August 2024 Wrestling Discussion

[Technico Support]

3 hours ago, EVA said:

I certainly understand how one might raise an eyebrow at some of HHH’s recent booking practices—the sheer volume of identity-based, often racially segregated groups being created; the number of Black wrestlers who’ve seen their positioning in the company diminished since HHH came to power; how we’ve just had a major PPV without a single Black wrestler booked in a match; etc.

And how one might connect those practices to HHH’s previous racially insensitive behavior (e.g., the blackface, the whole Booker T thing, the affection for iconography that walks right up to the line of saying, “Nazis were cool”).

And how, taking all of that into account, one might think to themselves, “Hmmm. This all seems very questionable.”

Shit like this has me hoping to live to see the day in maybe a generation or two when nobody running wrestling has a connection to the carny days.  HHH was trained by Kowalski and learned booking from Vince and his cronies, so it’s no wonder he’s a subscriber to the “your race = your gimmick” school of booking.  Shit, “brown” seems to be close enough for him…doesn’t one of his Latino stables have a Filipino in it?

Edited August 21 by Technico Support

[Ramo2653]

4 hours ago, EVA said:

(In fairness to HHH, Carmelo isn’t any good, and I wouldn’t be doing anything meaningful with him either.)

I'd love to have you elaborate on this. Is it his style you're not into or you think something is objectively wrong with him?

[SovietShooter]

14 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

Shit, “brown” seems to be close enough for him…doesn’t one of his Latino stables have a Filipino in it?

That would be Joaquin Wilde, aka DJ Z, aka Shiima Xion.

[SirSmUgly]

49 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

Shit, “brown” seems to be close enough for him…doesn’t one of his Latino stables have a Filipino in it?

The Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards at one point, so that's close enough! 

(I think there's a 97.2% chance that Lavekkk doesn't know this fact and thus couldn't conjure it up to counter your example and argument.)

[SovietShooter]

3 hours ago, SirSmUgly said:

Lavekkk

I like it!

[SirSmUgly]

47 minutes ago, SovietShooter said:

I like it!

That is the stylization some fans are taking to online, I should have noted.

I personally don't trust a man who loves Nazi iconography, and I never will, but I can't speak to his positioning of black wrestlers.

[The Natural]

Matches which are better than the most famous one. I've always felt:

Bret Hart vs. Mr Perfect King of the Ring 1993 is better than SummerSlam 1991.

Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog at In Your House 5: Season's Beatings is better than SummerSlam 1992.

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at In Your House 18: Badd Blood is better than WrestleMania XXV/XXVI.

Agree? Disagree? Your examples? Cheers!

Edited August 22 by The Natural

[J.H.]

2 hours ago, The Natural said:

Matches which are better than the most famous one. I've always felt:

Bret Hart vs. Mr Perfect King of the Ring 1993 is better than SummerSlam 1991.

Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog at In Your House 5: Season's Beatings is better than SummerSlam 1992.

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at In Your House 18: Badd Blood is better than WrestleMania XXV/XXVI.

Agree? Disagree? Your examples? Cheers!

Ok I agree with all of this save Bret v. Perfect but I'm biased to the SummerSlam match because I was there live and seeing title changes live scores big with me, especially since it was my 1b favorite wrestler

James 

Edited August 22 by J.H.

[zendragon]

1 hour ago, The Natural said:

Matches which are better than the most famous one. I've always felt:

Bret Hart vs. Mr Perfect King of the Ring 1993 is better than SummerSlam 1991.

Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog at In Your House 5: Season's Beatings is better than SummerSlam 1992.

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at In Your House 18: Badd Blood is better than WrestleMania XXV/XXVI.

Agree? Disagree? Your examples? Cheers!

Austin V HBK, Taker at IYH are better from a work rate perspective than his PPV matches in 98

[Zakk_Sabbath]

2 hours ago, The Natural said:

Matches which are better than the most famous one. I've always felt:

Bret Hart vs. Mr Perfect King of the Ring 1993 is better than SummerSlam 1991.

Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog at In Your House 5: Season's Beatings is better than SummerSlam 1992.

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at In Your House 18: Badd Blood is better than WrestleMania XXV/XXVI.

Agree? Disagree? Your examples? Cheers!

I've gotta disclose a @J.H.-like "in the house" bias on this one, but I never understood why Joe/Punk from "Best Friends, Stiffer Enemies" in August '03 doesn't get the same love as their later trilogy (I guess quadrilogy if you wanna count last year's 'swan song').

My buddies and I were front row, and when Joe seats Punk in the chair and cannonballs him in the corner of the railing, you can basically see my face in real-time do the math of "Well, Bret's done, Savage is done, Bossman's passed... Yup, Samoa Joe is my favorite wrestler."

Edited August 22 by Zakk_Sabbath
ETA: Cool topic idea btw Natch

[Zimbra]

The 9/14/01 Low Ki vs Red match in ICW was better than their ROH and TNA matches.

[J.H.]

As far as the Taker/Michaels Badd Blood match, it was an almost perfect match save for the finish. Was it DEAN~ who said "No match where the Undertaker's fake brother comes out from the center of the Ring gets 5 stars!"?

James

[AxB]

Anyone prepared to go to bat for "Misawa vs Kawada from the 21st of October 1992 is better than the June 1994 rematch"?

A case could be made, is what I'm saying.

Now pushing the Tokyo Dome match between them from 1998 as superior, that's going to be a harder sell.

[J.H.]

7 hours ago, AxB said:

Anyone prepared to go to bat for "Misawa vs Kawada from the 21st of October 1992 is better than the June 1994 rematch"?

A case could be made, is what I'm saying.

Now pushing the Tokyo Dome match between them from 1998 as superior, that's going to be a harder sell.

The January 99 title match between them is better than the Dome imo. Kawada breaking his,arm and still winning is badass but then you realize he won so he could be fed to Vader but the injury forced Baba to rebook into the TC decision match between Vader/Taue

James

Edited August 23 by J.H.

[RazorbladeKiss87]

In a move that saves me from spending any time watching his new promotion, D'Amore has announced his first member of the announcing team....Mauro Rannallo. Good move as it keeps him away from anything I watch already. 

[Dolfan in NYC]

I'll just say it's a good thing Logan Paul dropped the US strap last month. 

There's a video of him (allegedly) pushing his dog off a moving motorboat.  The dog then goes under and comes out propeller side.   The dog is okay.

It's horrific and doesn't need to be reposted here.  For what it's worth, he's strongly denied the accusation, but the video is pretty damning.

[The Natural]

58 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

I'll just say it's a good thing Logan Paul dropped the US strap last month. 

There's a video of him (allegedly) pushing his dog off a moving motorboat.  The dog then goes under and comes out propeller side.   The dog is okay.

It's horrific and doesn't need to be reposted here.  For what it's worth, he's strongly denied the accusation, but the video is pretty damning.

Logan Paul is a big piece of fucking shit.

[Dolfan in NYC]

It looks like her disastrous Reddit AMA was the final straw for Ronda Rousey:

She's apologizing unconditionally and fully for spreading Sandy Hook truther conspiracies. And for what it's worth, it definitely reads as sincere. 

[The Natural]

21 hours ago, J.H. said:

Ok I agree with all of this save Bret v. Perfect but I'm biased to the SummerSlam match because I was there live and seeing title changes live scores big with me, especially since it was my 1b favorite wrestler

James 

Thank you. Totally understandable why you'd prefer SummerSlam 1991. If you're in attendance of a great match, it means more. There's an emotional connection there.

21 hours ago, zendragon said:

Austin V HBK, Taker at IYH are better from a work rate perspective than his PPV matches in 98

Agreed.

20 hours ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

I've gotta disclose a @J.H.-like "in the house" bias on this one, but I never understood why Joe/Punk from "Best Friends, Stiffer Enemies" in August '03 doesn't get the same love as their later trilogy (I guess quadrilogy if you wanna count last year's 'swan song').

My buddies and I were front row, and when Joe seats Punk in the chair and cannonballs him in the corner of the railing, you can basically see my face in real-time do the math of "Well, Bret's done, Savage is done, Bossman's passed... Yup, Samoa Joe is my favorite wrestler."

Totally understandable as you were in attendance so it carries extra weight.

20 hours ago, Zimbra said:

The 9/14/01 Low Ki vs Red match in ICW was better than their ROH and TNA matches.

Never seen that one. Will make a mental note.

20 hours ago, J.H. said:

As far as the Taker/Michaels Badd Blood match, it was an almost perfect match save for the finish. Was it DEAN~ who said "No match where the Undertaker's fake brother comes out from the center of the Ring gets 5 stars!"?

James

LOL. The late great DEAN. Miss you, fella xxx.

20 hours ago, AxB said:

Anyone prepared to go to bat for "Misawa vs Kawada from the 21st of October 1992 is better than the June 1994 rematch"?

A case could be made, is what I'm saying.

Now pushing the Tokyo Dome match between them from 1998 as superior, that's going to be a harder sell.

 

18 hours ago, J.H. said:

The January 99 title match between them is better than the Dome imo. Kawada breaking his,arm and still winning is badass but then you realize he won so he could be fed to Vader but the injury forced Baba to rebook into the TC decision match between Vader/Taue

James

Never seen either. Need to.

[The Natural]

Just now, Dolfan in NYC said:

It looks like her disastrous Reddit AMA was the final straw for Ronda Rousey:

She's apologizing unconditionally and fully for spreading Sandy Hook truther conspiracies. And for what it's worth, it definitely reads as sincere. 

I was surprised by this today. Didn't see that coming at all. Absolutely awful thing to say.

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

16 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

It looks like her disastrous Reddit AMA was the final straw for Ronda Rousey:

She's apologizing unconditionally and fully for spreading Sandy Hook truther conspiracies. And for what it's worth, it definitely reads as sincere. 

I gotta say, in terms of notes app apologies, that's probably in the top tier.

[AxB]

She didn't apologise for her previous transphobic statements though. Whether that's a Not Yet or Not Ever, we don't know.

[AxB]

1 hour ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

I'll just say it's a good thing Logan Paul dropped the US strap last month. 

There's a video of him (allegedly) pushing his dog off a moving motorboat.  The dog then goes under and comes out propeller side.   The dog is okay.

It's horrific and doesn't need to be reposted here.  For what it's worth, he's strongly denied the accusation, but the video is pretty damning.

That's hardly the first instance of him mistreating animals though.

https://people.com/pets/logan-paul-parrot-eaten-by-dog/ From 2019

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/logan-paul-pig-pet-rescue-abandoned-b2259616.html From 2023

 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

51 minutes ago, Stefanie Sparkleface said:

I gotta say, in terms of notes app apologies, that's probably in the top tier.

I was going to say something similar. I used to listen to a psychology podcast as background noise when I was WFH during the pandemic, and there was an episode covering what all the components of a legitimate, sincere apology are, and she basically hits all of them that I can remember here - *of course* I wish she never amplified that stuff, but she really seems to be taking ownership, so as badly as I want to be my usual snarky self about it, I really have no issue with this. Zero sarcasm when I say, good on her.

[Log]

48 minutes ago, AxB said:

She didn't apologise for her previous transphobic statements though. Whether that's a Not Yet or Not Ever, we don't know.

I think the reason the Sandy Hook apology came out was that she did an AMA, and she got flooded with questions about it. Now, I also agree that it's a very nice apology, and I'm not trying to downplay it, but that may explain the timing.