Gordlow Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Not exactly an earth-shattering insight or anything, but: enjoying Bloodsport this morning followed by Multiverse (TNA vs Japan) early this afternoon REALLY brought home what a wide variety exists within the very specific parameters of "professional wrestling." Despite the fact that fully half a dozen wrestlers appeared on both shows (Bad Dude, Coughlin, Speedball, Kratos, Cobb, Uemura) the two events could not have presented a more wildly different vision of pro wrestling. Strikes, suplexes, and submissions - nothing that looked like it wouldn't work in actual martial combat - on the one hand, and endless contrived and crazy and wildly imaginative spots on the other. Olympic-level amateur grappler Jeff Cobb early this morning, and power fighting, forearm strike exchanging, member-of-The-Empire-faction Jeff Cobb a couple of hours later. And BOTH were totally entertaining! Pro wrestling is just so great! 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 5 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 (edited) I haven't seen the latest yet, but I've always been really into the concept of these Bloodsport shows - I think if someone with money got in there, it could be the next Lucha Underground (in terms of the 'fight club' feel and ability to plug into an episodic format - not like they run every night or every week) Edited March 31 by Zakk_Sabbath I just had a vision: Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Bloodsport 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 12 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said: I haven't seen the latest yet, but I've always been really into the concept of these Bloodsport shows - I think if someone with money got in there, it could be the next Lucha Underground (in terms of the 'fight club' feel and ability to plug into an episodic format - not like they run every night or every week) I always enjoy the Bloodsport shows. Even the matches that aren't all that great are at least interesting to watch. The style is different and unique enough, that it doesn't blend in with all of the other wrestling out there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 17 minutes ago, Log said: I always enjoy the Bloodsport shows. Even the matches that aren't all that great are at least interesting to watch. The style is different and unique enough, that it doesn't blend in with all of the other wrestling out there. Hard agree - like almost a more-accessible/digestible Pancrase, or something (perhaps not the best comparison, but outside of that and a handful of UWFi matches I've seen here or PWO over the years, I haven't watched a ton of worked shoot stuff in earnest - I guess technically speaking, maybe some PRIDE fights I didn't realize were works at the time...) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Also at the FTR live show: 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 3 hours ago, Zakk_Sabbath said: I haven't seen the latest yet, but I've always been really into the concept of these Bloodsport shows - I think if someone with money got in there, it could be the next Lucha Underground (in terms of the 'fight club' feel and ability to plug into an episodic format - not like they run every night or every week) While I agree I wonder how often they could run with out burning out the fans on the formula 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 3 minutes ago, zendragon said: While I agree I wonder how often they could run with out burning out the fans on the formula Definitely a valid concern. It would be a tough thing to plan out (as opposed to having unfold organically) but maybe a little bit of 'style drift' could be in play - for example, by the last year of ECW, a lot of the undercard looked more like a proto-ROH than it did a deathmatch show. Maybe you hook the people initially with the Bloodsport stuff, and slowly introduce other elements over time... ...but at the same time, then you risk losing what makes it so unique to begin with (again, I'll use ECW as the example - it's hard not to say they lost a bit of their identity when the WWF starts doing 'Attitude' - if Bloodsport starts doing whatever ROH or NJPW is, it's the same risk in reverse). There's of course nothing to say you couldn't do an hour of, idk, lucha matches or something on the undercard, and then just air only the Bloodsport stuff - might go a long way in keeping the live crowd on their toes. But for an episodic thing like LU, it's such a different animal... I think doing a four hour taping to air a weekly one hour show 4x a month isn't a super tall ask for a live audience. Is the TV audience going to go for that? That, I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 10 hours ago, Ace said: To the surprise of nobody, Mox found a way to bleed at Bloodsport tonight. now if you showed up at bloodsport in a full bodysuit and tried to get heat off of not bleeding 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 59 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said: Definitely a valid concern. It would be a tough thing to plan out (as opposed to having unfold organically) but maybe a little bit of 'style drift' could be in play - for example, by the last year of ECW, a lot of the undercard looked more like a proto-ROH than it did a deathmatch show. Maybe you hook the people initially with the Bloodsport stuff, and slowly introduce other elements over time... ...but at the same time, then you risk losing what makes it so unique to begin with (again, I'll use ECW as the example - it's hard not to say they lost a bit of their identity when the WWF starts doing 'Attitude' - if Bloodsport starts doing whatever ROH or NJPW is, it's the same risk in reverse). There's of course nothing to say you couldn't do an hour of, idk, lucha matches or something on the undercard, and then just air only the Bloodsport stuff - might go a long way in keeping the live crowd on their toes. But for an episodic thing like LU, it's such a different animal... I think doing a four hour taping to air a weekly one hour show 4x a month isn't a super tall ask for a live audience. Is the TV audience going to go for that? That, I have no idea. Paradigm Pro does a lot of shoot-style, UWFi, Bloodsport-type stuff. Sometimes its a full card of matches like that, and sometimes they're mixed with other stuff. When it's mixed, it's a little jarring to see a match end on a backdrop driver knockout in the UWF-style bout, but then a dude take way worse stuff and continue in a "regular" match. When it's a full card of that style, I really dig it. But, it kind of needs to be its own self-contained world to really work. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, Cobra Commander said: now if you showed up at bloodsport in a full bodysuit and tried to get heat off of not bleeding Imma need MMA Jeff Jarrett to accept a bloodsport match only to attempt nothing but Memphis tomfoolery and stalling Ive like the bloodsport stuff I’ve seen (Kylie Rae and Mercedes did a non Bloodsport no ropes submission match) and it would be cool for them to do a monthly show maybe put it up on honor club but at the same time it could be like those three hell in a cell matches on one card or those all death match cards where it vares into hat on hat territory 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxB Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peck Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Would think carny politicians would know not to break kayfabe. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Cincinnati Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Beat Jericho to the Key to the Municipality honor by decades. What a legend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peck Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Can’t wait for the video where he pushes over a “fan” in a wheelchair to disprove his charitable efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 I’m just gonna choose to believe that Long Island is a horrible place full of horrible people so that’s why he’s so well beloved 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakk_Sabbath Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Just now, zendragon said: I’m just gonna choose to believe that Long Island is a horrible place full of horrible people so that’s why he’s so well beloved It's not not 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
赤い竜 Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 I am looking forward to the April 2023 Sports Entertainment thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 FYI: 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 4 hours ago, zendragon said: Imma need MMA Jeff Jarrett to accept a bloodsport match only to attempt nothing but Memphis tomfoolery and stalling gonna need shoot-style Jeff Jarrett to win the match by hitting the other guy with a guitar 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizium Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 7 hours ago, John from Cincinnati said: Beat Jericho to the Key to the Municipality honor by decades. What a legend. Jericho got the Key to Winnipeg back in 04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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