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Yeah, I guess they have to test everybody backstage anyway. Wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of insane mask ban backstage too or something like that.

Got to say I'm kinda liking the Acclaimed... they have a good gimmick and look, especially Bowen who has great facials. They can do a proper wrestling match too not just flippy stuff!
I say that as a man with no affinity for rap . Again they are something a bit different so stand out.

TLC is rather good this year. And from the promo reel, Reigns makes a pretty solid heel!


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Hold that thought.

Wyatt vs Orton. I’m braced for a snoozefest

Seriously. How could they make a match where you gave to set your opponent on fire to win so utterly, utterly flaccid? Zero tension. Just......dull.

Well, in the defence of the Firefly Inferno match (that was the name, right?):

.) I like how they kept the stipulation secret. When it was revealed I thought "what? How would they set each other on fire?". And THEN, a few minutes later all the flamey stuff erupted around the ring... that was pretty cool.
.) It's one of those things in which they try to make the best of a bad situation (ie no audience). At least this way we had yet another of these "only on 2020!" matches
.) It was leagues ahead of the Eye For An Eye match.

So that's something, right?


Impact had a PPV this weekend. Does anybody watch Impact?

It’s just Randy Orton. I’ve never found him a particularly interesting or compelling character.

And seriously, the Bray Wyatt thing has outstayed its welcome.

During the second half of 2020 I think he's a somewhat interesting character. or at least there was potential for that. But yeah, overall I'm not a huge fan either. As for Bray Wyatt - As I said above, I like the Fiend and the new Bray character, they just did way too much with him. If they had spent as much time on the ... I don't even remember their name.... Retribution! Right, if they had spent as much time on Retribution as on the Fiend I think we'd have a.) an interesting group in Retribution, b.) more interest and enjoyment in the Fiend/Wyatt character and his stories. The fiend is great, just use him like the shark in Jaws. Have his presence felt every now and then, but only have him show up two or three times a year, and have that be a spectacle. Less expensive than having Lesnar or Goldberg come over too.

Boring Brock can sod off as well.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Boring Brock can sod off as well.

Amen to that brother!

I think the whole 'no crowds' thing has effectively - if not killed - put wrestling on hiatus for me.

I'm keeping an eye on recaps of AEW and NXT, but not really watching much at all...

I've no idea what's going on with RAW or Smackdown, or ROH or Impact either.

Can't wait for the crowds to return.

Until then, more free time!

Oh, I'm okay with Brock Lesnar. In my opinion he doesn't have to hold a title (but then again it's hard to give his mercenary character any incentive to have a match if not for the title) though. Any Brock Lesnar match is a spectacle though. But I can live without him showing up.

Yeah, the lack of audiences is pretty bad. Not only for televised events, but also simply because we can't go watch local live wrestling. Not that I've done that often, but I really want to have the option! Apart from that, audiences are just an integral part of the whole thing. And I really detest piped-in crowd noises. All we can hope for is that vaccination thing getting done quickly and we can get out and attend events again in the flesh.

Brock is just a three move man.

German Suplex, F5, splunge around the ring. That’s all he ever does to my eyes.

Firefly Inferno? I’ll be honest, I was surprised when it really was a propellant being used. I appreciate the skill and care involved there, as it could’ve gone seriously wrong.

But the match, as with many Fiend vs Orton matches......just......ended. No bell. No declaration of winner. Just thrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrppppp.

Hey Big Daddy was a two move man, but he had a great gimmick!

Brock is a great attraction a a monster, you just shouldn't book him in 20 minute matches.

Big Daddy also had charisma.

Brock, as a sports entertainer? Not so much.

And as ever, I totally respect the man’s athletic prowess. I just don’t think he’s at all suited to wrasslin’

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Big Daddy also had charisma.

Brock, as a sports entertainer? Not so much.

And as ever, I totally respect the man’s athletic prowess. I just don’t think he’s at all suited to wrasslin’

Well that's why they put him with Paul E Dangerously, he's got charisma enough for both of them!

He's not my favourite wrestler or anything, but I feel there has to be room for such an impressive physical specimen in wrestling!

Meh.

He’s still got tiny little chicken legs. Like a Warmahordes model.

Barock could be used to great effect in modern wrestling, if used right.

Remember the old transitional champions of the past? That is the role he is perfect for. You have your world title on babyface A and want to get it to Babyface B, bring in Barock to beat A then drop it to B. It is simple but works. A isn't harmed too much by losing to Barock as Barock is a legit beast, and B gains credibility by managing to overcome the beast. This also means you don't need to use one of your regularly appearing heels in a quick feud to move the championship which might leave them looking too weak, allowing you to use them for more long-term storyline feuds.

The mistake that WWE keeps making is having Barock take the title off of A and then hold it for way too long. Now sure, it does get B a big pop when they do finally beat him, but I don't think it is big enough to counteract the frustration that having the title basically go missing forments.

@Mad Doc Grotsnik, I went back to watch a Brock match just to see if I was remembering him wrong...

I watched his match with Chris Benoit on Smackdown in Dec 2003, it was it was absolutely bloomin' fantastic! Not just his ringwork and look either, he really got the story of the match over too.
I'm sure WWE has booked him poorly since then and maybe he doesn't care anymore, but that first WWE championship run proves he absolutely belongs in wrestling to me.


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Wait... how did I end up talking about WWE

Dynamite was top notch this week, thought every match was great but especially loved the Kingston vs Pac match!
Even the Marco Stunt match was well laid out and worked by FTR, but does highlight how those guys are being completely wasted at AEW lately

I think that everything Lesnar does has a lot of impact, because he's built as that monster heel and....well, look at him! And when he sells he does it well, and it has impact. I really enjoyed his match vs. AJ Styles, I really enjoyed his match vs. Goldberg, I really enjoyed his matches vs. Bálor (with the tummyviculitis or whatever he had) and vs. Daniel Bryan.

You gotta have huge dudes in wrestling, and among them Lesnar brings along this general freaky athletic ability, strong wrestling, and just impressiveness on every level. I like to see him every now and then. I don't have to see a title around his waist, but, as A Town called Malus mentioned, as a transitional champ he'd work great. I mean they currently don't have anybody to face Reigns anyway. Bring on Lesnar, have them have a match or two and have Roman win.

My kids wanted to watch last year's Royal Rumble again since they're excited for this years event.

Knowing that Brock was going to last as long as he did made it much less infuriating than when it was happening live. It made his elimination all that more special, but watching it at the time it felt like the worst Royal Rumble ever for the first half of the match.

Yeah. With genuine respect to his fans, he just can’t carry a bout for me. Though it was fun to see him get booted in the face, out of the ring.

I think it really boils down to his Part Timer’s Part Timer status. He just doesn’t earn, in terms of heat, and of his title shots. It’s all just sort of handed to him.

Wrasslin’ needs a certain suspension of disbelief due to the scripting. But Boring Brock makes it all so obvious.

Bill Goldberg is 54 and Brock is 43.

We could be getting part-timer Brock for the next 11+ years.

I hope this is the last time we see Goldberg in the ring, but I can't imagine that that'll be the case yet.

Mark Calaway is 55. Sting was 55 or 56 when he wrestled his last match. Don't let any of those part timers get to work past The Undertaker and Sting. Please!

Wouldn’t mind seeing Ryback return.

Got a bit of a soft spot for him.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Wouldn’t mind seeing Ryback return.

Got a bit of a soft spot for him.

Can't tell if sarcasm...

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Wouldn’t mind seeing Ryback return.

Got a bit of a soft spot for him.

I always knew you were one sick puppy...

He looks impressive and bascially made for wrestling, that I'll give you. I didn't see all that much of him in the ring, maybe a year, a year and a half. But since the release he didn't make the best of impression on me or the rest of the world.


As for Goldberg - I like the guy. I liked his santa claws film. I do NOT like seeing him in the ring in 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2021. He took the belt from the amazing being that is Kevin Owens in an infuriating match. Apart from that he's just rather old and I don't wanna see him wrestling.


Started watching Will Ospreay matches in NJPW. Today: Tanahashi and Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Suzuki in April 2019 in New York. It filled me with joy. Wrestling with audiences is so good.

Ospreay is, like Ricochet, an amazing athlete.

Managed to talk to him for a little bit after a local show, and he seemed a cool dude too.

 Dysartes wrote:
Ospreay is, like Ricochet, an amazing athlete.

Managed to talk to him for a little bit after a local show, and he seemed a cool dude too.

He seems to be! I made it a habit of watching Ospreay matches almost on a daily basis now. He is a bit good, and those matches are excellently fun.

I just saw this picture:



And it helped me to finally figured out how the heck the Fiend is considered a babyface by WWE - he's got a smile on his face! He kinda played the system. WWE can't have a heel who smiles. Makes them a babyface by default.

Wow the Dax v Jungle Boy match was really good this week! We've kept saying on this board that Jungle Boy could could be great if he was given something to work with and he really proved it this week!

Actually there were quite a few good singles matches this week, and even the bad matches didn't seem to drag on too long

I haven't seen the full match, but what I've seen of the Dax/Jungle Boy match was good.

Given the streaming issues, though it was good of AEW to put the Lance Archer / Eddie Kingston match on YouTube in full - thought it was a good match, too, with a suitable finish to keep the feud going. I believe there's going to be a Lumberjack rematch, which should be fun.

I watch on ITV catchup TV so didn't realise there was a problem, that was in USA only I guess?

Yea Kingston got pretty rinsed by Archer in that match and he can sell pretty well!

One thing I don't understand is why the make the weapons look so rubbish, if it was me I would have gone to the toy shop, bought a pair of plastic "brass knuckles" and spray painted them gold just so it was really obvious what they were supposed to be!

Mistimed my holiday and that’s for sure!

WWE Royal Rumble is tonight, and I’m back to work tomorrow morning.

Ah well. I can cast from iPad to the telly in my bedroom. Guess I’ll be having that on as my background entertainment.