live baby. The X-division is basically what kept the tradition of WCW cruiserweight alive in the US. But it's not about weight limits, you see. It's about... no limit.

For sure. The mid to late 2010's were just insane. I'm sure there's plenty of quality wrestling and some great matches still (Takagi, Takeshita, ZSJ). Maybe I'll check it out a bit later once the tournament develop. I loved last year's so much with the ZSJ ascent.

Dunno if anyone is following G1, but after one week, I can't see much hype about it. Apparently it's not drawing good at all, which is not that surprising considering Goto as champ was the one carrying the last big shows and he's not there, Gabe Kidd being the new hot foreign star having to withdraw completely. The fact it's Tanahashi's last G1 is not enough apparently. Maybe it'll pick up in the last week if the stories are good but... I dunno, it's the first time in years I don't feel compelled to even cherry pick thus far.

I like Dustin as much as anyone, but yeah. Fletcher was supposed to win at All In. There's zero reason why he should not win against a 56 years old man when he's on the verge of being the next breakout main event star of the promotion. Dustin's win was a cool audible and feel-good moment for All In Texas. But it's time to get back on track. Hopefully with an interpromotional match for Forbidden Door ? (because thus far there isn't much talk about this aspect of the next PPV)

Considering they could not say nothing, the "tribute" to Hogan on Collision was the closest thing to the "Regal pays tribute to Benoit", just a bunch of facts and a focus on the family going through very difficult times (poor Brooke is carrying a whole lot of bagage), zero about the actual person. Schiavone was the right man to do it, it came off tasteful. It still looked awfully low-rent (although funny, which was very much Juice-like in a way) with Colten's tights over his dull black attire. He needs to find the right balance. He was at his worst during the early "Rock Hard" Bullet Club version that pretty much killed his entire charisma. He surely doesn't need to be a complete clown, but the look he came up with for his comeback was all wrong. Tremendous match against Big Bill and Keith though (who need to be pushed more). Lee Moriarty also needs to be pushed more. I'm glad he went so long and so competitive with Dustin. Gotta love Ishii being around and part of the most random matches. This is quite poetic for a guy who basically had his formative years in WAR. Talking about guys who need to be pushed more (well, some wins would be a start) : AR Fox is right there. He's basically where Komander was now. "Whose Mom ?" "Nick's mom !" The mom based chants are never gonna get old. Alex Windsor already showing why she was absolutely not a favor hire. I've seen her a bit on RevPro and NJPW Strong before. I really want her against the heavy hitters like Stat or Aminata. Or Bayne. Glad she's used that running Ligerbomb now, which looks a hundred times better than that crappy F5. And love that Athena is finally on regular AEW TV alongside Billie. Ya know, Toni will need to lose eventually... Athena getting the women's belts and after a while going to feud against Mercedes for a gazillions belts would be so much fun. Meanwhile, Toni can have a personal oriented major feud. Sometimes, the B show is just more fun than the A show.

Yet another great column : https://www.patreon.com/posts/134993051 (don't mind the patreon thingy, it's actually free to read)

Of course. My answer was obviously half-way in jest.

No one is dismissing Hogan's importance. it would be beyond stupid. But you can already hear the whole "Vince & Hogan turned smoke filled rooms into huge arenas and stadiums business" myth rearing its ugly head again. Hell, in the small article two days ago in (very respectable) French newspaper Liberation, you could read "Turned a carnival show into a worlwide business", because people who don't know anything about wrestling will just gobble the WWE narrative. As far as "the biggest pro-wrestling star ever", as a cultural figure, he was not. Santo, Rikidozan and Inoki where much more important to the actual culture of their countries. Is he the most important as far as North America and globalization ? Without a doubt. Did Vince's vision executed with Hogan changed pro-wrestling globally ? Without a doubt. But it's not like there weren't any huge stars before him. Gorgeous George says hello.

My answer : 'murica, fuck yeah ! Ya know, "bigger is better" mentality and such things. (the posterboy of it being, well, that Hogan guy in the 80's)

This, a 100 times. The whole "separate the art from the man" doesn't fly. It's the art that provides the man his economical and symbolic capital, his status in society, it's Hulk Hogan that makes Terry Bollea rich and influential to people. Plus, in the carny business of pro-wrestling based on the mix of fiction and reality, where people can't shake their character from their real life, the distinction is as wrong as ever. Like someone really famous said : that doesn't work for me, brutha.

No. I watched the show when Starks was there. Hell, I think I watch all the Powerr shows when they where showing on Youtube. Cooking. Riiiiiight. The NWA Powerr show was an overhyped cosplay show for retromaniacs with 3 minutes matches with a hype that lasted about as long as Cornette could refrain himself from making racist jokes. The studios formula was kinda fun for the promos. Which is why Starks looked better than he actually was in this setting too (see also : Nick Aldis, not to mention the completely useless Kamille who was exposed the second she had to do anything more than standing next to short talent). I totally forgot that Eddie was there though, but I totally remember the godawful Aaron Stevens and Question Mark shit. Mind you, when Starks got in this version of the NWA, he already had 7 years of experience behind him. He was not exactly a rookie either.

TNA paying hommage to Hogan with the sentence "His contributions to this company will never be forgotten" is the most involuntary comical stuff I've heard in the long time. 😂 And so yeah, TNA coming off that "record breaking" Slammiversary with a live Impact show should draw well and be something special right ? Guess what, darkened building that looks half-empty, tons of empty seats visible as soon as there is enough light around. Tepid crowds reaction for everyone except basically Trick Williams, Leon Slater (good for him, should be in AEW), the Hardies and the main event of Joe Hendry (who is as clumsy as ever and honestly looks like he's already way past his overness peak) and Mike Santana. Mara Sadè debuted to complete apathy. And if you don't know who she is either, it's the former Jakara Jackson, so yet another NXT reject getting signed by TNA so she may be able to get back on NXT TV eventually while being paid by another company (well, at least she seemed pretty decent or at the very least with potential, as opposed to Indi Hartwell). All in all, a complete dull-ass, nothing happening show. Carlos Silva is a regular Dixie Carter if he wants to go live 52 weeks a year producing that kinda stuff that makes MLW on Youtube look lively and thinks this can draw 500K viewers on TV. Not sure my morbid curiosity for 2025 TNA will sustain for vey long.

This is one hell of an obit : https://www.thenation.com/article/society/hulk-hogan-racist-liar-scab-obit/

What did he do ? Pro-wrestling existed and was big way before Hulk Hogan. So what did he do ? He was the piece of the puzzled that turned Vince McMahon's company into the big bad wolf of pro-wrestling, with a vision of what it's supposed to be that sucks. Thanks for fucking nothing. Did I discover pro-wrestling because WWF was on French TV ? Yes. Do I *owe* them the fact I'm a lifelong fan ? Fuck no. The thing is, I would have stumbled onto NJPW on Eurosport just a few years later, like I actually did. And considering how I was into Japanese shit at the time, because in France we had anime long before the US and especially since the late 80's, it's a given I would have been hooked by this version anyway. I also *never* was a fan of Hogan. Meaning, when I was 14 years old and was a WWF fan watching Superstars, would barely see him anyway (we're talking 1990, that's when I began watching). And when I finally did, although I loved to finally see the "big star", because at that age that's what you do, I'm sorry to say I thought he kinda sucked. I hated the whole jingoist shit already. I remember watching him beating Taker (which I was a HUGE fan of back then) in three minutes and hating it. Then I had to watch him have a shitty match with Sid at my first Mania after watching fucking Bret vs Roddy and Flair v Savage. Then I had to watch him come back in 93 and ya know what he did at Mania 9. That's my memories of the great Hulk Hogan as a teenager. So, he did jackshit, mostly, in term of personal enjoyment, during my formative years as a fan. I thought he was corny and kinda embarrassing, and his match sucked. That was my teenage take on Hulk Hogan. Wait until the day Vince croaks. Watch for the reactions *then*.

Jetspeed vs FTR fucked. Every week I realize that there's a new match-up with Speedball I want to see in AEW. Ditto Claudio vs Mark. Gotta love how they take advantage of the cool setting. Hopefully this tag tournament ends the Hurt Business's reign. Babyface turn already ? Not the worst idea either. MJF don't need them, really. Don't threaten me with a cash in. I can't. Keep that WWE gimmick out of AEW. Athena vs Toni Storm needs to be a real match. The Forbidden Door build is tricky since it's the G1 so any NJPW involvement is gonna be late, unless it's guys like Despe and Takahashi (and they should be involved).

On the wrestling side, the most hilarious cliché about Hogan was "He works technical in Japan", when he actually was doing one armbar spot in every match, always the same. The fact is he just worked against much better talents and could not just rely on a over-patterned shitty style for "USA USA!" chanting crowds. Hogan was the picture perfect star for the Reagan years : steroid enhanced body, greed is good mentality, praise US imperialism, puritanism and hypocrisy. You can find every bit of this in the "kayfabe" Hulk Hogan character and his wrestling style. A selfish shithead who just took advantage of his status disguised as a hero. Which is why the nWo days where my favorites (and the only time I actually enjoyed him as a performer, really), because that's actually who he was and what he stood for. In storyline, Bobby Heenan was right. He was an asshole, but he was upfront about it. Hogan was a fraud. A fraud in kayfabe, a fraud in life.

I mean, they don't celebrate on X ex Twitter apparently. But Nazi app users don't mind racism.

Getting experience and seasoning in Corgan's NWA ? Sure, he would have learned so much more than going to AEW. 🙃 The guy is just not that great.

Two threads, even for the Huckster, seems a bit much. Can't wait for the revisionist history and the crocodile tears though. Ya know it's gonna come. The irony is that he was last seen in WWE being booed out of the building, on January 6 no less. Whatcha gonna do about that, brutha ?

One of the biggest and most important figure ever (arguably the biggest and most important in US wrestling). Perfect flagship for the Regan era version of pro-wrestling. Average worker overpraised for basic shit. Terrible human being.