thestanfordfiles-blog

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Smackdown 4-18-17

they started by setting up a match between Charlotte & Naomi for later in the night. it should be an interesting match because charlotte has stood out as a very dominant champion on raw and Naomi only just became the women champ. it would be great if they can establish a compelling rivalry but i don't expect that to happen. Naomi is  a fantastic athlete but she isn't great on the mic and she doesn't really stand out i the ring. it will be hard for her to live up to the rivalry that Sasha banks had with charlotte.

natalya, carmella, tamina all had a promo complaining about charlotte getting a match v Naomi. they all have shown great things in the ring in the past but lately Natalya and Carmella (Tamina only just returned from a yr off) have been...annoying. for Natalya, i would prefer if they had her persona be about actually being the best wrestler-- try new moves, etc. heck they could have some interesting matches off that concept...set a time limit for a match and the most pins, or slams, or submissions wins. she could really showcase her talents. as for Carmella, she is too goofy with James Ellsworth. she need to get rid of him and try to get more gritty-- back to being more like Enzo and case’s personas.

six pack challenge to determine number 1 contender for smackdown world championship-- sami zayn, dolph ziggler, luke harper, eric rowan, mojo rawley, jinder mahal. i think luke harper or mojo rawley are going to win because both have had big pushes recently. it would be great to see sami zayn win but he just doesn't make sense in a match up against randy orton. really sami should be going for the intercontinental or us belts. either that or they should match him up with a tag partner. the more i see luke harper though, the more i think he is a good opponent for randy. they did a great job changing his looks so that he has a more approachable persona but still didn't change too drastically. UGH they had jinder mahal win with the help of interference. it was a good way to make him a better heel but lame because they had good contenders in the match. its possible they are trying to push randy as even more of a face vs just an anti-hero.

at the end of the six pack match they have a randy/bray promo about the house of horrors match. I'm pretty intrigued to see what they came up with. will it be like a hardcore match? will it be like a haunted house with other stars involved? while i am not a fan of Bray, i do like the storyline with randy pretending to be a part of the wyatt family only to turn on bray.

shinske nakamura promo-- i am trying to reserve my thoughts on him until i see him wrestle. he clearly has a strong following from nxt but so far all i have seen is his overly dramatic entrance, over and over...

they setup a match between aj styles and baron corbin. i think aj will win even though baron willl put up a good fight. AJ is very interesting to me. he is super athletic, can fight as well as fly, & runs great promos (even though you still love him when he tries to be a heel). really AJ doesn't seem to be able to do anything wrong. i think its strange that they pulled him back from the title so fast.

Naomi v Charlotte-- they are definitely trying some new things in this match which is great. the only issue is the execution. Naomi just isn't very smooth with the setup and follow-through on her moves. you can see that charlotte is trying to still sell it well but it just isn't the most polished match. i was surprised that they let charlotte beat naomi clean. i expected that the other women were going to interfere then there would be a fatal 4-way for the number 1 contender spot. i’ll be interested to see how they follow-up on this storyline next week with the rematch.

american alphas v the shining stars/ the colons- american alpha are so athletic and intense that it is hard to imagine anyone beating them without cheating which is exactly what the colons did. it looks like they are trying to repackage the shining stars as more gritty heels. its a good idea since the shining stars premise was more annoying than anything else. it was hard to take them seriously. this should be a good change for them especially since they are playing up their wrestling heritage.

they did another promo of lana dancing. now i think I'm going to look her up on the wwe network to see if i can find some of her matches. id be interested to see how she is in the ring.

face of america open challenge- kevin owens v an unknown. kevin owens is a good heel in the sense that i really don't like him but i want someone to step up to beat him--- so he gets me rooting for the faces.

aj styles v baron corbin- it went pretty much as i expected. aj is a fantastic entertainer and really is able to do a multitude of entertaining moves.

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[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Raw 4-17-17

Braun Strowman came out and again said that he wants more competition “or else”. i really hope that they have a plan to meet that demand. if not then they are wasting Braun. they have had other especially large superstars (andre, big show, etc) and they have found ways to make them very intimidating but yet not unbeatable. ideally they should have someone be able to beat him with a particular type of offense- best bet would be something new we haven't seen before. if they just have roman beat him with a series of spears and superman punches at Payback then they are stalling two careers- roman’s and Braun’s.

the first match was samoa joe vs jerico. this is actually an interesting match-up. i am not as familiar with samoa joe but wwe has done a good job building him up prior to his debut on raw by taking up his exploits on nxt. jericho has been in the wwe for a long time. he is still a great athlete and performer- even better than some  of the younger/newer stars. they did a great job playing off one another. just too bad that they cut if short to have joe and seth run promos on each other. that said, both joe and seth do excellent promos. they are entertaining, compelling and believable. 

anderson and gallows were supposed to go against r truth and gold dust (golden truth) but golden truth got attacked by braun. so instead they faced enzo and big cass. [side note: anderson and gallows were pretty entertaining on the WWE network original show, Road trip. ] anderson and gallows fit well as tag team heels. as for enzo and cass- they are pretty entertaining, but i cant help but think that enzo might be holding cass back. cass seems like he could make a run as a singles competitor. he is big but still very athletic. the problem is that i don't think enzo could work as a singles competitor unless they were going to use him to shake up the cruiserweight division. it just seems like cass is always having to save enzo and that enzo doesn't really match up to many of the other tag team competitors. i would hate for enzo to get lost in the shuffle as he is a very entertaining character. maybe there is a way to make enzo more effective and hold up his end a little more. as a fan i realize that enzo isn't just getting beat up- he is using skill to sells those moves. 

i recognized fit finlay as one of the people that went to check on golden truth after the Braun attack. so i decided to try to find out what other wrestlers still work for WWE in other capacities. it was interesting to see that there are quite a few retired wrestlers still with wwe. most are producers or road agents, while some are trainers etc.

Miz and Maryse were up next with Miz TV. The Miz is by far my favorite heel in quite a while. he is so polished with the way he sells his promos. His new rivalry with Dean Ambrose is fantastic. not only are they both entertaining but creative came up with a great storyline- issues over a class of styles. Miz being the modern prestige hungry wrestler and Dean being the gritty fighter.

Braun attacks another wrestler (looked like Kalysto) and now we have a match set for Braun vs the Big show (who didnt like the attacks on his fellow wrestlers).

crusierweight match: TJ Perkins v Gentleman Jack Gallagher, with neville and austin aries ringside. Both TJ and gentleman jack  have interesting personas and great in-ring styles. a lot of what they do is unique. things like when tj catches himself between the top and middle ropes or his head spin maneuver. it was actually pretty interesting the reaction that TJ got when he dropped gentleman jacks umbrella, shows that people are buying into gentleman jack’s character, to which the umbrella is important. i get why neville makes sense as the cruiserweight champion because he has established himself so well before they brought the cruiserweight to a more prominent position. however i am a little lost why they pushed austin aries so fast so quickly. he is pretty good with promos but i am no overly impressed with his in-ring work. he isn't bad but compared to the other cruiserweight, he just doesn't seem to stand out. yet somehow he very quickly became the number one contender and had a match at wrestle mania.

after the cruiserweight match, they showed a promo for an upcoming singles match between jeff hardy and cesaro. the promo included pictures of each competitors tag partner and i have to say that i HATE matt hardy’s new style, especially the goofy bug eyed look he has in that promo photo. Jeff came back with his same intense rocker style and next to that matt just looks ridiculous. they need to give him a make-over. my only guess on what he is doing is that he is keeping some of his style from the previous wrestling promotion what he was working for. 

promo: apollo crews and titus oneil. apollo and Titus both need the same thing- a better persona. they are both very athletic and great in-ring performers. titus needs to find something that is a more natural fit so he can sell it better. the whole titus brand concept is terrible because he cant sell it and it is just goofy. as for apollo- he isn't memorable because he doesn't seem to have any persona at all.

promo- hardy and cesaro/sheamus. the hardyz are definitely best in action vs on the mic. in particular matt doesn't even seem to be able to say certain words-- its LADDERS. I'm not being hard on mat because i don't like him. in fact i am tough on him because i think that he can be so much better. they just need to polish him up a bit. regarding cesaro and sheamus- i have to admit that i didnt get them as a tag team when they first got together but now i think they are a great team. i love that they came out with matching outfits at wrestlemania and continue to use that gear. they also play off each other well- cesaro the gentleman who helps soften some of sheamus’s rough edges.

number 1 contenders fatal 4-way match mickie james, alexa bliss, sasha banks & via jax-- this is an interesting match-up. fatal 4ways are great because they opportunities to more superstars and also provide more action & storyline options. for instance, alexa bliss wins by pinning sasha but only because sasha had been taken out just prior to that by nia jax. so even though alexa wins it still leaves it open that sasha could be able to beat her 1:1. they didnt really do it this match, but one things i like about the larger women’s matches is that they typically will add moves that include  more than two competitors, like a power bomb- suplex combo. that is very impressive.

kurt hawkins-- i don't get his persona, his get-up...really anything about him. then they have him face finn balor who is a top superstar- why?! my best guess is that they are trying to get finn back on tv but want to warm him up to things after his injury. cory refers to finn as “james deam cool, john wayne tough”. they really do come up with some cool creative concepts on wwe.

they showed actor dule hill in the audience then showed a clip of his new movie. i wish that i could attend a wwe event for work, lol.

promo: jerico. jerico is so great on the mic because he commits fully and also does a great job infusing comedy into his promos. i love when he calls the interviewer by the wrong name. haha and then when he uses alliteration just to be goofy- “weird wandering wayfarer”.

promo: bray wyatt. im not a fan of bray wyatt. i get what they are going for with the “eater of worlds” idea. i just don't think he portrays that effectively. for all his talk, he doesn't come across as intimidating and he isn't that spectacular in the ring. his finisher, sister abigail, is pretty lame looking to me. that is one of those moves that i would like to have done to me, just to see what it is really like. maybe its more effective than it looks. all that said- the house of horrors match sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to see what they come up with for that.

promo: alicia fox, dana brooks & emma. alicia fox is just annoying. dana and emma though should make an interesting rivalry. I'm looking forward to seeing a match between the two of them.

the next match was jeff hardy v cesaro. i love that they put this match together. not only do they have different styles (jeff the high flyer, and cesaro an athetlic strong man) but they are also two faces. this is a rivalry to show off skill vs a rivalry of face v heel. i think they missed an opportunity. although i typically think that cesura’s swing isn't a great move, it would have been cool to have jeff  swing out of it or up into another move. also it wasn't great that you could clearly see cesaro move into position for jeff’s moves. that just goes to show that since you don't pick up on that often, how well superstars do to setup moves so well typically. what was really great about the match was that they didn't mess it up with tag partner interference. they even ended the match with handshakes. you don't see that often and it was a great way to keep the face v face theme.

while getting ready for the braun v big show match, michael cole mentioned that david ortungo was out making a movie. i didn't even notice he was missing and honestly hope he doesn't come back. he really just got in the way with his commentary.

the braun v big show match was really great. they did a lot of moves that you wouldn't see when they are against other superstars. they took a body slam, suplex, choke slam & power slam. they even broke the ring with a superplex and sent the ref flying. it was a really good main event.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

CM Punk

i did watch the WWE when CM punk was active on the main roster.

when i heard about his pipe bomb promo, i did look that up and watch it. it definitely was unique and made him seem interesting.

i didn’t look into him on the wwe network until after watching the mick foley documentary when mick said that he only used his influence to try to help two up and coming wrestlers- cm punk and samoa joe.

CM punk’s documentary on the wwe network was entertaining but definitely not as mind blowing as the mick foley documentary (but really what could be as good as that).

after watching the documentary i am definitely going to look up his ecw title win v john morisson, his wrestle mania money in the bank wins and his matches v taker.

i rarely like heels but because of his passion i am definitely going to check him out a bit. seeing the behind the scenes definitely gives a whole new perspective to matches.

#tagline

im not a writer i just blog a lot 

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

205 live

i watched 205 live for the first time a few nights ago. i didnt end up watching the whole episode- not that it wasn't entertaining, i was just really tired.

the cruiser weights do an amazing job bringing new, unique moves to their matches. there is a lot of flipping, spinning, whipping around and its really exciting to watch.

that said though, i probably still wouldn't watch them much more. their characters and storylines just aren't interesting enough to me. 

it probably has to do with how they are positioned by the WWE. the show is referred to as the most exciting hour on tv (or something to that effect) but it clearly is taking a backseat to Raw and smackdown (though everything does).

#tagline

im not a writer i just blog alot 

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

For all Mankind: Mick Foley

as a fan i have appreciated Mick Foley for quite a while. when i found this documentary on wwe network, i expected it to be entertaining but nothing much more than that. now that i have finished it i can say- it is a MUST WATCH for fans. Mick Foley is not just an amazing wrestler but is very clearly an amazing human being.

from how he got into wrestling, to the passion he infused into his wrestling career, the amazing matches, his successful writing career, the fact that he even worked as a stand-up comic, his philanthrophy-- which is not only admirable but literally has been inspiring to others. i am in awe. Foley (truly) is a god.

most of this will make no sense to anyone (but no one reads this anyway). its just the notes i took while watching. definitely going to hunt down a bunch of those matches to watch.

very athletic in his youth

ate worms off the field in front of opponents

took kevin James place as the heavy weight wrestler in hs

creative & entertaining-- wrote songs, shaved half his face

jimmy superfly snuka & magnificent don muraco madison square garden intercontenential steel cage match madison square garden

dude love- video with friends

dominic denucci

1986 jack foley, dynamite kid (wwe)

cactus jack manson vs the steiners 

wcw clash of champions cactus jack vs sting

wcw cactus jack vs vader

lost ear against vader in germany

ECW- promos

icw with terry funk

mankind wwe 1995---undertaker, boiler rm brawl

*****mind games- shawn michaels v mankind

jr interview on mankind

dude love interviews mankind and introduces cactus jack---cactus jack v hunter hearst helmsley

cactus jack and terry funk v dx

april/may 98 stone cold v dude love

hell in the cell with taker, “you have no idea how much i appreciate what you have done for this company  but i never want to see anything like that again.” put a governor (speed limiter) on him-- vince

mr. socko started when vince hurt his ankle

survivor series mankind v rock (recreated the montreal screw job)

mankind beats the rock for the wwe championship

rock and mankind i quit match

[tag with stone cold, 1997] tag with the rock

raw sept 27, 1999, this is your life

wrote his own books

Memoirs

(1999) Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. ReganBooks. ISBN 0-06-039299-1. (credited as Mankind/Mick Foley) (2001) Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker than Wrestling. ReganBooks. ISBN 0-06-103241-7. (2007) The Hardcore Diaries. PocketBooks. ISBN 1-4165-3157-2 (2010) Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-56461-3 Children's fiction

(2000) Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos. ReganBooks. ISBN 0-06-039414-5. (2001) Mick Foley's Halloween Hijinx. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-000251-4. (2004) Tales From Wrescal Lane. World Wrestling Entertainment.ISBN 0-7434-6634-9. (2012) A Most Mizerable Christmas DK Publishing, Inc.ISBN 9781465403452.[113] Contemporary fiction

(2003) Tietam Brown. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-41550-5. (2005) Scooter. Knopf. ISBN 1-4000-4414-6.

with al snow v the holly (supposed to be last match)

v triple h (street fight), v triple h hell in a cell supposed to be last match...actual last match at wrestle mania (wished last match was hell in the cell)

commissioner- felt like he made the biggest impact as commissioner [“i lied about the beads”, Kurt angle]

(2003) Tietam Brown-- wanted to do a book completely on his own. has to be let go in order to be able to work there again.

kevin nash v hhh hell in the cell, ref

mick foley send off, madison square garden

tag with the rock vs evolution  (felt like he let himself down)

******v randy orten (would have been an opportunity for another perfect ending)

so charitable he got dee snider started and dee still feels like mick puts him to shame

pushed cm punk & samoa joe

wrestle mania against edge (another potential perfect end)

was in the movie animorph 

Year Title Role Notes 1999 Beyond the Mat Himself 2000 Big Money Hustlas Cactus Sac 2007 Anamorph Antique Store Owner 2009 Bloodstained Memoirs Himself 2015 Dixieland Himself 2016 Chokeslam Patrick

commentary on smackdown-- vince can be touch on the commentators (in the headphones)...im going to disney land in a few days and i can t have anyone ruin that for me

December 24 pre-taped edition of Monday Night Raw. Foley as Santa was run over by Alberto Del Rio. However, he managed to recover later in the night and help Cena defeat Del Rio in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight-- last match

stand up comedy

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Ideas

some of these ideas may have been used already- they are just things i would like to see.

>>it would be great for there to be some matches with heel vs heel and face vs face. its understandable that good vs bad will help get the fans invested in match-ups. however, i think there is a lot they could do with good vs good etc. for instance anti-heroes like steve austin, & dean ambrose (and sometimes the rock) seem to be the ones that really get over the best which shows it doesn't always have to be one extreme or the other. you could have a match to try to determine who is the biggest heel, etc.

>>pro wrestler workouts, the roadmap from couch potato to superstar shape. they could do this as a makeover or competition show. my ideal though would be a series of video instructions that can be used as a workout plan from home. it would be completely focused on strength & conditioning of course. you wouldn't want to deal with the liability involved of showing people wrestling moves to use at home-- too dangerous. there could however be a point in the workout training where it is explained the what level of physical conditioning is needed in order to start ring training (for if someone was interested in that).

>>Roman Reigns...he REALLY needs to add more moves to his repertoire. he is a good looking, athletic guy, who can clearly bring some intensity to the ring. however when he only does the spear and superman punch over and over, he is ridiculously boring. at this point, he is so disliked, they really need to have a face help push him or a great heel for him to face. Ambrose has teamed with him before (with shield) and is really over right now so i would definitely play up a friendship between them. maybe have ambrose start a heated rivalry with a decent heel then have roman help him out when he is getting really beat up by the heel. roman’s demeanor is all wrong too. he is trying to act like he doesn't care what the fans think-- but if they hate him and he does that then he should be a heel. another really good idea would be to have roman start to have issues with stephanie. fans always like the idea of going against authority. you also have it set up really well since she just fired mick foley.

>> really any of the superstars that are having trouble getting over need to learn new moves. story angles can definitely help but new and exciting moves really grab attention.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Fail...

i was going to check out another stone cold podcast and decided to look into why there aren't any newer ones available. 

turns out the podcast was cancelled and the dean ambrose one, which i raved about, is supposedly thought to have been “a disaster” and potential the last straw for WWE.

my guess is that there are a lot of fans that enjoyed the podcast as i did, but likely WWE didnt like Stone Cold acting like...stone cold. ex. when he called out ambrose as not being edgy enough.

i tried checking out stone cold’s “steve austin show unleashed” but couldnt get through 1 episode. looked like it was going to be entertaining with vince russo as the guest but he was going on and on about random stories of things that happened to him.

#tagline

im not a writer i just blog a lot

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Elimination Chamber May 31, 2015

after watching Daniel Bryan’s last match, i was interested to see Tyson Kidd’s last match. i quickly found out that the last match was a dark match. i decided to try to find his last on air match with wwe. it took some searching but i was able to determine his last match was the May 31 2015 tag team elimination chamber match. (the dark match was june 2nd 2015).

the tags involved were as follows: primetime players, los matadores, Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, New Day, ascension, & lucha dragons

ascension, & lucha dragons started off with the rest of the teams in “pods” around the ring, then Cesaro & Tyson Kidd joined, then los matadores joined, los matadores were eliminated by the ascension , then lucha dragons eliminated by the ascension, then the primetime players joined, then primetime players eliminated the ascension, the new day joins, then primetime players eliminate cesaro/kidd 

here is what i thought was great about the match:

>>unique moves/ combo slams: ex. cesaro/kidd & primetime players work together to triple suplex new day, & ex. primetime players and cesaro-- german suplex, power bomb combo

>>lots of teams involved which means plenty of action and a lot of unique situations

>>use of the top of the pods-- its different, and lends itself to new situations...flying off the pods, interaction from the teams inside the pods

>>extra participants/wild cards-- el torito was there with los matadores, & full new day had all there of their members

>>able to climb the chamber-- the chamber was made up of chains crossing to make squares. fairly easy to climb which means participants can launch off it. kalysto and el torito even got to the top and dropped down into the ring (it was really high!)

>>no tagging in and out-- you go to see all the participants working at the same time, new day did a pig pile pin

>>timing and trust--- the match illustrated that timing and trust are so important in wresting. if moves were not timed perfectly then they would not only have looked terrible but it would have been easy for someone to get hurt (ex. big e pushing darren young into an oncoming xavier woods who rolls and jumps into the oncoming darren). as for trust-- when kalysto  dropped from the top of the chamber he could have gotten hurt, BAD if he wasn't caught just right.

in summary-- i think the elimination chamber is a fantastic concept. so entertaining and really a great showcase for the entertainers.

my issues:

cesaro swing move is terrible. it only seems like it would make the other person dizzy. he has so much potential & skill. they really need to find a more sensational move for him.

titus oneil and luchadores should get better pushes/promotions. titus is such a strong and athletic wrestler. they NEED to find a way to push him better. he could easily hold a title. i also feel that way about the lucha dragons. their quick, unique moves are so amazing. it makes no sense that they aren't at the top of the tag division. at the least they should be vying for the title regularly and just have heels cheat them. all three need to connect with the fans better. Kalysto started getting the crowd to do the lucha chant when he was on top of the pod but then didnt do anything  with that energy, he should have followed with a high impact move.

#tagline

im not a writer, i just blog a lot 

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Smackdown 817- Champions tag match

Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) mentioned on Instagram that the last match he participated in was a match where he partnered with John Cena against Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.

i watched that match today. It was interesting for me because i had never seen Daniel Bryan wrestle and has also never seen Tyson Kidd wrestle.

to start with, i was surprised that Cesaro and Kidd were heels. didn't expect that. it was interesting also to see Natalya as a valet-- i have only know her as a wrestler. She really didnt seem to bring a lot as a valet except when kidd “accidentally” ran into her before he was wrapped up in a submission at the end of the match.

John Cena started the match and for quite a while the only action you saw from Daniel Bryan was Cena trying to tag him but never making it or getting knocked from the ring by the opposing team. it appeared that they weren't going to have him wrestle-- maybe his health was too bad...

when he finally came in though you saw him flip off the top turnbuckle more than once so he wasn't forced to completely be window dressing.

after i finished watching that match i was curious to see Kidd’s last match. turns out it was a dark match (I'm guessing that means off air). and it was when he was hurt by Samoa Joe. i looked up video of the match but was only able to find the end of the match. the finisher definitely looks a little dangerous the closer you look at it.

i heard a podcast where Stone Cold talked to Samoa Joe about the muscle buster (the finisher that hurt Kidd). again stone cold proved that he is a great interviewer. also samoa joe came across as someone who puts a lot into his craft-- including trying to focus on safety.

#tagline

im not a writer i just blog a lot.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

NXT women

a couple days ago i watched an episode of NXT for the first time.

as a wrestling fan who has only really watched Raw and Smackdown, NXT is very different. it seems a bit unpolished- but on the other hand you can sense the intensity and investment of the fans.

There was a women’s match which was fairly interesting and it reminded me of a match i had heard about from NXT between Natalya and Charlotte. i went back and found that match to watch. It was such a great match. you would see the skill both women displayed very clearly and it was so emotionally charged since each women had their legend relatives in their corners.

i definitely want to see more of charlotte and natalya but also came away wanting to see more of the women’s matches from NXT-- to see the evolution of the talent.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Feedback

Constructive criticism is welcome. I know I will grow as I work at this but I recognize that other perspectives can be helpful-- especially from the intended audience and/or people with more experience.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII- Funk match

After hearing Dean Ambrose mention Terry Funk’s NWA title run, I tried searching for some of those matches. Didn't find what I was looking for but I couldn't pass up a match that had two Rhodes in it.

The American Dream Dusty Rhodes & The Natural Dustin Rhodes vs. Terry Funk & Bunkhouse Buck

let me count the ways I love this match--

1- the first thing you see is Dusty’s forehead all discolored and scarred. He is the old guard and yet he is still so invested. it also goes to show how much things have changed. they still blade themselves now but they are much more careful about the lasting effects-- so far as I can tell.

2- BUNKHOUSE? they used terms that people wouldn't even recognize nowadays

3- dusty getting the crowd going with his hip swivel and fist pumps

4- great storytelling-- Dustin blocking the corner to protect his father from hitting the turnbuckle

5- they are entertainers, not sports models. 

6- bobby the brain “he got a chair. they are gonna sit down and talk it over.” HAHAHA

7- not just great story telling but they very effectively play on your heart strings. the father/son relationship--- when Dustin reached out for his dad when they are both being attacked and then covers him with his own body. I almost teared up at that.

#tagline

I’m, not a writer. I’m just opinionated and interested in writing it all out.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Stone Cold Podcast: Dean Ambrose 4-12-17

This is from august 2016 but it's my first time watching this podcast. [this is gonna be choppy-- just free flow thoughts]

Steve Austin can do no wrong. He is larger than life but still very relatable.

Add to that the fact that you are getting to learn about the real people behind the WWE characters (which is fascinating in itself) and you have a hit.

Where else would you be able to hear Dean talk about how the greatest accomplishment of his career was being able to pay off things for his mom so that she could quit her job.

it's interesting to hear wrestlers thoughts on different aspects of wrestling- for instance, who they like as wrestlers and why. Dean mentioned how he liked Brett the Hitman Hart because he was cagey and put over as great technically and as having to stand out endurance, Such a great description fo the Hitman. 

Now I am eager to check out Terry Funk’s NWA championship run...hello WWE archives.

they really did a great job putting together this interview. even though the research did seem completely accurate-- the question list was still great for eliciting interesting information. 

so many people say that they do something because they love it, but when you say “I don't care if I make it big, I'm just going to build an amazing body of work”-- that's for real LOVE.

this is one of the best comments I have heard on the issue of wrestling entertainment being fake-- “there ain't nothing fake about what I went through to get here”. the older I have gotten the more I appreciate what goes into the WWE. superstars aren't just actors, they are legit athletes AND they are showmen AND they are chameleon's AND they are road warriors AND they are social media targets...it has to be a ridiculous amount of work and pressure.

“in a year they are going to have the babyface they never wanted”. doesn't seem like he is holding anything back.

him describing how he came in thinking it was about doing violence and pile drivers but now understands that it is about putting smiles on peoples faces.

YES!! Stone Cold challenged him to be edgier.

amazing. I love that they ended with back and forth about the stunner. “I can block the stunner”. “I wouldn't let you block the stunner”. haha

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I’m, not a writer. I'm just opinionated and interested in writing it all out.

[thestanfordfiles-blog]

Total Divas 4-12-17

Maryse/Eva Marie: The storyline with them in this episode wasn't terrible, just not anything special. Regardless I do find Mayse very interesting. She is such a strong personality which very clearly can come across abrasive and which helps make her a great heel. That said- I find her very engaging because she comes across so real. That is a huge theme I have found in watching the WWE- anything that comes across real and/or natural seems to play the best.

Trinity (Naomi): It's interesting to find out that she was the creative force behind her glow entrance. This was a great segment because it takes you behind the scenes & seems real-- Trinity’s eagerness to make an impact, her nerves over if her idea will go over well, Nattie’s insight into the importance of what Trinity was trying to do and the implications if it is accepted (ex. of how far women have come in the field, only a few top stars have entrances with the lights out), the process of vetting an entrance idea, etc. Jon stands out in segments with her as well. He is such a character-- he is definitely a great example of how the significant others add a lot to the Total Divas show.

Renee/Dean: They are so entertaining to watch. Each has a down to earth and fun. Then you put them together and they play so well off each other. The only issue is that WWE is clearly trying to create or recreate somewhat dramatic situations. “ Renee wants romance, but Dean isn't into it...then, in the end, Renee realizes their low-key approach is a version of romance that works best for them.”. Bleh. Just let them be as they are naturally and it will be more entertaining.

Brie/Nicole: I find myself rolling my eyes at a lot of their interactions with each other but upon reflection, i realize that they really are just being normal siblings. They didn't do it this episode but I honestly love it when they make a goofy comment-- when they have no idea how to spell something or the definition of something. It doesn't make them seem ignorant, just normal. it also makes you realize that even though they meet this unrealistic beauty standard, that they are not in actuality “perfect”.

#tagline 

I'm, not a writer. I'm just opinionated and interested in writing it all out.