Hello
I don't know what the deal is with myself right now. I'm in a wrestling-watch-kind-of-mood, yet I couldn't tell you who is actually champion these days. Let me quickly check...
Alright.
Lots of Shieldy goodness going on. Fun. These guys are a relief. No nonsense, just beating the shit out of everyone. They are forced to be bound for greater things. Both Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have been favorites of mine from the days when they were just Tyler Black and Jon Moxley. To see them get more and more credit is a testament to their abilities. This Roman Reigns, I don't know. I know he's part of the greater Anoa'i family so he's got baggage, but as far as the team goes, he's the greenest.
Roman doesn't handle the stick that much, which is probably for the best. The same could've been said for Seth Rollins, but he seems to be improving in that role. Not too bad, considering you've got an awesome mic worker in Dean Ambrose. I've always considered Seth to be top potential, but Ambrose has been far superior since their debut on the main roster. Perhaps Seth's role in the tag division is holding him back.
Not for long, considering there's another faction on its way. The Wyatt family. Just last monday, their first promo made it to the air on RAW. Seemingly batshit insane folks, but anyone with more than a 5 second memory won't take them as seriously as they should. Everyone, I hope, remembers him as the fairly rotund (pun intended) son of Irwin R. Schyster, Husky Harris. Granted, this new gimmick seems to work out very well for him. This Erick Rowan fellow isn't too familiar with me, but it compensates with the way I've seen "Luke Harper" work. Back when he was just Brodie Lee and made a habit of kicking people's faces off in Chikara (Do yourself the favor and look it up on youtube). By people, I mean Tim Donst. Brodie is a big guy, but he moves like a cruiserweight. Great guy to have on your roster.
If WWE plays their cards right, they could have a decent faction feud in the near future. Perhaps the ideal way to once again breathe life into the tag division. You know, by having actual tag teams, instead of two people thrown together... Good thing, with the New Age Outlaws being semi-active also (NOSTALGIA HAPPENING LIKE RIGHT NOW).
This Fandango thing has really blown up, huh? This is beginning to look like the Pirate Burchill story. Some guy gets a gimmick that will be the death of a career, and against all odds it gets over like a motherfucker. That's Fandango for ya. When's the last time a wrestling theme charted? Granted, it's in Australia, but still...
Either way, I liked creepy Johnny Curtis better still.
Curtis Axel, the man formerly know as Michael McGillicutty, né Joseph Hennig. Looks like he's finally getting a push. I'm not sure if the heel persona will work out (he doesn't sound very convincing), but he's got Heyman to give him that push ... thankfully. The name he's using now is positively ridiculous, but if you know his family history it's a logical tribute. (Father Curt Hennig, Grandfather Larry "The Ax" Hennig; and voilà)
Eh, still no sign of a Cesaro push... annoying, considering the only reason he's not pushed is simply because some people don't feel right with him, but can't pinpoint what it is. I'm slightly worried he might be canned soon. I mean, if you F-E an exceptionally talented guy like Derrick Bateman (I seriously loved that guy), what's next?
As per usual, I haven't followed TNA at all. Though I've been hearing that Hulk Hogan is all but teasing a return to the ring. As long as that's a possibility, TNA is off limits. My hatred for that guy is off the charts. Vince Russo could be my pen-pal in comparison.
I did what I promised not to do, and got WWE '13. Paid half price and didn't feel ripped off. I had a huge boner throughout the story mode, reliving a portion of the attitude era. One of the few things that bother me with the game is the fact that a number of my favorites from the Attitude Era are DLC. Living in a household where online gaming is a bad word, I have no proper way to access this downloadable content. But honestly, if I fork out full price for a game, the least I could expect is to have it be complete.
Assassin's Creed is one of my favorite series EVER, yet a lot of the good stuff is an add-on. Honestly, if the DLC was part of the package, it might have redeemed AC III (which, in my opinion is a terrible fucking game. I'm Ezio-biased, though). Either way, I'm hoping many good things for AC4, as the few things I liked from ACIII (Naval missions, free roaming nature) return.
Also, this is the first time I've properly veered away from wrestling. Perhaps I should do it more often, do entertainment in general as well? I have opinions on a lot of things.
Let me know.
~D.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Fallout/Forward
Hiya
At the time of writing, WWE comes fresh off of Wrestlemania, edition 29. Every year, I keep wondering if the quality will continue to deteriorate, as the main shows have. There's a lot of factors playing as of now, but everyone with half a brain has already gone into too much detail on that, so let's focus on the point for a change.
Wrestlemania, there was a time when I would simply stay up for half the night and watch it, with boatloads of coffee on hand. The last time that happened was 4 years ago. In those 4 years, I never could bring myself to sitting through the entire event. This year was no different, so as always, I'm going to take you through the result and offer my take on them.
First up is the pre-show. A whole lot of talking and video packages. In between all of that, a match between The Miz and Wade Barrett, for Barrett's intercontinental title. Hang on, a title match on the pre-show? I know that WWE doesn't really give half a shit about the mid-card titles, but doing it on a free-for-all pre-show is selling it short.
Alas, but on with it. Definitely not a spectacular match, but enough to warm up the crowd. Miz wins the title using the Figure Four. Ever since Ric Flair proverbially passed the torch, Miz has been spamming the fuck out of that move. Ah well, it works for Miz, so I'm game.
I really don't get why Miz is still disliked with the smarks. His WWE title reign was one of highs and lows, but any guy who still sees Mike Mizanin, semi-star of "the Real World", should really start considering taking his blinders off. He was fucking over as a heel for most of the time (one could argue that Morrison helped achieve that), and he's managed to smoothly transition into a face persona. I wouldn't call myself a fan of his, but I can honestly say he deserves a lot more credit than he's been given the past couple years.
Orton, Sheamus & Show vs The Shield.
The whole Shield storyline has been a little underwhelming so far. It started off quite well, but got a little more weary with every passing week. They needed a big win to go on, and the otherwise ass backwards creative team gave it to them. Against some of the "top guys" no less. Expectations are high for Rollins and Ambrose. This Reigns chap, I'm not sure. Haven't seen enough of this guy to really judge his work, but I've been hearing he's fairly green. Of course, in WWE, talent doesn't correlate with success.
The way going forward is simple. Orton should've been heel for a year or two. Make it happen. As for the Shield ... more airtime is necessary. They need a big storyline going forward. Let's face it, this faction has at least two insanely talented guys who have the ability to be big players in the near future. I like Rollins, but as of writing, I'm sure Dean Ambrose is a breakout star.
Ryback vs Mark Henry
Your typical filler match. The kind of match that goes either way and has fuck all effect on things going forward. Slightly surprised though that Mark Henry went over Ryback. Also, no fallout on this, whatsoever? Could've been a decent feud that lasted a couple of months if anything.
Hell No vs Ziggler/Langston
Is this what Ziggler has been relegated to? You could make a case for Kane and Bryan not belonging in this position, but especially Ziggles has been dealt a very weird hand. Am I mistaken in thinking that this guy should be holding a world championship? Something he could've very easily have done, if he was allowed to cash in. Yet, he's now relegated to being a vehicle to help push this NOD nostalgia act over.
Y2J vs Fandango
Vince is high on this Fandango. He's not high on Antonio Cesaro. Nothing against Johnny Curtis (he was fucking awesome as the immensely creepy and awkward guy on NXT), but this character just seems off. It's gonna take a whole load of effort to make this character somewhat redeemable. Of course, going over Jericho at Mania could do just that. Let's hope so.
Del Rio vs Swagger - WHC
The feeling of MEH overwhelms me. While I like Del Rio, the character comes across way too forced, and I still have my suspicion on whether or not he is world champion material. I guess creative thinks he is, since he took a win over the revived Jack Swagger to retain. Swagger got a much needed makeover some time ago, and it helped him heaps. Thankfully Uncle Zebekiah is there to help him. I wonder what's next. There's a possibly lengthy feud going forward, which is good.
And then there's MOTN. Undertaker vs CM Punk
You could almost guess this would be the highlight of the event, as it has been for several years. If Taker is in good enough shape to work a proper match, one with Punk would blow the roof off. And every report reads the same thing: "match of the night".
Of course, that Taker wins is no surprise. It shouldn't even be any question. If Taker is at 'mania, taker wins. It's that simple.
Triple H vs Lesnar - No Holds Barred
If Triple H lost, Triple H would have to retire. Makes perfect sense, since Trips has been handling a lot of duties backstage. A loss as such would've been no more than logical. A long and hard match and Brock would go over. Brock looks strong, Trips can focus on his work behind the scenes. Seems like the feasible option right?
Then why did Triple H go over? Why did Triple H have to go over Lesnar? I wonder. Perhaps we'll have to wait for Raw to see what's next. It better be a good reason. Not that I'm particularly fond of Lesnar, but he got cheated out of a logical victory here.
Now the main event, the WWE title match.
Rocky (c) vs Cena.
Stevie Wonder saw this coming. Of course Cena would go over. They need a champion who can be at Raw every week. Not that I'm happy Cena is champ (anything but), but he's a better option than Rocky, for sure.
Rock could sit back and watch his new feud with Lesnar being set up for next year's WM. Though, I read only an hour ago that the People's Champ has abandoned his flock and went back to LA. Seems like he's walking out. Ah, Hollywood stars....
Some more rumors have come forward. People believe that RVD, who was at the HOF ceremony, might return. Though he hinted that a WWE return wasn't out of the question, it's not THAT likely. I'm putting more faith in a return of Christian, who's been out of action since mid 2012. I for one cannot wait!
Going forward, I hope Vince removes his head 1 inch further from his ass. Cesaro should get every fucking push possible. He's nothing short of awesome. AND PLEASE! GIVE PAIGE A CHANCE TO PROPERLY DEBUT. Ironically, she outshines every fucking diva in nxt in ring skill. And she's pretty too. A mildly risqué photoshoot and she'll be over with every guy in the audience who has a functioning penis. Sad, but true.
That be it, then. Until next time.
~D.
At the time of writing, WWE comes fresh off of Wrestlemania, edition 29. Every year, I keep wondering if the quality will continue to deteriorate, as the main shows have. There's a lot of factors playing as of now, but everyone with half a brain has already gone into too much detail on that, so let's focus on the point for a change.
Wrestlemania, there was a time when I would simply stay up for half the night and watch it, with boatloads of coffee on hand. The last time that happened was 4 years ago. In those 4 years, I never could bring myself to sitting through the entire event. This year was no different, so as always, I'm going to take you through the result and offer my take on them.
First up is the pre-show. A whole lot of talking and video packages. In between all of that, a match between The Miz and Wade Barrett, for Barrett's intercontinental title. Hang on, a title match on the pre-show? I know that WWE doesn't really give half a shit about the mid-card titles, but doing it on a free-for-all pre-show is selling it short.
Alas, but on with it. Definitely not a spectacular match, but enough to warm up the crowd. Miz wins the title using the Figure Four. Ever since Ric Flair proverbially passed the torch, Miz has been spamming the fuck out of that move. Ah well, it works for Miz, so I'm game.
I really don't get why Miz is still disliked with the smarks. His WWE title reign was one of highs and lows, but any guy who still sees Mike Mizanin, semi-star of "the Real World", should really start considering taking his blinders off. He was fucking over as a heel for most of the time (one could argue that Morrison helped achieve that), and he's managed to smoothly transition into a face persona. I wouldn't call myself a fan of his, but I can honestly say he deserves a lot more credit than he's been given the past couple years.
Orton, Sheamus & Show vs The Shield.
The whole Shield storyline has been a little underwhelming so far. It started off quite well, but got a little more weary with every passing week. They needed a big win to go on, and the otherwise ass backwards creative team gave it to them. Against some of the "top guys" no less. Expectations are high for Rollins and Ambrose. This Reigns chap, I'm not sure. Haven't seen enough of this guy to really judge his work, but I've been hearing he's fairly green. Of course, in WWE, talent doesn't correlate with success.
The way going forward is simple. Orton should've been heel for a year or two. Make it happen. As for the Shield ... more airtime is necessary. They need a big storyline going forward. Let's face it, this faction has at least two insanely talented guys who have the ability to be big players in the near future. I like Rollins, but as of writing, I'm sure Dean Ambrose is a breakout star.
Ryback vs Mark Henry
Your typical filler match. The kind of match that goes either way and has fuck all effect on things going forward. Slightly surprised though that Mark Henry went over Ryback. Also, no fallout on this, whatsoever? Could've been a decent feud that lasted a couple of months if anything.
Hell No vs Ziggler/Langston
Is this what Ziggler has been relegated to? You could make a case for Kane and Bryan not belonging in this position, but especially Ziggles has been dealt a very weird hand. Am I mistaken in thinking that this guy should be holding a world championship? Something he could've very easily have done, if he was allowed to cash in. Yet, he's now relegated to being a vehicle to help push this NOD nostalgia act over.
Y2J vs Fandango
Vince is high on this Fandango. He's not high on Antonio Cesaro. Nothing against Johnny Curtis (he was fucking awesome as the immensely creepy and awkward guy on NXT), but this character just seems off. It's gonna take a whole load of effort to make this character somewhat redeemable. Of course, going over Jericho at Mania could do just that. Let's hope so.
Del Rio vs Swagger - WHC
The feeling of MEH overwhelms me. While I like Del Rio, the character comes across way too forced, and I still have my suspicion on whether or not he is world champion material. I guess creative thinks he is, since he took a win over the revived Jack Swagger to retain. Swagger got a much needed makeover some time ago, and it helped him heaps. Thankfully Uncle Zebekiah is there to help him. I wonder what's next. There's a possibly lengthy feud going forward, which is good.
And then there's MOTN. Undertaker vs CM Punk
You could almost guess this would be the highlight of the event, as it has been for several years. If Taker is in good enough shape to work a proper match, one with Punk would blow the roof off. And every report reads the same thing: "match of the night".
Of course, that Taker wins is no surprise. It shouldn't even be any question. If Taker is at 'mania, taker wins. It's that simple.
Triple H vs Lesnar - No Holds Barred
If Triple H lost, Triple H would have to retire. Makes perfect sense, since Trips has been handling a lot of duties backstage. A loss as such would've been no more than logical. A long and hard match and Brock would go over. Brock looks strong, Trips can focus on his work behind the scenes. Seems like the feasible option right?
Then why did Triple H go over? Why did Triple H have to go over Lesnar? I wonder. Perhaps we'll have to wait for Raw to see what's next. It better be a good reason. Not that I'm particularly fond of Lesnar, but he got cheated out of a logical victory here.
Now the main event, the WWE title match.
Rocky (c) vs Cena.
Stevie Wonder saw this coming. Of course Cena would go over. They need a champion who can be at Raw every week. Not that I'm happy Cena is champ (anything but), but he's a better option than Rocky, for sure.
Rock could sit back and watch his new feud with Lesnar being set up for next year's WM. Though, I read only an hour ago that the People's Champ has abandoned his flock and went back to LA. Seems like he's walking out. Ah, Hollywood stars....
Some more rumors have come forward. People believe that RVD, who was at the HOF ceremony, might return. Though he hinted that a WWE return wasn't out of the question, it's not THAT likely. I'm putting more faith in a return of Christian, who's been out of action since mid 2012. I for one cannot wait!
Going forward, I hope Vince removes his head 1 inch further from his ass. Cesaro should get every fucking push possible. He's nothing short of awesome. AND PLEASE! GIVE PAIGE A CHANCE TO PROPERLY DEBUT. Ironically, she outshines every fucking diva in nxt in ring skill. And she's pretty too. A mildly risqué photoshoot and she'll be over with every guy in the audience who has a functioning penis. Sad, but true.
That be it, then. Until next time.
~D.
Sunday, 17 March 2013
So I said ...
So I said I'd be revisiting this blog around 'mania time and thankfully for loyal readers, I refuse to disappoint.
I should be studying for my sociology exam that'll take place this tuesday, but judging by last semester, studying this subject like an asian paid no dividends. So fuck it.
I haven't been really up to speed on the wrestling biz, but some sideways glances gives me somewhat of an idea what has taken place and what is going to take place in the near future.
Wrestlemania is coming around again and much like previous years, I'm not as excited as I should be. I reckon it has been that way since WM21. Anyways, some proper matches on the card though. I'm not going to predict any outcomes, for obvious reasons.
A resurging Jack Swagger w/ Dutch Mantell gets a title shot against Del Rio. As I said before, I haven't been up to speed, but an extreme patriottic Swagger seems to work. Good thing he's got a mouthpiece to back him up, since stick handling has never been his forté. His lisp, however unfortunate, isn't doing him any favors either.
These guys both have a fairly technical background, so I don't expect a flashy match to take place. Perhaps that's not what Wrestlemania needs, but I can definitely get behind it. Add to that the fact that Swagger has got some power in his arsenal and Del Rio has some submission chops, this could turn out to be a properly varied match. I haven't exactly been impressed with Del Rio since his debut, so the outcome of this match is not really of note for me.
Sheamus/Randy/Ryback vs The Shield. Throwaway match at best. I like the Shield, but this match seems to serve solely as the catalyst to turn Randy heel. In that case, it's very much forgiven. Randy needs a heel turn more than Betty White needs diapers. Hopefully this'll also add a little more substance to the motives of The Shield, considering the whole story has been in a lull for quite some time. Further, this match is meh at best.
The annual tradition, The Undertaker defending the streak. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if this meant the end of his career. I expect him to go over Punk, just to keep the streak alive, but keep your dignity Taker, and call it a day. There's nothing left for the guy to prove. Punk won't feel it if he loses (he did when jobbing to Rock, though. WHY THE FUCK?). Despite knowing the outcome of his matches every year ... it's always the one match I consistently look forward to.
Ugh, the purported Main Event of the evening. Rock vs Cena II. The match wasn't spectacular last year and it'll probably be a dud this year. For a match hyped solely by the fact of the participants not being on the show, this will turn a lot of viewers away. I wouldn't fork out the money for this match, if anything.
The bad part about all of this is, since Rock can't commit to a full time schedule ... it's a likelihood that Cena will walk away the champion again. I know it's been quite a while since he held the belt, which is good, but you can tell exactly what's going to happen once he has it. That whole "champ is here" shtick will start anew ... thankfully without that awful spinner abomination though.
Say whatever you like. Everybody's hatin' on the new title design, but I'm loving it to bits. It's modern, but not overly marginalised like its predecessor. I'll take this one over the old spinner any day of the week.
Speaking of titles, why the fuck is Antonio Cesaro jobbing every week? He's the US champ, according to reports very well liked, but the past month or so he has jobbed to everyone and their granny. Dafuq?
I hope it'll turn around. He's a fucking amazing performer.
Donald Trump in the hall of fame? Sure, he hosted WM twice, but at the same time he was also the main character in one stupidly awful match+segment. In all honesty, Mick Foley and Bruno Sammartino are getting inducted at the same time, so the balance still edges towards the awesome.
Wanna know something funny? I'm liking the way things are going with a storyline in TNA. It comes at a price of course. Why the fuck are Chris Daniels and Frankie Kazarian dressing up like Hawk and Animal? If I look back at the days when Chris Daniels was just "The Fallen Angel" and came out to doomy music and Frankie Kazarian was a disciple of Raven alongside Matt Bentley and Johnny Devine in Serotonin ... this just stinks.
But like I said, despite the Hogan involvement (of course), this Aces 'n Eights story is getting really nifty. I've always liked the Dudleys, and with the reunion of D-Von and Bubba, including Bubba as world champ is just awesome. It also makes the Shield storyline look really bad.
The contents of this faction notwithstanding (Former WWE hacks + Anderson + Bischoff and Brisco junior + The Dudleys), the storyline has been well handled and the group has been made to look strong. I hate to say it, but TNA is slapping WWE's Shield storyline on the ass with a strap-on dildo.
Last, but not least ... I'd like to acknowledge the passing of the much beloved William Moody. When I read that news, I got seriously stabbed in the childhood. While I didn't shed a tear, I did spend all day just watching Paul Bearer segments on youtube in his memory. Everyone knew he had health issues, but the man was a trooper. Despite the eerieness of his character, I loved Paul Bearer to bits. I'm glad WWE went out of their way to give him a fitting tribute. Because don't forget, Bill Moody had a huge hand in the success of the Attitude Era. He was the one that got Undertaker, Kane AND Mankind over, and all three played a huge part in the 90's and 00's.
I also bet that he would've loved that his passing would be gently woven into a storyline involving the Undertaker. Thanks for everything Bill! OOOOOHHHH YEEEEESSSSSSS!
~D.
I should be studying for my sociology exam that'll take place this tuesday, but judging by last semester, studying this subject like an asian paid no dividends. So fuck it.
I haven't been really up to speed on the wrestling biz, but some sideways glances gives me somewhat of an idea what has taken place and what is going to take place in the near future.
Wrestlemania is coming around again and much like previous years, I'm not as excited as I should be. I reckon it has been that way since WM21. Anyways, some proper matches on the card though. I'm not going to predict any outcomes, for obvious reasons.
A resurging Jack Swagger w/ Dutch Mantell gets a title shot against Del Rio. As I said before, I haven't been up to speed, but an extreme patriottic Swagger seems to work. Good thing he's got a mouthpiece to back him up, since stick handling has never been his forté. His lisp, however unfortunate, isn't doing him any favors either.
These guys both have a fairly technical background, so I don't expect a flashy match to take place. Perhaps that's not what Wrestlemania needs, but I can definitely get behind it. Add to that the fact that Swagger has got some power in his arsenal and Del Rio has some submission chops, this could turn out to be a properly varied match. I haven't exactly been impressed with Del Rio since his debut, so the outcome of this match is not really of note for me.
Sheamus/Randy/Ryback vs The Shield. Throwaway match at best. I like the Shield, but this match seems to serve solely as the catalyst to turn Randy heel. In that case, it's very much forgiven. Randy needs a heel turn more than Betty White needs diapers. Hopefully this'll also add a little more substance to the motives of The Shield, considering the whole story has been in a lull for quite some time. Further, this match is meh at best.
The annual tradition, The Undertaker defending the streak. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if this meant the end of his career. I expect him to go over Punk, just to keep the streak alive, but keep your dignity Taker, and call it a day. There's nothing left for the guy to prove. Punk won't feel it if he loses (he did when jobbing to Rock, though. WHY THE FUCK?). Despite knowing the outcome of his matches every year ... it's always the one match I consistently look forward to.
Ugh, the purported Main Event of the evening. Rock vs Cena II. The match wasn't spectacular last year and it'll probably be a dud this year. For a match hyped solely by the fact of the participants not being on the show, this will turn a lot of viewers away. I wouldn't fork out the money for this match, if anything.
The bad part about all of this is, since Rock can't commit to a full time schedule ... it's a likelihood that Cena will walk away the champion again. I know it's been quite a while since he held the belt, which is good, but you can tell exactly what's going to happen once he has it. That whole "champ is here" shtick will start anew ... thankfully without that awful spinner abomination though.
Say whatever you like. Everybody's hatin' on the new title design, but I'm loving it to bits. It's modern, but not overly marginalised like its predecessor. I'll take this one over the old spinner any day of the week.
Speaking of titles, why the fuck is Antonio Cesaro jobbing every week? He's the US champ, according to reports very well liked, but the past month or so he has jobbed to everyone and their granny. Dafuq?
I hope it'll turn around. He's a fucking amazing performer.
Donald Trump in the hall of fame? Sure, he hosted WM twice, but at the same time he was also the main character in one stupidly awful match+segment. In all honesty, Mick Foley and Bruno Sammartino are getting inducted at the same time, so the balance still edges towards the awesome.
Wanna know something funny? I'm liking the way things are going with a storyline in TNA. It comes at a price of course. Why the fuck are Chris Daniels and Frankie Kazarian dressing up like Hawk and Animal? If I look back at the days when Chris Daniels was just "The Fallen Angel" and came out to doomy music and Frankie Kazarian was a disciple of Raven alongside Matt Bentley and Johnny Devine in Serotonin ... this just stinks.
But like I said, despite the Hogan involvement (of course), this Aces 'n Eights story is getting really nifty. I've always liked the Dudleys, and with the reunion of D-Von and Bubba, including Bubba as world champ is just awesome. It also makes the Shield storyline look really bad.
The contents of this faction notwithstanding (Former WWE hacks + Anderson + Bischoff and Brisco junior + The Dudleys), the storyline has been well handled and the group has been made to look strong. I hate to say it, but TNA is slapping WWE's Shield storyline on the ass with a strap-on dildo.
Last, but not least ... I'd like to acknowledge the passing of the much beloved William Moody. When I read that news, I got seriously stabbed in the childhood. While I didn't shed a tear, I did spend all day just watching Paul Bearer segments on youtube in his memory. Everyone knew he had health issues, but the man was a trooper. Despite the eerieness of his character, I loved Paul Bearer to bits. I'm glad WWE went out of their way to give him a fitting tribute. Because don't forget, Bill Moody had a huge hand in the success of the Attitude Era. He was the one that got Undertaker, Kane AND Mankind over, and all three played a huge part in the 90's and 00's.
I also bet that he would've loved that his passing would be gently woven into a storyline involving the Undertaker. Thanks for everything Bill! OOOOOHHHH YEEEEESSSSSSS!
~D.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
quickly
Don't consider this in any way a return to writing entries.
I figured, with everybody going bananas drenched in ape shit about last monday, it'd be weird not to give my two cents.
Rock/Punk promo? Quite ok, from my POV. I didn't expect Rock to be creative and original all of a sudden, so I wasn't disappointed. He's like Hogan in that respect (and only that respect) in the sense that he can get over by repeating the same shtick, with very little difference every time. It doesn't matter (pun not intended) how many times he repeats it. He'll get a good reaction anyways.
Punk however is an entirely different ordeal. He comes up with insane promos every time he's on the stick and it is about 50 percent of his attraction as a performer. While the promo last monday was not extremely memorable, some passages really hit home.
the "boxing with god" comment for instance. Immense boos from the (obviously Xtian) audience. I fucking laughed. As a confirmed atheist, I get a kick out of the "lord's" name being used in vain. Because fuck all that religious bullshit, this is fucking entertaining.
A shitload better than what I've been hearing about TNA....
Imagine a whole story being built up to reveal the face of another member of A&8 only for it to be former WWE superstar (used loosely) called Mike Knox. Remember him? No? There you go. I didn't even realise he was fired to begin with.
Also, what's this shit about Hogan revealing his desire to become TNA world champion? Was he joking? Is he actually that serious?
I started to believe that it was not his intention to bankrupt TNA, but these kinds of stories (not sure whether it was true) are what makes me disappointed that the company makes little effort to rise to the occasion and actually make an effort, with WWE ratings being historically low.
Speaking of which... why the fuck are they low? It seems to me that WWE programming is vastly improving, now that John Cena is doing other things instead of hogging the limelight....
Eve Torres, why is everyone such a big fan of her work? She's fucking terrible, even for a diva. I'm genuinely hoping that Kaitlyn takes that atrocity they call divas title off her. She's not great, but she's a damn sight better than Eve, both in the ring as in properly acting.
Just saying. Surprisingly, I'm not as a angry about the worldwide wrestling business (and TNA) as I used to be.
PS: Cesaro is awesome, deal with it.
I figured, with everybody going bananas drenched in ape shit about last monday, it'd be weird not to give my two cents.
Rock/Punk promo? Quite ok, from my POV. I didn't expect Rock to be creative and original all of a sudden, so I wasn't disappointed. He's like Hogan in that respect (and only that respect) in the sense that he can get over by repeating the same shtick, with very little difference every time. It doesn't matter (pun not intended) how many times he repeats it. He'll get a good reaction anyways.
Punk however is an entirely different ordeal. He comes up with insane promos every time he's on the stick and it is about 50 percent of his attraction as a performer. While the promo last monday was not extremely memorable, some passages really hit home.
the "boxing with god" comment for instance. Immense boos from the (obviously Xtian) audience. I fucking laughed. As a confirmed atheist, I get a kick out of the "lord's" name being used in vain. Because fuck all that religious bullshit, this is fucking entertaining.
A shitload better than what I've been hearing about TNA....
Imagine a whole story being built up to reveal the face of another member of A&8 only for it to be former WWE superstar (used loosely) called Mike Knox. Remember him? No? There you go. I didn't even realise he was fired to begin with.
Also, what's this shit about Hogan revealing his desire to become TNA world champion? Was he joking? Is he actually that serious?
I started to believe that it was not his intention to bankrupt TNA, but these kinds of stories (not sure whether it was true) are what makes me disappointed that the company makes little effort to rise to the occasion and actually make an effort, with WWE ratings being historically low.
Speaking of which... why the fuck are they low? It seems to me that WWE programming is vastly improving, now that John Cena is doing other things instead of hogging the limelight....
Eve Torres, why is everyone such a big fan of her work? She's fucking terrible, even for a diva. I'm genuinely hoping that Kaitlyn takes that atrocity they call divas title off her. She's not great, but she's a damn sight better than Eve, both in the ring as in properly acting.
Just saying. Surprisingly, I'm not as a angry about the worldwide wrestling business (and TNA) as I used to be.
PS: Cesaro is awesome, deal with it.
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Screeching halt
Aaaalright.
I'd just like to make an official statement (although why, I don't know ... probably because I can)
I just wanna let any readers know that this blog will be inactive for the time being. The amount I can be arsed to update right now is so low, that it seems more fitting to announce this, rather than keep my favorite reader hopeful for another entry any time soon.
The general disinterest for pro wrestling is peaking, now that I'm busy fanboying over plenty of other things. I kept my word and didn't buy WWE13 (even though I really want to about now, but then I remember how violated I felt forking out 60 bucks for WWE12 only to get assraped) so there's no cheap review possibility either.
Frankly, there's a good chance I'll be updating this one more often with reviews and the like. This one will probably be defibrillated around 'mania time. Check my twitter feed to find out
Cheers
~D.
I'd just like to make an official statement (although why, I don't know ... probably because I can)
I just wanna let any readers know that this blog will be inactive for the time being. The amount I can be arsed to update right now is so low, that it seems more fitting to announce this, rather than keep my favorite reader hopeful for another entry any time soon.
The general disinterest for pro wrestling is peaking, now that I'm busy fanboying over plenty of other things. I kept my word and didn't buy WWE13 (even though I really want to about now, but then I remember how violated I felt forking out 60 bucks for WWE12 only to get assraped) so there's no cheap review possibility either.
Frankly, there's a good chance I'll be updating this one more often with reviews and the like. This one will probably be defibrillated around 'mania time. Check my twitter feed to find out
Cheers
~D.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
well....
Hi
So, I could make many excuses as to why I haven't consistently updated with a new entry, but the truth is simply that I couldn't be arsed to do it. I thought about doing a storyline review about the invasion angle, but it proved for myself to be a useless effort, again because I couldn't bring myself to do it.
So ... WWE...
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the Kane/Bryan anger management sessions. It was so wonderfully awkward, it made me laugh. Though I could've done without the "When Harry met Sally" reference and the inevitable appearance of Mae Young. Why they have to be tag champions is beyond me, especially. With all the chatter floating around that Triple H is hell bent on rejuvenating the tag division and injecting some prestige back into it, this is quite a moronic way to begin that.
Speaking of tag teams ... I heard that R-Truth and Kofi Kingston are no longer tagging, because Lil' Jimmy is hitting puberty? Not a single fuck was given. Lil Jimmy may go over really well with the kids, but I find it horribly cringeworthy. About as cringeworthy as Brodus Clay to be exact. Glad he's subscribed to jobbing every week nowadays.
Antonio Cesaro is something different. He apparently is on the rise, racking up wins against - inarguably- enhancement tools such as Tyson Kidd, but the dirt sheets are exclaiming the people in charge are high on him... for now. As much as I adore Claudio's impeccable in-ring prowess, I still can't get over the fact that his gimmick is humongously shit. Being able to exclaim random words in 5 languages, two or three of which are native to his country is ... meh at best. I will now recite "failure" in 5 languages:
"Failure":
"Mislukking"
"Misserfolg"
"Échec"
"Vajaatoiminta"
"Fallimento"
Thank you Google Translate, on some of these.
Speaking of failure, Brooke Hogan is still employed by TNA. Food for thought. I still don't watch their programming, and won't for as long as the Hogan name is actively promoted. I'd almost say I'd rather watch a marathon of Eve Torres matches.
Speaking of which, why is Eve Torres on a winning streak of sorts? She's not particularly talented, even. Give me Kaitlyn any day. Sure she's a little butch, but I'd rather wank myself into a coma over her than Eve. On top of that, she can actually act. She can even wrestle, given the right opponent. Especially with AJ not actively wrestling, pushing someone who doesn't flop about the ring like a clueless valley girl is a good move. Especially for a division that has been fledgling since Lita and Trish retired.
I'm probably going to catch a lot of flack for this, but I don't get the whole Punk/Heyman pairing. Sure, Heyman's a great mouthpiece, but so is Punk. It sort of defeats the purpose of a manager. Surely, Heyman is the kind of guy who could put even Chris Benoit over in a group of soccer moms but I haven't actually seen anything that he added to Punk getting over as a massive heel. In fact, Punk's finest moment in his heel run so far was with Mick Foley, which was when Heyman wasn't even there. Call me crazy, but I'd put Heyman with a guy like Drew McIntyre, who is talented enough, but could do with a mouthpiece. Again, food for thought.
And now I'm going to be a total ass and cut this blog off very abruptly
~D.
So, I could make many excuses as to why I haven't consistently updated with a new entry, but the truth is simply that I couldn't be arsed to do it. I thought about doing a storyline review about the invasion angle, but it proved for myself to be a useless effort, again because I couldn't bring myself to do it.
So ... WWE...
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the Kane/Bryan anger management sessions. It was so wonderfully awkward, it made me laugh. Though I could've done without the "When Harry met Sally" reference and the inevitable appearance of Mae Young. Why they have to be tag champions is beyond me, especially. With all the chatter floating around that Triple H is hell bent on rejuvenating the tag division and injecting some prestige back into it, this is quite a moronic way to begin that.
Speaking of tag teams ... I heard that R-Truth and Kofi Kingston are no longer tagging, because Lil' Jimmy is hitting puberty? Not a single fuck was given. Lil Jimmy may go over really well with the kids, but I find it horribly cringeworthy. About as cringeworthy as Brodus Clay to be exact. Glad he's subscribed to jobbing every week nowadays.
Antonio Cesaro is something different. He apparently is on the rise, racking up wins against - inarguably- enhancement tools such as Tyson Kidd, but the dirt sheets are exclaiming the people in charge are high on him... for now. As much as I adore Claudio's impeccable in-ring prowess, I still can't get over the fact that his gimmick is humongously shit. Being able to exclaim random words in 5 languages, two or three of which are native to his country is ... meh at best. I will now recite "failure" in 5 languages:
"Failure":
"Mislukking"
"Misserfolg"
"Échec"
"Vajaatoiminta"
"Fallimento"
Thank you Google Translate, on some of these.
Speaking of failure, Brooke Hogan is still employed by TNA. Food for thought. I still don't watch their programming, and won't for as long as the Hogan name is actively promoted. I'd almost say I'd rather watch a marathon of Eve Torres matches.
Speaking of which, why is Eve Torres on a winning streak of sorts? She's not particularly talented, even. Give me Kaitlyn any day. Sure she's a little butch, but I'd rather wank myself into a coma over her than Eve. On top of that, she can actually act. She can even wrestle, given the right opponent. Especially with AJ not actively wrestling, pushing someone who doesn't flop about the ring like a clueless valley girl is a good move. Especially for a division that has been fledgling since Lita and Trish retired.
I'm probably going to catch a lot of flack for this, but I don't get the whole Punk/Heyman pairing. Sure, Heyman's a great mouthpiece, but so is Punk. It sort of defeats the purpose of a manager. Surely, Heyman is the kind of guy who could put even Chris Benoit over in a group of soccer moms but I haven't actually seen anything that he added to Punk getting over as a massive heel. In fact, Punk's finest moment in his heel run so far was with Mick Foley, which was when Heyman wasn't even there. Call me crazy, but I'd put Heyman with a guy like Drew McIntyre, who is talented enough, but could do with a mouthpiece. Again, food for thought.
And now I'm going to be a total ass and cut this blog off very abruptly
~D.
Friday, 13 July 2012
Milestones and other shit
'lo
It's kind of difficult to ignore, but being a wrestling blogger (a fancy title for my irregular muck) I feel obliged to write about the milestone that RAW is about to reach. One thousand episodes (!). If you didn't know, you haven't watched any WWE produced programming recently as they leave no opportunity to slap it in our faces.
The longest running tv show... well kind of. In terms of episodes: yup. In terms of duration not quite. British programmes such as Doctor Who (1963-1989 and 2005-present) and Last of the Summer Wine (1973-2010) run/ran for longer and so does the soap opera "the bold and the beautiful" which holds another dubious record for being able to singlehandedly suck and blow every episode again. Anyways
It's by no means a small feat to run uninterrupted since 1993 (no off-seasons either) so kudos. If there's one thing that undoubtedly describes Monday Night Raw (is War), it would be "Hit and Miss". Make no mistake, for all those sucking the Attitude Era cock, that's RAW to a T. Many wrestling fans will describe the Attitude Era as an era where nothing went wrong. Yeah, think again. The product has been so different (and thus shit accordingly) that many mistakes made during the AE have been buried in the sand.
I wouldn't recall the Oddities as a particular success. Neither was Right to Censor even though they were over as heels. Naked Mideon springs to mind as well. The combination Mae Young, Mark Henry and greasy hand shouldn't even be considered as possibly successful. It went decidedly downhill afterwards with such gems as the Katie Vick debacle and well, John Cena. John Cena's debut on RAW in 2005 was the beginning of a bad period on the show as every bit of focus was shifted to Triple H, Cena and a little bit of Edge. Others would hardly get any tv time. SmackDown was easily the better show during that time. After Cena's injury and Randy Orton's subsequent reign, it didn't get better. Orton had transformed from a cocky blue chipper and Legend Killer to being a dead boring automaton. That's when I grew to dislike Orton's work.
It's safe to say that during the Attitude Era, RAW was more hit than miss. Since 2006 specifically the balance has shifted to more miss than hit. The CM Punk storyline from last year is a great example. He was getting momentum like a motherfucker until Triple H got himself and Kevin Nash involved. It was like gelatine pudding cracking under the weight of Nash and his clickedy knees. This year sees another interesting storyline happening, once again with Punk. I'm serious the Punk/Bryan/AJ trifecta was interesting (especially when Kane wasn't involved) but I fear that the story is off hunting for sharks to jump over. It seems to be ending at Money in the Bank though.
Now, the same event will probably be John Cena's re-entrance in the title picture which is disappointing. His absence from the WWE title matches and general programming was a breath of fresh air, but alas.
Fortunately, it's not all gloom and doom. If you've been following the news closely, WWE has made some interesting signings. British flipflopper Ben "PAC" Satterly for instance. He's called "The Man that Gravity forgot" and while figuratively spoken, it's not too far off from the truth. If you considered Evan Bourne impressive, PAC will make you jizz all over. Apparently though, he's not the only one. TNA's Alex Shelley and Matt Morgan are rumoured to jump ship as well. Indie star (and I mean STAR) Johnny Gargano is apparently headed there and it's pretty much confirmed that Sara Del Rey has signed a deal to wrestle as well as train the divas. If you haven't heard of Sara, it's your loss. Del Rey is literally the best female wrestler on the American indies and her signing is probably the biggest asset WWE has made in years. Apparently, the Amazingly Awesome Kong-like woman Kharma got her pink slip at the same time. Of course, the timing of her pregnancy (and unfortunate miscarriage) was bad, but she was if anything ready to return.
Talking about under-used talent. The new NXT format is gold. I've always had a slight preference towards NXT, but the way it is presented now, as a showcase for FCW and lower card talent is gold. More wrestling, less bullshit. It made me able to watch some indie guys in the WWE routine. Seth Rollins should be far higher on the roster by now. Here's a tip creative. Bring him up to the top, have him re-adopt God's Last Gift (Small Package Driver for those unfamiliar) and put the intercontinental title on him. Stat!
Chris Hero Kassius Ohno was a little less impressive. Great gimmick, great moveset, far too slow for Chris in my opinion.
One last thing. Can you imagine a brilliant decision being made by TNA? Yeah, me neither. Austin Aries being world champion is one though. I'd almost applaud them if the news didn't float around that Hogan would be wrestling again. Can't win 'em all.
Sigh
~D.
It's kind of difficult to ignore, but being a wrestling blogger (a fancy title for my irregular muck) I feel obliged to write about the milestone that RAW is about to reach. One thousand episodes (!). If you didn't know, you haven't watched any WWE produced programming recently as they leave no opportunity to slap it in our faces.
The longest running tv show... well kind of. In terms of episodes: yup. In terms of duration not quite. British programmes such as Doctor Who (1963-1989 and 2005-present) and Last of the Summer Wine (1973-2010) run/ran for longer and so does the soap opera "the bold and the beautiful" which holds another dubious record for being able to singlehandedly suck and blow every episode again. Anyways
It's by no means a small feat to run uninterrupted since 1993 (no off-seasons either) so kudos. If there's one thing that undoubtedly describes Monday Night Raw (is War), it would be "Hit and Miss". Make no mistake, for all those sucking the Attitude Era cock, that's RAW to a T. Many wrestling fans will describe the Attitude Era as an era where nothing went wrong. Yeah, think again. The product has been so different (and thus shit accordingly) that many mistakes made during the AE have been buried in the sand.
I wouldn't recall the Oddities as a particular success. Neither was Right to Censor even though they were over as heels. Naked Mideon springs to mind as well. The combination Mae Young, Mark Henry and greasy hand shouldn't even be considered as possibly successful. It went decidedly downhill afterwards with such gems as the Katie Vick debacle and well, John Cena. John Cena's debut on RAW in 2005 was the beginning of a bad period on the show as every bit of focus was shifted to Triple H, Cena and a little bit of Edge. Others would hardly get any tv time. SmackDown was easily the better show during that time. After Cena's injury and Randy Orton's subsequent reign, it didn't get better. Orton had transformed from a cocky blue chipper and Legend Killer to being a dead boring automaton. That's when I grew to dislike Orton's work.
It's safe to say that during the Attitude Era, RAW was more hit than miss. Since 2006 specifically the balance has shifted to more miss than hit. The CM Punk storyline from last year is a great example. He was getting momentum like a motherfucker until Triple H got himself and Kevin Nash involved. It was like gelatine pudding cracking under the weight of Nash and his clickedy knees. This year sees another interesting storyline happening, once again with Punk. I'm serious the Punk/Bryan/AJ trifecta was interesting (especially when Kane wasn't involved) but I fear that the story is off hunting for sharks to jump over. It seems to be ending at Money in the Bank though.
Now, the same event will probably be John Cena's re-entrance in the title picture which is disappointing. His absence from the WWE title matches and general programming was a breath of fresh air, but alas.
Fortunately, it's not all gloom and doom. If you've been following the news closely, WWE has made some interesting signings. British flipflopper Ben "PAC" Satterly for instance. He's called "The Man that Gravity forgot" and while figuratively spoken, it's not too far off from the truth. If you considered Evan Bourne impressive, PAC will make you jizz all over. Apparently though, he's not the only one. TNA's Alex Shelley and Matt Morgan are rumoured to jump ship as well. Indie star (and I mean STAR) Johnny Gargano is apparently headed there and it's pretty much confirmed that Sara Del Rey has signed a deal to wrestle as well as train the divas. If you haven't heard of Sara, it's your loss. Del Rey is literally the best female wrestler on the American indies and her signing is probably the biggest asset WWE has made in years. Apparently, the Amazingly Awesome Kong-like woman Kharma got her pink slip at the same time. Of course, the timing of her pregnancy (and unfortunate miscarriage) was bad, but she was if anything ready to return.
Talking about under-used talent. The new NXT format is gold. I've always had a slight preference towards NXT, but the way it is presented now, as a showcase for FCW and lower card talent is gold. More wrestling, less bullshit. It made me able to watch some indie guys in the WWE routine. Seth Rollins should be far higher on the roster by now. Here's a tip creative. Bring him up to the top, have him re-adopt God's Last Gift (Small Package Driver for those unfamiliar) and put the intercontinental title on him. Stat!
One last thing. Can you imagine a brilliant decision being made by TNA? Yeah, me neither. Austin Aries being world champion is one though. I'd almost applaud them if the news didn't float around that Hogan would be wrestling again. Can't win 'em all.
Sigh
~D.
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