Just Dave

Yes. There's actually a cool basement room full of NWA/WCW artifacts I used to peruse when I worked there...

Did Rowan ask for his release or something? Holy hell.

Didn't he have backstage issues, too? Like not wanting to be there on time?

I feel like if we're going to post one as a way to back up a point, we should have to present it "lawyer style;" Labelling photos "Exhibit A," et al....

I mean, it's not Shayna's fault she's in the spot she's in. I can't blame her for dragging the Raw women's division to a screeching halt. I only blame the people who make that decision.

Also, congrats to the only people to elevate themselves on this pay per view; Lucha House Party. Way to maximize your screen time, guys...

Part of this shitty main event angle is due to having Charlotte win the women's Rumble. She's Charlotte Flair. She could've showed up on nXt tv and said "I'm Charlotte. I ran this place. I want Rhea." There. Match set. Having to now come up with two #1 contenders in the span of just a few weeks is fucking stupid, and it's a problem they booked themselves into. Having said that, Shayna Baszler isn't a star. She's another HHH pet project with zero charisma or ability to connect with a crowd. She can't talk or convey emotion with her expressions. She's Baron Corbin without the ability to make her opponent look good. She's Sharon Corbin. This company's insistence on making their main roster stars look like chumps in favor of nxt's "flavor of the month" is maddening, and I would have serious concerns about this company's long term vision if I were a stockholder. It was a problem headed into Survivor Series and it's a problem now. 700k people watch nXt on a weekly basis and I'm supposed to believe that Shayna is a big deal? Why? She tapped out the Riott Squad and Natalya? Why not have someone who needs the win go over in the women's Rumble and build a star? Someone with a puncher's chance of connecting with an audience? Instead it's "oh, this person was big in nxt, so the crowd will go apeshit." It's flawed booking with a roster full of indy darlings no one gives a shit about, and it's destroying their creative.

I remember someone posting a detailed outline here and other places about the "lockdown" concept where WCW guys had to be at the arena 24 hours before showtime and then the drama happens whil they're "locked down." Might be a fun concept now that WWE has nXt/PC. The other I rememebr reading in a magazine at the time was a completely independent WCW, owned by Titan, where the tops stars were expected to be Booker T, RVD, Test, and DDP.

Prichard tells that story sometimes. Apparently Bradshaw told him later that "he (Blackman) hit me eight times before I even knew I was in a fight!!"

Additional random thoughts; As big a piece of shit as I find Jake Hager as a human being, I thought he looked better and more motivated than he has in years. Guevara/Allin are two guys on the shortlist for "company cornerstone" in five years. I hope this is the first of many. Holy shit. I LOVED the Tag title match, but I get why the folks here that thought it was too long or overly self-indulgent think that way. There were sections where the finisher spamming got "nxt Takeover" worthy. Hangman Page is on that list with Guevara and Allin, and might be the top name on it. Except for MJF. That guy was born to do what he's doing. Thought Cody brought it, like he almost always does now in big matches. Women's match was what it was. I'm not a Nyla Rose fan, and I think the sooner they start re-building the women around Statlander & Baker the better, but nothing offensive. OC is a fucking STAR. PAC remains the most vicious and believable wrestler on this planet of Earth. What a showcase. Mox winning felt like the right call. Gotta strike while the iron is hot with him. My biggest issue with how he was used in WWE is his constant overlooking by Vince and co for his less over, less charismatic Shield brethren. Mox was always the goods in that stable, but by the time they got the title on him it felt hollow. AEW not gonna make that mistake. Looking forward to where this story goes from here. All in all a wonderful pro wrestling night. Let's see how the competition that isn't competition responds.

What a show. I’m not gonna do the JDfromny thing and yell something hyperbolic like “wwe is in big fucking trouble,” but with all the negative energy the E dealt out this week, AEW responded with a phenomenal show with tremendous “feel good” energy. Props to them.

I’m not sure why anyone thinks Cena would win this at Mania. I believe last time he was in a wrestlemania ring he took a squashing from a supernatural character. Cena doesn’t need the win. I think I’d actually have Fiend do nothing but murk part-timers until his showdown with Reigns in the fall.

If he's not used to it, he should get used to it...

She did less than Ricochet and will probably get to put in a new pool or buy a Lexus with her check. I'd fly fifteen hours each way for that.

So, I used to have a "12 hour rule" before posting whenever something irritated me this much, and I broke it. Never again. That one dude can still eat shit but if I was belligerent to anyone else, my bad. I think the problem I had with this show is twofold; 1. There are no stars on the current roster capable of filling a stadium for Wrestlemania. It's a byproduct of the over-reliance on part timers. Someone said a page or two back that "we're in the age of part-timers." Which is well and good, but the problem with nostalgia is that eventually you're going to run out of adults that loved what you're selling as kids. In twenty years, who on the roster is anyone going to be nostalgic for that can still go? New Day? Bryan? Cena? Most of those guys will be in their mid-fifties. 2. The complete lack of long-term vision and grasp of audience as it pertains to who is on the roster. They continue their obsession with crowning Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania and having the crowd embrace him as their top babyface. We are past the point of that ever happening. I like Roman, and get what they see in him, but unless he starts spearing Make-A-Wish kids mid-ring, that audience is never going to pop for his Championship win. And, given his family connections, I'd be shocked if Reigns didn't make the jump to Hollywood in the next five years, leaving the WWE right back where they started, except with even fewer options. Meanwhile, the Fiend is the most interesting character they've had in ages. Was it a mistake to hotshot him to the title when Rollins was floundering? Maybe. I think it was FAR more important to get the title off of Rollins than to get it on Fiend. I'd have gone with Corbin, Samoa Joe or Mysterio, but that's me. In any case, the unwillingness to read their audience is what's led to this; sticking the title on a 50 year old part timer in the blind hopes that the crowd at Mania will only shit on him and not the entire match/situation. Meanwhile, AEW's got a great show this weekend. Cheers to them.

yes, actually...

ok. bye.

Oh sweet. Name calling. What're you, fucking twelve? Fuck off.

I was gonna say the rest of his family was gonna go without him, but you nailed it.

No, but he decided that slowing his body's breakdown was more important than having great matches. No one paid a dollar to see Steve Austin because they wanted to see him Thesz Press people. They paid to see him drink beer, talk shit and kick his boss's ass. And I don't care if you think I'm having a conniption or not.

Yeah, I misspoke. I know the point I was trying to make, but I didn’t say it right. Savage was incredible. I’m just not sure that’s why people cared so much...

That’s well said, @Craig H

I don’t remember anyone ever saying “holy shit, that Hogan leg drop was awesome! I don’t care about his character, but the way he drops that leg...textbook!” The matches didn’t make anyone care, outside of maybe steamboat/savage. Warrior’s a good shout, though...

Point conceded. Would it be fair to suggest that the work wasn’t what got them over?

My whole point is that in ring work just doesnt fucking matter. There’s 75 guys on their roster right now who can turn in good to great matches on the reg and no one gives a flying fuck. Ratings are shit. Performers want to leave. Their cultural footprint is negligible at best. Every boon period in the last forty years has been brought about by compelling, larger than life characters cutting strong promos. Hogan. Savage. Austin. Rock. Foley. Undertaker. Not an ace worker in the bunch. Only guys who were allowed to connect with their audience. But please, tell me more about Brays ring work.