Matt D

They just had him show up in one of the youtube videos talking to the prime time players as IRS.

I'm really in the same boat. Let me put it this way. I think the gimmick would have worked better if he changed his look. I think he's more enjoyable as a heel during this time because he didn't. At the time, he probably should have, though. Neither here nor there, I love the difference Tommy Rich having a ponytail made. It's also my Northern preconceived notions. I think Morton looks like a scummy dirtbag all the time and has a terrible look for a babyface. That's not a guy I'd want anywhere near anyone I know, let me tell you.

Morton just LOOKS like a heel. He's super sleazy.

The only thing that makes me wonder one way or another is that they did a Texas Tornado insert promo where he threatens Slaughter to stay in seclusion on the first Superstars post Summerslam. (It's here: http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x12jzo.../1#video=xa4xl3. you can wipe it if you want from the reply though). Given how Vince sets it up, maybe it was all part of the turn though. Last time I saw it, I thought they were setting up an aborted Kerry vs Slaughter program, but this time I'm less sure.

el hijo de gallo rojo

But if you have an issue with playing the bitch you should have an issue with it across the board. It seems strange to me that it's only an issue with main eventers or specifically Flair. I suppose everyone has their own set of expectations about how a world champion should wrestle and behave, but I kind of wonder how tailored wrestling is to the tastes of people who are bothered by theatrics. Roles, my friend, roles. Sometimes something is appropriate. Sometimes it's not. I think one of the major arguments against Flair is that he would often do things whether they were appropriate or not, as if his presence alone MADE them appropriate. A flip side to this might be just how impressive it is that maybe, just maybe, just being Ric Flair DID make them appropriate, or at least made them "work." But basically, it's okay for Heath Slater as comedic name enhancement talent putting over legends to do something that it's not okay for Punk as world champion to do. Likewise, maybe Slater should not be able to do something that Punk can do. I call this the Helms Chokeslam Principle, though it's not limited to offensive moves by any means.

Presumably the issue is that Blanchard wasn't the champ? Or maybe that people aren't touting Blanchard as greatest of all time? Or that people aren't touting Blanchard as Greatest of All Time for his role as champ?

I'm a bit disappointed you didn't photoshop page 20 into the mirror. backwards.

I want to do a pithy compare/contrast with this and your uncomfortable disdain of Kamala, but I can't be damned. Sorry, Parv. You deserve more effort than that.

Doubtful. Bock vs Wahoo is my biggest "I don't get it?" match of the AWA set where most everyone else praises it and I felt it was just ok really. Have you listened to the podcast where they watch it? If not, it may be informative for you.

So what are you saying he not then, John? The GOAT? Or more to the point, what are people saying that he is that you disargee with?

It is however, one reason I tend to care about things other than "great matches."

As for Bock, there's a difference between stiff and intense. That said, I don't think neither Wahoo vs Bock or Bock vs Hansen are as good as everyone else say. I'll probably have Bock vs Wahoo lower than anyone, though it's still barely cracking my top 50, I think.

Actually, I'll dial back and pretty much agree with this. It's a tool. Blood's a tool. Headdroppy offense is a tool. Legwork is a tool. Selling is a tool. Facial expressions are a tool. Jawing with the crowd is a tool. Wonky no-selling can be a tool. Stiffness is a tool. It's just not a tool I tend to care for relative to the other tools available. That's subjective. Objectively, it's a tool and like anything else, what really matters how it's used. It's just sure as hell not an end in and of itself. It's a means. Like any of the other tools listed. I think it's a terribly uninteresting tool.

I checked out a while ago.

It's never necessary. And it's a shortcut. And a pretty imagination-less one.

Verne Finishes. Is this a staple for most heel-driven promotions from the era?

Stiff chops suck. Wrestling is fake.

The magic bullet for 84 AWA is Greg turning heel.

And the god damn Chavo vs Kane match from Backlash which I can never convince anyone to watch but shows just how great Chavo was in 08. The first half of 08 does stand up, though the Punk matches really don't as well as you'd think.

Owen's Jam Slam was awesome. Mitch Snow would be proud.

Snuka vs Rose - January(?) 1978 I love the stalling in this because there's a level of cowardly desperation you never see from the usual suspects. Rose just DIVES out of the ring at top speed to get away. When we finally get in the ring we get lots of Snuka athleticism (Which is a little more impressive in 78 than a few years later) and Rose eating a bunch of arm drags and rope running for him. Rose does such great little things. He'll get a "hope" spot, by subtly grabbing the hair. He doesn't get an edge up on Snuka without some little factor working into it. He's so good at both showing ass and seeming devious. Or being devious and THEN showing ass. Snuka does a surprisingly good job really wrenching the arm and Rose makes him look like a million bucks in the selling. This is basically a comedy match where Rose keeps getting a leg up only to get immediate comeuppance. It climaxes with Rose tossing Snuka off the ropes when he goes for the Superfly splash too early only to get tossed off himself a moment later. i thought for sure that was going to be a transition so it was a funny, surprising moment. They pull the real transition a minute later with Snuka missing a cross body, though at this point there's only two minutes remaining on the time limit. Rose hits a lot of offense quickly but still sells the earlier punishment. He's really selling everything Snuka does here too, whether it be a kick out or a snap roll up. It makes everything have more meaning in this setting. Snuka takes back over and keeps trying to go for a finish whether it be the full nelson or a cradle, but the time runs out. This isn't what i'd rank against other more competitive matches as a great match, but Rose and Snuka basically did everything that they were supposed to and they did it well and it had exact effect it was supposed to which was to whet the crowd's appetite for the Buddy/Ed vs Snuka/Ventura match on tuesday.

Someone should totally do a Million Dollar Man gimmick.

The Black Bart one sort of highlights what drives me nuts about these. "So did Vince ever make any promises to you he didn't keep?" "So, the Von Erichs sure liked to party a lot, huh?" "What did you feel when Brody died?"