Chris Migs

Any update on when the next set is coming and what it will be?

The first wrestling show I know I watched - because it's the first one I videotaped! And thus started the collection... That Hogan-Bundy/Andre angle was real dramatic for a 4 year old. Still remember the Take Me Home video at the end of the show.

Any news on the next sets? And as an aside, what's the current thought on whether there will be a 90s project someday?

Cubbymark brought up the indies which I think is a fair and realistic discussion. I don't buy indy wrestling DVDs, but doesn't smart mark video offer an on-demand service or at least a digital delivery option? There is that in terms of keeping up with the digital age and eliminating the need for physical DVDs. Price point could be an issue because $10-$15+ for an indy IPPV/DVD vs. $10 for an ENTIRE MONTH of WWE Network seems like a hard sell for the indies. A realistic option could be to try and get on Netflix and Hulu. There's a bunch of random/old stuff on Hulu including LuchaLIbre USA and some other stuff and isn't there a Legends Return indy show on Netflix with Nash? I'd say most indies would need to up their production values, but those are certainly options for them. What else is on Hulu? I find nothing other than the Lucha Libre USA stuff.

Low Ki v. Xavier - Ladder Match 6/30/01 UCW Low Ki v. Homicide - 1/11/02 USA Pro

Oh, interesting. I'd be interested in Puerto Rico... it was written about in pretty fascinating ways in the magazines in the 80s, but I've never seen a bit of it.

What's the current expected release schedule? I know Portland is likely up next, right? And then on to Crockett and WWF version 2?

There are already a Best of High Flyers and Best of Tag Teams DVD. They're both okay.

I'm super intrigued for Tammy Sytch's written in prison book, even if large chunks of it might be bullshit.

The after show was great! Tyson Kidd's awesome facial expressions at the clips were tremendous. John Cena's promo about the girls. The Jaret-TJ confrontation. Good times.

Can we discuss how Ellie sounded like a dead ringer for Stu? Creepy.

I purged the ones that were easily replaceable and/or lame (no, I don't need that RVD fan cam comp anymore). I do want to give a shot to converting, although who knows when I'll get around to it. Has anyone ever converted those gigantic east coast indy comps a guy named Wes on this board made in '01-'03? I still have those and something in my psyche would feel bad about throwing them out if they don't circulate. Chris

Because the burden of proof in the dead forum was to name 100 wrestler years better than HHH's 2000 and so now it is FSW's turn. I don't care if anyone BUT FSW posts in this thread. He has to. Nobody else has to bother. Instead of saying HHH's 2000 was great as an undisputed fact, explain why it was great. I don't agree with Matt D on much of anything but he always explains why he feels the way he does. I love that. But on the other hand, basically all of those matches (save Sur Ser against Austin, and maybe the six man tag), got ***1/2+ at the time. And honestly, I was reading a lot of internet wrestling discussion in 2000 - I don't recall very many people arguing that Triple H wasn't on a hot run. Certainly both sides have to make arguments, but I think the *burden* would have to be on those arguing those matches don't hold up, because they got pretty universal acclaim at the time. I actually watched all of these matches in the last few months - the ones that were highly rated absolutely hold up. The Street Fight is the best of the bunch, and Triple H absolutely keeps up with Cactus that much and takes an absolute beating for our enjoyment. Hell in a Cell has fallen off a little bit over time (I saw that get ***** in 2000... it's more like **** - fun with great bumps, but without the drama as to what the finish would be, it loses something. The Backlash and Iron Man matches are also some excellent work, probably among Rock's best WWF matches.

Nope, that would be Paul Roma.

As someone who, even as a kid, favored the likes of Savage and the Rockers and Bret Hart over Hogan and his ilk... there's something very visceral about cheering for Bryan in this match, much like there was in cheering for Punk at MITB 2011. Probably no coincidence that they're both guys my indy nerd college age self was watching on tapes in 2001. I just want to see Bryan make Cena tap.

Watching a lot of 88 WWF Primetime, which involves a lot of skipping through long jobber matches, but also lots of Blue Blazer matches, which are tremendous. Also, whenever Gorilla and Bobby aren't on commentary, it's a lethal mix of Sean Mooney, Lord Alfred Hayes, Rod Trongard, and Superstar Graham. It hurts. Also working through a Best of the WWF 2001 comp.

This is a basic problem with wrestling heel/face logic. Every time someone turns face (apparently with the exception of Dolph Ziggler) they gain some superpowers or super-ability-to-kick-out. Especially the top babyfaces. They've been Supermen for a long time. You become a face, you get some kind fo Hulk-up powerup. Turning face is like taking a PED. Meanwhile the heels are fallible, and so have to work harder and be more cunning. But given this, wouldn't "turning face" be the ultimate heel move? You suddenly get this huge advantage you didn't have before (super-heart?). I think that's why a lot of smarks cheer heels. There's a way in which the Faces, if they are kayfabe-conscious, are pulling off a scam that makes them the ultimate heels...and a heel who doesn't exploit that becomes somehow enobled by not taking the easy way out. I know it's mixing kayfabe logic and non-kayfabe logic...but it's hard not to nowadays when guys like Cena and Punk want their character to be an extension of their backstage image. I was thinking something like this the other day when I was watching Chuck Klosterman talk about his new book, which is about evil in popular culture. Part of it is about why people feel drawn to villains. One thing he pointed out was that actors always say the villain roles are more "interesting" but he thinks what they really mean is that those characters are more real. They are flawed and human. I think this absolutely applies to wrestling. The traditional super hero character (Cena or Hogan being the obvious examples) aren't real human beings. We're not perfectly moral and we don't always do the right thing. We're complicated. Randy Savage was fascinating, a ball of energy and neuroses and excitement. CM Punk is thoughtful and principled and stubborn. They're great characters, in a way that Hogan and Cena are not.

Bryan winning MITB seemed super obvious, and they went another route. Bryan winning and then Orton cashing in now seems obvious, so there's no way they're doing that. What if Cena won a close match, then Orton tried to cash in at Vince's behest, and Bryan was the one who took out Orton and allowed Cena to survive the cash in? Would that be enough elevation to keep Bryan's momentum while still putting off the final move all the way up to the top?

1997 WWF is just absolutely amazing. Possibly because it's the true beginning of the current era. 2000 WWF is also just a ridiculous upswing in the in-ring product when they add the Radicalz and incorporate Jericho and Angle into the upper tier. 1995 and 1996 ECW are just absolutely brilliant, almost start to finish.

For whatever it's worth, in his Timeline WWF 1989 shoot (and I think at least one other interview in the mid 00s) Beefcake claimed Warrior was given the title after throwing a tantrum backstage.. and that he was supposed to then win it from Warrior but the office kept making excuses for why it never happened. Beefcake's story makes no sense. Why would they put Beefcake over Warrior in that time period?

Maybe he buries the hatchet with Heyman and does an ECW run. That sort of feels right.

You should pick up Raw a little bit before then (maybe February or so of '97). The Austin rise, Bret's slow turn, Shawn losing his smile... it's a surreal run of TV.

Been watching some WWF Primetime from '88. Really enjoying the slow Rougeau Brothers turn. Their smarmy interviews about how they love America and "are nothing like Dino Bravo" are tremendous.

The tag title matches in the few PPVs after this. Watched some of the TV from around this time, and basically everything mixing Benoit/Malenko, Rey/Kidman and Raven/Saturn is tremendous.