The Natural

I was hoping Kate Bishop was part of the Thunderbolts* line-up as I need more interactions between her and Yelena Belova. Need my fix, damnit!

The Natural's best match from each Double or Nothing show: Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes. Double or Nothing 2019. *****. Stadium Stampede. Double or Nothing 2020. The Young Bucks vs. Jon Moxley/Eddie Kingston. Double or Nothing 2021. Anarchy in the Arena. Double or Nothing 2022. *****. Anarchy in the Arena. Double or Nothing 2023. Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale. Double or Nothing 2024.

These two matches plus Anarchy in the Arena will mean I'll buy AEW Double or Nothing 2025. It's the five year anniversary of the first ever AEW show, AEW Double or Nothing 2019. Most looking forward to Mercedes Mone vs. Jamie Hayter, that should be great. Hoping Hangman Adam Page beats Will Ospreay but I already expect disappointment there.

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AEW Double or Nothing 2025 marks the five year anniversary of AEW's first ever show, AEW Double or Nothing 2019. Bigger still, AEW's co-produced tribute show for the late great Dean. Love and miss you, mate xxx.

As a kid, anybody vs. Fcuk Hulk Hogan. ;).

This month sees NJPW Wrestling Dontaku, WWE Backlash, AEW Double or Nothing and biggest of all, an AEW co-produced tribute show to the late, great DEAN. Love and miss you, mate xxx.

The Bridal Chief!

Further Bryan Danielson update: Bryan Danielson likes how AEW handles itself in competition with WWE. Speaking with Talksport for an interview published this week, Danielson said that — while he doesn’t know the right strategy — he likes that AEW doesn’t approach other companies in a “warlike” fashion. That approach is a natural fit for Danielson’s personality, but he doesn’t know if there will be a point in the future where AEW needs to go more on the offensive. "We don’t, at least it seems like to me, we as a company don’t approach other companies in a warlike fashion, right? We don’t feel like we’re in a war with anybody,” Danielson said. “But that’s not the same as the other side. So we have to — we’re constantly kind of on the defense in that. I don’t know the right strategy. I like the way Tony Khan handles things, because that in my mind, it makes us the good guys, right? “But I don’t know if at some point we need to go more on the offensive. I’ve had friends bring that up to me like, ‘Oh, you guys should attack.’ I’m like, wait a second. Like one, that’s not my personality. Two, that’s not Tony Khan’s personality. And I think that’s one of the things that drew me to AEW.” Danielson explained that AEW’s Brodie Lee memorial show in 2020 was something that drew him to the promotion when he was still with WWE. Danielson loves that Tony Khan is a wrestling fan who cares about the wrestlers and the fans. "It touched something in me and in my mind I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling.’ There’s going to be times where we make wrong, [or] bad decisions, that happens everywhere,” Danielson said. “But one of the things that I like to think about AEW is that we try — and we don’t market ourselves as this — to be good.” Though he can’t predict the future, Danielson believes AEW should continue growing as a business. "I think, obviously we can’t tell the future, but I think there’s going to be a lot of growth for AEW,” he said. “I think there’s a tremendous opportunity right now in the media landscape to put a wrestling product out that is the kind of focus that Tony likes to put into AEW. So if I were to guess, I would say that we’re going to grow, but it’s impossible to tell.” Danielson has been on a media tour to promote AEW & NJPW’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view that’s being held in London this August. Addressing his own in-ring future, Danielson has not officially retired but said he has no desire to wrestle right now. “I have no inclination right now, and no desire to wrestle right now. The last six months of my career built up to that actually, I look at it now as a blessing,” he told The Metro. “Because the six months leading into my last match were so hard and my neck was so bad. And, I mean, there’s things that I couldn’t physically do.” C&P f4wonline.com.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GBMWNWBAmqE&pp=ygUTRmxvcmVuY2UgcHVnaCBmdW5ueQ%3D%3D Love Florence Pugh. NSFW.

Most looking forward to Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega to go at it for the first time since NJPW of 2018.

My review of Daredevil: Born Again. I enjoyed the series overall mainly for getting Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin back because both are perfect in the parts. My biggest problem with the show is the new supporting cast members which come nowhere close to Karen Page, Foggy Nelson (hate what Daredevil: Born Again did to him even having a feeling that was going to happen), Leland Owlsley, James Wesley, Ben Ulrich and Father Paul Lantom. Daredevil: Born Again is the best thing to come out of Marvel Studios Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Endgame. However I still rate all three Daredevil Netflix seasons ahead of Daredevil: Born Again, even Daredevil Season 2, the weakest one. Daredevil Season Two is one of two halves, the Punisher part is great whereas Elektra/The Hand is not. Daredevil Season Three is narrowly in second, a great season telling the classic Daredevil: Born Again story by Frank Miller/David Mazzucchelli. Daredevil: Season One is brilliant telling the origin of Daredevil and the Kingpin. It's my pick not only for the best thing in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's the best live action Marvel has even done with Daredevil: Season Three second. Thanks for reading.

Enjoy!

Buddy Matthews injuring his ankle during his entrance before his match vs. Kazuchika Okada at AEW Grand Slam Australia 2025. Only other wrestler I can think off injuring themself in an entrance to a match is Sami Zayn doing his rotator cuff in before facing John Cena in his main roster debut on RAW, 4th May 2015. Vince McMahon tore his quads but wasn't in an official match when he restarted the 2005 Royal Rumble match when Batista/John Cena botched the finish.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rJPFpMTTjQs Buddy Matthews gives an injury update.

Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man turn ten this year. The former was one of my most disappointing Marvel Studios movies. I never expected to prefer Ant-Man to it. It's an underrated movie.

The Natural's top ten Backlash PPV/PLE matches ever. 10. Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty. Backlash 2000. 9. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose. Backlash 2016. 8. Edge vs. John Cena. Backlash 2009. 7. Bianca Belair vs. IYO SKY. Backlash 2023. 6. Kurt Angle vs. Edge. Backlash 2002. 5. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton. Backlash 2007. 4. Randy Orton vs. Edge. Backlash 2020. 3. Steve Austin vs. The Rock. Backlash 1999. 2. The Undertaker vs. Batista. Backlash 2007. 1. Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley. Backlash 2004. *****.

Looking forward to John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the role reversal with Cena the heel and Orton the babyface. It's also in Randy's hometown. Can't wait for Gunther to chop the shit outta Pat McAfee. Least he won't be on commentary duties. Think Lyra Valkyria retains thanks to Bayley returning to get vengeance on Becky Lynch who in storyline injured Bayley stopping her competing at WrestleMania XLI. Looks like Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Sorry to read this. Not surprised about Florence Pugh's Yelena, she's brilliant ever since her debut in Black Widow. Black Widow was such a disappointment to me. One of the biggest letdowns of all the Marvel Studios Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aRpnP3LZ99g The Smashing Machine trailer just dropped.

My interest in this has slowly crept up to a point I might see this in a cinema than wait for Disney+. Bucky Barnes played by Sebastian Stan and Yelena Belova/White Widow played by Florence Pugh are two of my favourite Marvel Studios Marvel Cinematic Universe characters. WOM I'm reading suggests this is one of the best things to come out post Avengers: Endgame. I even did the date as month/day/year for the Americans instead of the correct format in day/month/year. Things I do for you ;).

Bryan Danielson update. C&P f4wonline.com: Bryan Danielson discussed the possibility of returning to the ring during a recent interview with Metro. While the 43-year-old has been careful not to say he’s officially retired, he explained that the pain he endured during his final run has led him to be at peace with no longer wrestling. "I have no inclination right now, and no desire to wrestle right now. The last six months of my career built up to that I actually, I look at it now as a blessing,” Danielson said. “Because the six months leading into my last match were so hard and my neck was so bad. And, I mean, there’s things that I couldn’t physically do.” One of Danielson’s final matches was against Kazuchika Okada on the October 2, 2024, edition of AEW Dynamite. The rules of the match had Okada’s Continental Championship on the line for just the first 20 minutes, but Danielson says he was unable to wrestle the match the way it should have gone. "What the story should be in that scenario is I’m pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing him, trying to get this fall done in the first 20 minutes,” Danielson said. “That should have been the story, but my legs just couldn’t do it. So it was to the point where I was like, ‘Oh, I’m not physically able to do some of the things that I should, that this story requires me to do.’” Danielson was asked about the chances he would be back in the UK this summer for Forbidden Door 2025 at the O2 Arena in London. He responded that he’s almost certain he won’t be wrestling on the show, but a situation could arise where he does. “I’m like, 95% chance no,” Danielson said. “But the reality is that, say you have a big main event and something happens where somebody gets hurt, and Tony says, ‘Hey Bryan, we need you for this thing, is there something you could do?’ Yeah, there’s something I could do. I just have to be careful. But I mean, it’s one of those things where there’s ways to work around it. But you just can’t do it all the time.” Danielson has not gotten neck surgery in the months since his final match at WrestleDream on October 12. Dave Meltzer reported shortly after the event that Danielson’s plan was to treat his injuries with stem cell therapy in an attempt to avoid surgery. “I’m making progress, but that still doesn’t mean I won’t have to get neck surgery. I’m trying to avoid it,” he told Metro. As for what Danielson focuses on these days, he says he spends a lot of time thinking about how he can contribute to a better world. "Honestly, I think a lot of things, most people who are doing things to make the world a better place, you’re never going to hear about… I’m actively working on doing stuff outside of wrestling, there are things that I care about… You just want to do them for yourself, or the people around, the people you love.”

I should have mentioned Hulk Hogan. Never understood his popularity as a kid, the Hulkamania movement and today knowing he's a real POS.

I try to be selective too as people know my likes and dislikes like I know posters preferences. Looking at the rest of your names, I don't get Joe Hendry either. Can't stand Goldberg for ending Bret Hart's career. MJF is cheap heat king.

Thank you. I'm not surprised CM Punk has shown up on your list and twiztor too. Sorry the word filter has caught you out. Done me in and others too.