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

[BeardFaceMan]

The documentaries on the Network are usually very good, especially that recent Edge one. I haven't seen the Undertaker series, but that's been getting great reviews too. That said, I did cancel the Network a couple months ago, but I borrow a mate's (and he borrow's my Fite TV for Dynamite).

I watched the Taker one as it was interesting to see him drop kayfabe after so long. It was good, but was kinda sad to see him chasing that perfect career ending, having a great match and thinking he can still continue wrestling, then having a shit match and wanting to redeem himself and getting stuck in that cycle. It was a good insight into the mindset of someone who has been wrestling that long, it's pure addiction that keeps them going. Chasing that high from a crowd cheering them is no different than someone chasing their high by using heroin, and they'll both go through a lot of pain, hurt and bullshit in order to get their fix. Like when you hear Stone Cold talk about how depressed he was for years after he had to stop wrestling, these guys really do need mental help when they stop. It's a huge shock to the system and they have no way of coping with their new life.

[Ja'moke]

Just made a last minute impulse buy of tonight's GCW event, my first ever GCW show. Let's see what this is all about!

[hummingofevil]

Just made a last minute impulse buy of tonight's GCW event, my first ever GCW show. Let's see what this is all about!

I love watching them. The community feel of the shows is always really charming. The matches can vary in quality at times but I always enjoy watching. I don't think there is a anyone in wrestling who is loved more by their fans that Nick Gage (well maybe the Sasha stans but so much of that is weird and creepy) and expect a long poor quality match from him that you will end up loving.

Tony Deppen is my man. Love him.

[Ja'moke]

Impressed by Calvin Tankman and Benjamin Carter in that opener.

[Ja'moke]

That Lio Rush reveal was ace.

[hummingofevil]

Vince is trolling us with these now surely?

https://twitter.com/VinceMcMahon/status/1287765555685011456?s=20

Ha ha. The replies are gold.

---

Also I've drifted away from Jericho podcast during lockdown but just listen to the Sonny Kiss one and it is really good. Very insightful and surprisingly funny throughout. They need to somehow get the subtleties or his personality over as there are about a dozen things he says that increasingly made me love him. Seems a lovely person and couldn't genuinely give two fucks if anyone out there is a dick about him which makes him sound like a badass. Go listen.

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How was GCW Jamoke? If you want to go back and watch old shows they are on IWTV for $10 a month. The later shows aren't on which is a shame but suppose they want fans to pay full price on Fite. Fair enough.

P.s. Tankman is a beast. Signed to MLW.

P.p.s. What do you think of Blake Christian? I immediately took a dislike to his wannabee Osprey tribute act but guy is talented at the flippy shit. What were you first impressions?

[Swoz_MK]

Where's kairi off to?!

https://twitter.com/KairiSaneWWE/status/1287935624305979392

Safe from Nia now though I s'pose.

[Deanjam]

I suspect it's related to her recent marriage. So either a Japanese promotion or possibly starting a family.

[Ja'moke]

Where's kairi off to?!

https://twitter.com/KairiSaneWWE/status/1287935624305979392

Safe from Nia now though I s'pose.

Moving back to Japan. She recently got married and her husband lives in Japan. But apparently she'll be serving as a "WWE Ambassador".

How was GCW Jamoke? If you want to go back and watch old shows they are on IWTV for $10 a month. The later shows aren't on which is a shame but suppose they want fans to pay full price on Fite. Fair enough.

P.s. Tankman is a beast. Signed to MLW.

P.p.s. What do you think of Blake Christian? I immediately took a dislike to his wannabee Osprey tribute act but guy is talented at the flippy shit. What were you first impressions?

I had fun, but not sure I could watch too much of it regularly. There was a few too many death matches for my liking. And I'm not against death matches by any means, but I like them when they're rare, as it makes them more special. Three or four death matches per show they just become boring.

But there was a lot to enjoy. Blake Christian can certainly do some insane flippy shit. I preferred Alex Zayne though, surprised he's not signed to a major company.

[BeardFaceMan]

Moving back to Japan. She recently got married and her husband lives in Japan. But apparently she'll be serving as a "WWE Ambassador".

A job that will involve her hearing "no thanks, we're happy with our own wrestling" a lot. WWE may as well try and open an NXT Mexico, they're never getting a foothold in Japan.

[boki]

Vince is trolling us with these now surely?

https://twitter.com/VinceMcMahon/status/1287765555685011456?s=20

Ha ha. The replies are gold.

Surprising lack of coffin-humping GIFs

[Deanjam]

Another shit rating for RAW - 1.6 million. The third hour did 1.4 million. AEW's main event on Wednesday hit a peak of 1 million. That's a lot closer than anyone would have predicted a year ago.

[Ja'moke]

Looking forward to seeing what this Warhorse kid is all about tonight. I've only seen a couple of promos from him, never seen him wrestle. I gather that he's an 80s throwback, and he seems to have a pretty big fanbase.

The full card looks great tonight actually...

[Ja'moke]

After all the hype this show has kind of sucked.

[Ja'moke]

Of all the amazing women on the indies, why of all people would you bring in Cameron.

[Deanjam]

Cameron the Funkadactyl? Lol. I'd guess it's because she's a friend of Cody & Brandi.

[Ja'moke]

Cameron the Funkadactyl? Lol. I'd guess it's because she's a friend of Cody & Brandi.

Yeah, Nyla drew her in the "deadly draw" for the women's tag tournament. I mean, I guessing it's for comedy value and Nyla will do all the work, but still. The women's division doesn't need comedy jobbers right now. I don't care if she has a big social media following or whatever. She hasn't wrestled since she left WWE!

The division needs more women who can go. And there's plenty out there. Nicole Savoy is still unsigned! Here's 10 options I wrote about last week: https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/aew-all-elite-wrestling-women-wrestlers-challenge-hikaru-shida/

[Gurke and Hare]

After all the hype this show has kind of sucked.

I think sucked is a bit harsh. It wasn't one of the better Dynamites but there was plenty good in there, I enjoyed the MJF stuff and the Jericho/Inner Circle promo. The 10 man tag was a mess, and I don't know why they're doing the razor blade approach to tag matches (the week after next, The Inner Circle plus Lucha Bros vs The Elite and Jurassic Express?) but I enjoyed the TNT match and I like the mutual respect Moxley/Darby feud they're doing. A pity there won't be a crowd for All Out, Mox/MJF would go over huge.

[kitsofan34]

They desperately need a crowd for FTR turning, the potential Four Horseman formation, Orange Cassidy beating Jericho, the list goes on...Don't envy their current predicament, hard to know whether to pull the trigger at a crowdless All Out or keep stalling.

JR is also a tricky one for Khan. He probably brings in a lot of lapsed viewers, which is their M.O, recognisable, gives the company legitimacy, yet he's a lecherous, disinterested, cantakerous prick who spends half the time on commentary nit picking the very company he works for.

[Ja'moke]

I think sucked is a bit harsh. It wasn't one of the better Dynamites but there was plenty good in there, I enjoyed the MJF stuff and the Jericho/Inner Circle promo. The 10 man tag was a mess, and I don't know why they're doing the razor blade approach to tag matches (the week after next, The Inner Circle plus Lucha Bros vs The Elite and Jurassic Express?) but I enjoyed the TNT match and I like the mutual respect Moxley/Darby feud they're doing. A pity there won't be a crowd for All Out, Mox/MJF would go over huge.

Yeah, sucked was me just being moody because I enjoyed last week's so much and was really hyped for this episode based on the card. And a big part of the bad atmosphere was no Excalibur* on commentary and JR just shitting on everything.

But you're right, there was still good stuff here. The MJF promo was amazing. I really liked the contract signing with FTR and Arn and Hangman. The tag title match was very good, and the main event tag, while rushed, was fun.

It tells you a lot about the quality of Dynamite in 2020 that this was a below-average episode.

*I assume they took Excalibur off because of those RingsideNews morons continuing to reshare that PWG video of Excalibur and Owens using the n-word during an angle. Which, yes, was stupid of them to do. But the clip is like 15 years old and has been brought up several times already and both Owens and Ex have apologised and explained the story (it was an in character angle suggested by the wrestler they used the n-word against). They regret having done it. But RingsideNews were talking like Excalibur is Hogan or something.

[BeardFaceMan]

I like Tazz the commentator and I like Tazz the heel manager, but the two don't really go together. He's  a lot more playful and upbeat on commentary, then there a segment with one of his boys and he goes into badass serious heel mode, then he's  back to being jokey Tazz on commentary. Pick one and stick with it, you can't do both at once.

At least it looks like Cardona has dropped the Broski gimmick so he might be bearable now.

For two hardcore motherfuckers, Santana and Ortiz aren't afraid to bring the comedy, and they're  damn good at it too.

The whole episode was worth it just for the Spanish God's response to Jericho's query about what son of a bitch means in Spanish, it's  great to watch a wrestling show where the comedy hits more than it misses and doesn't leave you feeling embarrassed about watching it.

I can't think of any other reason for indies guys being fed to Cody other than to further his slowburn heel turn. Otherwise it's all a bit pointless and crap. And it makes a mockery of their wins and losses matter  stance, if guys who don't  even work for the company are getting a title shot while the regular guys at the top of the table get nothing. It's like the whole thing exists just to put Cody over, which is why I really hope it's  to do with his upcoming heel turn.

Edit - although seeing Cody's recent comments about how having heels and faces is old-fashioned and roles aren't that clearly defined anymore, it does seem like now he isn't going to do a heel turn, he's just being a face and using heel mannerisms, which is shit for a great number of reasons.

[Ja'moke]

I like the indie guys coming in because it acknowledges there is a world of wrestling outside of AEW. And the fact AEW have given over 60 indie wrestlers work during the pandemic is very good.

[Gurke and Hare]

I went to look at MJF's website, and by dumb luck I landed on the Wordpress config page. I could have made mischief, but by the time I loaded Tor it wasn't there any more. Bah.

[BeardFaceMan]

I like the indie guys coming in because it acknowledges there is a world of wrestling outside of AEW. And the fact AEW have given over 60 indie wrestlers work during the pandemic is very good.

Oh I don't mind them bringing guys in and having talent exchanges and all the rest of it, it just seems odd that all the big name guys from the indies who are not getting signed full-time and just coming in for a one-and-done are all losing to Cody (I'm not counting the guys that were brought in for crowd work or squash matches).

[Deanjam]

[Ja'moke]

[Meltzer] We'll have a full story later, but WWE profits for the quarter blew past analyst expectations. They figured $11.5 million to $12 million. Actual was $43.8 million.

[kitsofan34]

Congratulations WWE!!!!! You did it!!!!

[Ja'moke]

Even more ridiculous they released all those staff. As this number is from when they were still paying those contracts.

[Mobius]

So they don't even need to bring back fans or do live events to succeed!

[Gurke and Hare]

So they don't even need to bring back fans or do live events to succeed!

In the short term maybe not, but they probably need to reverse the ratings decline somehow to keep the TV contract values up in the future. How long are the current contracts for?