#ricochet vs. joe

[likeadevils]

I love thinking about Evermore VS Midnights (3AM) like for me that's her really figuring out herself, her typical relationship issues, the marriage question, and The Joe Alwyn situation as it was and how much forever was really on the table ilke to me Evermore is her putting alot of her worries about Trying Marriage Vs ending the relationship out there like am I making sense? (and musical similarities like Closure goes into Question)

i feel like evermore is much more the resolution of the issues set up in folklore— like, the first song written for folklore was my tears ricochet and the last song written for evermore was happiness, and i think the journey between those songs is the stuff evermore is grappling with. i think it sets up some of the ideas we see on midnights— standing alone, especially. but i think folklore also introduced (in an abstract sort of way) a lot of the what ifs that she ended up exploring in a more literal way in midnights, because like, she wrote them all fairly close together and one mindset will bleed over into the others. but i think the marriage throughline is actually two different issues— in folklore and evermore, it’s a metaphor for the scott borchetta masters situation, a relationship so close that its end feels like ripping out a part of yourself.

the marriage issue explored in midnights is more something that really came about during 2021, to my read, when joe didn’t show up to the grammys and then taylor moved to belfast with him despite having a massive rerecording process going on and he missed her birthday and it just really kicked off a year of her really showing up for him while he just. didn’t. like i’m sure issues where present in 2020– her flying back to london with him despite being in the middle of recording an album and not having any open studios in london is like, a big sacrifice on her part. but i also think it’s notable that she starts the year off writing renegade and ends it with you’re losing me— one is her being like, hey i’ve noticed this issue we’re having, please help me fix it, and the other is like, there’s nothing here anymore. and in that, renegade is less of an expansion of happiness, and more the start of a new conflict.

[sheinthatfandom]

It’s Double or Nothing weekend and you know what that means……. MY PPV HOPES AND PREDICTIONS!!!! Cause you know I’m super fair impartial and unbiased just like our wonderful EVPs😇

Under the cut cause it’s a lot

Yellow is who I want green is who I think will be booked to win

Now for the buy in they only added this photo

Which is beautiful and Imma share it so

Thunder Vs Deonna: I got no clue honestly. I’ve missed the build up to this. If this is an ongoing feud give it to deonna with shenanigans if this is gonna pave the way for a title end run than give it to thunder

Orange vs Trent: I want orange to win he’s lost everything in his mind doesn’t see that he still has people around him who cares to him he lost Chuck and so he’s lost it all. This is his widowers arc and with callis pushing him a win can make Don act as though he’s the reason for the win and get in oranges head even more. Trent has been winning and this could be another mail in the pushing Trent coffin to aim him toward eventual gold.

Iwgp championship- Mox vs takesita: I do not know the new Japan rules I know many fans are angry but I also know many fans just hate aew so I can not take what’s said in good faith. Also kayfabe is still alive and well so even the stuff wrestlers say I’m like…. Your company did this books this and signs off on it so I’m gonna assume this is kayfabe world building. That said this isn’t for the belt but for a future opportunity for it against whoever is champion after moxs next title defense. So I’d love for it to be Takeshita one the loss won’t hurt mox 2 Takeshita was with ddt not new Japan but callis was and possible is still working with new Japan so more possible story lines and opens up konosuke to start feuding with new Japan guys who are now angry at this opportunity and give him feuds for forbidden door and rebuild him as a powerhouse for when he gets aew gold.

Aew/roh tríos championship- Bang bang gang va death triangle: I know I know okay aew loves death triangle lenta and fénix are an incredible team and pac is a beloved monster I get that. I see the vision aew wants me to see BUT bang bang gang is fun and they’re my silly little gremlin guys and they just beat the acclaimed to get all these belts and now they use the little wagon to wheel it all down to the ring it’s hilarious it’s fun and I need more fun in my wrestling. Plus the boys are doing so well in their promos now like no let them keep cooking. They can even win by shenanigans I’m FINE with that. In fact I’d prefer it. Let my goofy guys win PLEASE.

Ftw championship- Hook vs Chris vs shibata: I want shibata but wil also take hook. I hate that an I hate the learning tree gimmick he needs to go home for 6 months and give me a fucking break. Shibata should never lose he is literally THAT wrestler THAT mf! Matter fact let Joe interrupt and take the Ftw belt. Now no one gets it.

Tnt championship- cope vs black: between the misting the blood cope becoming more and more unhinged he’s gonna win this and idk if he’ll join job/take it over if black doesn’t resign OR and this is my hope he makes his own spooky group pr does his own spooky thing and be a fucking nightmare to the “normal people” roster and the house can win just by him and his spooky existing again kinda like skye

Aew international championship: strong vs Ospreay: did you see that promo? The only way he doesn’t win (and I say this because I am traumatized by the fed) is if it’s to punish him for talking bout/defending ricochet. But tk has never given me a reason to think he’s that damn petty and if anything he’s proven unable to pivot from his original plans.

Aew women’s world championship- Toni vs deeb: she’s got no character, she’s wishy washy on the character she does have, she has no crowd support, she’s got no charisma, and every time she mentions having a fucking dojo I fear what her husband is doing to any young girls she brings around him. This Toni’s it’s not even a question. And instead of these useless boring feuds they need to bring back Toni’s movies and build Mariah up as a serious contender if we really aren’t gonna have hayter come back before all out. And build up both thunder and deonna over again and show them on dynamite and collision cause I don’t watch rampage. Also it’s the women’s world championship and it’s not even in the triple main events

Anarchy in the arena- elite vs team aew? I see the vision I know what they were going for I appreciate the Jackson’s and tk for always trying to see the best in people but the moment ftr was the chosen first members of team aew they lost me. They got me back with Bryan (creator of bcc and part of the committee who freed up from the punk fuckery) and then eddie ( who I wonder if he actually knows wrestling isn’t real sometimes) but now idk someone said if Andrade and Cody were available they woulda been added to team aew and honestly I see it. The legitimacy lost with ftr is staggering. It’s probably gonna be ftr but I really hope the elite win and clean that loss from all out.

Tbs championship- willow vs mone: I get it Mercedes is the bigger star hell she’s one of the biggest stars in the world so why wouldn’t you put the belt on her? Especially the tv title and have her on screens every week and too busy to go after the main title. But… I like willow better and I’d like for her to be able to say to Mercedes I beat you twice now bitch and stokely to try and do the nana dance before kris hits her with the belt. And then Mercedes can go be ceo with the elite.

Aew world championship- swerve vs Christian: my champion is black and that ain’t changing!

[mjfass]

Now that you mention that dream, what’s your dream AEW vs WWE card?

Okay, let’s just consider this is a 10 hours ppv:

Kickoff: Ricky Starks vs Dolph Ziggler. Daniel Garcia vs Mustafa Ali. Riho vs Cora Jade. Hookhausen vs Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio. Saraya vs Sonya Deville. Wardlow vs Dexter Lumis. A BONUS FOR FOR FUN: Sammy vs Kross.

Thunder Rosa vs Bayley

Adam Cole and Hangman vs Kevin and Sami

Malakai Black va Bray Wyatt

Eddie Kingston vs Cody Rhodes

TayJay, Penelope and The Bunny vs Io Shirai, Dakota Kai and Toxic Attraction.

Orange Cassidy vs Finn Balor

Ruby Soho vs Liv Morgan

Keith Lee vs Samoa Joe vs Brock Lesnar vs Randy Orton

Swerve Strickland vs Ricochet

Hikaru Shida, Willow Nightingale, Julia Hart and Toni Storm vs Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Candice LeRae and Rhea Ripley

Jungle Boy vs Pete Dunne/Butch

Death Triangle vs McIntyre, Sheamus, Ciampa

Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Yuta vs AJ Styles and Gargano.

Jade Cargill vs Charlotte Flair (disqualification)

The Acclaimed vs The New Day

Jericho vs Triple H

Jamie Hayter vs Bianca Belair

MJF vs The Miz

Christian vs Edge

FTR and Claudio Castagnoli vs Imperium

Britt Baker vs Becky Lynch

The Young Bucks vs The Usos

Jon Moxley vs Seth Rollins

Kenny Omega vs Roman Reigns

[kayfabebabe]

sweet baby boy mitch!!!!!! i've come to play the ask game with you again!!!!!!!!!!

how about we hear your thoughts on Card and Theme?

sending all the love that i hold in my heart for you (it's a TON!!!!!!)

Vann! I'm holding your face in my hands and kissing your forehead - Thank you so much for the Ask <3

~ ~ ~

Card ~ If you could pick the matches for a wrestling event, who would be in it and for what event? Okie, hear me out… I would LOVE to have a Forbidden Door-type of event between ROH/AEW and WWE. It's not the most original idea in the world, but there are some matches that I would love to see if that idea ever becomes a reality.

Claudio Castagnoli vs Gunther Samoa Joe vs Kevin Owens Ruby Soho vs Rhea Ripley PAC vs Ricochet House of Black vs The Judgement Day

Theme ~ Your favorite and/or least favorite wrestling theme songs? I had to look through my Spotify as I do have a bunch of Wrestling themes saved to my playlist. I've linked all of them below if anyone wanted to listen to them:

Fall to Piece by Junior - Mark Andrews' Theme The Rising Sun - Shinsuke Nakamura's Theme Tokyo Shock - Iyo Sky's Theme Slow Chemical by Finger Eleven - Kane's Theme Hitman - Bret Hart's Theme

[wweallresultspage]

2K Raw results 9/4/23 Tribute to Bob Baker show

8 man Tag team match Mickie James Trish Stratus Lita Alexa Bliss vs Candice Lerae Asuka Liv Morgan Mandy Rose

Mickie james trish lita and alexa won

20 Women's Battle Royal

Charlotte, Nia Jax , Sasha Banks, Rosemary, Scarlett, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Asuka , Mandy Rose, queen roxan , Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus, Nikki Bella, shoti , Bri Bella, Britt Baker, Io Sky, Bayley, Dakota Kai, Dana Brooke

Bayley won

6 man Tag Team match Imprum vs Sheamus buch Drew

Sheamus buch and drew won

Fatal 4-Way Match for Intercontinental championship

Kevin Owens, Austin Theory, Dolph Ziggler, Ricochet

Austin theory won and new intercontinental champ

Triple threat match

Roman reigns vs John Cena vs Randy orton for Universal Championship

John cena won and new universal champ

Edge vs Goldberg

Edge won

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Undertaker Hell In A Cell Match

Stone cold won

20 men battle Royal main event

Joker , Kane, Dexter, Rellik the CLOWN, Sting , The Rock , Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, gunther, Erick Rowan, Jeff Jarett, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Christian, Edge , Bubba Ray and Devon Hillbilly Bob Joe

Strowman won

Rip bob baker

[just-another-schadenfreude]

So we getting a triple threat next week or are joe and ricochet eliminated and baron getting a buy into the final

[happyendingsong]

really got myself looking forward to a proper ricochet vs samoa joe feud just for them to pull the rug and put aj styles back in my field of vision

[baylegend]

Ricochet is just...unbelievably good

[chakytron]

FULL MATCH - Strowman vs. Ricochet vs. Cesaro vs. The Miz vs. Lashley: Raw, June 17, 2019

FULL MATCH – Strowman vs. Ricochet vs. Cesaro vs. The Miz vs. Lashley: Raw, June 17, 2019

FULL MATCH – Strowman vs. Ricochet vs. Cesaro vs. The Miz vs. Lashley: Raw, June 17, 2019 Category Sports Description: Ricochet, Braun Strowman, Cesaro, The Miz and Bobby Lashley battle it out in a 5-Way Elimination Match to determine the next challenger to the United States … TopTrengingTV Hunting the most trend video of the moment, every hour every day 24/7. Youtube Video Data Published At:…

[dustedmagazine]

Derek Taylor 2020: We’re Still Here

That’s about the best that can be said for a year that pulled out nearly every stop in a surging sea change to calamity, adversity and tragedy. The number of people lost to a pandemic that now stands steadfast as a monument to the true meaning of American Exceptionalism as the epitome of empathy-eradicating self-interest is enough to negate even the noblest efforts at laughing to keep from crying. Musicians and music persisted though, even in a severely altered performance landscape of shuttered venues and virtual concerts.  And recorded offerings new and archival remained plentiful. 

When so much about the present feels like a sprint backwards, societally, environmentally and across multiple other measures, music reliably endures as a means for finding both meaning and footing in the world. What follows are 20 capsule vignettes describing selections from the sea of albums circulated this year that kept me afloat, followed by 25 more in list form that did the same. Thank you for reading and thanks for sticking with us.

Paul Desmond — The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings (Mosaic)

Given the magnitude of hardship this year’s wrought on living musicians, it may appear a bit perverse to lead this list with a dead one. Even so, this immersive set’s become an old reliable when it comes to achieving aurally-sourced solace. Desmond, the arch and affluent altoist, leaning into a Canadian club residency with ace sidemen while making good on his gentleman’s agreement with absent Dave Brubeck to abstain from piano accompaniment. The leader’s lady-killer instincts are assiduously evident in the amorously-oriented song choices as his dulcet, tranquilizing tone seduces and delights, night after night.

Chris Dingman — Peace (Inner Arts)

An intensely personal project where abundancy of content arose not out of ambition but rather necessity and is made all the more affecting for it. Dingman designed and played the nearly six hours of solo vibraphone music on this set for his hospice-sequestered father with sole purpose of providing comfort and calm. Reflection after his parent’s passing moved him to release it into the world with the hope that it could do the same for others. Intention accomplished.

 Joe McPhee — Black Is the Color (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

It’s been a distressing year for nearly everyone, but particularly for McPhee, who lost his brother Charlie to illness. Even amidst ongoing emotional tumult, his fecundity felt undiminished. AC/DC on the British OtoROKU label offers another entry with the English organ trio Decoy. Of Things Beyond Thule, Vol. 2 is a smashing CD sequel to its vinyl predecessor with Dave Rempis, Tomeka Reid, Brandon Lopez and Paal Nilssen-Love comprising the super group. A reissue of the seminal She Knows… with Scandinavian power trio The Thing on the Ezz-thetics label and Black is the Color compiling early concert material in surprisingly sharp fidelity from the Corbett vs. Dempsey imprint cover the archival end of things.

 Sonny Rollins — Rollins in Holland (Resonance)

The Saxophone Colossus holding court with Dutch compatriots in 1967. Most conspicuous is daredevil drummer Han Bennink, who even at this early stage straddles swing to European Free Jazz from behind his kit. Rollins shifts between comparatively pithy studio salvos and effusive concert excursions that once again cement his supremacy in the strenuous realm of long form improvisation. Seven decades as a musician makes for a bank vault-sized cache of bootlegs, but this one, refurbished and authorized remains something special.

 Stephen Riley — Friday the 13th (Steeplechase)

Like McPhee, Riley’s a perennial resident of my pantheon. This date realized a long-standing wish to hear him in the company of cornetist Kirk Knuffke backed by the freeing simplicity of bass and drums. Both men have aerated, instantly recognizable tones and pliancy in phrasing that provides practically endless possibilities in tandem. Riley’s also instrumental as featured guest on Pierre Dørge’s Bluu Afroo, a slightly preemptive Ruby Anniversary celebration of guitarist’s multinational New Jungle Orchestra.

 Sam Rivers — Ricochet & Braids (No Business)

The auspicious launch of a Sam Rivers archival series last year was among the Lithuanian No Business label’s greatest achievements. Two more seminal entries came down the pike in 2020: Ricochet featuring Dave Holland and Barry Altschul of particularly fine vintage, and Braids spotlighting another pivotal Rivers ensemble in Hamburg with low brass wizard Joe Daley. There are four more to go, which should target the end of 2022 for the series’ completion.

 James Brandon Lewis — Live at Willisau & Molecular (Intakt)

Lewis is the type of compelling artist tapped for accolades like Down Beat’s Rising Star award, despite having been active as an accomplished improviser for over a decade. Delayed exposure is common collateral to a career path in improvised music though, and the saxophonist hasn’t let slow-to-cotton critics slow him down a bit. A deal inked with the Swiss Intakt imprint has so far yielded Live at Willsau, which finds him in fiery duo with Chad Taylor, and Molecular, a studio venture with an all-star quartet that will hopefully become a working band again in 2021.

 Susan Alcorn — Pedernal (Relative Pitch)

Pedal steel may feel like a nascent voice in improvised music, but in actuality Susan Alcorn and her peers have been plying it as a viable vehicle for some time. While Pedernal is somewhat perplexingly her first album as clear-cut leader, impediments to an earlier debut seem inconsequential given the ample amount of thought and design evident in the end product. Strings wielded by Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson and Mark Feldman weave with the wide gamut of Alcorn’s aqueous sonorities across intricate pieces further stamped by Ryan Sawyer’s peripatetic drums. The results are at once daring and distinguished.

 John Scofield — Swallow Tales (ECM)

ECM has an enviably accomplished record when it comes to matching the austerity and formality of its sound design to artists’ objectives. Case in point this stark, but not standoffish trio set that’s as much (electric) bassist Steve Swallow’s offspring as it is Scofield’s. Drummer Stewart is the third point in the triangle, but he sagely defers to his elders, leaving them to a dance of differently gauged strings that expertly balances motion and space.

 Corbett vs. Dempsey

John Corbett is emblematic of that rare breed of music monomaniac who balances obsessiveness with altruistic generosity. He’s personally responsible for bringing dozens of rare and classic recordings back into circulation, first through the fondly remembered Unheard Music Series and more recently via the CvD concern. This year, another stack was added to that sum with Milford Graves & Don Pullen’s The Complete Yale Concert 1966 (including the rarified Nommo), Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Three Nails Left, Tetterettet by the ICP Tentet, Peter Kowald’s self-titled FMP debut as a leader and the madcap New Acoustic Swing Duo from Willem Breuker and Han Bennink as standouts.

 Whit Boyd Combo — Party Girls & Dracula (the Dirty Old Man) (Modern Harmonic)

Vintage skin flick soundtracks have rarely if ever received an even-handed shake in terms of relative artistic merits. Tarred with the same smut brush as the visuals they were constructed to accompany, they’re routinely viewed as just as disposable. The Whit Boyd Combo doesn’t exactly dispel this dictum, but it does lay down some funky and at times refreshingly fractious freewheeling horns over organ, bass, and drums driven beats on this late-60s session tape excavated by the folks at Modern Harmonic. The companion Dracula (the Dirty Old Man) isn’t quite on par, but it’s still a solid vessel for competently crafted fossilized grooves.  

 Robbie Basho — Songs of the Avatars (Tompkins Square)

Real Gone Music whet the appetite earlier this year with the release of Songs of the Great Mystery, a “lost session” from Basho’s tenure at the Vanguard label. Songs of the Avatars ups the ante substantially by granting outsider access to a six-hour survey of the dearly departed fingerstyle guitarist’s personal tape trove. The aural riches are ample and include Basho exploring familiar proclivities (Indian, Native American and Japanese interpolations) alongside unexpected new ones (ballet and cantata) with passion and conviction to burn along the way.

 Jimi Hendrix — Live in Maui (Experience Hendrix)

Posthumous Hendrix is a seemingly inexhaustible resource as each year repackaged and repurposed treasures are released into the marketplace. Fortunately, familial heirs are the ones doing the sowing and this lavish set documenting musical and extra-musical particulars of the icon’s reluctant conscription into cosmic hippie scam does right by him. Given the windswept conditions near the Haleakala Crater it’s a minor miracle that he, Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell mesh as well as they do, and while the footage included can be frustrating in its fragmentary presentation, it’s still a thrill to see and hear them jamming in amiable and ebullient form.

 Joe Maneri, Udi Hrant & Friends — The Cleopatra Record (Canary)

Details on this one could easily serve as grist for a credible short film screenplay with perhaps Jim Jarmusch directing. Brooklyn, 1963: A group of marginalized ethnic musicians relegated to playing wedding gigs gets conscripted for an afternoon recording session. The cheaply packaged and provincially distributed results are destined for the anonymity of dime store cut out bins. Except that the band includes two geniuses: Joe Maneri, who would go on to become a master microtonal improviser/composer and Udi Hrant Kenkulian, one of most revered modern doyens of the Turkish oud. Available over at Bandcamp for a pittance.

 Ayalew Mesfin — Good Aderegechegn, Che Belew and Tewedije Limut (Now Again)

Adding up Buda Musique’s 30-volume Ethiopiques series and a host of other more modest enterprises, it’s obvious that there’s never been more access to vintage Ethiopian music than now. This trilogy of discs from the Now Again label covering vocalist/keyboardist/bandleader Ayalew Mesfin’s catalog restores one of the last untapped reservoirs to circulation. Tight horns, choppy, fuzz and wah-wah drenched guitars and chugging bass fuel dance floor burners while Mesfin’s pipes work memorable magic on a string of melancholic, melismatic ballads.

 Kent & Modern Records Blues into the 60s, Vol. 1 & 2 (Ace)

Ace’s appellation as a music label of enviable reach and import has never been an erroneous assignation. This pair of compilations investigates the urban, but far from urbane, blues scene surrounding Los Angeles as documented by the Kent label in the 1960s. Comparatively longer-in-tooth legends like T-Bone Walker and Big Jay McNeely jockey with younger, fame hungry artists like Larry Davis and Little Joe Blue in negotiating a West Coast argot that’s heavy on electricity channeled through guitars and organs. McNeely’s ripping “Blues in G Minor” is one of several snarling sonic wolves in non-descript sheep’s titling.

 V/A — A Stranger I May Be: Savoy Gospel 1954-1986 (Honest Jons)

This astutely-sequenced set stands out in the particularly plentiful playing field of this year’s gospel reissues. The mighty Savoy label started out as a jazz venture before branching out into other African American musical idioms. The compilers at Honest Jons parse the program chronologically across three-discs and leave the heavy-lifting of context and artists biography to a lengthy essay. Choirs, ensembles, bands, and moonlighting R&B singers all make appearances directing their talents to devotional and invocational celebrations of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

 Sun Ra

One of the highlight roundtables at Dusted this year was a Listening Post ruminating on the Sun Ra Arkesta with and sans Ra on the occasion of the band’s new release Swirling. I got to play the (hopefully uncharacteristic) part of curmudgeon in those exchanges principally because while I respect the ensemble’s longevity absent their lodestar leader, there’s still an explicit void extant that tends to eclipse my actual interest. The Ra reissue docket for 2020, which included excellent editions of Celestial Love and A Fireside Chat with Lucifer from Modern Harmonic, When Angels Speak of Love on Cosmic Myth, Heliocentric Worlds, Vols. 1 and 2 from Ezz-thetics, and Strut’s Egypt 1971, which collects Dark Myth Equation Visitation, Nidhamu and Horizon alongside a bevy of contemporaneous unreleased recordings, only bolstered the bias. 

 Fresh Sound Records

Still the standard for thoughtfully and lavishly curated jazz reissues, Barcelona-based Fresh Sound kept commensurately prolific pace throughout the year. Gary Peacock - The Beginnings surveys the recently deceased bassist’s early work as a versatile California-stationed sideman. Remembering does similar service to rare concert recordings by Belgian guitarist Rene Thomas while The Complete 1961 Milano Sessions offers truth in advertising by compiling woodwind savant Buddy Collette’s sojourn on Italian shores with (mostly) indigenous sidemen.

 V/A — Sumer is Icumenin (Grapefruit)

An overdue sequel to Dust on the Nettles (2015), which apparently commands on princely sums on Discogs these days, this set encompasses 4+ hours of cherry-picked vintage British freak folk. Second helpings from stalwarts of the style such as Comus, Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention join Albion offerings from obscurants like Vulcan’s Hammer, Mr. Fox and Oberon in celebrating the weird crossroads of ancient Britannic and 1960s counterculture influences. The cant is more to The Wicker Man side of the spectrum with Magnet’s bucolic canticle “Corn Rigs” the ringer in that regard.

Twenty-five more in mostly stochastic order:

Aruán Ortiz - Inside Rhythmic Falls (Intakt)

Brandon Seabrook/Cooper-Moore/Gerald Cleaver — Exultations (Astral Spirits)

Cecil Taylor & Tony Oxley — Birdland, Neuberg 2011 (Fundacja Sluchaj)

Horace Tapscott w/ the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra — Ancestral Echoes: The Covina Sessions, 1976 (Dark Tree)

Damon Smith — Whatever is Not Stone is Light (Balance Point Acoustics)

Frank Lowe & Rashied Ali — Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions (Survival)

Dudu Pukwana — and the “Spears” (Matsuli Music)

Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl — Artlessly Falling (Firehouse 12)

Burton Greene — Peace Beyond Conflict (Birdwatcher)

Albert Ayler — Trio 1964: Prophecy Revisited (Ezz-thetics)

JD Allen — Toys/Die Dreaming (Savant)

Charles Mingus — At Bremen 1964 and 1975 (Sunnyside)

The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound — Soundpath (Clean Feed)

Kidd Jordan/Joel Futterman/Alvin Fielder — Spirits (Silkheart)

Roland Haynes — 2nd Wave (Black Jazz)

Quin Kirchner — The Shadows and the Light (Astral Spirits)

Thelonious Monk — Palo Alto (Universal/Impulse)

Black Unity Trio — Al-Fatihah (Salaam Records/Gotta Groove)

Gary Smulyan — Our Contrafacts (Steeplechase)

Joni Mitchell — Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967 (Rhino)

Elder Charles Beck — Your Man of Faith (Gospel Friend)

Sarhabil Ahmed — King of Sudanese Jazz (Habibi Funk)

V/A – The Right to Rock: The Mexicano and Chicano Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebellion 1955-1963, Episodio Uno (Bear Family)

V/A – Hillbillies in Hell: Country Music’s Tormented Testament (1952-1974) ~ Revelations (The Omni Recording Corporation)

V/A — The Harry Smith B-Sides (Dust to Digital)

[cousinmarcustalkswrestling]

Best WWE Matches of 2020 - My Top 5

5

Men’s Rumble Match - Royal Rumble

The tale of two distinctly cool matches. The first half was Brock Lesnar’s complete domination eliminating 13 straight wrestlers. A few of these hurt to see eliminated so soon like Cesaro, Kofi, & Big E, but none of it was a stretch in believability because its Brock. Keith Lee’s brief involvement was awesome because of Brock’s reaction and the way he was eliminated. The match shifts into a whole another gear when Ricochet lowblows Brock and Drew McIntyre Claymore kicks Brock and eliminates Brock. Brock sold the Claymore like a deathblow and it instantly made Drew the star that they wanted him to be. With Brock gone, the rumble became more traditional and star-studded with AJ, Roman, Orton, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, & Seth Rollins. The most memorable moment was definitely the return of Edge who retired 9 years earlier because of neck injuries. We saw a Rated RKO reunion, an AJ vs Edge dream match interaction, and a great Seth, Buddy, & AOP vs The World brawl. In the end, Drew McIntyre eliminated Roman Reigns to punch his ticket to Wrestlemania. Its been kind of rare when the Rumble match is one of the best matches of the year, but its been one of those years.

4

Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre - Survivor Series

Vince and company did a super effective job of terrifying me into thinking they’d put their top star in the company against their most overrated star in an uninspired matchup. Instead, Drew beat Orton to reclaim the WWE title and we got a guaranteed money match that lived up to the hype. These two behemoths are physical as hell from the start, while working simple headlocks and shoulderblocks. Roman’s heat is nasty and scrappy and at the same time, he never stops jawing and reminding Drew that he’s the head of the table and the face of the company. Seeing Roman’s facial expressions repurposed for this megalomaniacal character has been awesome to watch. Drew makes a high impact comeback and this turns into a fast-paced hossfest that they should’ve been having in 2019. Drew counters a spear to a Kimura in a great Brock Lesnar reference and Roman tries to kill Drew with multiple Samoan Drops on the announce table and a spear through the barricade. Drew is too resilient and it takes some logical interference from Jey Uso and a low blow to take Drew down. Great intense physical work where both titans come out looking great, regardless of the result. Drew’s best match of the year and one of Roman’s as well.

3

Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso - Hell in a Cell I Quit Match - Universal Title - Hell in a Cell

This feud has been incredible and they had a brilliant match at Clash of Champions. Roman has upped the stakes in this one so if Jey loses, he has to acknowledge Roman as the Tribal Chief or he’s kicked out of the family. From the start, Roman’s talking and characterization is the driving force of this match. He immediately tells Jey to quit or he’ll be wishing he did. Jey gets a lot more offense in this match through no other means than just being really tough. When the ref asks Roman if he wants to quit, he responds with “The Head of the Table Never Quits.” Jey turns it into a strap match, beats the hell out of Roman, and chokes him out with it, but Roman kills him with a Superman punch out of nowhere.

 Jey’s refusal to quit makes Roman have to gradually get more violent. He chokes him out with the Guillotine, then Drive By Kicks the steel steps into Jey’s head. There is a great reference to the original Hell in a Cell match where the ref has seen enough and wants to call it, so Roman just tosses him into the cell. That brings out a bunch of refs and officials to stop Roman, who is so offended by them that he closes the cell door so nobody can leave. The sight of all the refs scurrying away from Roman is just amazing and further puts over how much of a dangerous presence he’s become. Jimmy comes out and urges Roman to stop and he legitimately brings Roman to tears with his pleas, but then Roman locks Jimmy in the Guillotine and Jey quits to save his brother from the pain. This was a brutally awesome match with great characterization, storytelling, and acting from Roman, Jey, & Jimmy.

2

Sasha Banks vs Bayley - Hell in a Cell Match - Smackdown Women’s Title - Hell in a Cell

It’s finally here and it was worth the wait. Bayley finally turned on Sasha after they lost a tag team title rematch, claiming that Sasha was riding her coattails and that Sasha would eventually turn on her. It was booked a little weirdly because they kept interacting after this and even had a match on Smackdown. Sasha forced Bayley to sign the contract for this match and its own. From the start, there’s strong storytelling with Bayley bringing out the chair she attacked Sasha with and Sasha knocking it out of the cell before the cell completely dropped. Their goals are quickly established as Bayley is deadset on using weapons and Sasha disposes of them or uses them against her. Their use of weapons is creative in the brutality as well as referencing their shared history. A chair was used to signal Bayley’s true heel turn when Sasha gave it to her to beat down Becky and Bayley tried to cripple Sasha with a chair. They introduce a ladder in a slight reference to Money in the Bank when Bayley reignited her career by winning the match and cashing in on Charlotte.

 Bayley regains the same chair she used to assault Sasha and takes over the match with it. Sasha avoids a chair drop on the ladder and hits a sick Bayley to Belly on the ladder. Bayley rebounds with a hard knee and her own Bayley to Belly, but it only gets two. Bayley starts wailing on Sasha with a chair, but out of nowhere, Sasha locks her in the chair assisted Bank Statement and in a beautiful reference to Takeover Brooklyn, she stomps on the chair wrapped around Bayley’s neck and Bayley has to tap out. For as much time as they were given, I think they needed a little more time to let some of the bigger spots breathe, but other than that, this was an awesome brawl with brutality, creativity, and some great callbacks to their shared history. Definitely worth the wait and a top 5 Hell in a Cell match. Plus, Sasha winning a big match is grounds worth several stars in itself.

1

Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso - Universal Title - Clash of Champions

Bruce Prichard has told a story of Vince McMahon having a conversation with an exec from a major network and Vince told him “We make movies, pal.” Everytime I think of that quote, the match I think of is the first Hell in a Cell match. It just epitomizes what I feel like “cinematic” is in the wrestling world. I’m not saying Roman vs Jey is on that level, but it comes super close. The build was absolute brilliant with Jey Uso embracing his first attempt at a singles title after being a career tag wrestler and the new Roman Reigns being unrelenting in his belief that him being Universal Champion and the Tribal Chief of his family is the only way the family will survive.

You hear the annoying old curmudgeons say “Its not about the movez, its about the story.” With this match, thats a perfect statement because there’s nothing crazy here from a wrestling standpoint outside of a pretty lag lariat by Roman. Its all about the storytelling. Roman’s characterizations are masterful here. He looks absolutely disgusted when Jey ducks a clothesline and dabs. As the match goes along, he gets more and more furious at Jey’s refusal to acknowledge him as Tribal Chief and foregoes pinning him to beat Jey until he submits to him. He tells the referee he’ll beat his ass if he stops it because this is family business. It may sound like a man unhinged, but its actually the opposite. He’s solely focused on Jey’s acknowledgment.

Jimmy wants to throw in the towel for Jey, but Jey doesn’t let him. When Jey tells Jimmy “forget this fool” I legit started tearing up. Jey would rather let Roman decimate him than give in to his narcissism. Jimmy loves his brother too much and throws the towel in for him. Jey took a beating, but never acknowledged Roman. Not the best workrate of Roman’s career, but hands down his best match ever and the Main roster match of the year. No other match had the emotional, transformative impact this had. By the end of it, Jey looked like a Rey Mysterio/Ricky Steamboat level babyface and Roman has clearly become the baddest mothafucka on the planet.

[cabezahablante]

L'IMPORTANZA DI CHIAMARSI... WILL OSPREAY

Hola Amigos! Ero scomparso rapito da dei narcos di Guadalajara per aver denigrato Atlantis Jr. su reddit. Avendo pagato con un lobo mozzato eccomi qui a parlare di un wrestler espectacular: Will Ospreay!

Fu amore a prima vista con Will; nel 2016 m'innamorai di una piccola promotion che creata da una community youtube, stava spaccando in UK: la WCPW. La campionessa era Bea Priestley e veniva accompagnata da un duo di brutti ceffi, i Sword of Essex (Paul Robinson e Scott Wainwright) che inneggiavano al ritorno dal Giappone del loro leader indiscusso, "the Aerial Assassin" Will Ospreay. Andarono avanti per un mese finchè un giorno arrivò un tizio con capelli da tamarro vestito da Ezio Auditore, che fa un salto con tre trottole, quasi volando e attacca il face di turno. Rimasi a bocca aperta... Come i luchadores, Ospreay, era un tecnico delle piroette; tanto perfette quanto complicate. Pensate il facinoroso e alcolizzato pubblico inglese, stare in silenzio ammutoliti per UN intero minuto per poi gridare "Holy Shit!". Randy Orton direbbe "DIVE", è un po' avrebbe ragione: preso dall'interesse di questo wreslter mi guardai i suoi match in Giappone ed era un apoteosi di trottole, piroette e spottoni ipertecnici e velocissimi. WOW! Puro stile messicano con la durezza tutta inglese. Forse ne perdeva la narrativa del match, ma abituato al Messico dove non si vende nulla, il non vendere di Ospreay mi sembrava un overselling.

La storia va avanti, dopo titoli PROGRESS, finali del Best Of Super Juniors con Kushida in NJPW, e un altra marea di cinture in altre promozioni inglesi; arriva la celebrità. Nel 2016 siamo all'apice del revival del wrestling inglese: i piccoli palazzetti sono sempre pieni di folle che cantano come hooligans e si scolano ettolitri di birra, sullo sfondo di bump e spot. PROGRESS, RevPro, WCPW e ICW sono piene di soldi e iniziano a chiamare le star americane e qui inizia la faida con l'altrettanto pirotecnico Ricochet, con cui andranno a sbalordire tutto il mondo. Il pubblico è spaccato: chi idolatra i due e chi invece li definisce soltanto acrobati. Ma a sancire l'ago della bilancia è il Fenomenale: in RevPro, grazie alla partnership con la NJPW, lo nota un certo AJ Styles, che volendo combattere con lui fortemente, gli da una voce pesante sull curriculum del wrestling. Ospreay corona il suo sogno, dato che iniziò a fare il wrestler prorpio grazie al Phenomenal-One vedendolo nell'ormai sacro match contro Samoa Joe e Christopher Daniels in TNA (che brividi...). Già sarebbe il top per un ragazzino (all'epoca ventitreenne) che stava scalando i vertici del wrestling occidentale. Quando un certo Okada, vedendolo contro Jay White in uno show di ROH e NJPW, in un match che quasi mi fece strappare la mascara; contatta i piani alti della NJPW per farlo lottare in Giappone più assiduamente. Anche la leggenda Tanahashi dirà belle parole sul giovane inglese. Ospreay parte per il mondo, e fra EVOLVE, Ring of Honor, TNA e PWG anche i fans americani conoscono questo fenomeno; ma a sorpresa nessuna di queste compagnie gli fa un'offerta importante! In WWE viene notato, ma gli viene preferito Ricochet, anche se all'epoca era bloccato con il contratto con Lucha Underground! Io pensai che il mondo fosse loco! Furono dei pendejos, con raccomandazioni come AJ Styles, Okada e Tanahashi; l'inglese sceglie l'unica major che vuole puntare su di lui: la NJPW!

Vola in Giappone, partecipa nuovamente al BOSJ 2017 che vince e batte il campione dei pesi Junior, Kushida, vincendo la cintura che lo porterà alla faida a quattro contro lo stesso Kushida, Takahashi e il connazionale Marty Scurll a WrestleKingdom 12, dove rivincerà il titolo, in un match al cardiopalma e sì, lo voglio dire, per me scontro della serata di quell'edizione dell'evento dell'anno (a me Omega contro Jericho deluse ance se cambiò il business, e Okada vs Naito fu bello ma non a livello di un main event di WK... sì lapidatemi ma il mio cuore da luchador non può che tifare i pesi leggeri). Ospreay fa sul serio e si fa amare dal pubblico nipponico; firma con la NJPW. Si trasferisce in nel paese del sol levante con la ragazza Bea Priestley, che fimra con la STARdom, e inizia a parlare come un vero ambaciatore della compagnia, che gli darà sempre più spazio; prima facendolo lottare contro Okada anche se in un match non valevole per il titolo massimo, e togliendo a Kota Ibuschi (fresco di firma dopo la dipartita di Omega) il titolo NEVER a WrestleKingdom 13, in uno scontro molto violento, bello e stiff che finì con il KO (vero) del giapponese.   Da qui in poi punteranno su di lui come main-eventer, facendolo partecipare alla New Japan Cup 2019, prima, e al G1 Climax 29 dopo. Ora Ospreay è sulla bocca di tutto il fandom del wrestling, al contrario di quel Ricochet rimasto soltanto alle piroette e divenuto un jobber in WWE. Ospreay infatti cambia il suo stile di lotta, diventando molto più solido, narrativo e stiff; senza dimenticare gli spot ipertecnici e coadiuvandolo con una tecnica tutta inglese da British Bulldog. Iniziano faide contro Takahashi, Cobb, Dragon Lee e un violentissimo Shingo Takagi che faranno bagnare uno schizzofrenico Meltzer che sparerà dei 5 e 5.75 a manetta! Alla NJPW non rimane che fare la cosa che fa sempre quando ha un main-eventer sulla bocca di tutti; gli crea una stable intorno e lo manda per il titolo dopo un percorso tortuoso (hai capito Vince). Nemmeno il Covid (che mierda) fermerà il talentuoso ex-assassino dell'aria che dopo un altro buonissimo G1 Climax e vari match che fanno parlare il mondo arriva a vincere la New Japan Cup 2021 e a sfidare il rivale che già aveva sconfitto anni prima Kota Ibushi a Sakura Genesis e minchia che match! I due non si risparmiano mettendo a rischio il collo varie volte, e finalmente a vincere è Ospreay! Primo britannico a vincere il titolo massimo della New Japan, che lo porta nell'Olimpo del Wrestling e che porta quel ragazzino che amò questa disciplina sacra, guardando un match fra tre fenomeni e poi sfidando quelle stesse leggende, partendo dalla periferia dell'Impero della Lucha Libre; alla vetta della montagna.

Dedizione, iconoclastia e talento fanno di lui il miglior wrestler del 2021 senza dubbio alcuno, anche con la nuova cintura della New Japan (oih putamadre que mierda...).

Come disse un altro assassino: "Nulla è reale. Tutto è lecito."

[wrestlingisfake]

Raw Fake Rankings, 12/31/2020

Men’s heavyweight singles division - babyfaces

Drew McIntyre (WWE world champion)

Sheamus

Keith Lee

Ricochet

Men’s heavyweight singles division - heels

Randy Orton

Bobby Lashley (WWE United States champion)

AJ Styles

MVP

Elias

Mustafa Ali

Unranked: Akira Tozawa, Angel Garza, Drew Gulak, Humberto Carrillo, Jaxson Ryker, Mace, Slapjack, T-Bar

It feels like the real direction for the main event involves the intrigue between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus, with the Miz in the background with his Money in the Bank contract.  Sounds like a pretty solid plan to kick off the year 2011, with fresh young talent that...wait, I’m being handed a bulletin.  Tomorrow is 2021.

Seriously, though, the Sheamus storyline is at least novel, in that he never really turned babyface but--by virtue of his association with McIntyre--he’s all but ceased acting as a heel except to tease turning on Drew someday.  And they seem to be doing a better job than usual protecting a guy (Lashley) to set up a money match down the line.  (Although I’m not sure what that match is, since Lashley already challenged McIntyre and lost.)  And I suppose they have a plan for Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt, even if I don’t get it.

However, Raw has struggled to make new stars.  (McIntyre’s 2020 push has been a success, but I’d call that a do-over from when they dropped the ball on him in 2009-2013).  Keith Lee’s run on this brand has been a critical failure.  Elias is about 5% wrestler and 95% cheap heat skits, and now he’s got Ryker standing around helping him not wrestle much.  Ricochet and Ali’s Retribution stable are in a battle of losers.  The Hurt Business is getting over as a top heel group, but they have a median age of 45 and they’re running out of hot faces to fight.

What will make Raw interesting in 2021 is that the brand is truly painted into a corner.  The show hit record low rating multiple times in 2020, and tried a lot of quick-fix hot angles that went nowhere.  The big arrivals this year didn’t make much of an impact, and indeed they’ve eroded the fandom’s faith in “calling up someone from NXT for a big push on Raw.”  So what else can they try?  We’ll soon find out.

Men’s tag team division - babyfaces

The Hardy Bros - Jeff Hardy & Matt Riddle

The New Day - Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods

Lucha House Party - Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado

Men’s tag team division - heels

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin (Raw tag team champions)

The Miz (Mr. Money in the Bank) & John Morrison

I’m not even totally sure Riddle and Hardy are a long-term team, but I guess WWE has already trademarked “Hardy Bros” so for now they believe they’re sticking with that.  Lucha House Party showed up on the December 30 NXT to feud with Legado del Fantasma, which sure sounds like they’re leaving Raw for good, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Women’s singles division - babyfaces

Nikki Cross

Women’s singles division - heels

Reckoning

Raw’s women’s division is currently revolving around the tag title, so the singles division amounts to the women who don’t have tag partners right now.  Incidentally, I’m very surprised that the Alexa Bliss-Nikki Cross split ended without either of them really turning heel.

Women’s tag team division - babyfaces

Asuka (Raw women’s champion) & Charlotte Flair (WWE women’s tag team champions)

Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose

Women’s tag team division - heels

Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler

Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce

Jax and Baszler were kinda thrown together as a monster super-team a while back, which then led to them picking on Lana, which then led to Asuka offering to help Lana go after the tag title, which somehow led to Asuka and Flair as the tag champions.  Meanwhile, WWE went to all the trouble of repackaging Rose and Royce as solo acts just to turn around and put them in new teams for lack of any other ideas. 

I suppose you could build up the tag division from these four makeshift teams, but I don’t expect they will.  It’s all just in service to Asuka and Flair inevitably feuding over the singles title.  Once that gets going, I would imagine Asuka and Flair will do a “lose the tag title through miscommunication” thing and the belts will go to Evans and Royce, and get lost in the shuffle just like every time Royce and Billie Kay got the belts.

No matches in 30 days: Alexa Bliss, Dabba-Kato, Erik, Omos, R-Truth (WWE 24/7 champion), Titus O’Neil, Tucker

Dabba-Kato has yet to wrestle an actual match on Raw, and hasn’t been seen since Raw Underground was shelved.  Omos also hasn’t had a match yet, and technically isn’t even listed on WWE’s official roster.  I’m not sure what the in-ring future is for Bliss--her association with Bray Wyatt is money, but I don’t foresee it leading to a lot of women’s matches.

I’m starting to wonder if WWE has actually lost interest in the 24/7 title, given that nobody seems to have chased R-Truth around for it in a while.  It’s one of those things that can keep running on autopilot, well after they stop putting in actual effort--not unlike the original WWE hardcore title that inspired it--but now they don’t even seem to be doing that.

Part-time/semi-retired: Shane McMahon, The Big Show, Triple H

Shane was brought back in 2020 as the spokesperson for Raw Underground, so when that idea got canned, he disappeared as well.  So it’s really hard to imagine how he could return, since his primary value to WWE is to make an unexpected return to hype some new hotshot idea, and they literally just tried and failed to do that.  And it wouldn’t make much since for him to “invade” with a hotshot new faction, considering they still haven’t wound down Retribution.

Inactive

Andrade (elective surgery)

Becky Lynch (maternity leave)

Braun Strowman (storyline - indefinite suspension)

Bray Wyatt (storyline - burnt to a crisp)

Edge (right arm - triceps tear)

Ivar (neck - cervical vertebrae injury)

Jinder Mahal (right knee - unspecified injury)

Lana (storyline - head and left knee injuries)

Mickie James (nose - collapsed nasal cavity)

Naomi (abdomen - myomectomy)

Riddick Moss (knee - ACL tear)

Samoa Joe (concussion)

It was never entirely clear why Strowman was taken off TV, but I would assume he’ll back in time for the Royal Rumble, unless he’s dealing with an injury.  Similarly, I’m sure Wyatt will be back by the end of January, having magically recovered from being immolated by Randy Orton.  It’s interesting, though, that Wyatt and Orton will be settling their differences right around the time Edge is expected to return to renew his rivalry with Orton.  Is it possible Orton could go 2-0 with Wyatt to build him up for Edge?  And if so, how does Orton finish off Wyatt in a way that can top burning him alive?

Lana should be available to return whenever WWE needs, but it’s tough to gauge whether they’re waiting for the right moment in her story with Nia Jax, or if they’ve given up on all that and will leave her on the bench until they think of some totally new gimmick for her.

For the record, Andrade and James were in the 2020 draft pool but never picked, so technically they can show up on any brand once they return to action.  Lynch, Edge, Ivar, Mahal, and Joe weren’t even included in the draft pool, but I think that had more to do with their lengthy time away than anything else.  Regardless, I wouldn’t count on any of these performers leaving Raw anytime soon.

[ryan3291993]

WrestleMania 37 (Review)

What was wrong with Wrestlemania 37? Uh let's go in order. Slammiversery '16 vibes. Drew McIntyre being put to sleep by Bobby Lashley is much of an upset that I can't say not a lot of people wanted. Good on them for finally making Lashley look strong, but after year's of ruined booking coupled with him being boring, it was overall unfortunate for WrestleMania to open on a sour note; not to mention at the expense of McIntyre. Hope they repeat that again night two.. Natalya & Tamina won the Tag-Team gauntlet which deserved to be pre-show filler more than some matches in past WrestleMania pre-shows. Cesaro defeated Rollins was fine, but perhaps should have gotten more than 11:35 minutes. AJ Styles & Omos going over New Day wasn't bad, but underwhelming. To have New Day & AJ Styles not in their own elements of showcasing a tag-team and singles bout clinic and instead lumping them together to carry Omos wasn't WrestleMania worthy. Strowman vs Shane McMahon in a cage was not bad at all. Felt like it could have opened up WrestleMania in prior years. As well as Bad Bunny & Damian Priest did against Miz & Morrison, I'm upset that they couldn't have opted to use Miz & Morrison in a better role; like perhaps against New Day? Lastly for night one, Bianca Belair got her moment, but unfortunately at the expense of Sash Banks who's now 0-7 at WrestleMania. Maybe it's because I didn't follow Bianca in NXT, but for her to come up, last 29 others in a rumble and then main event WrestleMania night one against Sasha Banks seems like a lot for someone who I haven't heard of outside of dating Montez Ford.

Night two, and everything wrong with it: One.. Having The Fiend in his first match back lose to Orton in 5 minutes is a joke. Ruining The Fiend and Alexa Bliss' union in order to achieve the aforementioned issue is the second offense. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeating Natalya & Tamina was alright. I don't look at it as WrestleMania worthy, and not to mention it was the second longest match of night two.. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn's bout was decent. Again, if WrestleMania worthy, I'd say it deserved to be in the same boat as Strowman vs McMahon in the sense that it was built fine, executed fine.. but it's WrestleMania.. and "fine" shouldn't be the goal trying to be shot for. Sheamus defeated Riddle for the US Title was well done, and the ending spot was nice. Apollo Crews defeated Big E I found to be a joke, not to mention the stipulation being heavily needed. Maybe it's just me, but years of lack luster booking with Apollo & relegating Big E to the tag division have ruined me viewing this match as WrestleMania worthy. Not to mention both men's status would be more indicative of a lower-card title like a European, rather than a higher mid-card title such as the Intercontinental championship. Sorry not sorry. Rhey Ripley getting her win was nice. I believe the match could have went longer than 13:30, but also think that having her beat Asuka wasn't good for business. Why not having her win the Rumble is beyond me. Lastly, the only arguably great match of either night.. Roman Reigns vs Edge vs Daniel Bryan. I feel like this was done well, but still by the end of it, something felt off. Weather it be constant interference by Jey Uso, or the fact that they had Roman pin both of them; the finishes and booking of this show did one thing well, and it was having the seemingly wrong competitors win. Maybe moving forward it won't be as bad because they have plans in store.. but what am I kidding? This is the WWE in 2k21. IMO the only people who should have went over that did were: Cesaro, Styles & Amos, Strowman, Kevin Owens, Sheamus (although could have went either way), & Rhea (although at the expense of Asuka). This 'Mania was a disappointment. I don't know what I'd rate it, but a 2.5/3 out of 10 sounds about right if I had to guestimate.

I'll leave you with this short list of notable names left off of the WrestleMania card: Elias, Jaxson Ryker, Jeff Hardy, Keith Lee, Mustafa Ali, Ricochet, Samoa Joe, Aleistar Black, Bayley, King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio, Robert Roode, & Shinsuke Nakamura.. all MIA.. but yeah.. Bad Bunny, Omos, Tamina, & Apollo get 5 matches between the 4 of them. I’ve never seen a modern WrestleMania feel more like 2nd rate B-show May-June PPV (excluding MItB).. Could have had: Night 1: 1. Mustafa Ali vs Ricochet (Either give it a build a few weeks before; perhaps be Ricochet the reason why Ali broke away from Retribution; if not, have Adam Pierce acknowledge how good of talent they are, and say “The universe deserves one hell of a match for their first night back as a live audience, so I want to give them something special”, IE: This match.) 2. Raw Tag-Team Championships: Kofi Kingston (champion) & Xavier Woods (champion) defeat Elias & Jaxon Ryker, Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado, Slapjack & T-Bar, & Humberto Carillo & Angel Garza [Tag-Team Turmoil Match] 3. Keith Lee defeats AJ Styles 4. Shane McMahon defeats Braun Strowman via escape when Braun puts Shane through the cage and Shane hits the floor. (The beating can continue throughout the area like Strowman’s beating to Reigns did at Great Balls of Fire; essentially being a backstage / falls count anywhere segment.) 5. Universal Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match: Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens defeat Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn, & King Corbin [6-Man Scramble Match] ; Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens get a double pin on Sami Zayn, advancing in a Triple Threat Match & furthering Sami Zayn’s conspiracy theories. 6. WWE Championship Match: The Miz (champion) vs Daniel Bryan (who should have either won the Royal Rumble and faced Miz who cashed in at Rumble, or won the championship from Roman Reigns at Fastlane, and been cashed in on by The Miz, therefore setting up this match.) 7.  Raw Woman’s Championship Match: Rhea Ripley defeats Asuka (champion) & Bianca Belair (by pinning Bianca Belair) Night 2: 1. United States Championship Challenge: Riddle (champion) defeats A returning Samoa Joe or Jeff Hardy / Alternatively; Aleistar Black & or Adam Cole could make a surprise appearance and go over. 2. SmackDown Tag-Team Championship: Dolph Ziggler (champion) & Bobby Roode (champion) defeat Rey & Dominik Mysterio / Street Profits 3. Drew McIntyre defeats Sheamus [Falls Count Anywhere, Last Man Standing, and or Cinematic Bar-Room Brawl Match] 4. Bobby Lashley & M.V.P defeat Shelton Benjamin & Cedrick Alexander [Tag-Team Match] 5. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt defeats Randy Orton 6. SmackDown Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (champion) defeats Bayley 7. Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (champion) defeats Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens  Yet we didn’t get this. We got what we got. And I for one am underwhelmed, dissapointed, and feel like there was no effort. I don’t even think the show was worth the cost of production. #SorryNotSorry

[wweallresultspage]

2K Raw results 7/24/23

Round 4 of Legends tournament

Bret hart vs Booker T Round 4

Bret hart won

Trios Tournament

New day vs Young Bucks

Young bucks won

Trios Tournament Round

Mjf warlow miro vs Taker Kane Big Show

Mjf warlow miro won

Trios Tournament Round 1 Edge Christian Luchasaurus vs Goldberg Goldust Gilberg

Goldberg goldust gilburg won

Fatal 4 way Tournament

Keven owens vsJohn Cena vs Austin Theory vs Cameron Grimes

Jhon cena won

Logan paul vs miz vs Damian Priest vs Bobby Lashley

Damion prest won

Dexter vs Fiend vs Boogeyman vs Goldust

Fiend won

The Ladders Of Hell match Series where every match in a ladder match Whoever wins Tournament wins ECW Championship

Round 1 Nakamura vs Ricochet

Nakamura won

Round 1 Kevin Nash vs Kevin Owens

Keven owens won

Edge vs Drew McEntire

Edge won

Solo vs Sami Zayn

Solo won

Fatal 4 way Tournament round 1

Kane Triple H Bray Wyatt Kevin Nash Round 1

Kane won

Solo sikoa Sami Zayn Roman Reigns Jey USO Round 1

Roman won

Otitis Jinder mahal Batista Ali Round 1

Otis won

Main event JBL VS JOHN CENA STREET FIGHT

c

Next week

Fatal 4 way Tournament

Undertaker vs great Khal Bronson Reed Goldberg

Ladders Of hell Series

Samoa Joe vs Bobby Lashley Round 1

Walter vs Brock Lesnar Round 1

Kofi vs Logan Paul Round 1

[writinglionqueen]

RAW Recap (8/17/20)

~The intro for the “Then and Now” thing was acting weird

~Kicking things off with Drew and talking about Randy’s legend killing

~Retribution attacks the production staff and interrupt Drew’s promo with graphics and stuff

~Drew trying to rally the men’s locker room against Retribution but Seth thinks he’s already the leader but the locker room disagrees

~MVP, Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley to talk about what’s going on with Retribution and Apollo Crews as champion

~Apollo shows up to interrupt and then a fight instigates

~Apollo vs Shelton Benjamin

~Truth, Akira and the ninjas run through the ring

~Apollo wins but MVP and Bobby attack Apollo but Ricochet, Cedric Alexander and Ali all come out to help

~Truth runs back and Shelton pins Truth to be the 24/7 champion

~Angel Garza vs Ivar of Viking Raiders

~Angel wins

~Dawkins says that there is a video of Angel that…..is less than flattering for his character….and Zelina is scared about it

~Zelina looks to be the one who poisoned Montez and HE’S BACK and attacked Andrade and Angel

~Natalya (with Lana outside) vs Mickie James

~Seth comes down to the ring in the middle of the match and demands Joe tells him how he knows that Rey Mysterio will be here tonight

~Natalya wins

~Seth threatens that Rey and Dominick will not make it to SummerSlam

~Sasha Banks and Bayley vs Asuka and Shayna Baszler

~Nia Jax was on the audience and attacks Shayna

~Shayna wins it

~Drew doesn’t want to let Shawn Michaels down

~Shawn tells him he isn’t gonna let him down

~Peyton Royce vs Ruby Riott (with Billie Kay and Liv Morgan hanging outside of the ring)

~Peyton wins due to Ruby being knocked into Liv on the outside

~Erick on RAW Underground and Ivar with him to help challenge Dolph Ziggler

~Dolph wins but Ivar runs into him to throw him into the crowd

~Rey and Dominick show up

~Rey says he should’ve been there to protect Dom

~Seth interrupts in a video call and heads to the ring with Murphy

~Dominick and Rey got kendo sticks and beat Seth with Murphy with them

~Apollo Crews, Mustafa Ali, and Ricochet vs Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin in a 6 man elimination tag match

~Ali is eliminated followed by Ricochet leaving Apollo to face the other three by himself

~Shelton is eliminated and Cedric pins Shelton for the 24/7 title

~Lashley wins it

~Cedric Alexander vs Akira Tozawa for the 24/7 title

~Cedric retains

~Shelton pins Cedric right after and is 24/7 champ again

~Andrade vs Montez Ford

~Montez wins it

~Shawn Michaels to address Randy Orton being a legend killer

~Orton delivers an RKO and a punt and Drew chases him out of the ring

~Randy tried to attack from behind but Drew saw it coming and beat Randy back out of the ring

~Randy did it once more and delivered an RKO to Drew before leaving the ring