HumanChessgame

Here's Gunther vs a 50 year old PCO from 2018, which is one of the matches that really made Gunther get noticed stateside. Granted PCO is considerably more mobile and capable in-ring than Goldberg, but it shows he knows how to work an opponent like that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zB_eE0XQsI

I watched the first few matches, went out and did some shit, then came home and watched the rest. Watching PPVs after the fact is something I've come to prefer as I can skip bits that aren't of interest as long as I take steps not to spoil anything. Even then this seemed like it was excessively long. -Trios match could have easily been saved for the weekly shows or preshow. -Casino gauntlet match was better than I expected, but I don't think MJF needed to win. Him being back in the title picture does put an interesting wrinkle -With all the guys on the roster, putting Dustin and Sammy in is definitely a choice. Dustin winning the TNT title was all well and good but it coming out of nowhere instead of having a buildup just kind of took away from how much impact it could have had otherwise. Is there any word on how legit Cole's medical situation is? -I've always hoped Swerve would get "Ain't Nobody" back as his theme at some point and Jojo singing him out with it was awesome. I was surprised at how slow and level the pace started on this match and at how little the Bucks indulged in their stooging and bullshit comedy. When they do this they can be a part of some really entertaining spectacles and this was no exception. -I'm here for more Statlander/Bayne she-hoss offs. Much like the men's gauntlet match, this was more entertaining then I'd thought it would be. Statlander was my pick to win but I'm happy Athena went over. She's due for a bigtime main roster run. -The tag title match was basically just an angle to set up Hurt Syndicate/FTR and Nick Wayne's turn/E&C reunion. The only issue I have with the latter is that Christian is 100% the asshole in his situation and got what he deserved. -Toni/Mone seemed like it went forever but was a good match. -Omega and Okada's best days are both past them but they tried to do the best they cold here -The main event had a ton of build with a lot of work put into various aspects of the storyline, not just between Moxley and Page but the ancillary players in the larger angle like Swerve and the rest of the Death Riders. That said, I just didn't have that much investment in it. Moxley sucks and the Death Riders stable is dead as hell. I'm in the minority here, but Hangman will always be a white meat babyface to me. But this isn't about me, and Page is undeniably over and the story here has been propped up as the focal point of AEW. It was great to see Danielson make an appearance. The match itself was the excessive dog and pony show I expected but the right person went over in the end. I haven't watched any of WWE's offerings, but this has been a damn good weekend to be a pro wrestling fan so far.

As much as ROH tends to be an afterthought or Dark with angles, this show delivered in-ring. I wish they could get ROH back to what it was pre-covid and have it be a proper indy and not just stuck being taped in front of partially empty arenas before or after shows. The main event was an MOTYC and worth checking out, even if one isn't interested in the rest of the card.

This is my biggest worry about All In; that TK has some grand storyline like this in mind and when we think we're going to get some catharsis with Hangman winning, it just keeps going until Darby or whomever else is able to finally finish the story.

So the matches surrounding placement in the Casino Gauntlet match were for being the first entrant. Wouldn't this put you at a disadvantage by having to go through everyone else in the match? I get furthering the angle between Briscoe and MJF, but it doesn't make sense otherwise. Wouldn't it make more sense for the winner to be the last entrant?

They did just fine with Caster's raps and Bowens' follow-up which were comedic, but not the corny shit they did when Billy joined in with them.

Bowens and Caster were definitely a "sum is greater than the parts" team. Caster's loser streak continuing and Bowens not being able to find his place in the singles scene is good enough cause for them to get back together, as long as they don't bring Gunn along and ditch the scissoring and other bullshit comedy. Them getting back together, going on a hot streak, and being challengers to The Hurt Syndicate wouldn't be the worst way to go.

I'm neutral to Outkast in general as they don't play music I generally enjoy, but "Roses" will always have a soft spot with me. In the summer of 2004 post-college me was working at a decrepit minor league baseball stadium, mostly working an area at the edge of the field people could rent out for parties before the games. I'd be finishing up by the end of the first or second inning, and if I wanted some extra hours and the business necessitated it I'd either bartend or work at the main concession stand. Work at the stand sucked for multiple reasons, but all the people I was friends with there ran it and that made it palatable. The local hip hop station was almost always playing in there, and any time "Roses" would come on, we'd all sing along with it and not bother to censor the chorus no matter the demographics of the people in line (we did the same thing if "Get Low" came on). Good times, even if that was a low point in my life. So I guess tonight starts the build to Summer Slam?

I've been a Punk apologist in the past, but this promo was really cringe. Obviously some of the wrestlers have the stroke to not work the Saudi shows if they don't want to and I'm sure he's one of them. Had he stayed home, either by flat out refusing to play Cena's game and wrestle him there or by some injury angle that would be one thing. Hell, he could even say something along the line of "WWE Saudi fans are good people but fuck the monarchy in charge" and that would be one thing. Unless this is some type of elaborate 4D chess that's going to lead to him turning heel, but that isn't happening.

I keep meaning to go to a Deadlock show as they run in Durham pretty regularly, but so far I've always been indisposed when they've come to town. They have a nice mix of indy journeymen as well as some impressive local guys. Everything I've seen of Bojack has been really good for a guy with his experience level.

Put six of the lucha guys they've been using lately in a trios match and let them have at it.

I know things are different for independent contractors vs full time employees, but wouldn't AEW handle visa applications for the wrestlers? Like mentioned above, criminal charges are a matter of public record so it's not like they'd need to hire a PI to find out about his legal history. Edit: looking at his archived arrest record, it looks like a misdemeanor charge of weed possession from 2012? I wouldn't think that would necessitate a travel ban

I want a storyline where some guy has been feuding with the champ on and off for a long time and always getting screwed out of a shot or losing due to some fuck finish. Then, he finally gets the win only to find out the boat drifted over the international waters borderline right before he got the pinfall and therefore the belt was no longer on the line.

The International Waters title which can only be defended on the Jericho Cruise or any other flotation device that is at least 200 nautical miles off the coast of land.

For once a targeted facebook recommendation provided me with something useful as it clued me into a deathmatch show taking place last night by Sinister Wrestling Society. I had no idea this company existed (they've put on one show a year since 2018) and I wasn't familiar with any of the talent that ended up on the show save for Remington Rhor and Nathan Mowery. An hour's drive and only ten bucks general admission? Don't mind if I do. Some folks from Bloodstorm Pro were supposed to be on the event, but apparently had travel issues so a lot was re-booked on the fly with no official card announced beforehand. Here's one full match from the show featuring Gozzie Deveraux and Brian White. Gozzie is a trans woman, and around 13:30 White, who was the heel in the match, admonishes some dingus for misgendering her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5piJ_CBVPGw In the semi-main Remington Rhor and Lazarus Black had a really hard hitting showdown that featured a second robe death valley driver through a pile of light tubes on a pane of glass that cleared 2/3 of the ring. The final match featured Nathan Mowery against Raven Havok (who is also the promoter) and Brad Cash that included a flaming board and multiple glass and tube bumps. There were multiple times in the night the ref came close to fucking up a count and the finish was really awkward on account of one of these. Still, a good time was had by all. I'd put some pics up here but don't have the ability.

I remember this clip from the same promotion that made the rounds a few years ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9DBSNBMyFc

I just watched this and it was pretty nuts. There was a massive amount of juice on both guy's parts (Bear especially) and it went a good while with both of them really laying it in.

I think Shane is terrible in just about everything he did in the ring on multiple reasons, but I also have a soft spot for the Angle match. Part of it was watching it live while catching up with an old high school friend and being surprised at how chaotic and over the top it was, plus the juice Shane got. I could kind of buy him being able to be competitive with Angle because the nature of the match was so far out of Angle's wheelhouse (plus under-estimation) that Shane was able to hold his own for a while.

Yes, I completely am. I always had trouble remembering the two of them were different people.

I was always a big fan of Abadon even though they were still green. There have been a number of questionable choices of guys they used or haven't and how. I don't see how they couldn't figure out a way to do something with Danhausen either, but he looks to be doing fine on the indies and convention circuit. Mariah allegedly going to WWE makes me wonder if they'll try and have her make new puppets to trademark.

I remember the Break the Barrier show being a big deal when it happened back in 1999. It was being promoted as the first big indy supershow (I believe the people who ran Scoops Central were the promoters) and was supposedly one of the inspirations behind starting ROH.

What I liked most about food in New Orleans was that I could walk into just about any dive bar (which means basically every other establishment in town) and get a decent meal at any time of day. The first place I ate there was an alligator sausage poboy at a bar a few blocks from my hotel.

Wrestling fans have always been weird on their fringe edges. I mean in the territory days you had marks trying to legit murder heels because they took it all seriously. Now the internet has made the same people realize angles are just that, but the crazed fans have just found new ways to be weirdos.

Looks like Calo and Hidaka had a couple matches in TNN era ECW. I remember Hidaka doing a couple of early ROH shows as well. He had a really good match with Amazing Red. Their time limit draw with Sabu and RVD was one of the first ECW matches I ever saw. I should try and revisit it sometime.

This may be my answer too. They had some bangers with Owen and Davey on Raw. It looks like they worked a house show circuit with eachother as well which were probably awesome. I was going to say Eddy in ROH but the wrestling Mandela Effect got me again because he only worked one match there. Hard to believe he and Rey had a three way with Punk in IWA-MS at that time too.