Brandon Bones

If you’re a Chris Jericho fanboy like me. These are great days. I honestly thought whatever platitudes I was going to post here would be blowing sunshine up everyone’s ass. Turns out y’all are digging it too. It’s pandalerium!!! Bandido just got a job. The press slam during the break was a tragedy being moments too soon however. That Jericho continues to elevate himself in ways his contemporaries will never get the chance to. I kinda want him to win the New Japan belt now. I’m with anyone who got RAW vibes from this episode. It’s a different thing to do for the week. I guess.

Caught the rest of the show. This show was great. Great crowd. Matches that were great for a multitude of reasons. Sticking the landing in a chaotic atmosphere where being able to rely on your assets isn’t always possible. I love this shit. Unironically. This isn’t news. I’m tickled by the Darby promo. Because the idea of shooting video while running around the city with a body bag is so Brandon Bones circa 92. I got some feels for Saraya. That crowd reaction had to be very validating for her. MJF was a problem for me this episode. Dude… be a piece of shit but don’t bury the best match you’ve ever sat in front of. Really. Anyone remember that scene in Braveheart when they killed Bravehearts hot wife? Just casually cut her throat. I immediately jumped off the couch like: “Let’s go kill these motherfuckers”. Remember when SUWA in (I think) 05 TORE THE SCROLL right before his Junior Heavyweight title shot vs. KENTA? Joe Higuchi went the fuck off and so did I!!! That’s how I got when MJF put his hands on Tony Schiavone. That’s got heat with me brother. Meanwhile count me in on the “if Punk doesn’t come back… so fucking what” train. I spent 7 years hoping the guy would get back in a ring just like a lot of people. But I feel like I saw it now. Not sure I really want much more of THAT bullshit at the end. No sir. I don’t like it. The comeback wasn’t bad. In fact it was pretty great. Moving on made easy at Grand Slam.

I do miss those ROH days.

Boy did that come together at the end of Ep3. It really tied the room together. I’m in.

I so far only saw the opener and the main event and loved them both. Loved the rana reversal out of the avalanche Ricola Bomb. Claudio FLEW for it. Great set up for the Judas Effect. I thought the production was great in this episode. Immediately knew this wasn’t a typical show by how it was shot. Even the ringside cameras were looking to expand the scope of the enormity of the show. I’m looking forward to next year. Loved the smother choke as the finish in the main. If you’re going to beat AmDrag. That’s how you do it. I kinda thought Bryan was slated to win with all the emphasis put on his avenging losses. But it really just set me up to be surprised at the finish. Well done. Bryan is still my boy though.

How does this end in a crazy dragon battle? I’m pretty sure I saw Hornswoggle.

Well this was quite the variety pack of matches vacuum sealed into an hour. Enjoyed all of this. I need good things right now. Count me in on being impressed with Ford. I really thought she was a break out star after All In. I’m glad to see that start playing out with a big win. Willow looked great and is only more endearing in defeat. The Egos Edge was broo-talllll! Eddie is turning into a Brillo Pad. Oddest Irony of the week: I was MOST concerned with the well being of Matt Hardy in a match that included Darby Allin.

Episode 4 I thought had some very inspired well directed moments. That shot of the orc ALMOST sniffing out that kids manflesh during what was a monster long one take is super intense. Catching arrows and firing them right back at your enemy is delightfully thoughtful in giving the show some continuity with Jackson’s trilogy. Beautifully done. Hot MILF continues being hot. Word.

No, it isn’t. But you KNOW Jericho is going to Big Brother Noogie the entire fanbase until it gets over by submission.

I guess I wasn’t the only person who thought Jade/Athena evoked Lesner/Goldberg and what a great approach it is in handling her booking. Don’t have her out there right now doing too much. Just do a few things done really well is more than enough while she is still… erm… green. Not sure they really got everything they wanted out of the match at All Out. But hey, just do a rematch and it’ll probably improve.

“Dinner Debonair” 2

It’s late in the afternoon for there to be no BTE posted on YouTube.

This is relevant to my interests.

It’s an interesting trend in streaming shows to release a couple of episodes from the outset. Having seen that choice made a few times now, I can see why. Especially, with a new untested show. If those eps are all character/story table setting. Then I say go for it. The Peter Jackson movies were a generation ago. No doubt there are people checking this out who know nothing of the movies or source material. This is largely a good thing. I’ve enjoyed these much more than I thought I would. Which seems like a common reaction. But I have to wonder if my perspective isn’t skewed because there was a fuck ton of negative bullshit on YouTube doing everything they could to torpedo the show before anyone had even seen it. But hey! It’s not bad at all! The actors seem comfortable in their roles and are well directed. The production values are top notch and seamless with prior productions. I’m still trying to catch up on names. So it’s still “Hot Single Mom” “Hot Single Moms Elf boyfriend” “Big Eyes Lady” and “Hunky Raft Fellow”. Galadriel. I’ll get it eventually. Good times.

Take THAT Wrestling Banana?!

You… Devil!

I think Log is on to something with his post concerning trust. I trust AEW. I mean… I’m not going to let Tony Khan fuck my girlfriend or anything. But I have little to no hesitation spending my time and money on 50 dollar PPVs after years of paying 9.99 a month. Dax Harwood is so my current WOTY that it got me off my dead ass and dropped a couple of bucks on ROH tickets. Top to bottom the best live show I’ve ever attended in person. If I were capable I’d do a cartwheel. I’m not blind though. As positive as I am about AEW. I even had the thought when ever I’d hear some podcast interview where somebody goes on about how much love, harmony, and rock n’ roll the AEW locker room is… I’d think “Yeah, that ain’t gonna last”. But so fucking what. That squash was totally awesome and memorable and a huge storyline milestone for the company. It got applause for the tie up. Obviously I’m All In. Because I trust AEW.

I saw this quoted late in the thread and came back to find it just so I could like it.

Well… they got the belt off of him. A slip on a banana peel squash was a pretty good way of getting through some of the changed plans. Whatever happened before to change those plans no longer matters. What was done last night was done with something in mind for the ppv. So it should make for a great show. Looking forward to PAC/Osprey. That was some good shit brother.

“When Forever Comes Crashing”

And that class… is how you sell.

{Labored Pancake Breathing}

Hook gives me hope for America’s youth. Interesting how the tag title match played out. For a moment I was getting kind of snarky over the announcers calling Private Party “kids”. I’m like: “Come on! Let them grow up.” But ultimately I got what I asked for as they kicked out of a parade of killer death moves. Went down dying hard. Loved it. I like Swerve so much more with Keith Lee. Awesome sell of Athena’s finisher from Ford.

Next week sure is gonna be something. When I heard the title match was moved up. My first instinct says somebody backstage is like “we gotta get the title off this guy”. That is if I’m to take any of this backstage news at all seriously. I’m going to be careful not to judge too quickly here. If this really stems from a vague reference to Colt I’m gonna roll my eyes. After all the shit talk in promos between Punk and MJF. I’m actually MORE surprised it didn’t come out more blatantly there. How does Punk even entertain the idea that it doesn’t come up? At all? Really? From the guy that likes pipe bombs? Just make boo boo face after work. Brother. So much “for not judging too quickly. I’m gonna need someone to eyeroll me too. By the way… Naturals posting of that HHH promo on Punk definitely “hits differently” now than it did then. If it’s a worky/shoot. Then fine. Might as well make it one at this point. But hasn’t AEW been planting seeds for this the whole time? Punks uncertainty over which tunnel to go down? “Be careful what you ask for…” Telling Page “it’s just business and he taking things too personally”? Dogging on Long Island for a week afforded them a chance to have a heel Punk poke his head out. It has been an hour since I finished that paragraph. I’ll ask this. Is AEW doomed? Is this inevitable backlash fallen in star alignment to snakebite the show as a whole? Or is it an occupational dispute that’ll eventually iron out like wrinkles? Also where would AEW be right now if they HAD left the belt on Hangman? An Omega rematch?

When Punk says he is “Dollars and Cents” he kinda means it. He isn’t wrong about that either. I’d say Punk having a loss (even a bullshit loss) in his first year is getting good mileage bookingwise. I honestly think it’s about time for Punk to turn heel anyway. The big return, big feuds, took him all the way to the title. Oops. Got injured! “Smooth”. It was a good run. But it got allll fucked up with the injury. Let’s be bitter. I can’t judge Punk. I’m repressing a lot of anger too. Did I say that out loud?