thee Reverend Axl Future

Welcome to my nightmare. - RAF

You leave Mr. Velvet out of this, dammit!!! - RAF

Sweet Dusty, I did the same thing and I am so glad I am not the only one. - RAF

Dear Don - Congratulations on the win. Those trunks really make your ass look fat. friend to friend, RAF

These two tweets made me laugh out loud. The supermarket brawl is great but that hospital gimmick is legit one of my top ten angles, top five skits and that bed pan shot never fails to make be a giddy as a schoolgirl. It has to be one of my favorite "shots" in rasslin'. Some more: Big Bubba no selling Dusty's chairshot that merely knocks his hat askew, Captain Lou wrapping the chair around Afa's head leading to the breakup/turn, Dreamer's cane shot on a helpless Raven... memories, RAF p.s. = how could I forget the #1 shot? Piper's coconut strike on Snuka!

Welcome to my mind, gentlemen. Please wipe your feet on the ring apron before entering the cerebellum. Flash photography is encouraged, cash or trade only at thee gift shoppe. - RAF

Ms. K is a lady who can have it all, do it all. She can bring the same savagery to her toddler's science project, a boardroom meeting, and her famous coq au vin as she does when she's coolly brutalizing her opponents in the ring. She is a modern woman, damn it. sisters doing it for themselves, RAF

And it breaks my carny heart to realize after watching that VICE doc S2E1a, that no money mark, however moneyed or marky, will ever be able to promote Malenko v. Guerrero 30 Years Later. That was/still is my "shit", as the kids say, and those matches, those two great workers and yes, even Mr. Paul Heyman, were able to open a lot of people's eyes as to thee possibilities of what pro wrestling could be. It was some real machining there, lads... on thee sentimental tip, RAF

The Fantastics are so brilliant, but if you cannot appreciate the sheer clubberin' savagery of the mighty Kiwi Sheepherders, then you might have been brought up wrong, son. They essentially fight with a collection of dirty sticks and string. Singlets and fatigues and boots = strong proto-FMW style consciousness, too. This makes my heart ache it is so good. - RAF

04/27/14 at thee 2300 Arena I escorted my young daughter to see a Masked Mania lucha show, and boy howdy was it muy bueno. She brought flowers for Cassandro, I paid like a mark for a pic with Sabu and her (when she hit the "pointing to Allah" pose he cracked up), the minis!, and heel Cassidy - so good. The match that blew me away was Negro Navarro v. Solarr. I recalled it now due to Dean's postings above of the match archetype I never knew I loved before: Grizzled Wrestling Machine against Grizzled Wrestling Machine. Lierally, the kind of match where you realize that those two raw-boned codgers gave FORGOTTEN more about rassling than all the rest of the greenhorns on the card might ever know. 1 Latin Dragon & Ultimo Panda Hallowicked & Frightmare Tag Team match 2 Amasis & Ophidian & Green Ant Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy & Papadon Trios match 3 Negro Navarro Solar FLLM Masters Championship match 4 Mini Mariachi Pierrothito PWR World Mini's Championship Match 5 Christina Von Eerie Sumie Sakai PWR World Women's Championship Match 6 Cassandro Matt Cross Challenge Match 7 Damian 666, Bestia 666 & Sabu BLK Jeez & Ruckus & Homicide Lucha Hardcore Match 8 Dr. Wagner Jr. LA Park IWL Heavyweight Championship Match Found it: las niñas siempre necesitan más lucha libre, RAF

We forget how much that we, as a viewer, bring to the pro wrestling experience. Suspension of disbelief is very necessary to enjoy a match/card/worker and slick production makes it easier to watch and hides a stableful of sins.. People are quick to assume that if like a wrestler, then s/he is a good worker. and therefore good at every aspect of it. The lighting, production, camerawork, crowd noise, announcing, spectacle, resolution, arenas themselves, all contribute to our experience. Truly great workers can turn it out under most circumstances but that is rare. One rightfully alters one's mindset when viewing a second gen VHS indy tape, as compared to a major recent PPV - if the bells and whistles that you are used to getting with a particular show are not there, it can be jarring, and we have to contribute more to get more. This is why a match like the Lawler/Funk Empty Arena match is rightfully revered: not every worker could have pulled that off (and Lance Russel was a necessary component). If you start to eliminate some factors or elements (entrance ramp, ring ropes, a hot crowd, in ring cameras, workers that you have an emotional attachment to, et al), folks gonna get exposed. - RAF

La Momia's undulating blowhole is so perversely fascinating that I might need a Sheep Hugging to straighten out my soul as well. - flockin' it, RAF

I miss Umaga. - RAF

I have no objection to working the cameras when they are there, and I get the selling outside or resthold during the commercial, but straight up breaking kay fabe? That smacks of not caring at all to me. I know it's an exhibition, but I pay money and/or attention so you DO NOT rub that in my face. Suspension of disbelief, you turkeynecks: do your dang job. - RAF

Whhaaat? Why did they do that? How hard is it to keep going w/o advancing the match during the breaks (not difficult at all, truly)? This is some rank insulting BS - they know better, this is just showing disrespect. I really am disappointed (in the production crew, the workers, the agents, et al) - RAF

Asuka can do no wrong, for me. - RAF

Pineapple on pizza = the most heelish of all toppings. I loved the rest on the letter, but now you an untouchable to me, sirrah. - what's next: pepperoni on a sundae?, RAF

This is tremendous. PP3 comes in at 24:45 - tune in for the PYTs, be blown away by Percy's promo, check out the erotic Rude workout and wind it all up with Quiet Riot & thee Missing Link! Wow. - RAF

Because making everything (meaning scary reality - adult up, gherkins) into a political conspiracy is bogus, I will just imagine a whole card of nothing but Lawler/Funk Empty Arena matches. "Mah eye, Lance! Ah caint see!" Lord Buddha, that match is genius. If they take it Saudi Arabia, that would make me so sad... - do the right thing, Mr. McMahon, RAF

Hey, adult dolls are pricey, kid. - RAF

THEY CUT IT OFF AT THEE BEST PART!!!! HJV, dropping thee Alchemical Magickal Street Science as well as elevating thee Funky Scientific Street Magick, thee Divine Arte of Putting Asses in thee Seats, baby... - a little Funky Jew, RAF

Big Bill Watts: "That is a Gawd Damn finish, you cheese-eaters!!!" - channeling, RAF p.s. - Seriously this archival French catch stuff is so great, and has made me re-think my personal history of pro wrestling styles.

I've been to the last two Chikara cards, and it is always festive but it has lost some of the magic from years past. I don't "get" the Crucible stuff at all (2 minute, no rope, submission/KO matches) at all. The outstanding workers for me were mostly several of the ladies - Donna Rama, Molly McCoy, Masha Slamovich, as well as some fast learners I dig - Sonny Defarge, Boomer Hatfield, Cornelius Crummels. I am so glad the promotion is still around and want them to succeed. - RAF

My personal opinion is that I want more aliens (and mummies and time-travelers) if done well and not to excess, and less "I used to be a fan and now I am a wrestler!" or "hey, I watched lots of WoS and strong style tapes, see me fail to integrate the two styles" kickpad dudes but the world has passed me by... - RAF

I love thee Boogie Woogie Man for the Street Shaman that he is, but I secretly love the each and every turn by his best "friends". They are all lessons in magick, and Jimmy Valiant suffers for our illumination. As above, so below, DADDY, RAF p.s. - Dancin' Buh Buh Ray Dudley was the pinnacle of BRD gimmicks for me.