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implausiblyjosh · 11 months

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TEW 2020: Let's At Least Run One Show

Last time we booted up TEW 2020, we did all the setup stuff. We defined our player character (Poppy, a real-life pop star), made our company, hired workers, made some title belts, and... that was basically it! (Last post here)

It's now the middle of June 2023. What's the plan for our first show?

Well, one of our bigger "gets" was The Voros Twins (Da Vinky???), which I think tells us one direction we should go in: tag teams.

The Voros Twins are heels (bad guys), and while we do have some faces (good guys) to put in a team (I've put Amazing Red & Samuray del Sol into a team called "Amazing Sol") I think it may be a good idea to look for some tag teams who are available to work for us.

While we wait for people to get hired, let's look at our Storylines. Our product type wants storylines, and I think what I really want is a "Good Guy Group vs. Bad Guy Group" thing going on at the start. We've established that Poppy is an on-screen personality, and we've floated the idea of Shane McMahon as some "outsider CEO type" last time, so let's go with that?

I've got another idea with this, as well. What if we tie in The Voros Twins? So Shane has brought in The Voros Twins (and other heels) to try and take over True Power Wrestling, while Poppy will bring in her good guys (Amazing Sol and other faces) to stop the takeover.

Something we should talk about, while I'm thinking about it, is "Perception". In previous TEW games, you could just tell the game "I think this person is a Main Event level talent" or, crucially, the game could tell you. This would fluctuate, and you can push someone or manually go in and make adjustments, but the game "knew" where to put people for the most part when you're just starting out. This is not how it works in TEW 2020. In this game, it's all about crowd perception, and there's no way for you to flag in-game where you, the owner/booker, think a talent should be.

Take for example Shane McMahon. Let's assume he was actually wrestling for us. Based on his popularity (59 Pop across the US) and his skills, he would probably be a main event talent. In TEW 2016, there's a drop-down I can select and put him there, which will help me with my organization and booking of shows down the line. In TEW 2020, despite the fact that people know who Shane McMahon is (remember, Popularity of 59/100 in the US!), and despite the fact that the in-game news reports on my company and all other wrestling companies, Shane McMahon has yet to get a perception rating.

Now, I get what this is trying to approximate. This system is trying to play out the difference between what the owners/bookers see (ex. Roman Reigns is The Big Star, he's gonna be on TV all the time) and what the fans see (ex. Roman Reigns doesn't have it, they are pushing him too hard and he just kinda sucks, we don't wanna see him on TV). The problem is that they've only allowed one part of that equation any form of categorization. Yes, I can get a notebook out and write out who belongs in what tier, but that's not useful when I'm trying to search through people. Right now it's manageable, we've got maybe 20 people total that we've hired. What happens when you play as a company as big as WWE? How do you go and filter for Main Event talent from your roster of like 50+ wrestlers? Not people the audience sees as a star, people you have labeled a star? You can't. There's no way.

Anyways, this is all to say that apparently my audience will not have a single sense or idea of what kind of talent Shane McMahon is until the day of the show or until I pre-book a segment/match, despite the obvious information in-game to the contrary. So, let's pre-book a match.

But first, let's make a dang event.

Not too much going on here, but this is how we set the specifics of our show. I'm gonna name the event TPW - Power Zone I, it will be 1 hour long, and it will happen on the last Saturday of every month. Tickets will be cheap so we get more people coming out to our shows, and we'll spend a bit of money to get better sets. Also, for now, this will not be put on TV in any capacity. We couldn't even get on public access lol

Now that we have an event, let's pre-book a match!

I've decided the match I want to pre-book will be that tag team match we've been talking about. Even though we're likely to get more people hired on before the show, I really want to have this one match ready to go. So I've selected 2 Vs. 2 from the left, clicked the boxes in the center bottom to add my wrestlers, then clicked on "Road Agent Notes" to explain how the match should go.

This is going to be a 15 minute match between The Voros Twins and Amazing Sol. One of the Amazing Sol guys will win, and the goal of this match should be to further the storyline they're involved in. Click pre-book and... uh-oh, apparently none of these guys can call a match in the ring, according to this game. Okay, change that to "scripted beforehand", and the pre-booking will go through.

Now that I've pre-booked a match, I get to finally see those perceptions! What does our audience think? That The Voros Twins are unimportant. Great.

Now, this isn't that big a deal. I can keep pushing them as main event talent, and if they perform well then the audience will see that. But... sucks that I couldn't have known any of this before this moment! Good thing we're having the twins lose, cause apparently the audience loves Amazing Sol!

With all that done, it's time to finally advance time.

We are finally at the screen that will handle our show! These show screens happen the "night" of the show happening. Now, in this screenshot it says we don't have a backstage incident, and that's cause I took the screenshot late. We did have one incident:

Neat. We have to acknowledge this incident before we actually run the show later, so we'll do that now. We do have "Absent Workers" highlighted, which tells us Shane McMahon is injured so he can't wrestle, Kylie Rae is on maternity leave, and Komander & Aero Star are working with AAA tonight). Guess we may have to find another night to run our shows for the future!

I've added my one match to the show, The Voros Twins vs. Amazing Sol, and I've used the "auto-booker" to generate more matches and angles for me. I really don't know how people view my roster, so I definitely need the help! After a touch of tweaking, here's the match card so far:

From first to last: 1. An Angle w/ Shane and Poppy (I imagine this to be an introduction to the "Shane wants to buy out True Power Wrestling") 2. El Hijo de L.A. Park vs Reyna Isis 3. Allysin Kay vs. Dragon Bane 4. An Angle w/ Big Swole & Frightmare (I imagine this is table setting for their match later on in the card) 5. The Voros Twins vs. Amazing Sol 6. Angle w/ Poppy 7. Frightmare vs. Big Swole

There are some people being left off the card, so I think I'll have them be in a tag match for the post-show. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with this lineup! I'll click start show once I've made my final changes.

Every time a segment happens, we get this screen that gives us a breakdown of what happened and how it got rated. Here's our opening segment w/ Shane & Poppy, and we can see it got the crowd hotter and it started the show off hot. We'll get this for every single segment, but I won't show every single segment.

So. Our angles are good, but our matches... not so much. The thing that hindered most was that they were unscripted matches, and it doesn't seem like anyone on the roster has the skills to call the match in the ring. I'll need to change our settings to make every match scripted. Big Swole is now our True Power title holder, and Allysin Kay is our Rising Star title holder. Now I gotta make a speech and finish out this day.

I'm going to compliment Shane, Patrick Voros, and Black Taurus. Giving people positive feedback will improve their morale after a few times, which is great! You want your backstage morale high so things don't fall apart socially. Limiting the messups to "i am a bad booker" is much better than "i am a bad booker and everyone hates each other backstage".

And with that, our first show was run! In the news the next morning, there's an "article": True Power Wrestling held TPW - Power Zone I in Mid South, and drew 86 fans. The feedback has been very positive.

Looking at our budget, we lost about $25k and earned around $5k. At this rate, we lose about $20k per show, and it won't get better until we can draw more people in. Since no one even knows about our promotion, we're gonna be in the red for a lonnnng time at this rate. Once we get to 17 Popularity in the Mid South we'll move from "Insignificant" to "Tiny", which will hopefully bring in more viewers. Until then... we keep up this pace as best we can, and try and get popular.

Until then... See ya next time!

#tew 2020 #pro wrestling #text let's play #let's play #josh average talks

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vistisenurquhart4 · 2 years

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sportsticketdepot07 · 3 years

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bog-o-bones · 3 years

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Who the hell is CM Punk and why is he “All Elite”?

If you’re reading this post, you’re most likely somebody who’s heard the latest buzz around the wrestling world: CM Punk is back! But who exactly is CM Punk? You’ve probably heard the name before, either in the context of pro wrestling or as part of his time in UFC, and have always wondered what the big deal is about the guy. You’ve also probably seen or heard about All Elite Wrestling, up-and-coming wrestling promotion airing live Wednesday and Friday nights on TNT. But what exactly is AEW as well? That’s where this post comes in. In this long-ass post on Tumblr, you’ll be given a crash course on the history of one of pro wrestling’s most iconic superstars as well as the abridged history of AEW, the premier wrestling promotion in North America, allowing you to (hopefully) understand the significance of Punk’s return to the squared circle as well as give yourself significant knowledge of AEW enough that you can begin to enjoy the weekly shows they put out!

Okay, so who the heck is this CM Punk guy anyway?

To put it simply, CM Punk is one of the most significant pro wrestlers of the 21st century as well as the history of the industry itself. While he’s not on the level of mainstream recognition as Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin, Punk’s contributions to pro wrestling are arguably as important to the industry. To understand Punk’s significance, you need to have a little history lesson about the industry in the early-to-mid 2000′s.

When you think of professional wrestling, you probably think of one name above all: WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE was, and still is, the most mainstream wrestling promotion ever. People associate all wrestling with WWE, no matter what. But what about what’s below WWE in terms of recognition? The Minor League Baseball to its MLB? To that, we have to look at the independent scene.

The independent scene is, simply put, the underground punk rock of pro wrestling. It’s where the stars make the names for themselves to rise to the success. Indie wrestling is important because it’s where Punk began. CM (the initials jokingly standing for whatever is on his mind at the moment, ranging from “Cookie Monster” to “Charles Montgomery” or “Chicago Made”) Punk began his career in the independent scene around the turn of the millennium. He rose to significant prominence in the promotion Ring of Honor, one of the most premiere indie leagues in the United States. This prominence was brought on by Punk’s oozing charisma and wrestling talent, making him one of the best known “underground wrestlers” at the time. Then, in 2005, Punk signed a contract with the major league: he was WWE bound.

To regale you with Punk’s career in WWE would require an entirely separate post, so I’ll spare you the specifics and get to the good stuff: Punk was over in WWE. “Over” of course meaning the fans loved him. And why shouldn’t they? Big time wrestling fans knew Punk from his days in ROH and to see him rise to be on national television broadcasts and pay-per-view was rewarding. To those who were introduced to him, he was a fantastic talent and provided immense entertainment because of his talent in the ring and outside it.

Later on in his career at WWE, Punk provided one of the most scathing promos of all time, criticizing the company for its horrific decision-making and idiotic management. The promo was a “worked shoot”, wrestling lingo for a promo that seems like it’s breaking character but is all planned out (Punk was allowed to say anything he wanted, no matter if it was in character or not) but it was still extremely satisfying for the fans who agreed wholeheartedly with Punk about the state of WWE at the time. This promo (now known as the “pipebomb promo”) is just one of the many reasons why CM Punk has remained an immense fan favorite. The idea of a wrestler taking the mic, airing their grievances, and showcasing how a major corporation treated their employees with disdain and damnation is utterly unlike anything seen since Stone Cold Steve Austin back in the late 90′s. Punk, to many people, was one of the first of many “indie stars” that WWE had “poached” from the independent scene, turning them into corporate icons, stripping away their unique qualities as a person and transforming them into recognizable brands to sell merchandise with. To see Punk spit back at the WWE made a lot of people realize that enough was enough for them. Punk was the voice of the voiceless, a wrestler echoing throughout the halls that he wasn’t just a brand to slap onto a cheap mass-produced product, that he was a wrestler (in the mid-2000s at WWE, the term “wrestler” was seen as an irrelevant term, the terms “sports entertainer” and “superstar” preferred by management) in this business to prove himself as the Best in the World. And like clockwork, on July 15th, 2014, Punk was removed from WWE’s active roster after he had effectively walked out of the company weeks prior.

One of the most significant events post-WWE with Punk was his appearance on close friend Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast. Colt’s podcast was known for featuring “shoot interviews”, basically interviews with wrestlers out of character detailing backstage information and telling stories. Punk’s episode of the podcast is significant as it eventually led to a total legal dispute with one of WWE’s doctors whose misdiagnosis of a staph infection was one of the reasons for Punk’s departure from WWE. Along with that, Punk’s general dissatisfaction with the “WWE Machine” as it’s been coined was another reason, with him even mentioning at times post-retirement that WWE was responsible for him never wanting to wrestle again. And so it seemed, as Punk later on signed with UFC in an attempt to get a MMA career off the ground, that the legacy of CM Punk ended with his tenure at WWE.

Until, that is, the wrestling world got a little...elite...

Okay, so I get who CM Punk is now, but what’s this All Elite Wrestling business?

AEW, All Elite Wrestling and the sole reason you’re reading this post right now, is the second biggest wrestling promotion in North America and quite possibly the world. Its inception begins with a group of wrestlers signed to the aforementioned Ring of Honor and a little bet made with wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer on Twitter.

Meltzer had proclaimed on Twitter that ROH did not have the capability to sell 10,000 tickets to an arena-run wrestling event. ROH-signed wrestlers Cody Rhodes (son of Dusty Rhodes and brother of Dustin Rhodes f.k.a. “Goldust”) and tag team brothers Matt and Nick Jackson (known as “The Young Bucks”) took Meltzer up on the bet and immediately scouted an arena for such an event. Partnering with Ring of Honor along with other wrestling promotions around the world such as Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Impact Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling, the trio promoted the event as All In and managed to sell out the arena in less than 30 minutes, even exceeding the goal by an extra thousand or so, becoming the largest attended wrestling event not held by industry leader WWE since 1993.

Naturally, the success of such an event caught the attention of many leaders in many industries. The idea that an independent wrestling event could create such a huge success in a time where WWE was kingpin of the industry was unprecedented. It was clear that the wrestling world was ready for a change and the numbers didn’t lie.

On the 1st of January 2019, All Elite Wrestling was announced with the running of All In’s sequel event Double or Nothing which would also be the inaugural pay-per-view event for AEW itself. Backing the company financially was Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan along with his son and co-owner of the Jaguars Tony Khan, who would lead the company as president, CEO and head of creative. The announcement of the company was peppered with signings of some of independent wrestling’s hottest stars such as “Hangman” Adam Page, Joey Janela, Britt Baker, and Kenny Omega, often cited as the greatest wrestler in the world with multiple 5 star+ matches under his belt. Also announced were some of the most interesting inclusions: former WWE stars Chris Jericho and PAC (f.k.a. Neville) had joined as well. At the premiere event of Double Or Nothing, the most shocking addition to the roster made his debut as well: Jon Moxley, formerly known in WWE as Dean Ambrose, one of the highest-profile stars in recent history had jumped ship from top of the card in WWE to the newest promotion. Ripples in the wrestling world had turned into immense shock waves.

Alright, I kinda know the history now but why is AEW so important?

AEW’s significance today cannot be understated. Before its inception, the world of professional wrestling consisted of two pillars: WWE and the independent scene, and the two could not be less equal. WWE was seen by many as the top of the line, the area where a wrestler could be seen by the most eyes and where they could be paid top dollar moreso than any indie promotion. But it was also seen, as detailed earlier by CM Punk, as a place of dull, corporatized profiteering. WWE does not treat its wrestlers as characters in engaging, eventful stories. To the WWE, the wrestlers are no more than brands, recognizable faces and repetitive phrases that they can slap onto t-shirts and other merchandise to sell for a quick buck. WWE as a company does not care about the world of professional wrestling, even recently going so far as to call themselves not a “wrestling company” but an “entertainment” company. Wrestlers in WWE are not given the opportunity to come up with material they think will best suit the story of the match and appease the fans, they are given pre-written scripts of dialogue to act out as if they were in a movie and storylines meant to tell the story the writers want to tell rather than what the fans want to see.

For many wrestlers, the art of wrestling is a finely tuned craft. WWE’s corporate micromanagement of the whole process is utterly disrespectful and soul-crushing. At AEW, the story is different.

AEW’s creative team allows its wrestlers to do whatever they think the fans will like. While not necessarily allowing the wrestlers full creative control (Tony Khan, after all, has the final say on things), AEW at least allows the wrestlers flexibility to try new things without being railroaded by storylines. This results in characters like Orange Cassidy (see above) a wrestler whose entire gimmick is that he just doesn’t care. In his matches, he’ll lazily loaf about the ring, putting in the bare minimum effort at attacking his opponents except when the opponents REALLY strike back at which Cassidy explodes into an array of athletic fury while simultaneously never losing his cool. And it works! The gimmick worked insanely well on the independent scene, away from the strict guidelines of a major corporation who probably would not understand it, and fans adored Cassidy’s laidback, lazy attitude. And in AEW, Cassidy’s gimmick transfers flawlessly due to the company’s trust in Cassidy to make it work. And so, AEW remains a place where wrestlers can succeed not at the whims of an out-of-touch old man playing with his action figures in a way that satisfies only himself, but at the whims of creative people who believe in the equally creative minds out in the squared circle who themselves believe in the hearts of the audience, understanding full well what it is they want to see when they come to or tune into a wrestling program.

There are a multitude of other reasons AEW is probably the best wrestling promotion on the planet (ease of access, LGBT diversity among the roster) but the creative freedom it allows its wrestlers remains one of the greatest.

Okay, now I kinda get the appeal. So where does CM Punk tie into this?

As with any new promotion heavily allowing for greater creative opportunity for its wrestlers, fans are gonna want to see their big favorites join the roster. Names like Daniel Bryan, Aleister Black, Adam Cole etc. known from their time on both the independent scene and at WWE have been tossed around a lot during discussions in the past as far as who should jump ship to the promotion that will best suit them. But one person has always been the biggest “what-if” when it comes to joining AEW: CM Punk. As laid out earlier, CM Punk’s dissatisfaction with WWE was wholly responsible for his greater retirement from the pro wrestling scene. And when there’s only one really significant promotion on the market, why bother? Punk has been vocal in the past on Twitter, in interviews and many other places that his love for the business of pro wrestling was soured and that something truly significant would be required for him to return. It seemed natural to fans that, should AEW prove to be a significant competitor to WWE that, somehow, some way, it could lead to the in-ring return of one of the best to ever step foot in it. And when AEW announced it would be running the second episode of its brand-new show Rampage at the United Center in Chicago, Punk’s hometown, the rumors began to fly.

Punk himself is known for joking about and debunking rumors, hearsay and other lies about his potential signing with any wrestling-related outlets. So when the rumors began to fly that Punk was signing with AEW...the man himself stayed uncharacteristically quiet. And the wrestling world began to gasp...was it true, then? Teasers were thrown about here and there on AEW programming, small things that could go either way but to hardcore fans seemed to understand were plain as day. Punk himself even got in on the action, posting cryptic videos on his Instagram that fans eventually linked to the United Center and a return for the Best in the World. It’s been known as wrestling’s “worst-kept secret” and today, it was revealed in all its glory.

CM Punk, one of the original independent wrestling superstars, one of the few men responsible for changing the culture of professional wrestling in the 21st century, had finally returned home.

Okay, that was pretty explanatory. So now, where the heck can I watch all this?

Excellent question! AEW currently has three methods of airing content:

- Through their network TV shows aired on TNT

- Through their YouTube channel

- Through pay-per-view events

AEW Dynamite is the company’s flagship show airing Wednesdays at 8:00 EST/7:00 CST on TNT. All the company’s major storylines are told on Dynamite and the show usually runs for ~2 hours. There are over 90+ episodes of Dynamite and its not really required that you see every single one though there are many episodes that have aired in the past that feature matches, promos, and other segments worth checking out.

AEW Rampage is the company’s second show and currently only has two episodes aired. It also airs on TNT, Fridays at 10:00 EST/9:00 CST. Rampage has been given the description of being a little more “action-packed” than Dynamite, with shows only lasting for a single hour and featuring little promo time instead focusing primarily on matches themselves.

The company’s biggest stories tend to culminate in one of its four annual pay-per-view events. AEW pay-per-views are available via WarnerMedia's B/R Live service in the United States and Canada, and on FITE TV internationally. Additionally, AEW PPVs are also available via traditional PPV outlets in the United States and Canada and are carried by all major satellite providers. AEW PPVs generally cost around $50-60 and run for about four hours or so.

In addition to the two TNT shows and pay-per-views, AEW also runs two weekly shows on its YouTube channel, AEW: Dark and AEW: Dark Elevation. Both shows are generally referred to as AEW’s “developmental” shows, created mostly for unsigned or up-and-coming talent to showcase themselves in a taped format that forgoes the traditional network TV deals for easier access online. Dark and Dark Elevation’s differences are negligible but both tend not to crossover too much with the main shows, although some stories definitely do. Both shows run for ~an hour and a half on Monday nights at 7:00 EST/6:00 CST (Dark Elevation) and Tuesdays at 7 EST/6 CST (Dark).

AEW talent also provide a few extra sources of entertainment through their own YouTube outlets as well. The Elite, a popular stable in AEW consisting of current champion Kenny Omega and current tag team champions the Young Bucks, feature themselves in their own weekly travel vlog/comedy sketch series Being the Elite while other individual wrestlers like Sammy Guevara, Allie “The Bunny”, and Ethan Page provide more individualized backstage looks at the company through their own vlogs. These aren’t necessary to enjoy regular AEW programming but they definitely add to the atmosphere and you can tell through each how much the locker room loves and respects each other.

Wow, this was really in-depth and definitely not a small task at all. Thanks for the help!

No problem! If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message, though its doubtful I’ll receive it since I barely check Tumblr anymore! If you know me on any other platforms, the message still applies! Thanks so much for reading! I really do hope this helped you understand the situation a little better. Enjoy wrestling!

#all elite wrestling #aew #cm punk

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wrestlingisfake · 2 years

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Dave Meltzer tweeted this morning that MJF is still in Las Vegas and "appears to be wanting to be Brian Pillman."

Last night MJF no-showed a meet-and-greet, and was booked for an overnight flight to New Jersey. Meltzer, Sean Ross Sapp, and Mike Johnson all reported that the situation was not a work. It would be highly unusual to do a work like this, since that would mean giving out refunds for the meet-and-greet, and that red-eye ticket was not cheap.

In 1996 Brian Pillman Sr. famously "worked the boys" in WCW by acting recklessly on TV, dropping F-bombs and breaking kayfabe, as if he was trying to get fired. Eric Bischoff was in on the plan, with the goal of getting publicity by confusing insiders and the internet. WCW wrestlers weren't clued in, so that if they were asked by the dirtsheets they would say it wasn't a work. However, Pillman then double-crossed Bischoff, talking him into kayfabe "firing" him with a real release so he could negotiate with the WWF and start a bidding war for his next contract. So Bischoff got played, and the WCW locker room learned that they couldn't trust WCW not to work them, which hurt morale.

Meltzer was a close friend of Pillman, and wrote extensively about the 1996 situation. I'm pretty sure he's making the Pillman comparison here to suggest MJF is trying to do something similar, and not necessarily succeeding. In other words, MJF is pretending to act erratically in order to confuse the internet and start an AEW/WWE bidding war. We'll have to wait and see if that's the case.

Obviously some people still think AEW and MJF are both in on this, collaborating to generate controversy to promote tonight's MJF vs. Wardlow match. It basically comes down to whether you think MJF is playing 3D chess against everyone else, or if MJF and AEW are playing 3D chess together against the fans.

I don't mind being worked. But I don't like "playing 3D chess" theories, because it always feels like twisting yourself into knots without evidence to prove something you want to be true. With that in mind, I'm not sold on any explanation for what's going on. Even if the MJF-Wardlow match actually happens, I'm still gonna have questions that probably won't be answered for a while.

#aew #mjf #double or nothing

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nagdabbit · 3 years

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You've been asked about your favorite matches before, but what's your ~least favorite~ match?

HEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING THIS

muhammad ali vs antonio inoki. the match fuckin' sucked, and i say that with great respect for both men. you can find it pretty easily on youtube if you care to, but i wouldn't recommend it. it was an unmitigated disaster. but the everything else around it is great! it's basically the first mma match.

okay, strap in, cuz this is one of my favorite wrestling stories. if you already know the story, just agree with me and skip, but its so fuckin' funny.

basically, in the way back of 1975 (? i think?), ali was like 33. right on the edge of retirement, not goin quite so hard as he used to. he's lookin for a challenge, somethin a little new, some kind of crossover fight. at a benefit of some kind, ali met the president of the japanese amateur wrestling association and did the extremely ali thing of running his mouth. he was like, "i'll give a million dollars to whoever of your boys can beat me." obviously, this made huge headlines in japan and antonio inoki was like ok bet, and his backers offered six million dollars

(if you are unfamiliar with inoki, he's a professional wrestling l e g e n d, politician and the founder of new japan pro-wrestling. please look him up and strap in for another wild fuckin ride. or ask, i guess. fuckin legend. and watch new japan.)

ali has some of the best trash talk there ever was, making quips about inoki's incredible jawline, but inoki had one of the hardest, calmest comebacks, like "when your fist connects with my chin, take care your hand isn't damaged." great. media ate it the fuck up, everyone ate it the fuck up.

so like, this was a fuckin huge deal. like vince wwe jr's dad bought out an entire theatre and showed the match on closed circuit tv and made bank. like, from the price of live tickets being insane to the absolute bat shit number of pay per view buys, this was fuckin HUGE.

NOW. both these guys always, always, always held onto the story that the fight was legit. always. there's no fuckin' way, but you gotta respect the grift. whether it might have started with ali thinking it was legit before the six million agreement was made? maybe. but somewhere along the way, someone had to be the one to tell muhammad ali that getting six mil meant he was booked to fuckin' lose.

obviously, that didn't fly. even with the plan being that ali would throw a stray punch, knock out the ref, and inoki would knock him out with a cheap kick to the head, he'd get counted out, and ali would get to save face. story for the ages, never fails, always works.

naw. ali wouldn't fuck with that. a fixed fight that neither man was willing to lose.

but on the other end--at least according to inoki--was the story of ali showing up to watch him train, going "when do we rehearse?" and inoki going, "naw. this is gonna be a real fight."

whatever was the truth, what resulted was the stupidest stipulations fuckin' imaginable. inoki would not be allowed to tackle, grapple or throw ali, and he wouldn't be allowed to kick unless he had one knee on the mat. fucking stupid, right? (it's possible that ali's backers [behind ali's back] threatened inoki's life, according to bret hart, who worked for inoki at the time, but all wrestlers are carnies so it is equally possible either fuckin way. who knows.)

so anyway. inoki was accompanied to the ring by karl fuckin' gotch, who helped form a lot of the grappling style of wrestling in japan--which is a detail for me, mostly, because that era of japanese wrestling, in particular, is really interesting. ali wore smaller 4 oz gloves, a lot closer to what we think of mma fighters wearing nowadays. it would be 15 three minute rounds.

so like, the bell goes off, and inoki goes for a kick, misses, goes for another, misses, lands on his back and just--stayed there. because ali can't punch him if he's on the mat. so he stayed on his back, aiming kick after kick at ali's legs. in the sixth round, inoki got him to the canvas and squatted on his face. ali didn't even throw his first punch until like the seventh round, and his second in round ten. inoki was on the mat until like the 13th round. he got ali with a kick to the balls. muhammad ali threw six punches in the entire fuckin' thing.

it was scored as a tie, so no one lost and literally everyone who watched was fuckin pissed. there were chants for money back, garbage all over the fuckin place, it was a mess, everyone involved was humiliated.

and to add insult to literal injury, ali took so many hard kicks to the legs that he developed two blood clots. when he went through with his next fight, instead of going to the hospital first, his injuries got worse. the infection and injuries meant that he never got his full mobility back.

but ali and inoki became friends? like, really fucking good friends? inoki began to use ali's music to walk out to, ali flew out to watch inoki's final match in 1998, they worked together while inoki was in politics. that's how ali got involved with the collision in korea debacle.

my least favorite match of all time. it's terrible and embarrassing to watch, and i will never watch it again, but the story of it is so fucking great that i also love it so much.

#asks!

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heelbucks · 5 years

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so if anyone in the tri state (it’s mostly staten island & brooklyn) area wants to see some pro wrestling for cheap, go check out warriors of wrestling! they are an amazing promotion & aew superstars sonny kiss, nyla rose and private party all came from them! most of them are amazing guys and gals and always put on a good show! (yes i am prompting them bc my best friend just came back from an injury and he is hands down one of the best guys on their roster rn)

they do shows once a month and tickets are only 20$, 25$ for front row.

next month, november 16th, they have a shit ton of wwe superstars like road dogg from degeneration x, melina (my whole ass heart) andré the giants daughter, & many more. they’ve had a lot of greats wrestle with them and come support them. last month rene michelle aka drake mavericks wife, was there!

yes i am their biggest unpaid promoter

#local wrestling #support the indys #nyc

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combatfaerie · 5 years

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Do they sell the Funkos at the WWE live events? There's a non-televised event near me soon and I wasn't really planning to go, but if there's a chance I could get the exclusive Becky Funko, then I'd probably get a cheap ticket and just go for the merch.

#becky lynch

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hazyheel · 5 years

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WWE NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff Review

This is only the second NXT UK Takeover show, and I already think that we are moving in the right direction. A lot of strong stories going into this show, and a lot of strong matches coming out, and a match of the year contender hidden in there too. I thought this was a really good show, although the crowd left something to be desired on the undercard. They fired up for the main event and made it all the more special, but it would’ve been good to get some of that spread around. I still thought this was one of the best shows of the year, so here is my full review!

Noam Dar vs. Travis Banks: The two started with some intense lockups, and Dar started to play mind games right away. Dar was talking trash constantly and taking light cheap shots to get in Banks’ head. From there the two wrestled to a stalemate, with no one landing a clean strike on the other. Banks mostly targetted Dar’s leg, probably because of his knee problems in the past. No one really had a huge amount of control in the early goings, but Dar did find a target in the form of Banks’ shoulder and elbow. At one point, Dar had a very interesting transition from a seated position into a crossface of some sort, only for Banks to reverse it right back into a crossface of his own. Dar then started to play more and more mind games, using them to take advantage and take Banks to the mat with a series of strikes. At one point, Banks went for the Slice of Heaven Kick, but Dar caught his leg and locked in a kneebar. Banks was able to twist himself around and into a seated position, where they layed into each other with strikes until they both fell back on the mat. Dar then took control with a dropkick to put Banks on the outside, a throw into the stairs, and then a huge lariat to the back of Banks’ head. But this only made Banks more mad, as he then gave Dar a shotgun dropkick into the corner, followed by a double stomp to the back of the head, and a suicide dive on the outside. The two then brawled a bit with Dar trying to throw Banks into the barricade. Banks then tried to rebound off of it with the Slice of Heaven kick, but he botched it and only kinda connected with the move. He followed up with a double stomp in the ring for a near fall. The two then faced off in the middle of the ring, trading huge kicks and forearms. Banks nailed a rolling elbow, only for Dar to nail a pump kick in the corner. Nigel McGuiness made a great call then, acknowledging that this was a move of Lionheart’s, and saying “we miss you, Adrian.” This was the first acknowledgement of Lionheart’s death on WWE TV, despite the fact that he was probably close with a lot of wrestlers who frequented the UK independent scene. It was a nice touch. Banks then nailed a Shining Wizard for a near fall, and tried for the Slice of Heaven, but Dar kicked his legs out from under him and nailed the Nova Roller for the win.

Grade: B-. This was a good match that didn’t really live up to my expectations. The chemistry here was off a bit, and that Slice of Heaven botch happened at just the worst time. But other than that, we had a pretty interesting match. Lots of good striking and interesting counters. Hopefully this isn’t the last we have seen of these two, because they can do better.

Cesaro Interview: my boy Radzi was on Takeover! He asked Cesaro about his open challenge that he offered, and Cesaro said that he didn’t care who accepted it. Ilja Dragunov then walked past them in his usual angry way. Dragunov just stormed to the ring. He then grabbed a mic and accepted the open challenge.

Cesaro vs. Ilja Dragunov: Cesaro got a huge pop when he came out. Nice to see fans who acknowledge how great he is. Right at the bell, the two men destroyed each others’ chests with chops, showing how tough Dragunov is. They fought to a stalemate, which only made Cesaro more furious. At one point, Dragunov tried to jump at Cesaro, who just caught him and dumped him over the top rope. Cesaro had a very clear experience edge here, seeming like he knew each of Dragunov’s moves before he made them. He even ate the big swing for forty rotations after missing the 619 lariat. He got a near fall out of it, only for Cesaro to reverse the kickout into a crossface. From there Dragunov started to fire up. He continuously put Cesaro on the mat using hard lariats, and even a modified German suplex. He followed that up with a suicide dive, and a coast to coast for a near fall. Dragunov then started to light up Cesaro again, and the two dueled in the middle of the ring. Dragunov nearly took Cesaro down with chops to the face, but Cesaro fought back with a huge headbutt, and then a gorilla press into a knee lift for a near fall. Right as Dragunov kicked out, Cesaro followed up with a sliding European uppercut for another near fall. Dragunov then hit a death valley driver into the corner, and followed up with a senton off the top for a near fall of his own. Dragunov then went for the Moscow torpedo, but Cesaro launched him into the air for a European uppercut, followed by the Neutralizer for the win.

After the match, Cesaro waited for Dragunov to get up, and shook his hand. He hugged Dragunov and gave him some words of encouragement under his breath.

Grade: A-. Wow, for a match that wasn’t announced at all beforehand, this was great. Dragunov was an awesome underdog. They had a hard hitting and great match. They beat each other incredibly hard, and they showed just how good of a striker that Dragunov is, given his how he could stand up to Cesaro. Good booking that kept Dragunov strong in defeat.

Gallus vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. The South Wales Subculture for the NXT UK Tag Team Championships: naturally, Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster received a hero’s welcome from the hometown crowd. Andrews and Zack Gibson started the match, which got maximum heat from the crowd. The two dueled for control a bit, but Gibson quickly tagged out to James Drake, and Andrews did the same to Webster. Wolfgang eventually forced his way into the match, but Drake quickly tagged Webster back in to fight the bigger man. In the midst of all the tags, Andrews and Webster cleared the ring and even took down Gallus with some suicide dives. However, from there we saw GYV start to destroy the smaller men with some awesome tandem offense, such as a Gibson ripcord into a forearm from Drake onto Webster. Gallus actually hardly got in this match, as they kept getting tagged out. Webster eventually got the hot tag to take down all of GYV and Gallus with a sliding ensiguri and a tornado DDT, followed by suicide dives to everyone. In all of that Chaos, Coffey was able to tag himself in, so he and Wolfgang decimated Andrews with an assisted Samoan drop for a near fall. At one point, Gallus went for some sort of tandem move, but Webster took out Mark with a senton, and then the two of them hit Wolfgang with an awesome high knee into a poison rana for a close near fall. From there, Mark and Andrews battled on the top rope, only for Andrews to push him into a pile of enemies and give them all a Shooting Star Press. Gibson went to give Andrews a Helter Skelter, but Webster hit Stundog Millionaire, followed by a flying Senton from Webster for a near fall. Drake then pulled Webster out of the ring, and then drilled Andrews with a dropkick in the corner while Gibson held him there. They then hit a combination of Helter Skelter and a 450 splash, but Andrews still kicked out! The went for the assisted lung blower, but Webster ran in and gave Gibson a high knee, followed by a double headbutt to take them both out. Gallus then ran in to destroy everyone. Mark gave Drake a huge Uranagi just as Wolfgang annihilated Andrews with a Glasgow Sendoff. Wolfgang then threw Mark out over the top rope to take everyone out. Gallus then gave Andrews an ensiguri into a powerslam, which made Gallus very cocky. They took their time getting the pin, so a weak Webster was able to break things up. All six men then ran into the ring, but Gallus still came out on top. Wolfgang then tried to slingshot Webster into Mark, but he gave him a Canadian destroyer instead, followed by the Vets giving Wolfgang a Suicide dive Doomsday device. Drake tagged himself in, and the champions slowly entered the ring with the boys from Wales. They all started to brawl, with Andrews giving them a double stundog millionaire. Webster followed up with a 630 senton to Drake, but Gibson pulled the ref out before three. As Gibson argued with the ref, Andrews tried to give him a splash, but Gibson nailed him with a cross chop to the throat. The Vets then gave Webster the ticket to mayhem, followed by Drake nailing Gallus with a suicide dive, but Andrews broke up the pin with a shooting star press. Webster then pinned Gibson for the win, and the belts.

Grade: A. Great match here. The boys from Wales are two of the best underdogs in all of wrestling, and it showed here. The vets were cold and calculating the entire time, knowing exactly how to handle each of their opponents. While Gallus was the x factor, running in for some terrifying strength and always a threat. But the faces weathered the storm and got the win, while the heels made too many mistakes. Gallus was far too cocky, as they had the match won, but they took their time for the pin and didn’t account for Webster breaking it up. The Veterans were actually too paranoid, as if Drake hadn’t gone for that suicide dive to the mostly beaten Gallus, he could’ve broken up the pin. The faces were just resilient, and now they are the new NXT UK Tag Team Champions. Great stuff, better than I even I anticipated.

Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey in a Last Man Standing Match: Things started out fast and furious in the aisle, with Coffey coming down to the ring with a chain, but that didn’t stop Mastiff. They two quickly fought into the ring, and the two targeted previously injured body parts as well. Coffey went for the liver, while Mastiff went for the ear. Early on, Mastiff whipped Coffey into the corner, which tore the top turnbuckle clean out of the post. So naturally, Mastiff started to use the turnbuckle as a weapon. The two just continued to battle in the ring without the top rope, which proved to be difficult when Coffey tried to do a splash out of the corner and he botched it bad. They traded suplexes back and forth, with Mastiff coming out on top after a german suplex that folded Coffey in half. The two continued to brawl on the outside, where Coffey used a pool cue and a bag of weapons that Gallus stored under the ring. Coffey then set up a table against the barricade, and the two continued to fight with some interesting weapons. Coffey broke the pool cue over Mastiff’s back, and then tried to stab him with the point. Mastiff stopped him, and destroyed him with a shot to the back and shoulder with a cricket bat, which looked brutal and sounded great. Mastiff tried to give Coffey a spear through the table, but Coffey avoided it and gave him a Glasgow sendoff through it instead, but the two made it to their feet. They then started to whip each other with a chain, with Mastiff again getting the better of the exchange, and pulling out a table as Coffey struggled to his feet. Mastiff set the table up against the barricade, and put Coffey through it with a canonnball, but both men made it to their feet. Coffey tried to retreat into the crowd, but Mastiff followed him with a chair and continued the beating. Coffey finally got the advantage by swatting the chair away and hitting Best for the Bells with the chain around his fist, but they still both made it up. The two stared at each other in the crowd, and Mastiff tossed Coffey a chair, and the two charged each other with the chairs against their chest, colliding in a body slam that put them both down. They both got up, and brawled over to the announce desk. They cleared the desk, and Mastiff nailed a rolling Death Valley Driver on the table, but it didn’t break, and they both got up. They started to brawl over the announcing position, and started to exchange strikes, before trying to throw each other off. Coffey told Mastiff that NXT UK was his kingdom, prompting a headbutt that sent them both tumbling into some tables at ringside. As the ref counted, the two both crawled towards boxes to help them up, and at the count of 9, Coffey kicked out a box that Mastiff was using, putting him back on the ground and winning the match in the process. Joe Coffey was the last man standing.

Grade: B-. I was into this match, and was going to give it a B until right at the very end. I think that these types of matches can be kinda slow and plodding sometimes, and the finishes can be wonky, but if it is done right then it can be totally exciting. This one was a somewhere in the middle, because they beat each other down with some cool weapon shots and such, but the crowd was too dead for it to really get into second gear. So I thought it was good and brutal right up until the end. I thought that final spot where they fell through the tables was great and good enough to end the match, but then they both started to stir. So I assumed that the match would keep going, when Coffey kicked the box away and won. It was kinda a deflating ending. it was a creative ending for sure, but I wasn’t a fan. I would rather have only one guy getting up after the big table spot, and neither man stirring. But other than that, this was a good match with some fun weapons. Two big guys destroying each other with anything they can find. Those cricket bat shots in particular were awesome.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm for the NXT UK Women’s Championship: Right at the bell, Storm tried to attack and start things off quick, but Ray retreated to the outside and slowed things down. After several attempts to get her hands on Ray as she tried to get in the ring, Storm nailed a suicide dive and just started to beat her down. As the two got back in the ring, Ray got in a few hits, but Storm wouldn’t let up her attack. Ray got the advantage after a few cheap shots, and delivered several stiff strikes of her own. As the match continued on, Storm actually started to cry, and was wearing her emotion on her sleeve. Storm eventually hit a nice combo of a thrust kick, a sliding clothesline, a german suplex and another sliding closeline for a near fall. Ray then tried for some sort of move, but Storm countered into a code red for a near fall. Storm followed up with a headbutt, followed by Storm Zero, but Ray kicked out. Ray then nailed about three superkicks in the face, followed by a Gory bomb, but Storm still kicked out. Ray then perched Storm on the top rope, where Storm tried to take advantage and hit a Storm Zero off the top, but Ray countered with a back body drop to the apron. Storm flipped out of the back body drop and then nailed Ray with a German suplex off the top, but Ray got her foot on the ropes. Storm fired up a bit, throwing Ray to the outside and hitting a suicide dive, but after throwing Ray into the the ring, Ray nailed a running knee strike to keep Storm on the outside. Ray then tried for a Swanton bomb to the outside, but really underrotated and would have landed on her head if Storm hadn’t caught her. Rey then nailed a Gory bomb into the top rope, followed by another in the ring for the win.

After the match, Storm cried at ringside.

Grade: B-. This is a weird match for me. Everything genuinely felt like the moves were good and cool, and even the story was compelling, but they just lacked an urgency. I honestly have to blame the crowd here, which I hate to do, but they were just so dead that nothing felt important. Sorry crowd. Luckily the work was good enough to warrant a positive grade, but if they were on a different show in a different position, they probably would’ve had a better match. Still, I liked the finish a lot, and I think that Ray will be a great champion. Her character work is awesome, and I’m excited to see how her reign develops.

Tyler Bate vs. Walter for the WWE UK Championship: This match had such a bit match feel to it, it was incredible. The lighting and the spotlight on them as they posed before the match made this seem like a movie. The crowd was firmly behind Bate, as was I, despite the fact that Walter is probably my favorite guy in NXT UK. The early portion of this match showed Bate using a hit and run tactic, and Walter trying to overpower Bate. Bate focused on some kicks to the legs and tighten up the quad a bit, but he was losing the grappling interactions against Walter. However, we quickly saw Bate use all the strength he had when he powered out of a pinning predicament. This may be a closer David vs. Goliath match than we thought. Walter brought the match to the mat when Bate’s strikes started to overwhelm him, but once again Bate powered out, bringing things to some fast paced power moves and striking. Both men powered out of the other’s finishers, with Bate flipping out of a back body drop and slamming Walter into the mat. Bate was really feeling himself, and he tried for a suicide dive, but Walter caught him, nailing a huge chop to the chest, followed by a powerbomb on the apron. Walter then started to give Bate a beating on the outside, and tried for a powerbomb on Bate into the post, with Bate’s head seeming to collide with the post. The doctor had to check out Bate, and as he did, Walter yelled at the ref to start the count. Thankfully, Bate could continue and made it into the ring, only to eat the intense offense of Walter, who didn’t take it easy at all. He nailed Bate with slam after slam, and some stiff strikes as well. Walter then locked in a Sleeper Hold, but Bate made it to the ropes, and nailed a clubbing blow to the head. He tried to pick Walter up for the Airplane Spin, but collapsed under the weight, so Walter locked in a crossface on the mat. Walter then trapped Bate in the ropes, and gave him a series of clubbing blows that caused Bate to drop, lifeless, out of the ring. Bate was able to make it back in the ring, and Walter continued to destroy Bate with chops, strikes and kicks to the chest and head. Walter started to antagonize Bate, and allowed him to get a few hits in, before he perched Bate on the top ropes and destroyed him with a chop, and assaulting the neck on the top as well. Walter then tried for a powerbomb on the apron, but Bate held onto the ropes to block it. So Walter nailed a couple forearms to the head instead, only for Bate to grab Walter and hit an exploder suplex off the apron out of nowhere. The two where nearly counted out, but Bate beat him down a bit more on the outisde, before throwing him back in the ring and firing up with some offense. He nailed Walter with strike after strike, but when he tried for the springboard back elbow, Walter nailed a chop to the back, before locking in a Boston crab and various other submissions that focused on the lower back and the neck. Walter retained control for a bit from there, continuing to beat down Bate with strikes and slams, with Bate countering a vertical suplex to keep himself in the match. Bate followed up with strikes and clotheslines, just trying to take the big man off his feet, doing it with an exploder. He tried to hit the Tyler Driver 97, but Walter fought back with a back body drop. it seemed like every time Bate was getting some momentum, Walter would put him back down. At one point, Bate flipped over Walter to escape the corner, hurting his back in the process, so Walter nailed a shotgun dropkick that sent Bate into the corner. Walter then went for a powerbomb, but Bate countered with a sunset flip powerbomb for a near fall that the crowd fully bought into. The two then battled to the top rope, with Walter literally chopping Bate off of the turnbuckle. Walter then went for the splash on the top, but Bate caught him with a headbutter. Walter nearly pushed Bate off the top, but Bate grabbed his hand and snapped the fingers, before giving him a superplex for another close near fall. Bate then again tried to attack the leg by snapping the ankle a bit, before unleashing a series of strikes on Walter. Walter kept putting Bate down with chops, but Bate kept getting up and delivering more and more strikes. Walter nailed probably five chops in a row, before Bate nailed a straight right, causing Walter to fall on top of him. The two then desperately battled on the mat with strikes wherever they could. They fought back to their feet, with Walter nailing a combination of palm strikes before Bate attacked the knee. Bate then tried for a rebound lariat, but Walter caught him out of it with an exploder. Bate got right back up however, and got the Airplane Spin. Walter tried to escape to the top rope, but Bate grabbed him off the top and nailed a Burning Hammer, but he couldn’t make the cover. Walter rolled to the outside, but Bate nailed him with a suicide dive to the back of the head, followed by a second Tope con Hilo. Bate rolled Walter back in the ring, for a very slow and intense German Suplex, but Walter still kicked out. Bate then tried for the Tyler Driver 97, but Walter countered with a back body drop and a bridge, but Bate bridged out of it, and hit his finisher for another near fall! Neither man was willing to stay down. Bate then hit a corkscrew splash, but Walter still kicked out. The two got back to their feet, and Bate showered Walter with strikes and forced him into the corner. The ref pulled them apart, and Walter took advantage with a chop to the face, a palm strike and a kick to the head, and then locked in a sleeper on the mat. Bate then powered the two of them up, and dropped Walter onto the mat. Walter then sat right back up with a chop to the back and another sleeper. Bate then escaped by crawling out over the top rope, but Walter caught him again with a club to the chest and another sleeper. Bate then pulled him to the outside over the top rope, but Walter refused to let go. The two were on the apron, and Walter kept his attack up. He nailed a chop to the back, and hit a sleeper suplex on the apron. Walter then threw him back in the ring, and hit the splash, but somehow Bate still kicked out. Walter hit another sleeper suplex in the ring, but Bate kicked out again. Walter then nailed Bate with slaps to the face, and a powerbomb, with Bate kicking out at one this time. He pulled himself to his feet in defiance, and Walter kept nailing strikes to keep him down. He hit a huge lariat after a lot of buildup to finally win the match.

After the match, Imperium met Walter at the top of the ramp, and they posed together. The rest of British Strong Style also came out to comfort Bate. they soaked up the love of the crowd. They were still a team, even if they didn’t get the win.

Grade: A. What a match this was. The storytelling here was incredible. Walter put Bate through absolute hell, and Bate kept kicking out. Bate constantly fought back with defiance. As long as he was conscious, he wouldn’t give up. He played the hero that NXT UK needed, but in the end, his body just gave out on him. He couldn’t continue after a grueling 40 minutes of punishment, and the last hope for NXT UK was destroyed. This is like David and Goliath, if in the end Goliath just beat David down until he couldn’t move. NXT UK is not the place for happy endings and fairytales. Sometimes, the good guy loses. Bate wasn’t strong enough. He had all the heart in the world, but he couldn’t get the win. This was a phenomenal story with some incredible action and an awesome hot crowd. Match of the night, and possibly the best WWE match this year.

Overall Grade: B+

Predictions: 2/5. Not my best day, but I can’t say that I’m unhappy with the results. I’m not counting Cesaro’s open challenge, even though I thought he’d win.

Pros: Cesaro vs. Dragunov; triple threat tag; main event

Cons: dead crowd for the last man standing and women’s match.

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tammys85 · 5 years

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Random Updates....

I don’t even know if any of my friends read my Tumblr, but I’ll post some random updates anyways lol. - My best friend and I have decided to nix our Wrestlemania 35 plans. It’s just too much to save up for, even with only going for the weekend or Sunday. I’m really okay with it. I mean, I wanted to go, but it was getting a little stressful to save up for it. I might be using the money I did save up so far to go to Monster Mania. Shawn Michaels is going to be there. :) We’ll see though, it depends if my family can go (which they were doing for other reasons). - My birthday was earlier this month, and my best friend is buying tickets to WWE Smackdown as a gift. I’m not sure where we’re sitting, as it’s going to be a surprise. I think she said she wants to sit closer than last time (she bought tickets for Christmas, and we had great seats), but I’ll be happy sitting anywhere and she knows that. :) - I got my tickets to see New Kids On The Block in Hershey on July 6th. My sister can’t take me, and my other sister isn’t worried about it, so my best friend is taking me because she’s a trooper. I also bought the tickets lol. We’re in the first row of the stands because the floor seats they had left in my price range were kind of far back. However, the stands are close to the ground so maybe, JUST MAYBE, I’ll score a high-five out of the deal lol. But hey, at least we’ll be able to see the stage. - I’m thinking of dying my hair with the L’Oreal Hicolor Red Violet (for dark hair). I’ll probably do it in March for the possible HBK signing and WWE Smackdown. Otherwise, I want to dye it with the L’Oreal Hicolor Magenta for the NKOTB concert, and I’ll dye it in either late June or early July. I’ve dyed it with the magenta before, but not with the red violet. Otherwise, I’ll either use the cheap Revlon dye in burgundy again or leave it alone altogether. - Work has been going okay. I have clients and writing teams on two different websites. I’m still not where I would like to be with my finances, but it may take some time and more hard work, so I just need to keep on swimming. Well, that’s enough updates. I hope everyone is doing well. :)

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sportsticketdepot07 · 3 years

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Book WWE cheap tickets | NYC

Sports Ticket Depot is an online website where you can book your wwe cheap tickets at an affordable price with us. Sportsticketdepot provided various games. Regular sporting activities. To know more, visit the site.

#wwe cheap tickets #wwe smackdown tickets

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placetobenation · 3 years

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What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a little vengeance, right?

NXT takes over the PPV landscape Sunday night with its latest edition of TakeOver: Vengeance Day, highlighted by the NXT Championship match between Finn Balor and Pete Dunne. That alone should be worth the price of admission and maybe we’ll get Edge standing by as an interested bystander. But, in addition, they’ll crown the winners of both men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic plus Johnny Gargano defending his North American Championship against KUSHIDA which could steal the show. That is of course, unless Io Shirai doesn’t steal it first!

We know the card will deliver as it always does! Less is always more as far as the number of matches when it comes to NXT. Gives it room to breathe.

Just think about it, it’s a card that’s without Karrion Kross, The Undisputed Era, Tommaso Ciampa, Timothy Thatcher, Candice LeRae and the tag team champions, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, among others.

NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day – Updated Card

Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Finals: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. MSK

Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Finals: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

NXT North American Championship Match: Johnny Gargano vs. KUSHIDA

NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne

NXT Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match: Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez

Star of the week:

WWE's Nia Jax trends on Twitter after screaming 'my hole!' during match https://t.co/15cdcHNT9H pic.twitter.com/Q4fMI6T4h4

— New York Post (@nypost) February 9, 2021

Nia Jax – No, not for being the best, but for being one of the best moments on WWE television this week. It was a moment more memorable than anything Jax has done in the ring in months.

RAW

RESULTS

AJ Styles defeated Jeff Hardy

The New Day defeated RETRIBUTION (T-BAR & SLAPJACK)

Lacey Evans defeated Charlotte Flair by DQ to win RAW Women’s Championship Match vs. Asuka

Damian Priest defeated Angel Garza

Keith Lee defeated Riddle

Tables Match: Lana defeated Nia Jax

Naomi defeated Shayna Baszler

Non-title WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton ended in no-contest

Welcome to the WHY edition of Monday night RAW.

Why did we need Shane McMahon out to help Adam Pearce announce that Drew McIntyre would defend his WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber against Sheamus, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton and The Miz?

"I think at a different level than you. You're content with being awesome? I'm not. Did that 20 years ago … I NEED to be champion!" – @EdgeRatedR to @mikethemiz #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/aqqyFRmjeJ

— WWE (@WWE) February 9, 2021

Why is Edge so damn good? Rhetorical question as he now waits until after Elimination Chamber to make his WrestleMania decision. Edge schooling The Miz was priceless and on point!

The Queen has SNAPPED, forcing this match into a DQ!#WWERaw @MsCharlotteWWE @LaceyEvansWWE @RicFlairNatrBoy pic.twitter.com/rov45KVOkz

— WWE (@WWE) February 9, 2021

Why did we need another DQ finish? This time with Charlotte Flair beating up Lacey Evans, giving Evans a title shot against Asuka. Not sure that helped anyone out there.

Why is Angel Garza being wasted in a squash match against Damian Priest? And why does Priest need Bad Bunny with the distraction to beat him? That of course, is another rhetorical question. Excellent piece of business right there for sport entertainment.

Dialing 1-800-HURT BIZ!#WWERaw @fightbobby @RealKeithLee pic.twitter.com/uwUlceEFJV

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) February 9, 2021

Why is the WWE so transparent putting Keith Lee up against Riddle when we know it’s only going to lead to a triple threat match against Bobby Lashley for the US Title? Storyline aside, Lee vs. Riddle was very good.

Why did we get no build-up to a tables match between Lana and Nia Jax? Yes, they should’ve had the match, but give me at least some time to make it worthwhile.

Why haven’t we been giving a “Oh, my hole!” t-shirt from Nia Jax and why does the WWE feel the need to edit that amazing moment, trending Worldwide, out of the RAW replays? Use it my friends! It actually made Jax entertaining for a moment and made her our star for the week. At least they made amends Friday night!

Payback!

#WWERaw @DMcIntyreWWE @RandyOrton @WWESheamus pic.twitter.com/NGR5b6Qwd7

— WWE (@WWE) February 9, 2021

Why do we need yet another no-contest in a RAW main event? This time McIntyre vs. Orton goes nowhere with Sheamus’ predictable interference.

Why is there no Miss Alexa Bliss?

In the end, RAW could’ve been a very entertaining show if not for some missteps.

NXT

RESULTS

Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: MSK defeated Legado del Fantasma

Xia Li defeated Kora Jade

Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart defeated Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

KUSHIDA defeated Austin Theory by DQ

Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: The Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher

Our favorite move is back, y'all… and this time it's off the ring apron!!!

#WWENXT #DustyClassic @joaquinwilde_ @NashCarterWWE @RaulMendozaWWE @WesLee_WWE pic.twitter.com/9yNx7LXdhu

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 11, 2021

Is it time for MSK to make their way to the top of the NXT tag team title scene? They’re just one step away now with a Dusty Rhodes Classic finals appearance!

Talk about The WAY to NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day!

IT'S A MIRACLE!!! …or not. Tough break, Johnny Wheelchair. #WWENXT @KUSHIDA_0904 @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/5Q4GbkcLDv

— WWE (@WWE) February 11, 2021

Johnny Gargano first tried to weasel his way out of the NXT North American Championship Match with a fake broken arm diagnosis that William Regal saw right there. With Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, Austin Theory and of course, KUSHIDA, the segment was pure gold! Then, Gargano tried to payback KUSHIDA with a cheap shot in his match with Theory, only to be held at bay in an armbar by KUSHIDA and Dexter Lumis.

As for LeRae, she and Hartwell fell short to Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart in getting to the Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Finals. Now, it’s Blackheart & Moon taking on Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez for the Dusty Cup and a future WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match.

Do not disobey Tian Sha. #WWENXT @Bigboawwe pic.twitter.com/vE8x5Ir93Q

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 11, 2021

The aura surrounding Xia Li, Boa and Tian Sha has Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter as interested bystanders. Supportive friends are now turned into foes. A curious angle gets better and better with Li becoming more of a badass. Great makeover!

Tick tock…….@WWEKarrionKross & @LadyScarlett_13 await @EscobarWWE on #WWENXT this coming Wednesday! pic.twitter.com/6bgJBGw84d

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 12, 2021

Next week, we get Karrion Kross against Santos Escobar with Scarlett ringside. Sounds delicious! Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza have already felt the wrath. It’s only a matter of time. Tick. Tock.

Loved the build-up to this Sunday’s PPV especially the vignettes for the triple threat match for Io Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez. Plus, the face-offs on each match at the end of the night was a nice touch! NXT does such an outstanding job of matching it feel big time for their TakeOver events.

Cameron Grimes. Kiss My Grits. Oh my! Maybe he’s the new Million Dollar Man!

For the second straight week, we get a quality tag team main event with an upset. This time, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher see their run come to an unexpected end at the hands of The Grizzled Young Veterans. So, it’ll be Wes Lee and Nash Carter taking on Zack Gibson & James Drake, as the GYV make it to the Finals for the second straight year.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: King Corbin & Sami Zayn defeated Dominik & Rey Mysterio

Intercontinental Championship Match: Big E defeated Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ

Bayley defeated Liv Morgan

The Street Profits defeated Otis and Chad Gable

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Daniel Bryan & Cesaro defeated Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

There’s no disputing the fact that Roman Reigns is the top dog, the head of the table, the number one performer right now in WWE. What I do find disconcerting though is the repeated open each week’s Friday night SmackDown. Having Reigns walk to the ring for a 10-minute promo with all talk week after week isn’t maximizing his greatness. It gets old quick. I did love that it quickly turned into Reigns turning down Adam Pearce’s request to defend the Universal Title in the Chamber just like Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship. No need to have the same match twice. Plus, by having Kevin Owens and Jey Uso join those who qualify for the match face-off inside the demonic structure before having to face Reigns the very same night ultimately gives the Big Dog the upper hand to walk out of the PPV still the Champ heading to WrestleMania. It should also give Edge one fun night of watching.

.@SamiZayn & King @BaronCorbinWWE have punched their tickets to the #SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match at #WWEChamber! pic.twitter.com/378R8tLuZw

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2021

I did like Sonya Deville giving us tag team matches as a way of qualifying for the Chamber Contender match. Sami Zayn and King Corbin taking out the Mysterios was fun although I did fear for Dominik’s safety when he almost cracked his head against the announce table flying through the ropes and over Zayn. The right team went over and both should show strong inside the Chamber.

@DomMysterio35 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/hANUFd7JP0

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 13, 2021

Big E vs. Shinsuke Nakamura put on a show, albeit too short for me with Apollo Crews predictable match. Shinsuke gets the DQ victory but robs us of a better match. Maybe down the road as the Big E vs. Crews feud continues.

"YOU WILL NEVER LIVE UP TO YOUR POTENTIAL WITHOUT ME!!"

#SmackDown @WWERollins @WWECesaro pic.twitter.com/vVDSGOUEfU

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2021

Welcome back Seth Rollins! I thought you were going down the right path. A new road. Fatherhood and positivity. It would’ve been the right path for him and the WWE. Instead, all of the SmackDown superstars surrounding the ring left him high and dry standing alone in the ring until a vicious attack on Cesaro.

Another week and another misstep by Billie Kay costs The Riott Squad a victory over Bayley. Last week, it was Ruby Riott and this time, it’s Liv Morgan going down to defeat. At what point, do Billie get the buh-bye?!

After a bit of momentum at the start, it looks like Otis and Chad Gable have leveled off a bit. This week, it’s a loss to the former tag team champion The Street Profits.

Anyone else find it odd that Montez Ford is dancing with Sasha Banks in a bit of a runway crossover? After all, Ford is married to Bianca Belair, who just may be choosing Banks as a WrestleMania opponent.

Oh no, NOT AGAIN!!

#SmackDown @NiaJaxWWE @SashaBanksWWE @BiancaBelairWWE pic.twitter.com/UtBMqFEjl5

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2021

As for Belair and Banks, they made interesting short work of the tag team champs. First, mocking Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler for their losses on RAW this week. Then, they actually do play the “oh my hole” line from Jax which is hilarious! Finally, they get physical with the champs. You wonder if we’ll get an Asuka/Charlotte Flair redux with Banks and Belair, champ and cohort, getting a title match soon.

#WWEChamber can't get here soon enough! #SmackDown @BaronCorbinWWE @SamiZayn @WWEDanielBryan @WWECesaro @FightOwensFight @WWEUsos pic.twitter.com/kGWylfzNve

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2021

Instead of fighting each other, Daniel Bryan and Cesaro teamed up to win a shot in the Chamber match which is a plus for all of us as anytime you can put those two inside the wretched structure along with Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin and Sami Zayn, you’ve got yourselves some moments to remember coming! No disrespect to Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, but Cesaro and Bryan deserved the spot and will absolutely shine. Even despite Cesaro being less than 100% thanks to Rollins, he still gets Ziggler to tap out! Give me Cesaro vs. Reigns please! Nice little brawl with all six Chamber members to end the show as Owens reminds us that he’s not going away.

Parting Shots:

During halftime of Saturday’s Celebrity Flag Football Game on ESPNews, Heisman Trophy-winning professional quarterback @DougFlutie pinned @RonKillings to become the new #247Champion!!!! #AndNew #CelebSweat @CelebritySweat1 pic.twitter.com/2YqwNzFOHU

— WWE (@WWE) February 6, 2021

Congratulations Doug Flutie! You’re in the record books as a former WWE 24/7 Champion! Flutie beat R-Truth at the Celebrity Flag Football Game during Super Bowl LV weekend. Sure, it only lasted for a few brief, fleeting moments as R-Truth won it back for his 49th title reign, but it’s more mainstream attention for the WWE, which never hurts.

Coming up this week:

RAW: Gauntlet Match – Winner gets last pod open at Elimination Chamber: Drew McIntyre vs. The Miz vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles MizTV with Drew McIntyre

NXT: Karrion Kross vs. Santos Escobar NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day fallout

SMACKDOWN: TBD – Go Home Show for Elimination Chamber

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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recentanimenews · 3 years

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FEATURE: How The Pokémon Trading Card Game Became a Recent Gold Rush

A few days ago, as part of the cross-medium celebration of Pokémon’s impending 25th anniversary, McDonald’s released a Happy Meal set emblazoned with Pikachu’s iconic face and carrying a special pack of new collectible cards. It isn’t the first time these little monsters have appeared under the Golden Arches, as the Pokémon franchise has a long (and sometimes infamous) history with fast-food chains. However, this particular promotional exercise quickly grew sour, forcing The Pokémon Company International to release this statement about replenishing their goods on Twitter:

We’re aware that some fans are experiencing difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon TCG products due to very high demand. In response, we are reprinting impacted products at maximum capacity to ensure more fans can enjoy the Pokémon TCG. More info here: https://t.co/sClZo3BXsp

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) February 10, 2021

What happened? Well, scalpers. People have been purchasing the Happy Meals in bulk (and apparently just entire boxes of the cards as well) aiming to resell them at a higher price now that all of those Charmanders are becoming scarce. Meanwhile, stores are having their whole Pokémon card stock bought, leaving aisles that were once close to bursting with merchandise empty and desolate. Of course, scalping products is nothing new; A UK Member of Parliament introduced a bill as recently as February 3 that would attempt to prevent or at least cut down on the scalping that ran rampant during the PlayStation 5’s troubled release in 2020. That a government employee has announced in the midst of several global crises, “We need to give everyone an equal chance to play Spider-Man: Miles Morales” really says something.

However, this wave of adults buying potentially profitable Pokémon trading cards is nothing new either, especially when you look at the last few months. Ranging from celebrities like Justin Bieber (showing off his collection), Logan Paul (who may have kicked off this whole thing), several WWE performers (who just seem to want cool cards,) to big spenders (that have sometimes gotten scammed in the process) and various auction winners, Pokémon cards have become a hot item on a mass scale for the first time in about two decades. The days of “A holographic Charizard? That must be worth, like a billion dollars!” have returned from the crypt of 1999, only this time, it’s playing out in front of us.

A lot of this interest is not only fueled by the obvious financial impetus, but the inherent nostalgia of the Pokémon franchise, one that saturates every part of its wide array of games, series, and products. From the first time you interact with your home’s TV in Pokémon Red and Blue — which makes a reference to a scene from Stand By Me, a movie based around dealing with how we remember the past and our youth — the video game series has existed with one foot in the future and one in the past. When Satoshi Tajiri created Pokémon, his aim was to recapture the feeling he got collecting bugs in the rural wilderness near his hometown, one that was quickly being paved over during rampant urbanization.

So to see these being opened, and to see the people we watch, enjoy, and perhaps even idolize burst with delight over that special card they couldn’t collect when they were a kid, brings a wave of sentimentality. I mean, it’s Pikachu? How can you not like Pikachu? But what we’ve seen over the past few months has effectively been a Pokémon Gold Rush, with people discovering the jewels and rushing to openly collect, perhaps preserve, and possibly sell later. And it’s…troubling.

Mainly because it calls into question how we approach buying children’s media in the first place. Every time a new Star Wars or Marvel film hits theaters, we’d become flush with news about tickets selling out in seconds, leaving stragglers (or people without a pristine internet connection) unable to get their coveted opening night spot. These, too, fall prey heavily to scalpers who know just how much we want to enjoy whatever Iron Man is up to lately. But the pushback against these rarely feels ubiquitous. While they are definitely pieces of media built for kids, our reasoning behind this rush to buy and/or sell is much more “Better luck next time, sucker!” and much less “Hey, my son wanted to see that.”

Pokémon has not yet reached the “It’s for kids AND adults” plateau that these other franchises have ascended to when it comes to our consciousness of it in the United States. And this is possibly because it wasn’t made in the US, leaving many eternally scrambling to see how it fits in our pop culture-sphere occupied by other various mega-series. So the ethical dilemma here is much more open. Because yeah, if a McDonald’s is out of cards and you’re a second grader being taken through the drive-thru, you probably will be pretty disappointed when you hear that a bunch of twenty-somethings bought 100 Happy Meals. That would suck.

If you collect the cards on a consistent basis, learning that the latest set has been bought out in total in the latest step of a frenzied trend would also be a bummer. If you go online, these McDonald’s cards are everywhere, with prices ranging from “That’s too cheap and possibly a scam” to hundreds of dollars. It turns the Pokémon Trading Card Game into a system of people wealthy enough to buy them, selling them back and forth to those wealthy enough to purchase them. It brings true the dystopian toy store vision found in newspapers in the late ‘90s and early aughts which saw parents decrying the cute little money sinkhole that had enraptured their children. Except, this time, it’s people old enough to have grown up with the franchise.

It’s also hard not to look at it as a contrasting vision of the WallStreetBets/GameStop controversy from mere weeks ago, which saw people exploiting the tricks that hedge fund owners had used to amass millions off the stock market. There, the buying and selling was almost heroic, proving that a system that had formerly locked out all of those without the financial means and know-how to participate could be overturned and ridiculed. Here, though, it’s something else — social media clout, influencer tactics, and boatloads of dollars (and potential boatloads of dollars) attaching themselves to Pokémon, which is often seen as remarkably innocuous.

When Pokémon first made its blockbuster debut in the US, it came with the catchphrase “Gotta catch ‘em all!” — a tagline and mission statement that appeared on video game boxes and in anime ending themes alike. It went everywhere the franchise went, affirming that Pokémon didn’t have to be something you collected in part. In fact, it was better if you played the games, bought the cards, watched the show, and filled your Super K-Mart bag with figurines. While this slogan has more or less departed from Pokémon merchandise, it remains the series’ branding alpha and omega. You must collect. It is the feature, not the bug.

I’m not saying this is what Nintendo intended when they urged you to nab both Red and Blue in order to amass all 150, but it does feel like the dark side of that ethos. I do think that buying up all the Happy Meals at your local McDonald’s in order to find people willing to pay $10 for a Squirtle does sound ridiculous and I do think kids should be able to get all the Pikachus their heart's desire, but that’s just me. I also think this new phase of the card game didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s just laid dormant, waiting to evolve.

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daniel Dockery

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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