Custos

On the subject of craziness, this is the insane moonsault by ELP from the Junior Tag match in NJPW the other day. I couldn't believe it in the moment. You can see where the barrier is for reference, I don't think that bloke in the black T shirt expected to be in the line of fire.

Sabu craziness, inspired by his recently released autobiography.

More denim shorts To counter the Custosnetico comments:

The Junior Tag Title match was bonkers. I've never seen a top-rope springboard moonsault quite like the one by ELP into the middle of the crowd. Robbie's a perfect Ricky Morton, he's so sympathetic getting his scrawny arse beaten up by the bad guys. All four men brought it. I also thought that was the best KENTA has looked so far in New Japan. I think it's also the first time he's successfully executed a proper springboard move too, rather than that sad CM Punk-level 'high flying' of the diving clothesline. I was very entertained despite all the shenanigans, which I guess are par for the course now.

Watching the latest Road to TNT it finally clicked why Nyla's getting pushed so hard by the Zelda fanboy EVP

The phrase @Red is Dead comes to mind.

I’m not sure what her inspiration / derivation was for the Io name but, if it was western, in Greek mythology Io was ‘courted’ by Zeus (he of the legendary lechery) and turned into a cow as revenge by Zeus’ wife Hera. So it’s a curious choice. Of course like most Greek/Roman deities there is a heavenly body named after Io (one of Jupiters moons, not Dr Tom’s less sleazy tag partner) so she may heard it and thought it sounded cool. Yes, that Classics degree definitely paid off...

Well you can tell Tony is angling for that lead play-by-play role by the fact he is getting progressively more business formal in his dress over time (Road to All Out, Road to TNT 1 then 2) He'll be wearing a tux by next week.

Wholesome father/son rasslin'. At least Maxell's working light, Wolfgang is laying his shit in.

Now that’s a title match! Riho and Nyla Rose looks pretty weak sauce in comparison. Especially on the very first TV show.

I was going to make an off colour sarcastic comment about their choice for Kofi’s skin tone but instead on a more positive note, I think this picture does a nice job of showing the diversity of representation among the IC champs.

The AEW belt has been nicked. Many jokes being had in the AEW thread. I particularly liked @Raziel’s number one suspect.

That’s certainly how I interpreted it, as a push back against the narrative rewritten and reframed by the victors, revolving around the one family and underplaying the others. And it’s certainly been borne out so far in the use of Hart, Tully, Arn, Magnum etc. Its just too sad that there are so few Harts and Hart adopted family still with us and still active wrestlers. Imagine Bulldog with his son, Pilman with his son, Bret, Neidhart and Nattie, Kidd, all affiliated with this upstart alternative.

Well, I’m not the biggest fan but I do feel more positive about him being part of the Boy and his Dinosaur act than I felt before the PPV. He was one like Orange Cassidy where I suspected it would get old very quickly but now I think both used sparingly and with some evolution could be bearable.

Also, Jungle Boy fits that Rey Mysterio niche perfectly of the undersized guy who can be the wish fulfilment avatar for all the kids being pushed around by big kids and grownups. I guess Marko Stunt is an extreme version of that too and so they fit together from that aspect. Although I personally feel like he crosses the Spike Dudley Line from ‘small guy who can get a couple of licks in’ to ‘12 year old nephew of spot show promoter’ but YMMV.

The ultimate version of ‘the champion taking his belt / case / trophy through airport security’ rib

A bit late to writing thoughts on the show, trying to digest all of the great wrestling from over the weekend and give it some time to settle. It was a fun show with some great peaks that ran too long and had stuff that could have been contracted or removed entirely for the betterment of the overall show and to sell interest in TV. Like DoN, as @Elsalvajeloco said, it still feels like three visions bolted together in Frankenstein fashion, although the freaks and geeks circus aspect was less prominent. They so desperately need a Tessa Blanchard to build around. It’s all very well saying that Women’s Wrestling is important and should be equally featured but you can’t just put bodies into the slots and expect it to seem like a big deal. Let Nyla come under Kia Stevens’ tutelage for 6 months then start the monster push after that. The women’s division is a drop off the cliff in terms of talent and star power after the mens and tag divisions. Also, that battle royale is a flawed gimmick which was then poorly executed. Why have key eliminations during the entrances? Isn’t that common sense? I would be annoyed if I was Jazz walking out with the rest of the crowd like that. If there is one star to treat as a star, more than any other single wrestler, who stands out most clearly as an alternative, and could be the big reason to tell your friends to watch this rather than that, it’s Kenny. Why do this losing story in the first chapter of the AEW book when you are establishing what you are. I’m happy that they are planning long term story arcs (if that’s what this is) but don’t agree with the decision. However, Jericho was gold in the post match tirade and is probably the best equipped for TV non-wrestling segments as champion lording it over everyone else, so that should be fun. Luchasaurus is over as hell with the live crowd and is apparently killing it in T shirt sales. That was one of the most satisfying matches in terms of the flow and crowd reaction, I really enjoyed it. ‘Wrestling has more than one royal family’ really sums up this vision of using respected veterans where they can add value versus ignoring/underplaying their legacy or outright humiliating them in inappropriate throwaway TV skits, subservient to the all powerful McMahons. I don’t think it’s as simplistic as a ‘nostalgia pop’.

Their answers aren’t perfect and they seem to be leaning more towards the defensive as they find the right tone (how much do they break kayfabe? Do they go with honesty for the sake of authenticity even if it creates more headaches for them?) But let’s not forget this whole post show media scrum thing is brand new to mainstream western wrestling. When would WWE dream of exposing themselves to this kind of criticism straight after a show to unvetted press?

Just wanted to say, I am feeling particularly blessed this weekend with the current state of wrestling, you can’t move without bumping into top quality matches and engaging, talented wrestlers, and a new weekly show round the corner too.

Amen. It’s crazy at his age, I really hope he holds up physically and in match quality and just goes on a tear for the next 5 years.

True. I said that there is extra money to be made on both sides were it not for NJPW pride, and I don’t think that is a controversial statement. Between the mixing of top guys and helping to round out New Japan’s weak tag division I do think there is something to offer. And I think we shouldn’t underestimate the combination of buzzworthiness and extra exposure on TNT.

I don’t think NJPW need AEW and I totally agree with New Japan being awesome right now. I still think that specifically an Omega return, especially with his history with Ibushi and how prominently he is being showcased, would be a genuine draw for a big show. Im more frustrated with ROH, as AEW is basically ROH’s alternate timeline where management saw the success of All In and chose to ramp up investment and freshen up creative. Then New Japan could have their cake and eat it, with keeping the loyalty while also having an affiliation with an actual hot fresh promotion (assuming they could present ROH brand as such).

There’s money to be made for both parties right now, so, right now, they are cutting off their nose to spite their face, and sticking with a promotion that basically has the same zombie/cockroach status as Impact and is colder than its ever been.