Gordi the BJW fan

As a friend, I implore you: Please, lighten up a little. It's OK for wrestling to just be fun sometimes: That is gorgeous. That is lovely. That is a group of people spontaneously enjoying themselves. That is a sense of community. That IS a positive part of what pro wrestling can be, these days. Not every match needs to take the crowd on a complex journey (although it's great when that happens. It's the best). This kind of silly fun is also good, though. One nice thing is: Obviously your irrational hatred of maximalist flippy overkill and crowds going into business for themselves hasn't killed your love of pro wrestling overall. Possibly, it helps you enjoy the kind of wrestling you love even more; having something to contrast it with. Similar, perhaps to how my (entirely rational and logical) loathing of corporate sports entertainment superstar culture probably helps me love my precious goofy honest indie bullshit pro wrestling even more. But. Please. If you cannot enjoy those creative and spontaneous Kyle chants, you are REALLY missing out on some fun.

If AEWCW releases a "Kosher Pickle" t-shirt I will buy at least one. if they release "Kosher Pickle" undergarments, I will buy at least seven pairs. Great to see Ibushi (and Trent!) looking good in there.

Ten times more handsome and virile, obviously.

Cody & Brandi! Remember when they solved racism?

Just shorten it: The In-Continent Title. Problem solved!

I've said it before (and might say it again) but... What the fuck happened in Tony Khan's life that we have moved from the "Ring of Friendship" "Spark Joy in the Fanbase" "Good Guys Win Through The Power of Support and Trust and Cooperation" gorgeous joyful early days of AEW into this current Ayn Randian hellscape of constant betrayal and attempted murder where the heel groups all seem to have each other's backs (for selfish reasons) but the good guys have to stand alone? Where trying to convince flawed but loveable guys to work together sparks a brawl? Where friendship and trust basically no longer exist? How did we get to the point where a "downer show" seems to be the most likely outcome? In AEW? Fuck's sake. Craig H's scenario at least would be a dramatic payoff to at least one thread of this constant misery Werner Herzog's Atlas Shrugged booking... Keeping my fingers crossed

HarryArchieGusstrodamus!

Did anybody catch how long the broadcast of Fyter Fest is going to be next week? Commentary may have mentioned it. About 150,000 times.

Fuck CM Punk

Why isn't Gabe in Anarchy in the Arena? Wasn't that run-in to set that up? Are they Kidding? Gabe us hope then tore it away! Now I'm a mad man, you know?

Ah, he only looks relatively scrawny because he's standing next to me, and I'm FUCKING HYUUUGE (Seriously, though... Yeah, you can see the toll being a damn death match legend can take on a man's body). Hey! Look what showed up on my YouTube feed! I didn't even know they were taping it! It's a real 80s style Strong Style match with two beefy dudes in black trunks just laying it in and everything looks rough and dangerous and like a real struggle. Jacob Crane's reactions at ringside are great, too. A couple of times, when the hard cam pulls back a bit, you can clearly see the back of my big old shiny bald white dome in the crowd, and my gorgeous karaoke drinking and wrestling buddy Yuki beside me. What a massive happy surprise to find this in my YouTube feed today! One more story from Saturday: I actually made Sekimoto laugh while he was fighting. He was really heeling it up, grinding his boot on Nakanoue's throat, so I started booing loudly. He GLARED at me (which is LEGIT intimidating) and I gestured like, "oh, no, that wasn't me!" and pointed at the elderly woman sitting near me like " it was her! " and he corpsed. Later, during clean up, he walked past me and hard whispered "Thank you!" in English. Not sure if that was for helping out, or making him laugh, or for being a good fan and booing the heels. Made me happy, tho.

Big Japan Wrestling Road Report May 17, 2025 Yodogawa Community Center, Osaka Japan: Excuse the blocks of text. I cannot post pics on Chrome but I can't make paragraphs in Firefox. I'm going to try and do the whole thing on Firefox this time. I'll be saving occasionally so as not to lose everything I have typed. The finished report will have an even ONE DOZEN pictures. As always, it was a great time. Lots of good wrestling, an INSANE main event, a lot of delicious food and drink, and many kind and friendly people. I think this was my first time in Yodogawa/Juso. Like pretty much every neighbourhood in Osaka it is interesting to walk around and there are tons of places to get food and drink. I immediately got a couple of big cans of beer then I bumped into a guy wearing a LIJ hoodie and it turned out he was from Tokyo and he was going to the show, too. So we set out to find the venue together. When he figured we were really close, I went into a 7-11 to buy a couple of sandos because I hadn't eaten yet (even though it was about 4:30 pm) and I didn't want to goon my beer on an empty stomach. There were two UNREASONABLY hawt women lounging outside the convenience store and I asked them if they knew where the community center was. They got all bouncy and said "Me, too! Me, too!" by which they meant that they were also going to the Big Japan show. Turns out their seats were right in front of mine. And "The Boys" kept spilling out of the ring and doing business right in front of them. That was REALLY entertaining. Also turns out that the community centre was DIRECTLY across the street from the 7-11 The Main Event Trios Death Match was absolutely f'n INSANE. Chaos. Madness. But, no light tubes this time, which made clean-up WAY easier. Pondo is pretty much everyone's favourite guy now. Both in and out of kayfabe. He so obiously LOVES being here (in Japan. And in Big Japan) and doing his very particular thing night after night. Living his best life. AKIRA was in a MUCH better head space this time around, which really made me happy. There was a near-botch on the finish of the main event, which to me and also to my new friend Yuka, actually made it BETTER and I got to tell him that but I think he thought I was just being nice. I totally meant it, though. It looked dangerous as fuck but nobody got injured. It also kind of came across as an accidental Sabu tribute, which I (obviously) mean as a huge compliment. Also there was a guy there who looks a tiny bit like Okada in my opinion and he was wearing a Sabu shirt and when I was moved by that he and (particularly) his buddy got really moved by that... It was a nice, genuine, wrestling fan moment. A bit misty, to be honest. And Pondo shouted out Sabu on the mic, too. And Dale and Akira did the Sabu gesture... And we all did another gesture... It's 2:30 am here! We went to our friend Yuki's karaoke bar after the show. I caught the last train home. I need to wrap this Road Report up quickly. Turns out Leighton Buzzard was NOT the first unfriendly gaijin wrestler I met in Japan. I'm still batting a thousand in terms of everyone being genuinely likable. Buzzard was super friendly. And very good in the ring. I was happy to see he's on the poster for the September BJW show in Osaka, so I'll see him again. He was champ of a Scottish fed (ICW?) and made a name for himself in a match with Ospreay back in 2023 or so, when Bruv was doing his fight everyone, fight everywhere goodbye to the indies tour. I have a million little stories just from today... Let's see... My friend Bodyguard was there but couldn't fight because he hurt his knee. We reminisced about our first time drinking together, back in 2011... The upside to no Bodygaaaaa was I got to meet Sean Lao, a wrestler from Funk Country! I know this is shocking, but he was... Super nice. Very athletic in the ring. For the first time, I got a little present for helping out (some healthy drink powder) and also a delicious sando! I appreciate being appreciated. I was wearing my Has Been Drinking t-shirt, which some of you will recall is Hangman Page merch, and Pondo and Dale and Jacob Crane all cracked jokes with me about it... I think I must sometimes come across as full of shit with how much fun and how delicious and how kind and friendly everything and everyone always is... But I am legit living some kind of charmed Wrestling Fan in Japan life. And loving it. Anyway, pictures:

Sorry, brother, it's not even close

So you're saying she hides behind a smile, and understanding eyes... But she's A LIAR A LIAR A LIAR A LIAR? And while I'm here, in my opinion The Doors' Horse Latitudes is an absolutely slapping jock jam. Best way to get psyched up for a set of heavy(-for-me) deadlifts: