Wrestling: The Baron Corbin Era

[An Actual Propeller]

What was the story with the bipedal amputee? Is he a legit wrestler?

He sure is: 6:20 into this video gives the background: https://youtu.be/iCyxT-LKfO0

[hummingofevil]

What was the story with the bipedal amputee? Is he a legit wrestler?

He wrestled Tony Deppen at Joey Janela Spring Break 3 part 1. Deppen has the MJF gimmick and is every bit as good at drawing nuclear heat from crowds who genuinely seem to dislike him. Deppen cane out and did a kind of reverse open challenge an went stalking the crowd looking for an opponent. Obviously he picked out the guy in the crowd in the wheel chair with no legs. He accepted the challenge and after a few WTF reactions from crowd they realised it was a work and "No Legs" could go. His holy shit move is what he was trying to do when MJF booted him out of the Battle Royale at DoN; it's why the proper indie nerds in audience give MJF super boos as they knew what was coming. He holds onto top rope with both hands. Springboards up onto middle rope then launches into a 450 (maybe - he's spinning) splash. It's ace.

As a crowd plant he was not introduced to crowd by name hence "No Legs" chants. His name is Dustin and I shall use it from the point forward.

[hummingofevil]

Ha ha. Just read back through the Observer review of it:

"In just two matches, they made Stunt seem like a star, Janela out to be the man, and Deppen out to be a massive prick."

Ha ha ha ha

[An Actual Propeller]

Tony Deppen's great, he's really good at being an old-school prick but has a modern ring style with Terry Funk brawling and some great Bob Backlund-style facials. I hope he gets a shot in th' big leagues soon.

[hummingofevil]

Tony Deppen's great, he's really good at being an old-school prick but has a modern ring style with Terry Funk brawling and some great Bob Backlund-style facials. I hope he gets a shot in th' big leagues soon.

I think Meltzer said he did PWG (including a heel turn) so he's definitely moving up slowly. He had a good showing on Beyond which means if history is anything to go by the big 2, 3, 4 will be hovering with their check books soon enough.

[hummingofevil]

Oh. I didn't ignore it but fuck yes Mox in Japan could be excellent. TBH I've never been much of a Dean Ambrose fan and found a lot of his work either a bit forced or a bit lazy but he has a huge opportunity there.

So he's debuting on 5th June which is the BOSJ final which is a Sumo Hall. There was always a thought that that is a huge building for a BOSJ card so wonder if that will have much of an impact on ticket sales. My guess is not really. Have the announced Liger yet?

So, my best guess is that they will use that to set up Moxley vs Juice for G1 Dallas unless he has signed some stip saying he can't work in US for anyone but AEW. Reports have been that NJPW are still confident of a decent walk-up and Moxley Juice should certainly push tickets in Dallas if that is what they have planned.

Oh what a time.

[hummingofevil]

Really good WOR with a female panel on WON now. Well worth a listen.

[Ja'moke]

It seems like Hikaru Shida has signed full time with AEW: https://twitter.com/shidahikaru/status/1133039172178939904

[hummingofevil]

It seems like Hikaru Shida has signed full time with AEW: https://twitter.com/shidahikaru/status/1133039172178939904

I read somewhere that she has signed a 2 year deal and will see how well she settles living in US but is hopeful of staying longer if it all works out.

[An Actual Propeller]

Really good WOR with a female panel on WON now. Well worth a listen.

That was really good. Particular favourite bit was the 16-year-old saying "I didn't know wrestling had stories!" after watching AEW.

[hummingofevil]

That was really good. Particular favourite bit was the 16-year-old saying "I didn't know wrestling had stories!" after watching AEW.

Yes. That bit did make me chuckle. She had obviously never followed the Andreza the Giant panda vs Tsukasa match from Ice Ribbon. Now THAT was a backstory. :)

It was a really interesting discussion. I took away from it that the key things they were looking for were emotional stories to get invested in with real characters* and women who they wanted to be like. I hadn't really thought about it before beyond knowing that Japanese women's wrestling has a lot teenage wrestling fans who treat them like idols (and Japanese wrestling generally has more women fans) but it got me thinking about the likes of Little Mix.

The old ideas of younger girls being obsessed with boys has always been a thing (from Elvis onwards to BTS) but teenage girls go fucking mental for Little Mix and the K-pop groups like Blackpink. I'm not saying AEW needs to have women doing song and dance routines (though I do love the Joshi song and dance routines) but just tapping into that idea that if you give teenage and younger women wrestlers they can relate to then there is a huge potential there for giving an underappreciated group of fans what they want.

Right-oh daddy-ohs. Now the groovy white male 40 year old man has spoken about what women want we are all cool with tha sistas yeah? Peace out.

---

*This is where Vince has to sort his shit out. You seen that video of Dasha being interviewed? My god she is amazing. Personality popping out of her but literally told not to show any of it on WWE television it makes zero sense.

Even before the cancer, you would see Roman Reigns on those talk shows with his suit on and hair scraped back and he looked like a million dollars. Funny, charming, crushingly handsome and someone who looks exactly like what a World Champion in an expensive suit and watch. It's a trick as old as time. Then you have him come out on RAW in his tired outfit banging on about Big Dogs and don't that fucking arm-wank thing and it's cringy as.

Let them be themselves

[up_the_hampipe]

MJF is the best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGiJMwHsMQk

[hummingofevil]

MJF is the best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGiJMwHsMQk

Ha ha ha. That is hilarious. MJF on the wrestlers he describes as "hippy dippy marks flip-floping around":

"Who gives a shit? Ok? I know I don't. You know what I care about? Winning, money, girls... protein drinks."

Thank you so much for finding this. It is ace.

[up_the_hampipe]

He's only 23. He's going to be such a star.

[hummingofevil]

Gone on a bit of a wrestling adventure on youtube. Been watching recentish Aja Kong matches and there was a cracking 26minute match against Hiraku Shida last year out there. Aja gets her nose legit smashed up by a knee then takes the same spot another 4 or 5 times. Mad bastard. I love her.

This is a must see. Riho vs Makoto from Singapore (no me neither). It's such a high impact match. The 30 second exhange from 9:20 is absolutely awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-_WSW3RzyE

[Deanjam]

Loving Brock party.

[Mobius]

Loving Brock party.

Hate myself for being so easily amused by this

[up_the_hampipe]

What the fuck is going on I love it

[hummingofevil]

If WWE turned into DDT it would wipe the floor with AEW. Everything is stale and shit one way out of it is just to completely reboot everyone with daft as fuck new characters. Dancing Brock is a very welcome start. Starrdom has a gimmick week where all the other wrestlers swap gimmicks. If Vince can't book week to week at least give us dopey funny shit.

Ziggler gone all bitey?

[hummingofevil]

Liking this Xavier too.

[Mobius]

Quite enjoying this but for AEW to really stand up and take notice I think we need multiple Baron Corbin segments.

[hummingofevil]

Genuniely the main thing AEW and/or WWE  need to sort out is the use of adverts in their TV programming. It is so shit and kills everything. It's such a fine balance explaining to advertisers that everyone hates adverts and wrestling shows (unlike say NFL) just get killed by constant adverts and having them realise they aren't going to advertise but something needs to change.

Two ways of doing is either to have split screens or, my prefered option, always have two entrances but cut to adverts for one of them and come back to the action during second entrance with first wrestler introduced by commentary team.

[Mobius]

Wish Shane would fuck off ideally forever

[Deanjam]

Will there be an actual match on Raw tonight?

[up_the_hampipe]

Wow, this show is a joke.

[Ja'moke]

I've actually turned Raw on live for the first time in weeks because everyone is saying it's an absolute trainwreck.... I guess that's one way to get ratings up. No wrestling in 50 minutes?

[Ja'moke]

AEW and This is Awful chants. Hahah

[up_the_hampipe]

Is this Vince's way of showing that he doesn't consider AEW a threat? Just making the most boring episode of RAW possible.

[hummingofevil]

I am watching Double or Nothing with Raw on split screen in case anything interesting has happened. You know that Young Bucks match that went on "a bit long". Well it started just as Shane came out back stage. It has just finished. Shane is still on screen.

BTW: That Joshi match was even better on second watch.

[Ja'moke]

It's not even boring... it's like actively terrible. Raw has been boring for a while, but it still had decent matches and some semblance of thought behind it. I don't know what the hell this is.