This week's Follow Friday is going to be a bit different. I'm going to open the floor to you, the commentariat.I do appreciate everyone who comments (except the spammers, because fuck those guys), because it usually means you read my work and was moved enough by it to comment on it. That means a lot to me. So, all y'all who comment, here's what I want you to do. I want you to leave your Twitter handle in the comments. I'll check back periodically and put them into the main site. I'll even start out with a list of the commenters that I know are on Twitter right now. I really do think that I attract an intelligent commenting base, and you guys deserve to have followers! So, comment away:
TWB Commenters/Twitter Handles - Follow these people!
B - @MrBrandonStroud
KMB - @KMB2476
Vince - @vintown
uconngary7 - @uconngary7
jejparsons - @jejparsons
Parlett316 - @Parlett316
jerseyboy - @dajerseyboy
therick711 - @therick711
85 - @85mf
Jordi - @JordiScrubbings
Eric G - @CamelClutchBlog
Russel David - @russelharder
Havok - @mjones99
Stephen T. Stone - @GrappleKingdom
Sean (1) - @soggyhydrox
Sean (2) - @AeonsTorn
thechris104 - @thechris104
Thomas AK - @WetOREO
DONMEGA - @DXDONMEGA
Andy H - @DoctorCuriosity
Insane24se7en - @Inane24se7en
David McKinney - @mckinneydg
Josh Ray - @RealMenRealDads
K Sawyer Paul - @ksawyerpaul and @intlobject
Andre Harrison - @TheHarrison101
Diaz - @DiazIsOldMate
Nate Linehan - @NateLinehan
Delliot - @Delliott90
Donnelly - @bdonn1230
Friskey - @FriskeyVsWorld
Trey Irby - @treyirby and @WrestlingTheory
paul - @paulbrisbin
AWTWB - @awtwb
John Hyperion - @johnhyperion and @dirtydirtytweet
Billy Dunlevy - @UnderZenith
flubby - @flubby
XDustinELFX - @XDustinELFX
Demps - @mrbilldempsey
Bill Baconhill - @Bill_Baconhill
skoochxc - @SkoochXC
Okori - @OkoriWadsworth
Thomas Ford - @FordianSlip
If you comment here and don't see your name up there, feel free to add in on the comments. Even if you've never commented here, but you read the site? Comment with your Twitter handle anyway. I am literally giving away the free pub. I may be spotty around the Internet for personal reasons over the next 48 hours or so, but if you leave your Twitter handle here, I will edit it in. And hell, if your first comment is in this thread, then stick around for awhile and keep commenting!
Banner by Billy Dunlevy
Friday, September 30, 2011
Guest Blog: An Interview with Sam Ford
Florida's favorite baseball/wrestling/whatever blogger Mike Lortz, aka Jordi Scrubbings, is back with another guest post. This one is a pretty eye-opening interview that relates to social media. Worth a read.
Last year I was able to exchange emails with Sam Ford, Director of Digital Strategy at Peppercom and co-editor of The Survival of Soap Opera: Transformations for a New Media Era. Sam is also a huge wrestling fan who has written about storytelling in wrestling and even made an appearance on the Dave Lagana podcast. Sam was cool with me posting our social media-based interview here. Even though we talked in October 2010, many of these points are still very relevant, especially in the indy scene.
- How has new online media channels changed the process for independent wrestling promoters?
Sam Ford: I think social media has provided more opportunities to change the process for independent wrestling promoters than they have often picked up on. #1, the ability to tell stories between live shows now makes it possible to build feuds--and interest in shows--beyond just posters. Build up the matches beforehand. Increase the drama of the story between shows through featuring news and interviews on the site, etc. #2, the ability to connect various live shows together in a common narrative is now possible as well. As a regional promoter travels across cities in an area, online media channels actually gives him/her the opportunity to connect the events at each show to build an ongoing narrative. People may not be able to go to a live show three hours away, but what happens at that show can be woven into the storylines now. And, for more ardent fans, you might encourage them to more faithfully follow your promotion around from town to town.
- Is social media essential? Or can promoters get by with only traditional media?
Sam Ford: Social media isn't essential. Pro wrestling can still draw crowds through a promotional poster at the local grocery store. The issue is that traditional media makes it a new selling proposition each time. It's hard to gain and maintain regular ardent fans through the poster. A website and presence for the promotion acts in lieu of a local television show. Since most promoters can't afford or don't have the option of a weekly TV show for their region these days, the website offers that regular promotional vehicle to keep the promotion and its characters top-of-mind and to encourage people to plan for and anticipate the next time the promotion comes to town.
- How important is establishing/maintaining a community of fans for a promotion?
Sam Ford: It's always been important to maintain a community of fans for local wrestling to thrive. Local shows survive in part because it gives an excuse for wrestling fans to come together and see one another and participate communally in something they love: cheering their heroes, and booing their villains. Online tools just give us a chance to maintain community across multiple cities, to keep people connected between shows, etc.--especially important if the promotion's shows don't happen on a frequent basis at the same time and the same place each time.
- What is the biggest difference in how a promoter would use social media as compared to a wrestler?
Sam Ford: The promoter's focus is on his promotion and the storylines of his show. The promoter is going to be using social media to build a following for their character across all their appearances for multiple promotions. The key is for the promoter to come up with ideas that serves the wrestlers' goals of self-promotion while also building stories online. Getting talent to participate in online storylines, etc., can be accomplished by the promoter being sure to have permission to build stories themselves or to give tangible benefit to talent as to how helping build up a feud online will lead to greater ticket sales, a deeper following for their character, etc.
- What is the single most important tool a promoter can/should use to get the word out about his show?
Sam Ford: I think it has to do with networking with fan sites, etc., and doing something that goes beyond announcing a list of matches and results from a card. No matter what platform you use, how do you tell a story that compels people to come join you in person?
- What are some of the more creative endeavors you have seen in regards to promotions using social media?
Sam Ford: Because WWE has such a media machine behind them, we've seen them build storylines through their website and elsewhere in the past. But they haven't even taken great advantage. I have seen indy promotions have wrestlers/personalities bicker with each other in fan boards and elsewhere, start or further feuds with announcements on their site--special interviews--etc., that allow the storylines to go much deeper than a spot show can.
- What are your thoughts on continuing storylines through social media?
Sam Ford: I think it will be a real difference-maker for promoters once they get used to it, learn to do it well, and condition fans to look for it. The key is to build references to this online content into the show itself in order to drive fans back to the web to keep up with it.
Last year I was able to exchange emails with Sam Ford, Director of Digital Strategy at Peppercom and co-editor of The Survival of Soap Opera: Transformations for a New Media Era. Sam is also a huge wrestling fan who has written about storytelling in wrestling and even made an appearance on the Dave Lagana podcast. Sam was cool with me posting our social media-based interview here. Even though we talked in October 2010, many of these points are still very relevant, especially in the indy scene.- How has new online media channels changed the process for independent wrestling promoters?
Sam Ford: I think social media has provided more opportunities to change the process for independent wrestling promoters than they have often picked up on. #1, the ability to tell stories between live shows now makes it possible to build feuds--and interest in shows--beyond just posters. Build up the matches beforehand. Increase the drama of the story between shows through featuring news and interviews on the site, etc. #2, the ability to connect various live shows together in a common narrative is now possible as well. As a regional promoter travels across cities in an area, online media channels actually gives him/her the opportunity to connect the events at each show to build an ongoing narrative. People may not be able to go to a live show three hours away, but what happens at that show can be woven into the storylines now. And, for more ardent fans, you might encourage them to more faithfully follow your promotion around from town to town.
- Is social media essential? Or can promoters get by with only traditional media?
Sam Ford: Social media isn't essential. Pro wrestling can still draw crowds through a promotional poster at the local grocery store. The issue is that traditional media makes it a new selling proposition each time. It's hard to gain and maintain regular ardent fans through the poster. A website and presence for the promotion acts in lieu of a local television show. Since most promoters can't afford or don't have the option of a weekly TV show for their region these days, the website offers that regular promotional vehicle to keep the promotion and its characters top-of-mind and to encourage people to plan for and anticipate the next time the promotion comes to town.
- How important is establishing/maintaining a community of fans for a promotion?
Sam Ford: It's always been important to maintain a community of fans for local wrestling to thrive. Local shows survive in part because it gives an excuse for wrestling fans to come together and see one another and participate communally in something they love: cheering their heroes, and booing their villains. Online tools just give us a chance to maintain community across multiple cities, to keep people connected between shows, etc.--especially important if the promotion's shows don't happen on a frequent basis at the same time and the same place each time.
- What is the biggest difference in how a promoter would use social media as compared to a wrestler?
Sam Ford: The promoter's focus is on his promotion and the storylines of his show. The promoter is going to be using social media to build a following for their character across all their appearances for multiple promotions. The key is for the promoter to come up with ideas that serves the wrestlers' goals of self-promotion while also building stories online. Getting talent to participate in online storylines, etc., can be accomplished by the promoter being sure to have permission to build stories themselves or to give tangible benefit to talent as to how helping build up a feud online will lead to greater ticket sales, a deeper following for their character, etc.
- What is the single most important tool a promoter can/should use to get the word out about his show?
Sam Ford: I think it has to do with networking with fan sites, etc., and doing something that goes beyond announcing a list of matches and results from a card. No matter what platform you use, how do you tell a story that compels people to come join you in person?
- What are some of the more creative endeavors you have seen in regards to promotions using social media?
Sam Ford: Because WWE has such a media machine behind them, we've seen them build storylines through their website and elsewhere in the past. But they haven't even taken great advantage. I have seen indy promotions have wrestlers/personalities bicker with each other in fan boards and elsewhere, start or further feuds with announcements on their site--special interviews--etc., that allow the storylines to go much deeper than a spot show can.
- What are your thoughts on continuing storylines through social media?
Sam Ford: I think it will be a real difference-maker for promoters once they get used to it, learn to do it well, and condition fans to look for it. The key is to build references to this online content into the show itself in order to drive fans back to the web to keep up with it.
Who's the Maaaaaa-eeee-aaaan?
Not only is Tim Donst the self-proclaimed greatest Chikara Young Lions Cup Champion ever, he also is a singer-songwriter. Take a listen.
Yeah. He just made it super hard for you to boo him. My favorite line? "No longer Eddie Kingston's punching back, and I think that that's pretty cool. Cuz I don't like to get punched in the face, I'm way too good-looking."
Yeah. He just made it super hard for you to boo him. My favorite line? "No longer Eddie Kingston's punching back, and I think that that's pretty cool. Cuz I don't like to get punched in the face, I'm way too good-looking."
Future Endeavors 9/29 Power Poll: PLZ RT PLZ
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| #1 in our hearts and in the power poll Photo Credit: WWE.com |
1. Mark Henry (Last week: 1)
2. CM Punk (4)
3. John Cena (2)
4. Alberto Del Rio (NR)
5. Cody Rhodes (6)
6. Dolph Ziggler (5)
7. Sheamus (NR)
8. Christian (NR)
9. The Ghan-Am Connection (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne) (7)
10. Zack Ryder (9)
And now, my ballot, in Facebook C&P status/Twitter RT pandering or lame hashtag style.
1. Mark Henry - A person has 1000 wishes. A WWE superstar only has one, to not fear their wig being split by Mark Henry. 97% of you won't repost this. Won't you be one of the 3% that will?
2. James Storm - Hey, Internet, I just carried Kurt Angle to his first good TV match since his feud with Samoa Joe. Can I get a RT?
3. Robert Roode - GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !!~~This year October has 1 Bound for Glory main event featuring a homegrown TNA talent looking to be elevated by an established imported wrestler. This happens once every 823 years. This is called Beer Money Gags. So copy this to your status and Beer Money will not embarrassingly be jobbed out for the next three months. Based on Chinese Feng Shui. The one who does not copy, will be without Beer Money winning matches on their TV screen. Copy within 11 minutes. Can't hurt so I did it.
4. CM Punk - #UnderTheMistletoe Punk and like everyone.
5. Dolph Ziggler - #WeCantBeFriends if you come down to the ring as our tag partner only to beat the crap out of us instead of our opponents. (Attn: @WWE_MasonRyan)
6. Sheamus - 33 year old professional wrestler comes down to the ring with pale skin. People call him a "jar of mayonnaise", no one knows he's actually quite tan for an Irishman. People call another guy "funny-sounding", no one knows his brogue makes all the badass things he says ... ... ... even more awesome. People make fun of a man's theme song, yeah, but that's pretty much well-deserved, but it's fuckin' funny. Re-post this if you are not against Sheamus, fella.
7. Zack Ryder - Z! TRUE LONG ISLAND STORIES JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR BROSKI MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR BIG O MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER MONTH FOR ARE YOU SERIOUS, BRO? MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MORNING YOU WILL BE PROMPTED FOR PAYMENT INFO...IT IS OFFICIAL IT WAS EVEN ON RAW BEFORE THE TRAILER FOR THE MARINE 4 STARRING JACKSON ANDREWS. RYDER WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE RISING COST OF HAIR GEL. IF YOU COPY THIS ON YOUR WALL YOUR ICON WILL WEAR SUNGLASSES AND Z!TLIS WILL BE FREE FOR YOU. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON IF NOT YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED IF YOU DO NOT PAY WWWYKI
8. Christian - #OneMoreMatch - RT if you agree.
9. Nattie Neidhart -
PLEASE KEEP THIS TRUCK MOVING AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT!!!
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─ ─ ─ ▄ ▄ █ █ ▌ █ ░ ♥ ░ NO MORE BOOTY POPPIN DIVAS ░░ ♥░░░░▐
▄ ▄ ▄ ▌ ▐ █ █ ▌ █ ░ ♥ ░ WE DON'T LIKE THEIR BOTCHES ♥░ ░░░░▐
█ █ █ █ █ █ █ ▌ █ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▌
▀ (@) ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ (@)(@) ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ (@) ▀ ▘
TO ALL THOSE WHO HATE KELLY KELLY...PLEASE REPOST
10. Daniel Bryan - I like it with my shoulders on the mat.
Friday Five: The Bottom Line REBIRTH
Norko Kipte is back with another Bottom Line, y'heard?
1. Is there a wrestler who you would be proud of your kid to look up to?
2. Buy or sell: Hell in a Cell
3. How much wrestling are you watching compared to 2010?
4. Buy or sell: Robert Roode Impact Wrestling Champion
5. Will you be watching the new ROH?
1. Is there a wrestler who you would be proud of your kid to look up to?
2. Buy or sell: Hell in a Cell
3. How much wrestling are you watching compared to 2010?
4. Buy or sell: Robert Roode Impact Wrestling Champion
5. Will you be watching the new ROH?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
TWIOT: The Top Ten It's Always Sunny Episodes to Date
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| Photo Credit: IMDB |
10. The Gang Finds a Dead Guy (Season 1, Episode 6)
I wavered and wavered on including this episode, but really, it belongs on here despite the fact that it's pre-Frank. It's the episode that got me hooked on the show, so there's sentimental value, plus there's some really, really funny lines in it, the capper being Mac in all his frustration, telling Dennis that his grandfather was a Nazi. This episode also epitomizes the show's grand use of the homeless and decrepit for comedic effect, as Dennis bringing all the bums to the memorial service was just one belly laugh after another.
9. Who Pooped the Bed? (Season 4, Episode 7)
This might be the most controversial pick, but what can I say, I love scatological humor. The thing is I would have ranked this one even higher if the climactic scene with Artemis (maybe the best of the guest characters, either her or Rickety Cricket) played out a little funnier. Everything leading up to it was great though, especially Dee running head first into the parked car in the stolen Manolos and especially when the lab tech was analyzing the turd. Something about wolf hair and bits of credit card being so banal to Frank and Charlie is absurdly hilarious.
8. The Gang Gives Back (Season 2, Episode 6)
The show has this habit of making episodes that go together in a heightened state of continuity. This was the second part of one of those doubles, with the first one ending in the gang setting fire to their neighbor's property. They have to do community service as penance for their crime, and the way they go about it is by coaching the local youth rec basketball league. This episode is worth it just for the visual of kids playing the worst game of thug league basketball against each other. It's great seeing prepubescent children throwing elbows and wearing heavy boots to step on feet. Plus, it marks the debut of Frank's friends, the degenerate gang of Vietnamese gamblers.
7. The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition (Season 4, Episode 12)
Even when the gang thinks they're doing a good deed, they come off as terrible, terrible people, and this comes off as high comedy. Caught up in the craze of all those home makeover shows, they decide they're going to do a solid for an underprivileged Mexican family on their block. Of course, they have no idea how to renovate, and hijinks ensue, ending with Dee and Dennis losing their mansion to the unfortunate family. The money shot though? The gang evicting the family from their home via a late night home invasion. One of the hardest laughs I've ever had watching the show.
6. The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis (Season 4, Episode 2)
You all know the line. "WILD CARD, BITCHES!" It's become one of the most iconic lines in the whole show, and of course Charlie pulls off being the wild card with such manic aplomb. I love the idea of him cutting the brakes at the end just because hey, it's what wild cards do. Trying to return gas in drums to the gas station was just awesome too.
5. A Very Sunny Christmas (Post Season 5 DVD Double Episode)
I thought long and hard as to whether this should count or not since it was like two episodes in one. However, why deduct points for something that enhanced the experience? So many classic gags. The Claymation stuff at the end was hilarious, as was Charlie going apeshit on Santa. Obviously, they got the comedic, Sunny ethos side right, but it also felt very much like a Christmas special. I loved the fact that the it had heart, whether it was Frank having a change of heart (Before everything predictably went to shit when his partner decided he wanted revenge) or young Charlie and Mac throwing rocks at trains.
4. Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth (Season 6, Episode 9)
Yeah, Charlie as the ne'er-do-well janitor or the little Juggalo kid were both okay, but this episode was ENTIRELY carried by Lethal Weapon 5. The good thing for this show though was that Lethal Weapon 5 may have been the funniest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life. No doubt. Mac in blackface, changing roles in the middle of the movie and obviously, Frank's SUPER gratuitous sex scene were all gut busting. The clear high-water mark in their weakest season.
3. The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore (Season 7, Episode 2)
So yeah, this is totally the latest episode, depending on when you're reading this list. I know it might have the sheen of being the new hotness, but I feel like if I made this list after his season or in a year or so, it'd still rank this high, or at least in this area. It had a meme that was instantly memorable ("RUM HAM! I'm sorry rum ham! I'm sorry!"). It had some really awesome gross-out humor, which they do better than any show on TV that isn't animated (gay hobo sodomy, Dee's hair, the graphic gunshot wounds). But as with the Christmas episode, it's the heart that really puts this one over the top for me. The whole thing with Charlie and the Waitress, it really broke my heart. Charlie really is the best character. In fact, the montage at the end set to "Vacation". It was at the same time absurd when it focused on Mac and Frank with the guidos, shock-funny when focused on Dee and Dennis with the tweakers and genuinely touching when focused on Charlie and the Waitress at the beach. Just superb.
2. The Nightman Cometh (Season 4, Episode 13)
From the opening scene, I knew this was going to be a special one, the illiterate Charlie busting into the bar with a badly-scribbled manuscript that he said was a musical. Either musical episodes turn out brilliant or the fall flat, and this one was just goofy enough to fall in the former category. The whole idea of Charlie expecting his degenerate friends to go along with his harebrained musical and then getting extremely ticked off when they screwed it up was brilliant. It was a Sisyphusian endeavor, especially at the end when Charlie, dressed as Day Man, ostentatiously came down from the ceiling on the big rig to propose to a clearly unimpressed Waitress. Just an amazingly appropriate season finale for what was probably their best full season to date.
1. The Waitress Is Getting Married (Season 5, Episode 5)
So, why is this my favorite episode ever? Like the other episodes on this list, it has a requisite amount of degenerate laughter and genuine heart. So much quotable material ("I'm a full-on rapist," "I'll take a milk steak, boiled over hard with your finest jelly beans, raw of course," "It makes me feel like a Cobb salad," "Cover your knees if you're gonna be walking everywhere"), so much WTF?-inducing gags like the box of hornets. The whole scene at Dee's apartment with Mac's and Charlie's moms and Artemis and Frank making out was outstanding. The end, with Charlie delivering the box of hornets to the guy who ultimately jilted his dream girl, was just the capper on what I thought was the best episode in the series.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare, The Gang Gets Held Hostage, The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell, The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention, The Gang Wrestles for the Troops
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Wrestling Podcast, Episode 22: Dylan Hales
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| A wig-splittin' podcast Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Yes, it's finally happened, I got my longtime friend and one of my biggest influences as a wrestling fan, blogger and analyst Dylan Hales of the Wrestling Culture podcast on the show. We kick things off by giving a primer on why Dylan thinks Terry Funk is the best ever, and go into a bunch of different topics. We touch on Mark Henry, the state of the indies, whether "near falls ad nauseam" is a good match model, Smackdown's struggles, where the CM Punk angle went wrong, Southern indie guys to keep an eye on, appreciating Rey Mysterio and the Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose match from FCW last week. Give it a listen!
Direct link for your downloading pleasure
There's Talent Left for ROH to Book
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| ROH should want to have these guys, right? |
I just noticed I'm not a part of the ROH roster anymore...booShe's not the only one. Colt Cabana on a few podcasts recently has bemoaned that ROH doesn't really want to give him a contract. He's not on the new roster page either. A big to do was made about Necro Butcher, Austin Aries, the Dark City Fight Club and Kevin Steen not being brought back after the end of last year for whatever reason. Steen is still on the payroll as he wouldn't be doing this angle with the company if he wasn't though, so maybe that's a bit dishonest of a name to throw out there. Still, between those folks getting shown the door and Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero and Tyler Black are all in FCW or in Hero's case, is strongly rumored to be going there. I've heard rumblings from the Internet that ROH lost all their good talent and that there was no one in the indies to take their places.
Yeah, I have a huge problem with both those statements as it is.
For one, for all the problems I have with their roster, they have good talent remaining. I'd pay good money to see a card if El Generico was wrestling on it. RD Evans is a hoot and a guy who is going to take over the world. He might be dry as dirt, but Roderick Strong never really has a bad match that I've seen. The Bravados are awkward fun. I'm psyched to see Jay Lethal back with a company that appreciates him. I mean yeah, I'd rather watch paint dry than see Davey Richards trade no-sells with any opponent he's wrestling, and there are a lot of uninspiring people who have roster spots over guys like Cabana, del Rey and Necro, but to pretend that they don't have guys who can go is silly.
Secondly, the fact that people think there's no one who could go into ROH and reinvigorate it means that some people are just daffy. I could rattle off names all day of indie talent that I've seen or that others have seen who are off the charts awesome in their own ways. Chuck Taylor. Johnny Gargano. Pinkie Sanchez. Brodie Lee. Gregory Iron. 3.0. "Pretty" Peter Avalon. That's just a sampling of the guys that I've seen that can think of who'd fit in at any position on the card and breathe some life into the company. There are probably a ton of guys I haven't seen yet that my peers rave about that could do the same. Folks like Marion Fontaine, ACH and Tommy Treznik all have gotten rave reviews from people whose opinions I trust on this sort of thing. Those are names that are all out there. So, why isn't ROH trying to book them?
In some cases, it's because they can't. Part of the nastiness between higher-ups in the company and Gabe Sapolsky has prevented overlap between DGUSA and ROH. Okay, but Gabe, to his credit, finds these guys. I don't know the reason why. Maybe he's more tireless a recruiter. Maybe he's more willing to take chances since he's got more ground to make up in the indie arms race. I don't know, but for whatever reason, he doesn't seem to have problems finding guys to put into his shows to make them pop. So, why can't ROH?
Talking to diehard ROH fans may not elicit the same sort of skepticism that I'm showing here, but at the same time, that's why they're diehard fans. Even looking past Richards, the list of uninspiring names can be daunting. I mean, Mike Bennett and Tomasso Ciampa were underwhelming to me in the limited exposure I've had of theirs, but at the same time, they're not the only ones. Even guys that I've seen elsewhere showing charisma like Adam Cole and even Evans seem to be nerfed here. I get that ROH wants to foster an atmosphere where competition is king, but at the same time, I'm not entirely sure that the way they've been going about developing their personalities has been best. Maybe I just don't get it, but at the same time, if other people aren't seeing the talent either, the problem's not just with me.
The point I'm trying to make here isn't that ROH is boned or whatever, it's that their perceived lack of talent can be fixed pretty simply. They can start by accentuating positives of the guys they have, looking for new talent elsewhere and by tweaking their mission statement, or at least tweaking the execution of it. Whatever they do, they might want to do it quickly. I wouldn't want fans talking about the people who aren't there instead of the people who are there, and I'm sure they feel the same way. They're not going to foster that attitude if they keep doing like they're doing with no course correction whatsoever.
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
Mason Ryan, Swerves and Stable-Building
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| NO! BAD WELSHMAN! WE DO NOT MAUL OUR TAG PARTNERS! Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Then Ryan, after tagging in, totally sucker-blasted Swagger and then knocked Ziggler off the apron. My nerd boner deflated, as it led to the babyfaces winning in another shortened mini-program in which no one really builds up any emotional equity with the crowd, and all is sacrificed for a cheap pop in the short term. Granted, it was an effective swerve. I mean, not a whole lot of people thought Ryan would throw hands with his partners, so yeah, the shock value was there. However, as we've learned from years of watching Vince Russo shit up the TV screen in three different companies now, swerves aren't the only endgame for a wrestling angle. So while effective, it wasn't really good.
Why not? Well, did anyone ever stop and think why no one would have suspected Ryan to turn on his partners? It's because no one really cares about Mason Ryan. He's a guy who was big and menacing and had a role in a big stable previously, but then he got hurt and no one really cared about him. The reason why was because the New Nexus really wasn't anything to write home about either. IT was an adequate vehicle to get CM Punk time to talk, which is almost always a good thing, but as for building guys up so that the crowds care about them? No way. Within a month, everyone in that stable excepting Punk was a non-entity, and really, Punk was on his way to becoming one until June 27th.
The key to getting people to care about a wrestler or a faction is to give them reasons. Swerves aren't the way to go about making people care. They're can be used to rapidly change the way a person is supposed to care about a given wrestler, but as a tool to get a new guy over, it's usually piss poor.
There's also the nagging idea that Mason Ryan as a solo wrestling star is vomit-inducing. I've taken flak for giving him praise on here, and yes, I think he has deserved it for things like looking menacing (which he's good at, indisputably I think) or for doing the Stretch Muffler as a finishing move (which is cool but cool moves don't make guys good wrestlers). We haven't seen a whole lot of this guy, and it's probably for a good reason. He's greener than gooseshit. As a solo wrestler, he's going to be called upon to showcase himself as a guy who wrestles rather than a guy who just looks menacing and beats people up in non-match situations. At the very most, he'd be someone who is in the periphery as a tag wrestler who comes in, does a few spots that look good (for the record, that contrived power-wrestler-cum-RVD finisher he did Monday DID NOT LOOK GOOD) while he gets better working prelim matches on house shows and on jaunts back to Tampa as a FCW trainee. That's the theory.
I stress again though that WWE right now can't be trusted to execute on everything they do correctly. Remember, Ryan was in a stable before, and through poor writing and misappropriation of spotlight time and storytelling, he was rendered the non-factor he is right now. It's all about doing things the right way, but then again, there's a right way, there's a wrong-but-right-headed way, and then there's the wrongest way possible that a thing could be done in.
Crafting a stable through careful storytelling is the right way. Throwing a guy in a stable just to give him something to do while giving the time that could be used telling a good story to showing the trailer to the next Triple H-Is-A-Released-Convict-Trying-To-Make-Good movie is the wrong-but-right-headed way. Giving that guy, who's totally not ready for prime time, a singles push is the wrongest way possible. All of this is shouting into the abyss, but really, it's frustrating to watch a generally good program with entertaining matches and characters and just fail at telling a good story from week to week. Putting Mason Ryan in as the third member of Vickie Guerrero's stable wouldn't have been a cure-all for that malaise, but it would have been a step in the right direction.
Your Midweek Links: ROH, Classic Wrestling Podcasts and You
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| Is he the best ever? Dylan Hales thinks so. Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Self-Shilling:
- My latest podcast, with John Hyperion of Dirty Dirty Sheets, is still up and ready for you to listen to it. DO IT! We talk about Kana and women's wrestling in general! [Episode 21: Jumping Bomb Angel Dust]
- My piece on whether the Undertaker should keep his streak at WM into retirement [Should Undertaker Keep His Streak?]
- Another selfie from TWB, why I write and don't expect to get paid. [TWIOT: Writing for Free]
- My Fair to Flair piece on what "smarks" have in common and how they differ from hipsters. [Wrestling Fans Are Reverse Hipsters]
Wrestling Links:
- KSP with his review of the new ROH television show in Woo/Boo format [Fair to Flair]
- Razor also had his own review of ROH's launch show [Kick-Out!! Wrestling]
- A great look at our wig-splitting conqueror from Scott Bowden [Kentucky Fried Rasslin]
- Episode 2 of the Wrestling Culture podcast, in which Dylan Hales and Dave Musgrave talk about Terry Funk for two hours. Also contained therein is a case made by Hales for Eddie Guerrero's inclusion into the greatest of all-time discussion. Translation? FU HATERS. [Wrestling Culture]
- Jason Mann and Chris Shore talk Ric Flair vs. Nikita Koloff from Starrcade 1986 [Wrestlespective Radio]
- David D. of the Smoking Section chronicles his top 25 favorite matches ever [The Smoking Section]
- And now, a post on the role of the heel [Wrestling Theory]
- The Best and Worst of RAW for this week [With Leather]
- Stephen Stone on David Otunga's star turn Monday [Grapple Kingdom]
- CM Punk pays tribute to Eddie Guerrero in El Paso [South Atlanta Wrestling]
- David Shoemaker wonders whether the Reality Era really now the Conspiracy Era. [Grantland]
- Miz and Truth may be fired, but that's not stopping them from showing up at house shows [Cageside Seats]
- A good read on WWE's expansion of kayfabe to the Internet [Hitting the Mark]
- The Boss Lady waxes romantic about Sheamus, while the sidekick reiterates rage to snarky n00bs who watch WWE out of habit/hate-seeking [Wrestlegasm]
- A more detailed review of Evolution of the Revolution V [Dirty Dirty Sheets]
- Mick Foley continues to prove that he's a good guy. [Camel Clutch Blog]
- Vickie Guerrero wants to manage the Divas of Doom [Diva Dirt]
- I agree with KSP here. People imitating Jericho is not necessarily a bad thing. [International Object]
- More .gifs from The Cubs Fan! [Luchablog]
- Lou Thesz and Green Ant/Tursas? Talk about varied content. [We Watch Wrestling]
Jamie Dobson Interviews:
- Referee Jason Harding
Non-Wrestling Links:
- People shamelessly trying to capitalize off a tragedy? In America? NOOO. [Cracked]
- Bad Prediction Generator! Have hours of fun rooting through predictions that were proven false from history, recent or not! [The Week]
- Legislation won't help bullied kids. Only a societal change will. [Minda Haas' Google Reader]
- Flammable tap water? Yep, flammable tap water. [Shakesville]
- Juggalos aren't bigoted in any way, which is a plus. The minus? Well, I don't think I have to list them here for you to know them. [Film Drunk]
- Marty Day reviews Drive, where Baby Goose becomes an action star. [Blast-o-Rama]
- Stephen King is writing a sequel to The Shining. No, it's not going to be called The Shinning, because that would be too awesome. [Pajiba]
- Running backs are like supernovas. They burst pretty bright in their peaks and then die out pretty quickly. [The Go Route]
- More Josh Zerkle, as he debates with Dan Levy who the best among the undefeated teams is [Bleacher Report Spotlight]
- And more from Levy, as he recaps Blogs with Balls 4 [Wide Left]
- What happens when Tawmee from Quinzee makes a documentary about the Bills/Oilers comeback game from '93? This! [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
- Ever wonder what a "concussion test" was? Here you go. [The 700 Level]
- Jon Bois on each team from Week 3 in the NFL season and what terribly made game day food they correlate to [SB Nation]
- For you fantasy players out there, here are some good waiver wire pickups for week 4 [Camel Clutch Blog]
- Did CERN really find faster-than-light neutrinos? Some folks disagree [Gamma Squad]
- Castro and Plichter take a look at Chickie and Pete's pizza. It's better than you'd expect from a place that's more known for crab fries and overpriced drinks. [Doughboys]
- What happens when falafel and pizza have wild monkey sex after going to the gym? You get this. [Sarah Sprague]
- The 20 most nutritionally poor frozen dinners on the market [The Daily Beast]
- Chicken nuggets in scoop form? That sound you hear is America's average waistline increasing by the second. [Neatorama]
- Rachel Ray's embarrassingly simple sorbet recipe [Food Network Humor]
- Lessons from Week 4 in college football [Your Best 11 BONUS Podcast Solid Verbal]
- How a playoff will save college football from rapid superexpansion [Rivals]
- How the players in the Big East right now compare to characters from The Godfather [Lost Lettermen]
- Speaking of the Big East, they're not victims in this scenario, only recipients of karmic payback [Deadspin]
- Is it time to write off Florida State? [Dr. Saturday]
- Who are the most tortured fans in sport? Not the Cubs or members of GRITSAWX NATION, but loyal fans of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. [Grantland]
- Holly Anderson went on a road trip to Morgantown for the big West FUCKIN' Virginia/LSU game. Here are her pictures, and you don't even have to sit in her living room and eat stale pretzels on furniture covered in plastic on her slide projector to view them! [Campus Union]
- Spencer Hall went on that road trip as well. His contributions are in verbal form [SB Nation]
- Will Muschamp doesn't quite appreciate your Star Wars references. [Every Day Should Be Saturday]
- Anne Hathaway and Paul Rudd try out for the Jersey Shore, season 4 [Team Coco]
- ...that is, if there is a season 4, since Chris Christie isn't giving them tax breaks to film there any more. [Warming Glow]
- Bravo. [Our Valued Customers]
- For people who are butthurt about Schweddy Balls ice cream, here are 18 more products just as offensive. [Buzz Feed]
- Five things the new show Terra Nova can do to turn off viewers instantly [Unreality Mag]
- Game of Thrones Season 2 teaser. It's a shitty teaser, but it's something. [Hollywood Reporter]
- As the season draws to a close today, a look at some other memorable game 162s in MLB history [Baseball Nation]
- Baseball purists get butthurt (I love that word, if you can't discern already) about steroids, but are all like "Pfft, nbd" over scuffed pitches and spitballs. [Amazin' Avenue]
- While Michael Pineda, Dustin Ackley and others battle over the AL Rookie of the Year this year, FanGraphs has a look at candidates for next year. [FanGraphs]
- Six genres of music that aren't genres at all. [We Write Lists]
- I like this bra. [Best Worst Advice]
- Hipsters vs. Hammer... yep. [The Oatmeal]
- Best of the "Helpful Tyler Durden" meme [UPROXX]
- Not exactly the best thing to say to your mom [Imgur Gallery]
- Dogs in Phillies gear. NAWWW [Phillies Nation]
- Surf Dogs! [With Leather]
- Speaking of dogs on the water, Corgi Friday is on a boat! [Warming Glow]
- Your weekly "Argument Is Invalid" item: David Hasselhoff in a chicken suit playing X-Box Kinect [Topless Robot]
- Sociology invisibility cloak really does work [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]
- TIGER ICE CREAM CONE [Skull Swap]
- Drew Magary on why the "man card" is such utter bullshit. I agree fullstop. [Deadspin]
- A look at how reality TV is changing the NHL [Puck Daddy]
- Reebok has to refund $25M in toner-shoe money because they made false claims [The Smoking Section]
New WrestleMania Poster Revealed
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| Found via Cageside Seats |
Yeah, that looks like a really cool poster. Tickets go on sale November 5th, so if you're planning a road trip, you might as well get started on the logistics right now.
The Best Moves Ever: Killswitch
Call it the Tomikazee, the Unprettier or whatever, Christian's finishing maneuver has always been one of my favorites. It hurts my heart when I see guys like Randy Orton kick out of it so willy-nilly, but hey, that's WWE for you.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wrestling Six Packs: Least Likable Good Guys
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| I don't know about you, but Cena is just so dorky Photo Credit: WWE.com |
1. John Cena
The top face in the top company, and he's generally unlikable. Okay, maybe I'm not in the majority, since people still buy the shit out of his merchandise and generally relate him with wrestling overall, but there is something about him. He's so fake. Perfect example, some time within the last year, he started using the term "Jim Brone" and took to Twitter to explain what it meant, and that Iron Sheik and most importantly, The Rock, were using a wrong version. He comes off as the guy from school who tries so hard to be cool by showing up the cool kids, and people just reject him. That, and he's a big bully too. It's one thing to lash out at people who did something to you, but calling Vickie Guerrero fat for interrupting him and beating up Ricardo Rodriguez for the sin of supporting his friend is just wrong.
2. John Morrison
Speaking of guys who try to be cool, yeah, it doesn't work with Morrison. When he was a villain, his shtick actually worked because he played to his character. Then he turned good and thought that just trying to crack wise on his opponents and fail miserably. Plus, there's the whole fact that he's a wrestler and he's bad at his job, and yet it appears we're being told he's the best thing since sliced bread. Seriously, every time he barely hits Starship Pain, I cringe. How can I like that?
3. Rob Van Dam
He's a burnout who showed up in Impact, and what has he done other than rest on his laurels? Even Mr. Anderson, who seems like he'd have a more abrasive personality, feels like he's putting in more effort and thus feels like he's more of a guy I'd want to root for. Maybe it's the Philadelphian in me, but I like seeing a guy give his all. Plus, while I have no real aversion to marijuana despite the fact I'm not a smoker myself? Yeah, I just hate looking at burnouts do burnout things on my television.
4. Jerry Lawler
Hey, look, I know that Lawler's just following orders with his narrative lately. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to like him. It's not Vince McMahon laying the fat jokes on an obviously not fat Vickie Guerrero. It's Lawler. It's not Johnny Ace bringing charisma into the discussion, it's Lawler. It's also Jerry Lawler who doesn't seem to give a shit about anything other than his penis. While I love what he has meant to this business even up to the year 2000, but it's time for him to go.
5. The Briscoe Brothers
Forget everything you know about Jay Briscoe's Twitter (and really, it's offensive to some who don't/can't take it with a grain of salt). If I'm a minority fan sitting in a ROH crowd, and I see these two rednecks coming out in trunks that symbolize the hate against them? Yeah, I wouldn't dig it either. Plus, they have a full set of teeth between them, and believe me, that can be pretty skeevy.
6. Triple H
I'm trying. I really am. I want to like Triple H, because I know he's not going anywhere at all. That being said, when he comes out and makes everything about him, and he's so dry and boring and self-serving, how am I supposed to like him? Is it just my bias seeping through, or is his megalomania really hurting things? I don't know, but it's hard for me to like a guy who makes it all about him when he's not entertaining me.
Compare and Contrast: Impact's Telling the Divas of Doom Narrative Better than the Divas of Doom
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| Saying they want to change is one thing, acting is another Photo Credit: WWE.com |
However, the current story they're in is not so great at all. To be fair, it's not because of anything they're doing. Okay, Phoenix has felt a bit uninspired lately, but at the same time, what has she been given? Time to stand on the stage, take retro style cheesecake photos and job to Kelly Kelly? The story they're telling could be good, but the execution is just so blase and tepid. I know that blaming the writers is the hip thing, but as Zack Ryder and Mark Henry have proven, people can get over on their own. So, what was stopping Phoenix and Neidhart from trying to get the narrative over in the ring? If anyone tries to argue that they were doing their best, I present the case of Mickie James last week on Impact.
James was wrestling Brooke Tessmacher, and she found herself seated in the corner. Tessmacher, whose rear end is her bread and butter from a standpoint of sexual attraction, used that posterior as an offensive weapon, giving Mickie the stinkface. What did James do? If the answer is "sell it into a near fall", then that's ridiculously wrong. She no-sold it and went apsehit on Tessmacher, leading into the finish of the match which James won convincingly.
So, in one sequence of a match, Mickie James sold the ethos of the Divas of Doom better than Beth Phoenix and Nattie Neidhart have in two-plus months to date. To me, that's kind of sad. It might be disingenuous to compare the two companies, but at the same time, WWE is the market leader, at least they're supposed to be. Yet, here they are in women's wrestling, and not only are they lapped by the indie companies whose niche is solid female wrestling, but also by the other mainstream company that they dominate in every other category.
I get it, the writers aren't interested in strong women. Change then has to come from the women themselves then. If the writers and bookers aren't interested in telling a story, maybe Beth and Nattie need to go into business for themselves. They need to no-sell the booty popping and the stinkfaces. They need to grab the bull by the horns and make the models keep up with them, not the other way around. If they try to get themselves over, one of two things happen. One, they'll get the crowd into the matches and thus get themselves attention from the front ofice, or two, they'll get fired and go back to companies that actually give a shit about legitimate women's wrestling.
I don't want women pushed for the sake of women getting pushed. I want women's wrestling that's good, that has a a chance to be something more than Hawaiian Tropic models failing to run ropes. If WWE wants to give me a good women's division, then they should shit or get off the pot. After watching Kelly Kelly shit around the ring like a rookie again Monday, I'm done trying to defend her or preaching patience to wait until she grows into her role. If they're not going to give me that, if they're going to give me a Divas division, then they might as well not waste my time with wasting the talents of the women who CAN wrestle and give me something to ignore again. Or maybe they should just scrap women's wrestling altogether.
When Nattie and Beth get shown up in one flourish by Mickie James in the other company, it should serve as a wakeup call. Actions speak louder than words, and the Divas of Doom need to start acting.
A Story Worth Telling: Sting, Hogan and Closure
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| A fitting end for both men ahead? Photo Credit: Impact Wrestling.com |
It's true that Hogan should have put Sting over cleanly and emphatically in 1997 or sooner. Having Hogan come over from the WWF at the time was great for WCW in a way that Hogan could build a bigger audience. However, the way they had him come in, running roughshod over everyone, was totally wrong. While jobbing him out to everyone would have been catastrophically stupid, having him lose in key spots to guys like Sting, Goldberg, Diamond Dallas Page or even Chris Jericho, Eddy Guerrero or Chris Benoit would have meant a world of difference for the long term health of the company. Nothing that he can do now will undo the damage it did to WCW and wrestling in general.
So yeah, if Hogan and Sting are doing this program now as a make good for 1997, it's a shitty way to do it. However, I'm not entirely sure that's the case. Even in both men's minds, I have to think telling the right story is in their hearts. So, what is the right story? Well, let's look at it.
Hogan himself has done everything there is to do in wrestling. He's main evented WrestleMania, held titles the world over, defeated all the biggest legends of his time and wrestled some from the era that succeeded his. He's even run a wrestling company in Impact (Successfully or not is a matter of debate). Sting, conversely, also has done a whole lot except for two things. One, he's never wrestled for WWF/E, and two, there's one rival he's never taken down definitively, Hogan. The former can't be helped in his current state, but the latter surely can. When Sting finally defeats Hogan, he'll get closure on what has been a magnificent career. That in and of itself is worth doing this angle.
Now, of course, the match between the two would have to be heavily gimmicked, because what Hogan can do is SEVERELY limited. I'm not sure it'll be about the match quality per se though. It should very much be what Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon SHOULD have been. Something quick, something decisive and something that will ultimately bring out closure for both men. For Sting, he'll have caught his white whale. For Hogan, it'll be coming full-circle (as he'd obviously return to his senses after losing to Sting).
While the company around them turns to focus around Beer Money, Austin Aries, Mr. Anderson and the rest of the people whose time it is now, the two old lions can retire peacefully. Well, theoretically they can. Who knows if the siren call of the ring will bring them back, and Lord knows Impact is more than willing to accommodate men FAR past their prime to further degrade their bodies and legacies. However, if this is the end for Hulk Hogan and the Stinger, then it's a very fitting one that they share a ring together in Philadelphia for Bound for Glory.
Mark Henry Appreciation 2: The Wig Splittening
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| Not even Punjabi giants are a match for the World's Strongest Man Photo Credit: WWE.com |
As if Mark Henry couldn't get any more awesome, last night happened. For those who didn't watch, Great Khali came out for a match with the World's Strongest Champion, and he was posturing for the crowd in the jovial, genial way that he's wont to do. The problem was he paid no mind to the angry Henry, who was already in the ring. While Khali was gladhanding and waving, Henry took the opportunity to waylay him with the belt. After some stomping, the Punjabi Playboy was put down for good by a World's Strongest Slam.
On the surface, that might seem nondescript, because hey, Khali's a joke nowadays, right? Well, yeah, Khali is a joke, but he's still a big guy. Even in his crippled state, he's still formidable looking, and in wrestling, all one needs to do is look the part, and half the job's done already. Khali isn't going to shrink, so of course, taking him down is still going to be a nice visual. One can look high and mighty, but the other half of using that statuesque build as something that can be torn down for the benefit of an assailant, well, that assailant has to hold up his end of the bargain and make it look like he's really kicking some ass in there against someone that he might not seem able to do on first glance.
There are exactly two guys in WWE that pass that initial smell test for Henry. Big Show and Khali. Henry already obliterated Show, so it'd be natural that Khali would be as easy. That's the thing about watching good wrestling programming though. Getting caught up in the moment and forgetting that Henry had done this before to Show happens when what he did to Khali was so impressive-looking. That's par for the course with Henry though. When he hits someone with his belt, it's expected that he does so with the gusto he had last night. When he delivers the World's Strongest Slam, it doesn't matter whether it's to a 61 year-old announcer or a behemoth Punjabi, it looks equally as devastating.
Folks may disagree with me on this, but I really don't care. Mark Henry, since he came over to Smackdown, has been the best wrestler, overall package, in the world. Granted, some of that has come with the gossamer caress of good booking, which one candidate CM Punk has not had, and he's gotten a lot of time on both RAW and Smackdown to get his story over, something that the other frontrunner for that title Kevin Steen doesn't get at all. However, there's something to be said for making the most of what's given as a gift, and Henry is doing just that.
There's also something to be said for Henry taking out people who've been annoying lately. Last week, it was Lawler, whose commentary has grown stale. This week, it was Khali, who hasn't been entertaining since the remake of The Longest Yard. With any luck, Henry will killify Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell and then Triple H on RAW. Then, he'll truly be King Henrius Maximus, the Splitter of Wigs.
Nattie Neidhart Is Some Kind of Wizard
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| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Talk about submission prowess. This isn't as good as the accordion folding Sharpshooter she gave to Melina on RAW in January, but hey, to be fair, Eve isn't nearly as flexible as the erstwhile girlfriend of John Morrison. Still, as much as I deservedly rag on the Divas for being terrible (and Eve's tag partner Kelly Kelly proved that I should never, ever defend her in the ring ever again), I gotta give them props for their willingness to be twisted into odd shapes by First Lady of the Hart Family Dungeon.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Instant Feedback: We Almost Had a Stable
RAW was pretty good this week, and it had to be. WIth two weeks between PPVs, you kinda have to fire on all cylinders because of the lack of build. The main event stuff was pretty good. I was skeptical as to whether the three-way dynamic would work, but I think for this occasion it will. Not that it'll matter anyway, because all three men are probably sitting ducks to Miz and Truth's new conspiracy theorists anyway. Plus, it yielded two pretty good matches, one where the guy with no involvement in the main event (Christian) got protection, and the other where Alberto del Rio ate a pinfall before laying out CM Punk and John Cena with chairs. Kinda curious booking decision, but it didn't bother me all that much actually.
One thing that did bother me though was the tease on the stable formation. The synergy between Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger was a welcome change from their bickering. As much as I want to see them wrestle, I would gladly trade a current program between the two for a temporary alliance in a good stable now. Mason Ryan would have been a perfect third for them. He's fearsome muscle, and he's green as gooseshit, so having him as the third guy would hide him well. Then they had to go and make him a super face double-crosser, and the prospect of him doing more than just looking fearsome (which he's quite good at) is looming large. I don't know, I'm just not ready for a huge Mason Ryan singles run right now. But again, both matches, the US Title match AND the six man tag, were pretty good. Ziggler is just the consummate pro wrestler, and Ryder is getting better with every match.
The opening segment was cute for a little while. Triple H dealing with Ziggler was fine. Cody Rhodes was a good addition, but then Christian came out, and it became clear why I grew tired of Triple H in the first place before his comeback. Too much Trips just makes the show drag. Again, I don't need to see him act cooler, smarter and more awesome than everyone. Just let him do battle with Johnny Ace one segment a show. Then again, at least he was limited to one segment. From that, we did get those cool matches between Ziggler and Ryder and Christian and Cena, plus a slick battle royale with the AWESOME tease of Sheamus giving Rhodes the High Cross out of the ring, as well as a tease of David Otunga in the role he was born to play. Seriously, for a guy as limited as Mr. Jennifer Hudson is, they've found two really good roles for him so far. First was the Nexus' Starscream, and now, him as a lawyer has a nice ring to it.
RAW wasn't perfect this week, but it was good enough. There was good wrestling and good promo work, so yeah, that's all you need to give me to make me happy.
One thing that did bother me though was the tease on the stable formation. The synergy between Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger was a welcome change from their bickering. As much as I want to see them wrestle, I would gladly trade a current program between the two for a temporary alliance in a good stable now. Mason Ryan would have been a perfect third for them. He's fearsome muscle, and he's green as gooseshit, so having him as the third guy would hide him well. Then they had to go and make him a super face double-crosser, and the prospect of him doing more than just looking fearsome (which he's quite good at) is looming large. I don't know, I'm just not ready for a huge Mason Ryan singles run right now. But again, both matches, the US Title match AND the six man tag, were pretty good. Ziggler is just the consummate pro wrestler, and Ryder is getting better with every match.
The opening segment was cute for a little while. Triple H dealing with Ziggler was fine. Cody Rhodes was a good addition, but then Christian came out, and it became clear why I grew tired of Triple H in the first place before his comeback. Too much Trips just makes the show drag. Again, I don't need to see him act cooler, smarter and more awesome than everyone. Just let him do battle with Johnny Ace one segment a show. Then again, at least he was limited to one segment. From that, we did get those cool matches between Ziggler and Ryder and Christian and Cena, plus a slick battle royale with the AWESOME tease of Sheamus giving Rhodes the High Cross out of the ring, as well as a tease of David Otunga in the role he was born to play. Seriously, for a guy as limited as Mr. Jennifer Hudson is, they've found two really good roles for him so far. First was the Nexus' Starscream, and now, him as a lawyer has a nice ring to it.
RAW wasn't perfect this week, but it was good enough. There was good wrestling and good promo work, so yeah, that's all you need to give me to make me happy.
Gregory Iron Stepping Away from AIW
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| Pictured: An Inspiration Photo Credit: Lyle C. Williams |
Gregory Iron will be stepping away from Absolute Intense Wrestling, the Cleveland-area independent fed with a proclivity towards the hardcore, due to what he's called nagging injuries suffered at the hands of Josh Prohibition. Usually, I'd take this as a sign of it being an angle for him to step away from the promotion in order to come back and lay some revenge-laden smack down on J-Pro, but it was this passage that threw me for a bit of a loop:
I have had several nagging injuries from that match… every morning when I wake up, my back aches… it hurts to turn my neck from side to side… my left arm, my GOOD arm, feels like its been pulled out of its socket. On top of all of this, just last week, I severely sprained my ankle during a match in Chicago. I can barely walk. In a sport with no health insurance, I can’t just go to the doctor and get these things fixed. Sometimes I sit back and ask myself, “Greg, is all of this REALLY worth it..?”Given that I'm not the best person in the world to trust on whether a wrestler is or isn't kayfabing an injury (See, my reporting on Dolph Ziggler's broken jaw, since proven false), you can take that with a grain of salt as to whether he's really hurt or just selling the sizzle. My guess is that the future cards for Chikara, AAW and other promotions that are his usual haunts will hold the key to that.
That all being said, regardless of whether it's real or staged, it's worth passing on. If it's real, and Iron has to step away from the game for the time being, then hey, let's wish this guy the best of luck in his recovery and his life. Like I've said on here before, this man is a true inspiration to everyone, both in wrestling and out of it. The fact that he competes at the level at which he does is a testament to his will and determination. If it is all part of an angle though? Yeah, it'll probably be a good one. AIW has turned more than a few heads in the last year or so, as along with Pro Wrestling Ohio, it comprises a pretty neat indie niche in Cleveland that makes the city very much an up-and-coming town in pro wrestling. That is to say, it's very much worth paying attention to.
Should the Undertaker Keep His Streak?
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| Victorious Undertaker after felling Michaels for the second time. Should the scene be similar in his final WM match? Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Thinking about WrestleMania will yield several different options for matches. Obviously, Rock and John Cena is on top, a match that they got out of the way bookingwise the day after this year's big event. There's the prospect of CM Punk against Steve Austin, although my guess is that Punk wins the Rumble and gets a big title match. There's the option of Daniel Bryan keeping his briefcase until WrestleMania and cashing in for a main-stage title match, which may or may not happen given some of the scuttlebutt I'm hearing concerning a potential heel turn (which would be disappointing in terms of character and story, but it would give all the AmDrag marks out there reason to celebrate since that turn would almost certainly include him cashing in successfully).
Then there's the Undertaker.
It's not WrestleMania unless you're thinking about Undertaker's streak match. With the exception of years that he's been injured, Taker has always had and won a match at WrestleMania. His streak is at 19 wins, and this coming year has been rumored to be his last. It would be fitting to have him go out in his 20th match. The common logic has been that he should be able to retire with his streak as well. I always agreed with that, at least until now.
Nice things in wrestling aren't supposed to be kept. Hulk Hogan was rightfully ridiculed for refusing to put anyone over other than the Warrior in his WWF run. Rather than putting over Bret Hart himself, he left the job to Yokozuna. It was a great story, don't get me wrong, but at the same time, many argue that Hart never got as over with his chase of the faux-sumo than he would have if he had defeated Hogan, clean, in the middle of the ring, before the Hulkster high-tailed it for Thunder in Paradise and then WCW. Titles are meant to be dropped, whether it's after a week or a year-plus of holding them. The value, many times, isn't with the meat of the reign, but with the moments that begin and end them.
Taker's streak has become a de facto title. People clamor to wrestle for it each year, and it's treated with the same gusto, sometimes even more so, than either of the World Championships. So, why should Taker be able to waltz off into the sunset with it? Because he's earned it? What constitutes "earning" the right to retire successfully anyway? I'd say Shawn Michaels earned the right to go out on top, but instead he went out putting Taker and the streak over. Hulk Hogan "earned" the right to drop the WWF Title to whomever he wanted to, right? I mean he was being pushed out despite making Vince McMahon a ton of money, and it wasn't like his best days were over either, as he'd empirically prove as the head honcho of the nWo in WCW. What makes Taker and the streak so special?
The truth is that Undertaker is not a snowflake, and he's not unique. He's been a loyal soldier to Vince, but that loyalty has been paid off in several different ways, both in-character and out. Keeping his streak intact should not be one of those things, because it can be used to help further along the mythos of another wrestler who will be in the game for the next 10-20 years. The only way that Taker should be winning any streak matches from here on out is if he's not retiring and he is willing to come back at the next WrestleMania to compete in another match where his streak is on the line.
Otherwise, if he's going to retire? Let him retire putting someone over at WrestleMania. What good is the streak going to do him in retirement? None extra than what it had been in his career. He's still going to be remembered as one of the greatest ever regardless if he goes 19-1 or 20-0. He's still going to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. But what good would keeping the streak be for the company? It would be a nice memory, but do memories draw interest to stories? Do memories put asses in the seats? In theory, the guy who ends the streak would get a tremendous amount of benefit from it, and from there, depending on who it is who ends the run, could either start a streak of their own, or they can build something else from it.
That being said, theory is the key word here. If you don't trust WWE's booking/writing staff to pull something like this off memorably, congratulations, you're probably in the majority. If WWE did pull this off, and it didn't lead to anything for anyone, then yeah, it would probably have been better to let Taker retire with his streak. But then again, they've mostly done right by the streak, especially in the last three years.
Honestly, I can see why someone wouldn't end the streak and let Undertaker ride off into the sunset with one of his legacies, his biggest one, intact. However, I'm not sure it's the right call. If done correctly, ending the streak in Undertaker's final match in WWE would do wonders to create a new legend in the company's firmament. For that reason, that ending the streak is not only the best move for the starpower-starved company, but maybe the only move that they could possibly do when it's time for Undertaker to retire.
Kurt Angle Stars as... THE POT
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| It's great heel heat, but is it responsible? Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com |
Nevermind the fact that out of character, Angle just got his second offense related to drinking and driving within the calendar year. Then again, we're not supposed to have that in mind watching the show. That's real, what happens on Impact is staged, right? Well yeah, except that the company has dragged in real life issues to totally build around Hardy's character. We could have suspected that Hardy was fucked up at Victory Road, but it was never explicitly stated until later on that that was the case. Still, even with all that, again, Angle's the top villain. You'd expect him to use that kind of hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance to get him more hated with crowds. It is an effective heel technique, and on the surface, it probably should be lauded, right?
Well, technically, it could, but at the same time, is it responsible? Impact has played with fire before in this regard and got away with it. On the surface, the Jeff Jarrett/Karen Jarrett/Angle love triangle was perfect for a story until you realized that divorce and cuckoldry and shacking up with your ex-husband's boss could have created some major backstage tension that would make anything on screen not worth it. From all accounts, nothing major came from it. That could mean one of two things. One, Angle and the Jarretts are supreme professionals and the line between real and staged can be successfully blurred with them on any occasion. Two, they got lucky. My guess is that it was more the former than the latter in that situation, mainly because the three were able to coexist and were alright with the situation after tensions simmered down.
That being said, it doesn't mean that Angle would be alright in a different line-blurring situation. In fact, I'd think this situation would be worse for him. He clearly has a drinking problem for one. Two, he has no intention of getting it fixed nor does he have any impetus from management to get it fixed. Three, he takes no responsibility for his actions, claiming that he was framed or that tests were wrong or whatever. Ignoring all that and having Angle act high and mighty towards Hardy might just feed into his ego that he can drink and drive and not have any consequences.
Furthermore, it's even more irresponsible that Impact is thrusting Hardy into such a realistic angle seeing as Hardy has shown NO ability to stay clean in that environment. Maybe being reminded of it on the job will be a wake up call for him not to do drugs, but at the same time, with limited-to-no rehab, there's no guarantee that'll be the case.
So again, Impact Wrestling shows that the more they try to make the program edgy, the more they fail at looking after the safety of their workers. Just because something is going to garner heat doesn't mean it should be done. This whole "redemption" angle is sketchy to begin with, but to give a guy like Angle who clearly doesn't take responsibility for his actions and let him act in character the way he acts in real life is a recipe for disaster. I hope I'm wrong, but at this point, I don't think that has any bearing on whether this is a good idea or not.
Weekend Wrap-Up: Yeah, I Got Nothin'
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| TV headliners |
- ROH TV finally debuted in markets where Sinclair Broadcasting Group has stations. The reviews are mixed, going from glowing to flawed. Razor of House Kick-Out!! says that they need to up the production values lest they seem too low rent for public consumption. Others focused more on the wrestling, which was reputed to be really good. Then again, when you have a show anchored by The World's Greatest Tag Team taking on the Kings of Wrestling (in what's probably their final overall appearance for ROH?), you know the action's going to be good. I'll have a complete review myself when the show hits the revamped ROH website on Thursday, and then after that, it'll get integrated into my DVR report for the week.
- The WSU Spirit Championship changed hands twice on Saturday at their show in Philadelphia. Jessica Havok defeated Rain Maxson after the latter defeated Sassy Stephie to mark a double switch of the title. Despite the best efforts of Team WSU, the title remained with the renegade Midwest Militia faction heading into their big War Games match on 11/19.
- Ric Flair was on the Cleveland Show last night. Yep, you know I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel when I post about a desperate-for-money wrestler making a guest spot on the worst show in history. Apparently, he was funny. I wouldn't know, because I'd rather watch a documentary on the creation of a shoot human centipede on loop for 12 hours than watch one act of that show.
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
Sunday, September 25, 2011
This Week in DVR: Where'd Superstars Go?
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| MARK HENRY AIN'T CARE Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Matches:
James Storm vs. Kurt Angle on Impact - A really slick main event. Kurt Angle is limited nowadays, no matter what some of the most raving fanboys will tell you. If he tries too hard to have an awesome match, it ends up being unwatchable slop. Thankfully, he had James Storm, maybe the best pure in-ring guy in Impact right now (it's hard to say, because there are a few contenders), to rein him in. Logical brawl, lots of tension. The finish was overbooked, but I could see the reasoning behind it. Very good main event fare from a company that struggles to put on good matches atop the card. Hopefully, with Beer Money transitioning into the main event scene, that'll change.
Sheamus vs. Heath Slater on Smackdown - GINGER ON GINGER VIOLENCE IS WRONG AND SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED. Err, I mean, nice opening fare for Brand Blue this week. It's funny, but if you'd watch the match without context and on mute, you'd think the roles were reversed and Sheamus was the big baddie, but it worked with the roles reversed, mainly because Slater is such a smarmy asshole. Sheamus is so awesome beating the crap out of people, and I especially love the spot where he clubs his opponent in the ropes with the forearms to the chest from behind. I like how Slater works his inherent smarminess into his repertoire in the ring. He's so sleazy and shady, and that manifests itself through his ring movement. Take for example towards the end of the match, where he slipped out of Sheamus' grip, ducked underneath him and hit him with an Ace Crusher-style neckbreaker.
The Divas of Doom (Beth Phoenix and Nattie Neidhart) vs. the Chickbusters (AJ and Kaitlyn) on Smackdown - I'm going to let you in on a secret. The Chickbusters? Yeah, they're actually pretty good as wrestlers. If they weren't so green, they'd work perfectly in the Kelly Kelly role, and I'm not even saying green as in the ring. They're already way better than the current Divas Champion. They just don't have the cache and the emotional equity with crowds yet. I don't know. Anyway, this was a virtual squash, but the little things were what made this worthwhile, like Kaitlyn scrapping around to make the hot tag, or AJ geting fired up before she attacked Phoenix in the corner.
Daniel Bryan vs. Sin Cara(s) on Smackdown - Daniel Bryan is so good, but you already knew that. There was at least one spot in the match where there was a clear botch going on, but Bryan saved it through his technical wizardry, when Cara was going for an arm drag out of the electric chair position, but flubbed it. Bryan grabbed him and made it look like it was supposed to happen. I also really dug Bryan countering la casadora into a wheelbarrow suplex. You never see that, but it's probably one of the most logical counters to that set-up. The finish, with Sin Cara Twin Magic, was pretty cool. The original Sin Cara took a nasty bump and the other one snaking the win was smart and a cool variation on something they've done to death with people who were aligned with each other.
Mark Henry (c) vs. Christian, World Heavyweight Championship Lumberjack Match, on Smackdown - This match felt a little slow to me, but at the same time, maybe it was supposed to be that way? Either way, I thought it told a good story with the lumberjacks and the reaction to it. I loved Big Zeke clearing everyone away, faking out like he was in Christian's back pocket, but then giving him a knee lift and tossing him back in anyway. By contrast, Henry got attacked by everyone on the Smackdown roster and replied by using Trent Barretta as a projectile weapon. That's why the man rules. The finish with Christian backing off, only to have Sheamus run out of the back and toss him into the waiting arms of a World's Strongest Slam was cool.
Shows
Superstars - I didn't watch Superstars. Why? It wasn't available to me. Apparently, WWE took it off its web presence because it wasn't getting enough views, but they're still filming it for overseas airing, where it's still lucrative. Okay, so is it THAT much of an expense to upload it to Youtube or WWE.com? I mean, it's not like the Network is even ready yet. I would gladly pay the extra money to see the Network if it had Superstars, but for now, why can't we see it online?
Impact - A decent show this week. Impact has been in this weird rut where they've been running shows that have some really high highs but where the lows aren't nearly as low as we'd expect from the company. I mean, yeah, Hulk Hogan promising to change the industry for the 2398423908th week in a row or the laughable hypocrisy of Kurt Angle telling Jeff Hardy he's not wanted in the company because he's a junkie are bad, but are they really as bad as some of the lows that we've seen even a month ago? I wasn't as high on the Daniels/Styles brawl as some I've seen, but you could do a lot worse to build up a big match at Bound for Glory. I thought everything surrounding Beer Money and Angle was really good as well. I also think that while it might seem cheap on the surface what they're doing with the Knockouts, all you need to do is look at the reaction to the stinkface by Tessmacher from Mickie James. Tessmacher hit the move, and Mickie FLIPPED her shit. That to me says a lot more about that kind of thing in women's wrestling than cutting a lot of promos about it and then summarily losing to the person who does do the booty popping.
Smackdown - The show had a lot of really good wrestling this week and was carried out of the ring by Christian's search for help in a lumberjack match. Christian is such a great performer, I have no idea why Vince McMahon has such a beef against him in the main event. I mean what, does McMahon have something against good stories with a guy who can be interesting? I don't know. Aside from the cringetastic Khali/Mahal match and the almost-superfluous Johnny Ace/Triple H open to the proceedings, it was a really, really good show this week. Let's take a look at the latter part though. I understand that it set up the lumberjack main event, which was good, but I don't know, maybe I'm starting to get sick of Triple H as the authority figure who's everywhere, or maybe I just don't see a use for Johnny Ace to come out and say he's giving Trips a vote of confidence here, where it doesn't fit. He couldn't have done it on RAW? I dunno.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Temple's Head Coach Looks Strangely Familiar
What do you get when you mate Jesse "The Body" Ventura...
...with Sgt. Slaughter?
Well, you get this guy:
Who is it? Well, it's Steve Addazio, former U of Florida offensive coordinator and current head coach at Temple U in Philly. I was watching them going HAM (or did they go RUM HAM?) on Maryland earlier today, and there were several shots of him patrolling the sidelines. I thought he originally looked like Slaughter, but the more I see it, the more Ventura I see there. Yep, chew on that for the rest of your Saturday night.
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| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
...with Sgt. Slaughter?
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| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Well, you get this guy:
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| Photo Credit: Besoccer.com |
Who is it? Well, it's Steve Addazio, former U of Florida offensive coordinator and current head coach at Temple U in Philly. I was watching them going HAM (or did they go RUM HAM?) on Maryland earlier today, and there were several shots of him patrolling the sidelines. I thought he originally looked like Slaughter, but the more I see it, the more Ventura I see there. Yep, chew on that for the rest of your Saturday night.
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