Wrestling

They’re Fighting Over Shampoo!

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I was pretty excited to see Miro show up in AEW after years of being underutilized in WWE…  And then his first feud winds up being over a broken video game?  Just seems like a pre-show match with Best Friends coming off their feud with Santana & Ortiz is something that’s going to do nothing for any of the parties involved, especially considering why they’re fighting.

But it got me thinking… Is Edge vs. Booker T still the standard bearer for stupid reasons for guys to have a rivalry?  What else since has made you roll your eyes and think “They’re Fighting Over Shampoo!”?

There’s been a lot lately.  The “feud” between Sheamus and Jeff in particular was eye rolling stuff but Covid-19 excuses a lot of nonsense.  I think the worst one that was supposed to be something major was the Cena vs UT deal from a couple of years ago where the entire point was Cena wanting a WM match and somehow unable to get one.  

World War 3 Match

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As is generally recognized, WCW's “World War 3” 3 Ring battle royale match is a disaster on many levels. Do you think WCW could've benefited from telling fans that they were going to change World War 3 into a more “modern format” or some such excuse, and simply start using WWE's Royal Rumble format, but just retaining the name “World War 3”? Obviously WCW wouldn't be able to use the “Royal Rumble” match name due to copyright issues (nor should they want to), but the match format itself is so effective at creating entertaining spots, dramatic moments, and selecting a number 1 contender that I suspect many WCW fans would have welcomed this change. What do you think?


Thanks for reading!

Literally anything would have been better than the stupid three ring format.  

The SmarK Rant for WCW Halloween Havoc 1990 – 10.27.90

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The SmarK Rant for WCW Halloween Havoc 1990 – 10.27.90

Well, I give up waiting for the WWE Network to upload the full PPV version of this show, so let’s redo the Turner Home Video version that they put up there because it’s very due for a redo and of course Halloween Havoc returns tonight, and ‘tis the season and all.  Plus I’ve always liked this show anyway.

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Flash Gordon – Remember, He Save Every One Of Us!

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So, I compared Masters of the Universe to Flash Gordon and someone loved the reference and said “Do Flash Gordon!” – you don’t have to tell me twice!

Filmed in 1980, there’s been a 40th anniversary Blu-Ray release of this recently, but I’m looking at the silver anniversary DVD from 2005, including an awesome Mike Hodges (director) interview, which I’ll make reference to after the review of the film.

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AEW DARK: October 27, 2020

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The PG Era Rant for AEW Dark, Episode 58: Get Me Some Caffeine, October 27, 2020

From the AEW Arena.

Your hosts are Excalibur and Taz, with special guest boxing Olympian Anthony Ogogo!

TONIGHT! Fifteen matches, a few of which may actually be competitive, as we determine if anyone is bothering to watch this during election season! The Hybrid 2 will face SCU’s Daniels and Kazarian, Hikaru Shida faces Leyla Hirsch in non-title action, and Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon finally see who can avoid being winless longer! Really! Would we lie to you?

PLUS – Ivelisse and Diamante, Jurassic Express, Matt Sydal, Best Friends, Sonny Kiss, Ricky Starks, Darby Allin, Brian Cage, Preston Vance, Anna Jay, Uno and Grayson, and Will Hobbs!

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Typhoon & Shinja vs. Genichiro Tenry & Ultimo Dragon AND Koji Kitao & El Gigante (and other Dream Matches)

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And we’re back with more of wrestling’s weirdest side-matches. This time some stuff Maffew showed me- possibly the greatest disparate bunch of dudes ever, all from a one-night tag tournament in Tenryu’s WAR promotion in Japan! Even better, there’s Buddy Rogers vs. Haystacks Calhoun from 1961, and Antonio Inoki versus the famous “Fat Motorcycle Twins”.

KOJI KITAO & EL GIGANTE vs. TYPHOON & THE GREAT SHINJA:
(One-Night Tag Tournament, Wrestle Association R, Japan, 12.08.1995)
* Maffew got this one for me, so you can blame him, lol. Gigante you know as the most hopeless wrestler ever; Kitao is infamous for the 1991 match where he & Earthquake shot on each other, and was a failed yokozuna-level sumo (promoted just to “have a native Sumo at the top level”), retiring in disgrace after never having won a tournament and feuding with his stable bosses (sumo is dirty as FUCK, though). Typhoon is from the WWF, and… Earthquake’s partner, so that’ll be interesting. The Great Shinja is Akio Sato of the Orient Express (in the shittier original version), and was also Hakushi’s manager Shinja in the WWF. Gigante’s in red shorts, Kitao’s in a white gi, Typhoon’s in his WWF gear (and pretty much exactly the same size as Kitao), and Shinja’s in a white shirt & pants that just make him look like someone’s dad who just wandered into the ring.

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RVD’s cash-in

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The MitB contract match on HitC lead me down the rabbit hole to

watching Rob Van Dam vs John Cena for the WWE title at One Night

Stand. In that match, Edge did a run-in, the ref got knocked out, Paul

Heyman made the count, and RVD was announced as the new *ECW*

champion.

But then on the following RAW, it was announced that RVD was both WWE

and ECW champion.

Was the original plan to actually keep the WWE title on Cena, before

they realized how lame that would be?

I don’t believe so but I was WAAAAAAAY out of the loop at that point.  

Dustin and Barry 1992

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Why was there no blood feud between the two after Windham’s turn? 

Barry took time off for injuries and apparently married a super rich sugar mama while he was out, so he had zero motivation to do much he didn’t want to.  Besides, when were they supposed to do that match?   It’s not like there was some “big PPV” in December where they could blow it off.  That’s crazy talk.  When would they do the Battlebowl tournament then?  I ask you, sir, WHEN???

Cartoons Go To the Movies – Transformers: The Movie!

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Talk about a movie I could write about while standing on my head! I really got into Transformers around 1986 and remember somehow having gotten Optimus Prime and Cliffjumper just before REALLY getting into it, but even with the UK being behind on things it still meant that my toy collection was comprised more heavily of figures from season three and beyond than season one or two. I had Arrival from Cybertron/More Than Meets the Eye on tape but at the time it didn’t feel like my era, even with my only real exposure to the movie being the Ladybird Books adaptation of it.

Then, in 1989, my folks went shopping one day at the big new supermarket nearby and traipsed across to what I’d find out was a video rental store. They came home telling me of all the different videos that were available there, including this one, which must’ve been the first we took out for the weekend. And when I saw it… Mind. Blown.

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Rock Star Gary reflects on WCCW 03-16-1985

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Taped from Dallas, TX

Airdate: March 16, 1985 (taped 03/08)

Attendance: unknown

Hosted by Bill Mercer

Will the Fantastics recapture the American tag titles? What’s the latest with Adams and Hart? And who will join me for this sloppy episode?

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Monday Night Raw – October 26, 2020

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Monday Night Raw
Date: October 26, 2020
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Samoa Joe

We’re on the way to Survivor Series, meaning that the rosters, which have now been together for all of a week and a half, will suddenly realize how much they can’t stand the people on the other show because of all of their newfound pride. I’m not sure how WWE is going to make us believe that the shows are invading each other when they work in the same building and the people have been appearing on the other shows since the Draft anyway, but this show isn’t the most logical. Let’s get to it.

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Steamboat/Savage ’88: Wha’ Happah’?

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Hey Scott–


Following up on my tournament question from a couple of days back: I think one of the biggest (and puzzling) upsets we've ever seen is Greg Valentine sending Ricky Steamboat home in the WrestleMania IV tourney for the world title. We could have seen a rematch from WM III, and even at ten (?) minutes, a Savage/Steamboat rematch would have been a hell of a thing.

It also plays into the narrative of the show: Randy beating all the odds, digging deep, and triumphing over a fresh Million Dollar Man to stand as champion (well, with help from Hulk's chair, of course). Surely having to overcome the man who defeated him one year earlier on his way to facing a rested One Man Gang would have been even better for the story than, “beat Greg Valentine in 5 minutes”.

So what happened? Steamboat still being punished a year after the fact for daring to want a family? Hogan playing his “don't upstage me two years in a row” card? Vince not wanting to give the best match possible to a bunch of Atlantic City douchebags? What gives…?

Steamboat was on his way out and Vince is vindictive are the two most common interpretations of why it was booked that way.  Plus doing a face-face match wouldn’t help Savage.  Honestly it sucks but it makes sense on a lot of levels.  

Rock

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Scott,

Just wanted to piggyback on my post to the Hell in a Cell thread.

Doesn’t the Rock have the money and clout to do whatever he wants at this point?

In addition to having his own production company, is it that far out of the realm for him to tell a studio that he’s going to have a match at WM with his cousin no matter what?

Worst case scenario he loses one role, not like he gets blacklisted or something.

Thoughts?

Rock has “this” much money.  The studios have “thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis” much money.   Rock would be stupid to mess with them for a wrestling match.  The movie business can buy and sell Vince 10 times over and neither Vince nor Rock would want to jeopardize that relationship. 

Monday Night Open Mic

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Howdy Blog O’Doomers!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Hell in the Cell was last night. I thought two of the matches were awesome and the rest was what it was. A Randy Orton title reign (with 15-minute weekly promos to come) is about as exciting as iceberg lettuce, but what can you do?

To make things even more exciting the Miz is the briefcase holder. FWIW I don’t think he’s getting a singles run out of it. I think he will use it on the tag titles. Just a feeling.

Not sure about RAW tonight. I’m sure they are still re-writing it. I wish they would bring in Triple H for help again because he did a good job on Smackdown.

Bears-Rams is YOUR Monday Night game. The World Series is off with Game 6 between America’s team, those lovable, scrappy, underdog Tampa Bay Rays and the Dodgers. I liked the Dodgers so much more when they were in Brooklyn.

Bye to Hogan-Piper superfriends (or the Piperpowers as someone on the Friday Night thread called them). This might be my favorite promo of the bunch and it is barely a minute.

Keep it Clean!

Joshi Spotlight: The Beauty Pair

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Beauty Pair’s signature song, aka “Every anime theme song during the 1970s”.

JOSHI SPOTLIGHT- THE BEAUTY PAIR:
JACKIE SATO
Real Name: Naoko Sato
Billed Height & Weight: 5’8″ 160 lbs.
Career Length: 1975-88

MAKI UEDA
Real Name: Makiko Ueda
Billed Height & Weight: 5’6″ 136 lbs.
Career Length: 1975-79

-Now this is a really deep dive into the history of Joshi- many fans online have no doubt at least HEARD of the Crush Gals, and how big they were in Japan in the 1980s, but it’s much less-known that they were begat (begotten?) by the Beauty Pair- Jackie Sato & Maki Ueda. Both groups were Joshi tag teams who were also “Idols” of a sort- becoming icons to teenage girls and even selling their songs!

Of the two, Sato is by far the most famous and important, so this is largely a bio on Sato herself- she was the one whose career lasted longer, involved a push as AJW’s top star, and became central to another whole company (the first incarnation of Joshi Women’s Pro-Wrestling- JWP). Sato herself was a basketball player who turned to pro wrestling, and became the biggest star in joshi, though Ueda actually became WWWA Champion first.

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What the World Was Watching: ECW Hardcore TV – July 25, 1995

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Joey Styles calls the matches on tonight’s card, which come from ECW’s event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A video package showcases some of the action in Fort Lauderdale.  A lot of attention is paid to a brawl between Raven and Steve Richards against Tommy Dreamer and Luna Vachon, with Raven and Richards laying Vachon out with a double DDT before Dreamer cleared the ring with a foreign object and smashed Raven’s hand.

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