twiztor

WWF Superstars – WRESTLEMANIA: THE ALBUM 1. WWF Superstars – WrestleMania (3:35) 2. WWF Superstars – Slam Jam (3:16) *alternately, “SummerSlam Jam” 3. Hacksaw Jim Duggan – USA (3:13) 4. Nasty Boys – Nasty Boys Stomp (3:36) 5. Bret “Hitman” Hart – Never Been a Right Time to Say Goodbye (3:40) 6. Undertaker – The Man in Black (3:33) 7. Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage – Speaking from the Heart (3:25) 8. Tatanka – Tatanka Native America (3:39) *alternately, “Tatanka Native American” 9. Mr. Perfect – I’m Perfect (3:44) 10. Crush – Cold Crush (3:51) 11. Big Boss Man – Hard Times (3:31) 12. WWF Superstars – Slam Jam 12” (5:44) https://www.discogs.com/release/1965386-World-Wrestling-Federation-Superstars-Wrestlemania-The-Album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lblDaZfKF1U&list=PLF-kxtaaTH5Vp5_HzQDJ0YiZGQuxSiqDf Ring Introductions released in 1993, this album saw Simon Cowell as the Executive Producer. I have no idea why this exists. I owned this cd way back in the day, but I can’t for the life of me imagine why. I know I didn’t spend my money on it, since I would have been like 10, so I have to assume that some family member bought it for me? You would think that would mean that I have some sort of nostalgia for this, but you would be mistaken. I only have memories of the Macho Man song, and even those I wouldn’t call “fond”. The Match: “WrestleMania” acts as a de facto sampler for the album, as it intersperses lines from the upcoming songs. And there’s a guy who cuts a rap in here too. It has good energy, I’ll give it that much. “Slam Jam” is kind of the same thing as the previous song. But it also features the British Bulldog, who isn’t on the album. It also features a guy with a rap verse. “U.S.A.” features Duggan cutting a promo over a techno beat. If this interests you, you’re really going to enjoy this album. If it sounds like your version of hell, strap in. The chorus goes “U.S.A….. U-U-U-U.S.A……U.S.A…….HOOOOO!” I want to hate on this, but that part is actually catchy. “Nasty Boys Stomp” begins with a swipe of Janet Jackson’s “Nasty”, and that is the most positive thing I can say about this song. I feel like somebody heard that song, knew there were wrestlers called the ‘Nasty Boys’, and decided that this needed to exist. They were wrong. “Never Been a Right Time to Say Goodbye” sees Bret Hart speaking soulfully over music that seems to be amping up, which is completely at odds with the words he’s saying. Seriously, he’s talking about not wanting to disappoint the woman he loves, while this upbeat happy made-for-tv music is playing. Complete disconnect. “The Man in Black” starts with a guitar solo. Yes! We’re still in OG Deadman ‘Taker mode, so he cuts a short promo in his deep, gravelly voice. But by about 30 seconds in, the upbeat dance music kicks in, as if asking the question “can we make a song feel more out of place than the Bret Hart song?” “Speaking from the Heart” arguably works. Macho Man is the first performer to utilize a style that even somewhat matches the vibe that the music is going for. I still wouldn’t call it “good”, but at least it feels like it was made in the same universe. Also, it really bothers me that the backup singers are referring to him as “the Match-Oh Man”. Is this the common UK pronunciation? “Tatanka Native America” makes me curious about if it would be possible to create an interesting Native American/Techno crossover that works with both concepts. My initial thought was “NO” because those two concepts seem to be at odds, but I’m not super well versed in either, so maybe it’s possible. THIS isn’t that. We do get a fucking random rap verse that seemingly cuts off mid-verse. The best thing that I can say is that at least they didn’t reference him as an “Indian”, which is sort of a win for mid ‘90s pro wrestling. “I’m Perfect” actually incorporates Perfect’s theme music throughout the song, which is a decent starting point. Unfortunately it never really does anything better than that. Perfect’s promo verses are decent enough, but the chorus just has Hennig say “Mr. Perfect” like six times in a monotone voice that drains any credit I would give this straight out. “Cold Crush” is a UK-exclusive song, song congrats to my friends across the pond. Or maybe I should say condolences. I say that because it’s funny, but this song is no worse than anything else. It’s also no better, but I think by this point I’m becoming numb to the whole thing. “Hard Times” isn’t bad. I feel like WCW used this song as their basis for their Slam Jam album, except that THAT album came out in 1992. Maybe he was using this song earlier? I don’t know. The Finish: what the fuck was this? Why is there a Eurodance WWF album? This is terrible on pretty much every level. I questioned why I owned this CD as a kid, but I think the answer to that is “somebody bought it by mistake and pawned it off on the first kid they knew that liked wrestling”. Standout Track(s): Speaking from the Heart. If you only listen to one song on this album, this is the only choice. I’m feeling EXTREMELY generous, so I’m going to give this 1 ringbell out of 5.

tell me again how there "is no confusion".

he's a good dude. i used to post at another board with him. he would always post them to that board before they made it to reddit. I think i even met him in person once, WAY back when.

pretty sure that a Ventura quote. At least, it is Jesse's voice when i hear it in my head.

i read this as Megan Bayne and was very confused. First, she's only been on TV for like 2 months. She hasn't been a major part of the program, so why would we/anyone be worried about her contract being up? Mariah May makes way more sense.

taking a real "the floor is lava" approach to wrestling. i like it.

the "is/isn't it canon" never bothered me. I have fully embraced the concept of so many resets/reboots/reimaginings/etc: "something LIKE that event happened, but the details may not be the exact same". close enough for me. as an aside, i always liked the idea that Golden Age Wonder Woman was Hippolyta. I was also fine with the idea of Earth-1/Earth-2 and all those that came afterwards. But i've never been too hung up on what the name of the current Earth is. New? 0? Prime? i honestly couldn't tell you and don't care in the slightest. Is this the approximate same Batman i've read 80 years of stories about? Yes? good enough for me. And yes, i realize that i was one of the voices complaining about renumberings.

because UFC hyped it up with an octagon literally on a beach. Plus, that would've been so badass. Instead, we got proto-Apex shows.

ah yes, that will clear up any confusion!

i fully understand that criticism of Stevie's pod, but i have to say that i do enjoy when i selectively watch clips on YouTube. Emphasis on "selectively". Stevie also has a tendency to view WWE as "big time" and everybody else as minor league. He was talking about the Edge/Moxley match with the nailbat spot, and was saying something like "Moxley doesn't have to do that. It might actually hurt his chances of going back to WWE." He's made other similar comments as well, but that one stood out to me since Mox has been explicit in not wanting to go back.

i just wish the major organizations changed up venue style more often. i know the modern world trends further and further into homogenization across the board, but it's just such a bummer.

maybe you're just conflating it with SuperFriends? That series got revamped every couple years, with rotating characters and differing titles. It gave me a headache a few years back when i was trying to track down all the DVD sets.

A little bit different format here. I listed them in chronological order, but ranked them instead. NR = No Rating, as i haven't seen enough of the show to form an opinion: Live Action: The Batman / Batman & Robin (the 1940s serials) - 2/5. fine for what they are, but not my bag. i only watched the first half o the first serial and didn't feel the need to continue. Batman (1966) - 5/5. i LOVE this show. the tongue-in-cheek zaniness is the exact point, and i'm saddened that so many people miss the fun inherent in the concept of a grown man dressing as a bat to sock! pow! thwack! themed bad guys in the face. Gotham (2014) - NR Animated: Adventures of Batman (1968) - 3/5. This is Batman and the Casey Kasem Robin seen on Scooby-Doo and SuperFriends as well. It's goofy but fun. The New Adventures of Batman (1977) - 3/5. this brings back Adam West & Burt Ward to the role. It's fine. It's probably worse than the prior series, but the novelty of having West & Ward back works for me. Notable for introducing Bat-Mite. Batman: TAS (1992) - 5/5. along with X-Men TAS, THE staple of my childhood TV viewing habits. The Batman (2004) - 1/5. hated the art style. Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) - 5/5. this series is so much FUN. Batman is usually the straight man surrounded by so much hijinks and absurdity, and it works wonders. Special shoutout to Aquaman, who is Outrageous!-ly good Beware the Batman (2013) - NR. i really can't get down with computer animated series, so i never watched this. Batman: Caped Crusader (2024) - NR. i didn't even know this existed, but am interested in checking it out.

Here's how i would rank them. Not on discord enough to even know this poll was happening. And obviously i'm a month late here on the board, so i'm not paying close enough attention. Will try to make a Batman series ranking list later this afternoon, but i haven't seen everything, so will probably forget some stuff. not ranked: The Batman (2022) as i haven't seen it and don't plan to. 11. Batman vs. Superman (2016). completely awful. Zach Snyder is a hack. 10. Batman and Robin (1997). also completely awful, in the totally opposite way. 9. Dark Knight Rises (2012). this was just one huge plot hole and i hate watched my way all the way through 8. Lego Batman Movie (2017). just felt underwhelming. I loved the Lego Movie, FWIW 7. Batman Begins (2005). promising, but it loses points because i hate the Tumbler/Bat Tank. 6. Batman (1989). enjoyed this but it is surpassed by its sequels 5. Batman (1966). campy in all the best ways. a slight step down from the series itself, however 4. The Dark Knight (2008). Heath Ledger's Joker completely changed the character for all media. That alone is enormous praise for a character/franchise that was almost 70 years old at that point. 3. Batman Returns (1992). Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman. 'nuff said! 2. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). this is peak Batman: TAS. 1. Batman Forever (1995). i fucking love this movie, and i am not ashamed in the slightest. Combines the zaniness of the '60s film with the moodiness of the '89 series. I totally get why people don't enjoy it, but it is the top of the heap as far as i'm concerned.

i played BOTW once, back in 2017 when it came out. Bold of you to assume that i have any remaining memories of locations or specifics about that game. [Spoiler: I Don't] But i think that is a pretty cool idea. Apropos of nothing, i do still have my homemade maps from the NES Zeldas from when i was a kid. Not sure if i still have the SNES/GB Zelda maps i made, but probably not.

where does everyone think he's headed? AEW?

legit surprised that Paddy beat Chandler. Paddy has looked like he's *just* out of his depth for the last couple fights of his i've seen, and i thought that Chandler, even on the downswing, would be too much for him. also good on Chase Hooper getting the W over Jim Miller. I like Miller, but it's gotta be time for him to bow out. I think it would have been a fitting ending to go out with the UFC300 bout, even with a Loss. I don't see him getting that kind of fan support again, and his skills will only deteriorate from here. i wonder how much he has left on his contract. As it stands now, a 17 year octagon career is damned impressive.

'promotion' gives off the wrong impression. It is closer to the "WCW International Sanctioning Body" or "WCW International Championship Committee" but yeah, it definitely was just referred to as the "Big Gold Belt" for a good chunk of time.

In your opinion, did TNA's licensing and use of the NWA Title from 2002-2007 give it World Title status again, or is it lost forever?

Yeah, the whole NWA Title history is wonky around that time. I just watched '93 WCW a year or so ago. Rick Rude carried and presented himself as the World Champ. But WCW clearly showed him and his title as second to their WCW Champ. I say this not to disparage him, and i fully believe they should have presented those titles as being on the same level, but they did not. WCW made it feel like it was more on par with the US Title, which is a huge disservice. That's why i mentioned that he was A champ instead of THE champ. There was still a higher tier, as presented on WCW TV. (i can't comment on the WCCW as i've not seen it) When WWE first enacted the brand split, each championship (WWE/SmackDown, World/Raw) were presented on vaguely equal platforms. [Personally, i continued to view them as the WWE and WCW belts, despite what WWE officially recognized, so i was amenable to that presentation.] I know they later got unified, and re-split, and then the Universal was created, and also there's the ECW and NXT championships to consider, but originally they were co-equal. I would recognize both as legitimate. I think Cena's reign, when the spinner belt was introduced, is when that became the semi-official #1 belt with the other brand's belt being bumped to #2. This is when i really began to lose interest, so if somebody has other views or thoughts i wouldn't argue them too much. And how the Universal and 2023 World belt factor in are best left for somebody else to elaborate. i read the question a little bit differently, but i fully agree with this take on Scott Hall. excellent worker, and his talent absolutely would have been perfect for a World Champion/top main eventer. His feuds, while not centered around the World Title generally, definitely gave credence to his opponents who would instead be at that level. Well said.

FYI tomorrow is Record Store Day. Hit up your local spot! I'm not really one for new/current releases, but it gives me a reason to dig through the bays and flesh out some of my collection. Good deals on LPs, CDs, and whatever else your favorite shops offer!

yes. a long, long, world tour.

Rick Rude was the "WCW International Champion", which was (to oversimply the situation) a placeholder belt for the NWA belt after WCW had established their own belt. So he was A champ, but not THE champ. I still think he's the best answer to the question. Scott Hall put out some great matches, but he didn't have much in the way of World Title feuds.

Kaz Hayashi is good every time he is on TV. But he's always in very forgettable segments, so he doesn't really get any benefit from being good in them. It's incredibly disappointing in that way. I know this can and has been said of my wrestlers, but i would have liked to see Kaz get a higher profile with the company. Maybe that's just a side effect of us never getting a post-Jung Dragons WCW. As an aside, everytime you type "Kaz", i think of Frankie Kazarian, who is featured fairly prominently in my 2007 TNA watch. A cursory search tells me they've never faced off, so now i am doubly disappointed. In fact, it looks like post-WCW, Hayashi does a short stint in WWE developmental (2002), then he returns to Japan and has only made one short return stateside (2005). this was indeed Crowbar's last match for WCW. I'm surprised he never got a run with WWE after this (looks like he did get a couple tryouts, notably one with "Prototype" John Cena). But i'm not too disappointed, as he was a highlight of the WWA run of shows. Surprisingly, he's largely irrelevant in TNA, as he only made a few appearances. I would have thought that would have been his bread and butter. there's every chance i mentioned this back when you covered it, but Shane Douglas did get a PPV win over Ric Flair at Slamboree 2000. I know they didn't have the headlining feud that Douglas probably envisioned, but he can always hang his hat on that win at least. I have no evidence of this, but i've always believed that he had that put into his contract. He based his entire ECW career around "Dick Flair" holding him back, so i can see him needing that as justification (either IRL or purely kayfabe, i don't know his personal thoughts). The match, like his entire WCW existence except tonight's promo apparently, sucked.

started playing the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom last weekend. open world games are not what i typically enjoy playing. I'm more an old school platformer. But there's something about BOTW and TOTK that just feel so inviting. i start playing and hours just melt away. and all with very little frustration. Sure, there's some, but mostly i just get to relax and live in this world. Pure bliss. Definitely taking my time to enjoy this as much as possible. There's a reason this is the last game on my list to beat for the year. i don't want to feel rushed, or that something else is waiting for me. This gives me a chance to complete any and all side quests that compel me. So yeah, this will be my only game for the next 4-5-6 months. And i couldn't be happier.