#Astral Vagabond WWE

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WWF Monday Night Raw #224 (09.08.1997) // Cincinnati, Ohio

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WWF Monday Night Raw #201 (03.17.1997) // Syracuse, New York

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Pro Wrestling NOAH // The New Year 2023 (01/01/2023)

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CM Punk

From the Astral Vagabond DVD-R archives of 2000-2005 independent wrestling pictures. If I had to guess, these particular pictures were taken by Milwaukee based photographer Jill McKee.

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We live in an age where people think anything less than a “4 star” match is bad, and I fucking hate it.

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Kayfabe (2007) // Dir. Michael Raven, Michael Scully, and Pete Smith

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The internet is littered with “Sports Entertainment” vs. “Pro Wrestling” discussion, and I’ve always been of the mind that the perfect show is never just one thing. WWE goes too blown sports entertainment for my tastes, and AEW tends to be too early 00s message board smart mark pro wrestling. To me, a great wrestling show has room for a Misawa vs. Kobashi match, and Crash Holly Hardcore Title shenanigans, you know?

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As a teenager in real time, I Ioved Attitude Era WWF. Then watching it back as an adult, it is some of the most cringe worthy, embarrassing shit I've ever seen. With very few exceptions.

Then I think about the fact it was written by people who are the age I am now and a man in his fifties, and my mind recoils in horror.

I don't understand how anyone could have nostalgia for this era, unless they are perpetually stuck in the mindset of a fourteen year old boy.

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I normally don't comment on WWE because I don't watch it, but again like a lot of times, the behind the scenes in wrestling can be so much more interesting than the television.

Though I'm not a fan of Paul Levesque as a person or generally in wrestling, it's fair to say he was unjustly pulled from position with NXT. Then had his father-in-law kill all of his work in one fell swoop, and then had a heart issue.

Nick Khan is brought in, leading to rumors of sale, and Nick eventually taking over as CEO, not someone in the family, and Stephanie McMahon soon decides to take a sabbatical. Before that even has time to set in, boom bam!

Then Vince McMahon is forced to leave his own company in shame. Horrible what happened to the people involved, though at least once Vince finally pays for something horrible he's done. He's gotten away with far too much.

Now, Stephanie is a co-CEO, and Paul has Vince's job of head of creative. That's impressive story telling by reality.

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Kayfabe (2007) // Dir. Michael Raven, Michael Scully, and Pete Smith

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I'm not sure exactly how you do a security angle without it looking fake. Not sure you can? But the Dexter Lumis deal was handled pretty well. It did look like a fan detention for a moment., then the framing gave it away. But they definitely tried to not Vince it, which would of had four close up angles, and the name screamed sixty times.

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I wonder how ridiculous wrestlers felt during the days when kayfabe was still a thing, and they show up at these normal functions in full entrance dress? Here’s all these people in suits or generally nice clothes, and here’s you in full spandex, looking like a dickhead. Randy Savage is seriously the only person who can get away with that shit, and it feel normal.

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I really, really appreciated the big fight feel they tried to give the Intercontinental Title match on Smackdown.

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Another positive about getting off Twitter, is I no longer have to see the ancient carny dipshits, desperately grasping onto the last vestiges of fame they may still have from twenty-five years ago.

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Paul Levesque is a doofus, and Tony Khan is a message board smart mark. We really can’t win with televised wrestling in the United States right now.

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Being a fan of wrestling for over thirty-five years, I don’t hold any type of masturbatory opinion. I don’t hold onto any nativity linked to some ignorant sense of tribalism. I lived through NWA vs. WWF vs. AWA; I’ve lived through WCW vs. WWF vs. ECW. It’s all a cauldron of bullshit, in search of some type of loyalty that only speaks to the most base of instincts. I don’t give a shit. I’m too old for loyalty, because my time is so limited. Simply put, entertain me, and I will be there if time allows. I have kids; I have things to do. If you’re worth my time, I’ll try to be there. So we’re in 2022, and this raw sense of tribalism is bullshit. Absolute, and utter bullshit. AEW and WWE are just as bad, but for different reasons. What WWE does horrible, AEW does amazing. What AEW does amazing, WWE can’t even approach. And it is what it is. For me, quite frankly, neither promotion is great. Hunter vs. Tony; both promotions are even. Simply on opposite end of the spectrum. Frankly put, no wrestling is GREAT right now. Not WWE, not AEW, and not NJPW. Not CMLL, not NOAH, not AAA, and now GCW. Nor RoH, not Shimmer, nor TJPW, and nor Progress. No one, and I MEAN NO ONE. And that’s fine. Really, that’s fine. I lived through WWF and WCW being absolute shit, while GWF and AWF were also on television being horrible. These are natural periods. I’m also not afraid to admit; perhaps things have passed me by. I haven’t honestly enjoyed independent wrestling since 2005. Message me if you want more of a dissertation on that. But from where I sit right now, wrestling is good. Not great. Perhaps for my mind, wrestling will never be great again. I’m edging into that territory of being old. However, perhaps it can be great again. Perhaps it still is for you, and I love that. A lot of things have passed me by. My favorite genres of music, a lot of my favorite types of movies and comedies, and perhaps wrestling has too. All I’m trying to say, is tribalism has always, and will always be bullshit. This is as subjective of an industry as any other form of entertainment. And if you think someone is shit for not liking, let’s say, the same music as you? That’s a you problem. It’s not objective, and it will never be. No matter how shitty you try to be. Also to frankly put it, if you’ve never worked in wrestling, you’re never going to have a clue of more than 50%, at absolute maximum, of what you’re talking about. So, chill the fuck out. Remember that most everything you ever have an opinion on is subjective, and will never be anything more.