Gordi the former AEW fan

My 15 favourites. Today, specifically. In order of how much joy they spark in my heart. ? 1 - Giant Baba 2 - Bryan 3 - Ishii 4 - Eddie Kingston 5 - Terry Funk 6 - Andre 7 - Asian Cooger 8 - Ebessan 9 - Super Porky/Brazo de Plata 10 - Alexander Otsuka 11 - MiSu 12 - Kana-chan 13 - Lulu Pencil 14 - Masanobu Kurisu 15 - Les Kellett The "watching their matches makes my heart leap with joy, but then thinking about them makes me sad" list would include Misawa, Eddie, Owen, and a couple dozen others. "15 Greatest" would be way harder. Plus my list would be objectively wrong, and also mostly 80s and 90s AJPW guys and maybe I'd rank Shinobu Kandori over Hokuto and Taue over Kobashi or something... plus no luchadores. Unless you count Eddie Guerrero. Bryan, Funk, and Andre would make both lists... Hm. Maybe: Bryan Funk Jumbo/Tenryu tied for third ? Fujiwara Andre Baba Misawa Kawada Kandori Jaguar Liger Bret Eddie Hashimoto Taue But... So many genuinely great wrestlers still not listed... impossible. "Favourites" is definitely more fun! And even that list would be different tomorrow.

Please include MiSu and Ishii in subsequent weeks. And not in the same week as each other, or Bryan. Or Kingston. If you stretch it out over a month or two, I can vote for each of my favourites. I voted for Yuta over Mox partly because Yuta's great year is something I never saw coming and I am genuinely delighted by it. "Which tag team is having the best year in the ring?" would be a lot of fun, too. I wonder who would come in second!

The annual tournament that's now called the G1 Climax. It was called the IWGP League (International Wrestling Grand Prix) from 83-88. Hogan won in '83, beating Inoki in the final. Then Inoki, Andre (over Fujinami!), Inoki, Inoki, Inoki. '89 there was a World Cup single-elimination tournament including some Russian wrestlers (and Wayne "the Train" Bloom)! No Inoki. Mutoh vs Hash in the final. There was no tournament in 1990, then the first G1 was held in '91

Tomohiro Ishii vs Eddie Kingston from NJPW Capital Collision (May 15, 2022, Washington DC) might be my favourite match so far this year, which is REALLY saying something. They work (edit: they fight) a straight up King's Road classic, and with these two warriors you know it's 100% sincere, coming straight from the heart. A genuine expression of pro wrestling love.

Austin Gunn stole the show today. Riho covering her ears and shaking her head in response to Rancid and Smart Mark hobbling around wearing a neck brace also got legit, loud, lols outa me. Speaking of great songs Tony K has given his wrestlers... How about this one, for Statlander:

Wardlow/MJF contract signing was the best pro wrestling segment since This Is Your Life. Great show, so much wrestling, BCC joining Eddie Santana and Ortiz was PERFECT, but MJF in Lon Gisland absolutely takes the cake this week.

As part of a team she could be Vickie "tag in" Dreamboat. Then when she starts to get super popular Vickie "Bandwagon" Dreamboat.

No fooling: I absolutely want Kota Ibushi vs Zicky Dice.

I am wondering, right now, if there is a pro wrestling company in America where Kota Ibushi has friends, where the owner has shown that he has no problem letting the wrestlers take time off to heal up from injuries. Just wondering.

It's so true! Making one or two simple positive changes at a time, then sticking with those changes until they become habit... That really seems to be a good way to make big changes over time.

I've hit on a pretty good pattern for my workouts recently where I alternate a squat/pull/push + accessory work day with a "simple and sinister" day of get-ups and swings + snatches and sandbag work. Full day or two off between workouts (with long walks). Three or four training days per week. Seems to be just the right balance. Have lots of energy to attack every training day. Thursday I did four cycles of squats, Australian (fat boy) pull-ups, and incline push-ups. Then three straight sets of hanging knee raises and a two rounds of mechanical drop set dumbbell curls. Saturday was five sets each of Hindu push-ups, sandbag get-ups, hand to hand kettlebell swings, sandbag shoulder-to-shoulder presses, and kettlebell snatches. Then Monday was a repeat of Thursday but with one less set in each round because I was really pressed for time. Generally, workouts take about 35-45 minutes. I'm down to 92.5 kilos after hitting a high of 119 last year, and starting my diet at 112 kilos in October. After a three-day fast over the (Japanese) holiday weekend I got down to 91.8 kilos, which I think is the lowest I have been since the 1990s. Bodyfat currently around 12 or 13%. (Based on caliper measurements). Calories are up to 24-2800 per day and I am still slowly losing fat. Generally, I'll have one day every week or two where I drop down to 1600 calories. Food still mostly soups, salads, chicken, eggs, seafood, fruits, veggies, oatmeal, nuts, fermented foods like miso and umeboshi. I'll enjoy curry or ramen or karaage or popcorn and/or beer or something "fun" like that once or twice, most weeks. It's fully a habit now. Don't even have to really think about it any more. Supplements are whey, greens powder, creatine, fish oil, curcumin.

The purple one (Space? Power?) is ChocoPro.

I am delighted that the very first thing Hook ever sold for was a JD Drake chop. There was a lot of very fun all-action wrestling on the show today, but it was more than worth waking up at 6:30 am just to see that.

I loved that the ROH Women's Title match got the main event slot tonight. I loved the pacing of tonight's show, spacing things out a bit with interviews and goofy Ass Boy segments and note-perfect Regal promo videos. There were a ton of little things I enjoyed, like Jeff's pink and black gear, the folks in the cheap seats rising for Dragon's entrance, and Jericho getting his booboo kissed better... There was some molten gold on commentary tonight, like (if I understood correctly) Tony letting JR know he wasn't fooling anybody w/r/t the Wu-Tang and Ex gracefully (but with a smile in his voice) covering for Tony on the three amigos. But I am here to make some music-based "jokes" that if, like, five people "get" them I will be happy: "Joke" #1: Hangm'n's new theme song: Series #2: (because his name is Morrissey now): This night has opened my eyes: Some Wrestlers are Bigger Than Others! He's so big he makes Wardlow look like Half a Person. But he ended up the First in the Gang to Die. (As he was going up for the powerbomb, Morrissey thought, I know it's over). Here comes MJF. Big Mouth Strikes Again! I guess we all Hate it When our Friends Become Successful. But MJF really is a boy with a thorn in his side... Eh... That Joke isn't Funny Any More. edit: Hook vs... JD Drake. ? Oh boy I love it when they book to my specific (and non-ironic) tastes. Drake is, indeed, my own personal "Mark Henry."

Probably my last chance to do one of these for a while. (Just busy - with good things like work and family). (I'll still be watching every show, lurking here, and chiming in when I have a little spare time). Today. On Dark. On Youtube. They announced an Owen Thingy match... between... Dante (Martin, of Top Flyte or maybe Top Flight)... and... Fenix. That made me very happy. Already announced were: Another Owen Qualifier, between Bobby the Fish and Brother Nemo. Are they gonna flood the tournament with Undisputed Elite guys? Or will Jeff win his first AEW singles match? Did you know Bobby Fish used to be called Jerk Jackson? BCC vs Angelico, Butch(er) and Blade. You realise this means Wheeler vs Angelico on the mat, right? Wardlow vs MJF's Secret Mystery Opponent who is seven feet tall,which is a thing that cannot be taught. I wanna see a seven-footer get powerbombed. Doubt I am the only one. Jericho vs Santana, following up The Fireball Incident. I expect extra helpings of violence here. And Purrazzo vs Mercedes! For the ROH Women's belt! They could steal the show, like Shida and Deeb did last week. Dark was super entertaining today. I fully suggest you watch it if you haven't already. or even if you have, but you have time to kill. I am cautiously optimistic that this week's Dynamite will be structured and paced similar to last week's Rampage, with an extra pinch of interviews and other segments to space out the matches and let things breathe a tiny bit more. I really enjoyed that. Just a small tweak, but it felt like a genuine improvement. Also, I love that we are getting weekly free doses of Blackpool Combat Club. It remains an amazing time to be a pro wrestling fan.

So you're saying that since her debut, for many people, her destination has been... unknown?

It really was. Started out hot with the high-speed high-risk tournament match. Finished up with punishing stiffness. It felt like there were more interviews and vignettes than usual, with a whole segment devoted to Hookhausen angle advancement, but none of the four matches felt rushed or short-changed. Things seemed to have a bit more room to breathe than usual. All four matches (and the Hookhausen deal) were entertaining in different ways. Crowd reacted well to everything, too, which always helps with my enjoyment. I hope the decision-makers at AEW are as happy with that show as I am. Rampage is always an entertaining hour that just breezes by, but the format today, with slightly more space around the matches, felt pretty close to ideal.

A good thing about KOR beating JB is that it got me believing that Ishii could win here today. I woke up early and watched Jay vs Shooter and Ishii vs MiSu from Windy City Riot, so this was the second best Ishii match I have watched today. You will never believe this: Hold on to your hats and make sure your monocles are securely inserted, maybe charge up your defibrillator before clicking on the spoilers in case your heart stops from sheer surprise: Archer yeeted Sir Pentico real good. Garcia vs Mad King was pretty great! I want Kingston vs Taichi at Forbidden Door. For the right to represent Kawada's legacy. Loser has to wear Misawa's colours for a year. I love that my tablet autocompletes both "Misawa" and "Kawada" The Baddies throwing popcorn was awesome. Shafir is the most underrated wrestler on these boards! Another white hawt Dynamite coming right up! Ladder match, UE 10-man, Deeb v Shida, Archer vs Wardlow, DAX vs CASH!!! I am so happy they didn't call Stone Pitbull Ishi-ee this time!! I LOVED Kingston's Ohtani tribute!!! He's the best.

I honestly cannot stop thinking about this. How about Hager vs Lawlor? Or, if we wanna put BCC in singles or tag matches, how about Jericho Hager Garcia vs MiSu Archer and Zack (or Taichi)! Hardys vs TenKozi? Sonny Kiss vs Yano? Literally any of Shota Ren Tsuji Yuya or Kosei vs any of Wheeler Garcia Moriarty Big Shotty... Literally any of Darby Sammy Starks Swerve Dante Orange Trent Fuego Griff PAC Fenix Moriarty Lethal vs any of Hiromu Despy El P Ishimori Rocky TAKA... Bryan Mox Hangm'n JB Dax Cash Miro Kenny Matt Nick Toa Liona JD Boulder Silver Blade Butcher Christian Punk Dustin Mad King Lee Hobbs KOR Andrade Comoroto Joe Wardlow Santana Ortiz... Literally any of them vs literally any of Okada Naito Shingo Cobb Tana Jay Zack Ibushi ... Dickenson Lawlor Moose... And for sure I have forgotten someone obvious. Like 10 or Colton Gunn or Dalton Castle or Will Ospreay or Bobby Fish... And most of all LITERALLY ANY COMBO of Bryan Gresham Garcia Hook Wheeler vs ZSJ Shibata or MiSu. Edit: Mad King vs Taichi for the rights to Kawada's legacy! Loser has to wear Misawa's colours for one year. Edit: I totally forgot House of Spookiness! Like Archer, they could represent either side...

BCC vs Suzuki Gun Hiromu vs Fenix or Dante or Sammy or Starks El Phantasmo vs Darby Khan on the Cobb vs Swerve & Lee Punk vs Knife Pervert Gresham vs Shibata Naito & Shingo vs The FTRs Finlay & Juice vs Butcher & Blade Okada vs Jungle Boy JD Drake vs Ishii EVIL vs Evil Uno loser has to change their name Yano vs Miro or Joe Orange vs TAKA Shota Umino vs Daniel Garcia Ishimori vs PAC Despy vs Moriarty Kenny vs Ibushi? Or some mix of Golden Lovers, Cole, reDragon, Bucks... Just get Kenny back in time, and in the same ring as Ibushi again Tanahashi vs Sting Adam Page vs Lawlor or Moose or any of the top NJPW guys other than EVIL I mean, (based on recent NJ vs NOAH and vs AJPW "supercards") we are most likely getting a bunch of multi-man tags with obvious pinfall eaters and a couple of "one company's top guys vs the other company's mid-carders" foregone conclusion matches... But ANY of the above, or the hundred or so other dream combinations, would be pretty amazing. I am absolutely on tenterhooks waiting to see how much greatness can be negotiated.

I don't know, since I don't live in America ? Apparently they are sold out in Japan now! Maybe I got the last pair. Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling Long Boxer Shorts, Tomohiro Ishii XL 3445057138 https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08YY6WP1N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_i_TNMTAA9DBDQF8KADWQR3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1? They still have Tanahashi ones (and also Sanada and Naito). https://www.amazon.co.jp/Hiroji-Kabashi-Long-Boxer-Shorts/dp/B096RWM6KV/ref=rvi_sccl_1/358-8820604-7122541?pd_rd_w=4dpYZ&pf_rd_p=a4dc92d7-7100-437e-b3e3-2349e8298523&pf_rd_r=MBSVQJCJ0NNWKAFHTE7M&pd_rd_r=bdad177d-a4d9-4adf-bd33-ee8e93ad5694&pd_rd_wg=GbWFz&pd_rd_i=B096RWM6KV&th=1 "Hiroji Kabashi" ? I seriously considered buying this one: Thirteen One Sweatshirt, Top and Bottom Set, Men's, Jersey, Long Sleeve, Stylish, Sportswear, Training Wear, Loungewear, Fashionable, Casual, Sporty, Cool, Simple, All Seasons https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07BHFGQV3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_i_22BNA99K5H90M124XNHJ (If for some reason the link doesn't work or you have to sign in to amazon.jp to see it or whatever, it's a black sweatsuit with an "HDA" logo. Nothing to do with Kawada & Taue, though. It literally stands for "Hood Dy Air." Which is why I don't own one now). Also, this shirt has nothing (directly) to do with pro wrestling but it might be mildly amusing to anyone who can read a little Japanese.

For whatever reason, a bunch of Ishii gear was available on a discount last week. I almost felt like they did that just for me! And now The Stone Pitbull is coming back to AEW! Oh boy, am I ready for that!

I was slightly off. If Tony's huge announcement didn't have you marking right out, I'm not sure what to say... Cole vs Ishii. Switchblade in AEW. Ya know who's ready for more Stone Pitbull in AEW?I Gordlow is ready. We also getting Archer yeeting Sir Pentico, Mad King vs Red Death, DAX VS CASH?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! Every time Punk sells a body part or Darby sells severe body trauma, I worry that they are legit hurt. ? Dustin's blue gear. Also, buy-able near falls. I am stoked for Wardlow to eventually just break those cuffs. white hot crowd yet again. ? Regal on commentary. Also saving Moriarty for the hawt tag. ? The FTRs. We lost?!? I like "The Red Dragon's Young Bay Bays" as a name for that group. ? Forbidden Door as a PPV name. Tropical Rainforest Lad vs Reilly O'Kyle was some very very good professional wrestling, and I love the outcome of that match. That lavender suit! Handsome Hearted Cold Devil vs Goofy Demon! Also vs a Workhorseman! Here's my complaint: I wanted a JD Drake run-in. Very much looking forward to reading what the various cranky grandpas, joyless scolds, disingenuous complainers, and paid trolls choose to complain about this week! Legitimately so. It takes some real creativity to pull a Cornette these days, in my opinion. Tay and Sammy are in love. BOOOO! BOOOO! Do not think I have seen a heel vs heel ladder match or heel vs heel mixed tag before. Maybe Kana & MiSu vs Syuri & Fujiwara??? Britt in Pittsburgh with the Brett in Calgary pop!! Steelers TE and RB having fun made me have more fun, too. Who were House of Black cutting that promo on? I feel like I should know... That Coughing Match was nutzoid. I will NEVER get tired of Deeb vs Shida. Sting and Blade should team in the future. Stingblade. Mmmmmm-hmmmm. Good Lord. Dax vs Cash. Wow. *slouches back off into lurking mode* Edit: Hook has Taz' genes. I am glad he's enjoying his hair while he still has it.

My guess? Tony bought Chocopro.

A very happy birthday to @DEAN Rasmussen! You are the only person I can think of who clearly loves pro wrestling much more than I do. There are a lot of people who love it as much as, or a little more than, me. I occasionally overflow with the Pro Wrestling Love. You, Dean, are bursting with it day in and day out. In turn, that makes me happy day in and day out and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm gonna steal @The Natural's lovely tradition of giving people stuff for their birthdays. There's no way you haven't already seen and posted about this, but here you go: お誕生日おめでとうございます??