Wrestling In The Time Of COVID-19: the new thread

[BeardFaceMan]

this week's Observer is just incredible

In a good way or bad way? Could go either way with Meltzer.

[Deanjam]

I thought it was a great read. When you see the sheer scale of the abuses put into one place, it blows your mind. Then add on the covid shit and it is indeed incredible.

[BeardFaceMan]

I must confess, I've never read it. Most of it seems to get posted to reddit so I've never bothered.

[Deanjam]

I usually enjoy it, but you do have to deal with Dave's inability to use punctuation.

[Deanjam]

Low Ki. Low IQ.

[Ja'moke]

They've booked Sasha vs Io for next week's NXT. They're counter programming has worked on me.

[BeardFaceMan]

They've booked Sasha vs Io for next week's NXT. They're counter programming has worked on me.

Fucking hell, really? That's all it takes for you to ignore everything else?

[Ja'moke]

Fucking hell, really? That's all it takes for you to ignore everything else?

Mate, I'm still watching NXT weekly anyway. I'm saying Sasha v Io is enough to get me to watch it before Dynamite next week. That's a dream match for me.

[BeardFaceMan]

Mate, I'm still watching NXT weekly anyway.

Heh of course you are. That's why movements like Speaking Out have very little meaningful impact, people know what goes on, know what the people and company practices are like, you'll sit there and listen to the stories and say "that's terrible" and still selfishly look the other way so you can watch a bit of entertainment for an hour or two.

No need to respond, I know I'm shouting at the sky, this stuff just pisses me right the fuck off.

[Ja'moke]

Heh of course you are. That's why movements like Speaking Out have very little meaningful impact, people know what goes on, know what the people and company practices are like, you'll sit there and listen to the stories and say "that's terrible" and still selfishly look the other way so you can watch a bit of entertainment for an hour or two.

No need to respond, I know I'm shouting at the sky, this stuff just pisses me right the fuck off.

Yeah it's fucked but it's not just WWE is it? Every company has its dark and seedy side and sex pests and murderers and racists and animal torturers and homophobes and scum of the earth.

It's not right but it would mean never watching any wrestling ever again. I'm weak and selfish I guess because I still love wrestling and want to watch my favourites.

[BeardFaceMan]

Yeah it's fucked but it's not just WWE is it? Every company has its dark and seedy side and sex pests and murderers and racists and animal torturers and homophobes and scum of the earth.

It's not right but it would mean never watching any wrestling ever again. I'm weak and selfish I guess because I still love wrestling and want to watch my favourites.

Oh for sure there's industry-wide problems, it's not just WWE, it's like WWE are a distilled version of everything that's wrong. Not even because of the SpeakingOut stuff, the way they handled Covid was fucking appalling. For a company their size, with the profits that they have, to fire and furlough so many people when the lockdown started while simultaneously paying out huge dividends to their shareholders was unbelievably scummy. Feds like New Japan or TNA or AEW, companies a fraction of their size, fired no one and took care of everyone who worked for them. Not to mention they basically created their own virus hotspot in pursuit of more cash. Then there's Saudi, and Vince himself....

I'm not suggesting never watching wrestling again, or only watch non-profit feds that only employ Buddhist monks and donate all their earnings to charity, but what I am suggesting is that by continuing to watch WWE you're supporting those worst practices and behaviour, and not all wrestling companies are like that. You're helping keep the status quo the way it is, that's why change is so hard. Why would WWE change anything when they know you'll watch anyway?

[Gurke and Hare]

Good decision by Mox. Responsible.

No doubt my clicking Post on this will trigger someone tweeting a photo of him putting up a Trump 2020 lawn sign on his front lawn, but as well as being a great wrestler Mox seems to be a really decent guy. Obviously everyone tries to present themselves as such, but he seems genuine, and I've seen him praised on Twitter over the last couple of weeks as someone who would challenge men behaving like creeps to women in wrestling.

Also, he was really good on A Shot of Brandi last week.

I see ZSJ's still conspicuous by his absence from Twitter.

[Custard]

Renee wouldn't be with a sleazy Simon, so I think we're safe with Mox. He does seem like a decent lad

[Deanjam]

[Ja'moke]

Probably announcing tapings at the UK performance centre.

[Ja'moke]

Joe Coffey suspended, NXT UK referees Chris Roberts and Joel Allen fired. NXT UK tapings expected to commence again soon.

[Gurke and Hare]

NJPW solicits questions for #askZSJ. It goes roughly as you'd expect.

[Ja'moke]

Fyter Fest Night 1 vs NXT Great American Bash Night 1 tonight.

Decided that I'm still going to watch Dynamite live, but will then watch Sasha vs Io afterwards. Very excited for Hangman & Omega vs Best Friends too!

[kitsofan34]

NJPW solicits questions for #askZSJ. It goes roughly as you'd expect.

Hahahahaha they deleted it.

[Ja'moke]

Smart move holding off Mox v Cage for another couple weeks. Also Tazz is ace, can't believe no company was using him in this role years ago. "We don't run a sloppy shop."

Great show so far. Now tag title time!

[Gurke and Hare]

Puppy Battle Royale!

[Ja'moke]

Sasha vs Io was very good. Hoping we get Io & Asuka vs Bayley & Sasha next after that ending.

[Deanjam]

Bounce back for AEW, but NXT wins again.

[Mobius]

Couldn't be bothered to watch the rest of the card because Yoshi Hashi was on it, but Ishii Vs Hiromu was a hard hitting match.

[sevendaughters]

the Yoshihashi match is perfect. Make the time to see it. Won't take long.

[Ja'moke]

Bounce back for AEW, but NXT wins again.

NXT literally been propped up by over 50s. Seriously, it had a 0.40 in Over 50 demo, compared to AEW's 0.29.

AEW almost back in the Top 5 though.

[BeardFaceMan]

Yeah I'm not sure why people obsess over those viewing numbers, theyre not really indicative of anything on their own. They dont take into account demos, or lead-in programs, or the quality of the previous weeks shows etc This is no Wednesday Night War.

[Moribunderast]

The only time I'll care about the numbers is if they dropped low enough that AEW was in danger of being pulled. Ideally I'd like Dynamite to be doing great ratings because I think it's a very good show and I'd like NXT to be doing less than Dynamite because I hate WWE as a company and want them to be humbled wherever possible, BUT ultimately the numbers only really matter for Twitter trolls who want to use them as "proof" that "their" company, whether it be AEW or WWE, is better.

Loved Fyter Fest Part One. Opening tag was great, Women's Title match was great, Cody/Hager was fine, PnP/Private Party was okay (though I think PnP, much like Lucha Bros and TH2 deserve a better push - such is the issue with having such a stacked tag division) and I enjoyed the Tag Title match. Trent getting a kiss from his Mum was tremendous.

Bring on next week.

[BeardFaceMan]

Loved Fyter Fest Part One. Opening tag was great, Women's Title match was great, Cody/Hager was fine, PnP/Private Party was okay (though I think PnP, much like Lucha Bros and TH2 deserve a better push - such is the issue with having such a stacked tag division) and I enjoyed the Tag Title match. Trent getting a kiss from his Mum was tremendous.

Bring on next week.

I'm actively starting to dislike Cody's matches now, too much fuckery going on. Just have a match, for fucks sake. And much like when they tried this kind of finish with Darby, the ending was sloppy as fuck. I tell you though, when Cody turns heel, it's going to be fucking immense, I may even enjoy his work then.

The women's match was great. I had kinda dismissed Penelope Ford as eye candy who could do a 'rana now and again but she's been really good during these lockdown shows and she was very impressive in this match.

"You ever had pyro before, Excalibur, you dumb idiot?" First thing Jericho said when he sat down for commentary, he's so fucking good in that role.

I definitely think a tag team-only PPV is on the cards, they have too much talent in the tag division not to. Trying to give equal airtime to them, the men and the women is a tough call, especially when they have so much talent in every area.

[Ja'moke]

I'm actively starting to dislike Cody's matches now, too much fuckery going on.

Definitely a crutch in his "big" matches. But he recently had clean matches against Jungle Boy and Marq Quen and Ricky Starks. That was easily Hager's best match so far though... maybe ever?

In other news, WWE has acquired Evolve.