El-P

Billed at 5,5, which is 1,65 for people using a regular, understandable scale. Which is not exactly out of the ordinary. 6.4 for Kross sounds kinda crazy to me. He never looked that tall to me, and that's working in Lucha Underground, AAA and IMPACT, lands of the smaller people.

Crazy story about Baba changing the finish on that very day, listening to the audience chanting MI-SA-WA hours before the event. Truly legendary match.

Kross is a good worker with a cool psycho killer character, and he can also cut a promo. His strengths lies in wicked suplex and cool-ass shoot-stylish stuff, which I doubt WWE is gonna let him do very much (in NXT maybe, in the main roster no chance). He's not gonna have mind-blowing matches (never saw one, and I've watched him in LU, IMPACT and AAA), but he's quite a cool worker if you emphasize his strong points. I have zero faith WWE will understand that, just as I have zero faith in WWE understanding Scarlett Bordeaux. Hell, they already have reduced her down to a prop for an animatronic entrance, while she is a super character by herself. These two I really would have loved to see in AEW instead of losing years in WWE. Considering no-brainers like Ricochet have been completely wasted already, I don't see them having a shot (Scarlett maybe because she's just hot as fuck). Plus, you always risk the old "let's split them them up IRL" booking. Yeah, I was a fan of theirs but NXT was the wrong destination to me, for selfish and objective reasons (no one from NXT has made it in years on the main roster).

That's a wonderful one indeed ! But yeah, the issue really is not the move itself, it's the way it's done, as with every other move in pro-wrestling.

What ? That sounds hilarious ! Reminds me of some porn documentary where the guy was slapping his own ass to make those "slap that ass" sounds, while only the top of the girl's body was in the frame.

You haven't followed my reasoning at all. Tigh slapping is the new feet stomping. It's a way to make noise. It's equally as stupid really but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter that much. Some great punchers were the stomp your feet kind : Hart, Lawler, Rude, Savage...

I would agree Tajiri and Owen (and others now too) were making an effort to not have it as obvious as some others do. I mean, I've seen some slap their own tighs when they get hit, now that is pushing it way to fucking far ! I would still say the stomp looked more ridiculous because there was no hiding it and really, when you throw a punch but stomp both feet at the same times, it looks dumb as hell. The best punchers were always those who did not need to do that yet still made the punch look good. Bobby Eaton says hello. Or Terry Funk, but there was no magic trick with him apparently... As far as Orton, he can't be funny, ever, because he's the ultimate black hole of boredom by essence. The same joke that would be funny by anyone else ever has to be considered unfunny by virtue of being produced by Randy Orton. That's the way of the universe.

The leg slapping stuff looks no less ridiculous than the old stomping your feet whenever you used to punch or kick (Lawler, Hart, Austin, Rude, Savage among others). And at least the sound is more "realistic" than a stomp on the mat. Some clearly overdo it, but making fun of leg-slapping as if it's some awful shit those-youngsters-who-don't-know-how-to-work-proper do is completely ridiculous. The first two people I remember seeing do it were Owen Hart (enzuigiri) and Tajiri ("stiff" kicks)... Also, that makes Orton looks like a complete tool to shit on his fellow co-workers. But that's nothing new.

Dream winning would get #DickPicsDontMatter trending.

Maybe the pool can get a contract now and cry on TV about making the most out of the opportunity while its owner did not.

Fun show. Highlights to me were Sammy being downright hilarious (this guy is such a star already), the Britt Baker vignette and Role's Royce (totally out of Austin's playbook when he was injured in 97 yet still stealing shows with his stuff), Jericho vs Cabana (really fun TV match) and the main event, although the ending was totally rushed. The blade-job was kinda hilarious in that it was so totally needless and so Dusty in spirit. The table spot puzzled me, they did not sell it one second after they got back into the ring, so yeah I would think they had a timing issue here. Taz managing Cage >>>>> Jake managing Archer (who doesn't need a manager, and certainly not Jake who makes him look not that big) If I may, looking closely it is totally Sabian's fault, as he's juts not getting up quickly enough after his own dropkick and Omega can't bump in the ropes with too much force as he's waiting for the poison rana (for which he bumped wonderfully), so he's just looking awkward as Sabian is getting up and wasting time before hitting his spot. Just not enough pacing and intensity on his part. I dunno what's missing with Sabian, he's like those ok NJ juniors who are doing some dynamic stuff but aren't special either in character nor execution, so he's kinda there... I like the team with Havoc, but he's the third wheel to me after Penelope. Speaking of people I don't get, I don't get Big Swole's appeal at all. She isn't very good still and I find her to be rather annoying. Maybe she should be a heel, as a babyface I just want someone to slap the shit out of her so she stops doing stupid pauses like a dumb jock (is there a feminine equivalent of the term ?). Pair her with Austin Gunn already. Nyla on the other hand is quickly getting more and more solid. Loving the new look with the multicolored braids, that gives her an Awesome Kong kinda feel. This is so spot on ! I haven't watch a FTR match in four years, so I have no earthly idea who is called what.

How much more stereotypical can you get. Gotta love Jessy with an Y. I've seen that guy in the early 90's too. Crappy, from memory. Where the hell do you even find all of this stuff BTW ?

You win. (which also means I'm older than dirt and repeating myself way too much, probably !)

Hey, Trip helped more people than anyone else ever in his career too. By beating them. So he knows what's up...

Otis answer is like the worst possible ever. Awful PPV that marks the end of me being a WWF fan after 10 years, and godawful match too for obvious reasons. The rest is lips service to the usual ones and a PR spot. What would you expect ? At least Drew mentioned one of the right ones.

Oh yeah, that one too.

Well, sorry but it sounds like complete bullshit. That's ignoring the fact that IMPACT's booking has been extremely consistent and logical since the rebuild, why would they want to get advice from someone who has hurt them so much in the past on so many levels when they have spent all this time distancing themselves from this era? Case in point, Russo booking that kind of angle would have Wentz go over. Which would make no sense expect "swerve bro". In the end, the guy who went through the whole tournament won. And the Trey angle and Wentz switch clearly is only the beginning of some sort of storyline with the Rascalz, maybe Trey splitting up eventually (as he was mostly working solo for a while already), as hinted by Madison Rayne on commentary. I don't worry to much about this one not going anywhere that makes sense in the end. Madison Square Garden Rayne is a good one. Got me. Swinger is gold. So are the vignettes with Rosemary & John E Bravo, culminating with the best yet.

Wow. Like others, I had not heard less much thought of that name in forever. He was probably the first pro-wrestling writer I was reading back when I got Internet. I absolutely remember reading his Raw/Nitro reviews in like late 97/98 I'd say. And yeah, I'd remember the signs on both shows, which was quite the early signs of internet "celebrity". No idea how his stuff has aged, probably not really well, but back then I was definitely a fan. This is quite a sad story.

Come on, you know she isn't working in the company.... that has nothing to do with WWE.... eww... BlackLivesMatter !!!!! .... ewww... Putting smiles on faces ! .... eww.. Fuck. Yeah, of course it should stir up a whole lot more shit, because the other dude is just an ignorant fool, but this is the true face of the family who is working on re-electing a white supremacist maniac. But it won't of course.

Who hasn't ? Everyone loves a dick pic.

Yes, you can get a temporary green card for two years I believe and then ask for its renewal.

Maybe they would. Maybe they would not. Maybe they would but not agree to cut that promo, at least not the bit about "ceasing the opportunity". We don't know. The fact is, he did and did it in a way that emphasize how tasteless and cynical this whole thing is. He's agreed to go all the way. Like I said in my first post : "good for him. Or not." But hey, all of this will be forgotten when they strap Velveteen Dreams with the title...

I don't know and I don't give a fuck. Because what about all the others who got cut ? Apparently it's because they didn't "cease the opportunity". For that comment alone, this guy is on my shitlist. And if I was one of his former co-worker fired at the same time, I would be pissed as fuck all for agreeing to say that stuff and he would have a phone call and ask for an explanation. Well, he obviously has none. What you forget to mention is that this all was used to send a message. Because really, you think WWE gives a flying fuck about Drake Maverick or the cruiserweight tournament ? This is the company who gave Chad Gable the Shorty Gable gimmick. They had him piss his pants before. He's just been a tool to play with people's emotions and manipulate the audience and send a memo to the employees independent contractors : "Be thankfull you have a job. Cry for the opportunity. Be good boys and girls and maybe you'll get your job back if you're of some use to us. Say the corporate things." That's the crux of the whole thing, not the "emotional story of a guy who got his job back" (but... why did he need to have his job back ? Oh, because he was fucking fired, or maybe not, who knows, in which case it's even worse). And that's what should be emphasized here. I don't know Drake Maverick but from what I've seen in these few weeks alone, the cringeworthy promo when he was "allowed" in the tournament and this one, I would not want to know him IRL either, thank you very much. I have zero sympathy for this guy, none whatsoever.

So are they running a subtle joke on WWE with Billy Gunn being called only Billy now. And when he was about to do what I think is a piledriver, which used to be one of his spot, Austin stopped him, because, you know... That Brasilian Girl apparently has been signed ? If so, good, she's got talent and presence. Hope she feuds with Shanna and they cut promos on each other in portuguese that only @KawadaSmile will understand. The Peter Avalon / Brandon Cutler rivalry for won will win one first is the best angle no one talks about. Just great stuff. They have to have this match and end with a draw or a double count out. Also enjoying what they are doing with QT and Allie, that's an interesting development. Allie is a better character than pure worker (although she's pretty solid), so that plays into her strenght. Those squashed by Ortiz & Santana and Butcher & Blade were quite fun. Their tag team division is getting quite loaded, and hopefully when TH2 gets out of Mexico they'll finally get some push.

Oh for fuck's sake, not that "food on the table" bit. What about the other ones BTW, who didn't "cease the opportunity", as Mr. Mop so eloquently said ? They wouldn't have to get their job back if they weren't fucking fired in the first place by the benevolent bosses. The whole "I got fired but I'm gonna prove I'm worth working for those who fired me and get back in their good graces with tears of joy" thing is atrocious. How can anyone rationalize this shit ? No. Defending this *is* being stuck in the bubble. This whole thing is godawful and Drake Maverick should be fucking ashamed of agreeing to go along and cut THAT fucking promo while people, not meaning just people from WWE but people in the real world, lost their jobs. But like I said, his dream job had him pissing his pants on TV, so yeah that was worth crying like a little bitch when your boss "allows you" the "opportunity" to "win the heart" of the Brand, after releasing you during a fucking pandemic (while NO OTHER pro-wrestling company did it, not even NWA or IMPACT, those juggernauts). Fuck that managerial bullshit. Fuck Drake Maverick for playing along (to remain polite) and fuck this company seven ways to Sunday. There's no defending that shit.