NintendoLogic

I've argued this before, but I think there's a strong correlation between the lack of blood in wrestling and the increase in high-risk moves. Instead of fighting through blood loss, wrestlers show their toughness by overcoming getting dropped on their heads and necks. And street fights have to rely on weapon shots and stunt bumps to get over the brutality of the stipulation.

I just noticed something interesting. For the longest time, the highest-rated Vader match on Cagematch was the Flair match at Starrcade. After Vader died, a few people on Twitter asked Dave to name his favorite Vader match and he said the Mutoh match from the 1991 G1. Lo and behold, that match shot to the top of the rankings. To be fair, I think it's more a case of people being more aware of the match since it wasn't taped for commercial release. Still, interesting.

For Grimmas, here's one of my favorite lucha matches of the 21st century. If you've already seen it, let me know and I'll come up with something else.

The bio in the Observer was excellent, as expected. Reading about how badly he wanted to be inducted into the WWE HOF while he was still alive was heartbreaking.

I'm puzzled by Dave always referring to Takeshi as the Johnny Carson of Japan. I've never heard anyone else make that analogy, and the two don't seem all that similar to me.

Not trying to start an argument, but this is like calling Michael Jordan one of the top 3 shooting guards ever.

I thought I had become pretty well desensitized to wrestler deaths at this point, but this one hit me pretty hard. More so than anyone since Eddie. RIP.

Carmella is great at bumping and stooging, but she kills her matches dead as soon as she takes control. Alexa beating up opponents twice her size may be ridiculous, but at least she does more on offense than stick her tongue out while working weardown holds.

Michelle McCool is up there as well.

Oh, fuck off.

Ronda's actually a heck of a seller, even though this probably isn't the role she should be in.

Are they seriously billing Nia Jax as 6'2 now?

The problem with matches like these is that they can't do anything to overshadow the stage-managed set pieces so they have to spend the bulk of the match in first gear.

I was hoping the low blow would be the finish.

I really like both Ibushi matches as well as the 2014 and 2015 G1 finals. With that said, I'm certain future generations will look back at Nakamura as the most inexplicable WON HOF inductee.

This match is missing something, but it's not all Nakamura's fault. Both guys should be showing more aggression given the build and the stipulation.

They did the deal where they spent the match entertaining themselves with silly chants. I believe they also did the wave at one point.

The last two matches have sucked the life out of this PPV. Hopefully Styles/Nakamura can have the match they're capable of having and salvage things.

God damn it.

I'm impressed by Becky Lynch's ability to stay consistently over despite booking doing her no favors.

Very pleasant surprise from two guys I normally don't care much for. If only Rollins would stop doing that superplex falcon arrow.

I thought Lashley was pretty well exposed there (methinks all those people who insisted he was good in TNA were pulling my leg), but he got the crowd behind him by the end, so what do I know.

That was as good a match as you're going to get from Big Cass. I love Bryan's combination Memphis brawler/submission specialist act. Hopefully that's the end of this feud.

This is some uncanny valley shit right here. Whoever made this needs to be fired.

Have you guys ever considered that maybe Dave genuinely believes that Omega/Okada and the like really are that much better than the great matches of the past? Dave has said in the past that four stars is the equivalent of a black belt and anything beyond that is additional stripes. I guess that makes six stars and above the equivalent of a red belt. That doesn't mean a black belt is worthless.