Library Dude

re: how NXT is a step-up from FCW, Dean Ambrose has a great line in this interview (cheers to Bald Bombshell in the TNA thread for the heads up on this site) http://www.alternativenation.net/dean-ambrose-interview "When it comes to KENTA, I saw him in Japan and talked to him a little bit. Him coming in just shows you the difference in the Performance Center. When I came in it was a totally different story than what it is today. I slipped in the back door of developmental, the only guy I was even vaguely familiar with was Seth [Rollins], and I never wrestled him before. I may have crossed paths and maybe said hello to him once or twice over the years, but we were in different circles. We were always kind of on parallel paths on the indies, so I never really crossed paths with him much. But he was the only guy I had even remotely heard of, it was just a bunch of other guys. For instance, to give you perspective, the top guy in developmental when I got there was Lucky Cannon. If you don’t know [him], just Google it. That will show you the difference in the talent that is in developmental now."

Ryback's random trash talk was great. SHARKS SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS!!!!

I think the reason popular opinion turned against Rey is that he's not the high flyer he once was, even though he's just as good a wrestler. WWE always promoted him as an exciting high flying type but most of the stuff he still does now looks pretty bad (the seated senton is a crappy move, and that flying headbutt/missile splash thing isn't much better). He'll often go to the top rope and the crowd will sound excited, then deflated when he's not pulling off moonsaults or SSPs or whatever. It's not his fault , he's got no knees left, but I think the company could have done a better job of letting him change up his style and acknowledging it on air (not by saying "he got old" or anything, but just highlighting all his surgeries and how he's had to change it up). I remember him wrestling a few matches on Smackdown back in 2010 or so like he was Low Ki, tons of stiff kicks and the like. That would be good for him.

Batista should get driven round in a golf buggy by his assistant like he does on-set. What's the guy who played Jonathan in 30 Rock doing?

The only live wrestling show I've ever been to was an All Star-esque show in Cardiff with a fake Kane and Mankind on it. Kane was skinny as hell and about 6'2, I think he had a shop bought kids WWF mask, Mankind was probably pushing 50 and was the size Mick Foley is now. The high point was an American dude on the show, I don't know who he was but looked like a mix of Johnny B Badd and Hector Garza. The guy ripped on the crowd all night and was great at stalling and stooging. We were cheering him like crazy by the end.

British, sorry AMERICAN Wrestling posters featuring LOD and Warrior knock-offs are where it's at.

That tune that samples the Goldust theme is great. Wale - The Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Am I the only one who thought that Richards' new name was DEREK Billington? Once Bateman left that name was free I suppose. I'm not as down on The Ascension's wrestling as most, but that was probably the clunkiest they've ever looked. That gimmick needs turning up or scrapping, Why are they supposed to be evil? They don't do anything particularly diabolical. They need to become way more sadistic in ring, or get a gimmick like a weird box with some hideous torture inside that they try and inflict on people. Hell, give them the Brood's blood bath, Right now, they are just dudes in wacky clothes who make funny faces in blue light. Yes, I realise that's all the Undertaker's done since 2003. Backstage bit with Enzo, Cass and Aiden English was great. Were all the lumberjacks for the main event people who have WWE developmental contracts? Or just random Florida indy guys doing that show? Because there were some random looking people there (A white guy who appeared to be cosplaying The Cat, a Barry Horowitz lookalike in a leotard). I approve of the cowboys in contrasting stetsons. Wrestling always needs cowboys.

Ok, thanks for checking. Must be something up with my PC (more excuses to post to DVDVR in work )

The alien sold more merch.

I can't post pictures or gifs. The dialogue box opens but then freezes and won't submit. Even cancel doesn't work, I have to close the tab. I spent about an hour last night trying to post gifs of Hunico and just lost a post casting NXT's Oliver Grey as a Devonian Raven. Boooooooooo.

I think the First Blood comment is worse. I saw that after I saw most of Sly's big 80s films and the Rocky's and it fits in so well with the likes of Deliverance and Southern Comfort it's untrue. Great film.

Hunico has pretty much my favourite moveset of any wrestler right now. It would be a shame if he just became Sin Cara fulltime because despite his size, I think he comes off like a total badass, and I think he has enough charisma to get pretty far.

Who's the capoeira dude getting smashed by Hawk? It seems really familiar, I probably saw it at the time.

Just finished watching the Smackdown tag and that was some great wrestling TV. I almost felt disappointed that the Uso's and Goldust weren't in the final section mixing it up with the Wyatts more, but then I realised that essentially I'm asking the match to be over an hour and a half long. I found it interesting that Rowan was in for most of the last tag, and I thought he did great too. Looked good on offense against Rey, sold really well, character stuff was spot on. Loved Harper holding the back of his head to calm him after one of the Shield tagged in. Harper standing in the ring like a gatekeeper as everyone mugged Rey was awesome, as was him staring down Reigns immediately afterwards. That dude gets it. Is Goldust actually in the best physical shape of his career? He's leaner than he was when he was The Natural, but all the better for it. He's top five in the company for sure and possibly in the top two with Bryan. Great, great match.

Yone doesn't have a fro anymore right? He always struck me as a NOAH guy who would have a chance in the States.

The BBC's music documentary series' are often great (Lost Highway, their series on country back in 2003 was fantastic, and I liked their soul series Dancing in the Street from last year a lot too). I only caught the last few minutes of the first episode of Blues America last night. There are only two episodes but they are showing a bunch of live performances from their archives, and a doc on Big Bill over the next couple of nights. I don't know if this is going to be on BBC America at some point, but it's worth keeping an eye out for or, ahem, obtaining. Anyway, Howlin' Wolf talks the blues. There's that wacky thread on here where people are booking Hollywood actors as wrestlers. If you did that with musicians, Howlin' Wolf would be Vader. Or Abdullah the Butcher. What a scary dude. Badass. http://youtu.be/OQ654Lg6m8k Classic song, amazing performance. http://youtu.be/SqI2YStPK3E

I'm really out of the loop with new metal and hardcore (my job and my kid have put paid to most of my spare time and I only have an FM radio and tape deck in my crappy car. I mostly listen to the same Def Leppard and Status Quo songs over and over again thanks to my local shitty classic rock station). Anyway, I went on the Relapse website for the first time in years just to find out who the hell is on there nowadays and found this. Surprised I hadn't read it here: Ultramantis Black signs to Relapse. That new Big Business is great, brilliant band. Anyway, just so this post isn't a bunch of boring shit, here's some raging grind/crust from Sayyadina. Their album Fear Gave Us Wings is fucking brilliant. Hammering grindcore with a guitar tone like lead, if you like Nasum check them out.

To be honest, I think Bryan should have cut his beard when the Wyatts came in. If that's one of the main traits of a gang of maniacal cultists, one of your top babyfaces shouldn't look similar. I say this as someone who has had utterly ridiculous facial hair in the past.

The worst thing is all the idiots who upload their Smackdown vs Raw versions of this week's matches (but still use a picture of the real match as the video ID). ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH,

Bloody links don't work

Team Boston needs to swap Fandango or Kazarian for Tensai. Him and Saturn actually look like tag team partners too. Bloody hell, I'm always posting about Albert.