The Only Certainty In Wrestling Is Uncertainty

Remember back about nine months ago? Back when Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness had both signed WWE contracts within a week of each other and everyone started talking about a potential raid of the indies? Good times, good times. We were all so sure that both guys would make it to the big time and make impacts. Hell, I even dedicated a week to the both of them for their payday.

Now, a human gestation period later, and both men have made impacts on the big time, but not in the way any one of us would have thought. Nigel flunked his physical with the WWE, never put the ink on the bottom line of his contract and ended up in TNA as Desmond Wolfe, where he landed in the upper midcard and has stagnated there since losing to Kurt Angle three or four times in a row after his shocking debut. Danielson? Well, I've written so much about his travails and what happened to him for both this blog and the CCB that I'm beginning to think he might file a restraining order against me.

Somehow, this all seems par for the course. Like most other forms of entertainment, wrestling is scripted. I think everyone is at about the stage where we all accept that kayfabe is no longer the reality. Unlike those forms, the stability of these scripts are so volatile that they can change the day of the show that they're supposedly good for. I mean, just take a look at this laundry list of drastic changes that might have put dents in the long-term bookings of various companies just starting with the New Year:

• Davey Richards signed a contract with ROH in a manner that Gabe Sapolsky felt undercut him and his plans. Richards was erased from every DGUSA and EVOLVE card thereafter despite EVOLVE being set up as a DR vanity promotion.


• Brian Knobbs made an ass of himself at a Spike TV party, causing TNA to cut ties with him and Jerry Sags.


• Batista got butthurt over having a movie role snaked from him by Triple H and/or became disenchanted with the direction of WWE, so he quit to train for a career in MMA.


• John Cena and Triple H both went to Vince McMahon and told him he was nuts for letting Evan Bourne rot on Superstars and only be used as a job boy for guys like Sheamus. Subsequently, Bourne got the push of his life and has been kept in the spotlight since his star-making night.


• Rey Mysterio fractured Undertaker's orbital bone, causing the Dead Man to go out for an extended period of time.


• Jorge Rivera decided he was going to try and hold Chikara ransom for more money than he was already promised. Quack called his bluff, and instead of Team Mexico, we got The Osirian Portal and Sara del Rey at King of Trios, and Skayde is currently on the outs.


• Wade Barrett, Drew McIntyre and possibly Sheamus all let their work visas lapse and the former two are definitely out indefinitely.

That's probably just the tip of the iceberg. Plans do get changed all the time, almost in a state of constant flux, because guys get tweaked, guys get in the doghouse for not tipping their cap to the locker room leader, guys get busted for drugs, etc. I mean, people want to rag wrestling for being staged, but for being staged, there are a lot of changes to be made on the fly.

That's why I, as well as many people smarter than I, advocate that wrestling bookers do literally what Eric Bischoff did falsely symbolically on Jan. 4th. That's ripping up the script. Booking on the fly is a necessity at times, and bookers and more importantly wrestlers are out of practice on what to do without the rigidity of a script to read from. It's a huge reason why guys today don't seem to stack up to the wrestlers of yesteryear, even as promo content and in-ring product have become so much more sophisticated over the years. No one knows how to ad lib, or if they do, they don't get a chance.

And that's why we all look foolish analyzing pro wrestling from time to time. Given the state of both Danielson and McGuinness/Wolfe now, I'm totally wiping the egg off my face that was put there unknowningly during DragonNigel Week. The thing is, as an analyst/journalist/blogger, you have to have a thick skin and not mind being wrong most of the time.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

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Danielson Finally Speaks... Err, I Mean Blogs

The entry in question

Bryan Danielson has finally spoken about his release from the WWE, and as expected, he's gracious and professional while still emoting his displeasure with the proceedings. Say what you will about AmDrag, but whatever you've heard about him backstage is probably right if those things were positives. Anyway, here are some snippets and analysis:

Perhaps the choking was too violent or perhaps the spit was too demeaning. I apologized for both immediately following the incident; but I would be a hypocrite if I apologized for putting everything I have into the attack. I would much rather have gone too far than to come up too short.

This right here says it all. Here you have a guy that went full tilt to get an angle over. He went too far by PG standards, but if you're Vince McMahon, how can you not be impressed with that kind of work ethic, especially if this happened 5 years ago, Danielson would have been rewarded instead of future endeavored.

As far as what happens after 90 days, nobody knows. I’ve “heard” that TNA is interested.

I hope that he spurns them no matter what. I'd rather see him in ROH full-time again, retreading every path he tread before than go to TNA, get the taint of Hogan/Russo/Dixie on him for what would probably be pennies on the dollar what he was getting from WWE and something comparable to what he could get working a schedule of ROH/Chikara/Sapolsky/PWG dates (the latter being far more satisfying to fans than a TNA slate would be).

But regardless of what offers come in, I am in no rush to make any rash decisions. I enjoy my freedom as much as I enjoyed the benefits offered by being in WWE. My future, as usual, is uncertain. But I am enjoying my return to the independents. I’m hoping to see some of you there.

I think that's telling. Personally, I'm hoping that he shows up on RAW this coming week as Wade Barrett's fill-in, but hey, I've resigned myself to playing wait and see with this whole situation anymore. Sure, I want him to go back to the WWE because he'll be on my TV every week, but I think speculating on it will be pointless. He's waited this long to speak about the subject, so I don't think he'll be leaking anything publically, and I'd rather not have my source risk his/her connection to AmDrag by pestering that person to pester Danielson.

Still, it's good to hear from Danielson about the whole thing, and hopefully, he'll make one more appearance for Chikara on July 25th so I can see him before he moves on to something else after 90 days.

Photo Credit: Official Bryan Danielson Blog

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Wrestling Statistics: Most Frequent Cause of Missing TV Time in the WWE

Here's the results of my exhaustive study about the causes of missed TV time for active WWE wrestlers. The findings are in user-friendly GraphJam line graph format.



I think this proves beyond the shadow of any doubt that being a member of the Nexus stable is hazardous to your career. Darren Young, consider yourself forewarned.

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F*ckin' Work Visas, How Do They Work?

When Angelina Love was fired from TNA for her work visa expiring last year, we all pointed and laughed and said "Oh hey, look at the stupid blonde chick". We all had a chuckle, a chortle if you will, and thought that the issue with work visas would never really come up again. Yeah, about that...

Now, it seems like the WWE has itself a real problem on its hands with Wade Barrett and Scrooge McPoyle both having to paddleboat across the pond to get their papers in order just so they can get oiled up and prance around a wrestling ring in their underwear on American television. Rumor has it that noted ginger and current WWE Champion Sheamus might be in similar hot water if not now then soon. With this rash of foreigners, important ones at that, being threatened with deportation, is it time for the actual wrestling companies themselves to do something about keeping their employees legal instead of trusting them to do it themselves?

In all three cases, potentially four, the wrestler in danger of deportation was or is important to their fed's continuity. Love was at the time one-half of the hottest Knockout act in TNA. When she was fired, The Beautiful People were stripped of their wrestling contingient. Although both Love and Velvet Sky were purported to be hot pieces of ass, only Velvet really fit that bill. Love, with her horseface and all, had a very nice body, but she was clearly there to fit the bill as a credible wrestler in the face of gals such as Awesome Kong and Tara. She eventually returned, but really, the momentum of TBP had been screeched to a halt as nothing more than eye-candy with the addition of the smoking-hot but terrible in the ring Lacey Von Erich and Madison Rayne.

IN the current cases, Barrett, McPoyle and Sheamus represent a huge part of the present and future directions of the WWE. Barrett is the leader of a hot stable, one that has dominated the WWE's flagship program for a month now, and one that really couldn't afford the loss of an important figure since Bryan Danielson was future endeavored for getting an angle over at the angle's outset. McPoyle, if Bryan Alvarez is to be believed, was supposed to win Smackdown's Money in the Bank match. Oops. And Sheamus, well, he's possibly the most over heel on the roster right now, and yeah, he's the WWE Champion. If his paperwork were to expire without renewal, that would be the most devastating loss of them all.

Seeing that foreign talent is such a big part in both companies, wouldn't it make sense for their respective HR departments to keep track of everyone's working papers? This isn't some mom-and-pop business. If a guy's work visa expires, you can't just pull someone else off the street to do his job. Additionally, keeping them on to work illegally is out of the question because their job is to appear on television. This is not a symbiotic/parasitic relationship. The company and the wrestlers are codependent, no matter how much Vince McMahon wants you to believe otherwise. Without Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin or Bret Hart, there is no Vince McMahon as we know him today.

Therefore, it's in the best interest of both the WWE and TNA to make sure that these wrestlers are legal. At the very least, there should be someone in HR that is at least reminding guys like Barrett and Sheamus to keep up their paperwork and to make sure everything is up to date and on the level before the deadlines come up. It's not that hard, really, or at least it shouldn't be. I preach personal responsibility like a mofo, but let's be real here; wrestlers aren't in the ring because they're Rhodes Scholars now. Some of them forget things, be it by their own brainpower or because they take bumps to the head and the back of the neck on a nightly basis 300 out of 365 days of the calendar year. It wouldn't take that much effort to pull off, actually.

The last thing anyone wants is for a hot angle or a big feud to be put on the kibosh because of bureaucratic oversight. These companies need to learn a lesson from this and make sure that no one has to go home because of a lapsed work visa ever again. I mean, it's bordering on embarrassing here, and really, the WWE and TNA already have enough to be embarrassed about without having their wrestlers being sent home by Uncle Sam for working illegally.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

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The Best Moves of All-Time: Ghetto Stomp/Warrior's Way

When you get a guy who does a top-rope finisher really well, the results are usually breathtaking, graceful, dare I say, pretty. No one will ever tell you that Justin Gabriel's 450 Splash or Helios' 630 Senton or Evan Bourne's SSP are brutal, gritty or stiff. That's usually the case for any top-rope finish, except this one. Kaval's Warrior's Way, or the Ghetto Stomp as it was called when he was known as Low Ki in the indies, is the exception to this rule, and my God, does Lay-Cool's hottest property make it look sick. Here's him nailing Hernandez with the move:



And just because I like yous guys, here he is hitting it off the springboard to a bent-over Eli Cottonwood from last week's NXT:



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Punk Is Hurt

Via FUCK YEAH! Wrestling's Tumblr

The hits keep on coming for the WWE. FYW cobbled together news on three different subjects, and by golly, he's turned it into one Bluebird of Happiness-type post of doom. Re: the visas, both McPoyle and Barrett are going to be out past SummerSlam per Meltzer, and they're indicating that Sheamus could be next (please God no, after last night, Sheamus is the last guy that needs to be deported). Chris Jericho's contract is also up in the fall, and he hasn't re-upped yet. My guess is if Downfall takes off, he's out like trout.

But the real pisser? CM Punk had surgery on his arm and is out for up to 8 weeks according to The Site That Shall Not Be Linked. Oh no, it's not like Smackdown isn't thin up top already. Wow, my sarcasm is thick tonight, isn't it? Anyway, I'm guessing since he's out and McPoyle is in Scotland, they'll have to get snappy with their replacements in the Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match, since I can only assume they were supposed to be in it. At this point, if neither Christian nor Cody Rhodes wins the briefcase, I'm really not interested at all in it.

Have a wonderful evening, wrestling fans.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Wrestling Six Packs: Memorable Fat Guys

Husky Harris, whom I just cast my vote for on the very first WWE Universe NXT Poll, is known for a few things this season on NXT. He's the son of Mike Rotundo/IRS, he's one of the guys given a questionable ring name, but most importantly, he doesn't fit the Vince McMahon steroid fetish mold whatsoever, and despite that excess blubber, he's actually one of the best wrestlers on the slate for this season. As a fat guy myself, I feel a sense of comraderie with him. Yes, I'm trying to shed my weight, but it's good to see that someone who isn't roided or rail-thin is in a position to make his way in a business I follow as closely as I do pro wrestling.

Of course, Harris is not the only memorable fat guy wrestler. Here are six more. Note, I'm not doing Samoans for this, because up until the Usos right now and Sonny Siaki in TNA's infancy, well, has there ever been a Samoan who wasn't fat?

1. Dusty Rhodes

Dust is an icon at this blog, mainly for his witticisms and banter in the broadcast booth for WCW (and apparently FCW... only makes me want the WWE developmental territory to be carried up here even more!), but he's a legitimate wrestling legend and the patron saint of fat guy wrestlers. Especially later on in his career, Dusty would stagger down to the ring and jiggle about with every Bionic Elbow he threw. Of course, the polka dots didn't help matters any either. Nothing slimming about those.

2. Vader

If Dust is the patron saint, then Vader is the consigliere. Supremely talented, slightly forgotten, Vader may be the best fat guy worker ever. He was great in WCW, underutilized in the WWF and a legend in Japan, all with a beer belly and hairy manboobs. He's still out working today, teaming with his son out in their home state of Colorado. And, lest we not forget, he was on Boy Meets World. A true hero to us fat folk everywhere.

3. Shinya Hashimoto

Given that guys like Vader are legendary in Japan, it's no wonder that one of the best draws in puroresu history was the jiggly Hash. Universally beloved and world-renowned for his brainbuster, Hash was a juggernaut until a controversial run-in with Naoya Ogawa in a match that was sold to him as a work but ended up as a shoot stripped him of a good bit of his drawing power. In 2005, Hash tragically died of a brain aneurysm, but his memory lives on as a shining example of fat people succeeding in a world where skinny and muscular are pushed as the ideal.

4. Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy V

Yeah, Big Vis is fat even by fat wrestler standards. He's one guy whose frequent rehirings by the WWE I never quite understood. He's not really that good, but hey, the guy did project a scary aura until he waddled to the ring. But yeah, he was good and fat.

5. Takeshi Morishima

Considering that Samoa Joe was still relatively svelte (by Samoan standards) when he held the ROH World Championship, Morishima holds the king-sized king of the indies title by a considerable margin. If you think that's trivial for the indies, where small seems to rule the day thanks to the WWE poaching all the big guys, well, I present to you this:



Not only is he fat, but he's kinda reckless too.

6. Abdullah the Butcher

When you engage in the kind of hardcore warfare that Abby has had his hand in innovating over the years, well, you'll need to have your vice. From the looks of it, Abby's indulgence was food, and hey, eating releases endorphins. I mean, unless you're eating like shit or eating terrible food, you're happy when you're eating, right? Right. Additionally, the hardcore legend is not only a consumer, but he's an enabler. Yep, he's opened up his own chicken and waffles restaurant, one in Atlanta and one in Japan. You can't make this shit up, although I've heard the fare is pretty good in there. Hats off to you, Abby. Hats off to you.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

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I *heart* Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

From their website

Honestly, I love living in Philadelphia, or more specifically, the Philadelphia area. Especially now, I have access to independent pro wrestling as well as frequent stops from the WWE and even TNA, whose house shows are rumored to be far, far better than their televised product. However, if there's one thing I need to be jealous about, it's the fact that Pro Wrestling Guerrilla doesn't run shows here. Yeah, I know, I'm greedy, but these guys really do run a tight ship. Great wrestling, great sense of humor and an almost unrivaled atmosphere. It can be hard to believe for the uninitiated that your average crowd in Reseda is probably the best in all American wrestling, but from what I've seen on DVD, that assessment is true. It's a big reason why my bucket list includes a trip out there.

Anyway, if you're in SoCal, you need to make it a point to go to their 7th Birthday Show on July 30th in Reseda. When Bryan Danielson's return to PWG takes second billing, you know it's going to be a good show. What's the main event? Scott Lost, in his final match ever, taking on a returning Scorpio Sky. For PWG fans, this is an important thing since Lost was one of the founding fathers of the fed, and Sky was a huge part of the fed's history as well. Lost joins Super Dragon and Chris Bosh on the sidelines. Shame, as all three men helped give PWG it's own flavor that balanced out the guys who had become indie mainstays on the East Coast like Danielson, Roderick Strong, Chris Hero and El Generico. Such is life.

But back to Danielson, the main reason why I'm posting this today is, well, this account of AmDrag's return to the indies in the preview blurb for his match against Roderick Strong:

When Bryan Danielson defeated Chris Hero in an epic World Championship title match at Guerre Sans Frontières last September, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla fans and staff alike thought they had seen the last of the "American Dragon" on the independent scene. However, in a shocking turn of events, Bryan Danielson was unceremoniously dumped to the freelance market after suffocating international popular music sensation Justin Bieber with a dry cleaning bag. Or something. We're not really big on details. Either way, we consider ourselves lucky to have a two-time former World Champion such as Danielson back in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla locker room.

Yeah, that made me LOL right proper. That's a big part of the sense of humor. Of course, you'd expect that from the fed that made Joey Ryan a household independent wrestling name, amirite?

Although, let's be honest, if he choked out Justin Bieber instead of Justin Roberts, I don't think he'd ever have to buy a beer wheatgrass smoothie in this country ever again. Anyway, you bet I'm getting this DVD as soon as I can. Then again, maybe I should just work on starting to watch Kurt Russellmania instead of putting that off, yeah?

Photo Credit: Online World of Wrestling

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Work Visas for Wade Barrett and Scrooge McPoyle Expire

The unofficial WWE NXT Facebook page, most likely sourcing The Site That Shall Not Be Linked, is reporting that Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre Scrooge McPoyle let their work visas expire and thus have been pulled from all shows they've been currently booked. Barrett apparently returned home to the UK, while McPoyle is still in Amurka.

Anyway, it's a good thing they're taking care of this, because having the Nexus lose both its highest-profile wrestlers over stupid shit would have been embarrassing. At least they explained his absence last night on RAW.

Still waiting for Angelina Love to accuse them of ripping her situation off. Haha, nah, just kidding, the WWE is actually doing something about it rather than going "Hurrr, you'z supposed to has a work visa?" like Dixie Carter and her braindead front office did when confronted with Love's revoked visa.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

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Instant Feedback: Predictably Well-Done

I called it.

When the Ricky Steamboat DVD plug segment came on, I called that it would end in a Nexus attack. Not trying to toot my own horn; many other people called it too. It was transparent. Still, a funny thing happened, something that the hacks like Vince Russo and those who subscribe to his way of booking would never want to admit.

It worked.

The segment worked. Although I thought it took too long to develop, once it got to the point where the Nexus was destroying the legends, it was effective television. I don't know what it is about seeing these kids just waylay people week in and week out, but it's really how an invasion angle or an unruly stable angle should work. It's well-booked.

It seemed to be the only really consistently good thing on the show tonight. My hometown got a very uneven episode tonight. Sheamus' promo was off-the-charts awesome, and the main event was pretty good for what it was (although what in the blue hell made it a fucking "mega match"?). Conversely, some of the stuff just didn't work. For one, John Cena's mic spot was off-kilter. I don't know, he just wasn't bringing it tonight. Secondly, what was the point in turning Ranjin Singh heel? Seriously? Also, I think it's time to do what it takes to get The Rock there and then put this guest host concept to bed, seeing that they didn't have one last week and Rob Zombie was only in the ring for one segment this week. Not that I was complaining about his lack of presence. I didn't think he'd be a good host to begin with, but they're running out of ideas, and it wasn't a segment that really needed him to develop.

Average RAW tonight all in all, but it was a RAW that taught an important lesson. Sometimes, transparent doesn't mean bad. You don't need swerve after swerve to keep an angle going strong. They're proving that with this Nexus angle week in and week out (that hiccup with the car crash segment notwithstanding).

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Shut the F Up, Angelina Love

Noted horseface Angelina Love apparently was watching Smackdown the other night and had this to say:

"So this is what I get for quickly flipping thru the channels on a friday night......a blonde & a brunette blatantly ripping something off........BRUTAL!!!"

Yes, Angelina, Team Lay-Cool is blatantly ripping off The Beautiful People. Yes, because two attractive women acting catty and egotistical is original domain of TBP. Sure, it's not endemic of the behavior of women stereotypes all over TV, including on shows such as The Hills. Oh, and TBP totally brought it to wrestling too. Let's ignore that Sunny's schtick was exactly the same as TBP's, or that these female gimmicks were really just the female versions of those such as "The Model" Rick Martel, Superstar Billy Graham and even going all the way back to the original pretty-boy wrestler, Gorgeous George. Right. Even if it was a rip off, Angelina, you work for a company that is in and of itself a cheap imitation of 1998 WWF.

I'm no fan of Michelle McCool, but c'mon now.

Angelina Love protects her Twitter account, thanks to KoppoKick for the reprint at A1

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Mid-Year Top 50 Workers

The year's roughly half-way over, so now's probably a good time for some easy, feel-good list-o-maniacal content. Half-year awards are too involved, but a top workers list? I think I can handle that. I agonized over this one for a while. The top five I'm very sure about, but after that, it can get murky, especially since I've watched a grand total of 0 minutes of PWG, EVOLVE, DGUSA and SHIMMER this year. However, for the amount of wrestling I was privvy to watching, I think I have somewhat of a handle on this list. This is a good starting point for me for my ballot on next year's A1W 100, but of course, as I dig in and watch more of the DVDs I've ordered and will order this year, things may change drastically. Anyway, here goes:

1. CM Punk

Punk is my top worker for this half of the year, mainly because of his feud with Rey Mysterio. It was an excellent one that produced great matches at every turn. Why do I have him ranked four spots ahead of Rey then? Well, a couple of reasons. First, he was the co-star of the Royal Rumble along with Shawn Michaels. Brilliant performance in his limited time that really made the first third of it pop off the screen. His GTS on Beth Phoenix was probably the best one I've ever seen him do. So stiff, so brutal. He was also pretty good doing yeoman's work on NXT whenever called upon. Punk was good if sloppy in the indies at times and could be bland when working as a face in the WWE, but the first six months of this calendar year, he's been spot on.

After the jump...2. Christian

Christian was tops on my ballot last year. I thought he had fallen off a bit at the very beginning of this year, even though the more I think about his match with Big Zeke at the Rumble, the more I like it, but looking on the year he's had, man, some real good top-level stuff. First off, his match with Edge on RAW was absolutely fantastic. He dragged Edge to an emotional, well-paced, beautifully spotted match. Given the history between the two, it was everything it should have been, PPV-quality. He had great free-TV matches against Wade Barrett, Ted DiBiase and even Kofi Kingston as well. I think the thing keeping him back is that ECW no longer exists. He doesn't get to put on his jets fullstop as a main event player anymore, save that match against Edge on RAW. Not his fault, but still, it hurts the match quality enough for him to be surpassed by Punk.

3. "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush

I might be grading this on a curve, but what other wrestler does the things that Quack does with the kind of back Quack has? Dude can probably retire given Chikara's roster, and with his back being in all kinds of no-good shape, he probably should. However, he's still out there every month at nearly every Chikara event, bumping his ass off, flying off the top rope, lucha-leaping like his life depended on it, generally doing his best to put on a show for the thousands and thousands who show up to watch him and his students wow and amaze. Even if he was at full health, I'd probably still rate him this high though. I mean, if you saw KoT, Night 1 at all, you'd rate him this high too the way he bumped for Team BJW.

4. John Cena

The Champ, who is more likely than not here, has replaced Triple H as the Internet's most polarizing figure for different reasons. The biggest reason is his working ability. Some think he sucks. I, as well as a bunch of other people, think he's great, and the first half of this year, he's proven that worth at the same clip as he's been doing for the last few years. I think his feud with Batista has been a highlight of the year in the ring as much as it's been in promos and angle development. Their WM match was, in my view, the best on the card. I didn't see their Extreme Rules match, but the finish was clever and well-executed from what I saw on replays. Cena's looked good against other opponents too, and I think he'll fare well the second half of the year wrestling Sheamus, possibly Wade Barrett and maybe even Bryan Danielson, should AmDrag return to the WWE as most of us are expecting him to.

5. Rey Mysterio

In addition to his work with Punk, I loved Mysterio's mini-program with Batista that spilled into the New Year. Rey's bumping and selling for Batista did a lot to get Big Dave over as a heel with an audience that had cheered him for the better part of two years now. Of course, I did a whole post on Mysterio the worker last week, so yeah.

6. Evan Bourne

Even if they don't let him get any offense, Bourne is one of the most gifted wrestlers in the company, if only because he makes anyone he's in the ring with look like Brock Lesnar in terms of damage done. Thankfully, Cena and *grumble* Triple H convinced Vince McMahon and WWE Creative that if they let Bourne have some offense, it might draw some money. The result? Evan Bourne may be the most over babyface on the roster, and he's been having some of the most dynamic and well-wrestled matches on WWE TV, be it Superstars where he usually makes his home or on RAW. A few more big-time PPV matches under his belt, and I'm betting Bourne makes top 3 on my ballot at year's end.

7. Batista

Batista's position will not hold mainly due to him leaving wrestling altogether. That is, unless he comes to his senses, returns to the WWE and continues to have matches like he's had in the first half of the year. Still, this is a great place for Big Dave to be on the list, and a spot he deserves.

8. Pinkie Sanchez

This might be the shocker of the list, but if you've seen him in Chikara this year, then you'll understand why he's on the list and this high. Right now, he's probably the best heel worker in the indies that I've seen this year. He's already got workrate, but what puts him over the top for me are his mannerisms and facial expressions during matches. The guy has got a bright future ahead of him, and luckily for us, part of it is becoming realized in Chikara right now. He was good against Green Ant in the season opener, but I bet if they had that match again tomorrow, it'd be a MOTY candidate. His work at King of Trios was spectacular as well.

9. Kevin Steen

He's been almost as good as Pinkie but for different reasons. After turning on El Generico at Final Battle, Steen has taken on a Joker-esque heel persona that has been the highlight of any ROH event that I've viewed this year, and it has bled into his already excellent ring work. He and Steve Corino have had an excellent series of matches with Colt Cabana and Generico for the first half of this year. I expect it to continue as Steen gets mixed into the main event.

10. Jack SWAGGAH~!

All Swagger needed was a chance. After looking like he was headed to the scrap-heap in the beginning of the year, he was given the MitB win and a surprise title win over Chris Jericho days later at the Smackdown tapings. The result? More Swagger on TV and PPV against high-profile opponents like Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio. Swagger was able to show his top-level abilities the way he had in ECW in the first half of last year, and it was good.

Okay, now that the top 10 is out of the way, here's the rest of the list, with only blurbs for select guys:

11. El Generico

12. Chris Jericho

Jericho is an interesting case. His high-end matches are really, really good. He was the best thing about the excellent JeriShow/DX match on 1/4 by far, and he had a great WM main event-level match against Edge. However, he's looked uninspired at times too. Take for example the highly-touted match he had with Bryan Danielson on the first episode of NXT; Danielson worked his ass off, and Jericho blew a few spots. Still, he was good enough for #12 so far.

13. Sheamus
14. Randy Orton
15. Undertaker
16. Claudio Castagnoli
17. Dolph Ziggler

18. Frightmare

He was good last year, but Frightmare has seemingly taken the next step this year. I think what sealed it for me was that Rey de Voladores qualifier when it was just him and Ophidian left. It was such an awesome spotfest, and yet, Frightmare showed me a lot of other things other than ZOMG AWESOME SPOTZ. But the awesome spots were pretty neat too. Like this:



19. Goldust
20. Steve Corino
21. Luke Gallows

22. Kaval

Kaval might be a lot higher on this list had I seen more of his FCW work. The first two matches I saw of his this year (vs. Bryan Danielson on FCW TV via Youtube, vs. Alex Riley on NXT) were outstanding. Plus, he did his best to make Eli Cottonwood look more than terrible last week. If he keeps it up, he'll be top 5 on my A1W 100 ballot.

23. Zack Ryder
24. Eddie Kingston
25. Cody Rhodes
26. The Miz
27. Green Ant
28. Doug Williams

29. Bryan Danielson

He spent a lot of time on NXT in shortish matches where he was only able to show flashes of his ability. His best match was the aforementioned Kaval match on FCW TV. Granted, if I had been in Taylor, MI and Cleveland, I might have bumped him up a little higher, but he'll get there, especially if he goes back to WWE and gets the treatment we all think he will.

30. Ted DiBiase

31. Daisuke Sekimoto

Weird to have a guy this high who only made three appearances in the States on this list, but he was definitely one of the stars of King of Trios. The guy was just a spectacle with his freakish feats of strength, including German suplexing both Quack and Frightmare at the same time. I imagine he'll drop as the year goes on, but his performance was definitely memorable.

32. Delirious
33. Colt Cabana
34. Jigsaw
35. Big Show
36. AJ Styles

37. Shawn Michaels

Another guy who won't have a chance to build on his first half... or more like third, Shawn Michaels had an inconsistent 2010 when he was active. However, his good - the Rumble Match where he was the unquestioned star and his WM match against Undertaker where he proved that he could be the ultimate big match wrestler in WWE history - was good enough to net him this spot.

38. Wade Barrett
39. Beth Phoenix
40. Chuck Taylor
41. Austin Aries

42. Santino Marella

Yeah, he's been confined to comedy matches, but he's the best at them, the best that the WWE has had in a long time, actually. While they've given him less time to cut promos, his matches have picked up in comedic value.

43. Tyson Kidd
44. Chris Masters
45. Sara del Rey
46. Christopher Daniels
47. Yoshi Tatsu

48. Skip Sheffield

Seriously, the guy proved to be a more-than-competant brawler on NXT, and even if it didn't happen in actual matches, when the nXTWo Nexus angle called on him to lariat people with no remorse, he looked damn good doing it. Of all the NXT season 1 guys, the only two that have better prospects than he have to be Barrett and Danielson (should our hunches be correct and he comes back).

49. Edge
50. Chris Hero

I wouldn't be surprised if this top 50 looked even more different than it does now when it comes time to submit the A1W 100 ballot. I still have a bunch of DVDs to sift through, and I imagine that there'll be even more shows to watch. However, for the first six months, I think this is a good barometer. Feel free to disagree if you will.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Weekend Wrap-Up: Lloyd Boner Rules the Day

- Bryan Danielson made his first post-Daniel Bryan appearances this past weekend at Chikara and AIW. Reporting from We Must Eat Michigan's Brain from Saturday, blogfan Rob Lee Franklin thanked me profusely for urging him to become a Chikara fan. He's now hooked. Needless to say, Rob, don't thank me, thank the Chikara roster, Bryce Remsburg, Mike Quackenbush and everyone who helps make Chikara the best in the world. Speaking of the wrestler who holds that mantel, he tore the roof off the building with his match against Eddie Kingston. The sound people trolled the crowd by playing "Wild and Young" to introduce him before going into the more familiar "Final Countdown", and then the crowd greeted Dragon with ties instead of streamers. Danielson broke out his Mr. Small Package persona and beat Kingston with a schoolboy. Also on the card, UltraMantis Black defeated his former servant Delirious, Mike Quackenbush took the place of Darkness Crabtree and defeated Green Ant, and in a major upset, Da Soul Touchaz defeated the BDK in the big six-man tag. Also interestingly enough, STIGMA and Vin Gerard made the save for the Osirian Portal after they were defeated and attacked by Lince Dorado and Pinkie Sanchez. Don't think this is a face turn for the UnStablers, but it's a sign that rudos and tecnicos alike are fighting the BDK in this war. My new big prediction though? Mike Quackenbush and STIGMA will knock off Claudio and Ares for the CdP. Remember, Quack and STIGMA earned three points that they never cashed in when STIGMA was still Shayne Storm.

Faded Scars and Lines had similar amounts of fanfare and action. Danielson again tore the roof off the house, making YLC Champ Tim Donst look like a million bucks. DST won again against The Colony and the BDK retained their CdP against Helios and Equinox. Post-match, Danielson hinted that he wouldn't be going to TNA, as he didn't think people would want to see matches between Desmond Wolfe and Lloyd Boner. He'd be right, although Lloyd Boner is probably a better ring name than what he could have gotten upon arriving in the WWE in NXT.

I'm having a hard time finding the AIW results, but Johnny Gargano and Aeroform both won titles so kudos to them.

- Also in the world of the indies on Saturday night, Full Impact Pro down in Florida held a show. The advertised main event of Jon Moxley vs. Erick Stevens vs. Roderick Strong for the FIP Championship was replaced by Moxley/Stevens vs. Strong/Egotistico Fantastico. Ego won and banked a title shot against Moxley down the road. Also on the card, blog-favorite Sugar Dunkerton ate a second rope piledriver and lost to Chasyn Rance.

- CZW held its Tournament of Death 9 Saturday. Scotty Vortekz defeated JC Bailey in the finals of that tournament. They began the card with a 10-bell salute to Trent Acid.

- Kelly Kelly and Cody Rhodes both suffered minor injuries at a house show on Saturday, but neither will miss time.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Friday Five: Super Random Summer Fun Time

It's officially summer now that I'm spending my first weekend down the shore. I'll try to get another update or two before I come home, but it's vacation time for me, so I'm kind of guy incognito. I'd write a site-specific Chikara preview for this weekend for all my Detroit and Cleveland, but I think my Camel Clutch Blog preview of the event will just have to suffice. In addition to the forthcoming FF, how do you guys like my CCB content so far? Are you reading it even?

Anyway, here are five questions that probably have nothing to do with each other. Enjoy!

1. Who's your favorite wrestler, all-time?

2. Does the WWE necessarily have to have a TV-14 product for you to enjoy it?

3. Do you think a "Bash at the Beach"-type PPV, outdoors and on the beach, could work today?

4. Of all 14 of the NXT rookies so far aside from Kaval and Bryan Danielson, who has impressed you the most thus far?

5. TNA's impending extreme invasion... like, dislike or indifferent?

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

The Internet's Heel Turn on Rey Mysterio: Why Part of It Is Bogus

Rey Mysterio won his second-ever World Heavyweight Championship at Fatal Four Way. Given the way that Mysterio has been an Internet darling since his days with WCW, you'd think that there'd be much rejoicing and proclamations of hope that his second reign would be far better booked than the first one was, right? Right?

Yeah, about that.

I've been noticing quite a bit of Mysterio backlash ever since his push was seemingly used to exploit Eddie Guerrero's death and nothing else. His character was becoming increasingly pandering to children, and a lot of people, myself included, resented how he was easily able to dominate guys like Kane and Mike Knox despite the size difference and the constant billing as an underdog (much in the same way everyone had a problem with John Cena "overcoming the odds" every week despite him clearly being the dominant party in the feud against Big Show). Admittedly, I wasn't and still am not a huge fan of Mysterio's out-of-the-ring persona. It does seem pandering to me, but what his saving grace is is that he's a phenomenal wrestler. Going by my small corner of the Internet that I spend most of my time, A1 Wrestling, I thought I was part of the consensus.

Surprisingly to me, I'm not. Rey Mysterio, a guy who has been involved in some of the best matches in the last two years despite having two shot knees, has been turned on by the Internet Wrestling Community as a worker too. It's madness, I tell you. Utter madness.

Let's get the problems I have with Mysterio out in the open first before I start gushing, because I don't think Mysterio is perfect by any means. I absolutely hate that they contrive spots to get guys leaning over the ring ropes in every match so he can hit the 619, which is a cool move, but kind of a bunkily-set-up finisher. I also think he gets favorable booking way too much for a guy his size and has less trouble than he should be having against the aforementioned Kanes and Knoxes of the world.

Okay, now that that's out of the way... I think this criticism of Mysterio as a bad worker is utterly insane. Absolutely and utterly insane even. Gary Busey levels of insane. I could go on forever, but I really don't want to waste Blogger's bandwidth. These criticisms come from one of two sources it seems. The first is from his finisher. The second is that he's no longer nearly as "good" as he was in WCW/pre-WCW. Let's address both.

The first criticism is utter bullshit because there's way, way, way more to a wrestler than the quality of his finisher. John Cena's done maybe a handful of FUs Attitude Adjustments that have looked good. Otherwise, it looks like a lazy-man's Death Valley Driver. He's still one of the best on the roster. There's nothing about the Styles Clash that screams "AWESUM FINISHR!!1" or even "adequate match finish", but AJ is still one of the best, if not the best, that TNA has to offer. Conversely, Jack Evans' 630 Senton Splash is a sight to behold, but he's still a terrible, terrible wrestler. Goldberg may not have been Evans-level terrible, but while his spear/jackhammer combo was always a sight to behold, the rest of his matches often weren't. Examining a finisher as the extent of a guy's workrate is way too shallow a method of analyzing how well he wrestles.

The second criticism is faulty because of the fact that he has no knees anymore. I can't stress this enough. It's not that he was necessarily better back then. Maybe he was, but for those who want pre-WCW Mysterio hopping around like a jumping bean, it's not going to happen because he's physically unable to do it. However, where I would wholeheartedly disagree with the haters is that his work has gotten substantially worse because of that fact. It really hasn't. It's just metamorphosed.

This is setting up to be another MOVEZ~! vs. other stuff that makes a match good argument. But really, other than the set-ups to the 619 and Rey having lost a step on his high-flying moves (again, expected because his KNEES ARE SHOT TO HOLY HELL), does he really have a lack of impressive moves? I honestly don't think so. Despite him not flying like he did in 1996, he's still better than half the combined rosters of the major American feds at performing high-flying moves that actually look credible as opposed to just pretty. So what if he can't do a hurracanrana anymore? He's compensating elsewhere. Plus he still has an array of nice lucha pin combinations he busts out.

Additionally, the guy still bumps. He still sells. He makes any match he's in look better than it might have any right to be with an average replacement. In the last two years, he's had great matches with Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Batista, the Undertaker, Luke Gallows, Kane, Knox and Dolph Ziggler. You can't tell me that Rey needed to be carried in every single one of them, given that Undertaker and Kane are in the same boat he is, and that Rey needed to bump to make the matches with Kane, Knox and especially Batista look as good as they were.

As far as out-of-ring, in-character issues go, or any rumors of him having backstage pull that he uses in his favor, well, I say fire when ready, Ridley. However, I will politely ask you to pump those brakes, son, when talking about his in-ring ability. Rey Mysterio is still one of the top-flight workers in the company and in the whole country. To denigrate his abilities because you hate him for some other reason is pretty dishonest.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Frightmare Is the F'n Man

This is just an amazing visual. I believe this took place at Aniversario Elf. Have I mentioned lately that Frightmare is fast becoming one of my favorites in any fed?

Thanks to Chikara101 Poster and blog-fan bpc532 for finding this

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

TWIOT: iPhones *hmph*

Warning, I'm about to get real curmudgeony all up in this piece.

Today, Apple is releasing their new upgraded iPhone. Since the turn of this century, Steve Jobs has done a remarkable job in not only competing with the computing juggernaut Microsoft, but also in PR. Apple right now is probably setting records for the longest time on top of the trendiness heap. I mean, fads come and go, but hipsters and even regular folk alike have loved them some Mac products and anything with a lowercase i in front of it for the better part of a decade. It takes a certain amount of skill to build that kind of a brand, and to be honest, it's warranted. Getting an iPod is on the top of my want-list (too bad I'll probably have to wait 'til Christmas to get it). I love iTunes. My time working for Drexel University's school newspaper, the Triangle, saw me working exclusively with Macs, and you know what? I loved every minute of it, mainly because of how good the computers were.

However, my home computer is a PC, and I'm completely fine with that. PCs have made huge strides over the years, and hey, they're more affordable. I see Apple computers as luxury products. They're nicer and run better than Microsoft products, but I got a shit-ton of other bills I have to worry about. I'll take the more inexpensive PC model. I may be in the silent majority when it comes to my admiration of Apple but tolerance for other products but good Lord, that vocal minority makes every Mac devotee look like a lobotomized zombie in the service of their lord and savior, Saint Steven Jobs of Washington State. This is no more personified and even stereotyped in the hype for this new iPhone.

Like nearly everyone in America, I have cell phone. Unlike nearly everyone in America though, my phone is far from smart. I have a shitty little Motorola model, and I find it useful. It can send and receive calls and texts, and I can check Facebook on it. That's all I really need. Maybe that's why I don't particularly *get* why there's so much of a craze over the iPhone. It could be because I don't have or have never owned a smart phone, and that I'd rather pay money to eat at a good restaurant every once in awhile, buy wrestling DVDs and tickets (Got my ticket for Chikarasaurus Rex on Monday! YEAH BOYEEEE), purchase new music or, God forbid, do something nice for my wife rather than buy the latest smart phone gadget and pay out my rectum for the data plans every month.

But still, even if I did have a smart phone, be it the iPhone, the Android, the Blackberry or whatever else is out there, I'd probably still find the level of fanaticism that these devotees seem to have a bit excessive. I mean, I've heard reports of people waiting in lines outside Apple Stores 1,500 people thick just to get a chance at buying something they could probably get for at least $50 cheaper in a few months? I mean, that's redonkulous. Or maybe not, seeing that we live in a country where status seems to be everything. Then again, waiting in any line for anything short of an American Idol tryout or some other once-a-year/once-in-a-lifetime event seems idiotic to me. Like, do these possibly pedophiliac cougars need to be first in line to purchase your tickets to the newest Twilight movie. I think not.

And the thing is, everyone who's lining up like rabid dogs at Jobs' siren call are lining up to buy a product that is going to become obsolete in about a year or two anyway. I mean, every year they come out with an upgrade or a new model or some other bell and/or whistle to stick onto the existing one. Again, I'm sure the sensible, silent majority isn't a part of the mob, or if they are, it's because they're due for an upgrade after they dropped their phone in the toilet or are just due for a new phone after two years of service time on their prior phone. It's these tech-lusty drones, those who worship at Steve Jobs' altar, they're the ones that give everyone who enjoys a Mac product a bad name.

Maybe I'm an old 28. Maybe I'm just being contrarian. Who knows, maybe I'm like the homophobic Republican Senator who decries "them dang queers" til his face turns red and then gets caught in a truck-stop bathroom stall with a Filipino call boy named Manuel, and I'm just an iPhone cultist who hasn't gotten his first Apple gadget yet. Still, I just find it pretty dumb that a cell phone upgrade is causing this much of a furor. God bless you if you're waiting in one of those lines today, but man, I'd rather be in traffic en route to the beach. It just boggles my mind.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go sign my life over to Smart Mark video so I can pre-order any possible future Chikara shows that may or may not contain Bryan Danielson.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Bryce Remsburg Interview with F4W

Courtesy of F4W Online

Bryce Remsburg, Chikara and SHIMMER senior referee, co-host of the Chikara Podcast-a-Go-Go, unofficial amateur dance-off Champion, 80's music enthusiast, and possible TWB man-crush target, interviewed with Bryan Alvarez, aka, the pre-eminent wrestling journalist on the 'Net (now that Dave Meltzer is kinda gaga for MMA). It's about time people other than myself and the handful of fellow Arena devotees who scream "BRYYYYYYYCE" every time he dashes out to call a match for ROH or DGUSA recognize the man and give him a forum to speak.

I haven't heard the interview yet, but c'mon, it's Bryce. I give it my pre-emptive thumbs up.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

The Best Moves Ever: 630 Degree Senton

As you can tell by the tenor of this blog, I'm kinda iffy towards the trend of everyone adding three flips, twists and corkscrews to their moves. Sometimes it looks good. Other times, well, it looks like Starship Pain, which is to say not good at all. I'm very finicky, and there's no set rule. Usually, it's how the guy doing it executes the move. Like here, Ricochet/Helios performing a 630 degree senton splash. Amazing the amount of rotations he's able to get midflight and still come down on the guy's midsection rather than his wrist, his ankle or the canvas next to him. The funny thing is, Helios is one of the big offenders of superfluous mid-air movements, but this is a move he does very well.



Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Wrestling Six Packs: Most Intriguing Potential NXT Matchups for Season 2

Despite the fact that I don't think the entire roster of season 2 of NXT compares to season 1's on the whole, I think that this season of the rookie showcase might just be more intriguing than the first one. Yeah, Eli Cottonwood and Titus O'Neil look like slugs without the potential that I begrudgingly think David Otunga might have, Lucky Cannon is like Heath Slater only less ginger, and there's no one, and I mean no one who looks like a current WWE wrestler in blackface like Darren Young did. However, the rooks that I do like (Husky Harris, Michael McGillicutty, Percy Watson, Alex Riley and Kaval), I like a whole lot, and they seem to be building this show up as more than just a joke/build for a huge brand-encompassing angle like they did with the season 1 rooks. With this level of interest, there are a lot of intriguing potential matches. One of them took place last week with Kaval falling on his sword and doing the job for Riley in one of the best matches I've seen this year. Here are six others that could happen and that I'd love to see:

1. Kaval vs. Husky Harris

Kaval's small stature seems to be a talking point for this season, and honestly, you'd have to be a huge indie wrestling mark not to notice it. For all his talent, Kaval's a pretty small guy, unprecedentedly small for a guy who didn't do fancy flips and has an offense like his. I think it's awesome though, mainly because Kaval's an outstanding wrestler and has a hilariously contrasting deep-bass Barry White voice inside that small a body. That being said, there's a lot of opportunity for jarring contrast this season, and they're already taking advantage of it characterwise with Kaval's mentors, Team Lay-Cool. In the ring, the obvious choice for that kind of contrast would be against the 7+ foot Eli Cottonwood, but he kinda sucks, so I choose the pleasantly plump Husky Harris. The spawn of Mike Rotunda actually seems like he can work and keep up with the frenetic Kaval. I think this would be a terrific match, and honestly, I just want to see Harris' belly jiggle after the former Low Ki nails him with a stiff kick to the gut. That would be a freaking awesome visual if I do say so myself.

2. Michael McGillicutty vs. Wade Barrett

McGillicutty has been Tweeting about how whack he thinks the Season 1 guys' actions are, and since the WWE Twitter policy is to keep it kayfabe when talking about the company, there might be some reason for those tweets. Either way, we've seen guys appear on NXT that aren't necessarily involved in it in the current season, and I can definitely see McGillicutty nabbing a #1 ranking in the first Pro's Poll. When that happens, Barrett coming back to his old stomping grounds, bringing up all the poop talk and wanting a piece of the new number one would be a very logical and markworthy storyline plot. Given how good both guys are, this should be one pretty nice match should it happen.

3. Alex Riley vs. The Miz

The mantra of Season 2 is that the Pros are going to go about this the "right way" rather than the Season 1 Pros who drove their rookies to the brink. Who's the only one to come back from Season 1? The Miz. Who's the one Pro who was the most antagonistic towards his erstwhile Rookie? The Miz. Yeah. Right now, Miz and Riley have a good rapport, but they're also two huge in-storyline egomaniacs. I can see those clashing and I can see The Miz going against the Season 2 credo and riding Riley at the first bump in the road. There is huge storyline potential here, and if tapped into, the above match would have some nice heat (Especially if a certain American Dragon made his grand return to the WWE by screwing Miz out of said match...)

4. Kaval vs. Michael McGillicutty

Flat out, these are the two best prospects in the contest this season in my not so humble point of view. I want to see them face off against each other. Each guy represents something different. Kaval represents the new school of excellent worker, the guy who lets his stiff strikes, in this case, kicks, do the talking for him. Strike based, bumps big, takes to the air and to the ropes in a springboard capacity more than usual. McGillicutty is a throwback to the old-school WWF wrestler. He talks like one, works like one. Grind out strikes, restholds, neckbreakers, great pacing like his father and many of his father's contemporaries. A great clash of styles that I think could produce an even better match than the one that Kaval had with Riley.

5. Zack Ryder vs. Husky Harris

Ryder has already been shown to have "let his guard down" and reached out to his rookie, Titus O'Neil. Again, there's great potential for growth with that relationship, the mentoring showing that Ryder isn't just a guido-wannabe from Long Island (Although I love that character, it wouldn't hurt for him to add some new dimensions IN ADDITION to that character). Harris' mentor, Cody Rhodes, has already begun his metamorphosis into a dick heel who really doesn't care for anything in the competition but furthering his own legacy (PUN INTENDED PEOPLE) by molding Harris, whose father used to tag with Rhodes' erstwhile tag partner's father interestingly enough, into a bona fide WWE superstar. There's a ton of potential for storytelling here. Rhodes bullies Harris into acting like a dick towards the Rookies he feels suck. O'Neil is one of them. Ryder gets his bro's back. They have an awesome match. It's all there, people.

6. Eli Cottonwood vs. The Great Khali

Just for the lulz.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

I Told You So: The Miz Is Awesome

I'd say that I don't like to tell people "I told you so", but that would make me a filthy liar. I love proving people wrong. Of course, it's better when I'm involved in the actual proving-wrong, but hey, if I can't silence those who are haters of me, then I'll take being right.

Like in the case of The Miz. I have been pimping the hell out of Michael Mizanin's merits as a main event player and future franchise WWE wrestler, a guy who could draw some serious coin and headline multiple WrestleManias, for the last year. Well, if you watched last night on RAW, Miz came out during a Randy Orton promo and told the world that his ambitions were to become the first guy to hold both the US and WWE Championships at the same time. This development is just in time for the new PPV concept addition to the PPV calendar, Money in the Bank. Coincidence? If you think so, get a CAT scan because you're probably brain damaged.

Anyway, while the glut of title contenders in the WWE right now might make the titular match on the RAW side seem very star heavy, there's always the chance that it will be, like the WrestleMania staple from which this PPV is being watered-down inspired, a mid-card festival of also-rans and up-and-comers. Either way, wouldn't the Miz, who is, as KoppoKick flat out wondered last night in our LiveBlog (again, thanks to all who came out!), in danger of being overexposed by the WWE, a prohibitive favorite to win? I mean, the guy has been plastered all over NXT. He's been a Tag Team Championship contender with Big Show and Chris Jericho, not exactly WWE little-leaguers. When the WWE wanted the Hart Dynasty to get some much-needed heat, against whom did they program them? ShoMiz. The WWE milks Miz as much as they would anyone who hasn't hit World Title level yet.

But that has to be coming. I mean, they're telegraphing it. Sure, there were the cases of Mr. Cockfag Kennedy and MVP making overtures at Randy Orton when he was Champion last year, but in both cases, their pushes were submarined, the former through his own sloppiness and the latter through a combination of Shane McMuffintop's heat glomming and his own lack of restraint when it came to the kind bud. Aside from his chicken-crumb indiscretions, which by the way, was the inspiration for the the best, most balls-out inspired promo in any fed all year so far and maybe even in the last two years, Miz keeps his nose clean. He doesn't get in trouble, he does what the WWE asks him and promotes what they want him to promote.

Add that in to the fact that he's ready to work a WrestleMania main event match from an in-ring standpoint, and it's clear that the WWE sees in him what I've been telling everyone all along. The guy is an all-rounder. He's not the next Rock, because there will never be another Rock, but he's the first ever Miz, and that means he's a great promo, a great wrestler and a future star. And it's all going to come together for him when he gets to lift the MitB briefcase off the ring at the duly named PPV and cash in for his first ever WWE or World Championship.

This is all no accident. No, the Miz is on his way to being a megastar, way more than the sloppy, mic skill-deprived and injury-prone John Morrison, whom everyone else thought was the breakout star from that team. I mean, I still like Morrison, but with every Starship Pain that ends with him dropping an elbow meekly across a guy's wrist and with every promo that has me thinking "What?" (and not in a good way), it's clear he still has a long way to go.

Miz though? He certainly doesn't. The WWE realizes this too, and that gives me the right to say "I told you so". Don't take it personal though, because there's a whole crapload of things that you can hold over my head, but I think I deserve to savor this one for now.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Instant Feedback: Swerve the Swervants

First up, thank you to everyone who came out for the LiveBlog tonight. Best turnout, best comment volume and quality and it was a blast. You guys fuckin' rock.

Onto the show, the rumor was that things would be toned down tonight because of Linda McMahon's opponent sending scouts to the arena tonight. That meant one of two things - absolute boring with nothing advanced, or a night of wrestling angles advanced. We got more of the latter than the former.

Firstly, the Jericho/Bourne stuff was executed so well. Everyone in the LB was CONVINCED that Jericho was jobbing his way out of the company, but we were wrong. Some thought that tonight's match was better than last night's. I havent seen the F4W match yet, but I loved tonight's match. Good stuff, without the blatant calling out of spots that I heard happened last night too. I could watch a million different Bourne/Jericho matches. So good.

Second, how about the Miz? Are they serious about elevating him? I hope so, because, AS I'VE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG (sorry, caps lock), he's money and the future of the company. Great segment with Orton and Edge. Great promo and exection on the stop of the promo and sneak attack on Orton.

Thirdly... the n(XT)Wo stuff. I admit, I was cringing at the promo where they all apologized. Even as a red herring, it was way too over the top. Even with the awesomeness at the end? Well, I don't think it worked.

HOWEVER, it got awesome at the end. The big complaint is that they're not giving us an inkling as to whether they're faces or heels. In this day and age, that's a recipe for disaster. However, they're attacking the right people - Vince, Cena, guys with heat. I think if they're going to get over as mixed-reaction guys, like the original nWo, this is probably the best way to go. Will it work? I have no idea, but it does make for good TV. The beatdown Vince took at the end was pretty epic, especially that 450. Sidenote, Justin Gabriel should never talk. HE should only give 450s. In fact, if he's being interviewed backstage, he should just lay out the reporter (Josh Matthews) and give him a 450. THAT'S IT.

Other than that, there was a lot of filler. Not sure if that was their way to write him out or amp up the heat for both his feud with Vince and for his proteges (who've been kinda heatless since the trigger was pulled WAY too late on their tag title win post-WM), but either way, it was kinda flat. Same for the mixed tag match save for that incredulously and inexplicably good HIIIIIIZAAAAAAH~! delivered by Alicia Fox on Eve (Hiza being a flying knee). Still it was a good episode. Not great, but good.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

RAW Is LiveBlog!

I'm away for work, so you know what that means... sex with midget hookers! LiveBlog for RAW! Starts promptly at 8:30 PM EDT, so come on by and watch as we crown our new Ginger Overlord for the second time in two months.



Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Weekend Wrap-Up: Two New Two-Time Champs in the WWE

The Wrap-Up is a bit late today because I spent the last 9 hours driving from the Philadelphia area to Freeport, Maine for work. Deal with it.

- Fatal Four Way sounded like a halfway decent event last night. Both secondary titles stayed put, but both World-level Championships changed hands. In the Smackdown foursome, Rey Mysterio became a two-time World Champion after Kane came down and antagonized CM Punk and Big Show. That left Mysterio and Swagger, and Mysterio, the best wrestler with a shitty finisher, used said shitty finisher to defeat Swagger. Hopefully, this title reign is a bit better-booked than his last one nearly five years ago. In the other title match, the n(XT)Wo came out and beat the pants off John Cena (not literally, because like choking a guy out with a tie, THAT'S NOT PG), allowing noted ginger and former Champ Sheamus to regain the title he lost to Cena at Elimination Chamber (*sigh*) four scant months ago. Something tells me Cena and Sheamus are going to be headlining SummerSlam this year... Also on the card, an impromptu match between Evan Bourne and Chris Jericho that is said to have stolen the show. Looks like this one's a buy on DVD. Funniest tidbit though? There was an audible "Daniel Bryan" chant. Dude, Danielson is set for life if/when they hire him back.

- ROH ran its iPPV Death Before Dishonhor VIII on Saturday night, and unlike at the WWE PPV that happened the next night, the main title didn't change hands. Yep, Tyler Black retained over Davey Richards. I thought that with DR retiring at year's end, they would give him a reign starting now and ending at either Glory By Honor or Final Battle. Guess not. People are saying this was a great match, but I'll be the judge of that. Otherwise on the card, Kevin Steen went over El Generico, via shenanigans in the opener. Well, legal shenanigans since it was no-DQ. Reports don't intimate that Steve Corino or Colt Cabana made an appearance, but I wonder if Generico would be happy eating a wrench shot and then a super fisherman buster to end the feud. Roderick Strong won the gauntlet and Christopher Daniels beat Kenny Omega, setting those two up to feud for who gets the next shot at Black I suppose. Kings of Wrestling retained as well.

- Don't look now, but Big Dave Batista, who apparently left the WWE not just because he was butthurt over being passed over for a movie role for Triple H but because he didn't like the "creative direction" of the company going forward, is going to try his hand at MMA. Interesting, and by interesting, I mean he may die in the Octagon. If I may editorialize here, I think wrestlers need to stop thinking they can step right into MMA and succeed just because Brock Lesnar did. Lesnar, aside from being a genetic freak and a successful amateur (read, REAL) wrestler, has amazing work ethic and a high tolerance for living at the bare minimum. I mean the dude lives in a shack with no electricity in Minnesota when he's training for Christ's sake. He also trained for years before taking his first UFC match. Batista? Yeah, not so much. Dude's pushing 40, has an injury history longer than Scott Hall's rap sheet and has spent a way longer time previous to his MMA debut fake-fighting than Lesnar did. I hope he doesn't get slaughtered for his own sake, but let's be real here, if Batista lasts for more than two fights without getting majorly injured, then I will probably shit myself in shock.

- Bryan Danielson has a new site... what? You DIDN'T think I'd plug the website? Silly, silly people.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

30 Day Photo Blog Challenge, The Finale - Why I Love Wrestling

What a long, strange month it's been! Here's why I love wrestling, in picture form:



After the jump...































Photo Credits:

WWE Photos - WWE.com

Chikara Photos - Zia Hiltey - Please visit her Flickr site to view her excellent photography from Chikara to Juggalos in their natural habitat and everything else in between.

ROH/DGUSA Photos - Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

RIP Trent Acid

Michael Verdi, who wrestled as Trent Acid in CZW, ROH and other indie feds, died this morning. He was found by his mother. No cause of death is readily available. He was only 29.

Acid held nearly every Championship there was to hold in CZW, and he had a run in the main event in ROH feuding with Homicide. However, in the last few years, his life had gone down the tubes. He was also a friend of my Camel Clutch Blog boss Eric Gargiulo. I offer my sincerest condolences to his friends and family.

Photo Credit: OnlineWorldofWrestling.com

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

30 Day Photo Blog Challenge, Day 29 - Favorite Wrestling-Related Image

There are way too many, but this is a good one, and one that I posted a while back as well:



The look on Punk's face sells this all the way to the bank.

Honorable mention goes to this one:



It looks a lot better in the banner for PizzaBodySlam's Blog all different colored and stuff, but that is the classic DERP face.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Detroit Area Peeps, GO GET YOUR CHIKARA TICKET NOW

If this isn't a MOTY-candidate, then nothing is. If you're in the Detroit area and you like good wrestling, then there's no reason you shouldn't be rushing to the Chikara site right now and buying your ticket to this event. Hell, I'm already petitioning SmartMark to let me pay double to preorder this DVD RIGHT NOW.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Friday Five: Father's Day PLUS a Danielson Note

Before I get to the Friday Five, Bryan Danielson will be making his Chikara Pro return, per his Twitter. The good news is, he's back in Chikara for at least one date. The bad news, well, for me at least? It's at We Must Eat Michigan's Brain in Taylor, MI, not Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show at The Arena (although the latter hasn't been ruled out yet and I'm still hopeful... I'M STILL HOPEFUL). Who's he wrestling though? Well, I just checked the card, and missing from the lineup was the Green Ant/Darkness Crabtree match. Plus, via Chikara's Facebook, apparently, Crabtree tweaked his hip at the nursing home, so if I were a betting man, I'd say that Green Ant, who's one of my top wrestlers in Chikara for the first half of the year, is going to be wrestling the American Dragon. So I guess that We Must eat Michigan's Brain just became a priority DVD to buy, right?

Aaaanyway, back to the FF, this weekend is Fathers' Day Weekend, so in honor of that day, a set of questions about wrestling father/son combos!

1. Do you think that Dustin Rhodes would have eventually gotten over in the WWF had he not donned the Goldust paint?

2. Best second generation WWF/E wrestler ever: The Rock, Randy Savage, Curt Hennig or other?

3. Which second/third-generation wrestler did the most to differentiate himself from his father's shadow?

4. Do you think more sons of wrestlers, if they stay in combat sports, will turn to MMA as a career like Roddy Piper's kid is rather than get into pro wrestling?

5. Of the current crop of WWE second/third generation superstars, excepting Randy Orton (who has already surpassed his father), who has the best potential to leave a legacy that is comparable or better than that of his father?

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Hey, Remember That Rumor about DR Retiring to Become a Firefighter?

Via Scripps News Service

Alex Marvez posted a column about Davey Richards today where Richards talks about his decision to retire after Final Battle and become a firefighter. I had heard this rumor before, but apparently, it was confirmed at some point. Weird, you'd think someone other than Chikara101 message board posters would have picked up on it.

Anyway, I'd say he was getting out while the getting was good, but firefighting? I mean, that's not exactly the safest business ever. That's like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, literally. (HURR SEE WHAT I DID THAR?) Sucks for ROH, but hey, maybe this will finally light the fire under their asses to push Delirious or El Generico or Kevin Steen to the main event level, or to more aggressively scout Chikara for talent, right? Yeah, right.

I still think he's overrated, btw.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

DEAR GOD MAKE THE DANIELSON UPDATES STOP I BEG OF YOU

The Bryan Danielson Jesus-Visits-Purgatory Tour continues. He's already been pseudo-announced (can we just assume it confirmed?) for EVOLVE and DGUSA. I'm in the process of signing a petition with the signatures of 30,000 of my finest pseudonyms (thanks NXT Name Generator!) to send to Mike Quackenbush to do whatever it takes to book him for Chikara the day after the DGUSA show.

His next stop? Sunny SoCal for the PWG 7th Anniversary Show on Friday, July 30th. The hits just keep on coming. On top of that, ROH had this cryptic message on its newswire yesterday:

ROH officials have recently spoken with two supreme talents that have, at one time or another, been recognized among the World’s best. More to come.

One is obviously Danielson, isn't it? IT HAS TO BE! Err, yeah. Who's the other? I have no idea, but it had better not be Lance Storm. I like reading his commentary, but the guy's dryer than burnt toast in the ring.

In other news, if you're on Facebook (have you "Liked" TWB yet?), then mosey on over to the WWE Universe page, "Like" it and then "Like" the status where it asks whether you want to see Daniel Bryan back in the WWE. I'm not sure if it'll mean anything, but if/when he does resurface in the company, you can gosh-darn feel like you made a difference there, buckeroo!

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

30 Day Photo Blog Challenge, Day 28 - Favorite Rivalry

Now that Danielson's out of the WWE and the rivalry is over, here's my favorite one:



This is how you do a feud that exemplifies hatred between two men.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

TWIOT: Nintendo's E3 and You

I'm half-a-gamer. I used to be hardcore back in the days when it was just me, my NES and a shitpile of fun, accessible games that had replay value out the yin-yang. Over the years, as technology got better and games started to get built-in tutorials and infinite amounts of save points, and the market got flooded by ZOMG REALISTIC WAR games, well, the thrill was kinda gone. I still love video games at heart though, which is why Nintendo is my company of choice. I do have an X-Box 360 and PS2, but my Wii and my DS are both what tickle my fancy.

Nintendo is a huge seller, but they get a really bad rap from hardcore gamers for two big reasons. One is that it seems like they're marketed almost solely to kids. I can buy that, but I'm a huge kid at heart, so of course I'm gonna gobble up what they have to offer. I'll take Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. over Gran Turismo and Tekken any day (although for the latter genre, I have a soft spot for both the Street Fighter and especially Mortal Kombat franchises). The other one is that they don't produce any new franchises. It's all the same, Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Pokémon... hell even their most successful "recent" franchise, Super Smash Bros., is just all those franchises mushed together in a gamer's fantasy wet dream.

I'm not here to refute that latter criticism. Yes, Nintendo hasn't really come up with a groundbreaking new franchise since, well, Pokémon, actually. However, as a Nintendo fanboy and, as some might call me, apologist, I really don't care as long as the games they keep producing in their existing franchises are good. In my not so humble opinion, they have been.

Take for example the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Year after year, game after game, they keep topping themselves. I even wrote a big entry about it. For me, Zelda is even better. Judging from Nintendo's offerings at the E3 convention the other day, I don't think that's going to change. Check these trailers out:

Kid Icarus Uprising


The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword


Metroid: The Other M


Goldeneye Wii


A Kirby game and a Donkey Kong Country sequel were announced as well. Anyway, those trailers looked pretty damn impressive. However, as with any game, they'll only be as impressive as their gameplay. For me though, I don't have all that many worries, as intuitive gameplay and Nintendo seem to go hand in hand.

A lot of people came out of Nintendo's E3 presentation with mixed feelings, or I should say, there were mixed reviews. Count me in the camp of people who loved what they showed us. I may be a fanboy, but I'm a fanboy who knows what he likes and for a gaming company that actually gives it to him.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

NXT Is... LayCool?

I've been very vocal about my hatred for Michelle McCool from jump on the blog here, but as you know, I'm not one to repress my mind being changed if something is legitimately entertaining. IF you saw NXT last night, then you probably know what I'm talking about. If not, well, let's just say that for the first time in a long time, something McCool did legitimately entertained me.

I've been in the "LayCool as Kaval's Pros isn't Armageddon people" camp since the pairing was announced. It's actually been better. McCool and Layla on commentary during the Kaval/Alex Riley match was an absolute scream. They play the Valley girl/ditzy woman stereotype up so well, and the contrast with the deep-bass voice and intensity of Kaval is jarring and effective. And hey, the actual match between the two rookies was pretty damn good. It was the best match I've seen on NXT between two rookies yet and the best affair on the show since Wade Barrett wrestled Christian near the beginning of the first season.

Honestly, after last week which felt rushed and almost uneventful until the end, everything clicked on last night's show. Both matches were good, the talking from the Pros worked, and although I would have liked to have heard more in-ring talking from the Rookies, I really liked the vignettes I saw for Kaval and Husky Harris at least. The end angle was really good too, and it was punctuated nicely by Cody Rhodes' cheap shot on Matt Striker. All in all, a teriffic episode.

I think NXT is hitting its stride, and it's finding an identity, which was really brought out by the black-and-white "hidden camera" vignette with Zack Ryder and Titus O'Neill. This is where I think they can really shine in developing NXT as a unique show and not just an afterthought or, as Season 1 was, a prolonged build for a huge, game-changing angle (since really, you can't do that with EVERY season). I think if they let some guards down and we really see the Pros "as they really are" (without completely dropping kayfabe, of course). Hopefully, they continue and the show continues to garner ratings so they can find a new network and continue on.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!