gordi

He's still doing the Chair Atomico 20 years later. He is crazy, in the best possible way.

Nice character work,with Chicky showing a lot of ass and abandoning his "friends" to save his own hide.

That is about as good of a "scrappy underdog fights from underneath" type of match as you can put on while simultaneously satisfying a 2010s "give us more-more-more" pro wrestling crowd. Tremendous character work by both guys as well as some awesome bumping. They earned the hot Osaka crowd and the big word-of-mouth that this match is getting. Very fun stuff that had me buying into Ishii's toughness and determination. Genuinely satisfying finish. I think I have become a big Kenny Omega fan.

Hmmm... DiBiase, Rude, and Fernandez... are you going to add a 4th Horseman (Bundy?) or just leave it at 3? They are certainly doing enough damage and causing enough mayhem for 4 already. And now Bad News will be gunning for them, too. That card was violent and exciting from top to bottom.

That twist with the Samoas and the Sawyers works out well because regardless of who wins the tag tournament you have good tough challengers waiting in the wings now.

Imagine the Road Warriors coming to your high school! Terry Funk's story just keeps getting more compelling. Road Warriors vs Brody & Hansen should be insane.

Talk about big finishes: Hawk from the top rope to the arena floor, and Lawler off the top of the cage! Fans will be talking about those matches for years.

I think that any true fan of 1980s pro wrestling has to love a show that starts out with Iron Mike Sharpe stealing a win and DJ Peterson puling off a win out of nowhere. The rest of the card more than lived up to that great beginning, building up to DiBiase as the Platonic ideal of a southern heel.

That Starr vs Ayala series was really well laid out and the whole story was very satisfying to follow.

I love how you are building up the Asassins. The roundhouse kick into the German Suplex pin is a great finisher.

Holy Cow! That stip in the Demolition vs Hart Foundation match is insane. Six months! Something big is coming out of that, I bet. Muraco is a good choice to win a battle royal. Gives him some momentum going after the IC Title, perhaps. Nice hot main event to setup SNME. Rockers vs Tully & Arn? Yes, please!

It's true! I was living in The Czech Republic for most of '95 through 2001 so I missed the Sultan and Too Cool... but I have seen pictures, and I think Fatu looks great bald. Very scary and tough.

Cool to see Grizzly Boone making the big save to end the show. That's gotta be one of the biggest moments in his career.

I'm trying to imagine a bald Prince Alofa Fatu. It's not pretty.

Check out Sonnenberg's selling here (first the leg, then later exhaustion from fighting out of the headlock). They tell a very simple and basic story: Strangler's legendary headlock vs the former Dartmouth football star's running head-butt. The commentary is hilarious. "Dynamite" Sonnenberg was one of pro wrestling' very first showmen. He did not have a legit wrestling background, but he had a great, powerful, look and very high-level athleticism. It's very cool to see these guys fight. If you are looking for it, it's easy too see the transition from "actual" wrestling to pure showmanship happening right there in the ring as you watch.

This is absolutely astonishing. The footage is very well-preserved. What a treat it is to be able to see these legendary figures in action. It's something I never expected to experience. Sonnenberg has some truly impressive lower-body musculature. The footage of him practicing on what seems to be a picnic blanket in front of a handful of very well-dressed onlookers is crazy stuff. The little kids laughing when he catches his sparring partner in a fireman's carry is maybe the purest mark-out moment of all time. "Strangler" Lewis sounds very very very unnatural reading his (presumably) prepared remarks on camera. It's almost like a comedian making fun of a guy being awkward. It's truly incredible to see him in action in the ring. The very beginnings of pro wrestling as worked entertainment, it would seem. To anyone with any interest at all in pro wrestling history, this footage is something to be treasured.

I like how you have two of the matches end relatively peacefully. It gives the matches that end chaotically more impact that way.

That was amazing.

You think it would be impossible for OMG to get sympathy heat... but you have totally pulled it off.

I'm actually worried about Nikita now. Didn't think that was possible. Doom are going to have to watch their backs. I don't think the Fabs are looking for a fair fight just now.

Everything is building up to those five huge matches on September 20th. with seven more weeks to build to that card, I have to imagine your fans will be out of control with anticipation by the time it hits.

In St. Louis, you have both "Magnum and T.A." come out to even out the odds. In Shreveport you have Buddy Jack hit Ron Simmons in the head with "some sort of flapjack." It took me a second to realize you meant "flapjack" as in "slapjack." At first I imagined Buddy Jack using a pancake, a la New Day That actually seems fair, considering how much New Day have borrowed from the 'Birds.

You always do a good job with those "turn about is fair play" type of stories where the good guys get sick of the bad guys cheating, and turn the tables on them.

A sad goodbye for Travis & Savoldi. I wonder what's next for them. I enjoyed all the crazy violence up and down the rest of the card. Bull vs Lewin sounded like a fun non-match.

Yeah, that big red X is a really nice bit of 80s nostalgia. I can't wait to see what the Freebirds have up their sleeves to counter Doom & Doc.