Monday Night Open Mic

Howdy Blog O’Doomers!

Hard to think of what will take over the discussion thread tonight. There’s RAW with its ratings falling like rocks from a mountain or there’s a less-than-appealing Saints vs. Falcons game on Monday night or there’s a U.S. Presidential debate which has the potential of being a comedy or a tragedy and a better chance of being both in one.

Network special last night? It was ok. I couldn’t get into the Kevin Owens/Seth Rollins match at all. There was no reason to exactly be invested in either of these guys. RAW needs something…I don’t know exactly what it is but they need something that can grip the viewer again. Rollins vs. Owens isn’t it in my opinion.

Anyway, enjoy your Monday night and…
KEEP IT CLEAN!

Wrestling Rivalries – Jericho Vs Malenko – Plug Request

> Hi Scott
>
> Hope you and the family are all well
>
> I write for a website called Gaming Respawn and we’re starting to branch out into other content as well as Video Games
>
> There’s a few of us who are big wrestling fans, so we’ve started uploading some wrestling content
>
> I’ve recently started a quasi-regular feature where I look back at classic wrestling rivalries
>
> This time out I’ve gone for Jericho Vs Malenko from 1998 WCW, a storyline I know you particularly enjoyed back in the day
>
> I don’t think I say anything particularly ground breaking about it or anything, but I enjoyed recapping it and think the Doomers might like to reminisce about a great feud
>
> Could I please trouble you for a plug? It’d be greatly appreciated as it might get a few more eyeballs on my work that might not otherwise see it
>
> http://gamingrespawn.com/featured/14006/wrestling-rivalries-chris-jericho-vs-dean-malenko/
>
> Thanks for your time and take care!
>
> Mike

KO as top guy

From the comments…

Can we give Owens more than 3 weeks as champion before we conclude he’s not right for that spot?


I don’t think we need to. Just look at the evidence: They have a story for a guy who spent 10 years trying to make it to WWE and was told he was too fat to ever be a star, worked his way into the system and forced himself into a spot on the main roster, and then ended up as World champion because a spot opened up on a one in a million chance. And we’re supposed to BOO this character?! It’s ridiculous and a complete mismatch for all the things that got him over in the first place, and not to mention that his primary opponent is the guy who spent two years as the chosen one for the Authority and now we’re supposed to just cheer him a few weeks after he came back from injury and told us all to go fuck ourselves.

But really, storyline stuff aside, they put the belt on Owens and he immediately drew the two worst ratings in the HISTORY OF THE SHOW. That alone says that it’s not working with him in the spot. That doesn’t mean people won’t buy Owens as the top guy, but Owens as the top guy backed by the Authority with absolutely no explanation or storyline behind it? That’s the problem.

Same moves of doom


Why is Reigns so limited in his move set?

Why can’t he do some moves like body slams, ground and pound, or a sleeper?

Watching him doing a million clotheslines, Superman Punches, a Drive-by (kids, go do a drive-by), and spears is just ridiculous.

​He’s a product of the system, and that’s what they’re taught to do. Remember when the superman punch started to get over and people were like "Man, that’s cool! In a few years that’s gonna be a killer finish!" and then pretty soon that was ALL he was doing? There’s your problem. Reigns is a walking puppet of WWE Main Event Style and it’s one of the numerous reasons we’ve already beaten into the ground why he can’t get over at that level. ​

The value of a 3 star match

Scott,

Is it me or has a 3 star match lost much of its value?

By this I mean there was once a time where a WWF undercard would have matches that barely hit 2 stars and if they did get 3 it felt earned and special as it didn’t happen often.

Now we get wrestlers who are more all-round capable and put in the work to get a 3 star match but it doesn’t feel very well executed or special, it’s just the norm.

Clash of Champions had a couple 3 star matches yet most are instantly forgettable. This once wasn’t the case, yet why is it now? Are we being spoilt and are taken it for granted? Has wrestling lost its way? Do we need a new different system? Must we adapt?

Cheers

​Well, *** is pretty much an average – above average match, so it’s not exactly high praise to call something a three star match. And given that the company can now curate all the best talent in the world and book them however they want, they damn well better be getting above average matches all the time. As hesitant as I am to ever agree with anything that zanatude says, he summed it up as the show being "a bunch of technically proficient matches that the average fan doesn’t care about", and that’s a good way to put it. Kevin Owens is a fantastic character, but he’s just not right for the spot he’s in right now. That’s not on him, that’s on the company failing to turn anyone into a bigger star than they were when they came off the indy scene. ​

BoD Daily Update: September 26th, 2016

WWE.com RAW Preview

http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2016-09-26

 

Seth Rollins Update

Rollins was hurt last night at Clash of Champions in his match against Kevin Owens. According to Dave Meltzer on “Wrestling Observer Radio,” the injury reportedly occurred during a top rope gutbuster spot and Bryan Alvarez added that he heard Rollins had problems breathing backstage after the match.

Credit Dave Meltzer & Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio

 

Place to be Nation Podcast Roundup

Between the Sheets #62 with Joe Gagne as they Discuss the Week in Wrestling from September 21st-27th

This Week in Wrestling 9-25-16

Lucha Afterground Season 3, Episode #3

 

WWE.com Video of Triple H & Stephanie McMahon Leaving Together after Clash of Champion

NWA World Championship Wrestling, December 28, 1985

A big year for Jim Crockett Promotions comes to a close with a jam-packed Saturday night program that will include NWA World Champ Ric Flair putting the title on the line against Ronnie Garvin and the final Superstation Championship Challenge Series matchup: U.S. Champ Magnum T.A. facing Ole Anderson. Should be a great program…

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ECW on Sci-Fi #26 12/05/06

vlcsnap-00097

Edit: Well I finished typing this up, clicked PUBLISH and WordPress asked me to log in and wiped the fucker. I assumed it auto-saved but that’s probably my fault for playing too many video games. No wonder Meltzer used a typewriter for so long. So this will be a brisk recap because this show isn’t exactly The Wire.

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The rats

Scott — been loving your stuff since the rspw days. Thanks for your continued unhealthy obsession with the art. You obviously have a great following, and that includes me!


I’ve been listening to Cornette’s rants, and he sometimes mentions the "rats". Since it came up in the past couple of days I’ll ask this two part question:

1) Were the pretty boy/rats connections really a southern phenomena. I grew up as a Minneapolis/AWA guy….I just don’t remember that in the crowd (how was Billy Robinson going to reverse the armlock! That is what we cared about). But I also don’t remember it in the WWF in the ’80s as well.

2) Was it a mistake to abandon the female audience at that time (my opinion)? Too much blood in the NWA, too much cartoons in the WWF. It has obviously all changed, but you watch the 80’s stuff and there was a paying market there, and why did it fade away in the 90s?

​Randy Orton would argue there’s still plenty of rats around, I bet.

Just to be clear here, when wrestlers refer to "the rats" they’re not talking about the female audience in general, but rather the specific groupies who follow the wrestlers around backstage looking for action. ​

​The whole "pretty boy team" thing really did seem to be a southern deal, especially for the Rock N Roll Express, but as we hit 88 in the Observer recaps, you can see that whole dynamic just suddenly drop off the face of the earth. Really, it didn’t return again that strongly until the Hardy Boyz in 1999 (and I can testify from my experience at TV tapings and house shows at the time that girls were LOUD in their support of Jeff and Matt).

I don’t think the NWA really abandoned the female audience, because they were desperately clinging to that group for as long as they could by putting Sting and Luger out there to appeal to them, but nothing lasts forever in wrestling anyway. ​

Cram This Question In Your Ear Hole

Hola Dark Lord! Kyle here from your old pals at the Obtuse Angles Podcast. We have an upcoming episode on a topic that will make scintillating discussion fodder for your sexy little blog: "Good Gimmick, Wrong Guy." What character had genuine potential but was​ ​
betrayed​
by someone who was the wrong fit? I’ll spot you one: Mohammed Hassan. Who else?

​I think that early 90s WCW had a lot of good ideas for gimmicks but just didn’t know how to execute or cast any of them. Van Hammer, guitar-playing midcard babyface, was a decent idea hampered by the real guy being one of the all time worst wrestlers ever. I think that today, the Drifter wasn’t a bad gag gimmick, but Elias Sampson just has zero presence in the role and can’t pull off the winking aspect of it. I mean, the IDEA of a badass loner sitting at the bar and drinking until it’s time for his match is a funny one, but the guy just doesn’t fit the role.​

Sunday Thread

s04e03_23

  • WWE’s The Night of the Clash of (the) Champions is this evening. Bayless’ preview for PTBN is here
  • Rene Dupree has claimed WWE used plants to cheer for CM Punk in ECW
  • Brock Lesnar beat Randy Orton in six minutes at last night’s Chicago live event

I reviewed this morning’s NJPW Destruction in Kobe, which you can read here, and there are loads (seriously, loads) of other reviews to take a look at if you fancy some Sunday reading.

Now talk, heathens!

#GLORIOUSBOMB

I guess I was living under a rock, because I totally missed this last month.
>
>
> #GLORIOUSBOMB Comp – Starring Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and Bobby Roode
>
> Outstanding use of social media for silly purposes.
>
>

> The head nod is hilarious.
>
>

Bobby Roode should totally be on Smackdown right now. Probably DIY as well.

Why Roman Reigns Sucks

> Hey Scott,
>
> I know why Roman sucks (besides how they pushed him of-course).
>
> It’s because he prioritized his family over anything else. A push meant more money and security down the line.
>
> He could have told them instead: "You know I appreciate that you want to push me guys but I am just not ready yet. Please consider me again in the future when I am ready."
>
> And they liked him Soooo much they would have. He could have also added: "I would like some control in how we do it when we do-if possible thanks."
>
> And it may have worked out a lot better. Regardless of when, he still had the look they liked and they would have caught on to the shifting of the fan base along the way before they missed him up.
>
> The lesson is-don’t have kids and expect to be a big star at the same time in today’s world.
>
> Or am I wrong?
>
> Nico
> The Lazy and Evil Millennial

He does love his kids. What a jerk.

WWF Shotgun Saturday Night: March 1, 1997

We are joined in progress (on a TAPED show?!?), with THE LEGION OF DOOM standing in the crowd, shrieking about Wrestlemania and Chicago. They intend to be at the Granddaddy of them All, but they’ve got some stiff competition to crack to break into that lineup; what with the New Blackjacks, Flash Funk, The Sultan, and The Headbangers all vying for spots of their own. The star power has never been stronger headed into Wrestlemania!

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Smackdown – April 25, 2002

Smackdown
Date: April 25, 2002
Location: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois
Attendance: 8,350
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

We’re in a new era now as HHH is a full time Smackdown wrestler, which I’m sure will last for at least a few weeks. After all you can’t expect the biggest star in the company to be on the B show for very long. Other than that we’re going to get more of the Hulk Hogan nostalgia tour, which wasn’t the most interesting thing in the world earlier this week. Let’s get to it.

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Saturday Night Live…Thread

The Blue Jays managed to shut out the Yankees 2 games in a row and look to finish off the sweep tomorrow morning, to which I say it’s about time.  Tonight the Red Sox look to win their millionth game in a row against the Rays, and we’ve got the semi-finals of the World Cup of Hockey as well.

And don’t forget to check out the WWE Slam Crate!

http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6670&awinaffid=296717&clickref=&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lootcrate.com%2Fsubscription-crates%2Fwwe-slam-crate