Technico Support

To piggyback on @Ziggy’s post, I wonder if the paymasters at TKO, due to their MMA background, don’t really understand the draw of, or care about, tag teams. Like the old Vince idea that “why the fuck am I paying four guys for a match when I can just be paying two?” Maybe they feel like tags between singles stars are cool for setting up/prolonging programs, but dedicated teams are a waste.

Thanks for the responses, all! I’ll give it a shot. I’ve never played any Ubisoft games, since it was asked.

You know why AEW is awesome? Because there's definitely a chance Myron Reed could be a top guy there. Just the idea that AEW is a place where that could realistically happen is wild.

It's secretly what the "E" in their name stands for now. They want to hold off on Oba for Summerslam or maybe even Mania, so instead of having some cool programs as a detour, they're going to do this hackneyed open challenge shit. You know, because holding off as long as you can on belting up a hot act never fails in pro wrestling. Punk and Cody would definitely take pay cuts. Punk because he has nowhere else to go, Cody because he's a mark and would stick around for a belt, a top guy spot, and compliments. Just tell him he's a big, strong boy and definitely as good as his dad was, and you're golden.

Can anyone tell me if I'd enjoy Horizon Zero Dawn? It on PS+ right now but its description as an "action RPG" is making me wary. This is opposed to the fact that most games I like are described as "action adventure" by Wikipedia. So for comparison, here are games I mostly enjoyed most recently: Huge fan of GTA and RDR The PS 4 & 5 Spider Man games God of War was okay, a little repetitive. I started the second but couldn't get into it Stray Last of Us 1 & 2 Control So would I like Horizon? I've never been a RPG guy and I hate, but tolerate, skill trees if they're not that complicated and accompany an otherwise good game. I kinda hate puzzles and, in my Spider Man replay, used the option to skip all puzzles. Because I am old and don't have a ton of time for gaming, I am casual as fuck and play everything in easy mode. Shit, I turned on one-hit kills in Control Is this game for me?

I feel like their whole audience is 1) people who simply have always watched WWE, and stay due to inertia or FOMO, and 2) newer fans who just know no better and think promos, catchphrases, entrances, finishers, and mOmEnTs = pro wrestling.

In kayfabe, Joe left Hook in charge and they not only didn’t expand, they also lost a member, and didn’t win titles or anything. Joe needs to be like “hey Hook WTF?”

Corporate enshittification has come to pro wrestling! Every dollar they save by cutting wrestlers or “restructuring contracts” means more “value” for “shareholders.” This is a race to the bottom and the future of WWE is a handful of well-paid big stars on top, and then a roster full of callups working for cheap because they’re “just lucky to be there.”

I don’t watch MMA, but apparently this is what they’ve done with UFC — just constant lowballing because, like you said, they think the brand is the draw.

TKO knows nothing about wrestling and is going to keep lowballing established stars into leaving, playing “next man up” with Performance Center Crossfitters and NIL nobodies because hey, it’s fake and anyone can be a star, right?

WHAT IS FRESH COAT OF PAINT DOING IN THE IMPACT ZONE?

@Andrew POE! I really hate Devil Wears Prada. Thank you. The narrative is so unbalanced and weird. Priestley is undoubtedly a horrible person, but everything in the story reinforces the idea that she’s 100% right. The scene where Andy tells Nigel how miserable she is, and rightly so, is maddening. His response: suck it up, lots of women would love this job. What the actual fuck? Real anti-worker, sweatshop mentality. The movie’s most well known scene has Miranda putting Andy in “her place” and abusing her over some fashion bullshit, and it’s played like she’s in the right. Woooooooo girlboss shit yaaay! Horrible people do horrible things to good people with no comeuppance. Andy drops her friends and family for a job that would forget her tomorrow, but she’s in the right. This is the most pro-corporate, anti worker shit I’ve ever seen. Aside from being poorly conceived and badly written, I think hiring Streep is actually a problem. She’s so good and charismatic, it’s hard to see her as the villain.

Weak chin covered by a beard, eyeliner, are we sure they didn’t sign JD Vance?

I’m beginning to think this Phil Brooks person may have anger issues.

WWE signed RFK Jr’s niece to NXT as a favor to him. Loooool keep giving money and attention to this gross, MAGA-ass company, guys. Maybe Barron Trump can semi-main Mania next year.

You leave my 90s crush out of this

I could barely hear the guy's name but his outfit was the most 90's thrown-together local indy shit I've ever seen. Weird mask with huge blonde mullet hanging out, spandex sleeveless top, camo pants. Looked like local Maryland wrestler Agent Orange from back in the day. I'm guessing he was someone from the roster or one of the semi-retired guys who work at AEW, because I wouldn't think any local indy would wear such heinous gear on purpose anymore. Plus Borden is still training, so they'd probably put him in there with a veteran. Anyway, seeing him in person made me feel old as dirt, because I saw his dad wrestle in person in his prime. Does "Manscout" Jake Manning work backstage at AEW? I swear I was standing next to him in the concourse when we were getting ready to leave. EDIT: looking up pics, yeah, that was definitely him.

Addressing sentence #1: Depending on criteria, they probably are. Addressing sentence #2: here's an idea. What if "flashy bullshit" is just the Bucks' "fighting style?" Is it easier to digest then? A guy like Danielson will hit you with a bunch of stiff kicks. While the Bucks will beat your ass with intricate flippy shit and you can't do a thing about it. In kayfabe, that's their choice of offense.

“What can I say about Hulk Hogan that hasn’t already been said about Afghanistan? He was bombed out and depleted.” “I’m very upset about what Hulk Hogan said about my coat. It’s made from his mama’s pubic hair.” ”I hope all the bad things in life happen to Hulk Hogan and nobody else but Hulk Hogan.” -Bret Hart, probably

PS I’m sad there’s no thread for tomorrow’s show yet, because I’m going to the show. Suggestions: Oh my god that’s the funky Shida King of Pain Rhythm of the Knight (Corona or Debarge) Lena Kross will make ya jump jump

Why wear knee pads if hitting someone with your bare knee is so dangerous? We’ve seen kneelifts hit in minute one of matches…just skip the knee pads and hit that shit immediately! I liked Ron Garvin back in the day but his finisher was a punch and that was stupid…why wait a whole match to do it like it had to be “set up” when every match on the show has dudes hitting fisticuffs from the get go? What I am saying is wrestling has its own peculiar internal logic and this shit breaks it.

Looool ”Great question, Shelton!”

I like Black as a worker, it’s just the spooky shit doesn’t work. Spooky shit worked exactly twice in wrestling: Kevin Sullivan in Florida (at the height of Satanic Panic) and the Undertaker. Also, obviously, refusing to job doesn’t work. Bring Black back without the explicit spooky shit (cool entrance? Yes. Black mist that turns you eeeeeevil? A stable of spooky pals? Nah and nah.), put him through a long period of midcard .500 record (or less) matches to make sure he’s cool, and go from there.

I don't understand how fans of a fake sport draw the line at "well I can't believe these guys are winning on those guys because these guys are doing too many flips and such." Like okay, so their offense is unbelievable because it's too flashy? Come on, I watched Bryan Danielson (smaller than both Bucks and probably some of their children) do the corner run up, flip, bounce off the ropes, clothesline spot in every match. Thesz thought Harley Race was a spot monkey with a ridiculous style, and Hackenschmidt thought that of Thesz.

Adventures in the office gym! My office gym is on the first floor of my building, with doors leading directly to outside. Guy who is dressed like he clearly works in this office complex (khakis, polo shirt), not in shape but not fat, is hanging outside wearing headphones and vaping. Comes in, does two sets of dumbbell curls with awful form, puts the weights back in the rack in the wrong spot, then goes back outside and right back to vaping. I guess you gotta just get your (questionable) pump when you can.