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I don't remember clearly, but weren't some guys from PWX on those New Beginning shows that collapsed due to visa issues? If so this might have been a thank you from NJPW and they weren't interested in doing some additional angles.

12 hours ago, Valcourt said:

They were both on this past Sundays PWX show in Charlotte, NC and didn’t do anything together. 

 

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With Fatu now the MLW champ, the personality dynamics of CONTRA are shifting towards being centered on the WARBEAST members of the stable.

I can't help but think that any new member will be added at the expense of Simon Gotch.  His exit beatdown will not be pretty.

Same for MJF now that both Holliday and Hammerstone have struck gold before him.   His departure to AEW is being mailed in.

Edited by J.T.
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KIngs of Colosseum thoughts:

Capitalizing on the momentum they've built with Jacob Fatu is just smart business. I really like Fatu, but working a more competitive match made clear he's got some ways to go. Lawlor has some potential, but he's not the guy to lead a company yet.

Alexander Hammerstone seems to be getting better and better, but that finisher is horrible.  The application of it here was particularly bad.  He'd be so much better off without that nonsensical maneuver.  Kotto Brazil looked really good.  They ought to start building some momentum with him and slowly move him up the card. I'm curious to know more about this cat.

Promos continue to be a real challenge for MLW. Georgia Smith's inability to understand how a microphone and interview work or that there wasn't somebody there to show her is mindboggling. Georgia, MLW, the mic is where they speak into! So funny seeing Harry continuously trying to duck his head towards the mic.  Hilariously bad promo from the Harts.

I've also noticed a few times, during backstage promos, that they'll have an interviewer with a microphone that isn't powered on.  Clearly camera audio.  Which is fine, but seems a bit silly when they have the mic as a prop.

I see potential in Selina, but I have a hard time buying anything she does.  Maybe it's more so the 'b movie villain' writing.  The vulgar Konnan portion seemed a bit unnecessary. Classic overlong, could have all been said in a minute, WWE inspired, promo.  I really like Konnan as a podcaster, but his time as an on-screen talent feels long passed. 

I am a fan of Myron Reed.  I think he has a ton of potential.  The match with Hondrus was pretty alright, but completely wasted by the nonsensical interference.  Pointless.  I'm sure some will disagree, but to me cheap heel interference feels long passed it's effectiveness, and only really works for an adolescent audience.  It'd be a more effective presentation to put some power back in the referee's hands.  Throw Oliver to the back mid-match if you need to use heel interference at all. 

I really like MLW for the opportunity it provides talent.  I also really like a lot of the talent they currently employ.  The production is pretty strong for what I assume to be a pretty low budget.  On the other hand, the angles and promos are in need of some serious help.  So much of what they do comes off as 'play wrestling'.  I'd love to see them  ease away from trying to make things always seem bigger than it is (ie anything invloving Selina, etc.).  Sell the performers and characters and let them do their thing.  

Edited by HarryArchieGus
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Hammerstone pretty much had a HHH lite gimmick before this so I am shocked that he's not using the Pedigree as his finisher.  

I don't think that the Nightmare Pendulum is all that horrible of a finisher for him because Hammerstone as strong as an ox and can hold guys up for a really long time and the move looks fairly hurty if he hits it properly and the guy taking the move sells it like the grave. 

I've seen Hammerstone use that move on guys his own size and not have a shitty finish bump, so it's not a Matt Morgan sort of thing where he has to work solely with little guys that he can toss around like a sack of flour.

I do hate the indyriffic feel of the finisher, but I still think he manages to make it work.   And yes, ultimately I think he'd be better off with a far simpler impact finisher like Holliday's gut-wrench power bomb.

I think that Reed and Oliver will make for a nice indyriffic in a good way tiny dude tag-team.   How they will fit in the overall mix I have no clue given that the tag champs are Freebird rules Hart Foundation 2.0 and that's the only gold that stable has and it's obvious that those belts will end up around the waists of the Von Erichs pretty soon.

Edited by J.T.
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I liked the show but really liked the main event.  Glad to see instead of trying to do a heel promo they just let Fatu come out and get cheers from the crowd.  I like Lawlor a ton but this is Fatu's time and glad to see they put the title on him.  If there's one guy MLW should lock down if they haven't already it's him.  Because once WWE or AEW come calling his departure's going to leave a big hole on the roster.  And damnit I think I want that Contra shirt.

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Tried to watch Kings of Colosseum: less than 5 minutes in, Cornette is slut-shaming Aria Blake and Hammerstone is doing a bad Rick Rude promo. They even called his challenge three different names. But the big thing was the comment towards Blake. Turned it off right after. Fucking Cornette.

HOT TAKE: anyone over 60 should not have a major role in pro wrestling anymore. Period.

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2 minutes ago, Marty Sugar said:

Tried to watch Kings of Colosseum: less than 5 minutes in, Cornette is slut-shaming Aria Blake and Hammerstone is doing a bad Rick Rude promo. They even called his challenge three different names. But the big thing was the comment towards Blake. Turned it off right after. Fucking Cornette.


Be glad you didn't stick around for the Konnan segment.

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3 minutes ago, Marty Sugar said:

Tried to watch Kings of Colosseum: less than 5 minutes in, Cornette is slut-shaming Aria Blake and Hammerstone is doing a bad Rick Rude promo. They even called his challenge three different names. But the big thing was the comment towards Blake. Turned it off right after. Fucking Cornette.

HOT TAKE: anyone over 60 should not have a major role in pro wrestling anymore. Period.

The ring announcer, the announcers and Hammerstone himself all used different names, it was incredible!

You mean the Hammer Flag Challenge?

no wait, the Hammerstone Open Challenge?

no that’s not it... the Hammerlockstone Challenge.

All that being said. I love Fatu.

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On 7/10/2019 at 8:21 AM, Archibald said:

I don't remember clearly, but weren't some guys from PWX on those New Beginning shows that collapsed due to visa issues? If so this might have been a thank you from NJPW and they weren't interested in doing some additional angles.

 

Yeah that NJPW-USA show in Charlotte had a lot of the Carolina indy guys with the LA Dojo trainees and most of the NJPW gaijins at the time (Archer, Cobb, Smith Jr. Finley, "Juice", Chuck & Trent?, etc...)

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I love Jacob Fatu, I love DVDVR's Tom Lawlor, I love Contra Unit...

I fucking HATE Jim Cornette, but part of that may have to do with how insufferable he is on his podcasts and his dumb as fuck takes on wrestling, like saying the Young Bucks don't have good bodies when he thinks the Midnight Express or the Rock and Roll Express are the pinnacle of wrestling when they had bodies shaped out of silly putty.

I'd rather listen to Vampiro ramble on aimlessly.

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32 minutes ago, Craig H said:

I love Jacob Fatu, I love DVDVR's Tom Lawlor, I love Contra Unit...

I fucking HATE Jim Cornette, but part of that may have to do with how insufferable he is on his podcasts and his dumb as fuck takes on wrestling, like saying the Young Bucks don't have good bodies when he thinks the Midnight Express or the Rock and Roll Express are the pinnacle of wrestling when they had bodies shaped out of silly putty.

I'd rather listen to Vampiro ramble on aimlessly.

I heard maybe 20 minutes of a Cornette episode from 3 years ago and that was enough for me (some political stuff I was agreeing with so I guess I quit while I was ahead)  Aside from that I haven't heard one bit of it aside from what people talk about on here.  And for that I feel much better about it when hearing him on commentary.  He still has some cringe-worthy stuff like the comment about Blake.  But I like him best when there's somebody like Contra Unit running amok.

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I watched my first MLW last night (as mentioned on the talk thread), so I won't paste or rehash all of what I posted but..

Jacob Fatu is going to be a star. Even stupid people can figure that out quickly. I suspect the only things that would hold him back are the WWE wanting everybody to have mic skills (unless you've already won a UFC title). But holy shit.. Samoan Werewolf is probably underselling it.. if there's an American Dream, he's a Samoan Nightmare (steal that line, please)

I can understand the upside for Salina. Although I will note that the jacket/bra combo was a little distracting. I think that's the best I can do and some people would be a little weirder about that.

The skinny white guy with Myron Reed should probably have wear sort of justice-related t-shirt if he's going to be a second/stooge. I'm not saying his physique is better than mine, but it seems like being a shirtless skinny dude with a sign is sort of an odd look. But then again, I think that guys who are dressed to wrestle who aren't obviously scheduled to wrestle requires a suspension of disbelief. You don't see boxers in the stands watching other fights shirtless with gloves on just in case.

Cornette is what he is. I don't really actively seek out his "talking about AEW" Experience episodes. The color commentator who is sorta heelish but also against certain heels (Lawler after a certain point) is kind of an odd spot to be in.

Without advanced context aside from what they mentioned, it didn't seem like any of the matches or segments on the show were pointless, or just engineered to get people on screen to eat up time.

I suspect Hammerstone really is that massive and it's not a thing where he just seems massive next to Brazil, right? Hammerstone looks like he could be something down the road too.

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The only thing I didn't like on the show was the Hart Foundation interview (Teddy was on his best behaviour because Harry's sister was there), and the continuity error of the Dynasty stealing the Cruiserweight title belt last week, and then being in possession of one of the tag belts this week.

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Yeah, Teddy somehow seemed less weird than his reputation. But he didn’t really say much. Brian Jr’s look might make one forget that Harry looks so much like Davey Boy too.

The continuity and the production oddities are what they were. I was watching it on a TV using YouTube through Roku. But yeah, there were some less than smooth production things.

Not sure I’ve seen the “personality in the audience area watching a specific match” thing for awhile. Which honestly makes more sense than having them lurking around ringside for no obvious reason or being on the stage.

Also, it might be the Cicero setup, but it seems like there were a lot of rows of fans on screen on the hard camera. Then again, that’ll happen when you can’t just heard a bunch of rows on the floor at the same height.

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I just watched King Of Colosseum, wow I echo everything that has been said about Jacob Fatu.  He is something else.  Give him some time and he might be something special down the line.

Youtube took me to Battle Riot II.  I am having a BattlArts flashback with Minoru Tanaka.

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