Leaderboard

Nothing's really stopping the Barbarian from roaming around hitting people with the Kick of Fear as it is, aside from his own benevolence.

My office had to deal with one of these kinds of jerks yesterday, who wanted to pay his [redacted for the sake of my job] with gold. Because he didn't want to give actual currency and felt we should take gold, because gold is better than currency in the event of a socioeconomic collapse. Like buddy, in the event of a socioeconomic collapse, my office probably isn't gonna be open.

Opening stuff was hot. I said on Bluesky that they’ve basically made MJF into a Trump-like character: thin-skinned, long-winded, insulting, occasionally racist, prone to cheating, a narcissist who presents himself as caring about America when it’s secretly all about himself. Basically a Hogan for the 2020s, but in a promotion that leans more progressive and therefore he is a heel.

MJF continues to be hot garbage on promos. The worst, again, was him yelling I SAID SHUT UP to get a pop out of the quiet crowd. So lame. I’m saddened when I consider aspiring heels a decade or two from now will crib his 5th generation Betamax copy of real heel work, not knowing any better, like his cheap bullshit will become the standard and real heeling will be lost to time. Don constantly referring to Mortos as “Mortis” was something. Mortos’ ram skull mask was badass as fuck. I’m happy Danielson got serious. More killer badass Danielson, less happy go lucky hippy Danielson, please and thanks. Likewise, I welcome the possibility of the return of heel Acclaimed. Funtime Acclaimed doing it all for Mascot Billy sucked, @Gordi the recovering AEW f I keep waiting for AEW announcers to refer to O’Reilly’s axe kick/forearm combo as “Ax and Smash” like ROH commentators used to. Bryan vs JJ should be awesome. The main was great! Unhinged Hangman trying to murder Darby, only to get caught and lose, was perfect. Another great show!

I really hope your [redacted] is basically a company that has something do with spices as I once read back in sixth grade social studies that spices are extremely valuable for trade.

Well, SummerSlam is on Saturday, and we're a few weeks away from All In! But by far the most fun storyline of the summer is Sean Morley losing the trademark on his in ring name:

This guy over here is trying to get the Barbarian to get after me for my significant stash of saffron!

You forgot to mention egregious amounts of spray tan.

You can tell Rush really likes Mark Briscoe because he throws himself into Mark's offense in a way he doesn't really do for anyone else. I am enjoying AEW's forays into WARism booking. I am also enjoying Kyle Fletcher picking up the Jake Hager torch of dressing like a complete goddamn goon. Pretty good fiery babyface promo, too. I didn't know he had that in him.

Boy do I hate MAGA Max, and not in the good way that you’re supposed to hate a heel. All screaming and shouting again, the cheapest heat, etc. Opening match ruled. Loved Ospreay constantly getting cut off and Archer kicking out at one for the rough Hidden Blade and then getting killed with the proper hidden blade. Darby beating Hanger was the most pleasant of surprises. Unhinged, out for blood Hangman fucking rules. Dude has the craziest eyes and the mustache is back. Darby takes a beating better than nearly anyone in wrestling. Loved the finish. I didn’t see that coming. I thought Hanger was going to give Darby one Dead Eye after another until the ref stopped the match. Page can easily afford the loss, Darby is setup to have a big match against Perry, and this Dynamite ruled…except for whatever the fuck Mone was talking about.

These carny-ass gold selling companies always make me laugh. If they truly thought the economy was going to collapse and gold would be the only thing between them and death at the hands of barbarians roaming the wasteland, wouldn’t they horde it instead of selling it for eventually-worthless paper money? That side of the political spectrum is just grifters all the way down.

It's too bad Roddy Piper's not alive to run in on the match and hit Mac with a box of Invigoron.

We got so close to having MJF vs Shane McMahon next week

thought this was a really great Dynamite all the way through. Solid MJF/Ospreay opening setting up MJF/Fletcher for what looks like a stacked next week then flowing right in to Ospreay/Archer which was awesome as that pairing almost always is. As always I wish Archer was consistently kept around at this level. Bryan/Swerve promo segment was excellent. Didn't love the officially putting the career on line part for the stip but enjoyed both guy's mic work as a whole. LOVE that we are going to get the Bryan/Jarrett first time dream match. Trios match was a blast. Felt like a huge win for The Beast Mortos who is on fire this past week. Beating Komander at DBD but then losing to Hologram the next night, this definitely made me wanna see a Beast Mortos/Mark Briscoe feud for the ROH title. Main event was epic and kinda shocked me with the outcome as I figured Hangman would get the win. Nice big win for Darby instead. Was surprised to see Darby immediately put in another match for Collision right after but I'm down with that. Looking forward to what else gets announced for Collision/Rampage as usual.

"Ok. I beat everyone up and win." "Shane, you're not even in this match." "...So I beat everyone up and win."

Shane has plenty of reasons to dislike/not want him around - starting with the fact that he's mostly talentless stunt show dweeb in his mid-50s - without making him pay for his father's sins as well. That's a pretty broad and unfair brush to paint with.

When MJF jobs to him in London next year, remember to act surprised.

Yes. This is a hill I'm totally willing (to watch people) die on. That was all Vince not wanting him upstaging Roman anymore than he already did. Yes, he had other bad injuries and concussion issues, but them forcing him to retire due to irreversable brain trauma was bullshit then, as it is now. Yes, it is probably better if he stops wrestling full-time asap due to other issues, as he seems to be very injury prone, but that brain thing, I think he has proven that there was no reason to panic about that. He only does shoot headbutts now when situation really calls for it (Dynamite and PPV's). He's being careful and knows where his limits are, at least once he gets injured.

Not for nothing, but USA is about to have a three hour time of space to fill and there's only so many episodes of Chrisley Goes To Jail they can fill it with...

So when does Darby try doing this spot?

You can't buy off the Barbarian like that, you cheapskate!

My answer to this will always be Knuck If You Buck.

Does anyone else get "Shane Douglas +10lbs of muscle" energy from TNA's Hammerstone? I can't unsee it now, but it's fine.

MJF vs Fletcher should be good! Kamille adds a lot to CEO's presentation. Danielson putting his career on the line may or may not be a spoiler. Well, actually it is, you just don't know which way! Yay for Bryan vs Jarrett! Mortos pinning Briscoe is great, because now he's gonna get a title match for the ROH title and it's gonna rule! Hangman vs Allin is a huge F'n TV match. Kinda funny that it took this long to get the first one! This is so great about building guys up for a few years before putting them together. Jungle Jesus vs Allin is another fresh match which should be good if they go all in (out)! Since this is the second time his name has been mentioned, is Ricochet a free agent now, all of a sudden?

FWIW, Meltzer posted on Twitter during the show, that Fletcher making the save on Ospreay was a last minute change, because whomever was originally slated to face MJF is unavailable next Wednesday. To follow up, he confirmed it was not originally planned to be Ricochet.

Hangman's been a full heel since he came back, it's only a matter of how much more unhinged he's gonna get and who's gonna stop him. That 6 man was really good, and definitely the type of finish AEW should be sprinkling in more often. The Beast Mortos didn't look out of place at all among the higher-end midcarders, and got a credible-looking win over a much higher-ranked opponent. That's the type of win that someone of his standing can live on for a while. Opening promo was bizarre, almost like MJF, Will, and Kyle were challenging themselves to get the right reactions with Brit and Aussie faces taking on the heel with the obnoxiously pro-America gimmick in South Carolina. Credit to them, though, they pulled it off. Stat finally used Stokeley's chain successfully! Kamille as Diesel to Mercedes' Shawn works really well. I feel like the CEO heel gimmick plays a lot better when she's got someone to do her dirty work and rubbing her connections with the EVPs in everyone's face. Couldn't disagree more with Mercedes not helping the division, since she's been a perfect foil for babyface Britt. Funny thing is they're basically doing a good WWE angle. The match may be mediocre, or pleasantly surprising, but the tried and true character work is gonna carry the day no matter what.

Mortos is the shit. He rules. I feel like Mercedes got a lot of grace from fans while in wwe because we all assumed "the people writing her promos are idiots." Turns out; she's just not good at saying words. Lots of good shit this week. Feels like they got to put the title on Danielson. Swerve can win it back in Seattle.

And here I thought keeping the Polynesians rolling in turmeric would keep me safe.

I said yesterday that if Shane helps get a TV deal, it’s worth all the stupid memes and internet trolling for that company.

I'm sorry but there is no situation in professional wrestling that calls for shoot headbutts and yes I'm including PWFG and Fu-Ten.

Sometimes I feel people in the industry want to down play the head trauma aspect of the Benoit tragedy because (such as Bob Holly in his book when he (Bob) brags about him and JBL taking full force chair shots and stiffing each other in the ring), because if you acknowledge that it happened once that means it could happen again

Sorry for the double post, but the women's rugby sevens at the Olympics might have made me a rugby fan. That whole event went hard.

You should have told him that when society collapses, forget gold because potable water will be the only true currency. Then you should have told him to send you his bank account info because you have a lead on a well deep in the Appalachians that would make you both rich after the end of society happens.

I think he's actually already done that.

Snuka, Billy Jack Haynes, & Benoit always had intense and violent personalities. Find ONE Benoit promo ever where he's smiling and moved by the anything like Bryan was last night with the Brie chants. The only smiles in Benoit promos are when he's talking about the violence he's gonna inflict. The giggling dude that did the PWG dolphin promo with Paul London is not murdering his whole family. And beyond that I don't have much more to add to the topic so I'm going to bow out.

Uh what about "I HAVE NO USE FOR THIS THING CALLED GOVERNMENT"...as he pays his internet and phone bill to use social media with government regulated currency?

There was a new two-story playground installation on the morning news and I had to explain to my mother about the character Frank Reynolds and him getting stuck in the circular play bars one time This JUST happened. I'm dying over here. "God-fearing" and "anarchist" are exact opposites, Mr. Valbowski. Which I'm sure is what he will now go as, since his other name is taken.

After the first 5 episodes we have already got some big matches, like Johnny vs Barnes! The cliffhanger was badass! Anyway, is this worldwide tournament by any chance the same that took place in the legendary Best of the Best movie?

Little bit in the same general decade when Val Venis was last relevant, but I was just re-watching Adam Copeland vs Malakai Black Barbed Wire Cage Match where Adam entered to Slayer. This got me thinking, aside from Sting entering to Seek and Destroy, what bands (that the fans would give a shit about too) could middle aged wrestlers enter the ring to when they really mean business? NWA's Straight outta Compton, 2Pac's Hit em Up and DMX's Bring Your Whole Crew to name a few, but please give some ideas where TK could throw money at next! Also, I was so thrilled that Dance with the Dead's track was The Outrunners theme at ROH's recent Zero Hour. It's a newish band for a team that definitely doesn't mean business, but I appreciate good music when I get to hear it!

It's definitely not a thing anymore that the members of Don Callis Family keep facing each other, but can you imagine Takeshita vs RUSH? Maybe facing each other to cash in the favor Ospreay owes Callis (once he's some sort of champion again)! Also, is Buddy Matthews hurt for real? Matthews vs RUSH would be something else, as well?

Probably one of the better no BS episodes of Dynamite tonight in a long while. The good news is, it's a little under four weeks until All In, AEW has all the main matches set, and they seem dialed in and focused on everything. They've got an intriguing story for Danielson going into it. I like that Swerve doesn't even really care that Danielson is putting his career on the line. Him saying, "Don't keep that promise to me. Keep it to your family." That was ice cold. They are doing a good job of keeping Allin looking strong for his match with Perry. I think they need to just pull the trigger and turn Hangman full heel. Seems like he's on edge and about to snap every week. And I think it works from a character standpoint because he's always been like this for the last four years. He self-sabotages and psyches himself out because he's his own worst enemy.

This was a pretty good episode of Dynamite. I liked MJF's opening promo and Osprey coming out to respond. Right now that feels like it will be bigger match at All In compared to Danielson/Swerve which is supposed to be the main event. Osprey sure can take a beating judging by the one he took from Archer tonight. I was surprised Archer took not one, but two (including one from the top rope) Spanish fly's. The Hidden Blade continues to be a great equalizer. Now getting to Danielson. He cut a good promo tonight and Swerve to his credit cut a good one as well. Did we need the specter of Bryan definitley retiring if he loses? I don't know. But it will sure make it an emotional main event. You almost think Bryan has to win here. But he's probably the type that would want to go out on his sword so to speak. The Beast Mortos is a star in the making for AEW. They need to lock this guy down and make him All Elite if he's not all ready. Since he beat Mark Briscoe I guess that means he gets a title match. That should be a good one. Kamille looked good in her debut. Just counting the weeks until she destroys Mone because she doesn't need her crap. Toni Storm going full on crazy was great. She and Mariah should have a hell of a match. The main event was good. Darby can take a beating and Hangman is becoming more unhinged with each passing week. I was surprised there was nothing with Jack Perry after the match. You'd think he would want some revenge or something.

I mean, "Phil's a dick, and always been," seems good enough explanation to feud with him. It helps that people know its true.

OBVIOUSLY if you are bringing him in it has to be in order to teach everyone on the roster to throw ultra-realistic worked strikes Also if Shane signs with AEW I can see a CLEAR upside in that it would free up 5+ hours per week for me, personally.

If you read the thread while extremely tired, sometimes it looks like half the board is insisting that Danhausen should be AEW World Champion.

I am so goddamned wrestling-brained that I interpreted that as his steroid cycle and was horrified by the specter of Yoked Kevin Smith

SNL 1975 is so much better. Saturday Night is so generic, it could be about anything. A biopic about the Bay City Rollers, slice of life comedy about high school kids planning their weekend, mob movie about a hit that's going down, anything.

SHO NUFF