Matt D

Slater's probably the best part of 84 JCP, unless you're some goofball who would get a kick out of Dory in a mask.

I think recognizing, admitting, and understanding them is far more important than eliminating them, personally.

I don't want to rank things. Ranking things is such a headache and disc 1 is so full of matchlings and incomplete matches that have bursts of brilliance and one big dumb Ric Flair match (and another little dumb Ric Flair match where Dusty doesn't do anything special at all). I'll swallow the pill and do it but man this set is tough.

I do think I'm going to take a break from it, catch up on some of Flair's interviews, some of Jericho's, etc, on BTS, and then come back to it later. You're always behind and that's frustrating but I'd rather have too much stuff than too little. One of my favorite things about it is how Brian's part of the community but he's from a different area of it, a little more inside, from that 90s indy subsection, whereas Bix (and Kris) are firmly part of that DVDVR "school." It gives a different viewpoint and was one reason he and Bix balance each other so well.

I figured they'd at least talk about him aping the Gullen accent.

I could see them blowing Kendrick vs TJ off over a few week span (starting with the PPV) as a way to launch the brand and help establish TJ, because they really want to move him over to SD, but then I think we want him on SD far more than they do.

That was a slightly unique situation where they had to cover for the Orton injury among other things.

Finally made it up to this point and through it. I can get through about 1.5 of these podcasts a week so it took me a while. What's amazing is that the interview actually lived up to the wildest expectations. There was almost no way that it realistically could have, but it did. And those Bobby Simmons interviews are just amazing too. I want to take a break from these for a while, but on the other hand, I kind of want to make it to the point where the Broken Matt stuff starts and see how Brian and Bix react to it.

How much were the Fabs a draw on their own and how much of it was having Heenan as a foil?

Martel (84) and Slaughter (85-86) would be the only candidates, right? Were the Fabs more of a draw in 84 than Martel?

I would stress that again. It's non-traditional. It's there to establish a character, to hammer home Roode's new persona, to set things up for the future, to give the babyface the moral high ground for the chase. It's a hard match to compare against more traditional stories. I really wonder about why they chose an Ironman match for this. It's making life way too hard for themselves. I think they could have used the time a little bit better. Roode wasn't dynamic. He had performance issues, but I think he deserves a lot of credit for staying on focus. He hit his marks. Maybe someone else could have done it more dynamically, but the match never lost its narrative thread. I also want to stress again that they got a bullshit chant due to a cheating pinfall in the middle of an ironman match (so it wasn't even the final finish) in 2011, in front of a sort of smarky crowd. Not because THEY PUT THAT GUY OVER! but because a heel cheated against a babyface who was outwrestling him. For all of the general deadness of the crowd, that is hugely impressive. You can't sleep on that. It's a great thought experiment and a great way to get heat on Roode and make Styles look strong, both in losing and in chasing. It's a match that was meant to set up a drawing run. That's what wrestling is all about. It doesn't have to be either/or, of course. I think it's more entertaining than people are giving it credit for, but they did probably screw up the last couple of minutes for that last sense of drama. They could have set up Roode running away better. In part, that was the point though. It was about Roode running away and killing the drama. A wrestler isn't supposed to do that. He's not supposed to be able to run out the clock like that. It makes the fans feel robbed in a way where the heat is on the heel, not on the company. Yeah, I'm more than okay with this. Entertaining doesn't trump effective. (Though ideally something is both, but Styles made it entertaining, just not as much so as it could have been).

I'm doing this Sleaze Style of Train of Thought. So the story is that Roode got a haircut and became champ. His presentation is so methodological in the worst way. The voiceover guy is crap too. Oh, cool, they got his dad and mom to say something though. "Why is daddy cheating?" That's great. So is his dad's mustache. They need to use him in WWE as his corner man. Though, this is TNA so he could be an actor. So, they're doing an Ironman match for no reason? That's what this promo package is telling me. "He's a douchebag, so let's do an ironman match to punish you!" Maybe there's an actual story reason to do this but the video package sure didn't tell me. TNA is so dumb. Hey, Styles doesn't have the moron gloves yet. This is already better than I was expecting. Sting's in chrage? Couldn't I have gotten a Sting promo too? He made the match and he wasn't in the video package at all. Dixie sure was though. Tazz? I love the fact that Parv is using 2001 Tazz, fully developed in his fanfiction project set in 1991, when he was, at best, the Tasmaniac and not speaking English. Madness. Sorry, distracted. Roode is walking out. I thought he had a haircut? It's grown back already? This isn't Glorious. That's literally the biggest draw for me going to NXT live in Baltimore next month. GLORIOUS. God Borash's eyes are so creepy. He's the Peter Lorre of wrestling announcing. Brian Hebner's head is too thin too. I liked how Styles spread his arms out as each part of his name was announced, but his wingspan couldn't last to the Styles. Presentation-wise, Roode is such a poor man's HHH. I'd be worried if I was whoever Hunter's current Chosen One on Raw was. Oh, thanks Tenay. The worst thing he did was spit on Dixie. Of course it was. Alright, let's get to this already. I've got 30 minutes? God Marty. Sliding about, waist lock, playing with the fingers. There's a sense of struggle here early with this feeling out. Drop toehold, and Styles sells the leg on it. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone sell a leg like that on a drop toe hold. I liked that. I'm not calling everything. Roode's working a headlock well though. That's an ok way to start this. Roode will seem in control and AJ will outwrestle him. I like Roode doing jumping jacks. So far he seems like he's not hesitant or overthinking his character. Great, back to the headlock. I was worried he'd start doing something else. They've got 30 minutes to kill. This is a good way to do it. AJ should get floored again here as they go out of this, and then Roode should get him back in and then the third time AJ can... ok, AJ has the headlock on himself. Fine, just skip time-tested stuff that works. Whatever. That aside, they're working this well. I think there really should have been a moment of transition where AJ took over the headlock and showed Roode up that didn't happen. It hurts. Now we're into the shine where he's got the headlock on himself. Parallel spot where he gets the shoulder block. Three of them. Three is good. There's a rule of three. And at the ~5 minute mark, Roode goes down to the floor. A bit of stalling. He should have probably done more. The clock is the enemy here to some degree. Instead, we get a tease at heat with him being underhanded with the unclean break in the corner. This leads to the chops and the story that Roode went to the cheap-cheaty-ness too early and paying for it. It's all mind games though as after the back body drop, he lands an eye poke on an enraged AJ and tosses him out. This would have been a great moment for King of the Mountain. Instead, they have it come to naught again, with AJ reversing the shot to the guardrail and staying on him. This all feels just a little meandering to me. Roode nails him on the way in and they basically go three times before Roode can take over, only doing it once he starts on the leg. It was maybe a little much. I get the story is that Roode is the being underhanded but... wait, that hope spot from AJ had AJ landing right on the leg that Roode had targeted a second ago so that they can go into a bunch of two count roll ups? Really? And then towards the end of it, AJ starts selling again for no reason? This is not a clean narrative. And at the end of it, with AJ selling on offense (which I generally like), he ends with a babyface chinlock into a headlock. I'm ten in and while there are things to like, I'm still iffy. That doesn't mean they can't turn it around. AJ's selling is progressive and that's good. It's more and more each time he lands on the leg and Roode keeps going to it. A lot of times the destination makes the journey make more sense. That's the problem in watching a match like this. And here it ended with AJ continuing to try stupid things that put pressure on his leg, selling more and more, and Roode taking it out on the ropes for a cheap pin. That worked, but then AJ's right back on top, not inorganically, as Roode went for the leg and AJ out wrestled him to stay in control, but sometimes logic isn't the cleanest/best story. I think the story here IS mainly consistent. Roode took back over by raking the eyes again. He's so consistently cheap and cheating, using that as bridges to go back to the leg which he can't get over on through his skills alone (because AJ is so good). Anyway, I think we're finally into some real heat, about 1/3rd the way in, which feels somewhat appropriate. Let's hope AJ's hope spots are just that, even if he sneaks a pin out of it. He had a hope spot, but Roode cut it off with a kick. Disappointing he didn't use the leg to cut him off. The next hope spot came a little quick but he DID use the leg to cut him off that time. And again, maybe that's because he didn't use the leg for the first cut off; maybe that let AJ come back again so quickly. It all does feel consistent. The next hope spot/fight back came a little too quick again,but AJ was selling the leg heavily. Again, my hope is that they're building to longer lengths of heat each time as a way to carry the time. Alright, now we're at the halfway mark and the heat is really on with submissions, first the crab, and then the figure four. Not the world's best figure four. AJ tapped and Tazz points out that he should have done it already. Good point but probably doesn't help the babyface. Very monsoony. 2-0. Heat sticks on. Roode takes his time, goes after the leg still. Kick, Chop Block, plays to the crowd. Good use of negative space here. AJ's selling well, writhing around the ring. Annoyingly slow figure four attempt. Seemed like ineptitude, not arrogance, and he got tossed off. Roode's selling the shoulder. And, oh, that's cute, AJ's jumping arm breaker. Great Equalizer, Crossface. He probably should have gone with some arm move which wasn't leg-related, though he does sell his after the fact. 2-1. Duel Limb Selling is one of my favorite stories in wrestling. AJ's doing a great job selling as he attacks. I don't think his holds look all that great though, and not due to the selling. Kind of weird. Roode's back to the leg too soon. He should be showing ass more here, even if AJ is ultimately in charge. This went back to even too early. I think they have to go to spots in the next ten minutes. Too much so. We'll see. Styles stays in control. Roode tries the eyepoke again but no. AJ's ignoring his selling to lean into spots, which is the world we live in now. Cradle out of nowhere after one of those Roode spots for 3. This bit with the arm should have lasted longer. Now we're going into the last ten minutes at 2-2 and obviously this is going to be even. That said, it's fun stuff, with both guys hitting at each other's weak point. Ok. Here comes the moves. Roode spinebuster first though he sells the arm afterwards. I think they could have gotten here a little bit better, but I'm not upset where they are now. They don't go to moves. That's a surprise. They go to Roode going for the leg again but Styles being able to stop him. That's not a bad story for this point of the match. That Styles catapult to the second, landing on one leg, and bounding back with the death drop was actually beautiful. Then the springboard 450 that costs him to get the pin. 3-2. That felt like the inversion of when Rude got himself DQ'd in 92 to do more damage. It's the babyface version. Hurt yourself to get the pin. Very much in character. AJ's selling hasn't been perfect here but it's still very good and conscientious. A minute later and the 450 didn't hurt Styles nearly as much as it should have. Roode had a few temporary advantages but Styles was able to get out of things still. It ended with Roode holding the rope for a pin though and the crowd chants bullshit because the heel cheated, which was nice. That PROBABLY wouldn't have worked if he had earned that pinfall more because Styles was weaker, so I guess what they did worked. It just feels slightly off. 3-3. AJ has some righteous fury at the 4 minute mark for how Roode pinned him. He goes for the superplex, gets shrugged off, and then runs up for an arm drag. I swear I saw Octagon and Fuerza do that better today in their 60s. AJ is definitely better at selling than Roode. Pele kick feels like a bit moment of babyface fury. I love how AJ sold the knee buckling on the Clash attempt. It looked completely unreal and unexpected but in the best way. It was visually better than what a real buckle would look like. And then Roode rolls out to regroup and AJ follows it up with a flip dive? That's an odd creative choice. (Edit: The story there was that Styles was courageous and just wanted to take it to Roode no matter the cost and Roode was chickenshit. Still, it's a leap, literally). 17 seconds left and Roode just runs out. He's going to run the clock out and AJ can't get him due to the hurt leg, which is such a logical finish but one you never see. If you buy into the overarching story that AJ is so kayfabe better than Roode that Roode has to not just capitalize on the injury but cheat too to get him this works. Alright, yeah, from a narrative point of view, I was into the match. Everything that I DIDN'T like about this, save for the fact I thought Styles should have worked on the arm longer when he first came back, was done the way it was done to get across Roode's character as being weak and cheap and cowardly and vulnerable while making AJ look like a massive world beater ace in defeat. It was hugely effective in that regard, and at the same time, AJ's performance was nuanced enough with such attention to selling at almost every point, that the finish seemed believable. Without that, AJ would have come off looking foolish or week. Instead, he came off as all the stronger. If there was five more minutes, you had the sense that he would have absolutely won. Total commitment to character here, maybe even at the cost of traditional star rating "points" for something far more important. Significant purpose-driven match as opposed to one that is, on paper, set up to be "an all time classic." But it did what it was supposed to do (which given the setting, the people involved, and the task at hand was actually very challenging with a big potential payoff down the road, even if TNA could never capitalize on anything) extremely well and that's hugely important to me. I'm closer to Marty than Parv on this one actually.

Goddammit. TNA. I'll see what I can do.

What the hell is a Zeebedee? Is it like this?

goc, Can you prioritize the Gino vs Slater match to make a few gifs out of it. There's some absolute gold in there (the transition to heat and Tully's mocking afterwards, other stuff).

I think it has to be viewed as a positive for the WON HOF, because it's made the world better for the WON constituency. I'm just not sure it made things better in general.

To play devil's advocate and potentially reference a monkey's paw, this is "Positive Impact?" Purely asking.

Drawing is quantifiable at least to some degree. I think that's why.

For people curious about seeing Steamboat vs Fuller and Steamboat vs Borne from 90 but don't have a yearbook, this went up a few days ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R1sunBbiA4

If it makes everything more of a success in the end I'm OK with some waiting. That said, I certainly would not be against you sharing one of those teaser lists next time you hear back from the converters.

I'm all for young GOTNW backpacking through Mongolia and keeping a blog of the wrestling he sees.

It wasn't at all how I thought he'd work Atlas. Really interesting match. Just another piece of the puzzle. I'll do a full write up when I can. In the meantime, keep the matches coming, guys!

I'm not saying that Perkins doesn't have a good story, but they certainly didn't do nearly as good a job presenting it, executing it, and capitalizing on it as they did other people in the tournament. I'm not sure if that's because he wasn't originally the guy they thought they'd be going with or what.