T.Rex-n-effeckx

In response to not being able to justify voting for a tag guy: For the most part I don't watch Tanahashi singles matches but my sense is (not including his EMLL run and the British indy) he's had no more than 20 singles matches in 2013 (that's including the G1). The majority of what Tanahashi did in 2013 is tags,6 mans, 8 mans, and ten mans. I've probably watched more 2013 Tanahashi than folks who only watch his occasional singles match. For the most part, in 2013 Tanahashi works like a guy who is physically broken down enough that Captain NJ has to do the bulk of the work and then lets Tanahashi "hit" a couple spots. I have no idea if Tanahshi is a decent singles worker in 2013 but as a pure tag worker I don't think his 2013 stands up to the tag work of Akebono or Taguchi. If someone wants to point to something I missed in all those Tanahashi multi-men matches, I'd be happy to look closer. But it feels pretty clear and evident to me that if anyone watched those Tanahashi tags this would be a blowout against him.

What is he doing in 2014 that strikes you as smarter than what he did in 94?

The better handheld: http://youtu.be/80kxh-4uwUo The other handheld: http://youtu.be/jfQrS51sf4c The Tv version: http://youtu.be/viunXOjnww0

International Fight League

I don't know. When you're Yohe ish guys complain that Georgeous George was a TV presence but didn't draw as much as Thesz, it's interesting but still comes off foolish. Meltzer explains Lance Russell as being in for huge TV ratings (again I'd argue he should be in for being the best but whatever). Lou Albano is in for being the manager of pretty much all of Pedro Morales opponents and being all over TV (again I think it's dumb to have manager of Morales opponents and not Morales in the HOF but there are reasons that WON voters don't care for ethnic champions...and being all over TV when champion didn't make TV but tag championship was essntially a TV title feels as dumb as putting Babydoll on for being the TV champs Perfect 10). I assume Gorrilla Monsoon is going to eventually go on for his TV presence and ability to put guys over even when but Hogan was the only thing that drew and the promotion wasn't actually built on making money off of live shows and not off of TV broadcasting. So there is a precedent for this TV tuning in talk. It isn't a good precedent. And no one has ever proposed that the HOF candidacy of the one guy whose business plan was to make money off of televising wrestling and was so hugely succesful at it that he was able to move from a guy who owned a shit station where he had to run a pledge drive to get the audience to donate money so he could get cameras that would broadcast in color (at a point where every other station was broadcast in color) to being a guy who could get the Olympics to come to a town in Georgia. But the precedent is there.

Not all of the matches. Just the Monterey match. There are actually three versions of Monterey match available (two different handhelds and one TV version). I think the MrALVAROGZZ version is the best as the tv version feels heatless while the handheld has you hearing the audience. Tv version captures the bumps I think better. Both Satanico and El Dandy are guys who are traditionally great at working an Edgar Kennedy style slow burn, and that's a match format I really like. Both wrestlers sowly selling frustration with the other not taking them seriously enough and thus pushing harder is a story that I've always dug. The point in a Steamboat v Flair match where you move from chop exchanges to the first STIFF chop exchange. It doesn't matter if the same spots, it's about frustration leading to picking up the pace, and working tighter and stiffer. That kind of slow burn frustration leading to match build isn't really done alot anymore. I guess the closest we get to that is the "What will it take to put him away" melodramatic frustration face or variations on crying Kobashi. And those aren't matches that appeal to me as much. There were big sections of Dandy winning exchanges till Satanico slowly burned to wanting to step up the game and then Dandy burned to wanting to step up in response. Satanico still looks awesome, but Dandy while he can facially sell slow burn didn't feel like he could pick it up to move into the third gear that Satanico moved into. Part of the problem maybe that their opening work is so awesome and tighter than what most people are doing. Perhaps if they started looser, then the section where they pick it up would have worked better. Still liked this enough that I watched it from three different angles.

When Iaukea first showed up, I just remember being super amused at his existance. At the time there was Prince Iaukea, Rocky Iaukea and Mossman all working relative of King Curtis Iaukea gimmicks. I didn't know then that Rocky Iaukea was a legit relative, but the idea that internationally there were three diffrerent guys working the gimmick of being a relative of King Curtis amused me to no end. I kept on waiting for New Japan, WWF, EMLL, AAA and FMW to introduce their fake Iaukea relatives so I could fantasy book the fake Iaukea tourney. It never happened.

Bad slot for Big Show. I would have easily voted him over Robby Dynamite, Cody Rhodes, Ryback, Harry Smith,Orton, Seamus, Zayne, Reighns, La Sombra, Ibushi or Ziggler. Just a bad draw for him.

The idea that WWE stock prices (or for that matter any stock prices) are connected to rational decision makers with acces to good information is laughable. I would like to remind everyone of the International Fight League stocks in 2006.

Superfly had essentially been teasing a heel turn forever (maybe from 2007-2010) and it never happened and when it did finally happen it was kind of let down. But Superfly working as essentially Mercury of the Metal men/Dr Smith on Lost in Space (the member of team you can't trust not to leave his work or plot against you) was super entertaining. I think there is a D&D term for that. So it's not just that Superfly turned heel on someone again. It's Superfly essentially warned a guy for three plus years that he was going to turn heel, was talked out of it a couple times, then finally did it, and was still let back in. Even Sting wouldn't fall for that.

Post Satanico v Dandy I've been watching a bunch of random Noches de Coliseo matches which still pretty consistently disappoint in the way Noches de Coliseo matches consistently have sections of miscommunication and sections of more elaborate finishes than neeeded. But whatever, I figure I need to start writing about them... Principe Guerrero I and II v. Angel Dorado Jr and Cometa jr. I don't think I've ever seen Principe Guerrero II before. Have no idea if I've seen Dorado before and am positive I've never seen Cometa Jr before. Cometa Jr only has one arm. He has an above the elbow amputation on the right side. There was a guy in DTU with an amputated hand at one point and lord knows how many industrial accident victims there are wrestling in Mexico at this point. Unfortunately we don't get the 1st fall so no one armed technical exchanges. Cometa Jr for a handicapped guy isn't very good at working sympathy guy taking a beating although there is a point where Principe Guerrero II starts chewing on his stump which is kind of grisly. Cometa Jr does have some fun offense as the off balanced arms make it look like he's really reeling back on chops, he also throws a nasty looking Misawa forearm with his stump, and kind of a reckless stump chop to the face on the floor at one point.. If Antonio Pena was still alive I imagine Zach Gowen would be in AAA feuding with Cometa Jr in midget, exotico, woman, handicaped wrestler and normal wrestler five on five matches. Principe Guerrero II is charismatic which is a nice addition as my memory is that Principe Guerrero I and III were guys with moves but no charisma. Principe Guerrero I and Dorado Jr do a comedy spot based on wiping their hands across their balls and then shoving it in opponents face that I've never seen before. If you want to see a one armed wrestler, some nice dives and guys shoving pube sweat in each others mouth, this is right there for you.

There is footage of Sputnik on the mic while his son was wrestling in Memphis.

The argument for Tanahashi as a draw is kind of closer to the argument for Nash as draw than the argument for Sting as a draw. in the first decade of 2000's Tanahashi was one of the worst drawing champs in the company history a guy who consistently drew less attendance then Nagata. The company got new management a new business plan and kept Tanahashi on top as transitional champ to pass title to new management's star Okada. During that period company started to turn around. Nash while also one of the worst draws on top in company history is part of two turn arounds; first with Bret in the WWF and second with Hogan and Bischoff's new business model in WCW. No comparison is perfect, there is argument to be made that even with the PPV model, New Japan still can't draw the regular dome attendance they did with Nagata (they have given up on trying)...while there is no argument that NWO era WCW drew better than what came before. Also Tanahashi is a better in ring worker than Nash. I don't think Sting was ever a company failure on the level of 06-07 Tanahashi, but he was part of some low points as well as being part of a huge turn around. Dylan makes the Sting/Sasaki comparison and I'll stretch it out.... WON HOF is about perception, at no point during any of Sasaki's actual title reigns 97,2000,2004 would Sasaki be considered a HOF wrestler. He was considered pretty much a disappointment every time out. There are reasons that looking back in 2014, Sasaki is perceived far better than he ever was at the time. What Sting does well as an in ring worker are things that tend to make his career look better (be perceived as a better worker) than he was when he was active.

Sting is a way better candidate than Tanahashi. I think there are ways to make a Sting-Kensuke comparison.

For non weapons Tommy Dreamer. he had a series of Sunday night heat matches in 02 that people liked (including a 4-5 minute battle of frog splashes match with Eddie Guerrero).

Did not realize the degree to which WWE movies have failed. Who's your Caddy with the late Chase Tatum didn't do that well, but nowhere near the loss of The Chaperone. www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=whosyourcaddy.htm

Also was undercover mountie

Man I was hoping for a Sting and New Robocop co-hosted Mania.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/james-ellroy-says-skyfall-is-f-cking-brilliant-and-profound-but-the-wire-is-bullsh-t-with-bad-writing-20140220

If the Usual Suspects were made today it would suck. http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/28/bryan-singers-dream-cast-for-a-usual-suspects-movie-if-made-today

So can someone point me to the comments on other parts of board Rippa is referencing.

I don't know how long Alberto 2 Rios has been around but he's a Negro Navarro trainee and not just some guy who looks like Del Rios.

The Laguna Campeonato mini de los escalares!!!!! Midget title ladder match, not a midget title step ladder match but a midget title ladder match! Also awesome that being a wrestling fan in 2014 means I read about a card with Taquero Maldito on it and I can go to youtube and watch a 23 minute Taquero Maldito 1 trios match and a 25 minute Taquero Maldito 2 trios match.

So I've liked Rod Price on other settings, I've liked DeVito in other settings, I've liked Red Dogg in other settings and I've liked Big Vito in other settings. Is there anything those guys did in ECW (did they have singles matches) worth tracking down?

Sir Mo ran Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling (I think it was called Rawkus Rassling before that ) in Tn and it was one of my favorite things to get fourth generation tapes of back in the day. I was oddly stoked about the possibility of the Harlem Knight v Pittbulls matches among other things. Jack Johnson (the commentator who often shared the booth with Mabel) has put bits and pieces of it up and it's really fun to listen to the two of them calling matches.