I've been watching some NWA TV from late Spring 1989 lately and it brings back memories of how Muta was the first heel that the fans of Center Stage adored as the chants of GO MUTA in unison with his theme and in tune was great.

All the bitter ex-WWE writers have too much time on their hands and spend most of it whining about WWE.

To be fair, it must be a shock to go from working 80 hours a week to working 0 hours a week, so it must be hard to know how to fill that time.

Haven't seen it mentioned here but Claudio signed with WWE and already has a new FCW name. Looking forward to seeing him at the end of the month at a house show. Hopefully he's not at the ticket table or working security like most of the new guys.

Lucha Libre USA is coming back to MTV2 for another season on Oct. 1 at 10am, set your DVRs. Also I just now realized that Rebecca Reyes from here is Matt Hardy's girlfriend working under her SHOOT NAME~! Bet now she's wishing she stayed with Mini Halloween (referring to the last season of LLUSA which I'm sure no one here watched).

I watched LLUSA and was actually kind of disappointed we didn't get the end of that Mini Halloween married Reyes storyline.

All the bitter ex-WWE writers have too much time on their hands and spend most of it whining about WWE.

To be fair, it must be a shock to go from working 80 hours a week to working 0 hours a week, so it must be hard to know how to fill that time.

 

I'd be finding a new job, not doing a million podcasts about my ex employer.

Being completely serious here. Been watching Will's WCW set. Gorgeous George in her match with Charles Robinson is the worker that Kelly Kelly only can aspire to be.

 

Forgot how fun that was.

Watching Flair vs Sting. WWE would never have used a high overhead shot with Flair's hairline on display. It wasn't the worst thing in the world.

http://www.fcwwrestling.info/cesaro1.html

 

Well, it's not nearly as bad as most of the other names they've come up with.

Love how they used promo pics of him wearing gear with the initials "CC" front and center

 

Browsing the rest of the FCW site, also loving how everyone on the staff page is in normal, semi profesional appareal except Steamboat who they've got a pic of rockin the Karate Gi and headband. Quite the pic of Keirn they chose too

 

http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html

http://www.fcwwrestling.info/class.html

I had no idea Norman Smiley was employed by WWE.

Yeah, he's been one of their trainers for years.

I think he's also appeared on the FCW tv in the past as well

Yeah, he was an on-screen authority figure for a while.

Has anyone read that book about 1982 Memphis. I think about buying it on my Kindle all the time but always shy away.

An absolute must have but I wouldn't pick it up on the Kindle. I would pick up the actual book!!! One of the best purchases I have made.

I can not, for the life of me, get into Ring of Honor anymore. They had an iPPV last night (Death Before Dishonor IX) and just, ugh, I hate like the entire roster. I am not entirely sure what has changed in the company the last couple of years (sans the roster), but I have not liked most of the stuff that I have seen since about 2005 when James Gibson was ROH champion and they still had Austin Aries, Samoa Joe, Homicide, American Dragon & Low Ki working together. I don't know, man, but I just can't get into The All-Night Express, Roderick Strong, Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards in comparison.

 

Well, I guess I do know what it is. It's the "fake-epic" matches and the overly-smarky crowds. Then you throw in fuckin' Davey Richards being a wannabe Chris Benoit with kickpads and it's like everything I hate about U.S. wrestling all rolled into one ball with Jim Cornette trying to tell me it's the only "real" wrestling out there. Fuck you.

04-06 ROH had so much more diversity roster wise. Samoa Joe was so much different than CM Punk, who was so much different than Homicide, who was so much different than Bryan Danielson, Colt, Nigel, Rave, Aries, Spanky, Gibson etc. They had much stronger characterisation. They also had guys like Steamboat and Foley around backstage to work in the role of a "road agent", something Gabe never believed in, giving their shows better flow and teaching the guys how to slow down and pace themselves better.

 

They regressed a LOT stylistically in the absence of Danielson, who seemed to be keeping the ship afloat in that sense,even after they lost steam going into 2007. Now it's worse than ever as far as having a bunch of samey no selling Puro CAWs who do 800 suplex variations and shooting star piledrivers per match.

 

It's like.... if this was 2005 and Chris Masters, in 2011 form, got released by WWE, I would be fucking PUMPED because I'd be dying to see him work some ROH shows against guys like Danielson, Joe, The Rottweilers, Nigel, Punk, The Embassy (the Rave/Shelley/Jade Chung/Abyss version), James Gibson, etc. Now, I hope he stays far away.... though Masters vs Richards would be amusing for different reasons.

43 year old William Regal has been telling his friends that he wants to return to wrestling full-time. Regal says his time off from a full schedule of wrestling has allowed his body to heal up and he says he's ready for a final run.

 

Credit: The Wrestling Observer

Best news I've read in weeks.

It amazes me that Regal is only 43. It seems like he's been around forever.

I can not, for the life of me, get into Ring of Honor anymore. They had an iPPV last night (Death Before Dishonor IX) and just, ugh, I hate like the entire roster. I am not entirely sure what has changed in the company the last couple of years (sans the roster), but I have not liked most of the stuff that I have seen since about 2005 when James Gibson was ROH champion and they still had Austin Aries, Samoa Joe, Homicide, American Dragon & Low Ki working together. I don't know, man, but I just can't get into The All-Night Express, Roderick Strong, Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards in comparison.

 

Well, I guess I do know what it is. It's the "fake-epic" matches and the overly-smarky crowds. Then you throw in fuckin' Davey Richards being a wannabe Chris Benoit with kickpads and it's like everything I hate about U.S. wrestling all rolled into one ball with Jim Cornette trying to tell me it's the only "real" wrestling out there. Fuck you.

I liked the television show when I would watch it but I was never drawn to it.

 

My problem with it is it takes itself too seriously. The fans are annoying and pimp guys that are not that talented. The fake epic comes to mind. I hate Davey Richards and the Briscoes. But I fucking hate the style that dominates the show. You have guys like Richards that will head drop someone the entire match and then slap on a Texas Cloverleaf to get the win. There's just no logical sense to the matches. But it's super serious stuff. You better dare not forget to show that you appreciate what's going on in the ring!

 

But this is part of the problem too:

 

The “Ringmaster Challenge”- 2/3 Falls Match

Eddie Edwards vs. Roderick Strong with Truth Martini

* First fall is pinfall only. Second fall is submissions only. If necessary, the third fall is a 15 minute Iron Man Match.

Look at how convoluted that gimmick match is. IMO, if it takes more than 5 words to communicate a gimmick match to someone, it's too complicated.

 

But for me, it really comes down to it takes itself too seriously. I love Chikara, for example, and they do all of the same dumb shit in the matches. But you don't take it seriously. It's usually a fun romp and you get a few laughs out of it. RoH is just tedious.

I haven't watched ROH in forever, but I'm curious -- why isn't Cornette booking ROH in his own style?

He sneaks a lot of OVW guys onto the undercard. He was booking for awhile and it wasn't good. Delirious has the book now from what I've heard.

Best I could ever tell, Cornette was never sole booker for any period of time. They obviously value his opinion and he has some say and contributes but once Gabe left it went straight to Pearce and once they dumped him it went straight to Delerious as far as who's officially in charge.

 

Don't recall them using OVW guys that much outside of the times when they ran the OVW arena or somewhear else close to OVW's base.

 

Look at how convoluted that gimmick match is. IMO, if it takes more than 5 words to communicate a gimmick match to someone, it's too complicated

3 stages of hell or some variant has been around forever, I always thought it was a cool gimmick myself.

I haven't watched ROH in forever, but I'm curious -- why isn't Cornette booking ROH in his own style?

Always wondered why ROH didn't become more Smoky Mountain esque. I guess they were afraid to move away from the established niche style that their fanbase likes.

"15 minute Iron Man Match with Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong" has disaster written all over it.

43 year old William Regal has been telling his friends that he wants to return to wrestling full-time. Regal says his time off from a full schedule of wrestling has allowed his body to heal up and he says he's ready for a final run.

 

Credit: The Wrestling Observer

Best news I've read in weeks.

 

 

That is fantastic news! I honestly hope he has one last good WWE run, and then maybe finds a way to work some indy shots or something. Would love to see him, Finlay, and Dave Taylor at King of Trios!!

Regal is awesome. It's a shame circumstances arose to stop both his G.M. angle and King of the Ring story. I hope he gets to do more than NXT commentary on WWE.com, but if he does get used again, I'm sure he'll be looking at the lights for the talents of such greats like Alex Riley and David Otunga.

 

I'm glad I'm not alone in my disdain for Ring of Honor. It's amazing what a difference just a few years can make.