goodhelmet

Yeah, I don't know what to tell you. Ishikawa-Ikeda is like watching a painting come to life but painted in blood and sweat. The Battlarts stuff with junior guys like Minoru Tanaka was shit. No complaints about Usuda or Malenko. Those guys were awesome.

OK, so I was getting some stuff ready for the PPV on Sunday and looked at the matches announced on the WWE website. Is Ambrose vs. Rollins cancelled or still on for Sunday? It is still on the website.

Brother, you and I have talked about this before. It is about the travelling heel NWA champ. My argument is that a face could have been the travelling champ and the NWA would have been fine.

It varies from territory to territory. It doesn't really matter. The type of worker never really mattered. What kind of worker was Andre (great)? He was a special attraction. The world champ is a special attraction. You are popping a gate, not creating a revolution in the territory. Lets look at some top babyfaces from different territories, late 70s or early 80s. Mid South - JYD Portland - Roddy Piper or Billy Jack Haynes Memphis - Jerry Lawler AWA - Rick Martel / Hulk Hogan Florida - Dusty World Class - Kerry Von Erich Georgia - Tommy Rich Mid Atlantic - Ricky Steamboat We picked JYD as the most extreme example on the show but I have no doubt that every single one of those guys could go to another territory, have a great match or a fun match or a bloody match with the other guys. JYD vs. Tommy Rich, Steamboat, Martel, Piper? Sure. JYD vs. Kerry? Kerry could have great matches with bad wrestlers. Lawler vs. JYD? Entertaining at least in 1980 even though it was rough in 1990. JYD vs. Dusty? Maybe a little rough... attach a gimmick. JYD and Dust could work a gimmick match. It simply isn't that hard to do. Now, lets look at the other guys who are better than JYD that were on top. Lawler vs. Piper? Sign me up Steamboat vs. Martel? I'm down. Hogan vs. Piper? Box office. Proven fact. Dusty vs. Tommy Rich? Babyface blood on blood. This might be the greatest brawl in NWA history. Steamboat vs. Piper? Another classic matchup. Steamboat vs. Rich? Another happy Will smileyface. Dusty vs. Martel? Never honestly thought about it until I typed it right now. JYD would have worked anywhere in the country. Hell, after the national expansion and Vince took over the territories, he was the 2nd most over face in the WWF, past his prime and jobbing to guys left and right. JYD had charisma, he could sell a beating and the people loved him. I am not factoring in drug use or any of that shit. Just on pure charisma alone, JYD could have gone as far as the promoters wanted to take him because the people loved him. If you don't protect your gate, you are an idiot. Many promoters were idiots but JYD would have been fine from 80-83. We haven't even been accounting for the fact that the champ could be involved with Heel A while Local Hero is involved with Heel B. If you look at the other babyfaces who weren't JYD (the most extreme case) all of them would have been fine in any territory anywhere in the country.

Nobody... but you guys are stuck in an outdated paradigm. Reading the 1977 book, Lawler had 1 or 2 title shots a year from the touring champ. Early on, he was a heel when Brisco would roll in. When Race rolled into town in 1977, he was a recently turned babyface. The first match went to a draw and the rematch had Valiant cost Lawler the title with Race making the save (according to the book). With a little tweaking, you can have the local champ aligned with the world champ and have the local babyface get over as well or continue a feud. Possible Scenario: Announced NWA champ Jolly McHappy is coming to town. Local babyface, Happy GoodGuy is eager to prove himself against his good friend Jolly. Dastardly Von Evil comes out to bitch about Happy;s title shot, knocks him out, piledrives him from the bleachers, throws Polynesian salt in his eyes, burns him with Oriental fire, or hires Sinister Lenny to take him out by driving a forklift over him. Von Evil gets the shot instead, Jolly is fighting for his friend's honor and Happy comes out to make sure Von Evil loses and we keep the belt on Jolly. Jolly promises Happy a title shot next time he is in town. Von Evil is pissed and local feud continues as Jolly goes to another territory and rinses and repeats. It isn't fucking rocket science.

From this week's Observer. God, let this get off the ground.

Dr. Mora Torres. I wasn't fucking around... http://las.depaul.edu/departments/history/faculty/pages/juan-mora-torres.aspx

That's hilarious. As for the NWA touring champ thing. I actually thought of a scenario to counter Parv's eventual response last night and I'll post it today.

Nope, had no idea. Point still stands either way... nerdy mother fucker.

Right. In the future, anytime anybody wants to make a post that says "Scott Keith reported..." then they should stop themselves and delete said words.

Scott Keith is not a journalist. I doubt he has backstage connections. Do not report news from Scott Keith.

Keep it up!!!

Well either Jericho is really really not over or the crowd is horrible.

Karl really needs a co-host. If he had a co-host, it could be ok.

I agree. Who is this mystery man? EDIT: Nevermind

Over the Top only has one meaning in my world...

In case anyone on earth hasn't seen these two iconic UFC moments, here they are... The knockout... The leg break...

More than likely either podcast.one or he'll pod on Cabana's site. He may go off the rails and join Grantland or a sports site and do a hockey podcast.

From this past week?