thee Reverend Axl Future

This question works perfectly if the voice reading it is Lord Alfred Hayes. -RAF

JV's book is really fun IF you are a fan of the Boogie Woogie Man, as I am. It's a very personal recollection of his many stages of his long career. Not too much big picture stuff but he was everywhere. Occasionally you wish he would go into more detail in several areas but there are a lot of good stories. It's is a good read, similar in style to the BHart book. - RAF

The Comedian, I owe you an orange. - RAF

It's only a comedy spot if one bumps face first. - RAF

I only refer to him as Capt. Lou Albano did: "Dave Dogg". As I get older, I realize more and more that Albano never lied to us. - RAF

This spot. I fucking hate this spot. Me too. What is it called? Getting brought in the hard way. The getting tied up in the ropes, w/the arms or the neck, is one of my favorite spots of all time. Also: Ultimate Deep Fried Cholesterol Bumping trio: Rose/Adonis/Dick Murdoch. Just think on that.... - [secretly also digs the hard way into the ring spot], RAF

...and there is the incredibly sad-making story of thee Death of Frankie I. - RAF

So will there be an over-booked veterans shmozz match every WM from now on, a la HHH/Sting? - RAF

Will you scold us if we make jokes about his Michael Jackson jacket too? - RAF

...Freddy Mercury, as I live and breathe! - RAF

I recommend you read up on the NWA split with Ann Gunkel, and her All South renegade promotion, circa 1972-74. There are several versions of the story depending on who is telling it (and the survivors are dwindling). Jody Hamilton goes into it in his autobiography, many interviewees talk of it in the great Whatever Happened To...? magazine and it gets covered in the National Wrestling Alliance book. The main thrust is thatthe workers who sided with Ann Gunkel at first were given amnesty but anyone who joined later was threatened with a blackballing. Thus, the lack of new talent sped up the demise of All South. The Great Mephisto and Gene LeBell talk about renegade promotions a lot. My understanding is that if you could draw money, all would be forgiven. All of Eddie Einhorn's IWA main eventers soon found work but the lower card guys suffered, for example. - RAF

Two thoughts: Has everyone forgotten how outright embarrassing Shane McMahon's punching sequences can be? I mean, truly "business exposing"? I hope Undertaker realizes this. The real feud should be Zane vs. Nakamura (who's favorite music has been heretofore hidden): new US third wave ska vs. UK Two Tone ska. Nakamura burning an Operation Ivy Shirt! Prince Buster at ringside! Trumpet as foreign object! Porkpie hat on pole matches! Specials playing at WMcheckerpattern! -RAF

We need to monetize this ability you have. Have your people call my people. be careful, RAF

As a consumer, I judge the stuffing/potatoes put in front of me. On that scale EM does stink. It may be some heavy duty post-modern booking strategery scheme to get heat but nevertheless she does come up lacking even when the whole thing is centered around making her look effective, let alone threatening, as per the Philly house show. I did not enjoy watching Mike or Chris Von Erich, who were also pushed far beyond their abilities. Jay Leno or Dennis Rodman were at least "one and done". Personally, I do not have enough emotionally involvement to "hate" on this poor synthezoid girl unit. There are at least half a dozen other NXT ladies who I think could do a better job. However, the Divas show does warrant her position in the cold hard reality of corporate WWE. She as a worker may not deserve the push but they have to run with the angle as long as they think they tie-in, and money & time they have invested, can last. - RAF

Eva Marie gets big heat, but she is not a very good heel. Obviously a heel has to draw heat but you don't have to be a good heel, or even a good wrestler - or even a worker at all - to get a crowd reaction. Look at the flip side: the various sports/movie star/celeb of the month that do angles on RAW get great reactions, but once they step in the ring after the initial angle, would they hold the crowd's interest? The classic example is the football-player-turned-wrestler: their first appearances will (hopefully) draw interest and media, but if they can't produce in the ring, they won't sell tickets. Annnnddd that is always the key: putting asses in seats. You can excite or pop a crowd, but are the marks gonna pay to see you (Fandango, for example)? I was at the Philly show, and I must say, they must have oiled her gears, wound up her clockworks and rejuvenated her botox'n'silicone because she did not embarrass herself out there (by the lowest indy greenhorn metrics). We are talking a very low standard considering she was in the ring with one of the better workers. The match was laid out in the most simple of ways. The Drifter got equal if not greater heat that night, and gave the crowd more while leaving them wanting more. Really, aren't the two money matches with Eva Marie her vs. a monster ("I wanna see her get destroyed", Asuka, Nia Jax) and vs. the queen babyface ("she's gonna get payback now", Bailey). After that, unless she improves greatly, she is exposed. She might get the Pavlovian chants from the hipster sheeple but if she can't tell a story in there no one will want to see her. Getting over because of fame, infamy, celebrity or outside accomplishments is a short term draw. Look at how the careers of Mark Henry and The Miz dipped after they crowd satisfied their initial curiosity until their ringwork improved. This all said, I was wrong about Dana Brooke...but somehow I don't foresee that kind of potential with EM. - RAF

NE indies: Buxx Belmar must be in it, and Jonathan Gresham also excelled all the times I saw them. "Bad Boy" Joey Janella is quite festive as well. - RAF

The ticket aspect Philly event of was interesting. I looked into getting seats on the day they went on sale, and they were 96% sold out a couple hours later. I checked StubHub a couple weeks ago and there were many tickets available, only marked up a bit before fees. I ended up waiting for some comps that fell through and went back to StubHub. Tix were now well below the original asking prices and most balcony seats were $25. There were many many empty seats just before they opened, and I noticed lotsa folks that were waiting outside (not in the ticket holder line) got comped. There's no need to paper an event that is not being taped. Also, most of the first rows was comp seats - friends of the venue, I assume. I interpret all this thusly: early sales were fans and ticket speculators (private and professional) based on the success of the first Philly NXT show. Closer to the event, the NXT fans were holding onto their seats but no movement on the ones held by resellers. On the last week, the dumping began. Casual fans may have trickled in but I think they were never really there (or scared off by the high prices in the beginning). The ticket middlemen are throwing off the tracking of the popularity of NXT. Also to be factored in is that Thursday is an odd night for a wrestling card, although there were lotsa wee kids there (less so than a WWE crowd). Please excuse this amateur MBA (Meltzerian Business Analysis). - RAF

Paunts radar failures are balanced out by that sweet AARP discount at the moving picture show. Get used to it, fact of life. old&intheway, RAF

I would be giddy as a schoolgirl if some of the Chikara regulars got in with their gimmicks intact: Juan Francisco de Coronado, Jervis Cottonbelly, the Batiri (please!), Ashley Remington (double please), Pinkie Sanchez, et al... - RAF

Speedball Mike Bailey, Lio Rush and Jonathan Gresham could work out as well. -RAF (just saw them all in CZW on Sat., sorry)

I could foresee the Gulaks as first round fodder. - RAF

This is my fave piece of writings in 2016. Gravity should always be a factor in a rasslin' match. There should be a Rasslin Fan Boot Camp for smarky indy fans, chanting NXT hipsters and blindered WWE sheeple. Dean can be the R. Lee Ermey. I try to mentor the young'uns and suppress my innate bitterness as well as my giddiness for odd gimmicks. bravo, RAF

I do so miss the Claudio Castagnoli/Alex Wright Euro-dance. - RAF

Nulty was one of the good ones. I was a big fan of WC in the early days. 10 bells to you sir. - RAF

Uncle Ivan says: "In Soviet Russia, cape wear YOU!" - RAF