Blog of DOOM Daily Thread – 27th November 2021

by

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I’m away for the weekend so Sunday and Monday’s threads will be a little bare bones, but we’ll be back to normal on Tuesday. I’m off down south to see Everton against Brentford. It’s my first ever visit to Brentford, and if their impressive performances continue whilst Everton continue to be mince then it might be the last time in a while that I get to go there.

I caught Rampage from last night and enjoyed it. It’s a very easy to watch show, although it definitely feels like it’s the Thunder to Dynamite’s Nitro these days (albeit it’s a good Thunder at least). AEW has a stacked enough roster that they can load up both shows, but I also get that they probably want to reserve the stronger stuff for Dynamite as it’s the flagship. At least the show is fun to watch.

Read more

The SmarK Rant for AEW Rampage – 11.26.21

by

The SmarK Rant for AEW Rampage – 11.26.21

Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the Black Friday special on the rant archives today!  It took me a while to send out the links to everyone because I was busy getting mauled at work all day but I’m pretty sure I was able to get everything done tonight.  If you didn’t send me an email address LIKE I ASKED, I messaged you the link via PayPal so check there.

Read more

Rampage – November 26, 2021

by

Rampage
Date: November 26, 2021
Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Taz, Ricky Starks, Chris Jericho, Excalibur

The Chicago swing continues and this time around we have the short form show. There are a few matches announced this week, including the Confirmed Time Period vs. the Best Friends and Riho vs. Britt Baker. That makes for a good start to the show and we should be in for a fun night. Let’s get to it.

Read more

Smackdown – November 26, 2021

by

Smackdown
Date: November 26, 2021
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re done with Survivor Series, where a grand total of very little took place. Raw won the Battle For Brand Supremacy but Roman Reigns beat Big E. in the show’s main event. We are now on the way to Day 1 and Reigns’ next challenger will be determined this week via a battle royal. Let’s get to it.

Read more

Long Weekend Get-Down: November 26, 2021

by

TONIGHT!  We get the fallout from Survivor Series, and Roman Reigns needs a challenger to steamroll!  Plus, let’s see if Riho can regain the Women’s Title — Step 1 is tonight on Rampage!

TOMORROW!  Ohio State and Michigan!  Wisconsin and Minnesota!  Oklahoma and Oklahoma State!  Virginia and Virginia Tech!  RIVALRIES EVERYWHERE!  IT’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL HATE WEEK!

SUNDAY!  The weekend is over, sigh.

But first — Jim Cornette goes off on Vince Russo, part 93275980347:

All right, folks, we’ve been over the rules.  Obey the mods’ instructions at all times.  I expect a good, clean thread.  Now — touch gloves, go to your keyboards, and come out posting!

ENJOY THE WEEKEND!

Mike Reviews Shows Considered To Be Stinkers – LPWA Super Ladies Showdown (23rd February 1992)

by

Howdy Ho Stinkerinos!

Back with another Reader Request this month, as we look at the LPWA’s failed foray into pay per view courtesy of Dave Newman.

For those not acquainted with these reviews, I look back at a show that has a bad reputation and decide whether it deserves it or not. This one is probably going to be more the case of production woes dragging things down, as looking at the list of wrestlers included then the in-ring aspect should likely be decent once the bell rings.

The Ladies Pro Wrestling Association was a women’s only federation from 1989-1992 that tried to present the women as actual wrestlers as opposed to companies like GLOW, that focused more on gimmicks and titillation.

The company was run by a guy called John Berg and they produced some television and VHS releases before throwing their hat into the pay per view realm. I’ve decided to do minimal research into the women I don’t know for this one to see how good a job the LPWA does of introducing its roster to a new viewer. I might even factor that into the eventual decision at the end actually. I’m going into it as someone who has never watched the product before and we’ll see how good a job the LPWA does of getting me up to speed.

Read more

Monday Night Raw – June 25, 2007 (International Version)

by

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 25, 2007
Host: Todd Grisham

This week, the Chris Benoit Tribute Show aired, but then the details started to come out, meaning Benoit’s place in wrestling was completely changed. When Raw aired later in other markets, a Best Of show was shown instead. For the sake of completion, I’ll be looking at it to, so let’s get to it.

Read more

Monday Night Raw – June 25, 2007 (Chris Benoit Memorial Show)

by

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 25, 2007
Location: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole, Joey Styles, Tazz

At some point over the last week, Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself at his home. Their bodies were found on Monday, but the cause of death was not made clear by the time this show aired. As a result, there are no fans here and the original plans for the show, meaning Vince McMahon’s memorial service, were wiped out. Instead it’s a tribute to Benoit, as things had not yet changed for him. Let’s get to it.

Read more

What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – August 25, 1990

by

Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper are calling the action, and they are taped from Providence, Rhode Island.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, these tapings took place on August 8 and drew a sellout crowd of 15,000 fans.

Read more

Flashback Friday: WWF Magazine February 1986

by

This week, we look back at the 1986 issue of WWF Magazine that went to press on in late November of 1985 and sold for $2.25 in the U.S and $3.00 in Canada. With a cover featuring Hulk Hogan, we’re teased with stories about Special Delivery Jones, the Hillbillies, and “The night Hulk saw red.” Let’s make like Jim Brunzell and jump in.

Read more

NXT 2.0 vs Smackdown 2004

by

Hey Scott.   I remember when you used to review Smackdown in 2004 and it was so bad that you pulled the plug on it.  Is NXT 2.0 an even worse show in your view?

Sadly the real test is yet to come, because once they start shedding the indie backbone guys like Gargano and O'Reilly and eventually Ciampa, then the geeks are going to have to craft matches on their own and it's going to get uglier.  So i'd say it's worse than Smackdown from that era, but it's still not quite at the bizarre performance art level of Vince Russo's WCW yet.  YET.  

Cole with the Elite gone

by
So with Omega gone for awhile, and the Bucks having some time off,  do you steer Cole towards being more heel or slowely getting face momentum with his entrance alone?  I can definitly see him getting cocky and brag about holding the Elite together in everyones absence, but i think i would enjoy a jealous Omega returning more than a face-turning savior.  Cole at this stage can definitly main event against Hangman in a ppv and be defeated cleanly  without losing an ounce of overness. OR, since the Bucks make great assholes with their attire alone, do you have them turn on Cole and Omega makes the save and now you got one hell of a tag-match?  

Sidenote:  is Guinness following the wrestling world if 2021 breaks the record for most ladder matches in a year?  Nxt is having a gimmick match determine something in another gimmick match!!!


Yeah I'm not really fond of NXT backsliding into throwing gimmick matches on regular TV every other week because it's going to kill them even more than they already are. 

As for Cole, it's super obvious that Kool Kyle is coming over by the end of the year to reform reDragon and I imagine you can slot Gargano in there as Strong 2.0 and bam, there's your Undisputed Era to usurp the Elite and turn them babyface.  Then Hangman reunites with them, and we do Blood & Guts on the first TBS Dynamite and blow it off, where you turn the Era babyface in the loss and the Elite can all turn heel again and then they do the rematch on Rampage but reversed.  And then I guess you can do something for the second TBS Dynamite, I dunno, my booking genius only extends so far.  Maybe Dexter Lumis will get fired and he'll kidnap Stephanie on the way out of Titan Towers and debut with her as his unwilling manager and then HHH can be All Elite when he's recovered from his cardiac event and come to AEW to get revenge?  

Post SummerFest ‘91

by
So the recent mail question got me wondering, what the plan for Warrior post Summerslam? Was he to feud with Undertaker? Jake? Team up with Hogan to do tag matches with both of them?

I don’t know if he had already been doing the house show loop with Taker (and thus would have been moved to Jake) but it really does leave a lot of possibilities. Do you know what the plan was?

Doing the house show loop with Jake.  They specifically brought Savage out of retirement to replace him for those matches. 

I object!

by
Scott,
 
Huge AEW fan here, but I can't be the only person who finds it borderline offensive that Billy Gunn is appearing on television in any capacity whatsoever. TK has a large roster of talented wrestlers and I somehow watched a Billy Gunn match on dynamite this week. Maybe him getting less of a crowd reaction than Red Velvet will help end this, but good lord, how is this the best thing they have for Darby?


He's tall, muscular and has meaty thighs, pal!  That's good shit!

Oh that's the other guys, forgot for a minute.  

I dunno, like I said they were fine as babyfaces with Billy doing a nostalgia run, but as a part of the main show it's a very weird choice unless it's like Darby ends Colton's winning streak as the big payoff or something.  

The SmarK Rant for WWF Superstars – 02.26.94

by

The SmarK Rant for WWF Superstars – 02.26.94

Happy Black Friday!  Well not for us retail slaves but for everyone else I suppose.  But hey, I too can get in on the Black Friday action, by offering the almighty Rant Archives at a 50% discount for today only!  November 26 2021 in case you’re reading this in the future.  So instead of the usual $20, just shoot me $10 via Paypal at [email protected] with your preferred contact email and I’ll send you the OneDrive link containing the sum total of all my writings for the past 30 years or whatever we’re up to these days, updated in real time as I write them.  You think a new TV or a PS5 is gonna give you that kind of satisfaction?  I THINK NOT.

Read more

Blog of DOOM Daily Thread – 26th November 2021

by

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today is Black Friday, which is annoyingly something we seem to have inherited from North America here in the UK. Our big “sales” day was always Boxing Day on the 26th of December, but I guess the shops over here saw another pie they could stick their fingers into meaning we now have to suffer Black Friday as well.

If you are out at the shops today then please spare a thought for those unlucky enough to be working retail jobs, as they’re going to be rushed off their feet to begin with and have no say as to things like price and stock, so any anger directed at them is both unpleasant and utterly pointless.

As someone who served a few years in the trenches on consecutive Boxing Day’s at an electronics store whilst in his teens, I know just how horrible it can be during this time of year, so please be kind to those retail workers you encounter today because they’re ultimately the ones that suffer the most so that you can get 30% off a surround sound system or a new TV (outside of those people who work in the sweat shops that make some of these things to begin with of course, but you know what I mean)

Basically, don’t be a jerk today if you’re out shopping

Read more

2nd nap unlocked

by

Happy paid day off Thursday Scott,

When was the last great steel cage match?

A cage match that had high stakes, either a title on the line or end of an epic feud, great execution and a worthy ending that had the masses yearning for more?

I'll hang up and listen.

Ha ha paid day off.  That’s funny.  The real Thanksgiving is in October.  
As for the cage match, I’ll refer to the one that just happened at All Out.  Bucks vs Lucha Bros.  

Impact, Indies, and Insanity: November 25, 2021

by

Impact is doing a special Thanksgiving WrestleHouse today.  I have no idea if stories will be advanced or if this is a skippable episode — but it’s not like Impact has been anywhere near as bad as their past.

Currently watching Raiders/Cowboys; later tonight is Bills/Saints.  Or, if you need college football rivalry time, Mississippi and Mississippi State square off in a game that, in the past, was decided by a wide receiver imitating a dog using a fire hydrant.  No, I’m not kidding.

Meanwhile, the independents:

Read more