Matt D

I think it's desperation, personally.

There's exactly one person on my list that if cornered in an alley, I'd have a hard time justifying the placement of based on my viewing. And some people were cut off because I couldn't justify (Matt Hardy being one, as peer pressure had him on before I needed to make cuts. Styles was another, as the list felt somehow more 'legitimate' with him on it, but he's gone now).

I actually think that maybe, the "right" ballot for you, would be one in the middle of the two.

That prompted me to bump the thread since no one had responded to my Mulligan vs Andre write up. If no one will engage me when I do the earnest legwork, I'm not super concerned by their criticisms. I like Chad's list. Mine will be very different though. I think each will be very consistent within itself. If I did a six hour podcast on this, I wouldn't use the phrase "high end matches" once. I'm pretty sure about that. I'm perfectly happy listening to one where someone does for every person though.

Thankfully I am bulletproof to such criticisms due to my Andre write ups.

It's probably for the best. Lance isn't a big fan of lists.

Navarro is more like the world's most pissed off Yul Brenner than the other old Maestro guys (Though he has some matches like that too).

What's all of this? Shouldn't everyone be watching as much Franz Van Buyten as possible to try to decide if they're going to do a last second GWE edit before the deadline? (I'll watch NXT gleefully, the HOF, probably on tape delay, and will... you know, half watch Mania while doing other stuff). I'll catch some of Friday and Monday CMLL too, probably, and part of the Post-Mania Raw because those are fun).

I bet you'd like Clive Myers. Have you seen any Zoltan Boscik maybe? Did you watch any old Man Negro Navarro?

Been playing catch up, Just small comments though. I liked Lothario vs Brooks a lot. It was nice to see Jose a bit more towards the height of his power. He still framed the ring like he always does but he also took the fight to Brooks a bit more. Just more evidence towards the fact he was damn good. I wish there had been a minute or two more of Mike vs Gary Hart. I liked Lewin in it, at times not sure what to do in the face of what Hart was facing. Unfortunately, I don't think Hart's been helped hugely by this footage. You think of what Jimmy Hart or Bobby Heenan or Cornette might have done in that same situation. Conway vs Slatton was a lot of fun, just a good ten minute match. Conway comes at things from awkward angles at times, which is offputting in some ways, but worked for him. Slatton seemed to take the bumps in awkward ways too and Boesch was more than happy to point out how painful it looked. Fun, emotive heeling from Slatton. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him. He would have fit in perfectly in the Stud Stable.

Batista said no?

I could make so much money with Brazo de Plata

It'd be like An Idiot Abroad. "I have to go to the god damn Great Wall of China? Why?"

Because certain opponents didn't draw better against Hogan than others?

For a great entertainer, he's really such a terrible actor.

Kurt Angle #1.

He's right around 30 for me. The heel run hurts him though. We've had this talk.

So, I've been struggling with Villano III who I had on my draft list, but for reasons that felt like peer pressure. I had seen a bunch of his stuff but I just didn't feel like I had that 360 view I want if someone to have them on my list. He did not make my actual submission list. Because of the podcast, I looked at the Atlantis/Villano match again. I hadn't seen it since really the start of my lucha watching three years ago. Everything sort of clicked this time around (it was a sort of connective tissue of his range amongst other things). I decided that he had to be in there after all. I knocked out another "peer pressure" candidate to get him on. (I only had 2 on my list and both of them are gone now).

There's stuff on the periphery like the Zhukov match or some of the Freebirds stuff, but nothing really quite makes it in that regard. Though this came to mind too?

3 Hours of Raw is just too much?

He's on my list. Right above Wahoo.

I still think Bayley currently is in the "unique circumstances" category, even if she didn't start that way. I imagine Trips is taking care of her as they continue to become a touring brand. The story was that they did not get per show bonuses but that a select few were bumped up to around six figures. If not her, then who?

I'm hesitant to think Bayley isn't an exception at this point. I don't have the WONs with me, but I think there was talk back in August or September of 2015 that some specific NXT contracts were getting restructured to be much higher, which is without the usual road expenses (or they're much rarer) plus the perks offered at the Performance Center.

I think Bayley makes a different amount of money than than too. There was some talk that they were restructuring certain contracts as it became more of a touring brand, no?

I bet she does better on merch than Sasha.