notoriusvig

I've been watching 91 UWFi and I've gotten pretty addicted to it. I never really understood why RAW Underground was never positioned to be like that product. Ditch the cartoon Def Jam crap, hire Josh Barnett to book, goes for a sports feel, and make it like one hour of RAW every week. Block it up and promote it at 10PM or something and see what happens. What's the worst that could happen, it fails?

Can you buy this stuff in America and have it shipped here?

Anyone read Steven Verrier's Professional Wrestling in the Pacific Northwest? I really want something that covers Portland that I can get easily and I've had my eye on this for a while. I'm sick, and I've been getting depressed lately. I'm a teacher so I don't work tomorrow and I can't workout so I'm looking for something to keep my mind occupied.

Rich people

The inevitable corporate buyout of WWE has me very worried for the future of the industry. Trevor Dame covered this yesterday on Twitter but when you bring in some third party entity who has no wrestling knowledge or background, who the hell knows what will happen with the company's direction. We saw Jim Herd in the 90s and that may not happen but stuff like that could. I think creativity could be stifled when a company like Disney or whoever comes in and there may not be much of a desire to not just play the greatest hits, if you will. Looking at Disney and their films, most of what they put out, to me, seems to be reboots and rehashes, and highly doubt they would try and evolve the WWE formula to match 2023 trends and beyond. Trevor articulated it a little better than me but it's like wrestling needs some sort of private entity who is willing to try new things and who also knows wrestling. I'm trying to picture ten years from now, if AEW somehow doesn't survive at the level they are now, and it's just heavily corporate WWE simply appealing to the 50+ demo and not trying things that might stimulate 18-49 and actually create new viewers and customers.

I saw on the CAC Facebook page about the passing of Black women's pioneer Titi Paris recently. She participated in the first official match in decades in New York in 1972 against Cora Combs, which preceded the first match back at MSG between Moolah and Vicki Williams the same year. The latter often gets credit for being the first in the state after the ban against women's wrestling was lifted. Here's an excerpt from the book I'm working on... "The Commission finally lifted the state’s ban on March 7, 1972, with Jackie Robinson as a member, prior to his death in October. On March 8, the first women’s match took place in the state, from Gil Glancy’s Telstar boxing gym, between Cora Combs and Paris. Oddly enough, this marked the only time either woman wrestled in New York. The state’s promoter, Vincent James McMahon, insisted that the women go through the Fabulous Moolah for booking and neither agreed. Moolah was the main promoter for McMahon’s women’s division, at the time. The first women’s match at New York’s Madison Square Garden occurred on July 1, 1972 with Moolah taking on Vicki Williams. Moolah and McMahon recognized this as the first women’s match in New York’s history. Betty Nicoli also wrote to New York lawmakers, similar to Titi, and was eventually blocked from performing in the state as well. Alongside Nicoli, Titi Paris changed the social and cultural landscape of wrestling in New York, and other areas across the world. New York’s decision to lift the ban created a ripple effect worldwide, with various locations following suit. The actions of Paris and Nicoli destroyed many barriers for future generations of female performers going forward." Most of this is from the June 29, 2015 Observer. Her family obit is here https://mccombwagner.com/tribute/det...IGEjv2jock3x6A Upon looking at the obit now, it seems she passed last February. I'm not sure why CAC just posted this today.

Whatever you do, don't show these pics to Vince Russo.

Personally, I think Sasha should be patient, and prove to the WWE she doesn't need them. Go reinvent yourself for a year or two, or do it in AEW, and say screw them for the long haul. She's got a ton of charisma and as long as she doesn't walk out, she'll make it.

Yeah when WCW folded and he wasn't on TV anymore

Is this a good place to ask for recommendations on good Buzz Sawyer matches besides his stuff with Duggan in Mid-South in 85?

Got the new Observer Yearbook and it's the smallest yet. I'm digging into it now with Bits and Pieces, which seems smaller.

Didn't the WWF Superstar line suggest that there was some sort of HIV scare around this match? I remember Jim Ross in some commercial talking about some health scare.

I'm not holding my breath on anyone staying until I see confirmation of it. I love Omega and the Elite, and think they are AEW, but money talks. Of course, it could be argued that Cody was an anomaly who always had a hard-on for being a top WWE superstar, and seems to be a bit of a belt mark too. Plus, he was unhappy and TK knew that, I assume, since he didn't keep him for the extra year. I'm not sure Omega really cares about being WWE champion or having some Mania moment.

Pretty decent work tonight. Dax/Bryan was the banger of the night, and now I want Cash/Bryan. The trios match was good and I figured every one of these seven matches were going to be a little unique. The guy in the Dick the Bruiser shirt was clearly the man and probably stole that shitty Cornette sign from the first segment and threw it away.

The media and journalism in wrestling is certainly way more demonized than even in politics, etc., in America. We have so few good journalists, and the ones we have are crucified if one thing goes wrong or goes out of plan with what they're told or if fans just don't like what they're saying. Thankfully, we have a ton of great historians and writers in wrestling but we need more good journalists like Dave. He really doesn't get enough credit for being credible and covering the business and following trends for over forty years.