HarryArchieGus
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Posts posted by HarryArchieGus
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Could anybody recommend some Michigan, Upstate NY and Ontario indies? Or more so the best unsigned/independent (non: AEW, Titan Sports, Impact, ROH) performers in said regions?
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15 hours ago, Niners Fan in CT said:
The thing AEW needs most is an in-house musician. Their themes are fucking awful. That would go a long ways for their TV show.
Or how about a really good curator? I’d love for them to move away from the status quo/bland rock and use more hip hop and electronic and experimental sounds. If you dig your heels in you can find an endless supply of great music already available from a wide range of independent performers from across the globe. Ppl who might really value the opportunity to be heard on a internationally viewed weekly program aimed at 18-35 year olds.
3 hours ago, OSJ said:On the other hand, the less said about Jimmy Garvin prancing around to "Sharp-dressed Man", the better.
Totally disagree, I love Sharp Dressed Man as a theme, and loved Garvin’s Use of it. Almost as great as it’s use in the theme for Don Cherry’s Grapevine.
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48 minutes ago, Craig H said:
Didn't realize I touched a nerve about Janella's body. I'm not really a body guy. I mean, shit, to of my favorite guys are Owens and Killian Dain. I just thought that for someone as short as Janella you can be a skinny shredded guy or you can be more filled out like Jericho was in WCW or ECW. Janella is close to that now and it's not like he has to look shredded, but the way he looks now it's just hard to take him seriously against someone like Moxley.
Put another way, he looks like a slob, but it doesn't look right. Half of everyone I cheered for in ECW looked like fuckin slobs too, but they had the height or style to where I never cared. I don't know what it is about Janella's look that bugs me so much. Square peg, round hole type of thing I guess. I really wish I could pinpoint why someone like Sandman makes sense and is aesthetically pleasing, but Janella isn't.
Or maybe it's something as simple as his tights.
I am completely with you on this. The reason Sandman et al worked so well is he and they had the right look. The (Am I wrong to suggest) Sapolsky-led little tights era forced bodies to be showcased that were better accentuated by clothing that fit the personalities. This, of course, came about from the complaints post and during ECW of the style effect it was having on the indies - ppl looking like they were off the street rather than 'wrestlers'. There's certainly a point to be made there, but I personally always liked the idea of the outlaw/off the street competitors.
I really hope this well funded/produced company seeks out some stronger stylists. Makes a huge difference. As does good ring entrance music - which they are not excelling at right now.-
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1 hour ago, Technico Support said:
Also, LOL @ guys talking shit on Janela's body. How many top guys in the 70s and 80s wore short trunks and didn't have a good build? Especially guys not in the WWF? Holy shit just about everybody. He's working for a company run by the son of Dusty Rhodes for Christ's sake. When did we all get all McMahony about dudes' pecs, abs, traps and whatnot?
Fair, but Dusty, as flabby as he was, still looked big and imposing. I don't think anybody is looking for a juiced up Joey Janela - rather a less doughy and more remotely imposing look (again, a pretty easy fix with the right attire). I'm new to Joey, so forgive me for being unaware of his toughness (or interpret that as stupidity if you wheel) but as he is, in his falling down trunks and ultra downy softness, he does not look like a formidable threat to a Jon Moxley. Which kinda makes Moxley look a bit weak for eating his offence - tho it worked well enough by keeping it limited. That said, it was certainly fine and enjoyable enough and a treat for those into the death match style. If Janela remains at the lower end of the card as a high risk jobber to the stars I think that's completely fair. I'm not quite sure in his current form that he ought to be main eventing cards.
Further, to be clear, I like what I've seen of Young Joey's charisma and his mic skills, and am interested to see some of his indy work worth watching that didn't result in bloodletting. I'm also thankful to Joey as a promoter for the show I saw a clip from wherein Ricky Morton along with the audience chant 'Spring Break'. One of the truly great phone videos.-
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59 minutes ago, LoneWolf&Subs said:
PAC not being at DoN was the cause of the muddiness of the booking.
You're probably correct, but performers dropping out for any number of reasons (eg. injury) is part and parcel with the industry. Best they get used to it now. Gotta learn to think on your feet. Especially come the Fall and a 52 week TV schedule.
57 minutes ago, Lawful Metal said:I liked the girls match, too. I think Yuka is the star of the trio, but was wondering where that other one from DON -- Shida? She looked like THE superstar of that six man.
Enjoyed Mox / Janela. Yeah, we knew Mox was gonna win, but it was still fun. And it was a definite palate cleanser for the typical Moxley / Ambrose match, and it served its purpose.
I was wondering about Shida(?) too. I hope she finds her way back into the mix soon. And you make a good point concerning the image of Moxley.
I agree (with the previous poster) those promos set the stage fairly well. But... I may be forgetting, did they show a video package with the build up hi-lis prior to the match? Certainly would have made a difference.
The big question going forth is how will they respond to what didn't work? Will they continue to push the Librarians? Or will they respond to the unanimous hate? Do they recognize that the BTE style comedy doesn't work on a grand stage? Will they make change to address the goofiness of their lights out Dark Order angle? All this said, as mentioned earlier, I liked most of the Fyter show, and am very happy with what this company has done with their 2 shows. -
Nice debut from the Von Erichs. The clustery nature of it probably worked in their favour as they look pretty green. As much as I've enjoyed the 'unstoppable' push of Jacob Fatu they may wanna ease it back - there's no way this guy isn't going to a main stage sooner than later.
I'm all for building Ki up and having him perform squash matches, but this KO shit needs to be worked a lot better than it is. Back to back WTF finishes. Just feed him some of these tiny lower card guys and let them beautifully eat his offense.
Jordan Oliver is pretty green but exhibits some heel fervor and ability. They're going to need to keep finding guys and it seems like they know this. A lot of their top roster isn't going to last for long. I'd be surprised if the blacklisted Teddy (whom everyone is saying has matured. We'll see on that), Ki and Aries don't get a contract offer from AEW sooner than later. -
2 hours ago, Tromatagon said:
If Janela got ripped he would kill his dirtball that doesn't give a fuck gimmick. Next you guys are going to say he should ditch the Pit Vipers.
This is a fair point, but he doesn't need to be ripped, he needs to look like a competitive athlete or his opponent looks weak for selling his offense. I like the suggestion of his being a manager. I'd also suggest maybe a t-shirt and a more ECW style look. Raven, Dreamer, New Jack, Sandman, etc. all hid their flawed bodies well and did so by pushing forward their gimmicks. I really wasn't into ROH/Sapolsky's push for everyone to wear lil tights in the early aughts, and I don't think the continuing influence benefits the likes of Janela.
1 hour ago, Wyld Samurai said:This reminds me of the Jake Roberts story where he got ripped while out on injury and then got yelled at by Vince as it hurt his gimmick.
I get what you're saying here, but Roberts look, or lack of, is often overstated in these conversations. He was tall and imposing enough. He also had crisp offense that sold any shortcomings of not being 'ripped'.
33 minutes ago, OctopusCinema said:I want to see El Hijo Del Vikingo and Taurus in AEW. Taurus murdering Darby would be fun.
I researched Laredo Kid yesterday by watching his pretty fantastic AAA match with El Hijo Del Vikingo. I thought Vikingo edged out Laredo as arguably the stronger performer. I read after that Vikingo has VISA issues, but I'd have to assume he's on their radar. Curious to see this Taurus you speak of.
18 minutes ago, West Newbury Bad Boy said:Whoever called Spears vs Cody based off the videos, cheers. Can't remember who that was.
Ha, I wrote following the Fyter preview video with Spears...
QuoteSpears promo was a slight bit cornball, but excited to see this sonofagun get a shot. Sorta strange finish - with the praise from the executive and Cody strangely replying he'd be a 'good hand'/good coach (like Billy Gunn, agents, etc.?).
To which this gent replied...
On 6/12/2019 at 11:38 PM, Oyaji said:Obvious set-up for a match.
Ha, and he was completely right. I like that I got worked there briefly.
QuoteThe storytelling in these Cody matches has been really good. Guy's still a natural heel though. Felt right when he started laying into Darby with the weight belt. Wonder if he's gonna get off the fence and pick a side eventually or keep riding this tweener stuff.
He's riding it beautifully. I'm really surprised what incredible presence Cody has. Tho, I saw next to nothing of his WWE run. His look and the belt swinging is reminding me a lot of Hollywood Bollea, and I very much dig it.
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10 hours ago, jaedmc said:
I don't think Mox looked like he was hurt the way say Foley looked. Instead Moxley just looked like he just finished working out.
That's always been my gripe with Moxley. He sells great for the closeups, and then it'll go out the window. He did it a ton in the SHIELD. Janela did that shit too. Like the flying elbow off the ladder. They laid there for the "CARNAGE" shot and then he got up andsauntered around the corner for the next gimmick.
I just would have liked it if the hell Moxley was put through was sold differently. They hyped it as being a crazy painful, possibly life shortening match. They came through on the crazy. But it didn't feel like anything took a toll on him. He can smile about it on instagram for the promo. But when it's happening I want see the results of physical violence.
Cody took one chair shot and couldn't walk on his own.
If that sell was peppered with pain and anguish it would have been fine. Without it, I agree, but not so horrible. The Janela match was fine, but not sure it's best for a Main Event like Moxley to be selling so much for Janela, who is fine, good on the mic, but has the pudgy body and look (could barely keep those tights up) of an 80s WWF TV jobber. Joey's got some charisma (and can wield a microphone) and could certainly be a legit player if he ever gets within the range of an athletic body/appearance.
Also, that Justin Roberts crowd address, lights out, now it's unsanctioned was really senseless.10 hours ago, jaedmc said:The Librarian stuff was an argument FOR hiring writers.
Or perhaps they need to kick the 'writers' out of the booking room. That librarian segment was embarrassing. Fans seem pretty unanimous on this - interesting to see if they'll listen. Kind of an early test of whether they do whatever they want or they listen to their audience.
1 hour ago, Beech27 said:Honestly I think my biggest problem is that the whole thing distracts from Darby—who should be a star—to put heat on a stop gap feud involving a guy with a much, much lower ceiling.
I'm new to Darby Allin. The audience connection seems legit. Belief in his starpower is a bit surprising, but I'd not seen him before this evening. This match was alright, really dug the finish, but felt very disjointed along the way. Cody has an impressive Main Event presence which continued to shine here. I love the concern from the modern day conscious fan over that chairshot. I agree with the concern. I did however like that the chairshot wasn't a throw away without reason. The shot was sold extremely well, and I'm on board to see what Shawn Spears can do on this level.
The pre-show 3 way tag match was a lot of fun. The Private Party really shined in their debut. The Best Friends and SCU were excellent here. The Dark Order promo to follow was solid, but the lights out angle, not unlike the librarians, needs to be reaccessed. Another test for AEW creative to see if they can recognize what isn't working.
Speaking of not working, I'm fearing the TV show is going to have a lot of BTE style comedy, and I'm not looking forward to it. That Young Bucks attire segment wasn't far off the Librarians segment. The Librarians segment led to the off button. I rejoined at the start of the main show.
Cima-Daniels was a solid opener and I look forward to Cima-Omega. I'd love to see Cima get a good hype man/manager. The Women's 3 way (I'm becoming a big fan of both Yuka and Riho; and want more Joshi competitors in this division) and Men's 4 way were solid. The Young Bucks/Omega-Lucha Bros/Laredo Bros was fine if a little or lot twee. Too many choreographed ('okay everybody get ready for a 3 way superkick!!!') 'cute' spots for my tastes. Still enjoyable, certainly lots of talent in there.
Quick note: too much 'this is an awesome match' from the commentators. It's one thing to show excitement, that's great, but I don't need to be told and reminded that a particular match is great. Especially if I don't actually think the match is great.
Overall this was good. Not great. I think this gives the company some things to really consider even moreso than DoN. I really hope they see that their comedy segments are better kept on youtube for the mediocre at best BTE segments. The wrestling continues to be strong with lots of creative freedom and time and that's what's most refreshing about AEW.-
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It's hard not to be skeptical (understandably so) as the previous commenters. We've seen Heyman fall prey to the Titan Sports structure before. I have to believe or hope Heyman has some sort of contract that is giving him the HHHNXT autonomy that has been suggested by PWInsider(?). I have total confidence in a Paul Heyman led promotion if his creative control is strictly in place, but again who knows if that's the case. This has me interested enough to watch my first Raw in about 15 years (tho, 3 hours no matter who is charge is far too much).
Bischoff on the other hand? He had a year and a half to two year hit and miss run in 1997 with a once in a lifetime angle (nWo) and a booker at the height of his powers (the Taskmaster). Fast forward to his TNA Run, which I shouldn't speak too much to, I watched next to nothing of it, but from what I've read and the clips I've seen - I don't see Eric Bischoff v.2019 creating a compelling product. That said, from what I'm reading about WWE TV (not watching at all), this could be at the very least an improvement. Not sure I'll be tuning into my first Smackdown in 15 years thanks to Ear-ic (as Gene always pronounced it) Bischoff. -
MLW certainly deserves a thread. They're presenting a solid product and their youtube accessibility is making it easy to see it week to week. A lot of hit and miss, but the direction is fairly solid, and seems like they're giving talent a platform to perform with artistic freedom. That said, they desperately need some good agents to help lay out these matches.
The Low Ki-Ricky Martinez knock out was ridiculous. Really, that's what knocks him out? It might've worked if Martinez had sold the clothesline more effectively? Not sure the point of a KO when the guy isn't stretchered or helped to the back. Selina de la Renta has presence, and potential, but I feel like I'm watching a bad actor in a bad movie when she's on screen. Reminds me why I don't watch the Titan Sports product.
Flamita-Horus both are very athletic and have potential, but this had a lot of numbskull moments. I'm really not sure they were aware they were supposed to beat the other up. The rash of who the hell is even on the bump-take spots is mind boggling. So dumb.
Callihan-Mance Warner had some real useless unsold big spots. The most ridiculous of these spots: Callihan second rope piledriver thru a table (!!!), quickly (?) covers for two!? The spot was completely wasted. I loved the Callihan-Cornette moment to start, and I am of the belief that Mance Warner is going to be a big name in the rasslin' bidness. He's got presence and he's already fairly crisp. I look forward to seeing where his talents takes him.
Very curious to see the Von Erichs. Tom Lawlor is a capable promo, but like all of the MLW roster - so many of the promos are 'intense' and 'angry' and unconvincing. Ease back and just show some character.
I find myself frustrated with a lot of what happens on MLW TV, but I appreciate the effort . They have a really neat roster with a lot of potential. Certainly ahead of what I've seen from the weak Ring of Honor and Impact TV products.-
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Lots of fun action from this Dominion card. I completely disagree on the Jericho-hate. Really digging his heel act and very much liked this match. Note, I'd read a 3 1/2 rating so my expectations were in check, but would've been regardless. The Ibushi-Naito head bumps - boo. But tons of fun throughout. My re-interest thru AEW has brought me to NJPW. Tho, I wasn't as in to the BOSJ tourney as much as others, this NJPW card was fun. That said, I wish they would Sell the moves. Already overly tired of the big move, gets back up, charging offence.
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Spears promo was a slight bit cornball, but excited to see this sonofagun get a shot. Sorta strange finish - with the praise from the executive and Cody strangely replying he'd be a 'good hand'/good coach (like Billy Gunn, agents, etc.?). Agreed, Janella seems ready to make his name - good promo! By the point of the Allin promo I'd kinda had enough of this style of 'intense' promo, but Allin does seem able to talk. Good! Brandi's promo wasn't blowaway, but I find her very easy to take, not obnoxious. Fair Heads of management! I'm down with that. This was all great to see in contrast to those BTE segments. Not my bag of tricks. I'm not finding them funny nor particularly useful (tho, kinda dug that Dark Order promo), but seems like the fanbase does, so that's good. Anyway, very excited about the rise of the AE Dubbya.
p.s. who is going to join the Lucha Bros against the Bucks and Omega? -
Some impressive mat action at the top of the card here.
Moxley-Juice Robinson: Moxley makes a strong debut. Juice Robinson was fine, but the way he takes his time/stalling before so many, often big, offensive maneuvers takes me out (at least briefly). It mostly makes me think he's an idiot. And when he hits the moves after taking so much time the opponent looks stupid. Also, that high dive completely missed the mark. Anyway, he's got some talent, I'd just like to see him tighten up the psychology. All this said, I enjoyed this match. Not sure this one gets quite the high ratings if it's a couple months into Moxley's run, but as a debut it certainly was impressive.
Shingo-Ospreay: Certainly lots to enjoy here. These guys match up well. I'm somewhat new to Ospreay, and I gotta wonder if people have seen some of these spots enough to overlook how stupid they are? Especially that tuck the guy's head in the corner, with feet on the second rope, into a kick to the head. WTF is that? So convoluted, as are a number of Ospreay's offensive spots. He's none the less a lot of fun to watch. Is the over the top babyface looks to the crowd supposed to be funny? Cause I do find them funny. Shingo was pretty fantastic here. Definitely really good, definitely some exciting spots, etc. EDIT: impromptu second viewing seems better than first time around.
Jay White-Tanahashi: I've only seen Jay White here and the G1 Supercard MSG match. I think I understand the detractors (I think I've seen enough to agree he was pushed too high too fast), but that match and this were both really solid. At 27 years of age, he seems to be well on his way to being the real deal. Not sure I'd rate this match as high as I've seen. Didn't really feel special, but definitely solid.I also saw the Okada-Romero vs. King-Scrull tag match. Some nice spots, but didn't hold my interest. If I'm honest, I'm slightly underwhelmed by what I've seen from the NJPW BOSJ shows. Perhaps I just bought the hype too much. Or maybe I'm not prepared for the modern psychology of pro wrestling? I'm sure irish whips seemed impossible to overlook back in the 70s too. This isn't to say that I haven't enjoyed most of what I've watched because I have. But maybe I don't need a NJPW world subscription.
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I'm coming at this pretty fresh with the product. This is only the second NXT PPV I've seen. I'd watched a few TVs during my near decade run away from (regularly watching) wrestling. I loved, like I assume most of you, the NY PPV.
The Opener I agree with the consensus. Roderick Strong has always impressed and he seems even better in 2019. Riddle is so impressive, and in any well run company would be a potential number 1. The match was everything I wish the standard to be in wrestling. Physical and logical. Strong's combos are unreal, and Riddle is so talented.
The 'Scramble' ladder match was very entertaining. These multi man, especially multi team, matches aren't regularly in my wheelhouse, but this one was entertaining thoroughout. That leap to the ladder/finish spot was incredible. I like everybody I was seeing in there. All pretty new to me. Also, the big man run in and beatdown was nicely put together. Look forward to seeing more of these teams - especially this new Championship combo.Looking forward to the rest of the show. Love what I've seen of the Dream. I'm not overexposed to Gargano or Cole, so I'm curious how this will render my viewing.
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The Helmsley Main Event/Post brand split era very quickly ended my run as a regular viewer. Trips matches were a bore and his long terrible interviews were the beginning of the end. The rise of Stephanie McMahon was a huge contributing factor - brutal. The burial of the WCW talent and the invasion angle was also a major contributor. I switched the channel to TNA, but their product never captivated me. ROH was really good at that time, but their production (inept burning lights straight into the camera; would've been fine with just keeping the lights on in the building) made it difficult to watch. More so the smarky Gabe Sapolsky (and his voice; not quite what I would call 'broadcast quality') commentary made it impossible to watch.
I came back for the ECW One Night Stand PPVs; which I loved. I was as excited about WWECW post ONS2 (as I am now about AEW). The idea of Paul Heyman booking ECW with WWE's backing seemed can't miss. I was obviously completely and miserably wrong, and only stuck around for a couple weeks.-
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Pretty new to NJPW2019, and wondering, does NJPW World subscription service provide the opportunity to watch the matches with the Japanese commentary? I wouldn't suggest Kevin Kelly's commentary is horrible, but I've never been a fan of his voice or style of call, and find him distracting. I just don't connect to his style. And I know next to nothing of Juice Robinson as a wrestler, but his Indie/Inside/Comedy-style (probably not the best description) commentary frustrates me and takes me out of the match. I really long to hear the simple monotone to hysterical Japanese commentary.
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Rocky/ELP didn't quite connect for me until it got hot down the finish. ELP is a talented performer but he really needs to tighten up some of that offence (chops, etc.), and subtract some of the cartoon to his mostly strong heel act. Looking forward to the Ospreay-ELP match. This is my first foray into the NJPW World since my days in the tape trade.
EDIT: Ospreay-ELP was pretty fantastic. That Phantasmo-Ref nonsense down the end really shed some of it's star power, but pretty excellent nonetheless.
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Nothing but love for AEWDONPPV here.
The battle royale was excellent. That ecstatic Shawn Spears mid-match moment felt like a loud call out to all the mismanaged squandered talent across the E universe - especially those able to make the jump. Pillman Jr. (looking Morton Jr as someone pointed out) is most certainly destined for the top of the card. So to the unique and wonderful talent that is Orange Cassidy! Lots of potential breakout stars in there.
The Sabian-Guevera match was excellent as well. So to the opening six man (I see Scorpio Sky as a singles star shortly). So great to see Daniels-Kazarian getting a much deserved run on national television. Lindaman in particular on the fantastic OWE side was impressive. It'll be exciting to see who else OWE has to offer.The women's 4 way was fine (nice Awesome Kong surprise), certainly not bad, but not at the level of the rest of the card. My hope is they focus heavily on the Joshi talent whom delivered nicely. That match made me very interested in seeking out more Joshi.
Best Friends-Angelico/Evans was solid; not familiar with the Super Smash Bros but they looked impressive with their troops.
Cody-Dustin was top notch. Great story, well executed. Bringing some real honest emotion back to the (US) squared circle. The blood gushing out of that 50 year old man's head was a tad bit frightening. I thought the throne dig was fun and funny, but not as funny as this negative reaction. Tho, I do find it kind of admirable that the root of the complaint may be a need from certain fans for sportsmanship and class. Truth be told, I left the world of pro wrestling in the early aughts due to the all powerful Helmsley politico run, the burials, the boring interviews and angles and matches, so that felt like long overdue comeuppance.
Nice to see the Hit man. MJF was really good in that segment. I am new to Adam Page, but I like what I saw in the Casino Royale.
The Bucks-Luchas was fun. Yeah, really would have been beautiful to end on that exciting Lucha Bros flurry. Like a lot of posters on here, the Big spot false finishes didn't quite work for me either, but the match was certainly a ton of fun. This is by far the best example I've seen of the Lucha Bros wrok - very impressive.
Omega-Jericho was excellent. I liked the Jericho entrance, but that Fozzy song is beyond terrible. Jericho's caved in chest with his thickness presents a strange bloated look, but he looked as good in-ring as I ever remember seeing him. Omega is as great and deserving of the hype. Loved the clean finish here, and throughout the show. It's really great how such a simple variable as only having clean finishes can so greatly influence the direction of a show and a company. Also, loved the post match Jericho promo. And all his heel work throughout the match and pre-match. Reminds me how great he was in the late90sWCW when he wasn't forced to adhere to horrible scripting. The Moxley run-in POP was exhilarating! What an excellent hook this show left on!
Kudos to AEW, they lived up to the hype. Here's hoping they can keep it at this level. If so, I'm a full time wrestling fan again.
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AEW - SUMMER 2019
in ALL ELITE WRESTLING
Posted · Edited by HarryArchieGus
My Television region made JCP NWA impossible to follow on a weekly basis, so my exposure to Gorgeous Jimmy and his beautiful valet Precious was pretty random. I always thought his charisma jumped off the screen, and I wasn't sure whether to boo or cheer him. I'm sure you're analysis is accurate. I've seen some of the war with the Rougeaus in MTL and Von Erichs in Texas. Garvin also held the AWA tag titles with Steve Regal; which I also saw very little of, but did have their action figures, so I had some great imaginary battles with the Roadies and the Birds during the late 80s. I always loved finding the far more obscure to the LJN, at least in Canada, AWA figures. I had a Flair double pack with Zbysko as well.
Glad we can all agree on the love for Double Z Top. I dig their 70s run, but Eliminator is still a go to. Also, I absolutely loved the 'Got Me Under Pressure' opening for Maple Leaf Wrestling here in Canada circa 1986.