Lol yeah. He always used to do these rope walk/spring board moves but would fall off 90% of the times. In the racial discrimination lawsuit Arn Anderson goes into details how he kept telling Walker to practice those things in training, not on live T.V but Walker would ignore him

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A first look at Beth Phoenix and Shawn Michaels from the Performance Center of the WWE 2K22 MyRISE Mode ��<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE2K22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE2K22</a> <a href="https://t.co/cIrtgq5fD2">pic.twitter.com/cIrtgq5fD2</a></p>&mdash; The SmackDown Hotel �� #WWE2K22 (@TheSDHotel) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSDHotel/status/1488921569627934724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Lollllll wtf.

My God.

That’s incredible.

But they gave Beth Phoenix HBK's eyes. :wtf:

That will never happen. Or at least never take off in any meaningful way. This fast paced style has been around for a long time, but became so popular because it reflects modern society's obsession with instant gratification.

There will always be fans who can appreciate the slow burn of old school wrestling, but as long as we live in a culture that needs everything right this instant, it will never take off with mainstream audiences.

Outstanding lol

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lord Steven Regal is APPALLED that Fit Finlay would possibly interfere for him. <a href="https://t.co/6F4MrvzS4D">pic.twitter.com/6F4MrvzS4D</a></p>&mdash; WCW Deep Cuts (@DeepCutsWCW) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeepCutsWCW/status/1488925648840278019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I don’t know if I agree with this. Normally your posts are pretty spot-on, but I think too much cynical is written about younger generations, technology and how we consume media. Yes, it has changed. But that doesn’t mean people can’t appreciate a story or something with a more deliberate pace. I’d suggest that people’s appetite for finely crafted drama has only increased over the years.

I have this image of a product that looks similar to Lucha Underground at The Temple, is wrestled a bit more like Bloodsport where less is more. The promotion would start with a G-1 Style tournament. Call it something different of course but it's a league tournament.
Imagine a 20 or so show tour broadcast on FITE with a mega roster of available talent out there right now.

Based off that you could have an entire promotion to go forward.

I don't disagree entirely, but in regards to this industry specifically, I can't see mainstream fans going back to slower style matches. I think you can throw the occasional old school style match in there, but a product that is entirely, or even mostly that will get rejected. Do casual fans even talk about ring psychology, story telling, or any of the subtle details that make a great performance?

I would love a promotion that adopts a grounded sports presentation and showcases actual classic strong style wrestling as opposed to the indyriffic imitation we have today.

I was excited for AEW because when Cody was describing it, that's what it kind of sounded like, but it's obviously not what we got.

psychology and story telling arent things people dicuss theyre things that draw people in against their will when done correctly and its those factors that are misisng from most of all modern wrestling and its that void that keeps the product from working

I have doubts whether that's enough anymore. The draw of wrestling during its biggest boom periods were the characters more than the wrestling itself. Obviously having great wrestling compliments those characters, and you want that in the product, but if you can't create stars, does it even matter whether your product old school wrestling or modern spotfests?

I think you’re drawing a line between characters and psychology that doesn’t need to be there. Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and The Rock all had excellent psychology. People might attribute it to “character.” More casual fans might attribute it to them being “cool” or just who they are as people. But that is conveyed a lot of the time through psychology. It’s like a grounding of that character.

If Austin started coming out doing cartwheels, in fluro pink trunks and his finishing move was a moonsault that he got power for from kissing a baby — the whole act falls apart. Good psychology means being “on” as an entity, and doing things that your character, based in a sports-setting, would do.

Or just read Destor’s posts.

See ... I'm not so sure that back in "the day" that the majority of fans really sought out a "great match" like obviously a stinker is a stinker but there wasn't this standard of certain spots you had to hit for it to be a classic. Now you have the tope suicida's, the apron work, trading finishers and kick out, finisher off the top etc...

Fans really cared a lot more about the story and how their guy grows to overcome the bad guy. But still within that you had those more athletic performers like Shawn, Steamboat or Owen, the technical aces like Bret or Mr. Perfect, but obviously the characters that were compelling like Jake, Heenan, DiBiase and Flair. Then the monsters like Yoko or Bundy, Andre or Vader.

When I was a kid I only really noticed the match quality when it was a shit match, otherwise I was pretty much into whatever.

https://i.imgur.com/bBaYyzx.jpg

Foleyhausen is really good people.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Look at the smoothness of this exchange between Chris Jericho and Dean Malenko… <a href="https://t.co/6Pl9MIScsi">pic.twitter.com/6Pl9MIScsi</a></p>&mdash; WCW Deep Cuts (@DeepCutsWCW) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeepCutsWCW/status/1489397153185337344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

lol Goldberg vs Reigns at Blood Money 7 seems to be the plan atm.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is like if someone showed up on Smackdown named Michael Bole. <a href="https://t.co/TtFP0ryRnj">pic.twitter.com/TtFP0ryRnj</a></p>&mdash; WCW Deep Cuts (@DeepCutsWCW) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeepCutsWCW/status/1489593110103482370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

ugh.

One, way to complain about somebody putting words in your mouth, but then proceeded to do the same to me. Pot/kettle. But, I said that with an eyeroll, and it wasn't supposed to be a focal point of the issue, so fair, I'll take that one.

Two, not releasing Jeff isn't necessarily "evidence" he never asked - or more importantly what I actually said of *wanted* to ask - for a release. There may even be other oeople who are/have been quiet about wanting to leave and being kept in the background while silently hoping to get dismissed early. We don't know that either, though, because if they exist, they're quiet. If Mustafa Ali didn't take to social media, there's still no guarantee he would've been granted his release just because he was publicly quiet. He might have been just as mad, and just as beholden to his contract, but nobody would have known. Jeff might have even asked and also told no. They probably wanted him to ride out his time as well. We really don't know that, because the only speculation at the time was about a potential wellness policy violation vs his history of them.

Three, you would think that "badmouthing the company" would be a fast track out the door, not a reason the place keeps you around. It is a perverse sort of "punishment"and once again, a strange business strategy. If I publicly told my boss in so many words to go fuck himself, I'm 99% certain (margin of error and all) he wouldn't keep me around just to prevent me from potentially working for a competitor. There is no "their side to see" here, and it goes back to the hyperbole I used about being "held hostage". He can't leave, without some sort of contractual detriment, and they won't let him just because he wants it? That is a petty point for a publically traded company. Seeing the company ceasing to employ someone as a "reward" that they are unwilling to give is ass backwards. "He should be thankful he gets to be on TV" doesn't work when he isn't on TV, yet still is expected to travel like he is. It is also ironically making people figure this is some sort of work that is going to be the start of some SCSA type push or the thing when Austin Aries walked out of Impact how he did.

Four, everything is NOT a Vince vs Tony argument. Who gives a shit about TK holding people to their contracts? Good for him. Not the same thing, though. He's been holding on to talent and just letting contracts lapse instead of cutting them in a manner of "post wrestlemania housecleaning". He isn't in a situation like this, though. If, say, Darby Allin wanted out and Tony said "no", then kept him off TV but made him show up for all the tapings anyway, we could make some sort of apples to apples comparison. And AEW would indeed be just as shitty as WWE. It isn't championing for AEW. It is barely even involving them outside of the natural speculation (but not guarantee) that it is the most likely place he'd show up and he'd likely be expected (but again not guaranteed) to thrive. But you could substitute any fed there, including New Japan. For the argument itself, AEW is a non-factor.

The only thing that even *makes* this an "evil WWE" issue is the long history of this type of thing being an "evil WWE" issue.

To pull a completely different example, I will mention Gallows & Anderson. No matter what anyone thinks about "Medium Show and Small Show", they made BIG NOISE in New Japan. Enough to warrant the attention of WWE- a company with deeo pockets, but notoriously wishy-washy about how they present and book and push tag teams... especially ones they didn't create. It wasn't super long until they went from Bullet Club buzz to just another couple of guys on the roster. Eventually, they would have been split up, repackaged, or shitcanned (or all three) if the formation of AEW wasn't happening. Now, suddenly, they had value to WWE again if only in denying somebody else - especially an organization made up of their well-publicized friends - access to them. They sign them to these big contracts to keep them off the table, then decide like five months in that they didn't want to pay the Good Brothers anymore. How shitty or not that was doesn't hinge on which side balked. If G&A weren't happy and walked out, there would have been a lot of hay made about them being "unprofessional", but because WWE changed their minds on the boatload of cash and multiyear deal they just signed, somehow "that's just business"?

I mentioned before they've kept people under contract or even extended their contract time just to fuck with them. Publicly calling bullshit on that shouldn't make the talent the villain.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The WrestleMania X Rap from Men Ona Mission! <a href="https://t.co/JXkTtFXMRH">pic.twitter.com/JXkTtFXMRH</a></p>&mdash; Richard Land (@maskedwrestlers) <a href="https://twitter.com/maskedwrestlers/status/1241090057278304261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

omg i am going to roll up to the WM party this year jamming this on max volume. It will be wondrous.

Pretty smart match for the show. It was scheduled to happen and the last time we saw Goldberg he was going over the current WWE Champion. Plus, Reigns is now feuding with Brock, who is one of Goldberg’s most iconic opponents (definitely in this run).

You’ve got this, an Elimination Chamber featuring some pretty amazing talent and Becky Lynch vs. Lita. That’s a pretty stacked show.

watching tracey smothers work a gcw crowd from 2019 and he is so damn good. using jim cornette's birthday to get heat. a brilliant man.

Going to try and be really succinct with this: The company does not want to set a precedent where unprofessionalism gets you what you want. They may offer him a conditional release, not grant him one or just release him with the next batch, but that sort of unprofessionalism is such bullshit.

lol holy shit he's having a "dance off to the death" with marko stunt. unreal.

Long twitter thread but none of it is really surprising


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Glassdoor Reviews by former WWE employees / contractors:<br><br>[thread]<br><br>&quot;You could be released at any time. There's no benefits, no health insurance and the contracts were extremely one-sided.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xfhuNBJQ01">pic.twitter.com/xfhuNBJQ01</a></p>&mdash; Allan (@allan_cheapshot) <a href="https://twitter.com/allan_cheapshot/status/1489635305284059144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Smothers was so fucking great. FBI are the highlight of late 97/early 98 ECW. Everything his did was amazing.

Vince totally eye fucking Sunny

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A 52 year old man and a 24 year old woman in 1997 just hanging out and being pals. This is what it looked like. <a href="https://t.co/kscz79wisA">pic.twitter.com/kscz79wisA</a></p>&mdash; Alan4L (@Alan4L) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alan4L/status/1489661985524486147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

he was fantastic in ecw. that's the era of ecw i'm most familiar with i'd say. but seeing him wrap a crowd around his finger with ease 20 years later is amazing.

IF I HEAR THIS CROWD CHANT GCW, I'M COMING OUT THERE AND EVERYBODY DIES.

I guess it's because it's my childhood but I really loved the post steriod WWF. The New Generation, I can always go back and watch that stuff and get sucked into it. Vince on commentary, King is the new Heenan, smaller venues with tons of kids... That Mania 10 card was so stacked. Truly sucks that they had to cut that 8-man tag (or was it 10?) because that match had a lot of stories that were prevalent at the time. What a great show.

Was pumped for that 10 man tag as a kid. Was shook that it didn’t happen.

what was the 10-man supposed to be?


also, i started watching wrestling in 1996. i fucking loved catching livewire on saturday, superstars on sunday and raw on monday (or whatever day when it was preempted by the dog show or tennis)

IRS, Headshrinkers, Martel and Jarrett vs 123 Kid, Bob Holly, Tatanka and Smoking Gunns.

It could have been a fun match considering the participants. I think they ended up having the match on Raw but I haven't seen it .

Kenny Omega randomly attacking Will Ospreay, very weird


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dude your approaching 40 and we all still poke fun that you wrestled a 9 year old girl.<br><br>That’s you.<br><br>Bit weird bro. <a href="https://t.co/PR1sFmPvpp">https://t.co/PR1sFmPvpp</a></p>&mdash; ᵂⁱˡˡ ᴼˢᵖʳᵉᵃʸ • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1489701700323758080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brother makes MILLIONS of dollars and he is concerned about some cunt not having anything to do with his company, trying to rebuild a scene that so many people gave up on.<br><br>Bruv just rehab up, I want what’s best for you and hope you live a happy life.<br><br>Just lemme focus on my shit</p>&mdash; ᵂⁱˡˡ ᴼˢᵖʳᵉᵃʸ • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1489711276192317445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yeah I looked it up and it's the April 4th episode. It would have been a fun match to add to that Mania because every match is so different. Really a buffet show with the brilliant Owen/Bret match, laced with the story of the WWF Championship triangle with Luger/Yoko/Bret, you've got the brawl with Crush and Savage, the spectacle of Razor/HBK and the "fun" intergender tag match with Doink and Dink vs Luna and Bam Bam. Gonna have to do a Mania 10 re-watch on the Road to Mania this year.