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I'm harsh on Cole, and I'll be harsh here, but let me spell it out. He has an undeniable connection with the live crowds. They want to sing along to his music. They want to do the "Bay-Bay" thing. He talks about how it's ok that they're doing that early because then he can work hard in the match to get them behind his opponent. In my estimation, that doesn't actually happen. So long as that doesn't happen, it's a problem. People have argued that his look isn't consummate to his offense and it hinders suspension of disbelief in the shared narrative that is held for most of the rest of the company (it's worse with the Bucks, sure, but let's not re-litigate that!). There's a potential of a wrestler getting heat this way to a degree, of being scrawnier than his opponent but cheating or being just good enough to hang instead of getting his comeuppance. But why not lean into it and have him work from underneath as a babyface which would be a more natural and would work towards reality as opposed to forcing a bending of it? Right now it's 80% forcing a strength into a weakness and creating friction and maybe 20% leaning into the disparity/dissonance as a strength. Bumping's great to make monster babyfaces look strong but it's probably better in a babyface who has to work from underneath. He puts himself out there as a human being as much as any wrestler today and that makes him naturally hard to boo. It makes the act of booing him a performative act for most of the fans. It means that they have to go the extra mile and play along more than with most wrestlers. They do it with MJF because we all know he's a guy doing a gimmick but he also carries that gimmick over to his social media which makes it easier than the super nice guy who streams all the time and obviously deeply cares about the fans and everyone else. Again, it's just another thing that makes it a little harder or a little more performance for the fans. you can sort of avoid it with most wrestlers. It's harder with Cole. If he's so likable that he's the only guy both the Elite and Punk will say very nice things about, lean into that. He's been a heel between the two promotions for years now, with the same act. It's stale. They've already run him for two matches up top after being on top in NXT forever. With Fish gone and O'Reilly hurt, he's down his team anyway. I don't think he works at all as a heel right now, but he definitely doesn't work as a heel without a goon squad and there are too many goon squads around anyway. Make him a face who alienated all of his friends and has to fight against all odds in the eyes of the fans.

I hope this is good news and true. He's a great, unique talent. Here's hoping some time away can help with his back and his mental well being.

There goes my dream of Malakai following Cody to another promotion and smashing him for his debut match.

Since you guys haven't had enough of me today, here's my write up of Danielson vs Mox:

Here's where I think we're at. Between the Vince situation a couple of months ago (Only July!) and the AEW Brawl, both the demand for news and rumors and the incentives for providing it are at their highest point in a couple of years at least. It means that an already perfidious ecosystem of sourcing and leaking is strained even farther to the point where if a wrestler or even a person in the industry (Sapp, Alvarez, Keller, let alone Dave) says something, the second and third hand sites will stretch it as far as possible to make an article out of it. That means we're having not just jumping to conclusions using reason and rationalization, but a sort of second and third hand version of that where people will use previous articles that were all supposition (even if potentially logical supposition) as springboards and suddenly you have two or three articles built off dubious foundations. Let's say there's dozens of these. Of these, a few are probably going to be true just because of the odds and the power of logic and paying attention, but it's such a flood of dubious things built upon dubious things and educated guesswork built upon educated guesswork that the entire enterprise is even more worthless than usual, and as @Greggulatorlikes to remind us, even in the best of times, it's not worth all that much. So what do I think we know about Black? He's hurting. He needs some time off. He's been disappointed in the past couple of years for reasons we can't pin down. He says he'll be back. That's it. It's ok to have feelings but at least some of the stuff out there to base them off of are because of other people's feelings about other people's feelings about something that Black may have himself said.

For sure, if he's sticks around in AEW, give that dude all the time he needs to heal up and get his life in order, he's worth that and more. It'll give him time to come up with new ideas and directions, it'll give us time to miss him.

I have a ticket for Dynamite. I am really excited. I remember Juice from his annoying environmentalist gimmick from early NXT and say a few of his banger promos in New Japan. Bandito I have no idea about other then that is a pretty dope name.

THURSDAY....Tyreek says, ELI APPLE! WE COMIN FOR YOU!! FINS UP BABY! (OH... also a hurricane is about to destroy Tampa. So expect about 17,000 Today Show-style pieces that are about to sanctify Tom Brady and the Bucs for 'saving the city.' Please remember, Tom Brady left his pregnant wife for his side piece.)

Don’t be silly. TK would never release Dave and Bryan. They’re too valuable.

Sunrise, sunset Sunrise, sunset Swiftly fly the years One season following another Laden with happiness and tears

Fun fact: First time matchup.

My feeling is Black was angling for an unconditional release that would allow him to return to WWE and he’s realized that’s not going to happen and concluded his best option is to make nice with Tony Khan and continue to get paid.

Adam Cole would be a great mouthpiece for a monster heel who occasionally wrestles when needed to. And, yes, I know Vince McMahon had that idea but the dude was onto something.

First, and probably most importantly; Mox ain’t going back. If AEW closed tomorrow Mox would pull a Michael Scott and start “the Jon Moxley wrestling company” before he went back to WWE. Secondly, someone who writes for Meltzer said the only people who have wanted to leaved bad enough to ask for releases are people with significant others in wwe. That’s Andrade, Matthews, and Black. Keith Lee said no. Cole said no. Swerve said go Fuck yourself. KOR said no. Miro said no. FTR said not right now and we’d want the Reigns schedule if we ever came back. For the life of me I can’t figure out why this idea that wwe is paradise now that HHH is running the show has taken root. Someone here said it really well; in 6-9 months this same shit is gonna be happening in wwe. Folks who think they’re underused making noise to get out of their deals. People who weren’t hhh’s darlings in nXt like Nikki Cross, Zelina, Otis, Gable, Ali, Shelton Benjamin, et Al. There’s already rumblings of noted HHH signee Alexa Bliss wanting out. And all that’s even assuming he’s still in charge. They’re still a company w shareholders who answer to two separate tv networks. I could not disagree more with the idea that every performer under contract in America desperately wants to be in wwe.

It's not quite the same without the incredible outfits the band wore on stage.

Wrong Sunrise

I'm guessing no one asked him the obvious followup "Why were you 100 pounds overweight last season?"

Yes, it finally happened! My friend's father-in-law is obsessed with Svengoolie so I hope he loves Danhausen as much as we do.

Slightly off topic, but the other day on Twitter, I had what I thought to be a pretty good idea for a show, and I got seven replies telling me it was too much of a Vince idea. I understand that in 2022 it was supposed to be an insult, but I felt like you could probably do a lot worse than the guy who has literally made the most money ever in wrestling. All this to say: don't feel too badly; a broken clock is right twice a day.

This is pretty cool. As far as I'm aware, only two matches have been announced for Dynamite and both are top AEW guys vs "outside" wrestlers in matches that appeal pretty specifically to hard core pro wrestling fans. Mox vs Juice Jericho vs Bandido I'm not into "Attitude Era offence" Juice Robinson but I am really into "slugfest" Juice. I'm guessing Mox might drag him into slugfest mode. Bandido in AEW is even more exciting, to me, than Juice in AEW. I keep hoping we'll get Vikingo in AEW some day. Just putting that out there. Of course, Mox and Jericho are both big names. But their opponents are maybe unfamiliar to """" casual"""" fans? I often get the sneaking suspicion that AEW are running a heat check. Following up a loaded card and a million -plus same-day US viewers with something that appeals more specifically to their core fanbase. Usually I don't give the slightest bit of any kind of shit about the ratings, but it will be interesting to see what happens this week. Particularly if they don't announce more matches. Also Saraya and MJF are gonna speak. And JAS are reportedly gonna celebrate again. I am stoked for the two announced matches. I like when my obsessive wrestling nerd friends and I are clearly the target audience.

I, for one, am all for it

Who are you to stand in his way? If young Nigel says he's happy, he must be happy. He must be happy.

Putting the women back on Elevation, huh?

Open the show with it, give them a fresh crowd.

Deadpool 3 - 9/6/24 You can watch the video to see what else they are teasing

Remember that Elevation is the first thing that's filmed! So you have this super hot NYC crowd ready to see two shows and Kip is the first guy out and he's playing right to them. Of course they're going to go up for it.

how close are we to Malakai/Buddy using deadly mist to set rag sheets on fire ala 1995 Hulk Hogan to refute the rumors?

Next year I am going to convince you to give us two strikes because we are, in fact, very bad at this.

I'm sure the London area strip club he went to is grateful.

I honestly think you just spelled out the value of each show. House of the Dragon for someone like me who has read all available Westeros related material is really good, because the book it is based on is a history being told by unreliable narrators. I know pretty much everything that will happen, but the little character details are what need to be fleshed out. My biggest criticism is that we haven't spent enough time with a lot of these characters who's deaths are clear turning points. I like the Rings of Power, because it is all new to me, and I'm just lost in the story. I've read The Lord of the Rings once, and watched the movies a few times, but I'm far less invested than I am in A Song of Ice and Fire. I kind of just want to see what happens, which is rare for this type of show. I read a lot of fantasy, and I like watching a fantasy show that is just a made up story in a familiar universe. I know that Sauron is lurking, and that we'll probably meet the ring wraiths, but everything else is a mystery to me, and I'm enjoying it.

2001 RVD in what he says was the gear WWE wanted him to wear after Michael Hayes told him the airbrush was tie-dye and reminded them of the 70s. He ended up using it for house shows.

What kind of idiot would threaten Malakai Black? I’ve seen the gun training videos he posts…

MAN! I'm late! The Cowboys were playing and then I was watching some other stuff. IYO SKY versus Bianca Belair! GREAT Rana Counter into a Backbreaker by Belair. These gals are laying it in! I love how the power of Belair makes her stuff look rough compared to the Joshi smoothness of IYO, so it's like Belair is Steve Williams in All Japan. Actually, Belair is Dynamite Kansai and IYO SKY is Takako Inoue. WWE needs an Aja Kong to counter the power of Belair like Aja Kong countered the power of Dynamite Kansai. This match is great. One forgets how great IYO SKY is. Belair is awesome. Rey Mysterio takes on a wildly resurgent Seth Rollins! Rollins GETS HARDWAY COLOR! WWE TAKES A STEP BACK! Rey is the definition of sympathetic babyface and Rollins beats the crud out of him to get the crowd behind Rey's STRUGGLE to escape the overpowering offense of Seth Rollins! Rey has a fun comeback that Rollins cuts off by crushing his stomach on Rollins' knee. Dominik shows up! With a chair! And sits down and watches. Rollins mocks Eddie! Rey DDTs out of the Third Amigo. Nice counter out of a Rollins Bucklebomb attempt with a Rana. This match will be the best match to get maybe one vote in my weekly poll. This is fucking great. Rey has a THIRD comeback, rana to the floor and hitting a Pete Rose Slide through the bottom rope to Rollins on the floor. Rey hits a Stuka Crossbody for two! You can't toprope Powerbomb Rey Misterio Jr! Dominik distracts Rey and Rhea Ripley mows him over! PERUVIAN NECKTIE FOR THE WIN! That was great. Alpha Academy versus Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano! THE PANDA EXPRESS! Otis and KO is solid gold in the ring. Owens is the Jon Moxley of RAW. Gargano and Otis is solid gold too. Maybe Otis is solid gold. Owens is great on the apron as Gargano becomes a babyface in peril. It's a tiny heat segment as Owens tags in pretty quickly and Owens CRUSHES Otis with a Cannonball into the corner. Owens applies a Sharpshooter in Canada! Otis breaks it up! Owens hits a Swanton! GREAT German Suplex by Gable. Gable goes all CRAZY with Steiner Suplexes on Gargano. Alpha Academy hits a NICE Reverse Doomsday Device! Otis slaughterizes Owens with a Lariat on the floor. Owens puts Otis through the announcers table! Austin Theory distracts Gargano! Gable hits his Pendulum Thingy FOR TWO! Gargano kicks Theory in the teeth! Gargano pins Gable! Will Gable ever win again? That was great. Hey! It's Candace LaRae! She trained Britt Baker! It's Nikki ASH! I love Nikki ASH. LaRae is laying it in! GREAT Finisher by LaRae, a second rope Swinging Neckbreaker! Nikki is without her mask postmatch! Sami Zayne! AJ Styles! Will Styles wrestle heel since Sami is the favorite son in Canada? AJ Styles is top FIVE in the world and I go weeks without thinking about him. Zayne is going completely El Generico on offense. I await a Blue Thunder Bomb. AJ Styles is so fucking good. Okada, Jay White, Bryan Danielson, GUNTHER, AJ Styles. Top ten if you factor in women wrestlers. Saya Kamitani, Takumi Iroha, Chihiro Hashimoto and Mio Momono are at AJ's level. Maybe ASUKA, SLK, Giulia and Utami Hayashishita are there. Blue Thunder Bomb! Hey, that was a convoluted Falcon Arrow. Hmmmm. I wonder if El Lindaman and El Bandido are at AJ Styles' level? They are close. All of these can have epic matches. Sami Zayne is the Orange Cassidy of the WWE- a secret super worker who hides it under a really over gimmick. Zayne, like Cassidy, should put over legit straight wrestlers. UNLESS Solo Sikoa Urinagis him on the apron! That was good! Matt Riddle takes on Damien Priest! Riddle is a great tagteam wrestler. In singles matches, the psychology is wonky. Will Priest do the Elvis Sell this week? One can only hope. Priest beats the crap out of Riddle! Priest CRUSHES Riddle's back on the barricade. Edmonton is the crappiest crowd in Canada, as they don;t really get behind Riddle's STRUGGLE to escape the horrendous ass beating from Priest. They do pop for his crazy Asai Moonsault. Priest busts up Riddle's ribs. SUPERPLEX by Riddle as we return from a commercial. Fun nearfall on Riddle's Not A Tombstone. Another fun nearfall on the INVERTED Urinagi by Priest! Riddle ROLLS HIM UP FOR THE PIN! That was fun! Postmatch, they beat the crap out of Matt Riddle. Edge makes the save! At least he doesn't talk for twenty minutes! Well, that was a great episode of RAW.

For now.

And the current forecast is pretty much worst case scenario. A direct hit on Downtown Tampa... followed by it sitting there for a day. If you're anywhere in central and northern Florida, get everything you need tomorrow. Most importantly is water and fuel for your vehicle. If you are told to evacuate, PLEASE heed the warning and go. Things can be replaced. You cannot.

My wife and I saw Pet Shop Boys and New Order last night. It was incredible. As I said last night: Imagine you are a band and you record Bizarre Love Triangle and that is not even your best song? New Order is just absolutely brilliant.

Does David Schwimmer still share a bank account with his mother?

I only agree with the "especially" part. Letting Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly walk would be genius management, for example.

Good parenting means introducing your kids to Baseketball Dodgeball early

Terry Funk claimed that he was going to be one of the Knights, but he changed his mind and went home instead. Sent Vince a message saying "My horse is sick, I think it's dying" and just went.

"Well, here's the thing. Obviously I work with Bryan and so he's uhhh...well I mean he's you know. Well ok SO! You know how Danhausen started and he was like this...generic indie guy? Well it's sort of like, I mean anyway, The thing with Bryan as a wrestler is that he's uh, well so Kenny Omega said that he wanted Bryan on Dark because he's you know...."

Got my HK Blu-ray’s surprisingly quick so I am about to go on a Tsui Hark marathon! Got two personal favorites, Peking Opera Blues and The Killer. Yes I know he just produced the latter but I’m lumping it in. Also got the Chinese Ghost Story box set which I don’t think ever had a good release during the dvd boom so it’s a series that has alluded me till now.

I think Adam Cole would be like 30% more tolerable if he had a heater. Get Morrissey out of Stokley Hathaway's John Grisham's The Firm and have him be Sycho Sid to Adam Cole's Shawn.

"Greatest" is hard to define. But the introductory blurb on that article talks about "the most game-changing, side-splitting, tear-jerking, mind-blowing, world-building, genre-busting programs in television history". Star Trek unquestionably ticks four of those six boxes, and I'd argue it achieved side-splitting and tear-jerking at times too. And even if some are more consistent when viewed out of context, ranking any other show in the franchise above the original would have been ridiculous.

Joe Flacco won a Super Bowl. Cousins would get vaccinated for that

Had to explain to my wife this morning why my son keeps going on about "the ocho".

Bray Wyatt repping Brand Supremacy is very silly-looking