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December 2022 Wrestling Discussion


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On 12/22/2022 at 12:46 PM, Cobra Commander said:

recent news makes me think of a good dead on arrival ripped from the headlines wrestling character: a dude who is turned from face to heel after he's exposed as lying about his background. Like something worse than the usual wrestling lies about playing in the NFL. Maybe he claims to be trained by someone who didn't train him.

Chris Jericho is the last survivor of Stu Hart's dungeon, brother!

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On 12/22/2022 at 3:46 PM, Cobra Commander said:

recent news makes me think of a good dead on arrival ripped from the headlines wrestling character: a dude who is turned from face to heel after he's exposed as lying about his background. Like something worse than the usual wrestling lies about playing in the NFL. Maybe he claims to be trained by someone who didn't train him. Probably can't get to George Santos levels of lying in this sport due to the limits of good taste.

Maybe babyface claiming friendships he doesn't have and ends up becoming a heel once he's exposed as a fraud?

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5 hours ago, sabremike said:

Why is nobody on the board talking about the incredible final match of Suzuki-gun? Thought it was a strong last minute MOTY candidate.

 

3 minutes ago, The Natural said:

Need to watch that. Gutted Suzuki-gun is ending.

Speaking of:

 

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On 12/22/2022 at 3:46 PM, Cobra Commander said:

recent news makes me think of a good dead on arrival ripped from the headlines wrestling character: a dude who is turned from face to heel after he's exposed as lying about his background. Like something worse than the usual wrestling lies about playing in the NFL. Maybe he claims to be trained by someone who didn't train him. Probably can't get to George Santos levels of lying in this sport due to the limits of good taste.

Maybe babyface claiming friendships he doesn't have and ends up becoming a heel once he's exposed as a fraud?

Joe Gacy's stupid woke heel gimmick was the first thing that came to my mind when I read this. Not exactly ripped from the headlines but woke vs. anti-woke is certainly a thing nowadays. Just not something I want to see on a wrestling show.

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3 hours ago, Log said:

It’s funny that a heel stable disbanding has been so heartwarming. 

It’s so nice to see. Though Suzuki-Gun has kind of transcended face/heel dynamics in recent years through the undeniable talent of every one involved and with Dangerous Tekkers and Despy being real standouts of the pandemic era of NJPW. I’d say along with Shingo they really helped keep things as interesting as it could be during a strange period.

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So Suzuki isn't retiring until he wins the IWGP World, makes me think they will make him the oldest (54 if he wins this year) IWGP World champ to kinda mirror Tenryu (49) being the oldest wearer of the defunct IWGP HW title.

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2 hours ago, Red King said:

So Suzuki isn't retiring until he wins the IWGP World, makes me think they will make him the oldest (54 if he wins this year) IWGP World champ to kinda mirror Tenryu (49) being the oldest wearer of the defunct IWGP HW title.

Criminal Minoru Suzuki never won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Time to ammend that wrong even though I hate the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

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4 hours ago, Sublime said:

It’s so nice to see. Though Suzuki-Gun has kind of transcended face/heel dynamics in recent years through the undeniable talent of every one involved and with Dangerous Tekkers and Despy being real standouts of the pandemic era of NJPW. I’d say along with Shingo they really helped keep things as interesting as it could be during a strange period.

Couldn't agree more. Something that has really bugged me about the general sentiment online (I'm not limiting myself to DVDVR forum, here) that NJPW was just flat throughout the pandemic was that people like ZSJ, and especially Shingo and El Desperado weren't getting the credit they deserved for the work they were doing in what was and has continued to be a restrictive environment. I also contend that Suzuki himself has been awesome for years, and despite the fact that he's sort of in a "play the hits" phase as others here have written, he's no less entertaining and also maintained a high standard during the pandemic all things considered. Subtitles are a blessing; the guy is still a great promo and worker overall.

One of the things I like about NJPW and many within it is how elegantly the kayfabe lines get blurred. The curtain is not yanked so far back to a postmodern extent (second edit: ...maybe Yano excluded), but "real life" is still acknowledged in small ways. The promos after the great Suzuki-gun final match kind of reflect that, I think. Some went further than others - ZSJ and Archer's portions when they spoke in-ring can very well be read as having been entirely out of character - but I don't think anybody went so far as to kill the kayfabe of the moment entirely, and by the end Suzuki himself goes back in to heel mode to wrap everything up.

I feel like Suzuki himself may be a master of that balance, by the way. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but one of my favorite things about the "Kaze ni Nare" chant during his entrance is that you can sort of see those lines blur a little each time. Minoru Suzuki the wrestler/character expects the fans to chant because he is the "king of pro wrestling" and he deserves that respect. But, I think you can also kind of see a glimmer each time that the "real" Suzuki appreciates hearing that chant, face/heel dynamics be damned. (EDIT: I think he also showed that at the end of that kickass singles match he had with Liger during Liger's retirement run where he knelt and bowed after winning. Suzuki's character will eventually grudgingly show respect to others, but that was also quite real.)

Anyway, having rambled on...I think the evolution and growth of many within the Suzuki-gun stable has been evident, and though I'm sad to see the faction go, I'm hoping it opens up some more opportunities for those wrestlers to keep growing and do different things. I suspect the fact that the New Year's Dash card isn't going to be announced at all may be due in part to the dissolution of the faction so the next steps can be a "surprise" that starts at that show.

 

Edited by Teflon Turtle
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28 minutes ago, The Natural said:

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Adrenaline in my soul, a new DVD for Cody Rhodes.

No American Nightmare for America though, no release there. Sorry, @John from Cincinnati.

I think I remember reading they discontinued most of their North American DVD business a while ago, so no surprise. I know where to find anything I’d want to see anyway. The three Seth matches are already on YouTube, which illustrates how much of a non-priority physical media is.

I’m just happy my corny boy is gonna be back in about a month. Stay away, Dwayne — Cody and Sami are right there! 

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1 hour ago, L_W_P said:

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!!

Today I realized that Bryan Danielson looks like the old man Marley from Home Alone and now I want him clobbering people with a snow shovel.

 

Merry Christmas everyone.

Now I can't unsee Bryan Danielson as Marley.

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2 minutes ago, twiztor said:

odd timing for a Cody dvd. you'd think they'd hold off until after he returns and (likely?) wins his first world title. any Stardust matches on that set?

full match listing

 

Quote

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
RAW • July 16, 2007

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly vs. Ted DiBiase & A Mystery Opponent
Night of Champions • June 29, 2008

Hell in a Cell Match
Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase vs. D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels)
Hell in a Cell • October 4, 2009

Triple Threat Match
Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Randy Orton
WrestleMania XXVI • March 28, 2010

Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio
WrestleMania XXVII • April 3, 2011

Street Fight
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
SmackDown • November 4, 2011

Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio
SmackDown • August 31, 2012

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
RAW • September 2, 2013

Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Shield (Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins)
Battleground • October 6, 2013

No Disqualification Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
The Shield (Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins) vs. Cody Rhodes & Goldust
RAW • October 14, 2013

Goldust & Stardust vs. Rybaxel (Ryback & Curtis Axel)
RAW • June 16, 2014

Stardust vs. Goldust
Fastlane • February 22, 2015

Stardust & King Barrett vs. Neville & Stephen Amell
SummerSlam • August 23, 2015

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
WrestleMania 38 • April 2, 2022

Hell in a Cell Match
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Hell in a Cell • June 5, 2022

 

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1 hour ago, FourPostMassacre said:

Rybaxel…ugh just unspeakably bad.

The only positive experience I ever had watching Rybaxel was a house show that had an Usos vs Rhodes Brothers vs Rybaxel triple threat - my section was drunk as hell and we kept giving The Ryback shit for being the only one in the match 'without a cool dad.'

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On 12/24/2022 at 11:42 AM, sabremike said:

Why is nobody on the board talking about the incredible final match of Suzuki-gun? Thought it was a strong last minute MOTY candidate.

 

On 12/24/2022 at 5:29 PM, The Natural said:

Need to watch that. Gutted Suzuki-gun is ending.

 

On 12/24/2022 at 6:19 PM, Log said:

It’s funny that a heel stable disbanding has been so heartwarming. 

Moving watch:

Suzuki-gun. Ichiban. FYI Lance Archer's backstage promo is NSFW.

Edited by The Natural
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