Matt D

I do find it interesting that there is very little discussion of the individual aspects Roman brings to these matches to help make them great, especially when it comes to looking for patterns from match to match.

Lucha Underground and The Ultimate Fighter both count, and TUF has won. Would Breaking Ground count?

Does Lucha Underground count?

Made it up to this one. In the Hayes interview he outright said he was going to MSG. Not sure if that's referenced later by it plays into the questions about David Wolff. Also, the Hayes vs Williams NWAOnDemand cage match is that great match/performance that was missing from the talk/reevaluation of him. I feel like that this is a skeleton key to his heat seeking ability in ring. Curious if that moved the needle.

I hit the five minute mark on this and was a little worried. Yes, they were chopping the hell out of each other. Yes, they were headbutting one another like billygoats without any abandon. Yes, there was just the tiniest sign of working that made this art and not idiocy of two people hitting each other as hard as they could, like Terry getting rammed into the corner, but I was worried this was going to be one of those matches where two guys kill each other and there's simply nothing to latch on to, a gritty realism and violence, but no narrative, no story, no heart. There's a place for senseless violence, but I so much prefer sensible violence. Then they got in the ring and I had nothing to worry about, because Black Terry, just by the nature of who and what he really is, due to the nature of the limitations of his age and the endless skill that he's garnered over the years, grounded all of this perfectly for me. This is an old warrior, one that doesn't get those plush Friday night bookings, who's been in Arena Mexico wrestling twice in the last five years, who has nothing left but the fight and the adrenaline. That's the only thing that lets him push past the pain of a career of blood and bumps. All he has is the thrill of battle, bouncing from one struggle to the next, one arena to the next. So he goes and challenges the best and the worst, all in their own styles, because he is the old master of a thousand wars, has seen it all, and it only matters if he meets them half way. He has all all of the old tricks (be it pulling an opponent off the apron or what), a gruff seriousness that prevents distraction (and Wotan suffered so much for celebrating in the ring when there was a chair in Terry's hand) and the ability to go over any line, because he'd been over all of them before (just like with that bottle). Wotan is at least twenty years younger, though the mask makes him somewhat unknowable. He's more agile, more physically resilient, more able to snap back from what Terry gives him. He's been the holder of multiple "extreme" titles, and may well represent, in this match, that more hardcore style that permeated into Mexican indies over the last two decades, that are wholly represented in Pagano and all of his localized, and increasingly mainstream star power. And Terry, as only he can, sinks down to that level to meet Wotan down in the gutter but never forgets who he is and all that he's learned, using every bit of it to fight for his life, once again against the odds. I can only think of one other wrestler so versatile, one other who can do so much, so well, and with such visceral meaning, all without foolish human constraints like "age" holding him back, and that's the person we voted as #2 ever in the GWE poll. Amazing spectacle, yes. But heart-pounding and emotionally gripping too. And that is the magic of Black Terry.

During the countout spot, I did a quick check on twitter because I was expecting everyone to cry foul about the edit. I think out of the hundreds of mention of Kendrick or Ibushi there were less than five about the countout edit. Very surprising to me and it says something about people's willingness to avoid spoilers or the way that they engage with this that I wasn't expecting at all. Either they weren't spoiled to the match or they just didn't care because they were enjoying it.

Like The Rock?

Parv would have loved that promo, I think. He'd be referencing it (again, in a blind man touching the elephant sort of way) three years from now. As for 1990 Volkoff, look at how amazingly over he was in this segment (starting at the 8:24 mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOQb5kmfwDA Holy crap.

Someone could probably write an excellent article comparing fandom's reaction to Benoit and Bryan. It could be Bix's life work or something. Can we just move on?

If you won't watch the promo (which is two minutes of Owens being pissed off at the crowd for being everything you claim that they are), will you at least change your Board Profile Title to "Half-right buffoonish curmudgeon?"

You are arguing that the fans will rebel against anyone who is pushed and support anyone who is not pushed. You're wrong. There is truth to be found in there, quite a bit of truth, but you're taking so diametric a view that you're coming off as buffoonish and reactionary. If you took a nuanced view instead, you would come off as cutting and correct.

I don't call you cynical, Parv. I call you someone who is sorely lacking in data. You're the blind man touching the elephant. Now watch the Kevin Owens promo I posted.

The reason Charlotte was hated on the main roster was because people thought Becky and Sasha were better and far more deserving, but that Charlotte was getting the push because of her lineage, her slightly more traditional look, and maybe, oh, I don't know, HHH's connection to Flair? I think we're in the same argument here. It was fine in NXT where everyone was protected and having good long matches. It was less fine on Raw when they were having short matches that paled to what had happened in NXT and where people were getting exposed. It all falls along the same lines. But pretend it was Sasha who was pushed and Charlotte who wasn't. Do you think the reverse would have happened? People in Wisconsin would be confused? Is Sasha pushed as a face or a heel? Is she still getting nothing matches on Raw despite the whole Divas revolution thing? Is she pushed as a chickenshit heel or a vulnerable babyface (like Paige was when she came up) or is she pushed dominant. You have to give me more than that. Details matter.

The reason Charlotte was hated on the main roster was because people thought Becky and Sasha were better and far more deserving, but that Charlotte was getting the push because of her lineage, her slightly more traditional look, and maybe, oh, I don't know, HHH's connection to Flair? I think we're in the same argument here. It was fine in NXT where everyone was protected and having good long matches. It was less fine on Raw when they were having short matches that paled to what had happened in NXT and where people were getting exposed. It all falls along the same lines.

BTW, here's the Owens promo I'm thinking about. Parv, Loss, make sure to watch that since I bet you haven't seen it. https://vid.me/JTj3 Who else on the roster could do that? I mean, maybe Jericho, but he'd toss in a bunch of campy Phantom of the Opera bs.

I can't fully develop thoughts right now, but look at how thoroughly the smart fanbase loathed Greg Gagne for decades; someone who is, in fact, a really good wrestler, with lots of great matches and a history of drawing, but has a stigma of Undeserving and a rather terrible Look.

Re: Look. I'm just not sure. I do think a world champion needs to either A) have a certain athletic look that fans have been conditioned to or b> be clearly branded as talented in specific ways that make them overcome that from a kayfabe perspective. Rey Mysterio was not a traditional champion but his speed and agility and pinpoint accuracy were highlighted (as was his will). Daniel Bryan's skill. Were Bray Wyatt to get the belt, it could be his deviousness and mind games. But then, traditionally, guys with non traditional looks didn't often get the belts. Jerry Blackwell was the most over babyface and biggest draw for a few years in AWA. He didn't get the belt. People didn't rush to put belts on Kevin Sullivan when he was a top drawing heel. That just wasn't the role for those guys and it went against the perceived legitimacy and elements of suspension of disbelief. The issue to me here isn't A, but instead B. NXT did a much better job of presenting Steen as a unique threat. Someone said that he was Vader there, and he was. He's just another guy on the main roster. I do think, as a heel, he's much better at garnering out of ring heat than much of the roster in the PG era, and is allowed to try to do so. Him heeling on the hugely entitled full sail crowd for NXT Takeover being in Brooklyn is the sort of thing no one else on the roster would do. And there are other examples. That just doesn't transfer to the narratives of his matches well, even if he'll do little things to garner heat within those matches. The big picture isn't there from a match to match perspective. I like that he makes it about money, which, again, is something no one else has done in years. I'm almost certain Parv has absolutely no idea about the last two paragraphs, which is why his arguments on this matter come off like underdeveloped generalizations.

Depend what you call AGAINST. Mark Henry's praises have been ridiculous at times. I remember the infamous OH MY GOD THIS IS SUCH A GREAT MATCH on Raw a few years ago against CM Punk. I remember watching it. It was like a good little TV match in which Henry was *good*. But the idea that Mark Henry was all of a sudden a superworker, yes, is pretty overstated. I still have nightmares (well, not really) of his match with Taker at Mania a few years back. And like I've stated before, I liked Mark Henry back in 1998 when he joined the Nation, way before he got good. So, it's not like waited for he became the new darling of post-Benoit workrate guilt crowd to enjoy that big load. Like I said in the G1 thread, I've always loved big working guys and legit feat of strenght. So, always enjoyed Mark Henry. Dunno why this post was so long winded though. Ah, the Big Show ? Yeah. Awful for most of his career. Thank you for your anecdotal generalities that don't actually mention any aspect of his work.

As for Mark Henry, I'd love to see someone actually argue AGAINST him. No one does. People just pull out the contrarian card while his supporters show their work. I don't have the time for day for anyone that would do that.

The best darn 1979 promotion there is.

Nick vs Tito Good wrestlers can tell a story in the ring. Great wrestlers can craft great Thrillers, the equivalent of crime or spy novels, ones which repeat the same themes again and again, but make for an exciting ride even given that familiarity. Nick Bockwinkel crafts those Thrillers as well, but he crosses genres more deftly than almost any wrestler I've ever seen. He introduces, through build, payoff, and emotional reactions to everything that happens in the ring, elements of the human condition, of more traditional novels, into his wrestling. That was very much at play here. There were a few unique elements to the match's setting. For one, Bockwinkel was chasing. We don't have much footage of him chasing, especially not as a heel and especially not chasing someone other than Verne. Here he was chasing Santana's Gold Cup, won during Paul Boesch's 3 night 50th anniversary tournament, where Santana beat Bockwinkel. Houston used the introduction of artificial titles such as this and JYD's King of Wrestling crown in order to rationalize Bockwinkel losing without losing his World Title, often times to set up a title match where he would seem vulnerable, thus a.) making the fans think they might see a title change and be more apt to buy tickets and b.) making the homegrown stars seem all the more impressive for having a win, with real stakes, over the champ. This match, in particular, was a two out of three falls match, which was not something we saw often, if at all, with AWA Bockwinkel. Finally, he came in with something to prove, having already been defeated in a match that he very much wanted to win, and feeling that the honor of the Gold Cup, a true prize in wrestling, was wasted on Santana. He could claim his previous loss was due to the grueling nature of the tournament or due to Satanta's homefield advantage (which came up in Boesch's commentary). All of these things are important because they played into the layout and execution of the match. They shaped Bockwinkel's motivations and had a hand in almost every single thing he did. He didn't just want to win; he had something to prove. He didn't just want to prove he was better; he wanted to hurt Tito. It meant he would be more aggressive than usual and that he would react to what Tito did more viscerally. The additional length and two out of three fall stipulation meant that the match didn't have to follow so straightforward a shine/heat/comeback structure. Instead it was a feeling out process, heel control, babyface shine, heel heat with comeback teases and cut offs (this included the first two falls), and a final heel control leading to the comeback. These were bridged together by repetition, build, and payoff in the form of paralleled transitions, focused offense, and that ultimate tool in pro wrestling, selling. Let's take a look at how character drove the opening feeling out process and how that, and repetition to create an effect, bled into the control and shine. The match started with some deep, gritty lock ups, and subsequent rope breaks. They went back and forth with these, four times, escalating the tease of punches until Bockwinkel, frustrated, finally threw the first opportunistic punch. He paid for it as Tito fired back. That was the framing sequence for the feeling out process. In between, they had oneupmanship driving the frustration, where Tito would do something and then Bockwinkel would manage a less flashy version of it. The best example would be a nice hammerlock-go behind-roll up sequence that I'm not sure I've ever seen Tito use, and Bockwinkel just forcing a go behind and roll up in response. I liked how this was an inversion of the Bockwinkel vs Chavo Guerrero match where Bockwinkel would do the first move and Chavo would then do something similar but flashier. There, Chavo had something to prove. Here it was Bockwinkel. They traded Full Nelsons next, which led to the long, (again, like everything else in this match) gritty test of strength, where Bockwinkel is the aggressor but Tito manages to come back. It's all Bockwinkel can do to get to the ropes and draw the break. That's when he fully snaps, driving forward with a forearm and a headlock takeover, done with trying to wrestle evenly with Tito, done with trying to prove something, actual despair in his face. Now he just wanted to grind him down and hurt him. That was the start of the heel control, which was architecturally beautiful. It goes without saying that they were deeply working the headlock. There was no resting there. Tito was always trying to get leverage or turn him. That said, it was the use of repetition and evolving spots that really made it sing though. Tito made it up and hit a whip only to get shoulder blocked twice and put back in. He made it up a second time and turned the second shoulder block into an arm drag, but Bockwinkel kicked up into Tito's face (remember this later), and put him back in with amazing snap. The third time, after the first shoulder block, Tito slammed him, but Bockwinkel nailed him with a cheapshot, slammed him back, and locked it back in. Finally, the fourth time they made it up, Bockwinkel, unable to contain him any longer, rammed his head into the turnbuckle. He then ran in for a charge, but went shoulder first into the post (remember THIS later too). And that led right into the start of the babyface shine. There were parallels in the babyface shine to the heel control, every piece building on what came before while driving things forward. Of course, it was well worked. Tito varied things up, starting with an armbar and moving to a hammerlock, grinding it, pumphandling it. When we get to see Bockwinkel's selling, it's incredibly emotive. And his "hope" spots? Shoulder block by Tito, arm drag by Bockwinkel, and kick up by Tito (which I asked you to remember when Bockwinkel did it). Then right back into the hold. Perfect symmetry. By the way, little thing, but I loved how Tito used the tights to position Bock around while in the hammerlock. It felt more like the use of the gi in judo than any sort of cheating. They went through another round, this time with Bockwinkel trying a bodyslam (much like the ones during the control) only for Tito to hang on. They were too close to the ropes and that allowed for some distance and harsh punching on Tito, surrendering moral ground from a wrestling perspective. The hurt arm would delay him, however, and Tito would grab the hold again. When Bockwinkel finally escaped, it was with a series of nasty headbutts to create distance (once again surrendering the moral higher ground since he wasn't skilled enough to legitimately escape). This was the start of the real heel heat, Bockwinkel's viciousness and frustration unleashed. He was down to one arm by this point, and that informed how he took the attack to Tito, first escaping with the headbutts, and then using the ring itself as a weapon to make up for his damaged limb. He'd use his feet or his knee to choke Tito on the ropes, would slam him into the turnbuckle. This set the stage for his offense in the rest of the match, all driven by the fact he was selling his arm after minutes of it being worked on. Logic. Meaning. Consequence, but never, ever by losing sight of the heart and soul of the match. Instead, it enhances, provides grounding. The first fall ended here, with Tito, fresher still, fighting back only to miss a flying charge in the corner (mimicking when he took over from Bockwinkel the first time to end the heel control), and Bockwinkel, still hurt, capitalizing with a quick pin. He'd continue to capitalize on that mistake into the second fall, and he'd continue to use the ring as a weapon. He ran with Tito's head, whipping him neck first into the top rope multiple times. He put his head on the bottom rope and drove a knee into it from the turnbuckles. Both of those are things I've never seen Bockwinkel do before, but they fit the match perfectly and were hugely vicious. He tried to run him neck first one too many times, however, and Tito used the momentum to bounce off the ropes, duck a punch, and score the lightning second fall with a cross body, though he didn't immediately shift momentum back in the grander sense. I love that allowance in two out of three fall matches, when they can enhance a hope spot into a fall but just give that all the more reason for the heel to keep the heat on. Bock came into the third fall with the advantage, cutting off another hope spot from Tito by going back to the turnbuckle and the ropes. The late match selling here was off the charts, with both wrestlers portraying exhaustion and the damage of the match, all building to the moment where Bockwinkel whipped Tito and their heads collided. This is where the comeback would normally come. Here, instead, Bockwinkel, likely knowing it was coming from a character perspective, went into the King of the Mountain segment, hugely late into the match, and done with more meanness than I've ever seen it. He was at the very end of his rope. He rolled out with Tito and slammed his head into the post, introducing the blood into the match, and then kept on him, brutally preventing him from getting back in the ring with kicks and a huge haymaker. When he did allow him back in, it's only to slam his head into the turnbuckles again before driving him back out, pinballing him in and out of the ring and doing damage. Eventually, though, after a mare over the top, Tito recovered enough for one last big comeback sequence, firing away with babyface fury that he could channel better than anyone, punching and kicking Bockwinkel in the corner. It ended, however, with the third exclamation point missed charge into the corner of the match and Bockwinkel driving him back out. He beat him on the apron, with the referee, who had enough, playing just a bit of interference, until Tito was able to recover enough to create a tiny bit of distance and capitalize with a slingshot shoulder tackle to take the third fall and win the match. It's staggering to look back and think about all of the callbacks and payoffs, of the way that one act in the match led to the next, the way that certain themes ran through this, of Bockwinkel's pathos, his desperation and frustration and pride, and Santana's skill and perseverance. Nothing came off as haphazard. Bockwinkel's heat was all about using the ropes and turnbuckles. That began due to the armwork and continued because of its viciousness and effectiveness. They paralleled spots from the control in the shine, set up transitions in the ten minute mark that would be paid off in the twenty and the thirty. None of it felt gimmicky or gratuitous. It all furthered a story and was driven by character and all was sold and reacted to and thus was draped in meaning. This is the storytelling standard that every main event match should be judged against.

Good wrestlers can tell a story in the ring. Great wrestlers can craft great Thrillers, the equivalent of crime or spy novels, ones which repeat the same themes again and again, but make for an exciting ride even given that familiarity. Nick Bockwinkel crafts those Thrillers as well, but he crosses genres more deftly than almost any wrestler I've ever seen. He introduces, through build, payoff, and emotional reactions to everything that happens in the ring, elements of the human condition, of more traditional novels, into his wrestling. That was very much at play here. There were a few unique elements to the match's setting. For one, Bockwinkel was chasing. We don't have much footage of him chasing, especially not as a heel and especially not chasing someone other than Verne. Here he was chasing Santana's Gold Cup, won during Paul Boesch's 3 night 50th anniversary tournament, where Santana beat Bockwinkel. Houston used the introduction of artificial titles such as this and JYD's King of Wrestling crown in order to rationalize Bockwinkel losing without losing his World Title, often times to set up a title match where he would seem vulnerable, thus a.) making the fans think they might see a title change and be more apt to buy tickets and b.) making the homegrown stars seem all the more impressive for having a win, with real stakes, over the champ. This match, in particular, was a two out of three falls match, which was not something we saw often, if at all, with AWA Bockwinkel. Finally, he came in with something to prove, having already been defeated in a match that he very much wanted to win, and feeling that the honor of the Gold Cup, a true prize in wrestling, was wasted on Santana. He could claim his previous loss was due to the grueling nature of the tournament or due to Satanta's homefield advantage (which came up in Boesch's commentary). All of these things are important because they played into the layout and execution of the match. They shaped Bockwinkel's motivations and had a hand in almost every single thing he did. He didn't just want to win; he had something to prove. He didn't just want to prove he was better; he wanted to hurt Tito. It meant he would be more aggressive than usual and that he would react to what Tito did more viscerally. The additional length and two out of three fall stipulation meant that the match didn't have to follow so straightforward a shine/heat/comeback structure. Instead it was a feeling out process, heel control, babyface shine, heel heat with comeback teases and cut offs (this included the first two falls), and a final heel control leading to the comeback. These were bridged together by repetition, build, and payoff in the form of paralleled transitions, focused offense, and that ultimate tool in pro wrestling, selling. Let's take a look at how character drove the opening feeling out process and how that, and repetition to create an effect, bled into the control and shine. The match started with some deep, gritty lock ups, and subsequent rope breaks. They went back and forth with these, four times, escalating the tease of punches until Bockwinkel, frustrated, finally threw the first opportunistic punch. He paid for it as Tito fired back. That was the framing sequence for the feeling out process. In between, they had oneupmanship driving the frustration, where Tito would do something and then Bockwinkel would manage a less flashy version of it. The best example would be a nice hammerlock-go behind-roll up sequence that I'm not sure I've ever seen Tito use, and Bockwinkel just forcing a go behind and roll up in response. I liked how this was an inversion of the Bockwinkel vs Chavo Guerrero match where Bockwinkel would do the first move and Chavo would then do something similar but flashier. There, Chavo had something to prove. Here it was Bockwinkel. They traded Full Nelsons next, which led to the long, (again, like everything else in this match) gritty test of strength, where Bockwinkel is the aggressor but Tito manages to come back. It's all Bockwinkel can do to get to the ropes and draw the break. That's when he fully snaps, driving forward with a forearm and a headlock takeover, done with trying to wrestle evenly with Tito, done with trying to prove something, actual despair in his face. Now he just wanted to grind him down and hurt him. That was the start of the heel control, which was architecturally beautiful. It goes without saying that they were deeply working the headlock. There was no resting there. Tito was always trying to get leverage or turn him. That said, it was the use of repetition and evolving spots that really made it sing though. Tito made it up and hit a whip only to get shoulder blocked twice and put back in. He made it up a second time and turned the second shoulder block into an arm drag, but Bockwinkel kicked up into Tito's face (remember this later), and put him back in with amazing snap. The third time, after the first shoulder block, Tito slammed him, but Bockwinkel nailed him with a cheapshot, slammed him back, and locked it back in. Finally, the fourth time they made it up, Bockwinkel, unable to contain him any longer, rammed his head into the turnbuckle. He then ran in for a charge, but went shoulder first into the post (remember THIS later too). And that led right into the start of the babyface shine. There were parallels in the babyface shine to the heel control, every piece building on what came before while driving things forward. Of course, it was well worked. Tito varied things up, starting with an armbar and moving to a hammerlock, grinding it, pumphandling it. When we get to see Bockwinkel's selling, it's incredibly emotive. And his "hope" spots? Shoulder block by Tito, arm drag by Bockwinkel, and kick up by Tito (which I asked you to remember when Bockwinkel did it). Then right back into the hold. Perfect symmetry. By the way, little thing, but I loved how Tito used the tights to position Bock around while in the hammerlock. It felt more like the use of the gi in judo than any sort of cheating. They went through another round, this time with Bockwinkel trying a bodyslam (much like the ones during the control) only for Tito to hang on. They were too close to the ropes and that allowed for some distance and harsh punching on Tito, surrendering moral ground from a wrestling perspective. The hurt arm would delay him, however, and Tito would grab the hold again. When Bockwinkel finally escaped, it was with a series of nasty headbutts to create distance (once again surrendering the moral higher ground since he wasn't skilled enough to legitimately escape). This was the start of the real heel heat, Bockwinkel's viciousness and frustration unleashed. He was down to one arm by this point, and that informed how he took the attack to Tito, first escaping with the headbutts, and then using the ring itself as a weapon to make up for his damaged limb. He'd use his feet or his knee to choke Tito on the ropes, would slam him into the turnbuckle. This set the stage for his offense in the rest of the match, all driven by the fact he was selling his arm after minutes of it being worked on. Logic. Meaning. Consequence, but never, ever by losing sight of the heart and soul of the match. Instead, it enhances, provides grounding. The first fall ended here, with Tito, fresher still, fighting back only to miss a flying charge in the corner (mimicking when he took over from Bockwinkel the first time to end the heel control), and Bockwinkel, still hurt, capitalizing with a quick pin. He'd continue to capitalize on that mistake into the second fall, and he'd continue to use the ring as a weapon. He ran with Tito's head, whipping him neck first into the top rope multiple times. He put his head on the bottom rope and drove a knee into it from the turnbuckles. Both of those are things I've never seen Bockwinkel do before, but they fit the match perfectly and were hugely vicious. He tried to run him neck first one too many times, however, and Tito used the momentum to bounce off the ropes, duck a punch, and score the lightning second fall with a cross body, though he didn't immediately shift momentum back in the grander sense. I love that allowance in two out of three fall matches, when they can enhance a hope spot into a fall but just give that all the more reason for the heel to keep the heat on. Bock came into the third fall with the advantage, cutting off another hope spot from Tito by going back to the turnbuckle and the ropes. The late match selling here was off the charts, with both wrestlers portraying exhaustion and the damage of the match, all building to the moment where Bockwinkel whipped Tito and their heads collided. This is where the comeback would normally come. Here, instead, Bockwinkel, likely knowing it was coming from a character perspective, went into the King of the Mountain segment, hugely late into the match, and done with more meanness than I've ever seen it. He was at the very end of his rope. He rolled out with Tito and slammed his head into the post, introducing the blood into the match, and then kept on him, brutally preventing him from getting back in the ring with kicks and a huge haymaker. When he did allow him back in, it's only to slam his head into the turnbuckles again before driving him back out, pinballing him in and out of the ring and doing damage. Eventually, though, after a mare over the top, Tito recovered enough for one last big comeback sequence, firing away with babyface fury that he could channel better than anyone, punching and kicking Bockwinkel in the corner. It ended, however, with the third exclamation point missed charge into the corner of the match and Bockwinkel driving him back out. He beat him on the apron, with the referee, who had enough, playing just a bit of interference, until Tito was able to recover enough to create a tiny bit of distance and capitalize with a slingshot shoulder tackle to take the third fall and win the match. It's staggering to look back and think about all of the callbacks and payoffs, of the way that one act in the match led to the next, the way that certain themes ran through this, of Bockwinkel's pathos, his desperation and frustration and pride, and Santana's skill and perseverance. Nothing came off as haphazard. Bockwinkel's heat was all about using the ropes and turnbuckles. That began due to the armwork and continued because of its viciousness and effectiveness. They paralleled spots from the control in the shine, set up transitions in the ten minute mark that would be paid off in the twenty and the thirty. None of it felt gimmicky or gratuitous. It all furthered a story and was driven by character and all was sold and reacted to and thus was draped in meaning. This is the storytelling standard that every main event match should be judged against.

It's like weightlifting. You have to not just lift the weight but hold it there for a few seconds?

It's like anything else. A lot of times wrestlers do things without realizing why they were done. Something as simple as a dropdown being a trip attempt gets lost over the years and the more complex the moves being done, the easier it is to lose some of the reasoning behind them, and then you lose some of the grounding. I don't think it's as much about less is more so much as they need to see that the struggle that really permeates so much of old WoS wrestling, even when things were tricked out, is there. It's worth noting that there was a podcast out there a few weeks ago with a UK wrestler who indicated that Regal and Finlay felt that Sabre's wrestling was "gay" or something along those lines. This is a HUGE chain of telephone though so don't quote me on any of that.

He's the only guy in the company that would heel on the Topsail crowd for a Takeover being in NYC.