#// then it's back to the main story... cwc

[ask-team-misfit]

Nearly Time to Say Goodbye...

[ previous ]

[ ID: A sequence of two grayscale drawings depicting Lief, a hybrid of Sylveon and Ribombee, curled up and bundled in a thick blanket, fast asleep at the topmost room of the Dragonspiral Tower. The first panel shows Fay, a Shuppet, sleeping on top of him. The second panel is zoomed in on Lief's face. His antennae have moved up a little, and he's grimacing lightly. He could be on the brink of waking, or he could be dreaming about something. End ID ]

Anonymous asked: *tbags lief*

[ ID: A grayscale drawing of Lief similar to previous image, but with a different expression. Now his eyes are wide open, and his antennae have perked straight up. End ID ]

Lief sat up with a jolt.

He looked behind him with wide eyes, blinking in disbelief as he saw nothing there. Perhaps he merely dreamed it happened?

His head pounded from having moved so fast. He took a deep breath; then a couple more. On the plus side, he didn't feel so woozy anymore.

But he had trouble remembering how he got here. Or what he'd done ever since he got here in general.

His paw moved to scratch at his chest as he sat there. His digits brushed against the maid outfit he was still wearing, and he froze.

Then he looked down.

And he panicked, going into overdrive in taking it off immediately.

He definitely did not remember ever putting it on. His first assumption was some sort of practical joke; that someone dressed him in it while he slept.

He tugged at it aggressively, tumbling over himself and scrambling to shimmy it off his body.

He never looked more relieved upon removing it. Standing on his fours, he shook his body a little, loosening up the fur that had been squished against his body for so long underneath.

The night time breeze blew in, providing further relief. He basked in it...

Then he realized he was feeling that on his neck. His neck was bare.

In pulling off the dress, he pulled off the scarf with it.

He dug his paws into the fallen dress with visible distress. He searched and felt around frantically for it, relaxing only when he grasped the scarf in both paws and pulled it free from the crumpled costume.

The wine stain on it caught his attention first. He also noticed bits and crumbs and miscellaneous dirt stuck to it.

It was really, really filthy. Unacceptably filthy. It wasn't like him.

He had to clean it.

Come to think of it, he had to clean himself. In his devastation that his scarf was in such a state, he noticed that same alcoholic stench coming from his person as well.

It would take him some moments before he could remember where he last saw water.

Lief: "Come on, dammit... wash out."

Now at the tower's entrance after a series of fumbling, he knelt at the floor's edge as he repeatedly dipped his scarf in the pool, scrubbing at it with one paw as he shakily gripped it with the other.

If he was going to leave this place, he was going to leave it as clean as he had arrived to begin with.

As all things should be, with Lief.

[ Looks like he's mostly himself again. If you have something to say, now would be your chance.

featuring Fay from @mezuni-and-willow ; background by @/lightofunova ]

Event Ask Hints have been updated.

[calebwittebane]

How did cwc fuck up tes? genuinely curious abt your thoughts on this

well its a bit of a story

the portrayal of sotha sil in it had a lot of potential - im not at all opposed to sotha sil being well-meaning but extremely arrogant pretentious and blinded by his own selfish, sheltered approach, that caused him to create a technological dystopia he deemed a paradise. all of the almsivi are extremely flawed and i think thats what makes them cool, truly human gods, and that in itself couldve been really really interesting, however unfortunately it was played so strangely, like... straightfowardly? in a "he's right" way. like the player is somehow Not supposed to find him insufferable. the Manpain Garden (which btw people have been yelled at for calling it that) really did it for me, like, oh no, a woman called him boring and distant one time, how tragic. like hes supposed to be the Good Guy of the tribunal as opposed to Mean Almalexia and Silly Vivec (both of which are such shallow and borderline offensive ways to characterize them too)

however i think what REALLY sucks is that they brought back divayth fyr and made him one of the main characters of the dlc. and look i know i say a lot that fictional bad people are funny but theres nothing funny about divayth fyr the incest pedo guy and i despise the way hes portrayed in eso and i despise everything surrounding it. eso twitter even made a fathers day joke about it but deleted it as soon as they rightly realized that it was kinda fucked up

for the above reasons eso:cwc caused a HUGE rift in tes fandom where some people criticized it and made fun of it and some people felt a strong attachment to it and felt slighted by that, plus not all people who learned about divayth fyr thru eso were initially aware of how he is in tes3 and reacted to such information in a range of ways, including but not limited to saying that actually people who like morrowind are evil and want such a despicable character to exist (im not even gonna start unpacking this) and are fucked up for not "rejecting" his tes3 portrayal to instead pretend hes just this cool quirky wizard. which, im not gonna delve into any individual persons, like, personal reasons to approach a character a certain way, but its beyond bizarre to make this kinda statement and act like its unreasonable to be repulsed by this whole ordeal

the rift this caused... pretty much ruined online tes fandom permanently. like there are just like two camps now, with Clockwork City DLC Enjoyers on twitter talking about how tesblr (aka everyone who disagrees with them) is elitist and mean and Scoffs At People Who Dont Know Enough Lore (all untrue but w/e), and that reaches completely new people as their first impression of the fandom, thus deepening the rift. it made a lot of major contributors completely check out, because not only did they feel excluded by all the new content, but also by the community. and mind you before all of that tesblr was like, not a terribly huge community, but an always-growing one, with lots of discussions and contributions and fan content and inside jokes, and i just dont really see that anymore aside from small circles of people still passionate about very specific topics, which i assume is where the impression of being Inaccessible and Closed Off comes from. lots of people became really disillusioned with tes in general and moved on to different stuff. there was some drama that dragged for literal years, lots of vagueposting, conflicts, it was just all like.... unpleasant.

so yeah theres a very active eso-focused community on twitter that i dont personally interact with because they all hate me and a handful of people on tumblr. so, kinda not what it used to be. well theres always also r/teslore and other tes subreddits, but lemme tell you when it comes to any video game related topics never go on reddit never go on reddit neeeever go on reddit never go on reddit neeeever go on reddit never go on reddit, neeeever go on reddit wow wow wowwoowww

[daggerfall]

Going off what @the-greymarch said about us talking about ESO and our issues with their "play in any order" stance, we came up with some ways to fix that issue. Namely the issue that the way the game places new players in their most recent DLC tutorial and provides zero guidance toward playing base game and DLC in release/proper story order, is bad.

You meet characters halfway through their story, watch them go through character development or even DIE, and then can go back to previous content with them and these events are never addressed. They revert back to old personalities who don't know you. You do finales to storylines (Summerset) before the buildups (Morrowind and Clockwork City. You end the dragon crisis (Elsweyr) before releasing them (Elsweyr prologue). And my favorite, everyone referencing how your soul was lost or you went to Coldharbour when you HAVEN'T!

Anyway. Here's how to help with that.

Give new players an immediate popup after character creator that lets them pick their tutorial. Say outright that the coldharbour one is recommended for new and story driven players, but always leave the choice open to the player. This alone stops people from starting chapters early without knowing they aren't the main quest.

Revamp the zone guide and Cadwell's Gold and Silver to include story guides. Include options for alliances, dlc story arcs (daedric triad, year of the dragon, dark heart of skyrim), main quest, and an overarching one for all of ESO's storyline that recommends base game and dlc play order. Keep the one for individual zones too but absolutely state that there is a recommended play order for DLC and base game for story-driven players. Knowing there is an order and arcs to follow would do WONDERS

Have that story order go main quest and alliance, coldharbour, second alliance, third, and then start with Orsinium, DB, and TG and go from there with the rest of the DLC. Include prologues when timing is right, and include mentions of dungeon and trials in storylines without requiring them. In fact, include options to disable requiring dungeons and trials in the story guide tracker. Now they know not only that arcs exist, but what they need to do for them

Move the Prophet from immediately triggering the next part of the main quest whenever you leave the Harborage to there being a messenger or note near the town wayshrine. Include a messenger in the second zone of your alliance. Do not bring back level locks but include stated recommended minimum levels that match the locks from when ESO was released. This would slow down the pace of the main quest for new players without delaying people purposefully grinding through it.

Have the different DLC zones and their respective quest starter NPCs give a popup that warns players entering for the first time that this is a DLC zone that comes later in the overarching story and/or DLC arc than the player has reached (you must do Morrowind before CWC for daedric triad, all dlc before CWC for overarching storyline, and it recommends the CWC prologue be done before accepting the CWC main quest, to not get this popup). Essentially, just tell the player they can start the quest if they want, but warn them if the recommended prerequisites are not complete. This is basically 3. but with outright warnings that are harder to miss.

I know for a fact this would improve so many people's experiences playing ESO for the first time and getting through the massive learning curve of playing ESO, especially for its story. The issue with tutorials alone causes so many problems, add onto that just how much stuff there is and not realizing there even is an overarching continuous storyline of ESO involving easter eggs and recurring characters mentioning past exploits. New players could and do get very far not realizing they're playing the wrong order, I see it constantly.

Yes, you CAN play ESO in any order you want with the exception of the Dark Aeon questline having two prerequisites. ZOS makes more money pushing that you can play Greymoor RIGHT NOW without needing to worry about playing all the previous dlc, than they would saying this chapter is only for long time players. But this is at the expense of new story driven players, while pandering to long time players with exclusive secret easter eggs like Gabrielle's post summerset dialogue during the Antiquities tutorial that Only happens once.

My only advice I can give in the meantime before this advice (never) gets implemented, is PLAY IN THE RELEASE ORDER. READ MY GUIDE ON HOW TO DO SO. And follow this flow chart! Relevant up to Markarth and missing Cyrodiil but one of the best guides I've seen.

[lolcow-slaughterhouse]

Chris Chan

Who is Chris Chan?

Christine Weston Chandler (better known as Chris Chan or CWC) is a currently jailed autistic trans woman who is the creator of Sonichu and believes they are the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Chis originally caught the attention of internet users back in 2007, when stories of them harassing women in malls to be their “boyfriend free girl” and harassing people who won sweepstakes instead of them, started being told on the 4chan forums. She also had an obsession with a character she made called Sonichu, a copy of sonic with pikachus colour palette, and would get extremely angry if anyone called them a copy or fan-made oc.

Chris didn’t have a job and instead would sit in her room playing video games, building Lego and making Sonichu comics, the latter of which she would constantly make up excuses not to do but would still demand that people think highly of it. This became the main reason why people online didn’t like her, she was someone who did no work, treated people around her badly and used her Autism as a jail free card every time she got called out.

Notes

Chris Chan is currently in jail for having intercourse with her senile, alzheimer's ridden mother Barbra

CWC hates pickles with a passion, meaning that people sometimes bring up pickles or wear pickle costumes to antagonise her.

Trolls of note are The Pickle Man, Liquid Chris and Katie

In Chris Chan’s latest prison letters, she refers to herself as "Jesus Christ Chan Sonichu Prime"

There is currently a 67 part docu-series about Chis Chan, going through every significant thing to happen in their time as a Lolcow. The first episode can be found [here]

Chris Chan is not only the first Lolcow but also one of the first Let's Player's, releasing an animal crossing let’s play on the GameCube back in 2003

Fellow lolcow ADF would get a lot of her infamy due to her one sided feuds with Chris Chan. CWC would only reply once when she got tricked into thinking that ADF was the real identity of infamous troll Jack Thaddeus

[taffysannotatedsonichu]

Sonichu 9 Page 2

WILD: Ah… CWCville U. When not in classrooms, it’s a great social spring.

PUNCHY: Hoh-yeah! I’m gonna take every note possible, and I’m gonna show Angie a great time bymay or June.

WILD: Yeah, Punchy. Soo ambitious.

WILD {thought}: I wonder who my woman will be…

I’M THINKING THIS THOUGHT BUBBLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE WILD BUT HONESTLY IT COULD BE ANYONE’S: Don’t pull my leg, God; don’t belabor it.

SIMONLA: Have a good day at Bolyn High, Zapina. Learn a lot, find a good 16-year old boy, and your mom and dad will pick you up later.

ZAPINA: Thank you, Simonla. They ought to pay you more for being the best friend ever. You enjoy your classes too. See ya!

Caption: *Simonla Rosechu -Age: 19 -Ground/Bug Type -Ability: Inner Focus

Caption: *Zapina Rosechu -Age: 14 -Bug/Electric Type

Presumably coming back from spring break, CWCville University is described as a “great social spring”. Note that Wild’s textbook says “CWC” on it, so chances are every student is required to take at least one semester on CWC studies, studying how great their mayor is and further indoctrinating the students on his cult of personality.

The major pre existing players file into CWCville U’s main building. Punchy and Wild follow through on their promise from last episode that they would sign up for the Date Ed class, Punchy reiterating his fascination with Angelica. Wild muses on the identity of his mystery girl while we the audience are given a shovel to the face of foreshadowing with Simonla standing over his shoulder. Meanwhile, Simonla sets little Zapina off on her way, the latter attending “Bolyn” High School, presumably named for Chris’s “ancestress” Anne Boleyn. Zapina, who is presumably attending a high school version of the class the older EHPs are attending, is recommended to find a “good 16 year old boy”, though she never canonically does in the course of the story.

Simonla appears to be Zapina’s babysitter, which is bizarre given that Zapina is already in high school. It’s not like Simonla was Zapina’s babysitter when Zapina was younger and the two have remained friends even as she got older, Zapina’s (unseen) parents are mentioned to still be paying Simonla.

The captions at the bottom reiterate the basics about Simonla and Zapina, the only piece of new information is giving Simonla the ability Inner Focus, which in the context of Pokemon battling, prevents the user from flinching, and, outside of that context, means nothing. Interestingly, Inner Focus is one of the abilities of the Abra line, which seems to be the primary influence for Magi-Chan, yet he doesn’t seem to have this ability, and no Ground-Type Pokemon have this ability at all.

[princedevitto]

The Golden Lovers Story, Most Beautiful Gay Story in Wrestling Industry

Kota Ibushi (left) and Kenny Omega after their reunion match in Honor Rising 2018. (doc.Voxcatch.fr)

For those of you who watches pro-wrestling probably glad with reunion of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi dubbed as Golden Lovers. Both man has been long known as one of prolific tag team in pro-wrestling business, especially in Japan. Golden Lovers most notably known with their heated rivalry with Apollo 55, Ryusuke Taguchi and Prince Devitt (now Finn Balor in WWE). But did you know that Golden Lovers is more than meets the eye? They’re not just a tag team, they like brother to each other or you could say long lost sibling.

Story of Golden Lovers is a complex one. For me, they are bromance goals, some would say a happy gay love story but i don’t care as long as they delivers and produce great matches. This story begins around 2008 when Omega’s friend showed him videos of Kota Ibushi working with Japanese promotion, Dramatic Dream Team (DDT). This promotion most notably known because of their comedic matches. Okay, after that Omega seems hooked with Ibushi and thinks that is his destiny to fight him. So he create a challenge video then uploaded it to Youtube. Luckily, DDT saw the video and invite him to Japan and they agreed for a match.

Their first encounter happens in summer 2008 when Ibushi winning after a phoenix splash from top of vending machine. Yes, you read that right, a vending machine. This match also involving scene at the parkit lot and boxes of werehouse. After the match, these duo fell to their emotion, Omega indeed crying covered in sweat. This led to Ibushi responds by saying i love you to Omega.

Early 2009, Omega finally sign a contract with DDT and offically making him part of the roster. DDT claims that the Canadian one is full of potential and could be a great rival for Ibushi. But Omega and Ibushi says no, they don’t want to fight each other they want to be a team, a tag team. Somehow DDT agreed and named them Golden Brothers because their different ethnicities. Later both says they have different name in mind. Thus the Golden Lovers is born.

At first, their gay gimmick seems creepy and many jeered towards them. As time goes by they become beloved and multi time tag team champion in DDT. Golden Lovers become fan favourite with their combining of gay gimmick and multiple sync moves, they put on some of the best chemistry back then. Omega also said that their end goal is marriage. About a year after formed, they go to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) to rise their name in wrestling business.

In NJPW they engaged a rivalry with Apollo 55 and on October 11, 2010, they win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, in a match that later named as 2010 match of the year by Tokyo Sports. Golden Lovers then defends the title in their home promotion against former champion and team of Gedo and Jado. Their run ended early January 2011 when they lost the title back to Apollo 55.

This is the time when things start to run differently for both of them. They still formed Golden Lovers, but Ibushi getting more singles opportunites and wins championships. Many wrestling journalist saying what differ them is their talent. Ibushi is naturally talented while Omega is kinda hard working and never give up person, they like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of professional wrestling. This led to their second encounter when Ibushi succesfully defends his KO-D Openweight championship.

As time goes by, they are getting less and less fight side by side. Yes they twice won KO-D six man championships with temporary third man. But Ibushi making less appearance for DDT as he signs full time contract with NJPW, making him exclusive for both promotion. With NJPW, Ibushi entered a heated rivalry with Prince Devitt where both competing for IWGP Junior Heavyweight title and Best of Super Junior series. He even briefly goes up to heavyweight classes to be a part of G1 Climax tournament.

Meanwhile, Omega starts his time as singles competitor in DDT. Winning single titles such as KO-D Openweight championship and DDT Extreme Division Championship defeating like of El Generico (Sami Zayn in WWE) and Isami Odaka.

In 2014 Ibushi announce that he move up to heavyweight class. Later that year, Omega signs full time contract with NJPW after his DDT paper expires but still remain in junior heavyweight class. October 2014, Golden Lovers wrestle their last match for DDT in winning way. Month later, Omega make his debut under NJPW contract and revealed as the newest member of Bullet Club, very popular stable in NJPW consisting of foreigners who works in NJPW or simply called gaijin.

Their first meeting in NJPW came when Omega cost Ibushi a IWGP Heavyweight match against AJ Styles, which at that time is the leader of Bullet Club. While Ibushi compete in heavyweight class, Omega makes a name for himself in junior heavyweight division. He wins IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on January 4, 2015 at Wrestle Kingdom 9 defeating Taguchi, then succesfully defend it against Mascara Dorada (Gran Metalik in WWE) and Alex Shelley. On July 5, he lost the title to KUSHIDA and won it again two months later before lost it back to KUSHIDA on January 4, 2016 at Wrestle Kingdom 10.

A day later, Omega and the rest of Bullet Club turned on AJ Styles and named as the new leader while simultaneously declared he is now heavyweight. While Omega rose to main eventer scene in NJPW the opposite happened to Ibushi. Having two full time contracts burnt him out as his neck injuries keeps nagging him. He then subsequently waive those contracts and becoming freelancer. He also participates in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) inaugural Cruiserweight Classic tournament. Ibushi made it to semifinal where he defeated by then champion, TJ Perkins.

While Ibushi battling in CWC, Omega entered 2016 G1 Climax tournament and wins it, the first gaijin to do so. Eventhough they’re apart, they keep referencing each other. Omega always does Ibushi’s move along G1 Climax, while Ibushi’s gear includes a wing symbol referencing Omega’s finisher move One Winged Angel.

After winning G1, Omega state that he is now surpassed Ibushi as singles competitor while saying he’s waiting for Ibushi here in New Japan while doing his best. Ibushi then responds in separate interview,”You’re lonely aren’t you? Well, i’m right here. Waiting.” As time goes on, both are live their separate lives. Omega making historic three six stars matches with Kazuchika Okada and become first NJPW United States Champion, while Ibushi doing comedic wrestling things such as set up fireworks in his chest, wrestle a sex doll, and fought in merry-go-round theme park and dressed as cartoon character, Tiger Mask W, in NJPW.

And finally the G1 climax season come. Omega of course participates as defending champion. Surprise came when Ibushi also announced as participant but both are placed separate block. Through the G1 Climax there’s a hope that former Golden Lovers will meet each other in finals, including me. Sadly that’s not happen, only Omega makes it to finals. He then lost to eventual champion, Tetsuya Naito. At the backstage after the lost, Ibushi comes to see wounded Omega. They briefly talk before slowly push Ibushi away. This is also first time both meet after 2015 betrayal with AJ Styles.

Ibushi then engaged a rivalry with Bullet Club member, Cody. Both met at Wrestle Kingdom 12 and the golden star emerge victorious following phoenix splash. This match also has tremendous spot when Cody cross-rhodes Ibushi from appron to floor. A day after WK12, Cody is victorious in tag match against Ibushi. After that Cody and Bullet Club trying to beat down Ibushi. When former WWE star wants to hit with a chair, Omega comes and save Ibushi from beat down. He’s risking to lose Bullet Club after once he leave Ibushi for Bullet Club.

Weeks later, Omega lost the US championship to Jay White. After the match, fellow Bullet Club member, Hangman Page, come to the ring, snatch the belt and challenge White. But Omega neglect him and give the belt back to White. An angered Cody then give Omega cross-rhodes and put Omega’s Bullet Club status questioned. Ibushi then runs in through the crowd to save Omega from further beatdown and offers a handshake.

Omega refuse the handshake and seems self-loathingly after betraying Ibushi. When he want to leave Ibushi pulls him and both man shares hug while embracing tears, cheers, and confetti. The Golden Lovers are finally back together.

In an interview after that, Omega declares he always thinks The Golden Lovers are the best team and he miss it. Their relationship probably one most important things in his life. The Canadian also saying that he always waiting for Ibushi, that’s why he doen’t leave NJPW. Golden Lovers also do a adoreable documentary about their reunion and training to together to find rhythm again. And finally at Honor Rising 2018 on February 23 and 24 these duo fighting again side by side againts some Bullet Club member.

For myself The Golden Lovers storyline is probably one of tear jerking moment in professional wrestling. It’s hard to say whether it’s real or kayfabe (wrestling term for fiction story), they stands in blurred line but the fact is many people touched by this happy gay love story. This also proof that gay isn’t a taboo thing in wrestling business.

Professional wrestling is a form of mixed art with athletic sport. There’s no room for homophobe people especially when Omega is reportedly literally bisexual. Like The Rock says, it doesn’t matter if true or not. Just let them deliver storyline and we criticize it in well manner fashion.

It’s interesting where this storyline goes. So many speculations created by internet wrestling community, whether it’s Ibushi joining Bullet Club, Omega kicked out, or there’s gonna be new faction formed. One thing to say from me, i don’t want any betrayal again in Golden Lovers. They’re like meant to be each other. I prefer both battling each other for coveted prize, maybe Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi in IWGP Heavyweight championship match? I hope it comes true.

P.S:  Big thanks to Simpsons Reference (@EffingBoring) on twitter for his shared information in his tweets. Also for profightdb.com and cagematch.com for their stats and tokyo-sports.co for interviews that quoted.

[justanotherprowrestlingblog]

WWE NXT Takeover New Orleans Review

Saturday April 7th, from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana

North American Championship Ladder Match: ECIII vs Ricochet vs Killian Dain vs Lars Sullivan vs Velveteen Dream vs Adam Cole:[****1/4]

So we start off the night with the match to crown the first ever NXT North American Champion. Personally i wasn't expecting a stellar match because the athletes involved, expect for Ricochet, are not so suited for a ladder match but they went way over with my expectations(even on time) and delivered probably one of the best multi man ladder matches i've ever seen. It had not a perfect storytelling but it wasn't necessary because it could have only one kind of story: everyone trying and doing anything to grab the belt and win the match. Cool spots, guys risking everything to get the win, no dead moments, drama, it was very good. It was a spot fest for the ages where even lars sullivan looked good, because they had him do what he should do: destroy anyone. Dain  got crazy for a big man, Cole did cole stuff, Velveteen kept impressing me, Ricochet stole the show and my man ECIII showed why he got back in WWE after they fired him a couple years ago. Personally i loved the finish with Cole waiting for the perfect moment to captalise the work and getting the win, because that what his character should be: a dick and opportunist heel who can win by any means necessary. To recap everything, the show starts off already with an awesome match and let's say it wasn't the only one.

NXT Women's Championship: Ember Moon vs Shayna Baszler:[***1/2]

Rematch from NXT Takeover Philly and a much better match from their previous one, which wasn't bad but did litteraly nothing for me. This time they got much better from the start, better sense of urgency, Moon kicking the crap out of Ember, the champ not backing down and also trying to hurt the challenger with one of her trademarks and then the finish with Ember going full babyface mode and trying not to tap but she was forced to pass out and lose the title. Personally the highlight of the match was Baszler trying to pop her shoulder back by hitting the post which is actually a really smart spot that you don't see too often in wrestling matches. Shayna winning was kinda expected as i was expecting the title change already at Philly, so they could move Ember to the main roster and have Shayna-Kairi squaring off after the MYC final.

NXT Championship& Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final: Undisputed Era vs Authors of Pain vs Roderick Strong&Pete Dunne:[***1/4]

So as we saw on NXT, the final was moved to Takeover and became a triple threat match. Now, the match was good, but i didn't understood the rules: it started off in a big mess and then the referee remember them that they had to tag themselves into the match? Why, it just ruins momentum and makes no sense. But what makes sense is the ending with Strong finally joining undisputed era, because he is probably sick and tired to be so close to winning something and then losing everything: it happened first with the nxt title, then with the cruiserweight tournament and then the UK title against Pete Dunne and being with Dunne in the tournament, it makes me thing it was already set before the start of the match. Strong turning heel is a really smart move because his stuff as heel in PWG was awesome and he needs someone to cover his weeknesses when he has to cut a promo and Cole being the leader and mouthpiece of Undisputed will be perfect. in the next weeks, we might also see Strong winning the UK Title..

NXT Championship: Aleister Black vs Andrade Cien Almas:[****]

And we go on with another stunning match on this card. I think i already said that i loved how they rebuilt Almas with Zelina and this match was really good: wrestling and storytelling wise because Almas won the title because of Zelina, kept the title because of her and then lost the title because she tried to interfere and then got distracted and hit by Black Mass. They went all out with a classic match and Black finally had that match we were waiting him to have, because we knew black was good but not this good and this Almas helped him shine big time. Expected title change not because they needed to get the title off Almas, who has been good as a champ, but because it feels like they want to build Black like someone who can go undefeated for a few month untill he matches the right one. I also think Almas is about to be called up soon in the main roster, so i expected him to lose also the rematch and then go to SD Live or Raw, so that's why we had the title change now.

Unsanctioned Match: Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa:[*****]

So let me say one thing before i talk about this match: he is called T O M M A S O not Tomasso or Thomas. Now, this match was PERFECT and i dare you to say otherwhise. Great storytelling, great in ring psychology, great wrestling match, great build up to their storytelling, great crowd which was super into the match(Ciampa entrance was so good because they didn't covered the crowd with his theme and let everyone tell him how much an asshole he was). I loved how they used every spot really wisely, because they didn't went just for a spot, but because it was a spot that made sense for the story and for the match: i loved how they recalled their post match in the CWC, i loved how Johnny didn't felt for the trap at end, loved how Ciampa pushed hard to beat him after being sidelined for a knee injury. I loved how Johnny finished the match using the knee brace to apply more pressure. Ciampa went full heel dick mode and showed everyone how a heel should be at the moment and Johnny showed how to go over as a face with the crowd: we don't like babyfaces that behave like superman, we want babyfaces that can we relate to, that we can cheer for and that can represent us in that ring. Gargano winning was also a good moment because for once the underdog has to win and it was the right moment and setting to do it. Now, i believe their rivalry will continue and also will go on also on the main roster, just like what Sami Zayn and Kevin owens are doing right now. To recap everything, i would say that this is the match of the year right now with Almas-Gargano: personally i would pick this one over Gargano-Almas, because i am a big fan of great storytelling, but even Gargano-Almas was nuts. I'm not sure about this but probably we had the best takeover match so far, maybe i'm not 100% sure, but it's definitely in the top 3.

Overall: So, what to say about this event? Best Takeover ever? I'd say yes, because honestly, i don't remember a takeover with every match this good, everything was great, everything was well booked and you can't find anything bad about this event, because even the matches that didn't delireved big time, were good. NXT is at the moment the best WWE product and it's the less WWE style product you can imagine, because some of the stuff you see on the NXT, you won't see it on the main roster.  So if you want to see 3 hours of great wrestling, then watch this show because you won't regret it. [9]

[tsgcincinnati]

Some Valuable Learnings from our Last TSG Member Mingle

We had a great time last week meeting with the business owners of some of Cincinnati’s best local businesses at our Member Mingle. We value relationships here at TSG, and really work hard TOGETHER to build our community.  One of the best aspects of being a part of The Scout Guide is how we have built a true community of business owners and we learn from one another.

Beautiful setting @ Rug Gallery Cincinnati, Food by CWC The Restaurant, Music by Kyle English, Bartending by First Call Bartending

As the Editor and Owner of TSG Cincinnati, I hear repeatedly similar questions about how to run our businesses, how to overcome common challenges and how to make the most out of being a part of TSG. Thus, I work tirelessly to play ‘match-maker’ and ‘connector’ between my clients/members of our community. As such, I hosted a “Member Mingle” (think networking event with music, food and drinks) where I asked a few members to sit on a panel and help facilitate a great dialogue about how we all run our businesses. The Owners of The Rug Gallery, My Flower Service and Nest Home Staging all helped me with this great panel discussion that covered a variety of topics. Read below to see some of the topics we discussed and their insightful recommendations.

Sam Presnell, Arlene Presnell, Beau Presnell, Barbie Presnell, Shannon Adams, Christine Masur and McKenna Brooks

McKenna: You are transitioning ownership of The Rug Gallery from one generation to the next (Sam Presnell to his son, Beau Presnell). How are you managing this transition within the family, and what guidance do you have for those looking to transfer a business?

Sam Presnell, Founder/Owner, The Rug Gallery: “While it appears we are transitioning ownership within the family, we have started to look at it more like a sale of the business to a buyer, who happens to be family. Not until we started looking at this transition in this way, did we really understand all that is going into making this a successful transition. We have a clear step plan and it’s far more detailed and complex than we originally anticipated, but we are making great progress!”

Beau Presnell, Owner, The Rug Gallery: “We have loved working with the Goering Center at UC – and we are lucky to have this tremendous resource in our back yard, here in Cincinnati. They have guided us through a multi-step, multi-month process to ensure a smooth transition. We recommend to anyone seeking to sell a business here locally to leverage their resources.”

McKenna: You have really increased your presence of The Rug Gallery on social media and using events to drive traffic to the showroom. Tell us more about how you go about executing all of this work?

Barbie Presnell, Marketing Director, The Rug Gallery:  “I am lucky to be married to the owner(s) of The Rug Gallery, and we meet weekly to discuss all that’s going on in the business. I am a teacher (for my main job), but I love being involved in the family business. I have a passion for connecting people and have found that hosting events in the space is enjoyable to people who come, and it’s resulting in sales from those who come meet us and see the high-quality of support we offer our clients. “Regarding social media, when we meet weekly, I listen to what strategic focus areas there are for Sam and Beau. I then work back with the sales people and installers to help me get images and stories from rugs, carpets and flooring that have been installed in customer’s homes. I then tell the stories of these happy clients in Instagram posts and stories. That’s what our followers want to see – they want to be inspired by our work and be able to show examples of homes when they come in, and know we can give them the flooring to bring their vision to life. The key to successful social media for a small business (in my opinion) is to be authentic and tell stories and inspire the follower. They’ll take action with you if you do this right!”

Shannon Adams, Jessica of My Flower Service

McKenna: Shannon, you have been a part of TSG Cincinnati now for almost 5 years (as long as it’s been in Cincinnati). What advice do you have for small business owners who are either in TSG today, or contemplating joining this community?

Shannon Adams, Owner, My Flower Service: “TSG is the only spending on advertising I do. I believe that the quality and network of businesses in TSG are the ‘best of the best’ and I want my brand to be associated with these other brands and business owners. I hear all the time that readers know a few other companies in the Guide, and thus assume that ‘if My Flower Service is in here with a few of my other favorite businesses, they must be the best in the business’. So for me, it’s a lot of brand positioning. But, I also really value the connections I’ve made with other business owners in the Guide. For example, I have just met with a couple other owners to do their flowers out front of their stores because I’ve met them at these sorts of events. We all should support one another first and foremost, and continue to grow our community by having a very high-quality product and service across categories!”

McKenna: Christine, you’re partnering with other businesses in TSG in unique ways. Can you tell us about what you’re doing to help ‘get your brand out there’ and what advice you’d give to us if we want to do the same?

Christine Masur, Co-owner Nest Home Staging: “I have really embraced this community of great people, and leveraged the networking opportunities that being a part of TSG Cincinnati has enabled me. I always want to share my passion for design and staging with those around me, and however I can do that, I’m open and eager to get involved! For example, I have worked with Megan Stacey for 2 years now to co-host a “Color and design” party where we invite clients (of both of ours) to enjoy some wine, food and I talk about design trends I’m seeing in homes today. It’s nothing hard to pull together, but it’s so fun to see a group of 25 women talking (and laughing) about little changes they can make to their homes to ‘freshen things up’ without breaking the bank. I also worked with you, McKenna, to design the backdrop for a TSG event, Holly & Headshots, in December. I love designing ‘photo walls’ and this was an easy way for me to help in an event, and organically get the Nest brand out there.

“The best advice I can give about getting involved in your network is to be creative in how you partner with people, don’t be afraid to try something new and know that every person is a valuable impression, and they will grow your business over time.”

After we went through these specific topics, there was a lot of great dialogue around how to build up social media following, how to best partner (and ideas!) and how we all can really team up with one another on a regular basis to build up the local business community in Cincinnati. If you’re interested in learning more about WHO is a part of TSG, you can see them here (scroll down to see them listed alphabetically).

Delicious food was provided by CWC The Restaurant, Tables and decor by All Occasions Event Rental, Music by Kyle English.

A few common threads amongst all of us business owners in TSG, are that we believe in following our dreams, we work tirelessly to meet the needs of our customers and we are incredibly appreciative of the support we receive from you as our community. We want to hear from you on how we can all improve and appreciate your support of all-things-local!

Until the next event!

~McKenna L. Brooks Editor/Owner, TSG Cincinnati

[darkarfs]

My Favorite WWE Matches of 2018. In Actual Numerical Order.

10. The Men's Royal Rumble I haven't clapped in pure joy at a Royal Rumble match since 2010. We started with my bae Rusev, we had a sincere iron man in Finn Balor, we had stories for the undercard (behold Woken Matt Hardy. Bray Wyatt and poor, amazing Heath Slater, who eliminated Sheamus on his *birthday*). I almost wept when Rey Mysterio came out at 27, and I was excited throughout. Factor in that ending, which saw Shinsuke Nakamura throw out everyone's expected victor, Roman Reigns, to win it all, and then challenge AJ Styles that minute. What came after wasn't great, but we're all about moments, us wrestling fans. And if you don't think I'm HELLA stoked about this year's Rumble (Jan. 27) hoh SHIT are you wrong.

9. The Six-Pack Challenge (AJ Styles, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler), Fastlane Something I noticed about this match immediately was the fact that the most conservative men in it (Styles, Ziggler) wore the most flamboyant tights, baby blue and shocking pink, respectively. Conservative men act out in the weirdest ways. This was a high-stakes spot-fest, a lot of hurling and whirling, a lot of hey-ho and ding dong. If you ask me to recall any of the actual action, I won't be able to. I just remember 22 minutes going by and being really happy afterward. I actually had to look up who was IN the match. Genuinely forgot Corbin was in it, even though he rammed Dolph through a Plexiglass barricade in the match.

8. Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy, 205 Live, July 3rd Vince McMahon said, after the Network ratings sagged and Enzo Amore got fired, that the Cruiserweight division was "not worth his time." So he turned it over to his son-in-law, Triple H, who fired some honest-to-God life into it. This match was fast, risky, more technically sound than the one live drummer Necrophagist hired, and felt more like a fiery indy show than it has since Alexander and Ibushi tore the house down in the CWC back in 2016. If you were sick of Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin on EVERY RAW this year, this was the little bowl full of coffee beans at Yankee Candle Co. to cleanse the palette. Bonus points for mAybe the most creative use of ring stairs in a one-on-one encounter maybe...ever?

7. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler, Hell in a Cell The first PPV match ol Deano had since his injury, coming back looking like a man made of boulders and pancakes, this match played skillfully off the four dissimilar styles of the four men in it, but it gets this spot mostly for the best finish of a match this year. Seth went for his beautiful superplex-into-falcon-arrow, hitting the first half of it, and then, lifting Dolph for the second bit, hit with Drew's amazing Claymore, sealing the win for Ziggler and McIntyre. Goddamn, it's a thing that still makes me smile.

6. The Men's MITB, Money In the Bank (Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Rusev, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Kofi Kingston and the Miz) CARNAGE. People falling off ladders! Ladders falling ON people! People deciding they should fall off a ladder onto ladders ONTO PEOPLE! Everyone climbing the actual mountain that is Braun Strowman! Seriously, guys this tall shouldn't be in ladder matches. It's unfair. Does anyone remember that amazing ladder match on Raw between the Undertaker and Jeff Hardy in 2002? Taker was up that ladder in two steps! Glorious carnage. Hard to keep up the energy after a 10-match card, but these men did, and brilliantly. Special mention to Braun, who showcased, through charging, smashing, slapping, and slamming, why he is a real-life Incredible Hulk. And to poor Kevin, who fell maybe 30 feet and wrestled later that same week.

5. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, Wrestlemania 34 I'm getting this out of the way now, because I thought it the instant it happened and I still think it; Trips and Steph's doings at Mania are their foreplay. When she came out at Mania 32 with a skull mask on, channeling Rita Repulsa and Immortan Joe with all her theatrical screaming about destiny in a floor-length coat, bustier and fishnets OVER tights, she and Triple H conceived a daughter that night. When Rousey trapped Stephanie in that armbar for almost a minute, while she writhed and screamed "NO, OH GOD NO, PLEASE NO, I'M BEGGING YOU, DON'T" in a skin-tight leather jumpsuit, I have no doubt they were trying to conceive another child. Aside from that, Kurt proved he still had it, Rousey shocked the world by being REALLY GOOD at this dumb bullshit in her debut match, and it proved to be the show-stealer at a decent Wrestlemania. It was also the ONLY time Rousey's eye makeup looked even halfway good, which is it's own feat, a year into her run.

4. Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles, TLC After two years, Daniel Bryan went from an amazing recovery, to an amazing return, to...just another mid-carder, feuding with, of all people, Big Cass. We fans of D-Bry (my current avatar) were kind of sad. We were happy that he was doing what he loved again after lesions on his brain kept him from it, but we were sad that a man so GOOD was doing so little with his prodigious talents. Like your friend who's amazingly good at guitar but has resigned himself to playing in a Wallfowers cover band. Then he went mad...again. Not because of 18 seconds, not because of his girlfriend or his tag team partner, but because he was SICK of the WORLD. Relatable. They will be remembered as two of the best in the business, forever, and this will be on the highlight reel. Another ingenious finish, too, as the Phenomenal Forearm was ducked, then the running knee was ducked into an inside cradle, which was then reversed. It was so good. It made Bryan look like who he is; fortunate, skilled and cunning. AND THEY'RE FIGHTING AGAIN AT THE RUMBLE. <3 <3 <3

3. The Gauntlet Match on the Feb 19 Raw (John Cena, Braun Strowman, Elias, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, the Miz) A Raw main event that went over 2 HOURS. And it was shown as one of the highest rated segments on Raw in literal years. It was a showcase for Elias, who is amazing. It also dumped Reigns early, surprising everyone. Most importantly, it showed that Seth Rollins is maybe the best ring general of all time. It showed that if he wanted he could carry a match with a wet paper towel and people would be invested. By no means show this to someone getting into wrestling for the first time...unless you show them the final two participants. Then absolutely show them. That is wrestling's essence distilled.

2. Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar, Survivor Series AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA oh my HEAVENS. Proof that when Brock cares, he can still go, and proof that Daniel Bryan is the literal best in the world. Years of what-if and hype actually delivering is pretty freeing and wonderful. The phrase "big fight feel" gets lobbed around a lot in wrestling. This is genuinely one of the few times it worked. Like watching Jeff Bridges as the Dude try and bring down Galactus. And almost succeeding.

1. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair, Evolution There is no way this match happened. These women love and support one another and good GOD does it show in how they carried themselves. The ultimate blow-off showdown, the best use of weapons in any match maybe ever, the crowd literally roaring and bellowing, the stiffest possible punches and spots, Charlotte rising from under a pile of announce chairs, and that climactic powerbomb off the apron. Becky Lynch IS wrestling right now, and Charlotte should be with her when she tears down the world.

Huh. That worked out.

[lifeasarandomdudeknowsit-blog]

Entry #321 - The Wordy Wrestling aWards, Part 5

Well, this is it.  The final entry in the 2016 Wordy Wrestling aWards.  Even though technically it is now 2017 (which is weird to say now that it's officially the new year (side note: I am writing this the day before it is posted simply because, again, I am in a writing mood)).  But this is the big aWard: the Match of the Year.  Keep in mind that my opinions regarding Match of the Year candidates only includes WWE matches from Wrestlemania weekend and forward.  Apologies to those NJPW, Ring of Honor, PWG, or any other promotion out there.  Were this my job to talk about wrestling, I would be much more well-versed in other promotions.  But since this is a hobby, I can only cover so much.

Fair warning: I'm picking my ten favorite matches of 2016, and even after attempting to choose an order, I'm finding it very difficult to decide which was #4, #5, and #6, so I'm basically going to give those three matches a tie.  Also, I have seven honorable mentions that I'm going to try to rattle off quickly: The men's Survivor Series elimination match, Nakamura vs. Zayn (TakeOver Dallas), Cena vs. Styles vs. Ambrose for the WWE World Title (No Mercy), Balor vs. Rollins for the Universal Title (Summerslam), Gargano vs. Ciampa (CWC), Balor vs. Nakamura (NXT), New Day vs. Jeri-KO vs. Rollins/Reigns (Raw).  Each of these matches stood above the majority of the rest of the year's matches, but the ten I've selected as my favorites of the year had something a little more special about them than these listed.  Still, these seven matches are some of the best, and if you're looking for a way to spend a day, watching any or all of these matches is a pretty good way to spend that time.

Let's get on with the list proper, shall we?

#10 – Bayley vs. Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship, NXT TakeOver Dallas.  After a near four year hiatus, I decided to see what all had happened during Wrestlemania weekend.  My first experience was TakeOver Dallas.  I had heard great things about NXT overall since my hiatus began, but had never really bothered to check it out.  This was also my first experience of a women's division match since way back when the majority of women's matches consisted of models fumbling about in the ring for three minutes a week.  So this match made a huge impact on me and immediately made me a believer in WWE's change in mindset regarding women's wrestling.  It helped that I had seen Asuka a few times before when she worked for CHIKARA, but I had not seen anything of her since then.  These two had probably the best match of the night (only Zayn vs. Nakamura came close, but that was more of an exhibition rather than a match with a story behind it, which is why it isn't in the top ten).  Both women gave it their all, and outshone the men on this night.  A fantastic match that once again proved women are just as good (if not better) than the men.

#9 – Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi, Cruiserweight Classic quarterfinals.  This is the match that every other match in the Cruiserweight Classic had to live up to, and none of them succeeded.  While Gargano and Ciampa had a stellar showing as well (which included a huge amount of emotion that you don't normally see in a WWE ring), Alexander and Ibushi had a master class in how to build a match and made the Cruiserweight Classic a must-watch each week.  Though Ibushi ended up not signing with WWE, this match seemed to single-handedly land Cedric Alexander a job, which couldn't make me happier.  Alexander is a supremely talented guy, and he may end up being one of the few cruiserweights to transcend that division and eventually move up to the main roster. Ibushi would definitely be another, but again, he did not sign.  As great as the matches in the Cruiserweight Classic that followed this one, none quite matched the intensity and creativity of this one.

#8 – Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch for the WWE Women's Championship, Wrestlemania 32.  Yet another reason why I became a huge fan of the way WWE treats its women's division now, these three women had a knock-down, drag-out fight that was nothing short of spectacular.  Admittedly, I did not go back and watch this match (I actually only went back and watched three of them on this list), but what I do remember is that these three women stole the show and put the men on notice.  There may have been “better” matches on the Wrestlemania card, but I sure as hell can't remember any of them the way I remember this match.  It sowed the seeds for the Charlotte vs. Sasha feud that won my Feud of the Year, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the women's division is the strongest it's ever been.

#7 – Sheamus vs. Cesaro, Match 7 of their Best of 7 Series, Clash of Champions.  I've talked about the feud between these two, as well as the tag team that ensued thanks to the slavering inanity of one Mick Foley.  But really, this is the highlight of their entire feud and resulting tag team.  Sure, they dethroned The New Day's longest tag title reign in WWE history, but this match was unmatched at Clash of Champions.  Both men pulled off moves I'm certain no one expected (including a 619 from Cesaro and a terrifying dive by Cesaro through the ropes that could very well have paralyzed him were it not for the fact that the man is a freak of nature), and built an incredible story over 16 and a half minutes. The main reason this isn't higher on the top ten list is because of the screwy finish, where both guys knocked each other into the timekeeper's area, and the referee basically just waived off the match rather than let both guys get counted out.  I would have preferred a count-out victory to a no contest, especially since about two minutes after the ref stopped the match, both guys were ready to go again.  But no match is perfect.  I salute both men for turning what seemed to be a throwaway feud into gold.

The next three matches are the ones I watched again to see if I could pick a definitive order in which to place them.  But I just ended up enjoying all three so much, I'm putting them all at a tie for fourth.

#4A – Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, Battleground.  These two have been fighting beside or against each other for so long, of course they were going to have an awesome match.  The fact that this was buried in the middle of the Battleground card did them no justice.  These two battled each other for nearly twenty minutes (the longest match of the night, I might add), and showed how a well-built feud should end.  Both men gave it their all, pulling off scary moves and building from a slow-paced start to a frenetic ending.  If any wrestler out there wants to know how to tell a story over the course of one match that simultaneously tells a story about the entire rivalry, this is the match to watch. I cannot emphasize how great both of these guys are, and how I hope in a year's time, they will be feuding over the World or Universal Championship.  I would love to see Sami win one of the top prizes from Owens at Wrestlemania one of these years, because he sure as hell deserves it.

#4B – AJ Styles vs. John Cena, Summerslam.  Another fantastic match that was buried deep in the show's card that none of the following matches could even come close to, well, matching in terms of storytelling and drama.  Both men wanted to lay claim to the top guy on Smackdown, and over the course of 23 minutes, built a story that few in this day and age can match. I watched this match again the day before writing this post, and about ten minutes in I was wondering why I thought this should be a Match of the Year candidate.  Yet by the end I was hanging on their every move, much like the crowd.  One major factor that this match, Zayn vs. Owens, and the next match listed had going for them was an intense, raucous crowd that ate up every single second of action. Both Styles and Cena are consummate professionals, and made each other look fantastic.  The fact that Styles won clean was a huge deal to many, as Cena had rarely lost a bout cleanly over the past decade. It solidified Styles' place on the roster, and as we saw a couple of months later, pushed him to the World Title.  I can't wait for their match at the Royal Rumble.

#4C – Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship, NXT TakeOver Brooklyn II.  In what was easily one of the top feuds of the year, Joe and Nakamura put on several stellar matches over the course of three months.  But none quite matched the intensity and fervor of their first in-ring encounter at TakeOver Brooklyn II.  The crowd was white hot, the atmosphere was tense, and both men wanted to tear each other apart. And over the course of 21 minutes, they did.  Both men pulled out all the stops to try to destroy the other en route to the NXT Title.  In the end, Nakamura finished off Joe after three knees to the head (I'm glossing over a LOT of in-ring action here) to capture the NXT Title for the first time.  Honestly, the emotional high from seeing Nakamura reach the top of the NXT mountain was more satisfying than any of their other encounters.  Bonus points go to the amazing entrance Nakamura received, with a solo violinist rocking the crowd out with a beautiful yet harsh melody, an entrance that would only be topped by Bobby Roode's entrance at TakeOver Toronto.  All in all, fantastic.

Okay, we're down to the nitty gritty.

#3 – DIY vs. The Revival, Two Out of Three Falls Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship, NXT TakeOver Toronto.  What happens when you get two of the absolute best tag teams in the world together and tell them to fight each other for 22 minutes?  This match.  There was such masterful storytelling between these two teams that it's hard to imagine anything better happening all year (though, seeing as how this is #3 on my list, at least to me, two more matches did slightly better, but that includes extenuating circumstances).  I hate glossing over entire matches like this, but really, what made this match truly epic was the ending (spoiler alert), which saw Ciampa and Gargano simultaneously locking Dash and Dawson into different submission holds right in the center of the ring.  The beautiful moment came when The Revival actually held each others' hands to try to keep each other from tapping out, but after enough time had passed, both relented.  It was probably the best ending to a match all year, and not only solidified DIY as the tag team of the future, but proved that The Revival are ready for the main roster.  A true classic of this generation.

#2 – The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler, Intercontinental Title vs. Career Match, No Mercy.  If there was one match I wish I could have actually had the opportunity to see live, it would have been this one.  No Mercy was held right in my backyard, and I did not attend, mostly because I didn't exactly have the money to afford a ticket.  But watching the match through cameras was about as good as you could ask for.  These two built up their feud brilliantly both in the ring and on the mic, and it culminated in what may very well have been the magnum opus of both men's careers. All the tricks Miz used to keep his title from Ziggler over the course of this feud, from a run in by the Spirit Squad to Maryse spraying something in Ziggler's face, could not stop Dolph from achieving his goal.  Sadly, this match was not the main event, but it was at least placed higher in the card than Styles vs. Cena or Zayn vs. Owens.  Truly an emotional victory, not just for Ziggler, but for the fans watching.  The expression on the face of The Miz after losing the match told us everything we needed to know.  You couldn't ask for a better performance from either guy.

#1 – Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks, 30 Minute Iron Woman Match for the Raw Women's Championship, Roadblock: End of the Line.  Words do not do this match justice.  The culmination of an eight month feud, where there was no rematch clause and the only way to win was to outlast your opponent.  Some people have complained about Sasha tapping out with two seconds left in regulation to tie the score and force overtime, saying why couldn't she just wait the extra two seconds.  But for me, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if she was going to hold on and break Charlotte's PPV winning streak or give in to the pressure.  It was a stirring moment for me.  Really, I can't describe this match here, because you have to see it for yourself to see how amazing it was and how far the women in WWE have come since even two years ago. Honestly, this match should have been the main event of Roadblock, and it was a shame it wasn't.  Still, both women had the best showing of the night, and for putting on an amazing feud filled with awesome matches ending in this memorable encounter, Sasha Banks and Charlotte get my vote for Match of the Year.

Well, that was a great trip down memory lane.  I got to relive a few moments that will probably live on in my mind for a while to come, and I managed to keep myself entertained throughout my time writing these posts.  I'm not entirely sure what I'll be writing about from here on out, but I suppose I'll have to figure that out when I get there.  My thanks to anyone who read all of these entries.  I know I can be a bit wordy at times (hence the name of the awards), but really, I thoroughly enjoy this form of entertainment, and I'm not afraid to say it.  It's a fun, weird form of entertainment, and really, that's what entertainment should be anyway.  But that's my opinion.

[wcwrippedoff-blog]

The Best Wrestling Gimmicks

When WCW misplaced its existence the wrestling group lost a promotion that placed on some of the biggest matches in wrestling history. Due to the obsession of paying established stars like Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash ridiculous amounts of money to be a part of WCW fans now keep in mind WCW extra for that cause and overlook in regards to the volume of traditional matches they produced especially within the cruiserweight division division.

Very like TNA with it X- division in the present day WCW's cruiserweight division was what attracted followers that the place fed up with the plodding big males of the WWE, however just as TNA are beginning to do now WCW ignored the cruiserweights once the big stars started to come back and so they became of little importance.

As you will note below lots of the biggest matches in WCW where within the cruiserweight division .I hope taking a look at this record and remembering a few of these nice matches brings back some great reminiscences.

First this is a music video that exhibits the highlights of my favorite WCW match of all time .

Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Eddy Guerrero - Halloween Havoc 'ninety seven

Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan - GAB WCW themes you already heard before 'ninety six Falls rely anyplace

Massive Van Vader vs. Sting - Superbrawl 'ninety three Strap match

Psychosis vs. Rey Mysterio, Jr. - Bash on the Seashore '96

Dean Malenko vs. Ultimo Dragon - Starrcade 'ninety six

Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko - Uncensored '97

Chris Jericho vs. Ultimo Dragon - BATB '97

ushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman - Superbrawl 'ninety two

ic Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat - Spring Stampede 'ninety four

Vader vs. Cactus Jack - Halloween Havoc 'ninety three Texas Death Match

Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko - Hog Wild 'ninety six

Ricky Steamboat vs. Rick Rude - Beach Blast '92 Ironman Match

Juventud Guerrera vs. Blitzkrieg - Spring Stampede '99

Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson - Fall Brawl 'ninety five

Psychosis vs. Blitzkrieg vs. Juventud Guerrera vs.

Rey Mysteri Jr. - Nitro (four/19/ninety nine)

16. The Steiner Brothers vs. Terry Gordy/Steve Williams - Conflict XIXSteve Austin vs. Ricky Steamboat - BATB '94

Steve Austin vs. Brian Pillman - Conflict XXV

Chris Beniot vs. Bret Hart - Nitro (10/four/ninety nine)

Ric Aptitude vs. Vader - Starrcade 'ninety three

These are the WCW matches that in MY opinion are the highest 20 and I recommend every wrestling fan ought to try to see them. Of course not each fan will agree it took me some time to determine on my ultimate 20 be at liberty to inform me some of your favorite WCW matches of all time however this is my list of WCW's defining matches.

Made well-known by their portability when first launched to the public, the airbed mattress skyrocketed into top rankings as one of the crucial most popular mattresses in recent times. The bed's adjustable function grew to become an important innovation for airbed mattresses. They're additionally the rationale why the bed is slowly carving a family title for themselves throughout the globe.

Three of one of the best Airbed mattresses which can be receiving glorious mattress evaluations from consumers as we speak are the Sleep Number Airbeds by Select Consolation, Comfortaire's Airbed product traces and The WCW Natural Form Airbeds. The beds were rated by Comfort Satisfactions, BBB Ratings and Product Warranty. Among the many three, WCW Pure Kind acquired essentially the most constructive total responses from the consumers. So what are you aware about the product? For this text, let us focus our attention to WCW Pure Type.

WCW Natural Form

The Product is a division of CWC. The corporate began to manufacture the product with three key components to good sleep in mind. Spinal alignment, strain relief, and temperature management. The product was initially produced to supply medical institutions with the comfortable beds that patients can use for optimum restoration while avoiding bed sores from occurring, particularly to mattress ridden sufferers. The product shortly found its strategy to Hilton Luxurious Hotels and acquired reputation from the resort's visitors.

Three Key components of the mattress mentioned

Pressure relief

Not like most energy pump Airbeds, the place that you must manually adjust the amount of air to conform to your body weight using a digitally distant control panel or system, the Pure Form has this distinctive means to sense your body weight and regulate the firmness robotically according the physique's firmness requirements to efficiently unfold the load evenly, thereby removing the risk of placing on an excessive amount of weight on a particular stress level extra successfully. And in contrast to guide changes, the automated air motors works silently and quicker. And since you will not want to check the firmness and adjust them each time you employ them, the mattress is extra person-pleasant than the remainder of the competitions.

Correct Spinal Alignment

Good spinal alignment are obtain higher as a result of this mattress has the ability to properly displace the spinal structure evenly above the surface, which is vital and not possible to achieve in different airbed mattresses except you could find the right firmness to your body weight using the handbook distant. The bed's floor actually conforms to the spine as an alternative of the opposite way round. The key to this can be discovered contained in the mattress. Every mattress is made up of separate air cylinders which help acquire excellent help and comfort.

The 18 impartial air cylinders are positioned inside the particularly designed sleeves which are measured in exact width, size and set apart from one another in equal phrases and inserted with separate valves, the air is pumped automatically into the separate air cylinders based on the weight positioned straight on prime of them. For instance your decrease back hit the middle cylinders, these cylinders will then be pumped robotically with air to conform to the firmness requirement of that part of the physique in keeping with its weight, thereby keeping them in their correct alignment. This is the only self-adjusting expertise out out there at present.

Temperature Management

The mattress uses wool as its main characteristic. The wool has the pure means to regulate the body skin temperature. This material is a grown product and is utilized by a number of mattresses brands which made them a not so nicely-saved secret. One of the best feature of the wool is their distinctive ability to emulate your body temperature naturally and will soak up the moisture within the air or out of your physique for that matter. This inherent skill of the wool retains your body dry and comfortable even beneath hot weather conditions. And also you needn't worry in regards to the moisture they sucked inside the mattress as a result of the wool expels the moisture after removing your physique from the bed, which is part of their regular conduct.

Different Appeals

Pure Kind uses solely top quality supplies so they're very durable over-all. They're lined in 100% All Natural Merino and washable down wool, they are clinically-proven to alleviate body pains as testified by tons of of hospitals throughout the country the place the products are being featured. The product has a non-prorated 20 years guarantee and ninety days trial period to test them and think about closing the deal or turning it down. The product which is rated A+ by the BBB is often offered starting from.

The within news of World Wrestling Leisure is spreading. Lately the news concerning the World Wrestling Entertainment title turned the top story of the wrestling section.

Presently no such information was declared by ECW as to who will probably be fighting against Randy Orton within the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship at No Mercy as a result of the matter was not settled amongst them only. After that a meeting was organized the place it was decided that the present wrestling superstar McMahon. Thus when the battle came about it appeared that Ortan is going ahead in direction of the World Wrestling Entertainment title.

A video was shown by the web site of World Wrestling Leisure which featured the surgery of John Cena with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham at Alabama. Within the video the attack by Orton was casted in such a manner that it seemed most of the injury to John Cena was performed by Orton only.

It was additionally within the news that the Ticketmaster.com possessed the record for the World Championship Wrestling event which happened at Columbus Civic Heart in Columbus, GA on Sunday, October 28 this 12 months. The Columbus Civic Middle also boats a website where it was clearly mentioned that they might function World Championship Wrestling and the name of the entertaining world event was the World featuring "Mother Nature's Boy"'.

The opposite news was that the World Wrestling Leisure. Com had run a poll to see the win of the World Wrestling Leisure Championship. In that poll Val Venis received fifty p.c of voting as a result of at that time of time individuals wanted Venice to win the title and turn into the champion of the World Wrestling Entertainment occasion.

His real title is Paul Wight, and he's one of WWE's biggest Superstars-both literally and figuratively. Already within the sport for 15 years, The Big Present has carved his place among the WWE's all time biggest.

The Big Present never had to toil by the independent wrestling circuit like many of his peers had to. No small, high school gyms for The Large Show.

After being launched to Hulk Hogan in 1994, Wight reported to Larry Sharpe's Monster Manufacturing unit. A famous coaching school for skilled wrestlers. After just seven months on the Monster Factory, Wight signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). WCW on the time was one of many two biggest wrestling organizations on the planet. Wight would end his training on the WCW Power Plant.

He made his debut in front of the cameras on the Nice American Bash on June 18th, 1995. He was introduced the world because the son of Andre the Giant, blaming Hulk Hogan for the death of his father.

Referred to as The Large, Wight would soon be a part of the Dungeon of Doom, led by Kevin Sullivan. After many run-ins with Hulk, The Giant was able to get the WCW World Title off him in at Halloween Havoc 'ninety five. Nevertheless, the way in which he won the title was very controversial, so the title was later held up.

The Giant received his second WCW World Title by defeating Ric Flair. Nonetheless, this reign would prove to be short lived as well. The NWO was forming underneath the leadership of Hulk Hogan. Hogan soon defeated The Giant for the WCW World Title.

Twenty three days later, The Large would be a part of the NWO himself. Later that year, The Big would challenge his fellow NWO member Hulk Hogan to a title match. This led to him being thrown out of the group.

He was now fighting in opposition to the NWO with the likes of Sting and Lex Luger. In fact, he really won the WCW World Tag Crew Championships with Lex Luger twice throughout this time.

As 1997 began, The Giant began to feud with Kevin Nash. Nash actually injured The Big's neck with a botch Jackknife Powerbomb-Nash's signature move. Nash break up from the NWO and shaped his personal group, the NWO Wolfpac. At this time, The Large re-joined the original NWO and continued his feud with Nash.

During his second NWO run, he won the tag team championship as soon as with Sting and once with Scott Hall.

Soon however, the two NWO's had been merged back into one. Hulk Hogan declared that there was solely room for one large and ordered a match between The Big and Kevin Nash. Nash received with some outside interference.

After this incident, The Big would never be seen on WCW television again. His contract had expired and he was WWF certain.

Wight signed a ten-year contract with the WWF. He made is WWF debut in very dramatic vogue. At St. Valentine's Day Bloodbath through the McMahon/Austin cage match, Wight tore through the canvas from underneath the ring. He additionally threw Austin into the facet of the cage, breaking it fully, and sending Austin to the floor.

Within the staged art of wrestling, there are many professional wrestling jobbers who consistently lose. Because wrestling is fixed, clearly some of the wrestlers will need to lose. These wrestlers who exist for the only objective of losing to others as a way to make them look good are called jobbers, and are one of the backbones of skilled wrestling. This text is devoted to listing the top 10 finest professional wrestling jobbers of all time.

Vincent/Virgil

This guy never really wrestled much, however he always appeared to be around. When he was within the WWF, he was named "Virgil," making enjoyable of the head booker of WCW at the time, Dusty Rhodes (whose actual identify is Virgil). When he came to the WCW, they determined to return the favor, altering his name to Vincent after the proprietor of WWF (now WWE), Vince McMahon.

Lodi

Lodi didn't wrestle a lot both, nonetheless he was all the time present on WCW TV within the heat of the angle era. He was a member of Raven's flock, and never appeared to do a lot of anything aside from hold up signs and cheer on Raven. Every uncommon every so often he would become involved in a match, take a bump, then that may be it. Perpetual jobber.

The Imply Avenue Posse

Another attitude era relic, the Imply Street Posse have been supposedly a gaggle of Shane McMahon's childhood associates. They never really won any matches, and mostly existed to put others over. They were typically solely ever made very entertaining when getting mercilessly crushed, or by the presence of Shane McMahon and his silly, foolish dance.

Kaientai

This group was comprised of Taka Mikinochu, Funaki and several different members of Japanese descent. They had been concerned in a number of ridiculous angles, including chopping off a sure part of Val Venis' anatomy. Funaki is maybe greatest recognized for his later angle as "Smackdown #1 Announcer."

Shark Boy

Shark Boy is a comparatively recent phenomenon, changing into recognized solely as the stature of TNA has risen since about 2004. The children seem to love him, and yet he nearly all the time loses, helping to get heels over with the younger viewers. These days, he has developed a persona where he mocks Stone Cold Steve Austin, adding to his pure jobberificness.

Gangrel

Gangrel was a member of The Brood through the Angle era, together with Edge and Christian. Whereas Edge and Christian have both since went on to change into World Champions, Gangrel saved getting fatter and now wrestles on the impartial scene as "The Vampire Warrior." He has a candy entrance that saw him rise by means of the stage surrounded by a ring of fireside, but in the end such a cool entrance was wasted on this jobber.

Colin Delaney

Colin Delaney is one other newcomer to the world of jobbers, however has carried out so very effectively. After a profitable run as a face jobber on ECW, he was then switched to a heel in order to job to the faces on the roster. He is been giving nice performances along the best way. Hopefully after his run on ECW, he'll move to Smackdown or RAW to job to these respective rosters.

Brooklyn Brawler

The Brooklyn Brawler is likely one of the most well known jobbers, having worked with the WWF/WWE for decades. He seems to indicate up every rare occasionally to pick up a paycheck, and is all the time amusing in his losses.

[taffysannotatedsonichu]

Sub Episode 5 Page S-1

Title: Sub-Episode 5

Subtitle: Christian Chandler in McAttack Part 2

CWC BIG BLOCK OF TEXT: As you may recall from the previous sub-episode, Darkbind Sonichu and I kicked those M-C-Dville Manajerks’ behinds. Darkbind left after the battle to continue his quest for Zelina Rosechu’s re-awakening. After my victory speech, the Manajerk of the Mal-Wart Region barged in to challenge me. Which brings us up to date.

W-M MANAJERK: Have some fistfull fries!

Caption: BAM!

CHRIS: AAAAAH!!

From Annotated Sonichu Continued:

Mr. Chandler begins the sub-episode by recapping the events of the first part. While similar narrations are quite common in media, it seems completely superfluous here, as the reader has just seen the events being recapped. Perhaps Chandler felt some trepidation that his reader base (which he believes to be primarily children, like the target audience for Sonic and Pokemon) wouldn’t remember the previous episode, or just emulating what he’s seen on other programs (as is common in his work). Either way, it’s particularly demeaning to the reader’s intelligence.

The actual action begins with the massive W-M-Manajerk punching Chris, sending both him and his anime wings (the key to his Super Chris-Chan Sonichu form, which was instrumental in the previous episode) flying. This may have been an attempt at writing them out of the story, since they’re never so much as mentioned after this scene, but it doesn’t make sense that Chris doesn’t make any effort to retrieve the objects. They’re clearly not damaged in any way, so.. why? As with so many other things in Sonichu, one can only wonder.

Also worth noting is the Manajerk’s particularly bizarre one-liner. It’s likely supposed to tie in to the fries featured in the title of the episode and his chosen offensive measures, but it still flies in the face of all proper sentence structure. (Not that this isn’t par for the course in the comic, but still.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Taffy’s Annotated Sonichu:

This is the second use of “which brings us up to date”, having previously appeared in Issue 0 Episode 3, “Sonichu vs. Naitsirhc”. In “Sonichu vs. Naitsirhc”, which started in medias res in the middle of the titular fight, this line was used to delineate when the flashback, containing previously unseen material, ended giving way to the bulk of the action. Here, the opening Big Block of Text (BBoT), summarizing Sub-Episode 4, serves a similar function to a “Previously On…” segment on a television show. Sub-Episode 5 has always been packaged with Sub-Episode 4 directly before it, rendering the entire opening spiel pointless.

W-M Manajerk’s main attack, “fistfull (sic) fries”, appears simply to be a simple flaming punch (or possibly a burst of flame), the connection to French fries is incredibly tenuous. He is not shown to be holding a “fistful of fries” or anything similar. It seems to be a ham-fisted (pun not intended, although it would have been a better pun to use than “fistfull fries”) attempt to tie the fight back into the McDonald’s setting. It is not known why W-M Manajerk, who is not the main Manajerk of the McDonald’s in the Walmart – that would be B-Manajerk – is even using a McDonald’s themed attack at all.

In the “fistfull fries” attack, Chris’ anime wings fall off, never to be seen again. He is never shown to retrieve them nor are they shown to be destroyed or anything, they are simply forgotten for the rest of the comic. Chris’ flying form, “Super Chris-Chan Sonichu”, never appears again, seemingly supplanted by “Collosal Chris-Chan” as of Sonichu 10. This is one of many things set up to be important that wind up never being of any use after their first appearance (The Legendary Master Sunstone, I’m looking at you). Seeing that Chris can utilize any Sonichu ability from any Sonichu he creates, presumably if he ever wants to fly again he can simply utilize Angelica Rosechu’s flying powers and bypass the transformation sequence entirely.

[thatbadreviewblog-blog]

Wrestlemania 33 Review

Wrestlemania is like Christmas for wrestling fans. It is home to both the most exciting matches of the year, and huge events that couldn’t happen at any other PPV. But with the sour taste left in fans mouths from last Wrestlemania, did this live up to Wrestlemanias title as the ‘Grandest stage of them all’? 

Neville Vs. Austin Aries

This match felt a bit underwhelming as it opened up the show, but was a main-card worthy bout. The skill of both wrestlers were on full display as they battled in one of the best matches the Cruiserweight division has had since the CWC. Neville going to the corner for the red arrow, then refusing to perform it just shows Neville’s potential as a heel. Aries selling was top-notch. 

The matches placement on the card was what failed this match in the end. It wasn’t a show opener for the pre-show, and belonged on the main card. The Crusierweights just won’t be taken as seriously until it is treated like the other divisions. 

6.5/10 

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal 

This match was a complete mess from beginning to end. As they usually tend to be, but this one especially. The match failed to entertain, and by the time Strowman and Zayne left, fans were just disappointed. Mojo Rowley won. Why? 90% of the other competitors needed that win more. 

It was not a good match. 

4/10 

Dean Ambrose Vs. Baron Corbin

Sadly, this was also a main-card worthy match placed onto the pre-show. Ambrose was visably unhappy with this, and as a result; put on a very boring match. It had a few exciting spots, but was overall sloppy, and boring. 

5/10 

AJ Styles Vs. Shane McMahon

AJ is worthy of a main event of Wrestlemania, this was further proven in this match. AJ and Shane opened the show with a bang creating a fast-paced, and exciting match. This just proves AJ can put on a good match with practically anyone, but props to Shane for the obvious preparation for the match. Shane showed he could wrestle in matches outside of hardcore matches. The match was filled with smooth spots like the coast-to-coast, and the shooting star press that nobody saw coming from Shane. 

The match was the perfect opener and is one of the two matches of the night. 

8.5/10 

Kevin Owens Vs. Chris Jericho 

This match has been building since Summerslam, and had an incredible amount of storyline heading into it. Jericho had an exciting entrance with the giant list, and glowing scarf which really built anticipation for the match nicely. The match was not amazing, but still held itself up pretty well against the rest of the card. Kevin Owens is a proven main-eventer, and Jericho has been for decades, so it goes without saying that this would be a great match. The finger spot was hilarious, and that final powerbomb onto the apron was a great way of ending it. Owens ending both his friendship with Zayne and Jericho with that same move. Owens definitely needed to give the US Title a bit more prestige, so the right decision was made there. 

7/10 

Bayley Vs. Sasha Banks Vs. Charlotte Vs. Nia Jax

This match just felt rushed. After an amazing Wrestlemania 32 match; the Raw women were sure to put on another great match. But failed to. Nia Jax elimination was fine as it kept her looking strong, but still got her out the match. After that it just went downhill. There was some nice back and fourth between the three women, but then Sasha was eliminated by a turnbuckle spot....The same woman who was in the first ever Hell in a Cell match where she survived a drop from the cell, a back injury, tables spots, and chair shots....Was eliminated...By a turnbuckle. It may have been exposed, yes, but still. After that there was a forgettable bout with Charlotte, and it kind of just ended. 

4.5/10 

Ladder Match for the Raw Tag Team Titles

The Hardy Boyz return was the highlight of the night. It was played perfectly by the New Day, and the match that followed was quite good. Wrestlemania wouldn’t be complete nowadays without a ladder match, so it was nice to have this on the card. All teams looked good, and had their moment in the match. Cass pushing Enzo up the ladder was great. In the end, the Hardyz finally broke through their Wrestlemaina losing streak (Jeff at least), and won the titles in typical Hardy fashion. It was a very fun, and exciting match with a huge return from two legends. 

7.5/10

John Cena and Nikki Bella Vs. Miz and Maryse 

Forgettable. Cena didn’t need the win, and still could have proposed even if he had lost. Could have fought off the Miz post match. The match felt like it was there just so Cena could propose, and had nothing exciting. Worst match of the night. 

3.5/10 

Seth Rollins Vs. Triple H

This and Styles Vs. McMahon were both the best match of the night. This match had a good story leading into it, and contained two great talents. The match did not disappoint. Triple H played the heel exceptionally targeting Rollins knee, and Rollins got on the crowds side easily even after a while on the bench. The match had some exciting spots, and some great storytelling. The pedigree spot where they both kept trying to hit it was perfect, and that final table spot with Steph made for an entertaining match. 

8.5/10

Bray Wyatt Vs. Randy Orton

This match had the potential to be match of the night. It had story, talent, and a title to make it all mean something. Yet it was the most dead match of the night. Orton was painfully bored during the match, and as a result did not put any energy into it causing the match to fall flat. The spots with the projections on the ring were cool, and unique, but the rest of the match just failed to do anything to save it. Wyatt was great, as usual, but was very restricted due to the short amount of time the match was given. The ending was unexpected and saw the promising reign of Wyatt come to an end at the hands of a man that has enough championship reigns for a lifetime. 

4.5/10

Goldberg Vs. Lesnar

This match felt huge. It was a blockbuster match full of finishers, and destruction. It was surprisingly pretty decent. The match still didn’t need to be for the title, but it was still exciting. Lesnar reminded us that he can be very good when he wants to be, and won a title. Lesnar does look good with a title. 

7/10

Smackdown Live Womens Championship match

Why was this so far up the card? It was originally on the pre-show, and now it is before the main event? This was pretty bland, had its moments, but saw boring babyface win over a heel that had some momentum going in. Naomi had a bit of momentum, but literally just came back from an injury that she got after she came back from injury. She needs some time before a title run. It only happened for the pop. 

4/10 

Undertaker Vs. Roman Reigns

Like it or not, Reigns was a good choice for Undertakers last match. Not the best choice, but Reigns has been a big competitor. Love him, or hate him, he’s been booked like a champion. If anybody is going to retire Taker, it has to be someone big. Owens just isn’t big enough yet, Cena is too old for it at this point, Rollins is too fresh from injury, Styles is too new to the company, and Balor was out on injury. Taker needed someone fresh who could take his place, and plausibly do it. The match itself was fantastic. While it was a bit sloppy in parts; we have to take Takers age into consideration. The ending having Reigns spear him repeatedly, but Taker just being too old to counter it shows he is finished, and it is the right time to hang up the gloves. Reigns final spear was great, and Takers final goodbye was emotional to say the least. The storytelling was powerful, and was a nice goodbye to a legend. 

8/10

Wrestlemania really did feel huge. It had a card destined to fail, yet worked with what it had to make a fun night. It was probably the best Wrestlemania in recent years, but still didn’t live up to the title of Wrestlemania. It had its ups, and its downs, but was overall a pretty good night. 

7.5/10 

[placetobenation]

August 8, 2017 From the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Your hosts are Vic Joseph and Corey Graves

We get a video package on the events over the past few weeks that have led to tonight’s Rich Swann vs. TJP match.

Tonight, Corey Graves will host a sit down interview with Akira Tozawa that will take place inside of the ring.

Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander

Nese stops Cedric then has us all look at his bicep. They work a great, fast-paced reversal sequence that ends with Cedric hitting a satellite headscissors. He takes Nese outside then hits a moonsault from the apron before rolling Neck back into the ring. Nese backdrops Cedric on the ropes as Cedric gets crotched then Nese boots Cedric off and catches him on his shoulders and hits a gutbuster for two. Nese puts Cedric in the tree-of-woe and lands some kicks then uses his ab crunch kicks before taunting the crowd with his physique. Cedric sneaks in a small package for two but Nese runs him over then stomps away before locking on a bodyscissors. Cedric elbows his way out then hits an enziguiri as both men are down. Cedric is up first and hits a pair of clotheslines as he starts to run wild. He gets two with the springboard clothesline then hits another chop but Nese is able to grab Cedric’s hand on a slide then hits a pumphandle driver that gets two. Nese slaps Cedric across the face but gets knocked down then runs into a kick. Nese uses the matrix to avoid a kick and that triggers a nifty reversal sequence ending with Nese grabbing the tights on a rollup for the win (7:21) ***1/4. After the match, Nese tells us we witnessed the difference from an excellent athlete compared to a premiere athlete and with him around, Cedric will only be the second best.

Thoughts: It looks like these two will be in a feud now as it started with some trash-talk a few weeks ago in their tag match. Nese’s new character talking about his physique and the change in his ring entrance have made him unique and for the first time gives him a platform to stand out. I thought he carried himself well. Alexander is one of the better performers in the division and with the chemistry they showed in the ring here I am looking forward to see what they can do in the coming weeks.

Dasha Fuentes is backstage with The Brian Kendrick. She shows him what happened last week when Jack Gallagher kicked the crap out of him, resulting in a disqualification when Gallagher refused to listen to the referee. Kendrick says that footage proves that Gallagher is a fraud who could not fight and had to get himself disqualified. He then says since he won he’ll move on to the next chapter of his life but Gallagher blindsides him and hammers away. He takes Kendrick’s jacket and looks possessed as he grunts while Kendrick runs away. I get what they are trying to do with Gallagher here but the problem is the material Kendrick has to piss off Gallagher is so incredibly lame its tough to care about Gallagher snapping. The sooner this feud ends, the better for all involved.

Before his match, Noam Dar tells his opponent he recognizes him. He says its Mark Thomas and how he used to do chores for him before laughing at the fact Thomas has never made a name for himself and he is a WWE Superstar at just 24 years old.

Noam Dar vs. Mark Thomas

The crowd lightly chants for Thomas, who fires away. Dar bails then returns as Thomas applies a front facelock. Dar kicks out Thomas’s leg then stomps away before yelling “super nova!” We get more stomps from Dar then an uppercut before hitting a running enziguiri for the win (1:48).

Thoughts: Dar showed nothing here and the crowd did not seem to care about his antics. Looks like they are waiting to put him into another feud and given whose without one at the moment, my money is on Mustafa Ali.

Corey Graves welcomes Akira Tozawa in the ring. The crowd does the Tozawa chant before Graves asks him about his momentum heading into SummerSlam. However, Neville comes out to interrupt. He reminds us about being the King of the Cruiserweights and believes he is the one that should be getting this interview. He tells Graves that he is the hype and Tozawa is no competition. Tozawa then tosses his chair outside and removes his coat behind Neville’s back before addressing Neville. Tozawa tries to ask Neville a question then Neville makes fun of his English before allowing him to speak. Tozawa asks Neville how will he feel after losing his title at SummerSlam. Neville tries a cheap shot but Tozawa drops him and goes up top for the senton but Neville rolls out of the ring. Neville tries to run back in but Tozawa kicks him off of the apron as the segment ends. I like how Tozawa does not stand for Neville’s threats and insults as they’ve done a really good job in building up the match at SummerSlam. Tozawa’s chant is starting to catch on more too with the crowds. I cannot wait to see what these two can do at the PPV.

TJP vs. Rich Swann

Swann works a headlock to start. They work a fast-paced Irish whip sequence that ends with both men getting tied up in the ropes as they are playing up the fact both guys know each other well. Swann takes TJP outside with a clothesline then takes him out with a springboard senton that applause from the crowd. Back inside, Swann is able to ground TJP with a hammerlock. TJP comes back and pancakes Swann before hitting a pair of suplexes that gets him a two count. The crowd starts a mild chant for Swann but TJP remains in control. TJP gets two with a slingshot senton then works a bow-and-arrow lock. Swann escapes but soon after that runs into a dropkick then TJP takes him back to the mat. Swann gets out and misses a dive from the top then TJP heads up and suffers the same fate as both men are down. Swann blocks a kick then runs wild. He takes TJP off of the top with a hurricarana that gets him a two count. TJP counters a double underhook then locks on the knee bar. Swann escapes and hits a roundhouse kick then hits a standing moonsault for two. Swann sets up for the Phoenix Splash but misses. TJP tries for the chicken wing gut buster but Swann rolls through that and gets two. TJP takes Swann on top of his shoulders and uses an electric chair drop on the turnbuckle then TJP puts Swann away with the Detonation Kick (10:29) ***1/2. After the match, TJP celebrates and even dabs right in front of Swann before getting in his face and taunting him. TJP still gets in Swann’s face as he heads down the aisle and talks trash while walking up with him then finally leaves by using Swann’s own dance move. We even head backstage with TJP in Swann’s face and asking if he is a sore loser. Swann says its not about losing but rather TJP acting the way he has been despite claiming to be a friend and that he is finally learning what TJP is all about before walking away.

Thoughts: I liked their first match a bit more but this was still an excellent main event as TJP got his win back and now holds a 2-1 advantage over Swann dating back to the CWC.  TJP’s post-match celebration was something else though as he could not stop taunting Swann. I also liked the backstage segment afterwards as they story can go either one of two ways: TJP realizes he’s a jerk and tries to repair his friendship or he just beats the crap out of Swann then calls him out for being a sore loser. Since TJP is much better as a heel, I’m hoping for the latter and he can add the over-the-top celebrating to his repertoire.

Final Thoughts: They continue to make the Cruiserweight Championship feud intriguing. Plus, Swann/TJP and Nese/Alexander are two other feuds that should be interesting in the coming weeks. Sure, the Kendrick/Gallagher stuff is not getting over and Noam Dar getting more TV time is always a negative but their were more positives than negatives and more focus on the matches too, making it an easy show to watch.

[placetobenation]

July 18, 2017

From the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL

Your hosts are Vic Joseph and Corey Graves. We get a lengthy video package on the Drew Gulak/Mustafa Ali feud to hype up tonight’s 2 out of 3 falls matches. It was well-produced.

2 out of 3 Falls Match: Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak

They both trade holds to start. Ali taunts Gulak with his athleticism then uses a few different pinning combinations and ends up winning the first fall (1:53). Gulak heads outside to flip out and toss then re-enters and cheap shots Gulak after a break. Gulak drops an elbow for two but runs into a dropkick. Ali rolls out Gulak for another nearfall but Gulak ends up catching Ali and dumping him outside. Gulak headbutts Ali down then works a chinlock. Gulak becomes more aggressive then tells Ali he will never find success. Ali fires up and catches a kick then runs wild. Ali hits his rolling neckbreaker then he takes Gulak down on the outside with a baseball slide. Ali gets tossed over the timekeeper’s area but comes back with a hurricarana as both men are down. They head back inside where Gulak yanks Ali off of the top rope then takes him into the corner with a cravate before making Ali tap with a Dragon sleeper as we are tied one fall apiece (7:17). Gulak immediately attacks Ali after the ref signals the start of the third fall. Gulak gets two with an elbow drop and goes back to a chinlock. The crowd rallies behind Ali but Gulak cuts off a comeback by blocking a ropewalk with a powerbomb for a nearfall. Ali then spikes Gulak on his head with an inverted hurricarana as both men are down. And that was nasty. Gulak rolls outside but Ali climbs up top and flies out with a picture-perfect somersault plancha. Ali rolls Gulak inside and heads up top but Gulak rolls through a crossbody and almost gets the win. Gulak blocks a tornado DDT attempt then suplexes Ali into the corner for two. Ali fights off Gulak in the corner then hits a floating DDT for two. They work a reversal sequence that ends with Gulak hitting a lariat for a two count. Gulak cannot believe Ali kicked out then he looks at the top rope and very slowly climbs up but decides to get down. However, he took too long as Ali takes him off with a hurricarana then gets the win with the inverted 450 splash (15:16) ****.

Thoughts: Excellent match. The third fall was just awesome too and was some of the best wrestling I’ve seen in the WWE during the past few months. Both guys worked hard and the story of the match revolved around their feud, which has been one of the more underrated this year. I feel for Gulak as I do not know what else he can do with this character right now and he was doing nothing prior to this feud. And Ali is someone who has shown the ability to shine whenever given the opportunity in the ring. He’s a candidate to once again get lost in the 205 Live shuffle. I highly recommend this match.

We get clips from RAW last night with Akira Tozawa yelling at Titus for stopping his match against Ariya Daivari then asking for a rematch tonight.  We get a clip from earlier today afterwards with Apollo Crews telling Tozawa the business is a marathon and not a sprint before saying Titus cares about them. Tozawa says he is ready as Crews is worried about his friend’s health.

Before the match, Kendrick asks Bennett if he knows Jack Gallagher due to the fact they are from the same town. Kendrick asks if he’s proud of Gallagher and when Bennett says yes, Kendrick says there are two type of people in the WWE, fighters like himself and clowns like Gallagher. Kendrick then tells Bennett to do the smart thing and quit unless he thinks he can beat him. Bennett says he can beat him and we get the match.

The Brian Kendrick vs. Devin Bennett

Kendrick cheap shots Bennett then beats him down. He follows with a suplex and continues to rough Bennett up. He yells at Bennett if he’s a fighter and gets hit in the face but Kendrick boots Bennett down then locks on the Captain’s Hook for the win (1:51).

Thoughts: This Kendrick/Gallagher feud is not connecting. The story is Kendrick hates Gallagher because he acts like a clown but the crowd does not seem to care much, especially since Gallagher’s character has cooled off a lot since he was in the Cruiserweight Championship picture.

Highlights from last week’s “I Quit” match between Cedric Alexander and Noam Dar are shown, including the end with Dar dumping Fox and making her cry by saying he used her for his own gain. At least the feud is over. I think.

Dasha Fuentes is backstage with TJP. She asks him about his motives in challenging Rich Swann to prove he is the better man by beating a guy in seconds that just lost to Swann. TJP says the only person upset is Swann, who he says cannot stand coming in second place. TJP brings up how he beat Swann in the CWC last year and says next week he will challenge Swann to a tag team match where they both pick a partner. Looks like they are building towards TJP snapping on Swann.

Ariya Daivari vs. Akira Tozawa

Before the match, Daivari puts over Iranian wrestling and how it has honor, unlike Tozawa, and promises to become the next great Iranian champion. Tozawa comes out with his shoulder all taped up but leads the crowd into a chant. Tozawa dodges an attack then chops down Daivari. He follows with a dropkick then a senton for a two count. Daivari tries a cheap shot in the corner but Tozawa nails him with a forearm smash. Daivari rolls outside and yanks Tozawa’s shoulder down and goes to work. Daivari yells at the crowd after sending Tozawa’s shoulder into the turnbuckle. Tozawa tries a sunset flip but Tozawa blocks that then stomps the injured shoulder. They head outside where Tozawa catches Daivari with a kick to the face. Tozawa hits another kick then they head inside where he hits a hurricarana. Daivari heads outside again as Tozawa flies out with a tope. Tozawa is grabbing his shoulder in pain on the floor. Daivari is rolled inside and is able to yank Tozawa down by the shoulder after a reversal sequence. Tozawa gets two with a small package then kicks Daivari down and hits a Shining Wizard for a two count. Daivari once again attacks the arm then heads up top with a frog splash but Tozawa is able to kick out then cradles Daivari for the win (8:21) ***. After the match, Daivari attacks Tozawa’s shoulder and gloats on the stage while Tozawa is on the floor getting checked out by the referee.

Thoughts: Good match, with the #1 contender Tozawa overcoming the odds on his own. Daivari was fine here but does not stand out whatsoever yet appears to be getting a push on this show.

Final Thoughts: The Gulak vs. Ali match was excellent and the main event was good too as the show featured better in-ring action than usual. The Kendrick vs. Gallagher feud is lacking and Neville did not make an appearance but everything else storyline wise was solid.