Nineteen

I was at the first Ring of Honor PPV and I remember Delirious vs. Roderick Strong being not just bad but weirdly bad. It was RoH's first chance with a wide audience it was a weird choice to showcase Delirious in a grudge match that went overly long. I guess the build up to it to was uncomfortable coming off a match where Delirious knocked legit knocked himself out and Strong.... kind of followed up in a bad way. All that side, the match itself was bad and long but comes off as worse when you factor in the other contexts.

I was really hoping that program would have gone past All Out. I guess Miro's hurt? He hasn't been around much and had his leg taped for the Danielson match. Anything King has done has been outstanding though. I love how whenever he has to deal with 2.0 he doesn't hold back, even with last night's "ARE YOU DONE, ARE YOU DONE!" I still think their run has some legs in it. When they do drop it down the line, I'm more hoping it's to Santana and Ortiz.

I feel like Rave was the only guy then willing to take a powder, really willing to stall and break out other BS. He had big programs against overwhelming fan favorites like AJ and Punk and I feel like he knew playing up heel tendencies was more important than going out and having the "this is awesome match." And his matches usually were fantastic.

Fuck, man. Before the lockdown, him and Nana challenged for the tag belts at a little North Jersey indy and I really wanted to go but had something come up that night. It was the first I'd heard anything about him in some years. It felt like he'd pop up occasionally and after hearing so much about his early life I always hoped/assumed he found some peace and happiness away from wrestling. Sucks especially hearing what he's been through over the past few years.

Damn man we're off the Daniel Garcia train already? There's definitely something to this kid though. I popped big for busting out the Tazmission

The comment sections on AEWs social for women's matches and the division are.... revealing about a lot of those fans. Aaaaaaaaand of course people are always totally civil about Nyla

So it's been a while since I've gone through the sleaze thread and just did and.... I forgot how jarring the shifts are from hilarious to disgusting to horrifying.....

I really did like Tenille and Jessi's little "Aussie Off" about what the name of that super group would be. I know it's the cliche but what were WWE thinking splitting up Jessi and Cassie to begin with? Zack Ryder vs. Big Cass as a meaningful main event of a weekly television show, who saw that coming? Yeah the advertising on this one felt strange, like Morrisey was already in but Cardona had to earn his spot. Why didn't they just call this a #1 contenders match? Anyway, watch was really good all that aside. EY vs. Rhino was probably my favorite part of the night, really dug commentary bringing up Rhino's roots being "extreme," was really hoping to see EY get gored in half too. The Casey Jones mask is a nice touch for Young too.

Being from Jersey, I've had this resentment toward Long Island that for some strange reason people from other parts of the country take their stereotypes and apply them to us. So last night I was totally with Punk fucking letting them know. ANYWAY! Riho vs. Hayer and Danielson vs. Silver were both fantastic. Thought it was interesting that Danielson is still coming out of the face tunnel. Really curious where this Dante/Team Taz thing is going too, like did MJF pay him off to help him out only to betray him? So now does Dante have Lio and Taz pissed off at him? Is Darius back soon? If wrestling doesn't work out, Julia Hart really needs to go into horror movies with that scream. Malakai at least had an agenda going after Cody so feels like the Blondes are definitely a step down, ala MJF having that little beef with Kid Pillman after the Jericho promo ended. I just want good things for Dutch Satan =(

I have friend a who's huge Bullet Club fan and talked himself out of getting the hat since it's just the skull and cross guns and seems... in the same wheelhouse as that I have a friend that I had known for about four years before we realized we were both into wrestling. We met when a friend tried to set us up so in those situations I never bring it up. We ended up not dating and just becoming friends then we both went to a takeover without realizing the other one was there until we both posted pictures of the arena that day.

Kind of impressed how good the ECW/2300/New Alhambra/Arena Arena looks these days. I remember it being such a dive was part of ECW's appeal. I went to a few Ring of Honor shows there as kind of a wrestling fan pilgrimage and even then it still had that dank feeling to it. Really impressed albeit a little sad by how good it looks these days. I wouldn't believe it was the same building if not for being told. Feels like Strong has been, well, stronger than New Japan proper. I guess the benefit of shows hovering around an hour (maybe 90 minutes tops) is refreshing after the slogs that were the G1 this year and the talent pool is way fresher with guys Chris Dickinson, Lio Rush, Team Filthy on top of the bigger names like Switchblade and Suzuki (and I'm psyched for King/Mox vs. Archer/Suzuki round II tomorrow). Also, fun to watch Chris Dickinson without the "Dick Strings" chant. Good on you, ECW arena fans for playing it classier than some other crowds I've been a part of

The ONE TIME a falcon arrow finishes a match and we don't get Excalibur's "No one kicks out of the falcon arrow" call. Really loved the dueling BAY BAYs and keeping Cassidy from getting his hands in his pockets. Not sure what the plans are for the Elite going forward but I'm hoping this Fish/Cole team has some legs, would love to see them vs. Penta and Fenix at some point. 2.0 and Garcia is such a bizarre pairing and it's amazing how these two goofballs have taken murder submission kid under their wing and they just work so well together. King's "just shut up, just shut up, please shut up" popped me pretty good.

When making a list like this I think we all factor in either a whole career or specific timeframe (someone brought up Barry Windham's four years). If I were to put Yano on my list, I feel like it would be for one moment and that is a moment that could earn anyone a spot on a list like this....

Tried doing a top 5 over the summer that ended up turning into a top 10 then into a top 20 Subject to revision but I'm pretty comfortable with 1. Shawn Michaels 2. Minoru Suzuki 3. Bryan Danielson 4. Kenta Kobashi 5. Chris Jericho 6. The Rock 7. Tetsuya Naito 8. CM Punk 9. Undertaker 10. Bret Hart Honorable mentions to Kawada and Okada but if I keep going then I'll waste my day turning this into a top 20 (Flair, Cena, Van Dam, Nigel McGuinness ....) And here's a top 5 for Tag Teams 1. Kings of Wrestling (Hero and Claudio) 2. Revival/FTR 3. Motor City Machine Guns 4. The Briscoes 5. Holy Demon Army

Was really surprised by how much I liked Jade and Velvet. It's fun to watch Jade grow too, how much more comfortable in the ring and how much more confident she and natural she comes off in her character. Velvet is always fun too. I don't watch the web shows but didn't realize Billy joined Cody in getting his last name back. For a while it was Billy AND Austin/Colton Gunn ala Cody AND Brandy Rhodes. Billy Gunn laying into Sting on a real life wrestling show today... who could call have that one?

I was so hyped when they announced this, Danielson defending the ROH title vs. Rocky is my favorite RoH match that no one talks about, and tonight totally delivered too, Just like everything else tonight! Loved Lio and Dante vs. Sydal and Moriarty. Dax vs. Pac was outstanding too, and I know people give Kenny shit for over acting in his promos but everything he said just having been built on the past few years and even before (a tag partner you felt you couldn't live up to), top top top stuff. So pumped for Saturday... though I can't watch until Sunday... but pumped!

I can't imagine being a wrestler dealing with /this/ fanbase and not fantasizing about doing that on regular "Did you say that I'm a Johnny Kickpads that only got over because I work more like a gymnast than a wrestler? "Yeah, and-"

Scarlet Knight Alumn too! Yeah my very class at RU was in that building and when I saw that I was like "You've got to be shitting me but AWESOME!"

Saw him at two GCW shows (vs. Homicide at NYC and vs. Janela at AC), and Dynamite in Newark (end of show beat down with Archer on Mox and Kingston). I remember getting super into his NOAH stuff on Ditch's site after his match with Kobashi. Never thought I'd get to see him live but so grateful that I got see him 3 times over about a month, and that's not counting a Rev Pro show before G1 Supercard (Suzuki/Zack vs. Tanahashi/Ospreay). Kaze ni nare~

Man I really want to be happy for Corey and Carmella but then you remember Corey's ex accusing him of cheating on her with Carmella, everyone denying it up and down until the breakup was official, now... yeah.....

Yeah enjoying the G1 this year on a pretty surface level.

Really liking a potential Danielson vs. Archer or Kingston match in the second round, either should be fantastic. I feel like Luchas/Revival could have been handled better. I feel like if they went in as Super Ranas that's how they should have been announced after the match too, that and... having to defend the belts as Super Ranas going forward. Have this be like when 2.0 also wrestled as The Bad Boyz within the same company. I'm psyched that it looks like we're finally getting Hangman knocking off Kenny but I'm really hoping someday we get Dutch Satan as AEW champion

So who had a match on AEW's B show pre show (say that 3 times fast) ending up on moty lists..... Feels like one of those times where AEW inadvertantly overshadows lots of other good stuff by having one thing be like... too awesome and I can't believe that's something that is even possible. Really liked Ruby and Bunny, wondering who Ruby is gonna get as a partner against Penelope and Allie down the road. Fish has been outstanding in his two outings since getting here. I popped hard for the Gunn Club joke during Dark Order's promo too. Man, Matt Sydal has these sneaky moments where he makes people remember how good he can be, he had that banger vs. Kenny earlier this year now this. Really liking how Punk adjusts based on his opponents too. I know the talk of him being "happy" for the first time ever but this is reminding me of modern Tanahashi where the experience is really shining through which is weird for a dude who was off for 7 years. And yes, because I'm sure we all shouted it, Kaze Ni Nare~

Had a pretty good time at the Sunday GCW show. Brought a few friends for Suzuki but we we all missed that there was a deathmatch on the card (Jimmy Lloyd and Alex Colon). I had a phase when I was pretty into BJW so it was a fun surprise for me but my friends are very much not deathmatch fans sooo.. at least had fun with their reactions. Guessing they're gonna load up the card for the Hammerstein show. This was second time at GCW and was really glad I went both times. With a decent enough card I'll probably hit up Hammerstein too

Night 6 of B Block, first time I've been flat wrong about all 5 matches on one night