thee Reverend Axl Future

Super Porky is the anti-oily Horseshoe, the antidote to the strange forbidden feelings stirred up by a captioned Rock frottage. Bless you, Mr. de Plata, and OSteppes as well. - RAF

I emulate Capt. Lou (in many ways and I am better for it) and always call him "Dave Dogg". Guiding Light, RAF

Good analysis, happjack, but if you ever even appear to disparage ANY of the thee Penitentiary movies (esp. #3) again, we are gonna have a shooty problem. Mr. T was pushed by a publicity agency, even had a network "sports" special written around him (NBC's "World's Toughest Bouncer", part of "Games People Play" (strangely enuff, despite not owning a TV I somehow watched this) )so if he didn't get R3 I bet he would have gotten another manly '81-'82 film role to elevate him into The A-Team (Escape From New York? Eye For An Eye? Forced Vengeance? Silent Rage?). His whole career is a work (not an insult in thee RAF book); it is debatable about who benefitted from thee first WM gig more. All the celebs at WM1 were there for a payday, except maybe darling CLauper, who was a fan (but still got paid). - RAF (also at WM1, tenth row, my pal Vinnie Cerroni bought my ticket, he was & is thee coolest)

This is my favorite segment from on of my favorite angles/feuds of ALL TIME, the kind of rassling I watch on VHS to cheer myself up when I am blue. "WILLY WILLY, YOUR BOOGIEMAN LOOOVES YOOU". I am happier already... - RAF

I have traveled with bodybuilder type wrestlers who do that whole umpteen small meals a day gimmick, and travel with a rolly bag full of canned tuna and supplements. And Pop Tarts very often, for some reason. We are all here to go, sonny lad, relax and enjoy life, I say. - RAF p.s. - and if Mr. McMahon wants to rename burritos as "meat wraps", it is within his power. YOU SAVE A WHOLE SYLLABLE, SON. What books are these anecdotes coming from?

Brudda, as an oldster I must point out that your choice of Mr, McMahon's food took me out of your narrative. Wraps were more of a 90s thing (but I have never had an office job so what do I know). "Lean Cuisine and a Red Bull", perhaps? "Blackened Cajun-style chicken breast and a white zinfandel"? Pan-fried cocaine w/a cocaine breading and a bechamel cocaine sauce"? - RAF

I am saddened that my prediction became truth: Neville v. Aires was the best rassling match on the card. HHH's Tom of Finland entrance was the id made real... Performer of Thee Night - the light-up ramp. - RAF (but I liked the show, really)

I worked a couple cards with Psycho Cybil - oy vey. You knew when she was lying: her lips were moving. She tried to break in on the Indiana indies (and there ain't a lower rung then the Indiana indies) and I was hip to her then because of her rep from the small world (at the time) of tattooing. A couple years later she shows up in Milwaukee, and it amused the promoter of Mid American Wrestling to book her, despite the fact that he got the rundown on her from Moolah. Of course I get booked with her because we both had a "look" (kooky hair, tattoos, piercings) - ah, the '90s, that used to be enough of a gimmick back then. We never saw her after her second show, as Hardcore Craig potatoed her so beautifully that she took a real bump (for once). The moral is that you don't work a worker. In fact, there is a giant difference between lying and working. A work always benefits the worker, who knows it is a work. There is a frequent sort of camp follower in the business, folks who are attracted to pro wrestling because they 1) lie to themselves, and B- think that you believe them, and usually III: they think their lies are the truth by now. They can be fans, but in the porous realm of indy rassling, they try to get booked and occasionally succeed. Bikers who think that their (self-perceived, often) toughness is a substitute for training, unathletic types types who think they comprehend how to be a manager, wrestling school drop-outs, et al. Sometimes they do get booked, because they can get a hungry/desperate/stupid promoter a cheap rental in a desirable venue or some free advertising. These people never want to pay their dues and typically disappear quickly----unless they start their own fed... - RAF "i could write a book I am so full of stories"

I for sure remember that Bill Mercer talked about it on WCCW tv, w/o footage, and cast it like KvE wuz cheated by a dirty robber and because it happened in Japan the whole loss was shady and wouldn't followed up on, Amurika dammit. I also "remember" Flair regaining the belt being acknowledged on TBS (again, no footage). This was the era of co-operation with Apter so I recall them being a bit more above board. Is this era on the Network? Oy, my medulla oblongata... - RAF

Maybe I have been reading too many Steve Ditko comics (or is it all that RAWilson/Count Alfred Korzybski) so I can see how you may perceive WMXXX1 as passable but I recall it as aggravating and dull. I enjoyed Rollins/Orton but the best thing for me all night was Rusev's entrance. Booking v. match quality? That should not even be a question, ESPECIALLY on the biggest show of the year, but for me the shite former throughout the card ruined the latter. The main was a great showing from those two (3?) but nowhere near the Best of the Year, let alone judged for the standard of a WM main event. I don't even want to get into the clunkers liberally seeded about (UT/Wyatt - oy vey). Hey, that's what makes horse races... - RAF

Sez you. -RAF

There should have been a LeRoy Neiman portrait of KAngle, done telephone book style. - RAF (you must be born before the Home Computing Era to grok this post *sob*)

Reigns really stunk it up in this segment, I agree. He recited his scripted lines in a clunky and uninspired manner, and he showed neither passion nor injury from his grueling match just 90 minutes previous. And the sneakers... But Rene and Lawler did not add anything to this show, something DB often does on his post-match segments (and Rene does too, once in a while with her perky enthusiasm). What do ya expect? They are paid shills, cashing cheques from the corporation that writes them for Roman Reigns. I know it isn't journalism, but they could at least keep up thee kay fabe and/or add some frisson to the thing. - RAF

Lawler is one of thee Great Ones, and I would never begrudge one of the boys a bump-free payday, but "Roman, who is your raccoon?" ?!?! C'mon, Vic, let's not go banana here... - RAF

My fave is still that WCCW theme (see above). Always wanted to see an indy guy get all meta and do a man-out-of-time Adkisson gimmick, still thinking it's 1982 and Papa Fritz is bullying everyone on the NWA Board of Directors. That would be the entrance music. - RAF

Or orange.... - RAF

Not to pile on, but I reserve my interWeb pronouncement until I see his bellybutton's expression. If it is not sufficiently dour, I will give it a thumbs down. - RAF

Nice Fat Guy bump there as well... - RAF

I am not a fan of his, and will find unimportant niggling trivialities to pick at to justify my dislike, although I will admit he did look like he belonged in his spot in the RRumble. - RAF

It's is that his belly button is such a downer, man - it's always frowning. If it was a smiley BB he could delight the children and spread joy everywhere he pranced. - RAF

Opener going broadway implies that the car with Valentine, Mulligan and Race was late. I imagine during the third match or so a road-worn caddy opening up in the parking lot, many beer cans spilling out and all three trucking into the lockerroom, reeking of cigs and vainly attempting to look contrite for the promoter. - RAF p.s. Long Live Dr. Fujinami!

Orton v. Wyatt does not have to be for a title if they split them up first. At least there was no ringside interference for the RR - I hate that. There was no need for Jericho to be in the cage (aside from comedy) - it didn't play into the finish at all. Typical short term writing, as opposed to booking. AJ Styles looks perfectly posed for a freeze frame during every segment of a move. Hang a bell on me and call me a Ding Dong, but I really like Roman Reigns punches. - RAF

That photo haunts my dreams. This quote just sets up one in the next issue (Inside Wrestling?) where "Rick" refutes his connection with his fellow wrestlers, the fans and the promoters. He uses the ham-fisted analogy that "rood" spelled backwards is "door" and thus was being shown out of any potential success, thus leading into the modern spelling we all know. But they used the same silly photo, undermining any heelish visual intimidation. I gotta see if I still have that ish. - RAF

Bryan/Lawler: Texas Death Match. call their bluff, Mr. McMahon, RAF

I am happy that this footage exists, but the Tolos stuff I have seen has been consistently bland and tasteless - a genenic OG heel style like KKowalski but with less personality (!) (and much more dynamic promos, to be sure (I Bite The Songs, thank you, Mr. Johnny Legend)). I know his bio and would have liked to have seen his youthful babyface stuff, but I have always been annoyed by that style where it looks like they are hiding to blade CONSTANTLY when they are selling - maybe to cover when they do? This clip illustrates that perfectly. And Blassie is Blassie, always genius, cool heel proto-Flair really... all respekt to thee Old Heads, RAF