Mrzfn

I think people are really underselling what a great post this is.

Wasn't Vampiro a big draw at one point? Not arguing for him necessarily, I just thought that was the case.

I have a love/hate relationship with peeking under the mask of wrestlers. On the one hand I can respect that wrestlers don't really appreciate it, but it's really interesting to make connections and see how guys are able to modify their style from one character to another.

If he hasn't been mentioned, I want to throw Koko B Ware out there, simply for the fact that ever since his HOF induction the average fan rates him as a punchline. The narrative is that he was complete shit or a joke, when he was honestly one of the low key best wrestlers in the WWF for a lot of his run, to say nothing of stuff he did outside of there.

They could pull the old 80s trick and say he's observing from one of the VIP boxes.

Just ask Neville what happens if you rock the boat.

I was amazed when my buddy pieced together that they were one and the same. His range is really impressive. And yes, definitely better than the original Jervis.

I think Condron has the potential to be a really special talent, maybe in the ring, definitely as a super charismatic personality.

Funny thing is things were looking up with Dixie at the end, at least a little, with all the Hardy stuff. The ill fated Jarrett transition was just awful, but they seem to have pulled together a whole lot since kicking him and some other unfortunate people to the curb.

I too have been loving Sumire this year. I hadn't seen her before but right now she looks like a potential big star in the making, especially in terms of being charismatic.

Very cool posting. Would love to see updated versions of these, as they could both look a great deal different now.

I don't know if it's that as much as "Holy shit, we have to fill this match with 50 people - let's get anyone and everyone even remotely recognizable into this thing." Right. Lol More thinking out loud than anything else, and trying to understand the decision making process. I guess if the wrestlers that have matches besides the Rumble pull double duty, plus if they bring some NXT guys along too, they probably have 50 men in the company. Even completely excluding NXT, 205 Live, UK guys, and anyone who could possibly be considered a part timer, by my count WWE has 61 active men on the roster. Add in Cena, Kane, Lesnar, Bryan, Taker, Mysterio, Jericho, Triple H, and Big Show, and you're up to 70 right there, and they haven't even tapped into those reserves. The WWE roster is ridiculous right now.

Surely they were going to do that anyway?

Honestly the reaction I've seen has been just the opposite, lots of fans praising how enthusiastically Maura was into the show. I know Mauro is nails on a chalkboard to some, but generally fans seem to actually like him and the fact that he's not at all robotic, even if he does shoehorn in cringe-worthy lines.

Trying to lure Matt Riddle to Impact, obviously.

I'm really excited to watch that one! Got Spring Break 2, Bloodsport, and the RevPro show queued up to watch this weekend.

Too short, plus getting over when you're not supposed to is still a crime in WWE-land.

Penta has disappointed me a little outside of LU. I still love the guy if I'm being honest, but he's definitely fallen into some bad habits. This is a guy who should be a gritty, bloodthirsty killer at all times but if nobody is keeping an eye on him, he can slip into Young Buck-ish nonsense. I hate how he tries to start every match by doing his taunt a bunch of times. I guess it's usually over with the live crowd but still.

This is one of my favorites, Lashley vs. DJZ from 7/26/16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7J-VOuX7lw A few other really good options, if you can find them. All matches from Impact unless otherwise noted: vs. Aries 7/31/14 vs. Roode 9/17/14 vs. Roode 10/4/15 BFG vs. Galloway 6/12/16 Slammiversary vs. Galloway vs. EC3 6/28/16 vs. Edwards, Cage 7/21/16 vs. Moose 10/20/16 vs. Edwards, Iron Man 1/26/17 And some bonus content if you want to dig a little deeper: vs. Aries vs. Eric Young, Cage 6/15/14 Slammiversary vs. Jeff Hardy 7/17/14 vs. Roode 10/29/14 vs. EC3 10/21/15 vs. Aries 11/25/15 vs. Edwards 11/3/16 vs. Edwards 12/15/16 vs. Jeff Hardy 2/2/17

Two of the worst services out there, for sure. God knows why it's 1000 times easier to watch something like wXw or Stardom than some of the most noteworthy promotions in my own backyard.

Stardom is honestly the best streaming service out there in terms of being easily navigable and accessible in English. They're even ahead of njpwworld, to be honest, though they obviously have less classic content. I love Dragon Gate but I almost cried when I saw their new service was so much worse than Stardom's. I probably set my hopes too high but I just don't get it, if Stardom can do it what is stopping others? The DG service is ok, especially in terms of smooth streaming and good video quality, but I guess I'm spoiled now.

I know there's a not a big CHIKARA following here but I have to mention Quackenbush coming out of retirement to wrestle Gulak on his last night before going to WWE. It was a total surprise and we made about as much noise as a couple hundred people possibly could.

Glad you're back!

He's Brick Tamlin from "Anchorman" as a wrestling announcer. I always thought that was Scott Hudson. He's not the worst ever, but he always sounds like he's faking intensity to hide the fact that he's clueless about how to get anything over.

Yeah, it was the booking that really elevated the women's Rumble, though I thought most of the women did a very good job as well. I also like a few of those mid 00s women's matches too, though the good ones were the exception rather than the rule.