thee Reverend Axl Future

Random thoughts on VKM&SCSA and points discussed: - Listen to yourselves: TV shows that didn't have recaps made you go back and watch the whole series. That's what they wanted you to do. The program was emotionally compelling enough to make you want to take the effort to get mentally involved. It's OK to go over what happened last week but if you have to dumb down the commentary or characters so every casual viewer can feel like he/she is not missing anything, then it's too simple. - Mr. McMahon's ears were fascinatingly grotesque. In twenty more years, they may have "it" and deserve a major push, if they have the grapefruits to grab the brass ring. - The questions were definitely vetted but the show seemed spontaneous. However, that "it's my network, we get 15 more minutes" was carny as all getout. - I secretly just want to watch Austin and Mr. McMahon just give commentary to their own as well as random matches whilst they drink whiskey. The shows always end in a drunken argument and/or brawl. - Mr. McMahon is, how you say, tres coy about the '80s expansion of the WWF . He didn't kill the territories, he merely offered them money to disappear. They did it to themselves. He might have repeated this line of thinking (to himself in the mirror?) so many times that he actually believes it by now. - The Cesaro situation is a festive one to parlay upon, because he is well liked and respected by a near total majority of fans, vets and co-workers but he really hasn't been given a true push, let alone a ball to run with. It's the ultimate "it's not if, it's when" scenario. They trust him enough to do lotsa overseas publicity and YouTube shenanigans, as well as work with the big boys on TV. Maybe he's too complacent? If someone gets a gimmick they dig, it gets time: Adam Rose, Thee Brian Kendrick, Mr. Kennedy, Uncle Zeb. We are all confident it will turn out well for the the lug. Hey, it's Cesaro, right? (note: I am mark for Mr. Castagnoli. He is a class act, has good taste and is an awesome worker). randomly, RAF

Being a big Lance Russel mark, this series tickled my fancy. Classic Memphis footage, and two pals going over some precious memories. http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/clip/10893260/wrestling-reunion-dave-brown-and-lance-russell-part-14 [don't grok how to imbed, but Action News 5 from Mempho did a four part retrospective of rassling. So good.] positivity, RAF

I used to looove when the FMW announcer at ringside would bark "getbakindaring!" over and over at the placidly brawling wrestlers. Also, I am am big DC Drake mark, and damn proud of it. - mad dog, RAF

Alberto Del Rio with Ricardo were at the House of Hardcore show this past Saturday, and Tommy Dreamer implied he was getting TV (which every indie promoter is wont to promise), so even tho' it's an extreme longshot I believe ADR would be more likely to sign up for this minimal commitment over TNA's more restrictive and probably short-term contract. All speculation... Also, when I complained about speeches from wrestlers beating you over the head with platitudes and guilt, I meant more workers (Bubba gave a monologue post-show) than the owner (Dreamer also gave a short speech). At least I can believe that the owner would abase himself to the fans, and sentimentality is Dreamer's gimmick anyway. - mark for Tommy?, RAF

Bubba and Devon showed up at the House of Hardcore show last night at the 2300 Arena (old ECW venue). Good show, for which I was happy because the last one in the area was terrible. Several TNA workers were there, and Dreamer and Bubba acknowledged TNA on the mic and thanked Dixie for sharing talent. Spike Dudley showed up! Outstanding six-man and main. So many mutants in the crowd, thank you South Philly. Surprising amount of females and little children - the show ended at 11:30pm. I must complain about something as well: I hate hate hate the overuse of the sincere shoot "respect/love/honor" speech after big matches or at the end of the card. If you have to point out how hard everyone is working then you are not working hard enough, and you don't need to tell me that you are doing it for me and that the fans are the real heroes. We have a strictly financial relationship: if you keep on putting on quality shows, I will spend my money. This is particularly endemic to hardcore/garbage feds, as if breaking kay fabe or gimmick is going to do anything but further shatter the suspension of disbelief of the audience. bitter, old, RAF

I would happily go to that card, and have a ball marking out, as well as gank one of those posters for awtygraffs as well. - RAF

You know who, from As You Wish, Cary Elwes' book about The Princess Bride. - RAF

All this needs it a graphic saying "thanks for the $9.95, man!" The sea of marks holding up their cell phones for the Wyatt appearance exposed the fact that the televised black-out was not live in-camera but a blank screen. WWE removing the emphasis from the individual performers to the brand name means that the company takes more heat for customer dissatisfaction, at least on-line. I enjoyed the show, especially for the price paid. Watched it with a couple pals and everyone was happy but no big surprises, shakeups or storyline changes. Hey, folks - B level PPV time! True, I would have been happier if these things were booked more like they were in the GoodOldDays (your era may vary) but stuff changes. I fail to get outraged but my involvement level & emotional attachment is certainly reduced. Instead it invites intellectual analysis and prognostication. This certainly is Entertainment, but it's only partially Wrestling in the Old School Sense, and it most positively ain't Rasslin' (snif). - RAF, old

I can't tell if the person in charge of that Monday Night Wars series was never a wrestling fan and just accepted the party line as canon when writing this, or it was some carny as heck mothertrucker who either just didn't give a fudge when presented with all that footage or decided to produce what would make Mr. McMahon happy. To film this with straight faced narration without even the benefit of a talking head puppets-of-the-regime (Hayes, Graham, HHH, Hogan, et al), where you could read it as opinion and break out the salt shaker, is some baldfaced big cojones stuff. ESPECIALLY considered that PPVs from the era are running concurently on the same Network, casting doubt on the facts, let alone the conclusions, you are dropping. sheesh, RAF (gave up after episode 2)

I like the concept of Rusev v. Angle, but I would prefer it after the Rusev face turn and Angle comes in as the smarmy jingoistic "hero" who doubts Rusev's newfound love of the USA. Lana joins up with Angle (that would be gold, skit-wise) and Zeb returns help Rusev to even the odds. call me, Vince, RAF

Those Bob Luce poster programs are so so brilliant. I have a couple and they are sources of constant inspiration. I really miss going to a show and getting a dedicated program with the night's card printed/inserted inside. I guess that was indicative of an old style of booking that is dying out... alas, RAF

If there had to be a rassler in the KD role, I would prefer one of the Usos, Regal, R Truth or even SRollins. I think it should be a non-worker, tho'. I gotta ponder on it. - RAF

I have no concept of airing one's private dealings with a friend/ex-friend in public. Maybe the fact that Jericho would do this is part of the reason why he's getting the high-hat. Have some dignity and a sense of privacy and decorum, you crazy Canuck. I guess that's the way of the world now. old, RAF

I really want to see a sequel (NOT a remake, you should never remake a cult classic), a sequel I say, to "They Live" starring Dean Ambrose. Aliens got exposed at the end of the first one, managed to re-manipulate themselves back into our culture, now a new outsider gets forced into the violent role of revolutionary savior, taking on the alien menace and all the new media. Obligatory cameo by Piper, of course. please Vince and John, RAF

Nakamura has got to be one of the most photogenic guys in the business now. I could see him starting in NXT in 6 years or so. mancrush, RAF

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x152sui_kevin-sullivan-the-purple-haze-fallen-angel-king-curtis-promo_sport It is so so brilliant and edumacational. all hail Abuddadein, RAF

Old Singapore fleshpit trick: cut the yeyo with betel nut, and follow with a cosmic cookie: you'll be right as rain. It's called Thee Tree of Woe, Abuddadein taught him that. - RAF p.s. - I love a good brainjob.

I have a theory that some wrestlers become popular because they are acting naturally, which is to say that what they are doing as workers working a gimmick is what comes naturally to them. "Your gimmick should be a part of you magnified" is a not just a tired trope, but a truism in most situations. I think that audiences really like to see people being themselves, coolness or propriety or social conventions or even morality be damned. This realness can be just a part of what makes a wrestler over. Example: Ric Flair - it wasn't merely his ring skills (work and moves), winningness or cool factor that got him over but the fact that you were seeing (part of? like a hologram, each part contains the whole) who he really was, unabashed unashamed unapologetic. It would have been harder to suppress this naturalness, and thereby be even falser, but most people feel that life makes them do that every day. To see a human unfettered and able to really "be themselves" loudly exuberantly and even getting paid for it, makes us happy vicariously. Another example, even moreso: Jimmy "Boogie Woogie Man" Valiant. He had even less of the other factors of RF, but had the naturalness I am talking about as well as the charisma, and also the common man underdog thang going on (mercy!). Even a heel gets over by this, like Capt. Lou Albano. It's not just the extroverted outsiders - even calmer workers get accolades for "being themselves" even if it is exaggerated for the big stage: John Cena, Dory Funk Jr., Billy Robinson. Part it is our striving for "realness" and authenticity in out pop culture and heroes, a fool's quest to be sure. Wrestling is a perfect venue for to showcase these folks. How great was it when you saw The Rock emerge from under the restraints of unnatural gimmicks to let his own personality take over? Eventually that became a performance as well, but that's another pontification. Anyway, Enzo & Cass have that "damn the torpedoes this is who I am" vibe. It comes from a performer who is doing it for themselves but is presenting it to you. Zayn has this as well. Now there is nothing wrong with a good "artificial" gimmick, like The Vaudevillians (dig them), and that is a difficult skill in itself. Demolition were great and well remembered, but the difference between them and The Road Warriors includes this pet theory. Some people don't care for this Naturalness, they just want to see extraordinary moves or spots or matches, or have other priorities. For me, when I see someone and I say "man, this guy couldn't have been anything BUT a wrestler" it blows my mind. These ultrapersonalities disrupt the Natural Order - they often have to be booked around, not for or with. More examples: Dusty Rhodes, Abdullah The Butcher, Super Porky, Jerry Lawler, Dick Murdoch, Jim Duggan, Killer Karl Kox, Bad News Barrett. Negative examples (but still over like rover): Randy Orton, Junkyard Dog, Raven, Hulk Hogan. They seem always never really inhabited their gimmick or it was secondary to their charisma. Did you ever see someone with an accessory that's too "big" for them? When the hat/tattoo/jewelry is wearing the person and not the other way around? Sometimes (Raven) the skill of acting the gimmick brings so much attention to the acting part rather than the gimmick part. Think about how sometimes great actors merely bring praise and attention to their acting skills rather than to the roles they are playing. i like rasslin, RAF

Big diff between decadent Amerikan capitalism and modern Russki (oligarchic) kapitalism (at least in a heat-getting rassling context, our empire is declinig whilst theirs is rising, etc...). Big Showski as a throwback textbook commie tolerated by Lana for his usefulness and power is rubles, baby! I must also mark out for Heyman's pre-show speech: the man is a master. I was on the fence about Bo Dallas but his mic work and ring heeling was genius. calling Uncle Ivan, RAF

I went with the rug-rat, but had to leave early because it was a school night (for her - I should fed her some Pepsi and cotton candy, the damn teachers can deal with her tomorrow). I didn't know that it was the 15th anniversary show, so that was a pleasant surprise. Too much talking, not enough wrestling. The endless promos to justify the booking (or, really, to explain the characters) are like unnecessary voiceover exposition in movies - tell the story in the ring. I miss the days when you could buy a program and it had the matches listed inside. Everybody seemed over and some folks got shockingly big reactions, even at the mention of their names. Tyler Breeze looked great and heeled it up nicely. Bo Dallas was great on the mic. I was greatly & pleasantly shocked at the big pops Adrian Neville received. The Adam Rose/Kane segment was fun. I have dug on thee Lana/Rusev for a while, but they were so over and great live. Brilliant on it's own, and the fact that the gimmick is pure throwback without any irony or winkwinknudgenudge is so good. I reiterate this: Big Show really really need to do a Krusher Khrushchev and join up with them to fight decadent Amerikan capitalism. Give him a red singlet w/a yellow hammer'n'sickle on it, cossack boots, a Lenin beard and an urshanka, and rename his Punch "Putin's Hammer". People were sure that Ziggler was gonna win, Rollins got resounding boos, and Cena had a legit big reaction of mixed chants, cheers and catcalls. Very fun, even from the nosebleeds. Now the tyke wants to see Hell in a/the Cell. bless her little mark heart, RAF

I never know when Luger is just being a natural jagoff or when he is actively heeling. Since I am not a fan of his I like to think the former since I believe he is not carny enough to pull it off intellectually. - RAF

OSJ- not only is your pedigree impeccable, your opinions solid like Gibraltar and your grammar top-notch, your log-rolling is Elite Class. I agrees to your BCorbin experiment, I will look hard for positivity in his drab aura of Mr. Potato Head snap-on mall biker gimmicks (he's no Chris Colt). That being said, I dutifully applaud the effort taken by NXT for his build-up & intro. Question: do you think that his matches being kept short to hide lack of ring experience/ability, or more to build him up for the monster push? The quality of any "golden era" matches really precludes catching a lot of the subtlety that rasslin' is rarely given credit for. The "playing to the cheap seats" style came across better on those old TV shows and non-mobile film cameras at the arenas. Lucha also has a broader gestural style even to this day that I enjoy but the challenge of course is to to get the most reaction with the least (seeming) effort. I luv that story of JValentine sending the crowd into frenzies with the mere unzipping of his ring jacket. [namedrop alert] Greg V told me several good stories of his dad. glad to see you posting more, RAF

I also have been watching the wrestling for some time, and Baron Corbin does not impress me at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he does not have "it". OSJ, I could not agree more with your assessment on the Vaudevillians (AKA "the baby music team" to my kid) being better off in NXT but I must question your judgement of horseflesh with regards to BC. The man has the countenance, and taste in accessories and body art, of a sheepish 14 year old lad. You may see Johnny Valentine (by the way, where are these films of JV controlling the crowds merely with his expression? I have heard the stories of this many times over but have never seen footage that was quality enough to show anything from him but the broadest of gestures) but I see a deer in the headlights. Those promos are strictly from TeenBeat and wasn't that wolf T shirt an interWeb meme for a moment or two? Now, my opinion of Tyson Kidd has improved greatly over the past couple of months - just great, slow burn, perfectly motivated heeling and ringwork. Charlotte Flair is amazing, and is visibly learning and growing each week. She has a great ring presence. Tyler Breeze has a great chance of surviving the call up to RAW, he looks very natural in his interviews, entrances and matches. The quality faces in NXT also help: Zayn, LDragons, Neville. I still am a willing mark for Amore/Cass. yay for NXT, RAF

Never have I been so glad that pics embedded thusly do not display properly in Chrome. praises, RAF

Maybe not for WrestleMania, but do you all think WWE could get away with a couple of pre-taped or semipre-taped matches on PPVs like they have in the past (i. e., Boiler Room & Hollywood Backlot Brawls)? The Austin talk made me think of this. A match with the most physical portions taped ahead of time vs. a good hand could compensate for his limitations, and would fit in well with a old school gimmicky feud. Could modern day snarky smart fans used to being privy to the machinations of production suspend their disbelief enuff? I used to quite enjoy these kind of matches, done well and sparingly, of course. - RAF p.s. - speaking of good hands in the ring, I would very much dig seeing a Goldust vs. SCSA feud.