Wrestling

Monday Night Raw – August 2, 2021

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Monday Night Raw
Date: August 2, 2021
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

So remember last week when Nikki Ash got beat up by Charlotte but didn’t lose the Women’s Title? Then she talked about how she got close and wanted to do it again? Well tonight is her chance to prove that she is ALMOST good, because that’s the best we’re getting these days. Oh and Goldberg, because of course. Let’s get to it.

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Crockett Cup ’87

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Hi Scott, long time reader here. Just re-read your Crockett Cup '87 rant, and while it is hilarious, it's also a show you haven't reviewed in quite a while. Any chance for a re-rant? 

While I don't object to the idea, it's not currently on the WWE Network in any form, and the version I've got is the heavily-edited home video cut.  My hope is that someday they release the full show on the Network like they did with 86, but until then I doubt I'll do it again.  

Summerslam countdown?

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Hey Scott, 


I love reading your Summerslam rants, especially the recently redone ones from the 90s the last few years. As we head toward this year's show I've been digging through the archives, and unless I'm overlooking them, it looks like you've never ranted on the 2007,
2011 and 2012 shows. 


Also, it's been 20+ years since you've revisted 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. 


It's been 15+ years since you've checked out 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005. Everything since 2006 otherwise is pretty new.


Thought it might be fun to complete the series, or maybe even revisit some you haven't seen in awhile as we approach this year's card. Thanks and keep up the great work!

2011 is a definite possibility for obvious reasons.  1995 will actually be coming up next week in a very different form, so stay tuned!  And yeah, the Attitude Era trilogy are also a definite possibility for redo.  

AEW ELEVATION: August 2, 2021

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The PG Era Rant for AEW Elevation, Episode 21 (“The Calm Before The Milestone”), August 2, 2021. Happy Ron Simmons Day, everybody.

From Charlotte, NC.

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight, and Eddie Kingston. Wight lost a bet with Ryan Nemeth and is wearing a Wingmen T-Shirt.

Your feature bout tonight is Darby Allin vs. Bear Bronson. Also in action are Kris Statlander, Yuka Sakazaki, Lee Johnson, Red Velvet, and Solow/Comoroto.

Let Us Take You Back to Fight for the Fallen, where we learn about the August 20 Rampage in Chicago. They turn UP the crowd’s CM Punk chants.

Rampage ad.

Hit the credits.

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Monday Night Open Mic

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Howdy Blog O’Doomers!

I hope all is well and everyone is having a great Monday. Now you just have to take your RAW medicine and hope is doesn’t taste like castor oil.

Couple of big news pieces from the weekends are releases. Bray Wyatt’s release didn’t really shock me. I loved the Wyatt Family gimmick and I loved his ability to talk in that gimmick. I never got into the Fiend. It was silly stuff to me and it took away his greatest strength, which was talking. Without that he was an ‘eh’ worker that looked ridiculous. The Wyatt Family should’ve evolved more than it did. I wonder how Bray would’ve faired with opponents that could’ve put over the act a little better — like Foley or Undertaker during his full-time days. Particularly Foley. I think they would’ve been great as allies or adversaries.

And than Ric Flair was released today. I assume he was released from a Legend’s contract and I have no idea where he goes and what he has to offer besides bleeding a lot. I hope he’s not going to be in AEW blading week in and week out. It’s not anything I would want to see. Hopefully the guy steps back for a second and just wants to rest and enjoy the rest of his light outside the limelight. Meanwhile I’ll just continue to watch Mid-Atlantic and WCCW from the earlier 80s and watch the guy having mat classics with Harley Race and the Von Erich boys.

Randy Orton is returning to RAW tonight. It’s in Chicago which means we’ll get a great crowd.

More Olympics tonight. I think the 400M hurdles are the big live finals and I’ll be all over that. We got some baseball too.

Keep it Clean

What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – April 29, 1990

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Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan call today’s action, still taped from Syracuse, New York.

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Joshi Spotlight: Collision in Korea & Bridge of Dreams

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Most North Koreans are relatively small, compact, and conservative in how they handle themselves. When it was time for the Japanese women to wrestle, they didn’t know how to react.

“These female wrestlers were just completely from another planet,” remembers CNN correspondent, Mike Chinoy.

“Bull Nakano had hair dyed blue, and it went straight up about six or eight inches. She was wearing a white sleeveless shirt over a leotard with half-calf boots. Manami Toyota sported a black leotard with partly opened arm coverings and looked like a dominatrix from some S&M movie. And these North Korean men were sitting there staring. Whether they had any idea what this was about is entirely beyond me.”

–https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/collision-in-korea/

COLLISION IN KOREA:
(April 28-29, 1995)
* So today I’ll be doing a double-whammy, as we’ve hit the point in my reviews were they stars of AJW and other Joshi promotions hit both the Tokyo Dome’s Bridge of Dreams show, and go to North Korea for the WCW/NJPW dual-show, Collision in Korea! This is AJW’s contribution to the Collision in Korea double-show, as they apparently stuck to themselves and quietly went out there and wrestled. Though I think this is how Kensuke Sasaki met Akira Hokuto, his future wife.

AKIRA HOKUTO vs. BULL NAKANO:
* So they’re teaming up the next night, but today they fight each other- AJW’s top two stars, even then. Bull’s in all-black, with her giant blue hair, and Akira’s in green & white.

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Impact Wrestling – July 29, 2021

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Impact Wrestling
Date: July 29, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Matt Striker, D’Lo Brown

We’re back with more Bullet Club Civil War this week as Jay White’s Japanese contingent doesn’t think much of the Elite. That contingent might have gained someone new in Chris Bey this week, which could make for something interesting going forward. White felt like a star last week and hopefully he can keep that up this time. Let’s get to it.

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Aftermath of Bray’s Release

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Scott,

Bray being released led me to 2 thoughts:

1) Mickie James has to realize she’s not the only person in the world that’s been fired. I know she’s a fan of burning bridges, but at this point time to build a bridge (metaphorically speaking) and get over it.

I feel like your employer sending your stuff in a literal garbage bag would be hard to get over. 

2) If AEW picks up Wyatt, is it possible for the homegrown stars there to flee to WWE eventually when the roster is just too big for them?

Basically, if there’s not enough spots for those that didn’t get to build up huge names over the years in WWE.

That's how wrestling has traditionally worked in the decades before Vince had a monopoly, yes. 

To Cole or not to Cole

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Hey Scott,


Longtime reader, first time emailer (also I'm really enjoying the lucha underground rants, please keep them coming). 


With news breaking today that Adam Cole's contract may be coming up this month what do you think would be the best option for him?  Stick it out in NXT, maybe take a shot on the main roster, or make a break for AEW? 


From the other side of things, is it worth it to WWE to put up a decent offer to keep him?  With AEW's roster getting more and more stacked by the day would Adam Cole bring anything to their already crowded table or get lost in the shuffle? 


Hope the vacations going well.  Thanks!

Well it's only been one day but no one's died yet so that's a positive for the wrestling business.  
As for Cole, he should 100% go to AEW.  There's nothing for him on the main roster in WWE and he's already gone round and round on NXT as much as he possibly can.  Although if the rumors that he's been without a contract are true, then they're STUPID for putting him over Bronson Reed last week.  But I think either way WWE has gotten everything they can out of him given where they see him, so there's no point in hanging onto him. 

Rock Star Gary reflects on AWA on ESPN 03-04-1986

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Taped from Las Vegas, NV

Airdate: March 4, 1986

Attendance: unknown

Hosted by Larry Nelson, Ken Resnick, & Greg Gagne

Will Blackwell destroy Zhukov as well as Al-Kaissie in the main event? What’s going on with the Long Riders? And who are these young newcomers to the AWA? Let’s sift through this in hopes of gold!

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Sunday Night Reset: August 1, 2021

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August.  Wow.

This week’s highlights: we’ll check out the Joshi stuff from Collision in Korea; Rockers vs LOD headlines our Dream Matches review; AEW Dark gives us Episode 100; Juventud Guerrera is put on Live TV; and maybe WWE does stuff too.

TONIGHT!  United States!  Mexico!  Live from Las Vegas!  ONE MORE TIME!

Your MLB Game of the Week is Sox/Rays, with the AL East lead on the line.

I’ve been doing some data modding for FM 2007 (love playing the Road to South Africa), and it’s actually fun what you can do if you know how to do it.

Enjoy the night.

Khanned!

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Are we sure that Nick Khan is not related to Tony Khan? This is really starting to feel like an inside job. 


There were plenty of times over the Undertaker's 30 year career with the WWE that they didn't have anything for him. But they just let him rest and waited till something came up. Imagine if in 1995 or 2002 they were just like “Eh, kind have run through all we can with this Undertaker character. He's too expensive. Let's save some money and let him go.” 

I don't know. Something seems fishy to me. They can't afford Braun or Bray but they can afford Baron Corbin? 
To be fair, Baron Corbin is obviously working for cheap these days. 

Autumn of Punk

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So it seems like the clear cut plan right now is Punk v.s. Darby Allin. How is this going to work out though? Is Punk really going to come in after a 7 year absence and immediately start putting over a younger talent? The last we saw him, his UFC fight was so atrociously bad he actually holds a UFC record. As far as I know, there's never been in a instance in UFC history where the winner and loser of the fight both got fired. Punk lost to someone who competed part-time in MMA and THAT guy got fired for not beating a horrible fighter fast enough. 


So now Punk, who obviously controls his fate with a scripted match, is going to come right back and lose to a guy who weighs 150 pounds? Or do you think he's now in Jericho territory and doesn't care as long as the fat check cashes? I mean Jericho has always had the most self-awareness of anyone in the history of the business. However, that doesn't seem to be the case so much anymore to agree to do the death match last week.

Who am I kidding? If I could get millions to have a completely untalented, scumbag meth addict take a pizza slicer to my head on national television, I'd do it in a second. Shiny new red Lamborghini…thanks Papa Khan for giving Tony his inheritance early!
I know people are going to freak, but I think Punk should go over Darby if that's the first program, because the money is going to be in Punk challenging Omega for the title and then putting HIM over.  The bigger they can make Omega, the bigger that it'll make Hangman when they finally get around to changing the title. 

Raw 98

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Hi Scott enjoyed the 2011 Raw review. Just wondered if you’d considered going back and doing the 98 Raws? There are some sporadic ones that you’ve done, but a fair chunk are missing and it’s a pretty sweet spot for the audience on the blog I’d have thought.

If nothing else the shows are fast paced and certainly not boring. Unlike the 3 hour Nitro’s I tried to get you to review the other month!

Cheers

Yeah I don't mind reviewing the old 98 shows.  I'm just not often in the specific mood to do them because I like reviewing stuff that I don't already have memorized, like the old territory shows or completely new stuff.  But absolutely I can throw that on the pile this week, since I'm on vacation anyway. 

The SmarK Rant for WWE Monday Night RAW – 06.27.11

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The SmarK Rant for WWE Monday Night RAW – 06.27.11

So this CM Punk kid is back in the news again.  Figured that maybe I’d randomly pick an episode of RAW from around 2011, when he was getting to be a big star, and give it a review for the first time.  And hey, this one features RAW Roulette, that sounds like an interesting one!  Hopefully I spin the wheel and come up with something notable.

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Smackdown – March 2, 2007

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Smackdown
Date: March 2, 2007
Location: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California
Attendance: 13,511
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

We are about a month away from Wrestlemania and that means it is time for the big response from Undertaker. Batista attacked him at No Way Out and since this is wrestling, the two of them are taking turns in talking to each other. Other than that….well other than that, Smackdown needs another important story for the show. Let’s get to it.

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