Matt D

It's so damn sparkly in there.

I'm dealing with getting kids to bed so I'm missing a ton of this, but I was floored they actually the top rope elbow without three cuts.

I've got specific nitpicks here but the big picture stuff in this one is all great.

Ok guys, it's 8 PM EST. I'm here. I'm ready for the PPV to start! I'm sure looking forward to that Asuka vs Becky match.

Not able to catch this but I liked a lot of the Prince Puma vs a base matches. This sounds like the opposite of that.

Jetlag NotJayTabb Tim Evans > joe g > Nintendo Logic ( who gives one to Tim) Grimmas cad Headcheese Matt D HC, I'll think up something for you ASAP.

By far the most frustrating thing was that they rushed into the Duggan program with Yoko on the idea that he'd never been knocked off of his feet, which makes no sense because it's how he eliminated Savage.

Ok, I'll spin in the next 24 hours. I just need a window where work and kids are both quiet.

I put this together, but it's more of the beginning stuff than the end stuff. http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2016/04/sombra-manny-andrade-spotlight-master.html?_sm_au_=iVVq4081PM2HVHMM Honestly, you ought to use this: http://www.luchadb.com/roster/matchfinder.php Just put in Sombra, la and a start date of sometime in 2014 with only matches with videos. Watch the title matches or the main event matches with Rush/Mascara/Sombra as a trios.

So I'm glad I watched this. It was good to see Ford in general. I liked seeing Blank too. It was good to see modern CHIKARA, probably good for me to see an intergender match since I haven't seen any in years and they're fairly common now. In general, I liked the presentation here. CHIKARA plays fast and loose with reality. I buy Black Widow being able to survive with the Hulk chasing her for three minutes in a crumbling Helicarrier. I buy Chun-Li fighting Balrog. I bought this too. Ford's sort of a tale of two worlds with her offense. The strikes are pretty good actually, especially the kicks. The acrobatic stuff, however, was hit or miss. That has less to do with her gender and more to do with the fact I've seen people hit it far better. If you're going to do a flip before your move, even in a heightened reality like CHIKARA, you need to make it seem like it's adding impact to the move, or at least that it's impact neutral. Stuff like the back-handstand before the shoulderblock in the corner felt like molasses. It's true with anyone, male or female. If you're going to do overly complicated stuff, you have to execute it well. Otherwise, don't do it. She did a lot well (selling, bumping, the strikes, just general presence) so it's a bit of a shame that what stood out the most was that. Blank was pretty delightful. The gimmick with the zipper over the mouth is clever. The idea of violent masterpieces feels original in a medium where nothing feels original anymore (and the loser must wear a mask gimmick sounds like it was pure CHIKARA). He had this was of oscillating between watching what was unfolding around him and explosively hit a move that was purely in character. Anyway, this was enjoyable for what it was. I'm not sure it could have worked anywhere BUT CHIKARA but that's a testament to the promotion so much as it's a red flag for the match. ----- In general, I can reroll fairly soon. I think we're all a little bumpy on things here. We've had, what, 1-2 reviews this week? Do people want to keep going or maybe call it a day for 2018-9 and maybe revisit things for Santo in July or something? I'm ok either way. Just let me know.

At the end of the day, it's cultural. Vince's life work was to redefine Pro Wrestling, the whole "taking out of the smokey halls" myth all the way up to "putting smiles on faces." Something like AEW is not a competitor. It's a heresy.

I've never actually seen Ford either, so I'm up for that.

Ok. New week. I think we'll keep riding until the end of January and then take stock. We probably have a little more overlap than before just through attrition. NotJayTabb > cad > joe g (joe gives NJT a match) Grimmas Matt D Jetlag NintendoLogic Headcheese Tim Evans Steven, have you seen this one?

I had come across this one a few years ago but I was eager to see it again. Romero being in there with Virus does give it a few unique wrinkles. There isn't a ton of 00-07 or so Virus readily available online and it's a shame because as good as he's been in the last decade, he was younger and faster then without really losing much of the finesse he's aged into. There are some reversals in the first caida (like catching a leg in mid air on a leapfrog and driving Romero down) which are just too good. Romero hung with him, starting out simple with the matwork but getting more intricate towards the finish, with enough personality to keep the fans engaged and get them behind Virus. He, maybe, escalated things a bit too fast too soon with the hangman's neckbreaker, for instance, but he won the fall, so I'm generally ok with it. The segunda was short and sweet, with Romero bringing the meanness and intensity and Virus almost instantly reversing things. That continues into the tercera. I'm not sure if the anti-cuban sentiment or what, but you have to love how thoroughly they lean into the heat for a title match, even while keeping that veneer of skill and technique. Romero supplies intensity and keeps the crowd angry at him, but it's impressive Virus can marry the two elements so flawlessly. How often do we complain that a grudge match starts with a lock-up? Here, though, he was able to make those convoluted holds feel like they were full of fury.

I'm surprised they aren't working with Bischoff even in a ceremonial role.

I'm a little slowed down by the snow we got in the DC area this weekend. I do hope to spin the wheel either tonight or tomorrow morning. Steven's on, Edger's off. Anyone else want to jump in or take some time off?

Is there really a wide expanse between poop jokes and dick jokes?

Someone tell me if I should check out the UK show. The alternative is probably watching a bunch of Chic Cullen matches.

That's great. He's the best at what he does.

Ha. I knew we weren't getting a full match out of Stampede.

The weird heel turn came a week after everyone was excited about what looked to be a Reigns heel turn but obviously wasn't.

So UK themed for tomorrow. AWA 09/13/1981 Billy Robinson vs Ray Stevens 15:03 @khawk20 is this new in full? CWF 09/13/1981 Les Thorton vs Jerry Brisco Looks like we have this but could be a VQ update. Some Harts/Davey Boy Smith vs JR Foley's Army match from Stampede in 1981. Says 21:24 which seems like the longest Stampede match ever. It could be an elimination match with Davey Boy Smith, Bruce Hart, Keith Hart, and Robbie Stewart (Chic Cullen) vs Duke Myers, Kerry Brown, Dynamite Kid, and The Great Gama. It could be something else. I have no idea on whether we had it or not. Who's our stampede expert? plus a modern match with Dunne and Andrews

If he was working in Japan instead of WWF at the time and had done a run in on Superbrawl 95, maybe?

Ultimately, I think for your health and sanity, it's good to step back and try to figure out what you're trying to handle and why you're trying to handle it. What do you want out of watching current pro wrestling in 2019? Do you just want one or two promotions that you can really bite your teeth into and follow to get that episodic/ongoing story buzz with matches you enjoy? Do you want to keep up with the discussion for the social element so that you can be on the cutting edge and sort of live in that moment? Do you want to be able to create a credible best-of list at the end of the year (and if so, figure out WHY you want to do that)? This is a hobby. It shouldn't feel like work or a chore or an obligation. The only exception is if you really want to be part of the current conversation and that specific social element of it overpowers other elements of your enjoyment. That's no more or less valid than anything else (though it's almost a different sort of hobby, just like following the business side of things is a different sort of hobby), but come into it with open eyes at least as it'll affect how you follow things. Maybe you just want to make sure you don't miss any matches that you'd love. If that's the case, I'd suggest leveraging the resources at your disposal, namely this board and twitter and whatever else. I'm pretty confident that if there's a match that happens that I'd really, thoroughly enjoy, and I don't catch wind of it through normal channels, someone I know will flag it to me. If you want to be part of the social elements of it all, then reap the benefits of it.

It's all going to come down to revenue streams, I think. How do you make money in 2019? You can partially crowdfund the Young Bucks. You can't really crowdfund AEW. Or can you? I don't even know and I'm not sure anyone does. I think the balance of it all is a valid question. If they get a solid TV deal, does that close doors when it comes to other funding sources? Is the Hot Topic merch trend still on the upswing or did they actually miss the boat by a couple of years? What sort of muscle can WWE flex at this point in halting this? I get the 84-5 comparison, but I think a 1987 might be more interesting, where WWF went out of its way to block JCP PPV. Plus, it feels like a much more crowded marketplace than ten years ago. Maybe that's just an illusion, but there's much more wrestling out there to consume than anyone possibly can, both local and otherwise.