Hi. Do you have the match where the midnight express destroys the Fantastics prior to the match?
You're…uh…going to have to narrow that one down a bit, I feel like.
Mickie James
I hadn't thought about this until now, but after Mickie beat Trish at WrestleMania 22, she didn't have another Mania match until 25 (the diva's battle royal which Santino won), or if you don't count that, a 10 diva tag match the next year at Mania 26. What gives? Did Vince lose faith in Mickie for some reason? Was this punishment for the crotch grab and the subsequent “V lick”, or was it just a case of the women becoming less of a priority (not that they were ever a huge priority to begin with)?
I don't think it was anything personal against the Mickster, I just think that the whole women's division was a dumpster fire after Trish and Lita left, until Stephanie thankfully saved it by inventing women's wrestling in 2018.
Trying Too Hard
Is AEW trying to hard? Vince pretends that there is no wrestling world outside of WWE. AEW seems to be trying way too hard to prove that there is. Referencing all this history in New Japan. Working with NWA and Impact. It’s hard to keep track of.
In addition they also seem to be bringing any pop culture has been they can with Shaq, Snoop and Tyson. They just seem to be getting away from everything that made them great.
I agree. Simpler is better sometimes. If you want the extreme opposite example, look at the NWA Powerrr show right now, where they've literally got, like, 8 guys to feature on each show and so they do really simple storytelling and get everyone over best they can. Dynamite is overloaded with people and you suddenly have guys like Sammy Guevara and Wardlow completely lost in the shuffle of these endless stables when they should be getting ready for a big push on their own. It's especially going to drag Jungle Boy down if they can't find a way to get him away from the dinosaur and the little person soon, I think. Focus on making people care about the World title program (whatever that actually is at the moment) and don't worry so much about getting JD Drake and Ryan Nemeth onto national TV, maybe.
Main Event – April 8, 2021
No this isn’t going to be a normal thing but here’s a bonus for Wrestlemania week.
Main Event
Date: April 8, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton
It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania so it’s time for the really important recap videos. I don’t expect anything new in the way of wrestling but there is no reason to think otherwise around here. This kind of show is about as perfect as you can get for Wrestlemania week, but they still need to do it right. Let’s get to it.
The SmarK Rant for NXT Takeover Stand & Deliver Night One – 04.07.21
The SmarK Rant for NXT Takeover Stand & Deliver – Night 1 (04.07.21)
Live on the WWE Network without commercials, from Orlando, FL. Gotta say, I was very impressed with how seamless the non-commercials were on this show and it felt like a regular PPV, so kudos for that before we even get started.
Your hosts are Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett & Beth Phoenix
IWTV Family Reunion 2021 Part 1
IWTV Family Reunion 2021 Part 1
Date: April 8, 2021
Location: 81Bay Brewing, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Various
We’ll start the marathon wrestling weekend with this, part of the Showcase of the Independents. I watched the Family Reunion show two years ago and had a good enough time with it to try another version. IWTV is a wrestling streaming service with all kinds of indy promotions available and this is kind of a sampler of some of their bigger names and promotions. Let’s get to it.
WWF Wrestling Challenge – June 11th, 1995
June 11, 1995
From the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, PA
Your hosts are Jim Ross & Gorilla Monsoon
Before the show, we see Jerry Lawler underneath a horse inside of his royal stable. Lawler tells Bret Hart he is here walking around in his bare feet to prepare for their Kiss My Foot match at King of the Ring. The camera pans to Lawler’s dirty feet as Lawler gloats about how disgusting his feet will be for their match. I hope at least Vince himself found this amusing because I doubt anyone else was clamoring for this build.
This week in action are Jeff Jarrett, Bam Bam Bigelow, and highlights from the British Bulldog/Owen Hart match from RAW. Also, we will hear from Diesel and Shawn Michaels.
Daily News Update – 04.08.21
Big night last night! Also I finished Miles Morales so that’s pretty cool too.
Two Title Changes At Takeover
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/two-title-changes-take-place-takeover-stand-deliver/
WWE President Says Becky Lynch And Ronda Rousey Are Returning
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/becky-lynchs-wwe-return-not-distant-future/
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-president-says-ronda-rousey-will-return/
AEW Blood & Guts Is Coming
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/first-time-ever-gimmick-match-taking-place-may-5-dynamite/
Dynamite – April 7, 2021
Dynamite
Date: April 7, 2021
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone
Believe it or not we have a big six man tag here with the Young Bucks and Jon Moxley teaming up to face Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers. That certainly has potential, as does the next step in the Inner Circle vs. the Pinnacle. Throw in the explanation from QT Marshall about his new group and….you’ll realize that this place has a lot of stables. Oh and Mike Tyson is here again. Let’s get to it.
The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 04.07.21
The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 04.07.21
Ehhhhhh…I’ll do NXT tomorrow morning. That’s why the good lord invented DVR and the WWE Network.
Live from Jacksonville, FL
Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross & Excalibur
Takeover Stand & Deliver Night One
Takeover: Stand & Deliver Night One
Date: April 7, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida|
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Beth Phoenix
Things are changing a bit here as we have the first ever two night Takeover. It’s going to be interesting to see if they can make a two night event work, but I have learned never to bet against NXT. Hopefully they can make that work here, with Io Shirai defending the Women’s Title against Raquel Gonzalez in the main event. Let’s get to it.
Ring Of Honor TV – April 7, 2021
No this won’t be a regular thing but I figured I’d throw all the regular shows I do on here for the sake of Wrestlemania Week.
Ring of Honor
Date: April 7, 2021
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
Things are in a bit of a shifting phase here as we are done with the 19th Anniversary Show but I’m not sure if we are going to be seeing the fallout just yet. The taping cycle usually has a few weeks of lag but when everything is being taped in the same place at the same time, I’m not sure if that is going to be necessary. In other words, I have no idea what to expect here. Let’s get to it.
The Wednesday Night War (Is Over) Thread!
TONIGHT! Two years of fighting and tribalism comes to an end, as it’s the final AEW v. NXT showdown on Wednesdays, before NXT crawls off with its tail between its legs in defeat to Tuesdays. I’M KIDDING.
I’m gonna do both shows tonight because I’m HARDCORE and I really want to see WALTER v. Ciampa, plus NXT is live on the WWE Network so I actually can watch it live tonight.
Enjoy the final skirmish, and remember: War is over, if you want it.
Cyber Sunday 2006
Cyber Sunday 2006
Date: November 5, 2006
Location: US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
Attendance: 7,000
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
It’s time for the interactive show as we have the fans picking a lot of the specifics about the card. This can range from stipulations to titles on the line to participants, though hopefully we don’t have more of the two joke options and one real one. The main event is the Champion of Champions match, which certainly sounds big. Let’s get to it.
Monday Night Raw – November 6, 2006
Monday Night Raw
Date: November 6, 2006
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
We are done with Cyber Sunday and the big story continues to be John Cena vs. Kevin Federline. That might not be the most thrilling story in the world, but hopefully we can move on from this and get on the way to Survivor Series at the end of the month. If nothing else we have new Tag Team Champions with the probable and at the same time improbable team of Ric Flair and Roddy Piper. Let’s get to it.
What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – January 13, 1990
Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are doing commentary and they are concluding the tapings in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Undertaker vs. The Goon (and other Dream Matches!)
Also a weirdo mishmash of Giant Kimala II & Headhunters vs. Johnny Ace, Johnny Smith and a Virtua Fighter character!
Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This time we start off with The Goon’s biggest challenge, as he faces the Undertaker during his feud with Vader! Also the time All Japan ran Johnny Ace/Johnny Smith/Wolf Hawkfield vs. a Kamala knockoff and the Headhunters! If you haven’t had enough Wrath from last week’s column, here he is in the “Post-Nash” part of his career, wrestling an Olympic bobsledder! Also a request from Maffew, as Mabel & Doink the Clown wrestle Bam Bam Bigelow & Jeff Jarrett on a Fancam house show!
As always, WWF stuff isn’t okay to post on the blog, but is readily available on YouTube.
THE UNDERTAKER vs. THE GOON:
(WWF, 1997)
* Yes, they really pit these two legends against each other on FREE TV. Can you believe that? I do find it hilarious how much like a 1990s hockey player Bill Irwin actually looked, what with that big hockey hair and his silhouette. I mean, props. Gorilla Monsoon on commentary suggests he needs to be “Ostracized from the World Wrestling Federation”. The canned heat here is ridiculous, keeping things at a long drone at the exact same volume- they’re not even trying.
WWF Madison Square Garden – June 10th, 1995
June 10, 1995
This is fan-cam recording of the show. The following matches were not included: Skip vs. Aldo Montoya, Men on a Mission vs. Smoking Gunns, Jean Pierre Lafitte vs. Doink, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Duke Droese.
Mike Reviews – Continental Wrestling (28/10/1989)
I wasn’t really feeling All Japan this week, so I decided to try something different. We might go back to it, we might not, I’ll see how I feel in a few weeks.
This week we’re going for something a bit different, in the form of Continental Wrestling, which was a territory operating out of Knoxville and Dotham that ran from the 50’s to the 80’s before finally going out of business in 1989.
The main reason I chose this particular episode is that it has a young Mick Foley working in one of his first territories, and I believe it was in Continental that he invented the famed “Nestea Plunge” bump off the apron, which of course led to him taking it night after night for a while, because wrestling.
He was also in World Class/USWA around this time as well though and I haven’t sat down to re-read “Have A Nice Day” in a while, so he might have invented it there instead, but he was still young in his career at this stage at any rate, so this should hopefully be an interesting time capsule.
If you’d like to watch along with me you can do by clicking HERE
Robin
Hey Scott,
I rewatched WrestleMania V the other night and I hope you can help fill in some of the details on the question that I think everyone has been asking for the past 32 years: What the fuck was Rockin' Robin doing singing “America the Beautiful” to open the show?!?
Was that part of a settlement to a lawsuit filed against Vince? Was it a rib? If so, on who? Us? Her? Vince? Jake? America? Was it WWE's first big involvement with the “Make a Wish” Foundation? I mean, the WWF went from Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to Rockin' Robin in three years!
And while we're on the subject, was there any attribute of Robin's that was actually “Rockin” or were we actually lied to by a wrestling promoter? Because it sure as shit wasn't her musical ability.
I can only assume they blew the budget on Morton Downey Jr. and Run DMC.