Matt D

I'm a little wary of them leaning so hard into time travel and the multiverse in this phase. There are definite benefits like having multiple actors play the same role if need be, but it really dilutes the reality they're creating. Too much time travel and nothing feels like it matters because it can just be undone. Likewise alternate realities. If anything is possible then the consistency/rules that help people suspend their disbelief and become immersed in the fictional world become shakier.

I'm personally disappointed that now we can't have Alexa and Lily drafted to separate brands.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/babylon-5-reboot-cw-1235021237/ Welp, I guess with so many dead actors, there's not too much else you can do. I would have liked to see a push forward instead, but it's probably impossible. I'm not sure what the point of redoing a story that was done as well as it was might be but there are a lot of opportunities between technology and what sort of serialized and representative stories are now allowed on TV that maybe some new things could be examined.

I caught that today. Liked it a lot. My only issue with it was that there needed to be something more after the Ego's Edge onto the stairs to justify Darby recovering enough to get the eyerake. It was just too soon after. I think if I was laying the thing out, he would have bumped and then skidded off the stairs to the other side of the ring so that Page would have had to negotiate him (completely dead weight/temporarily unconscious), around the stairs and through the ropes to the coffin. Add in some of Page's usual arrogance/taunting and it'd be a lot easier to justify. They knew they had to capture the big post-match spot so I wonder if the back told the ref to rush them through the last minute of the actual match so that they'd have time in a world without overrun margins.

So I've been watching a bunch of other stuff, including AEW, plus was on a couple of trips and dealing with the start of school and had a messed up foot for a bit, etc. But I'm back at it now and we'll see how consistently I can keep this up. Footage into 1990 is an issue, unfortunately. Knowing what I know, I should go back and focus on 80s NJPW instead. But I am going to try to continue on with the sources I have. It'll be much less complete, but perfect, is, in this case, the enemy of good. 2/10/90: Tenryu/Tiger Mask vs Choshu/George Takano MD: Teryu came out in a golden robe/kimono deal instead of his Revolution gear. I found that interesting. There was a huge buzz when he first got in the ring with Choshu and I loved how he moved against him, with almost sumo charges, something I hadn't seen out of him in ages. Choshu's use of the Scorpion here was interesting, as he had it almost on a couple of times early but chose to tag (setting up a Takano knee drop once), as if he knew it wouldn't do the job. It's so refreshing to see Tenryu after a couple of weeks of hanging out in modern wrestling. At one point, he opened up Takano and then he didn't focus on the nose, but he made sure every few blows, he'd toss another one in there to big reaction. Takano had a cool way of kicking from weird angles, including some implausible ones. He was matched well against Tiger Mask with the kicks. I'd say that Misawa was a little more aggressive than usual having Tenryu as a partner. Early on they got tossed around quite a bit but once it settled in, they did more of the beating. The finish was interesting as it was absolutely obvious no resolution could occur so long as Tenryu was around to break things (including just the ref's 20 count) up. So Choshu had to put him in the Scorpion, not because he was the legal man (he wasn't), and not even to win (they didn't; TM got in first to beat the count), but just because the fight would have gone on forever unless he did.

Cho sure looks pretty old is all I’m saying…

Hey, fancams are back:

I always love seeing Bill Finger’s name but it’s easier to vilify Kane than a faceless corporation.

Just put the Bucks on ignore. That's what I did.

Re: Hobbs vs Punk. Something I forgot. We'd be in a much better wrestling world if that match could have possibly ended on the top rope 'rana where Hobbs landed on his head. At least POSSIBLY.

Punk vs Hobbs: My first look at Hobbs and he's a lot of fun to watch. Methodological. Wrestles to his size. Has presence. He's been at it for a decade so a lot of the stuff I was inclined to say (right people in his ear/want to see how he keeps developing/etc.) actually seems moot and borderline insulting so I won't say any of that. He stands out huge in AEW though. I thought Punk's early offense (the drop toehold/leglock, the russian leg sweep) looked great. The announcing situation was both fun and tricky here with two Team Taz guys and no counterpoint. I would have liked them indicating that Punk went for the G2S too early. I didn't love the Hook distraction as a transition as Hobbs could have done it himself. Later on he did get to just power out and I'm not sure if those two spots should have been switched or not. Punk's selling all through the end was really good. Even the stupid terrible elbow looked good. Bunny vs Penelope: In general, I'm impressed with how many masters this served plotwise for a few minutes but too often they have the undercard women's matches feel like Nitro lucha matches that just last a few minutes. Anna's intensity was great for just a sprint though. This needed some actual heat on her and a comeback before the finish with all the distractions and what not though. Glad for the tag next week and hope this is going to a Brass Knucks on a pole blow off. I love how Memphis the idea of Hardy putting up other people's hair is. Mox/Suzuki: While the duct taping was obviously unfair and dishonorable and what not, I would have liked something cheatier to set up the run in. But in the end who cares. Glad I wasn't spoiled for that one. Mox is the world's best Tommy Dreamer handcuffed to the cage. Kingston was awesome in the last minute or two of this. I thought the spot where Archer took out all the guys on the floor to set up the chokeslam worked primarily because I wasn't expecting how it'd turn out. Skipped the rest.

I can't wait for the team up between Shazam and Twhip.

Everyone is an Inhuman now!

Matthews feels like a guy that they bring in for a big match in a year or so using the Door. With the way Khan does business now, not everyone needs to be signed.

I give you Dusty Rhodes