El-P Posted March 22, 2019 Report Share Posted March 22, 2019 33 minutes ago, NintendoLogic said: People like to say that doesn't matter anymore, but WWE's biggest stars are Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey. And they are cold as fuck too, ratings and attendance are plunging (not that it does because they are legit MMA fighters, either). Two of WWE's biggest stars ever were Hulk Hogan and The Rock. Two larger than life comic book characters, basically. The "realism" element doesn't matter. The "star power" element does. Whatever works. Hell, when Ric Flair got the belt the first time, some old-timers didn't agree and thought Flair sucked because he wasn't a shooter and his stuff looked goofy and too cartoony. But we're stretching away from whether intergender stuff works or not. To me it does, at this point I have zero issue with it, honestly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted March 22, 2019 Report Share Posted March 22, 2019 If you have an issue with intergender on a moral level or it's just not your cup of tea, that's completely understandable and fine. There's certainly things I don't enjoy in wrestling (deathmatch stuff comes to mind), but I wouldn't suggest it doesn't have a place or anything because it clearly has an audience. Same thing with the intergender stuff, it won't work for everyone but that's what makes wrestling great. There's something for everyone if you look for it. Another fun thing about pro wrestling is that anything can be made "realistic" if it's framed that way. John Cena uses a move as a finish that was a transition move forever. It worked because WWE pushed it as an insta kill move. The People's Elbow is probably the most ridiculous, unrealistic move in the history of the business but it got over because of the Rock. I'm pretty sure if anyone else in the history of wrestling ever tried that as anything other than a comedy spot it would never have got the same reaction. Basically if ROH can get Cheesburger over as someone who might possibly have a chance against anyone, I don't have a problem believing most women wrestlers could hang with most of the men. Especially since we're more or less past the super jacked muscle guy era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 Back to the topic, really good iMPACT show this week, with a good opener OVE vs Swann & Mack & Dreamer, Tessa vs Jordynne being really good, a nice heel turn by Johnny & Taya at the end (with Callis calling it like it's still the 90's, which I loved) and fun stuff to fill time (Kikutaro vs Glenn Gilberti on my weekly TV show ? Hell, it's more random than a WAR match ! Love it). I really enjoy the "back to basics" approach to the promotion, they are doing basically a better job getting me interested in Tessa vs Gail than WWE has done with their convoluted McMahon suckitude infused Becky, Ronda & Charlotte stuff. Give me something basic or give me Lucha Underground insanity, basically, and I'm happy to follow you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 On 3/22/2019 at 4:22 PM, sek69 said: If you have an issue with intergender on a moral level or it's just not your cup of tea, that's completely understandable and fine. There's certainly things I don't enjoy in wrestling (deathmatch stuff comes to mind), but I wouldn't suggest it doesn't have a place or anything because it clearly has an audience. Same thing with the intergender stuff, it won't work for everyone but that's what makes wrestling great. There's something for everyone if you look for it. There's a niche audience for all kinds of stupid shit that makes the business look like even more of a joke than it already is. That doesn't mean they should be catered to. Then again, this is an era where wrestlers shove tampons down their opponents' throats and sell pictures of their bowel movements online, so we're probably past the point of no return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiva Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 I've heard of jobbing on the way out of the promotion but Allie getting straight up killed off is something else entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 Didn't Undertaker kill Muhammad Hassan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiva Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 That was halfway ambiguous. Allie got a straight up death scene after being Freddy-spiked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downend2005 Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Stiva said: That was halfway ambiguous. Allie got a straight up death scene after being Freddy-spiked Mike Ehrmantraut being the leader of the undead realm was quite something. Kiera Hogan looking bored as fuck whilst being held at knifepoint by James Mitchell was also quite something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 55 minutes ago, Downend2005 said: Mike Ehrmantraut being the leader of the undead realm was quite something. Kiera Hogan looking bored as fuck whilst being held at knifepoint by James Mitchell was also quite something. Wait, Jonathan Banks signed up for this? Must see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted March 31, 2019 Report Share Posted March 31, 2019 3 hours ago, Downend2005 said: Mike Ehrmantraut being the leader of the undead realm was quite something. Kiera Hogan looking bored as fuck whilst being held at knifepoint by James Mitchell was also quite something. I like Kiera in general but expected a lot more emotion when Allie died right in front of her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 iMPACT does it again with an excellent special edition. Strong angles (Tessa & Gail, LAX & Lucha Bros), a very solid Taya vs Jordynne Grace match, leading to another, more conclusive one in the future. Grace still looks green at times, but Taya as a heel is even better than as a babyface (that's also true of her husband). Scarlett Bordeaux vs Glen Gilberti was as expected really fun and actually a lot more solid than expected. Really, 50 years old Disco Inferno is better than 50 years old Kurt Angle. He's also still better than Baron Corbin or Nia Jaxx. Kross vs Cage was a nice bomb throwing match, although they really need a better main event babyface, Cage just doesn't do much for me in that role. And really, what put this episode over the top was the whole Undead Realm sequence. They don't give a flying fuck, they just want to do cool shit. I guess that's the influence of Lucha Underground and the Matt Hardy stuff they did before. Three things in particular about this. First, I really got a kick out of Luchasaurus getting killed *again*, after his brutal murder in the Temples of Snakes in LU. Just too funny (although I hope we'll get to see him again, he's being wasted in ROH dull-land). Second, well : On 3/30/2019 at 11:35 PM, Downend2005 said: Kiera Hogan looking bored as fuck whilst being held at knifepoint by James Mitchell was also quite something. Yeah, I do think we can all recognize that the best we can say about Hogan's acting here is : it's not hot. And yes, the leader of the Undead Realm. When I saw that silhouette coming, I hoped for an instant it would be... bam, they delivered. Just perfect. So yeah, it's goofy, it's kitsch, it's pulp, it's not nearly produced as well as LU (not the same budget either I guess), but it's fun as hell in small doses. It's pro-wrestling in 2019. Why the fuck not ! iMPACT is the best, people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 Ugh, Eli Drake has been released. He was one of the few (quasi) original names Impact had on the roster who looked like he could turn out to be a big deal in the long run. This is not so good. I don't blame them for releasing him early, his contract was up in May and he's been pretty much slagging the company off in interviews lately - but it sucks to see them lose such a big name. If rumors are to be believed, it sounds like Drake is a bit of a pain in the ass behind the scenes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 Considering how badly they need some name value (and really, was Eli Drake any kind of name value ?), you really have to be some kind of pain in the ass to get released by iMPACT at this point. Hey, not wanting to do business with Tessa was stupid, she and Joey Ryan stole the show at United We Stand. Meanwhile, RVD is coming. There's some name value as far as nostalgia goes. He looked completely washed up this week-end though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 I've been a Drake fan going back to his Shaun Ricker days. He definitely looked like the breakout star for Natural Selection. Instead, Brian Cage has turned into the (at times) hot prospect - and Ricker/Drake just can't seem to sustain any sort of real traction. Anywhere. I could buy him being a pain in the ass backstage, because nothing else makes much sense. I can't believe WWE did nothing with him. At the time, he seemed like somebody Vince would find a spot for - at the very least he'd get an Alex Riley shot with them. But it never materialized. I still think the guy has a certain spark. He carries himself like a star, even when his circumstances or surroundings say otherwise. And I won't fault anyone for taking themselves seriously. Yes. I realize intergender matches are fairly standard now, but wrestling is such a bizarre business. One minute, you're a mark if you take yourself too seriously. The next, you're criticized for not speaking up or standing your ground. Throughout the industry's history, most of the top guys always took themselves seriously. Austin. Bret. Hogan. These guys knew the importance of wins/losses and who you're programmed with or presented alongside. They knew the importance of picking your spots & calling your shots. I'm not saying Drake is in that league - or anywhere near it, but i'm not about to fault him for taking his livelihood seriously either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 Sad to hear, big fan of his run here and I guess we won't get the blowoff to he and Eddie's story. I think WWE will give him a shot.. and hopefully he gets used better than his fellow former Impact members in EC3 and Mike Kanellis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 8 minutes ago, Alucard said: Mike Kanellis. They never actually signed Mike Kanellis, he was a package deal for getting Maria. And she got the best contract ever. Get signed to do nothing and have a babie. More power to the Kanellis, best workers of the roster this side of Lesnar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted April 8, 2019 Report Share Posted April 8, 2019 22 hours ago, El-P said: Considering how badly they need some name value (and really, was Eli Drake any kind of name value ?), you really have to be some kind of pain in the ass to get released by iMPACT at this point. Hey, not wanting to do business with Tessa was stupid, she and Joey Ryan stole the show at United We Stand. Meanwhile, RVD is coming. There's some name value as far as nostalgia goes. He looked completely washed up this week-end though. I liked RVD's matches with Penta and Willie Mack from PCW Ultra (which were from maybe 2017?), so I think he could be interesting here. Keep him the hell away from Morrison though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovert Posted April 13, 2019 Report Share Posted April 13, 2019 On 4/7/2019 at 10:13 PM, Alucard said: Sad to hear, big fan of his run here and I guess we won't get the blowoff to he and Eddie's story. I think WWE will give him a shot.. and hopefully he gets used better than his fellow former Impact members in EC3 and Mike Kanellis. Drake is AEW bound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 Haven't heard much buzz around these parts about the PPV this weekend, Impact: Rebellion. It's in my neck of the woods and in the same venue that Slammiversary XVI was in, (The Rebel Complex in Toronto.) I thought that show was the best PPV I saw in 2018, and I thought the venue came across great on PPV. I'd be going to this show if I was physically and financially able to, but sadly I am not. I am thinking about ordering it on PPV, but it is going to be expensive. I'll probably end up seeing the show in some way, shape or form at some point - even if I wait until they show it on The Fight Network here. Gail Kim should be crazy over since she's from Toronto, so that should be huge. Anybody going to watch this show? Thoughts on the card? Only five announced matches for a full PPV seems a bit odd to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 I'm looking forward to it, as usual with Impact PPVs. The sudden termination of Eli Drake took away one match. I'm assuming they'll add a couple more matches this week, but even at 5 matches - most of them have been built to very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiva Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 I've fallen off Impact in recent weeks but anything between The Lucha Bros and LAX is something I'm on board for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 I loved both Slammiversary and BFG last year. And Homecoming was solid. So I'll likely give this a watch, although it'll be later in the week at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 Yeah, seems like it'll be a good show. Particularly intrigued by the tag team title match. They've done a nice job with Johnny's heel turn, although I still don't really care at all about Cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMPunk Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 Moving to Toronto this Summer, hoping to catch one of these PPVs live eventually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrzfn Posted April 24, 2019 Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 That looks like a really good card so far, the only match I wouldn't be interested in is Swann/Callihan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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