#i just look at aew's roster sometimes and i feel like there's so much more they could be doing but i also guess i get that way

[ariyadaivaris]

I think (I posted about it earlier) that Dragon losing to Mox and then getting murdered about it is a step along the path to cement Darby as the top babyface by having him avenge Bryan. Like I don’t see this as the end of The Overall Story they’re telling, just as a series wrap for Danielson, and from that perspective I think it makes a lot more sense

i can see that, i do think laying it out like that it makes sense. that's similar to something i've been talking about with a buddy of mine who thinks this storyline is going to cement wheeler as a top babyface (or potentially heel if some other shit goes down, top guy either way) in much the same way. its definitely not the end of the overall story! i think your idea about this being darby's coronation has a lot of bite to it, that boy's been getting PUSHED for a hot moment. your insight is much appreciated (as always!)

[livfastdieyoung69]

Guys im in my mjf era!

Mjf x reader

Mjf being his usual douchebag self but reader being his soft spot yk? And someone using reader against him to get under his skin any of his old feuds would work for this so i dont mind 👀 just LOVE a protective feral man with very little regard for himself when it comes to the people he loves 🤭

HIGH FLYING BIRD

Sting had been your idol for as long as you could remember. For decades, all you ever wanted was to be like Sting. Now here you are- on the same damn roster as him. You worked with him, by his side, every damn week. Your few years in AEW had already given you so much more experience and advice than you could’ve hoped for, especially from Steve. The only downfall of working side by side with Sting was having to work with Darby who hated, much like many others, your partner.

Speaking of Darby, he bursted into catering with a scowl on his half-painted face. Sighing into your styrofoam cup of a crisp Dr.Pepper as he plopped down into the seat between you and the beloved man himself, Sting, you turned to face him.

”Yes, Darbs?” Of course, even with his bitching over your choice of a lover, he was still a friend. Sometimes. Darby scoffed and shook his head, crossing his arms and practically pouting in his seat.

”How in the hell are you with Maxwell? What do you see in him? Or is it, like, what you don’t see? Are you legally blind, Birdy?” It was your turn to scoff- at his remarks and the nickname. It’d caught on after you showed up to AEW and started doing crazy high-flying shit no one even knew was possible on day one.

“We’re not having this conversation again, Darby.”

“Yes we are. Is this a Stockholm syndrome thing? Blink twice if you need help.” Before you’re able to do anything besides point a finger in his face, you’re interrupted.

“Alright guys, let's just calm down here, please.” Steve- Sting- tries to calm the situation. Darby gives you a smug look from getting away with his remarks while you glare at him wholeheartedly.

”Talkin’ about me again, huh?” MJF leans over you, his usual asshole smirk on as his hands slide up your shoulders and lightly grasp at your sore neck, barely massaging it. Sore from saving Darby in your last tag team match with a dive through a table, actually. (And no. He didn’t say thank you. Steve did though.)

”Hey, baby.” You look up at him, glowering face replaced with a gentle smile that makes Darby cringe and grumble under his breath.

“Got somethin’ to say, dead boy?” Max asks from behind you, hands still working your neck as the atmosphere tenses even further. Steve tries to calm everyone again, but it doesn’t seem to be working as Darby stands from his chair, coming basically toe to toe with Max.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do. You’re the worst damn decision they’ve ever made in the almost decade I’ve known them. I don’t even want to know how you’re manipulating them into this, but I’m sick and tired of it.” Darby’s voice keeps growing, filling the silence of the now quiet catering room, everyone watching their argument. Steve stands up, placing a hand on Darbs shoulder to try and pry him back. You might’ve gotten up to stop Max, but honestly, you just didn’t feel like dealing with this anymore. “All you’re going to do is leave them behind when you get whatever you want from them, and we’ll have to pick the pieces back up.”

Once again, Steve's attempt doesn’t work, and Max steps back into Darbys space, now quite literally toe to toe, chest to chest.

“I swear to God, the next time you suggest I would ever even imagine hurting them in anyway whatsoever, I will rip your fucking head off and let Wardlow play with it.” With a sigh, you get up from your chair and try to put a little distance from the two by pushing at Max’s chest but he won’t budge, he won’t even look at you. “Only reason I haven’t done it already is ‘cause of how much they like your little daddy over there. See how that works? If I hurt you, it’d hurt my Bird and I’d rather die than dream that into existence so I try my hardest not to think about hurting you. Let's keep it that way, capisce?”

Before Darby is able to reply, Max finally gives into your pushing and turns to leave catering, you in tow.

“Max,” You softly call for him, trying to keep up. “Max, baby,” You stumble to grab his hand and he finally comes to a stop. “Do you really have to keep threatening my friends? It’s really no wonder they don’t like you.” You teased him with a small smile, grabbing his hands in yours.

“Uh, Kris likes me, thank you very much, toots.”

”That doesn’t count, Kris just gets everything. Everyone else is dumb.” You lean back and forth on the ball of your heels, his hands keeping you stable before he gets sick of it and pulls you forward into his chest. “It’d be really nice if you could just be good for a little bit, please. Just a couple days is all I’m asking for here.”

He rolls his eyes, and gives a huge, fake groan up to the ceiling. He knew it’d make you laugh, he always knew what would. You pull your hands from his grasp and bring them up to his face, bringing him to look back at you.

“Be a good boy for me, hm?” You whispered, thumbs rubbing gently across his face. Judging from the blush covering his cheeks, it seems like you’d finally found a way to tame him.

Mwah ha ha ha this isn’t really what you asked for but kinda sorta they were rivals at one point so ???

The one funky word is the word that basically means do you understand (usually pronounced like capeesh) but I’m Italian and couldn’t bare to spell it wrong anyways he def says that and he also would def call you toots idc it’s canon in my heart

Also have no clue where the whole bird thing came from but it came and the title is the Jefferson Airplane song

Anyways kinda really like this one its cute

[aerodaltonimperial]

“ is… that my shirt you’re wearing? ” for the question meme please! if i could be so bold, do it in reverse, hook wearing danhausen's shirt???

(THIS WAS SO HARD. I CHALLENGED MYSELF TO WRITE THIS REQUEST FROM DANHAUSEN'S POV AND I WILL NEED WAY MORE PRACTICE WITH THIS LOL WOW)

Hotels are one of the less predictable parts of AEW. In some cities, everyone gets their own rooms spread across a number of nearby hotels, and that is quite nice, because then Danhausen gets space to work on vlogs for the fanhausens. But in other locations, they aren't so lucky, and people have to get doubled up. This is much less desirable; not all of the others on the roster are nice. In fact, some of them can be quite rude, even if they aren't placed together. Danhausen still remembers the time his room was next to the Ass Boys and they played loud music all night against the wall, just to annoy him. (If he could have reached them, he could have cursed them into stopping, but they refused to answer his knocks at the door. Sometimes this happens. Danhausen has learned it's best to try not to take it personally.)

He doesn't mind being placed with Orange Cassidy, and he doesn't think he would have issues with Chuck or Trent (but they are always together because, of course, they are best friends!), but he isn't consulted in the decisions. This feels like a significant oversight.

However, the hotel lobby he is standing inside now is even less organized than the previous ones. It appears that the staff wasn't aware of the room issues and needing to double-book their guests. Many of them are running around from computer to computer in various states of agitation. (One has already disappeared into the back room. Danhausen hears some sniffles through the door, and feels a bit bad, even though none of the accommodations are Danhausen’s fault.)

"We're very sorry," one of the clerks says. He has some very aesthetically-pleasing glasses. "We're trying to pair people as they come in, so if you wouldn't mind waiting..."

Oh, no. Danhausen doesn't like this plan. He's afraid that one of the Ass Boys will walk in next, or worse, a member of the Factory. Of course, he's strong enough to curse them if they try anything, but it's not very comfortable having to sit curled in the closet all night. (He really doesn't like to think about that time.)

He does not like to admit being nervous, because naturally, Danhausen is capable of handling any situation that comes his way, but his stomach has twisted into small knots, not much larger than molars, probably. The sensation gets worse when the door opens, but he is in luck, because it isn't QT Marshall, but Hook.

"Ah," Danhausen says, a quick exhale. "This will be fine! Danhausen can room with his good friend Hook."

The clerk's expression is dubious. He looks as though he is a little afraid to ask Hook to pair up with Danhausen. In fact, his face twists a lot like Danhausen’s stomach had been when he turns to Hook and asks, "Ah, sir, I'm very sorry to have to ask this..."

Hook doesn't wait for him to finish. He just nods and holds his hand out, palm up. Danhausen thinks the clerk might actually melt into a puddle of relief when he hands the keycards over. Perhaps he thought Danhausen was a much more evil demon, and was concerned about the safety of the other party. Silly, but understandable.

With both keys, Hook taps on Danhausen's shoulder, jerking his chin towards the elevator.

Danhausen hears a very audible sigh of relief behind him as they make their way out of the lobby. He hopes the unfortunate staff has a better night once everyone has arrived. Hook doesn't say anything when he hits the button, but Hook really doesn't say much most of the time anyway. Danhausen is fine with this. Hook communicates in a lot of different ways; humans are the ones obsessed with mouth words.

"Danhausen is very glad it was you," Danhausen admits, quietly, while they wait. Hook gives him half a smile. (In terms of Hook smiles, this is a very big smile, so Danhausen is happy.)

The room is normal, as far as hotels go, with one notable exception.

"Perhaps they have made a mistake," Danhausen says. "They are, after all, very stressed. There is only one bed here. Maybe Danhausen should call down."

Hook just shrugs. He doesn't seem very concerned. Then he snaps his fingers and points at the far side of the room. "Window side."

He sets about unpacking some of his duffel. If Hook is fine with things, then Danhausen does not wish to bother the staff with more problems. It's not a concern, since it's Hook. (The Ass Boys would be a different situation.)

Danhausen decides to order them room service, as it is already late, and flying in human airplanes makes him quite tired. He wishes they could figure out a faster method of transportation already. He asks Hook what he would like, and gets another shrug. He thinks this probably means chips. Those aren't on the menu, but they are in the vending machine, so he goes to get a few bags while they wait.

Hook seems pleased when he returns. Hook is a nice room partner. He doesn't care about Danhausen talking to his fanhausens through the camera, and he doesn't make a mess, save for the empty chip bags. He is even agreeable enough to wave at the camera from his slouched position on the bed, wearing his headphones, which Danhausen thinks the fanhausens will really like.

Danhausen's phone dings a few minutes after 10. "The cars are scheduled to pick us up at 8 tomorrow," he says, just in case Hook didn't get the same message. He probably did. Danhausen thinks he might get messages earlier because his father is a famous suplex machine.

Hook gives him a thumbs up.

Danhausen takes a shower, and then lets Hook do the same. It's pretty late by the time they end up shutting the lights off. Overall, the room assignment has been better than Danhausen could have hoped for. Maybe he could request that he and Hook always get put together. But then he gets worried. Maybe Hook does not wish to have to stay with Danhausen all the time. Human interactions can be very confusing, and Danhausen very much does not wish to mess things up with Hook, who is a very good friend. He never acts like Danhausen is a bother, or says rude things. In fact, he is probably one of Danhausen's very best friends.

(Here, Danhausen understands why Chuck and Trent always room together. It's very comfortable.)

He must go still for a long time, because Hook rolls over to look at him from the opposite pillow. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, well, Danhausen was just thinking it would be nice if this was always how the room assignments were. That maybe he could request it."

He thinks Hook will not like the idea. But Hook just nods, illuminated by the street light outside. "Okay."

"Okay?" Danhausen repeats. He is...surprised. Happy, but surprised.

Hook is smiling. It's almost a full smile, which in Hook smiles, is probably equivalent to a loud display of joy, maybe even with jumping up and down. "You're ridiculous," he says.

"Danhausen gets called many things, but not that, very often."

"Turn over." Hook pokes at his shoulder until Danhausen complies. Then he tugs his pillow closer, adjusting it with a complicated series of fluffs and pats, before slotting himself behind Danhausen’s body and slinging his arm across Danhausen’s stomach.

He settles in, mumbling a bit against Danhausen’s shoulder.

This...is much, much nicer than any of the other paired hotel stays have ever been. In fact, this is probably the most comfortable Danhausen has ever been. (Oh! Maybe this is why Chuck and Trent always stay together. Danhausen will have to ask them later.) He suspects he can fall asleep very quickly.

He's right, too. (Danhausen usually is.)

The next morning, he is a bit slow to get up and moving. Danhausen does not really enjoy mornings. Hook is better at getting ready at an appropriate pace. In fact, he is halfway out the door before Danhausen realizes he can't find his shirt.

"Has Hook seen..." Danhausen stops. Stares. "Is that...Danhausen's shirt? That you're wearing?"

It most certainly is. Hook just offers him the 3/4 smile, the very large one, and says, "See you tonight," before darting into the hallway and letting the door shut behind him.

Well.

It takes awhile for Danhausen to follow him out, only because he has a great, great many questions, all of which he is reasonably sure he knows the answer to.

[gutwrenchflowerbomb]

Note: This is long but I felt like getting it out there not just for the sake of newer fans but because it’s been a long time since I’ve written about wrestling and I’d like to get into the habit again.

So I’m still pretty new to the current form of WRESTLING TUMBLR™️ but I am a Tumblr vet (joined in May of ���09 baybee). I am also a vet when it comes to being a wrestling fan. I’m talking 25 years (since I was 10). And I feel this urge to be the cool aunt to all the newer and/or younger fans. I don’t wanna act like I am some super authority figure or that my thoughts and opinions are fucking gospel, but like...apply the wisdom I’ve learned over the years.

Especially as someone whose favorite wrestlers tend to be somewhere in the lower to upper mid-card range.

There is a lot of anger/disappointment/etc right now regarding AEW and some of the recent booking and I just wanna say a few things about it that hopefully will resonate or ease some of that.

-People who are upset with Kenny and/or the Bucks being the champs because they are EVPs :

They deserve it. Why? Because AEW is their baby. Yes, Tony Khan is a big part of it but ultimately the Bucks, Kenny and Cody are the originators. They took a huge risk and it has paid off handsomely. So why is it that just because they happen to be EVPs that means they can never be booked to win big? This whole industry is and has been booked that way. Plus, it’s not like they put the straps on themselves instantly. It’s been over a year and I think it’s fair to say they earned it. Also: they won’t have them forever. Wrestling isn’t fun when the belts never switch hands. We know this and they know this as well.

- Chuck and Trent being underutilized and Orange Cassidy being pushed the moon:

I am a HUGE Best Friends fan. Have been for years. In fact, one of the first shirts I ever bought that wasn’t WWE was a Best Friends shirt and I’ve worn that bitch to All In, Double or Nothing, All Out and Revolution. Do I think they could be on Dynamite more often? Sure. Do I think they are being buried or anything like that in favor of Orange? It’s not that simple.

I love OC. He’s cool, fantastic in the ring, looks good but most of all he is just soooo different than what most casual wrestling fans are used to. In this case, it’s worked out to his (and the company’s) advantage. I can’t tell you how many videos I’ve seen online that show people who don’t know shit about wrestling reacting to him in the ring. The Buzz is good and the result is TNT is VERY interested in OC. We all know TK loves him too. The result has been Orange getting more screen time. But I hope most folks realize this is not his fault. Plus, there’s always gonna be like...designated roles in a wrestling stable. There’s gonna be your singles guys, the tag teams and sometimes a woman or two. It’s just naturally how stables are. And people who are in stables generally are seen supporting their fellow members.

The Best Friends do appear to be on the back burner as far as storyline/prominence goes right now and that’s ok. There is so much talent on that roster, especially in the tag division. If you pull back and look at the episodes objectively, you’ll see that they (the bookers) really try to get everyone screen time as much as possible. When’s the last time PnP had a match? Or Jurassic Express? I can count on one hand the number of times TH2 have been on dynamite this year. That means that a lot of times a team won’t actually have a match on Dynamite for a while. They usually try to even that out by having them on Dark. Again, that is ok. The only alternatives to this would be to A.) cut screen time to several other performers in favor or just one or two teams or B.) have more performers on but the matches would have to be cut to 3-7 minutes. Personally, I would rather have longer matches less often then every week have some dumb ass short matches. 

- My favorite ______ deserves ___!

Listen, everyone has favorites and naturally we all want to see our favorites as much as possible and want them to be dripping in championships. The reality is, if the same people/teams are the champions all the time it’s boring as fuck. Seriously. In good companies, there is a nice ebb and flow of changing of championships. Titles changes that happen too often lose their prestige. When they take too long to change hands it becomes boring and predictable. 

In my over two decades of watching wrestling I’ve learned to embrace this. When your favorite finally gets booked in a higher profile feud, it makes it all that much more exciting and important. Take my current favorite AEW star: I am patiently waiting for Colt Cabana to get something bigger than his current position in the Dark Order. It may be a while. It might be in a few weeks. In the mean time, I just appreciate it when I get to see him at all. 

- The women’s division is trash in AEW right now

It could be better, but believe me: it could be way fucking worse. If any of you remember the Diva’s Championship era of WWE know what the hell I’m talking about. I think that right now, with Covid-19 and injuries for some performers, the women’s division is in a holding pattern. It sucks. There’s no way around it. If you watch Dark, that’s where the ladies shine. There is often 3-5 women’s matches on there and they feature some bigger players and some lesser known jobbettes. Sometimes that means there’s a squash match. But often the performers are given a solid 6+ minutes to go at it. That doesn’t sound long but it’s actually pretty generous especially for those performers who are new/unknown. Yet on Dynamite we usually only get one MAYBE two matches and generally it’s involving the same people. 

I think this is probably going to continue to be the case until the pandemic is under control and they are able to travel again. Not just travel in the sense of going to different cities, but also travel for performers. I personally cannot wait until we get some of the wonderful Joshi ladies back in the mix. I honestly think AEW really truly wants to have the women in their company to shine as bright as the men but they are struggling to figure it out. When the company was started, they had some big, well known names in the men’s division i.e. Chris Jericho. I mean, Double or Nothing we got Mox debuting. That’s some name recognition that the women’s division didn’t get and I think they have suffered because of it. That doesn’t mean that the women are any worse than men or that they are any worse than other companies’ women’s divisions.  

I hope if anyone actually read all this comments to let me know what they think. Again, I never want to come off as an elitist (lol) or know-it-all but rather like the weird old cat-lady who’s lived through some. 

[leaveharmony]

would love to know about some of kennys other offenses. please.

Boy howdy nonners, how long have ya got lol

Alright so I was never...A Fan, to begin with.  I tolerated him even if I found him irritating in a lot of ways.  

The real Problems I had w/ him started at the first press conference after he won the Heavyweight title; that night jericho won the Intercontinental and (fucking) elgin won the NEVER; kenny basically outright said that three (white) guys from Canada just "wanted it more" than the domestic roster.  That he "never sees" the Japanese wrestlers at the gym, that they're "complacent" and that's why they were outshone.  Everybody lost their minds.  A good friend was trying to gently tell him "Bro you're better than this, you really should have chosen your words more carefully here because that could really, super be interpreted as racist" And he directly responded RE "Please don't look for any 'hidden' racist meaning..." and basically doubled down, and then stood back & watched all his followers bully the shit out of my friend for like a week solid, for the crime of daring to question his choice of words.  She didn't even call HIM a racist, just suggested he could maybe be more mindful when talking directly to western fans bc there's always been a miles-long racist streak in wrestling in general and him talking that way when so many ppl accept what he says as gospel wasn't helping.

There was the bodyshaming...that wasn’t a one-time thing, either, but I digress.

There was the absolute debacle when Meltzer got involved w/ an article RE after kenny left he had "visa problems" ...you have to walk that back to the press conference between Tana and kenny before WK (iirc) wherein kenny claimed he'd gotten his citizenship and felt like he was now "real Japanese."  Which was...kinda yikes in and of itself, but after all that shook out and he took his ball and went home it transpired that it was a flat-out lie, and he'd actually gotten like, a permanent residency.  Now: that meant, so long as he had a company sponsoring him he enter and leave Japan as he pleased w/ that paperwork.  Only he quit NJPW.  So they were no longer sponsoring him, but he was still trying to enter the country w/ this visa/status he had absolutely no claim to anymore because he gave it up when he no longer had that position w/ their company.  This turned into a whole ridiculous conspiracy theory RE NJPW was somehow pulling strings to "get him banned from the country for ten years."  The ten years figure was...actually how long he'd have to wait before reapplying for the status he lost, as was explained to me by someone who actually had some experience in the area.  How much of that nonsense actually came from kenny’s own mouth right to Meltzer's ears?  Hard to say, and it MAY have been a miscommunication that got printed as fact, but all Himself would say was a dramatic "Someday I'll tell you all about how my year was SO MUCH WORSE than rumoured."   All he had to do was say 'Guys no I just ran into some red tape, NJPW has nothing to do with it' but instead he had to fuel the gossip of a mysterious, malicious conspiracy against him and cast the mean, cruel company who...let him leave when he quit...as the relentless villain bullying him out of the country.  This sounds like an exaggeration but he did, actually, have some stupid video based on Undertale (I think?) made in which there was a knockoff Lion’s Mark literally playing the villain.  It was...extremely embarrassing tbh.  And he may even believe it, who knows?  He may actually believe he was pushed out because he was a ~foreigner~ they refused to take seriously; his ego is big enough that I’d not be surprised.

Sometimes istg he even gaslights himself; I remember when he said Shinsuke "hasn't done anything compelling" since leaving for wwe (as though Shinsuke books himself lol)...but then before aew formed, but after he left NJPW, he kept claiming that if he went to wwe he'd be able to put on a seven-minute clinic every show, with the scraps of screentime they throw him...that everybody would be talking about him and only him, that he’d ‘enjoy’ the creative restrictions...as though he didn’t like, walk out on their developmental years ago because of all those restrictions :/

Just last year he was still bitching that Shinsuke never dropped the Intercontinental directly TO him, instead vacating it for a tournament.  Because Shinsuke was "one of their guys," because he always has to have a Special Connection to everyone...as though when this man was about to take a huge step and start a new life, what everybody should really have been thinking about was "Gosh but what about kenny though, shouldn't he have had the distinction of beating him directly for it?"  And notably that’s all he’s said about Shinsuke since he left.  Never brings him up when ppl ask who he’d like to see in aedubya, nothing like that...so I mean, so much for special connections or respect lol.  Respect only goes one way for him.

There was certainly the time he booked a convicted sex offender!  For one of his lil pet shows.  And when ppl called him on it he immediately got defensive and took issue with their "tone" and how they were ~judging him~ without having full information, and if they wanted him to respond politely they should speak kindly and politely to him first (again you’d think I’m exaggerating but that is actually what he said, try being kind and polite).  It took maybe a day of fighting people on twitter before he acted like a fucking adult about that one, even if his sullen "apology" still came off like it had an unspoken "...even though I didn't do anything wrong personally" tacked on the end.

There was his fucking...infuriating white saviour complex RE how with him Steering the Ship NJPW would be unstoppable.  There was his ludicrous claim that "Tanahashi's never done anything for international fans"...conveniently omitting that if it weren't for Tana, there wouldn't have been a company left to hire his skank ass, let alone one for there to be international fans OF.  There was his wink wink nudge nudge way of trying to play both sides; acting Respectful and like a Good Guy when he gave comments in Japanese and essentially going "SIKE!" in english so the neckbeards knew he didn’t really think he wasn’t the only thing worth watching.  He made a point of saying during that feud that if they dared put Tana over him the company would be "going backwards," and then made a point of saying he "Can't work under Tanahashi" as he left - a last cheap parting shot to make sure everybody knew who to 'blame' for him tragically leaving.

He straight up said the whole native roster should "thank me for their paycheques" because of course kenneth omegaman is the only one anyone is paying to see, no one else could possibly be interesting enough to tune in for, only him.

I remember when he was hilariously claiming that LIJ would never catch on for the western audience and Naito would never be popular here lol.

He bitches, somehow, simultaneously about not having been made leader of the bullet club soon enough (having to step aside for aj), and that "before the first Okada match" he was making more money from prowrestlingtees than he was from his contract (as though making him leader of the most visible western faction and essentially giving him a license to print money in the process somehow wasn't enough).

Like two years after he left he is still!  Taking every chance he can get!  To shit on NJPW.  He and the fucking bucks were still shit-talking Harold, ffs, years after they left.

....I feel like Marge when Reverand Lovejoy was asking her to list grievances about Homer.  He probably does blow his nose on towels and put them back in the cupboard, too, but only in other people’s houses :P 

Anyway that’s off the top of my head.

[debbiechanclub]

Best Two Out of Three, Part 4

I frickin’ love this chapter, and I hope y’all do, too. I hope you’re ready for some ~drama~

Also, thank you to everyone who’s reading and supporting this little project. It means more to us than you know <3

Best Two Out of Three

Part: 4/26

Pairing: Kenny Omega x OFC x Hangman Adam Page x OFC?

Warnings: Language use, angst

Word Count: 2.6k

Catch up on previous parts here.

“Hey Britt, can I ask you something?”

Callie caught up with Britt in catering at the next episode of Dynamite. Something had been stewing on her mind that required the opinion of another female; and, of all the women on the roster, Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, was the only one she felt she could truly trust not to go blabbing to Alex.  

“Sure!” Britt smiled as she took a giant bite of banana. Callie didn’t waste any time.

“Do you think there’s anything going on between Adam and Alex?”

Britt abruptly stopped chewing. But Callie went on before she could ask any questions.

“It’s just that… after we got back to the hotel after Double or Nothing, he went somewhere. And ever since he’s been acting… I don’t know… distant.”

Distant was an understatement. In the month-and-a-half since Callie had moved in with Adam, they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other; sometimes they could barely make it through the front door before they ripped each other’s clothes off. But ever since Double or Nothing, Adam hadn’t seemed nearly as interested. At first, Callie had tried not to immediately think it was because of Alex. Maybe Adam was just stressed, or maybe the “honeymoon period” of moving in together had finally worn off. But, the more she ruminated, the more she convinced herself that the change in his level of affection had to be because of Alex.  

Britt shifted in her seat as she swallowed. “He didn’t say at all where he was going when he left?”

Callie shook her head. “No. He just said, ‘I’ll be back,’ and walked out before I could even ask. He was only gone ten or fifteen minutes… but still. I can’t help but feel like he went to see her.”

Britt gave a slight pout as she pulled the banana peel down further. “I don’t know. Why don’t you just ask him where he went?”

She expelled a tired sigh. “Because I’m sick of asking him about Alex. It always turns into an argument. He gets defensive and I get angry and we just go around in circles.” She picked at the label on her water bottle, frowning. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, Callie knew she was a bit sensitive when it came to Adam’s relationship with Alex. But how couldn’t she be? It seemed like every other day he gave her a new reason to be suspicious.

Britt’s brow furrowed. “But if it’s bothering you then you should ask him about it, Cal. If you hold it in, it’ll just fester and pus up—like an abscess tooth.”

Callie grimaced. “Thanks for the imagery, Britt.”

She grinned, proud of herself. “That’s Doctor Britt, thank you very much,” she returned; but then something caught her eye across the room. Adam and Alex walked into catering together, talking and laughing about something. Alex playfully shoved Adam on the shoulder. Britt’s face dropped.

Callie’s brow creased. “What?” she asked. She turned around before Britt could stop her. She bit down on her jaw. What. The. Fuck.

Adam said goodbye to Alex and walked over to Callie and Britt. “Hey, baby,” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to catering? I would’ve come with.” He kissed her on the head as he pulled out a chair and sat down. He was completely oblivious to Callie’s bubbling rage.

“Oh, so I have to tell you where I’m going?” she bit. Her chair screeched against the floor as she abruptly stood from the table. “See you later, Britt,” she muttered, and she left without a second glance.

Adam watched her storm out, utterly confused. He looked back at Britt. “Um, what the hell was that about?”

She pursed her lips. “Really?” she flatly returned. “You have no idea why she could be upset with you?”

He stared back at her before shaking his head. “No.”

Britt rolled her eyes. “Well, you’re not doing much to stop her suspicions about you and Alex are you, Hangman?”

His eyebrows arched when he heard that. “Excuse me?”

Britt interlaced her fingers as she put her elbows on the tabletop and leaned forward. “Last weekend my hotel room was right across the hall from Alex’s. I heard your little powwow with her after Double or Nothing.” She smirked. “I knew you two went back, but I didn’t realize you have history.”

Adam’s eyes steeled. “So what you’re saying is that you eavesdropped on our private conversation.”

She sat back, a smug look on her face. “You’re deflecting. That seems awful guilty.”

That touched a nerve. “Alright, I don’t need this from you, too,” he said as he stood from the table. “Alex and I are friends, and I was checking on my friend after my girlfriend hit her with a chair. That’s it.” He turned to leave—but Britt said something that made him stop.

“Well Callie is my friend, and I don’t like seeing her like this.”

Adam briefly closed his eyes before he turned to face her again. “There’s no excuse for what she did to Alex, Britt.”

She frowned up at him. “I know. But you literally went to talk to Alex in the middle of the night without telling Callie. So can you really blame her for being suspicious?”

Adam’s face fell. There was nothing he could say to that; Alex had essentially said the exact same thing.

Britt let out a remorseful sigh. “Look—I’ve planned a little get-together for the roster after the Dark taping tomorrow. Come with your boys; I think everyone needs to blow off some steam and have a little fun.”

Adam shook out of his thoughts. “Sure; whatever,” he returned, and he turned and walked out of catering.

Britt watched him go—and then she glanced over at Alex. She was sitting alone a couple tables away, her legs propped up and crossed at the ankles on an empty chair, scrolling through her phone. Britt pursed her lips as she stood up and made her way over, tossing her banana in the trash. When she was just a few steps away, Alex looked up.

“Oh; hey, Britt,” she greeted.

“Hey, Alex.” She leaned on the tabletop, grinning down at her. Alex blinked.

“Can I help you wi—”

She cut her off. “Listen. I’m not sure what’s going on between you and your friend Hangman, but you two need to figure it out. And if you don’t, I’ll fill Callie in on the details of the little conversation you had outside my door after Double or Nothing.”

And with that she turned and left, leaving Alex to stare after her, dumbfounded.

* * * * * * * * * *

Callie walked into The Elite’s dressing room, deflated. A million different thoughts flew through her mind at once. She wanted to believe that Adam wasn’t lying to her; that, even if he had gone to see Alex that night, it was completely innocent. But something about the way he’d walked into catering with her, a giant smile plastered on his face; it seemed like he didn’t care about her feelings at all.

A tear fell out of her eye and she angrily wiped it away. She refused to just sit there alone and wallow. It was time she took matters into her own hands.

She jumped up and marched back out of the locker room, making a beeline for production. Kenny stood in a circle with Cody and the Young Bucks, talking about something or other. She didn’t bother to say hello before she interrupted and said, “I want a match against Alex tonight.”

Kenny was utterly taken aback. “What?”

“You heard me,” she said. “We’re wrestlers, Kenny; let us settle our shit in the ring. Or would you rather we keep getting into locker room brawls?”

Cody raised his palms in the air to absolve himself of the situation. “I’ll let y’all deal with this one,” he said as he cast Kenny a look and walked away. Kenny pursed his lips and glanced at Matt and Nick.

“Give us a minute,” he said. Matt and Nick exchanged a knowing look as they left. As soon as they were gone, Kenny turned back to Callie. “I can’t give you a match against Alex tonight.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why the hell not?”

“Well, for one, it’s too late; the show’s already booked,” he explained. “And for two, even if it wasn’t, I don’t think you’re in the right frame of mind to have a match tonight.”

Callie’s eyes widened. She felt her blood start to boil. “Excuse me? What do you mean, I’m not in the right frame of mind?”

“I mean this—how you’re acting right now,” he returned. “I can’t in good conscience give you a match knowing your emotions could get the best of you, Callie. Someone could get seriously hurt.”

She rolled her eyes. “You mean you’re worried Alex could get seriously hurt.”

“And you! You get reckless when you’re angry! You could just as easily hurt yourself as you could Alex!”

Callie glared up at him, her hands balled into fists at her sides. It didn’t matter that Kenny had her safety in mind just as much as he did Alex’s; all she heard was that he thought she was a dangerous hothead. “Well, it’s good to know you think so highly of me,” she spat, and she turned and stormed out of the room. She marched all the way back to the dressing room and into the bathroom. She went into a stall and shut and locked the door, pulling her feet into her chest on top of the toilet. She just needed to be alone.

* * * * * * * * * *

If there was anything Alex hated, it was petty bullshit drama. And if there was anything she’d learned about Callie since she’d started dating Adam, it was that she wasn’t made of sugar, spice, and everything nice; she was made of pettiness, bullshit, and drama. In fact, the only person more dramatic than Callie on the entire AEW roster was Britt Baker; and if they’d decided to combine their shit-stirring powers against her, Alex knew she would need to get ahead of it—fast.

She marched to The Elite’s locker room and started to burst through the door; but she thought better of it and knocked. Someone called for her to come in, and she pushed her way inside. Kenny was the only person there. Good. He was exactly who she wanted to see.

“Alex.” He sat up on the couch, surprised to see her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she returned. “Can I talk to you?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

She gave him a tight smile and moved across the room to sit on the opposite end of the couch. He pivoted to face her better. “What’s up?”

She got right down to business. “I want a match against Callie. Not tonight,” she quickly added. “I know the card’s already set. But maybe next week? Hell, put it on Dark—I don’t care as long as I get it.”

Kenny let out a sigh of resignation. “She asked for a match, too,” he revealed. “Well—demanded one. She wanted it tonight.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised.”

He frowned at her. “I want to give you a match. But I’m worried it could get out of hand.”

“More out of hand than a locker room brawl?” she charged.

He rolled his eyes. There wasn’t anything he could say to that.

“Look,” she went on. “I know Chuck and Trent aren’t gonna let me go out there by myself. So, if it’ll make you feel better, I won’t object if you and Adam are in Callie’s corner.”

He arched a brow. “You sure about that?”

She pursed her lips. “Just give me the match. Please. You said you would handle it, and this is how I want to handle it.”

Kenny let out another sigh as he looked up at the ceiling. For a moment, Alex worried he would say no; but then he looked back at her. “Alright. Next week on Dynamite you’ll get your match. A regular match—I’m not giving you no DQ or anything like that. It would be a recipe for disaster.”

Alex nodded. That was all she wanted. “Thank you.”

She started to leave; but then Kenny spoke up again. “Alex, wait.” She looked back at him, waiting. He looked reluctant to go on, but then he spit it out. “I hate that I’m even asking this… but there isn’t anything going on with you and Adam, is there?”

Alex’s eyes darkened. “No, Kenny, there isn’t,” she firmly stated. “And even if there was, why would you care?”

“Come on,” he breathed. “I would care. You know I would.”

Her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe him. She couldn’t believe he had the nerve. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?”

“You know what,” she spat. “We already did this, Kenny. I waited for you to figure out your feelings, and I got sick of waiting so I moved on. So don’t sit there and pretend like you’d actually care if I was fucking someone else.”

She stood up and marched toward the door. Kenny called after her, but she didn’t look back or stop. She was done with the conversation.

And, unbeknownst to either Alex or Kenny, someone hiding in the bathroom had heard the entire thing.

[danwhobrowses]

WWE Wrestlemania 37 Day 1 - Review

Big Card, Not so big build

But it is that time of the year, we Stood, we Delivered, and now we shall Showcase for the Grandest Stage of them All

I got hyped for it by watching Bret vs Owen so I do have expectations, I haven't been spoiled too much save for the Main Event and the fact that there was storms that delayed the event, I dunno if they cut that content but we shall see Note: I am gonna bold who I predicted to win per match as well just to show how right/wrong I was

Spoilers for Wrestlemania Night 1, You Have Been Warned

Pre-Show The opening panel was not so great; Booker (with a captain Hook moustache), JBL, Lawler and Rosenberg, bunch of contrarian drivel really and trying to make Braun/Shane out like it deserves on the card just doesn't sit with me, that match robbed a potential Father/Son Tag Title Victory for the Mysterios (I know the Dirty Dawgs won on SD but I feel like they wouldn't have retained if it were Mania). Most of the promo packages were good at the least since they can cut out all the shoddy booking decisions and act like some stars were underbooked over the past year. I will say though, selling BelAir and Banks as 'the first time a women's singles match has main evented Wrestlemania' is a bit of a slight on the triple threat - which would've been 1v1 if Vinny didn't want to be adamant in adding more feathers to Charlotte's peahen plumage - it was still a singles match, sometimes WWE's desire for 'first time evers' are a bit insufferable. Also this is not 'the most important match of Cesaro's career', that is a terrible thing to say about a non-title match revolving around Rollins feeling embarrassed. The Hall of Fame recap was a mixed bag as well, mainly because I disagreed with some of the inductions and the way they tried to sell them bigger than what they are, but I was glad for some - Liger, Bulldog, Molly Holly, Kane...still waiting on Lillian and Andy Kaufman to get inducted though. Sonya also popped up to promote the tag turmoil and retreading the main event, she was super natural and should've been on the whole panel, or in the ring. Sonya's talents are wasted right now.

No Match though! An Hour of Recap lacked any entertainment seeing as we'd see all these promo packages again on the main card. So overall this was entirely skippable.

Main Card...Delayed Vince opened the event to address the crowd, which was kinda nice actually. It was a much more inclusive introduction than just having someone singing America the Beautifu-oh they're still doing tha-boooooooobs! It's also kinda weird looking at the roster not even on the card on the stage, like this is their only contribution for the entire year...

The intro package was a big obnoxious too, dude does an okay Jack Sparrow accent but it kinda went on a bit long, 10 minutes into the main show and there's no wrestling y'know?

Byron out with a super white suit as well, looking like Liberace as weather warnings echoed the arena, with news that it'll be worse tomorrow I hope that arena has a roof. With the delay WWE pulled with interviews, Big E even showed up to join his New Day buddies. Cole's 'Wrestlerainia' did not land and Braun saying 'I'm fighting for everyone whose been bullied' doesn't land either, we had this story with Nia and Alexa years ago. I also hate 'Herstory', like the literal word I hate it, History has adapted well beyond gender. Sure, it evolved from the Greek Histor which means 'wise' or 'a learned man' but the His is not the agent noun, the Tor is, and it's a gender neutral noun, if it were a Latin root then it'd be masculine but its root is Ancient Greek - there's your Etymology lesson for tonight.

The irony though, the moment fans get back in the arena they have to come back out because of rain.

Main Card - This Time Around Titus and Hulk came out as hosts to ramp up the crowd, it was kinda uncomfortable in context really, plus we don't need a third rundown of the card. Reminder that those in bold was who I earlier predicted to win.

WWE Championship - Bobby Lashley [w/MVP] (c) def. Drew McIntyre (Ref Stoppage Submission via Hurt Lock) Starting hot with the World title match again, bit odd to see Lashley do his point pose on the ramp and no pyro, but both men fixed their eyes on each other and barely looked away. Their history goes beyond WWE after all, not that the commentary would tell you. The did come out with a ton of falsities though, I know the WWE Championship was at several times the most prestigious belt in wrestling but not all the time in that 60 years, Big Gold Belt, IWGP and 10 Pounds of Gold had times too, AEW also can tout that, but Cole's most baffling claim was that you'd need to win it to be a Hall of Famer - on the same year Bulldog who never won a world title was inducted. No quick draw like last year, the match started with some meat slapping, Drew even gesturing a fuck you with the Bras d'honneur to Lashley after knocking him down. Both men would trade blows and advantage, Drew almost locking an armbreaker but Lashley clubbing free - very weird camera cutting there. Lashley hit 2 throws and a neckbreaker to regain the advantage, he didn't get the Futureshock but he hit a nice Northern Lights Suplex. Lashley hit his newer version of the Dominator and an Uranage but both only kept Drew down for 2, he almost got the Hurt Lock as Drew fought back with some blows and a front-facing Alabama Slam, he tried a superplex but Lashley fought out, tried a kimura but got knocked down, so he went for the Tree of Woe throw he does. Lashley gets him with another Uranage but Drew kips up, belly to belly, Futureshock, Futureshock, Futureshock! 1, 2, No! Drew calls for the Claymore but Lashley rolls out, MVP coming late, Drew then does a Tope onto both. He goes up top but almost gets caught with the Hurt Lock, an Exploder and a Flatliner puts Lashley in the driver's seat, he tries for the Hurt Lock again but is driven into the Turnbuckle, Drew then locks in the Kimura but Lashley gets to the ropes. After trading shots Lashley lands into a boot and a headbutt, Drew looks for the Claymore but MVP shouts to distract him, allowing Lashley to dodge and get the Hurt Lock in, Drew tried to fight back, tried to roll out of it by kicking the turnbuckle but Lashley cinched it in tight, fading, fading, and the ref calls the bell.

A very good opener this one, big men slapping meat can hardly go wrong. Not too many false finishes either and MVP only psyches Drew out rather than got fully involved. It was right for Drew to fade rather than tap too. First prediction wins, I did think it was a risk but I expected it because WWE had sold the idea that they wanted Drew to win in front of a crowd, but he had held the title for most of the year, so I anticipated the swerve. Still, we didn't have to break up the Hurt Business for this, hopefully Lashley gets more time to shine.

As Lashley celebrated with some strange camera switching we moved to Titus, the NWO and a Bayley segment. Bayley trying to sell her Ding Dong Hello and being denied some Two Sweets, a huge waste of Bayley's talents especially with the year she has had.

Tag Team Turmoil for a shot at the WWE Women's Tag Championship on Night 2 - Natalya & Tamina def. Naomi & Lana, the Riott Squad [Liv Morgan & Ruby Riott], Billie Kay & Carmella and Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose (pinfall by Tamina on Ruby Riott via Superfly Splash) Props to Billie Kay selling the lack of cohesion in her and Carmella's entrance as they started the match against Lana & Naomi. Naomi started with the advantage but it was traded to Carmella when Lana was tagged in, then to Billie, then back to Naomi. A double facebuster flattens Billie but Carmella breaks the pin, after Carmella throws Lana out Billie rolls up Naomi - who is also strengthened by Carmella lying on the floor but using her feet to keep Billie up right - for 3, eliminating that team. Naomi is not happy, as she should be that was a huge waste, as the Riott Squad come in. Sporting Suicide Squad Joker (Ruby) & Harley (Liv) outfits, the Riott Squad start hot but are foiled by Carmella's tag. Liv is the feeder to Carmella and Billie's combos, they try the same rollup trick but they are caught by the ref, Carmella's dumped allowing Liv to hit a codebreaker and hold Billie down for Ruby's senton for the 3, the two embrace but Carmella superkicks Liv as Dana & Manda arrive in pink, Mandy humorously slipping on the ramp did not go unmissed. With Liv taken out Ruby tried to fight alone, Dana hits a top rope blockbuster but Liv comes back to break the pin. Dana hits a spinning neckbreaker and tags Mandy in, a pin for 2 by Ruby opens the door for Liv to be tagged in, a Codebreaker/Riott Kick combo lands but the pin is broken by Dana. Cole accidentally calls Mandy 'Dana' as she rallies, Dana comes back to dump Ruby out as they land the Superplex/Swanton combo on Liv, Mandy pulls Ruby from making the save but Liv reverses the pin for 3. The announcer then wrongly says that the Riott Squad were eliminated and has to be corrected, making you think this wasn't the plan. Natalya and Tamina pick up the scraps, Natalya tries a Sharpshooter but gets rolled up for 2, she drops Liv onto the ropes and tags Tamina in. Natalya hits a powerbomb but Ruby breaks the pin before being dumped out by Tamina again. Liv fights both women enough for Ruby to tag in, an assisted spear on Tamina leads to the Codebreaker/Senton combo but it hits for 2. They set up the Codebreaker/Riott Kick but Tamina yanks Riott away and superkicks Liv. Natalya returns to hit the Hart Attack on Ruby, looks to set up the Sharpshooter but instead tells Tamina to take point, Superfly Splash gets the win. The champions look on on a monitor at their opponents.

A bit of a mixed bag this one, the wrestling was clean but I think external botching brought it down, as well as questionable booking decisions. Naomi is a multi-time champion she should not be pinned so quickly. I did again correctly predict Nattie and Tamina, but I personally wanted the Riott Squad to win, it was the Heyman dressing down that motivated me to pick the Daughter Combo - also weird that they acknowledge Tamina's heritage given what Superfly did. The Riotts at least got a great showing, the finish took a bit of a long time considering that all Liv took from them was a superkick and was out for 2 minutes, hopefully this'll inspire booking to push them which is well overdue. As for Tamina and Natalya, heel vs heel is a tough one, they didn't look like babyfaces here and while I do have them to win the titles this was not a good look for their chances.

Cesaro def. Seth Rollins (pinfall via Neutralizer) Seth entered the ring with a homage to the Andre OBEY print on his tights, followed by his Cesaro smear ad, then Cesaro in a weird choice of just a black jacket as well as black and yellow tights similar to his Wrestlemania XXX attire.

Cesaro starts with a huge uppercut and setting up the Swing, but Seth wriggles out, tries a big boot but Cesaro hits the Dragon Screw and tries for the swing again, but fails again. Cesaro gets a corkscrew springboard uppercut but Seth hurts his arm on the ropes, he gets an uppercut as Seth climbs on the turnbuckle but he kinda didn't get all of it. Going for an Avalanche Gutwrench Suplex, Seth rolls out into a Buckle Bomb for 2, Seth then preys on the arm, Cesaro's arm prevents a rally as Seth hits the Superplex/Falcon Arrow combo for 2. Cesaro flurries with uppercuts, he tries the swing but Rollins keeps countering, first a rollup then going to ropes followed by an Enzugiri, when he tries the Stomp though Cesaro gets the swing, 9 spins causes the arm to give way but he locks in the Sharpshooter (probably why Natalya couldn't/wouldn't do it last match), Rollins gets to the ropes and powers out of the Neutralizer, knee strike and a sling blade sets up for a Corkscrew Frog Splash for 2. Seth sets up the Ripcord Knee but gets lifted into a Neutralizer! 1, 2, No! (Commentary saying again 'and now Cesaro begins to doubt himself), Cesaro tries it again but lands into a Pedigree! 1, 2, No!

Seth gloats surviving both of Cesaro's big moves, clubbing the back of Cesaro's head with his hand and then his leg as he prepares a stomp, Cesaro then hits the uppercut, UFO! Gestures for the Swing and gets it! 23 Rotations, Neutralizer, 3!

That's what I'm talking about! Indy Darling match with some great spots, good crowd involvement and a proper babyface win. Cesaro thanks the crowd as they cheer him on, Seth did show some great creativity which I kinda hoped Cesaro would but it was a small thing in otherwise a great match. I guessed with my heart on this one unlike the Tag Team Turmoil, because of my Universal Title plans really, Cesaro has been given the chance to earn the push we all know he deserves and he's took it, now we can push him further.

Post-match they recapped the AMBR and 4-Way, bit off to say 'Veteran Experience pays off' when Rey was the most experienced of them all, also the 4-Way should've been on the mania card and the tag turmoil on SD. They interviewed the Dirty Dawgs to talk the Raw Tag titles, which was a bit rough to see, it's clear what the pecking order is in Vince's mind.

Raw Tag Championships - AJ Styles & Omos def. New Day [Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston] (c) (pinfall by Omos on Kofi via Double-Handed Chokeslam TITLE CHANGE) Annoyingly the Champions came out first, but they were introduced by Big E, a Fusion Dance hologram graphic paired with their entrance as they came out in Red to rep the Tampa Bay Bucs in what would've been their 2020 attire, cheekily the 2020's last 0 was scribbled out and a 1 added. Blue trumpet though, couldn't recolour that. AJ and Omos came together too but no matching attire, Omos looked like he was going for dinner. AJ also looked like he stumbled a bit at the start.

Kofi goaded AJ into starting the match rather than Omos, leading to some liquid sequences from both former WWE Champions, each respectively rolling out of an SOS and Calf Crusher. After a back body drop Kofi stared down an unimpressed Omos, then twerked which hurt my soul. Kinda heelishly, Xavier tripped up AJ when a throat chop gave him a reprieve, leading to them keeping AJ in the corner, including the Unicorn Stomp as Omos continued to look unimpressed. Against Xavier AJ tried to drag him to his corner, but cannot get to Omos' halfhearted reaching. A team bulldog only gets 1 though. Kofi then continues to block the corner so AJ goes out of the ring to run around, only to be intercepted by Xavier. AJ continues to try and get to Omos, even being flattened by a splash by Kofi, when setting up their finisher though AJ elbows Kofi away, a visual exchange between the now free AJ and the top-turnbuckle Xavier preludes AJ finally tagging in Omos, Xavier frightened as Omos finally has a smile on his face. The 7'3 giant no sells Xavier's and Kofi's offense, charging into both on either turnbuckle, then a backbreaker to both. AJ then jumped over Omos to hit the Phenomenal Forearm to deal with Woods, Omos hit a two-handed chokeslam then pinned Kofi with one foot for the titles.

I didn't like this match's narrative, the wrestling was fine but the story wasn't done so well. For one, New Day acted more like the heels by bullying AJ and keeping him cornered, for second, Omos didn't really 'wrestle' he just no sold and did 3 safe moves and third, New Day are 11 time tag champions, Kofi a former world champion and they pinned him like that. Disrespect. The fact that the SD Tag Titles are second fiddle to a match where it's just AJ Styles plus the Great Khali, and that's Raw's Division right now, Two Thirds of New Day and this mismatch. This only highlights the severe lack of depth and WWE's booking hypocrisy. Next time you read about a 5 foot something wrestler not getting a title or a push because they're 'too green' or 'can't talk' remember that Omos won the tag titles on his debut match after doing a backbreaker, a turnbuckle tackle and a double handed chokeslam.

Humorous though is that WWE cut to a cringy Corbin ad break just as AJ was falling off of Omos' shoulders, I saw that WWE. We also cut to Sasha preparing for the match as the cage began to lower.

Steel Cage Match - Braun Strowman def. Shane McMahon (pinfall via Running Powerslam) The apathy for this match remains high considering that Shane showed up a couple months ago to steal a card slot from someone who could've been wrestling all year. Shane enters in his usual way, Braun with blinding fog and a train sound effect, cringy commentary as well as Shane keeps the door shut. Elias and Ryker soften Braun with chairs, attacking the legs and gifting Shane a chair who unloads on his grounded opponent. Once he feels he's done enough he tries to leave by the door, but Braun pulls him away, he tries to climb over the cage but gets pulled away, Braun declaring that he won't escape. Shane does his tacky jabs dodging Braun's wide swings, he tries to climb out again but Braun grabs him, but there's a planted piece of sheet metal that he uses as a weapon. After a 1 count Shane tried to escape through the door but fails, Braun decides to throw Shane into the cage walls, opening Shane to be struck by his blows and sandwiched between the cage walls, the leg gives out before the powerslam allowing Shane to ram Braun into the cage wall and DDT him, Coast to Coast gets 2 and Elias and Ryker climb the cage, hoping to pull Shane over, but Braun tackles the cage wall to knock everyone off. Shane makes the climb again but Braun is gripping onto him, bags are planted on the corners of the cage as Shane cracks Braun with a toolbox, as Shane celebrates he gets his leg over, he waves his hand through the cage at Braun but he grabs it, peeling off the cage wall to pull Shane back inside. Braun considers leaving but pulls Shane to the top of the cage, throwing Shane to the ring floor. Braun shouts at Shane, hits the running powerslam for 3.

It's good to be wrong here, though when I predicted Shane to win it was more a Pyrrhic win like being sent through a cage wall - because the build had Braun foolishly act like cage matches never have interference. This was a match, Shane planting weapons and using Elias and Ryker to prove himself 'smart' and Braun just powers out of it, the ripping the cage wall to drag Shane back in was a good spot - if not overly convenient since Shane could've dropped and gloated after - but it didn't need to be Wrestlemania.

Bayley comes back this time to the announcers table, bullying Cole out of his seat, but she's made to look stupid since Byron of all people tell her that they're waiting for the Hall of Famers, the HOF package happens again and the inductees able to attend appear on the stage, graphics of those who couldn't on the screen, NWO get their own entrance though with the NWO-painted Big Gold belt, bit unnecessary really they have enough spotlight.

Stone Cold announces the next mania in Texas in the AT&T Stadium, Booker then joins the announcer's table.

Bad Bunny & Damian Priest def. Miz and John Morrison (Pinfall by Bad Bunny on Miz via Crossbody/Electric Chair combo) A bunch of men dressed as bunnies hop into the ring before Miz and Morrison lipsync their diss track entrance. After the promo package Damian Priest makes his entrance, wearing the HBK Bondage shirt and sporting the purple, Bad Bunny appears atop of a Monster Truck in a pre-recorded segment with a lot of camera cuts, leading into the live version, looking like Rufus from Bill and Ted.

Miz and Morrison goad Bad Bunny to start the match so Priest tags him in, Miz mocks Bunny for a free shot and gets floored with a blow, waistlock and another punch, after a brief flurry Miz slows Bunny down but then gets caught with an arm drag, a toehold and a roll up for 2. Morrison attempts to snap Miz out of his frustration, but every offense he gets Bad Bunny comes back, this time with a spinning headscissors. Morrison's tagged in but gets headbutted, a 'bunny hop' jumping elbow, Miz's cheap shot leads to some heat feeding as Miz does some mocking bunny hops. He rolls over Miz for 2 but gets flattened with a boot, Morrison punishes Bunny on the announcer's table who then does a Spinaroonie while they continue to punish Bunny and incite Priest. Bunny gets a tornado DDT to open up the Hot Tag who cleans up house with strikes - more annoying camera cuts though. Chokeslam only gets 2 because Morrison breaks the count, Bunny comes in and both men hit stereo Falcon Arrows, both for 2, Priest does a tope, Bunny crossbodies from the top corner. Priest sets up his finish but gets caught with a Skull Crushing Finale, 1, 2, Bunny breaks the pin. Back into his corner Morrison tries to keep Bunny from being tagged, but Bunny hits a Canadian Destroyer onto Morrison on the outside of the ring, Miz and Priest awestruck. Priest sets up the Electric Chair, Bunny crossbodies and that's 3.

I may not know who Bad Bunny is, or particularly like his music, but he definitely meets the standards of the work celebrity guests should put in if they wanna be booked for a match. Bad Bunny did far much more spots than Omos, granted his punches flooring Miz was a bit unbelievable but overall he shone in an entertaining match, I feel bad for Miz and Morrison really, Miz was WWE champion about a month ago for a week and Morrison left at the top of Impact and AAA to come back for this? Maybe if he pairs up with his wife he'll get the booking he deserves. Also don't really know why Booker needed to be there on the announcer's table, aside from one mock spot and a GI Bro mention he didn't influence the match at all

SD Women's Championship - Bianca BelAir def. Sasha Banks (c) (Pinfall via KOD TITLE CHANGE!) And so comes the Main Event, the Royal Rumble winner comes out a sparkly EST outfit with tassels, Sasha with a black and neon green attire that definitely stood out. More shoddy camera cutting though kinda upset the flow of the entrance.

On Pre-Show - 'These two are in the Main Event regardless of Race, Regardless of Gender' On Main Event - 'For the first time two black women are having a title match on the main event at Wrestlemania' ...poor form WWE. Especially since you followed this with a Snickers plug.

The Bell rings as there are close ups on an emotional Bianca, duelling chants from the crowd as Sasha overpowers BelAir, leading her to kip up and get her own advantage, almost landing the KOD early. BelAir's power catches most of Banks' assault so she opts for counter-wrestling, she looks to count BelAir out but then decides for a Suicide Dive, but BelAir catches her and presses her back up the stairs and into the ring. Dropkick by Sasha gets 2, Bianca hits a powerslam but her handspring moonsault is blocked by Sasha yanking at the hair, using it as leverage to drive her knee into BelAir's head, Shining Wizard only gets 2. When Banks tries the knees in the corner she's planted with an Uranage, she tries to yank Bianca's hair into the corner post but Bianca powers her into it instead, a barricade crossbody also misses but the count is up to 6, both women roll in, BelAir uses an inside cradle to momentum herself up to a Vertical Suplex position, she slingshots 2 of the sides but Banks struggles, Bianca powers her back up but Sasha struggles again, BelAir powers again and lands the suplex but it takes a lot out of her. After clotheslining Sasha who was pulling on her hair, BelAir flurries with strikes and a running shooting star, Glam Slam hits but Sasha gets the knees up for the 450. The two trade pins and BelAir hits the Powerbomb for 2, she tries again but Sasha goes for a facebuster, Double Rotation Tornado DDT gets 2 for Sasha, a clunky Frog Splash which might've been a Meteora that Bianca was out of position for hits BelAir but only has 2, Sasha starts getting frustrated and goes for the arm, snaps it against the ropes then throws BelAir into the steps, she goes for the Bank Statement, wrapping Bianca's hair around her arm for added leverage, she tries to rebound off the ropes but Bianca rolls back to rope break, Sasha yanks the hair between the rope and stomps on her hair in frustration but this gets Bianca angry, she sets up a Superplex but is thrown off, she tries what looks like a Stratusfaction but gets locked into a Tree of Woe double stomp, Bianca avoids it and the running knee strike, landing the 450! 1, 2, No! Bianca freaks out, she was so sure that was it, but now the anger sets in, KOD set up but Sasha pulls the hair to right herself, Bianca cracks Sasha with her hair and tries again, but Sasha wriggles to try a Backstabber, Bianca escapes that, spins her around and lands the KOD, 1, 2, E.S.T.

A really good match from both women, met with a great ovation for Bianca. The match liked to prey on Bianca's hair a lot which may've been a little overdone, I would've liked to have seen it get a bit more than 18 minutes too. I predicted Sasha because I think Rhea's winning hers (I still do) and Sasha has once again yet to have a major Wrestlemania win, but I'm certainly not unhappy with BelAir - she put on a great performance here, especially with the fact that she fumbled her NXT Women's Title match against Baszler earlier, showing a lot more maturity and a strong face character to get behind. WWE should not have overdid the booking on this in the build but for the night, it is Bianca's night to close day one of WrESTlemania.

Conclusion NXT Stand and Deliver set a high bar for Wrestlemania to pull off, and for Night 1 at least I believe they definitely met it. There were a few downs, shoddy camerawork, non-wrestling botching and heavy mistreatment for Naomi, Bayley and the New Day but on the other hand we had great matches out of Cesaro, Bad Bunny and the other title matches including the main event, aside from the tag turmoil I'm not upset with the winners. Becky teased us with appearing before the show but it seems like it was a fakeout, was kinda hoping she'd be back but maybe it'll be Night 2

We will only find out on the night though, and there's a lot more to look forward to.

[fromtheringapron]

WWE WrestleMania XXVI

Date: March 28, 2010.

Location: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

Attendance: 72,219.

Commentary: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Matt Striker. 

Results:

1. WWE Unified Tag Team Championship Match: ShoMiz (The Miz and Big Show) (champions) defeated R-Truth and John Morrison 

2. Triple Threat Match: Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. 

3. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Jack Swagger defeated Christian, Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, Kane, Montel Vontavious Porter, Matt Hardy, and Shelton Benjamin. 

4. Triple H defeated Sheamus. 

5. Rey Mysterio defeated CM Punk (with Serena and Luke Gallows).

6. No Holds Barred Lumberjack Match: Bret Hart defeated Vince McMahon. Bruce Hart was the special guest referee.

7. WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho (champion) defeated Edge. 

8. Layla, Alicia Fox, Maryse, Michelle McCool, and Vickie Guerrero defeated Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Gail Kim, and Eve Torres. 

9. WWE Championship Match: John Cena defeated Batista (champion) to win the title. 

10. No Disqualification Career vs. Streak Match: The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels. Per stipulation, Michaels retired.

My Review

WreslteMania XXVI is a difficult show to sum up. It’s a pretty good WrestleMania, but also one that happens to be all over the place in tone and focus. Perhaps its reflective of how indeterminate the future of the WWE felt at the start of the 2010s. The roster was such a mishmash of eras that you’d be forgiven of not having a clue where the hell the company was going. John Cena, Batista, and Randy Orton were at the top of the card after their rise to superstardom in the 2000s, but the spotlight was still shared guys who rose to stardom in the ‘90s like Triple H and The Undertaker. Then there was a new generation of talent—The Miz, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, etc. — bubbling in the undercard who seemed poised to rocket into the top at any moment. But wait! Time was also given to  . . . the 13-year-old feud between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon?!? Suffice to say, with the show splintering off in so many different directions, it’s not surprising it has some misfires.

Let’s start with the good stuff, though. The main event between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels is fantastic and I’m gonna throw it out there that I like it more than their match from the previous year. The stakes feel higher, the suspense level feels higher, and there’s more of a story here than just Shawn needing to beat Taker. He puts his entire career is on the line here, for heaven’s sake! And speaking of his career, like many at the time, I didn’t have a clue this would be Shawn’s last match. Most on-screen wrestling retirements are never legit, so there was plenty of basis to believe this one would be no different. But alas, this one was different, and we get about as good a sendoff as we could’ve gotten for someone who’s been dubbed Mr. WrestleMania.

On another show, the WWE title match between John Cena and Batista would’ve been the main event. Their match here is great fun. It’s actually an end of an era for the two men who were crowned as the leaders of the next generation at WrestleMania five years earlier. Batista would move on to Hollywood shortly after this and, while certainly not his last WWE run, it would mark the end of his career as a full-timer. Interestingly enough, Batista was really coming into his own as a heel at the time of his departure, even winning over fans who previously couldn’t stand him. He would resurrect his heel run in 2014 and 2019, again only for a short spell. A shame we haven’t been able to spend much time with arrogant heel ‘Tista and his impeccable designer fashion, but then I guess that’s what makes it so special.

As for what doesn’t work, I probably don’t need to go into much detail about the Bret/McMahon clash. The basics of the story are solid — Bret gets his long-awaited revenge on McMahon, with his family right by his side. It’s just not super fun to watch in execution, however well-meaning it may be. They match is dragged out much longer than it should and it takes the crowd completely out of it. Another misfire is the Money in the Bank match. This would be the final iteration of the match at WrestleMania before it becomes its own pay-per-view. It’s clear the concept needs some rejuvenation by this point as it’s now a lazy, bloated affair where everyone gets in their allotted number of spots and there are way too many participants. To cap it all off, the ill-advised decision is made to push Jack Swagger into the main event scene, an idea which would run out of gas in a matter of months.

The show seems to have some weird pacing issues as well. In the era of the Network, I’ve grown so accustom to Manias being stretched to the point of exhaustion, so it’s always little odd to go back and watch one that feels like it doesn’t have enough time. It’s almost like it’s struggling to figure out how spread out time across a card so stacked. The tag opener and Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk feel like abridged versions of the matches we would’ve otherwise gotten, while Bret vs. McMahon gets more time than either combined. Even Money in the Bank feels somewhat rushed. I’m definitely not a huge fan of WrestleMania becoming a seven-hour event, and WWE has proven they struggle with time management on longer Manias, but this is one show where it seems an extra hour absolutely would’ve been to its benefit.

At its best, WrestleMania XXVI is a nice sampler plate of eras, even if struggles to give you equal portions for all of them. The multi-generational makeup of the card ensures there’s a little something for everyone and even closes the books on a couple of legendary careers. You’re bound to dislike some it but for better or worse, and this is a cheeseball thing to say, it definitely puts the “showcase” in the Showcase of the Immortals.

My Random Notes

No joke, I really did not think this would be it for HBK and even seriously thought Taker’s streak was in jeopardy. Am I a fool for thinking that? Maybe, but I like that wrestling conned into believing it in a way it hardly ever does anymore.

I feel like the temple entrance set is something that should’ve been more impressive than it is in actuality. They just stacked LED screens on top of each other and just rolled with it. It looks like something from Minecraft.

Ah, this show reinvigorates my fond feelings for Matt Striker. Such a handsome chap! Not surprising at all he would appear on a Bachelor ripoff a whole decade later.

I chuckled at Bruce Hart being the special guest referee for Bret vs. McMahon. You just know he huffed and puffed his way into that one, much to Bret’s annoyance.

I also chuckled at Diana Hart-Smith walking down to the ring with her best “evil, vindictive femme fatale on the cover of a pulp novel” look. God bless her. She needs to write another book.

I know Rey singing Happy Birthday to his daughter is meant to be a heart-warming thing but if I were a kid in the same situation, I would be traumatized. Just think of how uncomfortable it is when a room full of people is signing at you and then think of enduring that in an arena filled with thousands of people. CM Punk did her a huge favor by crashing the moment, as far as I’m concerned.

Not saying anything new here, but the whole Spear thing with Edge is cringe as hell and it’s for the best that it’s been forgotten in the annals of his career.

I know some people like to mock Vickie Guerrero doing Eddie’s frog splash, but I personally thought it was a sweet moment while staying true to comedically heel Vickie.

The official theme song to this Mania is “I Made It” by Kevin Rudolf. A time-period appropriate choice, I must say. I feel like the dawn of the 2010s is the only time a Kevin Rudolf could be a success.

I identify myself as someone who will always be more embarrassed by John Cena haters than Cena himself and I gotta say him posing next to the guys in the front row hating his guts is fucking hilarious. Cena is funny sometimes when he just straight-up trolls.

On the Legacy fallout: The storytelling for this was weird as hell. Am I the only who remembers that one time on Raw where they teased Ted turning face and the crowd was actually kinda into it? Then they completely abandoned it for whatever reason and just had Randy be the breakout face (as if he needed it) and dunk on both Cody and Ted at WrestleMania. I feel like Cody’s AEW origin story more or less began here.

Awwwwe, this show has little baby Drew McIntyre. It’s so interesting watching this with the benefit of hindsight. I remember a lot of people Not Feeling It when he was anointed as the Chose One, and truthfully I wasn’t feeling it at the time either, but watching it back really makes you appreciate how much hard work he put in to get to where he’d be a decade later. A lot of folks were dreading the inevitable Drew world title run in 2010. The title run did happen, but it was much later and much more welcome than anyone back than anyone could’ve imagined.

[wrestlingisfake]

AEW Fake Rankings, 12/12/2020

Men’s singles division - babyfaces

Jon Moxley

Cody Rhodes

Darby Allin (AEW TNT champion)

Orange Cassidy

Hangman Page

Lance Archer

PAC

Dustin Rhodes

Scorpio Sky

Matt Sydal

Men’s singles division - heels

Kenny Omega (AEW men’s world champion, AAA mega champion)

MJF

Brian Cage (FTW champion)

Ricky Starks

Eddie Kingston

Sammy Guevara

Powerhouse Hobbs

Matt Hardy

Shawn Spears

Wardlow

Unranked: Brandon Cutler, Colt Cabana, Michael Nakazawa, Peter Avalon

One of the things I like about AEW is that they’ve got so many guys in the mix and I usually know off the top of my head what any of them is up to.  Granted, some of these guys aren’t doing very much, but I at least have a sense of their character and storyline while they’re on the back burner.  I used to like that about WWE, years ago.  But somewhere around 2000 they lost the ability to focus on more than a handful of characters at any given time, which is a big problem when you have a hundred performers on your roster.

As a result, it feels more organic to me when guys like Eddie Kingston and Team Taz jump out of the undercard into the AEW title picture.  On Raw, these guys would be random nobodies in R-Truth skits until Vince McMahon suddenly decided to present them as killer threats to Drew McIntyre, and then they’d lose the title match and be nobodies again.  In AEW, there’s a better flow between “beating jobbers on Dark” and “beating name guys on Dynamite” and “punking out a champion to disrupt the rankings” and “recovering from a big loss by beating midcarders.”  That’s something I haven’t seen in US wrestling for so long, I forgot how much I missed it.

PROTIP FOR TONY KHAN: Try doing that with the women sometime, kthx

Men’s tag team division - babyfaces

The Young Bucks - Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW tag team champions)

Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian

Best Friends - Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta

Lucha Bros. - Penta El 0M & Rey Fenix

Jurassic Express - Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt

Private Party - Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy

Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss

The Gunn Club - Billy Gunn & Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn

The Varsity Blondes - Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison

Top Flight - Darius Martin & Daunte Martin

Men‘s tag team division - heels

FTR - Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler

Chris Jericho & Jake Hager

Miro & Kip Sabian

The Butcher & The Blade

Evil Uno & Stu Grayson

John Silver & Alex Reynolds

The Hybrid2 - Jack Evans & Angelico

The Acclaimed - Anthony Bowen & Max Caster

Chaos Project - Luther & Serpentico

Alan Angels & Preston Vance

This has to be the deepest tag team division I’ve ever seen in pro wrestling.  I suppose maybe some group in Mexico might have more teams.  But 20 active teams is practically unheard of for a major-league US promotion.  Even New Japan could only find 10 teams for World Tag League, and half of them were one-off combinations.

One caveat is that the “Jericho and Hager focus on tag wrestling” thing may or may not be a long-term direction.  And Colten, Pillman, Garrison, and Serpentico are not (to my knowledge) under contract.  But that’s balanced out a bit by the tandems that haven’t competed in the last 30 days (Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall, Santana & Ortiz), and the potential for other alliances to be full-time dedicated tag teams (MJF & Wardlow, Team Taz).

The advantage of having this many teams is that you get booking in the tag division like you’d see in the singles divisions of most promotions.  You can actually have four or five teams on hot streaks, because there are plenty of lesser teams to put them over, so they don’t have to go 50-50 with each other.  You can actually have a group of teams acting as a midcard, that lose to the top guys but can beat anybody else.  And there are maybe six teams here that I’d call jobber teams, but they still win sometimes because they beat each other, or the freelancers on AEW Dark.  It’s a good ecosystem.

Women’s singles division - babyfaces

Hikaru Shida (AEW women’s world champion)

Big Swole

Serena Deeb (NWA women’s world champion)

Thunder Rosa

Leva Bates

Shanna

Leyla Hirsch

Red Velvet

KiLynn King

Women’s singles division - heels

Nyla Rose

Britt Baker

Abadon

Anna Jay

Penelope Ford

Diamante

Ivelisse

The AEW women’s division suffered a lot this spring from injuries and travel restrictions, but I’d say they’ve mostly recovered from those setbacks.  Most of the women listed above weren’t even in the company before March.  Collaborating with the NWA (Thunder Rosa) and pushing freelancers (Diamante, Ivelisse, Hirsch, Velvet, and King) has yielded a deeper roster than they had in 2019.

That being said, TV time is still an egregious problem for this division.  AEW is clearly wary about chasing viewers off to NXT if they run too many women’s segments on Dynamite.  If feels like they’re waiting for something that’ll make it the right time to actually push the division.  But the perfect moment will never come, so they might as well go with the hand they have.

It looks like the brewing Brandi Rhodes vs. Jade Cargill feud is going to expand to include (at least) Nyla, Swole, Deeb, Velvet, Diamante, and Ivelisse.  So if we see various matchups among those women for a few weeks (alongside Shida vs. Abadon and Baker vs. Rosa), then great!  If it just means one multi-woman tag on Dynamite, then it doesn’t really address the problem.

No matches in the last 30 days: Emi Sukara, Jade Cargill, Mel, Santana, Ortiz, QT Marshall, Riho, Tay Conti, The Bunny, Yuka Sakazawi

At some point CIMA and T-Hawk were quietly removed from the roster on AEW’s website.  With Shanna and PAC back in Jacksonville, that only leaves Sukara, Riho, and Sakazawi as the contracted performers out of action because of the pandemic.

Part-timers: Awesome Kong, Dallas Page, Dasha, Rebel, Sting

Kong has been out for nearly a year with no explanation besides a kayfabe injury.  My understanding was that she would be taking time off to film GLOW, but then the show was canceled, so I don’t know if she’s healing from real injuries or taking time off or what.  DDP is 64 and the last time I saw him on AEW programming he was mentoring QT Marshall from inside his house, so I’m pretty sure he won’t be back until after the pandemic.  Dasha and Rebel aren’t listed by AEW as wrestlers but they’ve each had matches this year.

Interestingly, Sting is listed on the official roster as a competitor with a 0-0 record in the promotion.  That seems like the surest sign yet that AEW plans to book him in a match.  He’s 61, but I suppose DDP wrestled this year at 63 years old.  He was forced into retirement with spinal stenosis, but I suppose Edge came back from that after a lot of rest and for a lot of money.

Inactive

Brodie Lee (ankle - undisclosed injury)

Brandi Rhodes (arm - storyline injury)

Kris Statlander (left knee - ACL tear)

I’m kinda surprised there aren’t more people on the shelf than this.  (And technically Brandi isn’t really hurt and probably won’t be selling it much longer.)  It feels like AEW has had a lot of injury problems this year, but I suppose they’ve managed to avoid a lot of major surgeries.

[allelitefics]

Powerful

Characters: Santana x Reader

Warnings: smut, definitely smut, a little angst.

Summary: Santana needs to step up with you before he loses you completely. This one is for @allelitexo​ who requested something to be written about Santana. Love those guys but Santana is def my favorite as well. 

...that was the only Santana gif i liked... lol 

You were the girl who had the personality that just attracted people towards you. Even when you tried to downplay it, so that you weren't bringing attention to yourself, it never made a difference. Being in a job where you are social all the time was something you knew you'd excel at, and as a wrestling fan being in charge of the social media department for All Elite Wrestling was a blessing.

One of your favorite things about working for AEW was that it really was like a family, since day one you could just feel it in the air. You had prior experience working for some other indie promotions, and it was definitely different when you stepped foot on your first day into AEW. There were also some people that you automatically clicked with and they were all pretty different, one of them being Santana ... you both immediately bonded over growing up in NYC - although he grew up in the Bronx and you grew up a less rough area, you often found yourselves talking about different spots you both went to growing up. Joey Janela was another one of your favorites, same thing growing up in the same general area, and you worked with Joey a lot on the indies. You loved the girls that they brought into the roster Britt Baker and Brandi quickly became ladies you looked up to, as well as the makeup team they might've been your favorites to hang around during your down time.

Dynamite was your favorite part about AEW because of everyone going out together afterwards. Of course some would opt out, but you loved the socializing, it was honestly super motivating and promoted your own mental health. Every Wednesday the crew would find a spot, whether it was a local bar or the hotel bar - and you were there with your whiskey sour or glass of wine depending on your mood.

Santana was in the corner of the bar with his tag partner of several years, Ortiz. He watched you, he always watched you and became more and more protective as time went on. You weren't dumb, you always felt his eyes on you, watching every movement you made. He had quickly become one of your best friends, at least thats how you felt. If you were ever lonely, he was the first one you texted. No matter what time, day or night, he was there. But on these nights you went out as a group you found yourself surrounded by Joey, Britt, sometimes Sammy and a few others and Santana would isolate himself.

An hour after being at the bar and him remaining in the same area you finally went over after a conversation with the group came to an end. "Hey!" you say with excitement, glass in hand from behind him running your hand down his bicep to get his attention. He turned around with a smirk, "Hey baby girl, whatchu up to?" "Why don't you come join the group? Come hang out with me." you say, trying your hardest to charm him. You really didn't have to try that hard because he wanted you, he really did. "I'll come over in a bit." he says. You feel yourself slump, because he says that every damn week and never does. You frown slightly, "Yeah..right." You turn to walk away and once there is no way for you to hear them Ortiz speaks up. "What the hell man!" he says hitting Santana's shoulder. "What?!" "Maaaaaan, for WEEKS! She's been hinting at you, what the hell." "I don't know man, I'd do literally anything for her. She's too good and I man...you know me I fuck up every relationship I'm in." Ortiz shook his head in disappointment. "You ain't even gonna give it a shot?? You're pushing her right into Janela's arms.. literally." he said nodding over to where you were with the group.

You dug the hot dirtbag kind of thing that Joey had, for some odd reason you did. So you didn't mind the flirtatious relationship the two of you had developed. But he wasn't what you wanted and it made you so bummed out that 30 minutes had passed and you didn't even see Santana in the bar anymore.

You whipped out your phone to text him. "Where did you go?" you sent to him. "Back to my room, sorry baby." You hated when he called you petnames, especially when he knew you were probably pissed. "What the fuck Santana." you sent back to him and then put your phone away, you didn't even want to see what kind of reply he would come up with. You were completely helpless when it came to him though, you were attracted to everything about him. That thug vibe was a huge turn on for you, and you found yourself constantly looking at his social media, especially the photos in the gym, you were smitten hard. At the same time as much as you wanted him you couldn't keep with the empty promises from him. Maybe this would've been that indicator that you two wouldn't make it as a couple.

When you got back to your room that night you slumped right onto the king sized bed in your room and finally pulled your phone back out, several unread texts from Santana. "Let's see tonights excuses" you say to yourself.

"I'm sorry, I was really tired" ..the first text. "You know that I love spending time with you" ... "Shit, are you really going to ignore me?" .. "Text me when you get back to the room?" .. "I'm sorry Y/N." "At least let me know that you made it back safely.." ..

That last one got to you, because if he hung out with you tonight then he would know you got back safely. Asshole. You roll your eyes, not wanting to send him anything back, but you couldn't help yourself.

"I'm fine and back in my room." you texted him. He immediately texted you back which made you smile a little, at least he's been waiting by his phone all night, maybe panicking a little. "Are you mad at me?" "What the fuck do you think?" .. you hated to be like that, but at this point thats often the language you two used with each other. "I know, can I come by your room?" You sat there and threw your head back because you were annoyed with yourself because you knew you were going to say okay. But if he came by tonight, something would need to happen because if it didn't, then this friendship/flirtatiousness had to end. "201" you responded. 5 minutes later and he was there at your door, white v-neck shirt, his adidas workout pants and he always had the best shoes for his outfits. Just in that simple outfit he looked so damn good. The mix of alcohol and loneliness had you wanting him more tonight than you had before. You opened the door then turned around. "You gonna be cold to me?" "I don't know Santana, I'm so over this shit." "What shit?" You were so annoyed he was playing the stupid card. "Oh my god, this...us....either put up or shut-up because this is ju-" you were quickly cut off from your rant with his lips pressing against yours and his arms wrapping around your waist pulling you closer into him. He broke apart after a few moments. "I'm done too, let's do this, forreal." "Really?" you ask with big eyes which makes him smirk down at you. "Yeah." "Ugh finally." you say and you pull him back towards you for your lips to press against each others one more time. Your back hits the mattress and you knew all the tension was going to be let go tonight. Your legs wrapped around him as he then kneels up to take his shirt off. He nods at you gesturing that if you don't do the same he'll rip your shirt off in a second. You sit up and do the same and then he continues to kiss you, your lips, down to your neck, when he gets to your hips, he pulls down the jeans you had been wearing, your panties soaked at this moment and he bit his lip when he looked back up at you. You were so nervous but so eager. "You want this right?" you double checks. "Yes!" you say rolling your eyes and that just fuels him with confidence. You knew Santana was an experienced guy and really had no doubts about his talents in bed, but damn it was better than you ever expected. The way his tongue moved against your most sensitive area, then pumping his fingers inside of you, you were completely his melting right into him. "Mmmmm, fuuuck" you moaned out when you were coming close to your climax. "Cum for me baby...cum for me now" he starts sweet and then growls and you feel yourself tighten around his fingers, his tongue flicking against your nub. When you came, it was that release you'd been craving and that was just with his tongue and fingers alone. You pulled him to kiss you, tasting yourself on his lips. You then look at each other and he searches your eyes, wanting them to tell him what to do next. "Fuck me" you let out. That damn smirk, it showed on his face once again, he did exactly what you told him. You moaned out loud when you felt him ease his length into you and you gripped onto his biceps. "You good baby?" You nodded as the breaths you took got more and more shallow. Time was nonexistent as he put you in all kinds of positions and then finally both of you climaxing at the same time.

He laid on his back his arms sprawled out and pulled you into him. "I'm sorry...fuck I've been an asshole." "Not an asshole, just an idiot." He laughs, "Yeah okay, an idiot. I don't want to hurt you, that's all I'm worried about." You look up at him now, resting your chin on his chest. "Stop doubting yourself, if you could just be the Santana I know, then we'll be fine." A genuine smile creeps upon his lips as his hand moves to the back of your head pulling you in for another sensual kiss.

[let-me-love-you-loki]

An Ending Within--Ch. 3

Chapter 3

           “Dollface!”

           Relief. A deep-seated sense of home and frenetic energy. I couldn’t stop myself from rushing straight into his open arms. He looked different—his gingery hair cut a little closer to his head and more bulk to his frame.

           He was still my Dean.

           Well… Jon now.

           He swept me up into a warm, vice-like hug. It was just like the old days.

           “You look good,” I said, beaming from ear to ear.

           He grinned in return, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “So do you, dollface. How’s my girl?”

           Dean put his arm around my shoulder and led me down a hallway toward Cody’s office. “She’s getting bigger every day. It’s hard to believe she’s almost a year old now.”

           “I need to come see her more. Both of you.” There was sadness in his voice when he said it. “There’s no excuse.”

           I sighed and slung an arm around his waist. It reminded me of our Lunatic Llane days and limping up the ramp together after a match. “I understand. Seth doesn’t make it easy lately.”

           We walked in silence for a moment. The door at the end of the hall opened up and a platinum blond head poked around the frame. “Jon! Right on time.” The man came fully out into the hallway, a smile on his face, as he rolled his sleeves up his forearms. He held out a hand. “Cody Rhodes, and you must be Llane Black.”

           “Until August. Then, I guess it’s just Sofie Lopez,” I said, shaking his hand firmly.

           He smiled a little broader. “Maybe we can do something about that,” he said gesturing us into the office.

           There wasn’t much to the room, just a table with chairs gathered around it. Papers were strewn all over the top, stacks here and there. I recognized proofs for merchandise and the outline of an upcoming card. It took a moment for me to recognize that there was someone else in the room.

           “Llane—Sofie…” Cody said with a grin, “this is Kenny Omega. He’s in charge of the women’s division here.”

           Kenny stood up and extended his hand. He had a wide smile and two-toned hair. “Jon’s told us a lot about you.”

           “Most of it lies, I’m sure,” I said, shaking his hand. Cody gestured for us to sit.

           Dean sank into a chair on the side of the table opposite Kenny then pushed a chair back for me. I tucked my leg beneath me as I sat, feeling relieved that Dean was nearby. It had been so long since we’d been able to hang out together, and it made me think of those days on the road in that horrible SUV.

           The first half hour or so was Cody and Kenny talking about the things they were doing in AEW or the things they wanted to do. They talked about how they were doing things differently than just about any other company in the business. I had to admit, the schedule sounded fantastic. They had a small roster of incredibly talented people.

           And Dean was there. I missed him more than I’d been willing to admit.

           “We’ve done a lot of the talking. I know it’s a lot, but I know Jon’s been going back and forth with you about it too,” Cody said smoothly. “And none of us expect you to make a decision on the spot.”

           I leaned back, tucking my sweater more tightly around me. “I’ve been watching the show when I can. And I have to tell you, it’s amazing what you guys are doing around here. This one seems pretty happy.” I jerked my thumb at Dean.

           “Damn right, dollface,” he said with a grin.

           Kenny stood up. “If you’ve got some time, I can introduce you around. Meeting some of the others might help you make a decision.” He held up both hands, grinning. “Not right now of course.”

           I looked back at Dean. He took my hand and squeezed my fingers reassuringly. There was something playful in his eyes when he tilted his head toward Kenny, gesturing for me to follow along behind him.

           “You might run into a few old faces,” Dean said playfully. When I raised a brow at his insistence that I go, he chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not making plans for you without you around. I know enough to not do that.”

           I rolled my eyes and smacked him in the shoulder. “Don’t give Seth another reason to be a baby about this. Please.”

           Dean scoffed but held up his hands in surrender. “I just want you to be happy, dollface.”

           Dropping a sisterly kiss on his forehead, I turned and followed Kenny out of the office and into the hallway. Almost as soon as we were out of earshot, Kenny started talking.

           “I don’t think I’ve seen Jon that animated since he showed up here.” Kenny shortened his stride to walk next to me, and I couldn’t help but recognize the snap of energy that buzzed around him. It made me feel like I’d known him for years.

           “Count yourself lucky then,” I replied, grinning.

           Kenny lead the way out of the carpeted corridor and into the back halls of the arena. Being surrounded by cinder block walls and rolling equipment cases put me quickly at ease. Other people milled about, not quite paying attention as we passed by.

           I’d just slipped past someone when their face registered. “Jericho?”

           The man turned, cockiness slipping into his features. It disappeared when he recognized me. “Llane?” He reached out and pulled me into a hug. “What are you doing here?”

           I grinned. “What do you think?”

           “No shit. I knew Cody wanted to get you here, but I didn’t think you’d bite. Not with Rollins and Reigns still around.” Chris glanced between me and Kenny and back again. “Sorry, Ken. I helped train this kid when she left the Performance Center. Does Jon know she’s here?”

           Chris’ eyes went wide, a grin spreading over his face. “Does Jon know you’re here?”

           “He’s back with Cody. Kenny here was just showing me around.” I pointed a finger in his face, already seeing Chris rubbing his hands together with glee. “This is a look-see, not a contract signing. Don’t get too excited.”

           He reached out and gave me a bump on the shoulder. “You’ll be here before you know it, kid. I’ve already got some great ideas for you.”

_______________

           “So, what d’you think?” Dean asked as we walked back toward the parking lot.

           I wrapped my arms around my middle, trying to get the words right. “It’s different.”

           He slipped in front of me, walking backwards. “That’s the thing about it. This is wrestling, Llane. Not like that shit Vince has you doing. You’re good, think about how great you could be here. Talent alone you could be running this division in a month.”

           “That’s not what I want, and you know it. Chris got the big title because he’s the draw. I get that. And you’re in the picture because you’re amazing. The other guys—honestly, I’d love to see what you and Seth could do against the Bucks. That would be amazing.” I took a deep breath. “If I come here, it’s on my own terms. You know that, right?”

           Dean skidded to a stop, causing me to run headlong into his chest. “You always do things on your own terms, dollface. And whatever you decide, I’m gonna be right there behind you.”

           I grinned up at him before slipping my arms around him. He gathered me up in one of his warm hugs. He crackled with energy.

           I’d forgotten how much I missed the feeling.

__________________

           “I’m taking the contract,” I said calmly, watching my husband’s face for any reaction. Sefina slept soundly in her rocking seat at my feet. I hoped she’d stay that way. “At least, I’d like to.”

           Seth stiffened. I watched his jaw bunch as he clenched his teeth. I blinked, afraid of what was about to happen.

           “Okay,” he said after a moment. The gruffness of his voice made it clear it hurt him to agree.

           My heart skipped. Vertigo slipped in. I couldn’t believe I’d heard correctly. “Okay?”

           Silence, heavy and thick. Yet a lightness as if all the air had been removed. I felt giddy. Sick.

           “If this is what you want, then I’m behind you,” Seth replied. He turned toward me, smiling a little even though there was hurt in his chocolate eyes. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. For you to be safe and happy.”

           A sudden sting. Heat rushing through my face. I blinked back tears. “Seth…”

           His fingers slipped around my wrist, drawing me close. He tipped my face up, our eyes meeting. Sometimes I forgot how young he could seem when the cockiness and weight of his reputation fell away.

           “I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he whispered. “I may have reasons for not wanting you to take the contract with them, but most of them have nothing to do with you. They’re about me. I don’t want to have to travel without you. I don’t want to work without you. And I still get jealous over how close you and Dean are.”

           I opened my mouth to say something, but he held his fingers to my lips to stop the words.

           “Let me say this,” Seth murmured. “If you want to go to AEW, if that is what’s going to make you happy, then I’ll get over how I feel about it. As long as you’re happy, I can be happy. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

           I reached up, cradled his face in my hands. “I’m not doing anything stupid. Not when I have you and Sefina to worry about. And you know as well as I do… it doesn’t matter what company I’m at. There’s always that chance. But I can promise you that I’ll do everything I can do come back to you both in one piece. Every night.”

           Seth may not have liked it, but it seemed that we finally, somehow, understood each other.

___________________________________________________

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[nagdabbit]

A HANDY DANDY GUIDE TO WRASSLIN

For the lovely, the wonderful, the incomparable @gideongrace​ , may I present: Daggs’ Guide to the Wild Ass World of Professional Wrestling! (and it’s goin’ behind a cut because It Got LONG!)

So, here is the things. Wrestling is STUPID. And great? And fun as hell! And the most carny sport to ever exist. But, also SUPER inside baseball a lot of the time just because it’s got such a long goddamn history that it can seem daunting to get into. Like I’ve only been back into it the last four or so years, so there’s a lot of history that I’ve missed! There’s also a whole lot of gate keeping, just like comics or video games. There’s also the bitter truth that a lot of people in the industry are absolute shitheels that should have been fired long ago (and I’ll only be vague about a lot of that). So, yeah. A WHOLE LOT.

First things first: HISTORY. There’s just so much. But, conveniently? You don’t need it. It can be fun if you end up really like wrestling, but contrary to what a bunch of middle-aged, racist, misogynist and WILDLY homophobic, White American Men will tell you, you don’t actually need it to enjoy yourself. If you DO want history, might I suggest the How2Wrestling podcast! It is a cheerful, lovely show hosted by two goddamn delightful humans, Kefin and Jo (who are also just wonderful people to interact with in general)! There is also the Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling by Aubrey Sitterson and Chris Moreno, which is a great read! Wrestlesplania is another good show for history of the sport and the wrestlers! They’re definitely, uh, hornier, but v fun!

Secondly: On the subject of inside baseball, wrestling jargon is a whole thing. The ONLY part of wrestling history that is 100% important: it is a carny sport. Like, some side-show, vaudeville ass shit, yo. And it has never evolved from that, so there are a whole lot of terms used that are very specific to like... early 1900′s carnival culture. Here is a wikipedia article, but there’s also a wonderful How2Wrestling episode about it all! I’ll try not to use much!

Thirdly: We can’t talk about wrestling podcasts without mentioning Colt Cabana’s The Art of Wrestling. A lot of the archives are behind a paywall now, but the show is great. If you DO get into wrestling and start to find wrestlers you enjoy, I highly highly suggest checking to see if they’ve done an episode. Colt is a goddamn delight of a human, deserving of support and a great interviewer on top of it. Even if you just bookmark eps you’d wanna listen to and then start a free trial to marathon them all. (See also: the Colt Cabana & CM Punk lawsuit(s), in which Colt got royally fucked over.)

Fourthly: Nobodies Watching Wrestling. Drag Queens watching wrestling. That’s all you need to know. Even out of context, they’re goddamn delightful humans. Might I recommend this episode with EFFY, because I sometimes just watch it when I’m having a bad day.

Fifthly: Tights & Fights is a great weekly wrestling pod, and is how I keep up on a lot of things that I might not be watching. PLUS, diverse group of (wonderful) hosts: Hal Lublin, Daniel Radford, Lindsey Kelk, Open Mike Eagle, and producer Julien Burrell. They’re just great. And horny, at times, but in a charming and respectful way.

Now... The boring part. I’m just gonna get some of the popular company introductions out of the way, and then the fun part of So Many Match Suggestions at the bottom. But, business first! (The Big difference between Larger Companies and Independent Companies is that the big guys have a contracted roster of people who sometimes can work with other companies [unless they’re the WWE, who have exclusive contracts and still call their employees Independent Contractors so they don’t have to offer health insurance or a union], and indie guys contract people usually show-by-show. ALSO, there is intergender wrestling [men vs women, which does bother a lot of people. I do side with support of it, but I do totally get how it can be hard to watch] in indie shows, whereas there is NOT in 90% of the big companies.)

(And, honestly, if you wanna skip this part, you can, but if I don’t do it first, I’ll forget..)

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BIG PLAYERS

WWE - Here’s the thing. The WWE kinda... is a terrible capitalist bastard of a company, run by a morally bankrupt, egomaniacal, shitstain, roid-rage cryptkeeper of a man. And, if you want my personal opinion, RAW and Smackdown are both (currently) TERRIBLE shows, despite having some truly phenomenal talent. BUT, but. NXT (and NXT UK) is probably the best, like, weekly wrestling show (on TV, at least, but we’ll get there). The talent is INCREDIBLE, the storylines are less bad bananas, and they’ve adopted a LOT of the best indie talent lately (because they want to directly compete with AEW, but that’s a whole other thing). WWE programming is also the easiest to get a hold of because they are the longest running and basically Disney, so there are some full matches on YouTube, and Raw and NXT are available on Hulu. They are also releasing a lot of free stuff on the WWE Network that you can watch without signing up for a paid account, but there is a lot of stuff behind a pay wall.

Cons: Real Talk, run by a bunch of terrible people. Responsible for covering up a lot of truly reprehensible crimes for which no one was held accountable, despite being well documented. A blatant disregard for the (physical and mental) safety and/or financial security of a lot of their roster--specifically the people you don’t see on TV. (If you want some history, you can look through the past tweets of the New York 64 Tournament, but a lot of it turned my stomach, so I would not suggest, but it’s there if you have the same morbid curiosity that I did)

Pros: The company might be run by terrible people, but their roster is good. A lot of my top wrestlers do work for the WWE, sure, but they do hire a lot of decent humans that I sometimes feel bad about not supporting. Also, it is the dream of a lot of people to join WWE simply because of the prestige, the massive audience, and job security. I might hate Vince but I can’t begrudge any wrestler currently working for them.

NXT Pros: On the subject of rosters, NXT is LIT. But they have also stolen some of the best indie wrestlers recently: Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas, two of my All Time Favs. Both of whom deserve the world, because being openly gay in the wrestling industry is the pits.

All Elite Wrestling - AEW is a very new company, and they are my favourite of the big promotions. They are a company run by wrestlers, rather than a millionaire with a writing staff. I like the wrestling style(s) better, I was a huge fan of a lot of their roster before they hit TV last October, and I like not giving the McMahons money. The storylines are better, if only because they don’t have a writer’s room dictating scripts and such, and the characters are more fun (for me at least).

Easiest ways to watch for free: Their YouTube channel! There you can find a lot of highlights, behind the scenes, AEW Dark (the “dark” matches, or the non-televised matches from TV tapings), PPV pre-shows and a lot of stupid stuff.

Cons: A bit of an issue offering equal match time to the women’s roster the way they SAID they would at the start. A bit more violent of a style as a lot of the wrestlers came up death match style wrestling, or are from Japan/wrestled in Japan and typically wrestle “strong style” (wrestling style with less theatrics and known for Real Real Strikes that Hurt A Lot), which some people can find off-putting. Also, they hired Jake Hager, who is a real piece of shit.

Pros: Have a wonderfully diverse roster. Orange Cassidy. Sonny Kiss. Good storytelling. Jake The Snake Roberts doing Hella Promos. The Dark Order, who we affectionately refer to as the Spooky Perverts. Chris Jericho yelling at a Drone, and Matt Hardy being a wizard. A bunch of wrestlers who are married to other wrestlers who work for WWE, and good jokes are made.

BUT THE BIGGEST PRO-AEW THING I CAN PROVIDE: NYLA FUCKING ROSE. They didn’t make her the first women’s champion like they should have, but they put her in the first championship match on the FIRST episode of the weekly show, Dynamite, and she is now the CURRENT women’s champion. I don’t wanna make a big deal, only it is a BIG DEAL, because Nyla Fucking Rose is the first openly transgender wrestler signed to a major promotion, and if you think I didn’t fucking CRY LIKE A CHILD when she won, you’re wrong. So, yeah, a NATIONALLY TELEVISED WRESTLING PROGRAM’S CURRENT WOMEN’S CHAMPION IS A TRANSGENDER, FIRST NATIONS WOMAN. NYLA. FUCKING. ROSE.

As of right now, AEW seems to be done filming, which is both Very Smart and also heartbreaking, but you can find all the ways to watch over here on their site if it looks like fun!

WOW Women of Wrestling - Have you seen GLOW? This is a show created by the IRL creator of GLOW (the promotion the show is based on, not the show)! And it is? Incredible? The characters are fun and portrayed as superheroes, the stories are CAMP af, and the wrestling is GOOD. They’re a non-traditional show, which is fun. Their roster is made up of wrestlers playing different wrestlers. Wrestling is a bunch of super talented people playing characters while doing acrobatics. WOW gives us people playing characters, playing other characters, while also doing acrobatics.

Cons: All male announce team? On an all women’s show? Excuse? And also: Tessa Blanchard who is, it turns out, a great big racist. Also a little harder to get full episodes it seems.

Pros: Literally everything else.

Ring of Honor - For awhile ROH was handily competing with WWE. And then they weren’t. And then they got better. And then they got worse. And now, currently, they are a company that I hate supporting.

Cons: Run by assholes who don’t care about worker safety, and don’t put anything into the women’s division.

Pros: Sometimes they partner with New Japan Pro Wrestling. They’ve recently released a lot of goooood old matches including some Kevin Steen (currently WWE’s Kevin Owens) vs El Generico (definitely, 100% not at all, no way, no how, of course NOT WWE’s Sami Zayn [he is, this is another inside baseball joke that I’m just obligated to make every time I mention El Generico]) matches which are BRUTAL. Oh, and Dalton Castle:

Impact! - It’s back! I don’t watch it, but they DO have Rich Swann, so they can’t be bad. There is an entire history to Impact that is BANANAS. Like AEW, a bit more rough and tumble, scrappy death match folks, and I like a lot of the roster, like Taya Valkyrie, Jessika Havok and Sami Callihan. Not a bad show, but the full show weekly doesn’t hold my attention.

Cons: Tessa Blanchard, mostly. She is an incredible wrestler, her matches are good, but.

Pros: Pretty easy to watch, actually? I believe they’re still on Twitch, and they have an entire channel on Pluto TV.

New Japan Pro Wrestling - NJPW is GREAT. Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. The shows are long, and strong style just... hurts. Like, a lot of wincing on my end. But the wrestling. Oh, lordy, the wrestling is incredible. But it is brutal. Strong Style wrestling is much different than the typical American style that you see in WWE, and a lot more grounded than high flying lucha styles. (Though a lot of wrestlers do travel to Mexico and train in lucha style wrestling (which I am the least familiar with), so currently there is a lot of the very high flying flippty dos and the absolutely brutal strikes that you see in strong style wrestling.)

Cons: Show/match length is typically long and there is A Lot to See. The only way I know to watch full shows is through their streaming service.

Pros: Just the whole thing, really. They release a free match on YouTube every Monday. Also, Toru Yano, the best wrestler in the world.

Indie Promotions that I know less about because I can afford only so many streaming services

Firstly, here is a Wiki list of wrestling streaming services. I’m gonna name a couple below, but the wiki page has a handy list of costs of the bigger ones because capitalism knows how to get you. (Personally, I only use IWTV at the moment. They’re a good company run by good people, and a lot of indie promotions would have died out without partnering with/support from them)

Beyond Wrestling - Beyond is My Favourite Promotion To Watch, Bar None. Their weekly show (when in season), Uncharted Territory, is fantastic. Diverse talent, diverse styles. They do have a lot of death matches, which can suck to watch if you aren’t into that sort of thing. I am, it turns out, into that sort of thing. But listening to interviews with a lot of death match wrestlers, specifically Jimmy Havoc, can help understand the w h y of it all! Available on IWTV.

Chikara - Chikara is So Fun! They are a (mostly) family friendly promotion and training school. Their shows are filled with young/newbie wrestlers as they learn the tricks. Run by Mike Quackenbush, who is a delightful person, BRILLIANT wrestler/trainer, and someone who is willing to take the safety of his people into account. He’s good people, who trains good people, and supports good people, and gives them a safe, open place to learn. It’s also very fun! A lot of comedy matches. Watch on: CHIKARAtopia or some of their archive is on IWTV.

EVE - An all-women promotion, providing a safe working and training environment for women and girls. They have put their foot in it on occasion, but they seem to still be good people. (I would recommend the Tights & Fights episode with founders Emily and Dann Read for a little backstory on the company, but not needed.) Ways to watch.

RIPTIDE - YO, RIPTIDE IS DOING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SHIT. Cinematic wrestling, and it is great. The matches are good, the promos are good, the people are good. But the way they film it oh my god holy shit. When everything is a little less hectic, they are people I am definitely gonna support as much as I can. Watch here.

A Matter of Pride - Here’s the thing. They have put on some very good, inclusive shows. However, some serious allegations have come out about Rick Cataldo, who is involved with the company, and I think it’s important to mention. They have done a lot of good in the world of prowrestling and they put on good shows and they have given a platform to people who might otherwise have been pushed aside, however bad things have still happened there. Watchable on YouTube.

OTHER NOTABLE INDIE COMPANIES

GCW (IWTV, Fite TV & Smartmark) * Black Label Pro (IWTV) * Prime Time Pro Wrestling (IWTV) * Uncanny Attractions * RISE (IWTV) * Bar Wrestling * PWG * Stardom * Bizarro Lucha (IWTV) * OTT

There is also NWA Power that is a good show on YouTube, however, they immediately hired (and now fired for being racist) Jim Cornette who is... just an absolute jackass. But I do feel I should mention them.

Is that over? Yes? Well..

NOW THE FUN PART. THIS IS MY MOMENT. THIS IS THE ONLY PART THAT REALLY MATTERS.

So. The thing is. Wrestling is A Lot. SO, I’m gonna give you as wide a variety as I can! I’ll point out some fun people, some fun gimmicks and HOPEFULLY won’t completely turn you off! If you enjoy any of these, then the dumb stuff up above is useful!

First! The most important wrestling match of All Time. Invisible Man vs Invisible Stan. This is everything you need to know about the beats of good wrestling, but also why wrestling is fun. There are two people in this match: Referee Bryce Remsburg and the audience. And that’s it. This is literally just a referee (but it’s Bryce, so the referee) miming a wrestling match, and an audience buying into the kayfabe wholeheartedly. (Inside baseball: Bad Boy Vision - “Bad Boy” Joey Janela’s [another wrestler] sunglasses)

One of my favourite matches in recent memory, AND one of the best matches sort of just in general! David Starr vs Jordan Devlin at OTT. Quintessential wrestling, fantastic storytelling, and one of the best promo packages I’ve ever seen. BONUS: David Starr is a GREAT human fighting day and night to unionize the wrestling industry. He’s the Bernie Sanders of professional wrestling.

I thought about putting an actual death match on the list, but the closest I will get is this Nick Gage vs Josh Briggs fans bring the weapons match. I chose this match because my very best friend does not like this style of wrestling at all, but he did enjoy this match. It’s a lot, obviously. But it’s not as bad as it could be, but there’s also no shame if it isn’t your thing. Hell, I don’t even know why it’s my thing! I don’t even like bloody horror movies! I will say that Nick Fuckin’ Gage is one of the most prolific death match guys still working today, and also one of the nicest, kindest, most beloved guys there is and I would die to protect him. MDK!

Okay, this is the single most beautiful match to exist. Cara Noir vs PAC (fka WWE’s Neville). This isn’t wrestling, this is art. Great story, no commentary, gorgeous camerawork. Bonus: Cara Noir has the most fantastic and well rounded gimmick (character) in the business. Have you seen Black Swan? That’s it. That’s his character. And it’s great. Nailed. It.

Oh, did you know David Arquette is a wrestler? HE IS! Here’s he and RJ City.

On the subject of WWE and NXT, this Halftime Heat match of Aleister Black, Ricochet & Velveteen Dream vs Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole & Tommaso Ciampa. These are six of the best wrestlers work, and definitely TOPS in the WWE system. SEE ALSO: Black & Dream put on a HELL of a program together at NXT, but it’s been boiled down to this highlight vid that gives me feelings. Gargano vs Andrade Cien Almas is one of THE BEST matches of all time and here is a shitty highlight reel, but it’s still good. Adam Cole is 1) incredible and 2) the prettiest possum in the Denny’s dumpster, have a Cole vs Finn Balor highlight reel. God, I wish it were easier to find WWE stuff on YouTube.. All these matches should be on Hulu, tho.

NEXT! Kris Statlander vs Davienne for Beyond. Kris Statlander is A Legend, despite being real new to the business. Currently wrestling for AEW, former stuntwoman and, most importantly, she’s an alien.

FREE FOR ALL TIME. Solo Darling vs Penelope Ford vs Veda Scott vs Ashley Vox. They didn’t have to go that hard, but they did.

SPEAKING OF. Kylie Rae, Penelope Ford, Kimber Lee & Skylar vs. Shotzi Blackheart, Harlow &Twisted Sisterz. I just? I love? All of them?

And not to mention Kris Statlander vs Priscilla Kelly. I mean, I mean. I cannot sing the praises of both of these women enough.

Okay, so I am really only passingly familiar with a lot of Japanese wrestling. Mostly got into it last summer, actually. I get it, I love it, but I’m not as well versed in the people involved. Two badasses I do know? Meiko Satomura vs Kana (WWE’s Asuka). Fucking legends, both of them. Hard hitters, too, jesus.

If you do get into NXT at all, Keith Lee and Donovan Dijak put on one fuck of a program together, but the story started long before they ever entered the WWE! Please enjoy this absolute hoss fight from a couple years back.

NOW, some intergender matches! If you think they aren’t your thing, feel free to skip!

A fun match of (current IRL romantic partners) Keith Lee vs Mia Yim from before either of them debuted at NXT. I believe they weren’t dating at this point, so the next part will really hit, cuz it’s romantic as shit... This was not the booked ending. Keith Lee didn’t kick out on purpose. (Which, I mean, is literally all wrestling endings, but.) Mia was booked to lose (at least they told her that), and he purposefully took the L and went out on his back, to surprise her and give her a MASSIVE push.

Leyla Hirsch vs David Starr. I just. I goddamn love Leyla Hirsch. A very young wrestler, very new to the industry and I just love her so much?

Two great, intense matches of Joey Janela, the patron saint of bad decisions. Versus Kris Statlander (I can’t get enough of her) and versus Jordynne Grace.

Orange Cassidy and Penelope Ford vs Shockwave and Veda Scott. Shockwave is a robot and Orange Cassidy is Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer. I can give no other explanation.

COMEDY TIME, YO. Comedy wrestling is The Best. There’s a name, Orange Cassidy. Yeah, he’s very funny, and also the most divisive person in wrestling rn. He’s Paul Rudd. He knows he’s a wrestler. He’s lazy. And there’s one match that we need to get out of the way first...

Orange Cassidy vs David Starr. The thing is. Orange Cassidy can fucking wrestle. His gimmick might be that he doesn’t want to, but he can. And It. Is. Great.

Now we can get on with the funnies.

Orange Cassidy vs Colt Cabana. Not story needed. Just two dudes at a food festival. Oh, yeah, there’s also a Swamp Monster. We love Swampy.

Colt Cabana vs Toru Yano. It’s just. So. FUN.

You might know the name Joey Ryan as The Dick Flip Wrestler, or The King of Dong Style. His dick has magical powers, it’s a thing. Here’s he and Orange Cassidy.

Johnny Cockstrong is the opposite of Joey Ryan. Literally. Here’s him also vs Orange Cassidy.

Did you want to see a Dick Test of Strength between them? Well, it happened.

Back to RIPTIDE for (another intergender, kinda) Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate & Trent Seven vs Joey Ryan, Candice LeRae (the World’s Cutest Tag Team) & Colt Cabana.

Kinda almost but not really comedy but very funny and also full of good wrasslin’, here is EFFY vs Orange Cassidy. Pirated, technically, and in real low quality, but I Love It. EFFY is Daddy.

Now, you’ll notice not a lot of women in the comedy section. Real talk, women still tend to get treated as a joke by the wrestling industry at large, so they don’t get the luxury of being as funny as they want. But one woman out there doing the lord’s work is Session Moth Martina. Legend. Love her. Admittedly, another intergender match, but it makes me happy. Martina & Orange Cassidy vs Joey Janela & Penelope Ford (Janelope).

One of my All Time Favourite Matches to date, EFFY and Danhausen (Gaytanic Panic) vs Chris Dickinson and Pinkie Sanchez (Team Pazuzu). Yes, this is a Halloween show. Yes, the Ref IS dressed as Chris Dickinson. There are teeth, Jesus resurrects someone, Danhausen is in fishnets and Effy is in face paint. It’s great. Love that Danhausen.

And there we have it! A whole lot of information and a bunch of matches and some stuff. It’s real dumb, and sometimes the industry is dark, but there’s a lot of hella good people doing dumb things. I hope this was helpful?? And Fun! (But my feeling won’t be hurt if it wasn’t fun, I promise!)

I leave you with this, RJ City making coffee in his underwear with Danhausen. Completely out of context. Because I love it.

[beingallelite]

Not only is she one of the leading figures in All Elite Wrestling's developing women's division just four years after first stepping foot in the ring, but she's also done it while completing dental school and starting a full-time practice.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden had the chance to sit down with Dr. Baker to discuss life, the impact of the Wednesday Night Wars on her relationship and the glorious art of professional wrestling.

He also reviewed the best match and promo of the week, took a look at the latest offering from DK Books, tracked the latest battle in the war between AEW and NXT and consolidated a week's worth of wrestling events to catch you up on anything you might have missed.

Join us every week for Off the Top Rope and Bleacher Report's exclusive access to the biggest stars in the sport.

Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, on AEW's Women's Division and Her Crazy Double Life

The trip to Pittsburgh was about two-and-a-half hours each way—and Britt Baker drove it once a week in the summer of 2014, her conscience heavy with guilt. In the fall, she would start dental school at the University of Pittsburgh. Her life seemed settled.

But professional wrestling had a hold on her heart and wouldn't let go. So she got into the car anyway, driving to class at the International Wrestling Cartel to begin her tutelage in the esoteric art of wrestling, a secret hidden from family and friends in her gossipy home town.

"I was so terrified that my parents were going to hate this that I didn't tell them for five months," she tells Bleacher Report. "I was correct. They were less than thrilled. It's not that they were especially discouraging. It's just what every parent would say. 'Britt, you have a guaranteed successful career ahead of you. You've been accepted into one of the best dental schools in the world. You could get hurt in the wrestling ring and your dental career could be done. Do you understand what you're doing?'"

Stubborn as only a highly capable person in their early 20s can be, Baker was convinced she could learn both crafts simultaneously. She took on what might be a truly unique double major: learning to fix teeth by day and pretending to knock them out by night.

"Wrestling kept me sane during dental school," Baker says. "That was the hardest time of my life, and I don't know how I would have made it without the distractions of wrestling to keep me afloat.

"I would be sitting in the back of my dental implants class, secretly watching Raw from the night before while trying to pay attention in class. And when I was on the road doing wrestling shows, the guys that I would train with would help me. Andrew Palace and Darren Genaro would be flashing me notecards to help me study for an exam.

"I'm setting up the ring and we take a break to study. There aren't many friends like that in the world, people who would use their breaktime to help you study instead of going to get a cheeseburger up the road or just taking a minute to themselves. I was so fortunate early on with the people I surrounded myself with in wrestling."

When she's introduced now as "Dr. Britt Baker, DMD," there is a sense of pride. Unlike most wrestling gimmicks built around a trade, Baker comes by hers honestly. And while most wrestling dentists are bad guys, she hopes fans might make an exception in her case.

"It's my favorite part of every match, the moment I hear that," she says. "It's an affirmation. Yes, that is who I am. I am Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, and I'm a professional wrestler.  I don't mean to brag or boast, but I love the recognition for it.

"It was hard. I went to school for eight years to be a dentist. Sorry if the person in the fifth row doesn't like it and thinks I should be a bag guy because people hate the dentist. People might not like the dentist, but they do like people who chase their dreams."

Baker was brave enough to chase two. And now, living in Orlando, Florida, with her boyfriend, NXT champion Adam Cole, she maintains what would be a back-breaking schedule for most, somehow maintaining her career in the ring and a burgeoning dental practice without seemingly missing a beat.

"Both of my worlds are very understanding of the other," she says. "I have an agreement with the dental office I work for that we'll be closed on Wednesdays. Because I'll be in whatever city AEW Dynamite is in. And AEW is OK with me flying in super-late Tuesday night after work or even early Wednesday morning. They are also really good at getting me on the first flight back to Orlando Thursday morning. I get right off the plane and go to work. I am still able to work four days a week as a dentist."

Right now, she is careful to keep her two worlds apart. While she'll talk to patients about wrestling if they bring it up, she's aware that many people might find her dual roles off putting. Sometimes, however, what happens in the wrestling ring isn't easily contained in the ring. Take, for example, a black eye suffered recently at the hands of her burgeoning rival, Bea Priestley.

"The black eye was very interesting," Baker says. "I was getting pretty creative just hiding it. I had my mask on most of the day and we use dental loupes, which are magnifying and have a little light on them. I made sure I had those on all day. Because, it's a whole thing. 'Oh my gosh, what happened to your eye?' and 'What do you mean you're a professional wrestler? I didn't know this!' So, I tried to make it an easier day."

While a black eye can be manageable, more serious injuries pose potential problems in both fields. Earlier this year, her parents' worst fears came true when Baker suffered a major head injury at an AEW pay-per-view in Jacksonville, Florida.

"For five days, I could not see out of the outer corner of my eye," she says. "I had no peripheral vision. It was just black. That terrified me. Doc Sampson, our head doctor for AEW, would call me every day. He's an excellent physician. And, every day, I was so frustrated.

"I was starting to wonder if I was going to be OK, but he was very reassuring, explaining that this is a concussion symptom and I would eventually get my vision back. He told me, 'You got hit really bad, really hard, but it's going to be OK.' But people can tell you that all they want—until it actually comes back, it's scary.

"You can't see and you need your eyes for everything. Especially being a dentist, working in someone's mouth and even drilling on their teeth. I was terrified. Obviously, I couldn't work in the dental office when I couldn't see. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen and not safe. So, it was tough.

"But that's the nature of the game in professional wrestling. People get hurt. It's not ideal, but it happens. Accidents happen. It was a reality check reminding me, 'Hey, be careful.' But, at the same time, I love it. And, when you love what you do, you can accept the risk."

On Wednesday, Baker fought Riho for the AEW Women's Championship, an enormous accomplishment for a woman just four years into her professional career with a mere three weeks on television.  

"It's very stressful and exciting," Baker says. "It's baptism by fire. You're wrestling in front of 100 people one week and suddenly you're in front of 10,000. I have so much to learn, but I'm in good hands. I feel like I have the best coaches, the best production crew, the EVPs, Tony, everyone who has a hand in this is one of the best people to be working with in wrestling.

"(AEW owner) Tony Khan is super-hands on. He is everywhere and will be texting creative ideas all the time. He's absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about Tony Khan. He makes every person on the roster feel appreciated. He is happy you are part of his company."

There is a lot of experience to lean on backstage at an AEW event, including agents Dean Malenko, Jerry Lynn and Dustin Rhodes. Perhaps the most integral figures for women looking to live up to bold promises about equality and opportunity are Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa, dual-lingual wrestlers who help the contingent of Japanese competitors like Riho communicate with their American counterparts.

"Kenny Omega has a huge role in the women's division," Baker says. "He agents a lot of the matches and he's brought his passion for the Japanese joshi wrestling to our world and it's amazing. I don't have a ton of experience with joshi wrestling, but I love it.

"I'm learning from Kenny by watching how he puts matches together. How lucky can I be? That was one of the selling points for AEW to me when Brandi and Cody (Rhodes) told me he'd have a major role with the women's division. I was a huge fan.

"I was the girl staying up all night to watch Wrestle Kingdom even though I had class the next day. Now I work with Kenny Omega, one of the best wrestlers in the world and a creative genius. Some of his ideas just amaze me. There seems to be no end to his creative insanity."

Baker's rise in the sport comes as Cole reaches new heights of his own in NXT. The two are equally wrestling-obsessed and watch the rival company's competing shows together the day after the events. But Baker admits the dueling Wednesday night broadcasts aren't ideal.

"We are texting and calling each other for encouragement right up until the moment we go out the curtain," she says. "It can be a little heartbreaking when it's the biggest night of his career or the biggest night of my career and we can't be there. Because we're each other's biggest fans and, as a fan, you want to be there and feel the energy. You want to experience it. So, it's a little discouraging.

"But we sit at home and watch each other's matches. We actually watch each other's whole show. We support each other's company. My boyfriend is basically best friends with The Young Bucks, so he's very supportive of All Elite Wrestling."

Baker, like most in AEW, keeps a watchful eye on fan reactions. She's noticed some grumbling among hardcore fans, upset that the promotion hasn't featured women as frequently as they have men. But she urges patience.

"You have to take it with a grain of salt when people, for lack of a better term, bitch and moan about what is and isn't on the show," she says. "Fans are always going to find a reason to grumble. They want one thing week one, you give it to them week two, and then they don't want that anymore. Some fans are very hard to please.

"AEW, we're still so new, so I encourage people to sit back, relax and kind of breathe with us. We're going to give everybody what they want. Sure, there's only one women's match on the show. But maybe there is only one tag team match, too. Enjoy it, let us establish what our brand is, then form your opinion.

"Right now, it's fresh and new. Try to enjoy the ride."

Britt Baker returns home next week on AEW Dynamite as Pittsburgh temporarily transforms into Brittsburgh.

Match of the Week: Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela (AEW Dark)

In AEW storylines, Kenny Omega is struggling to find his way. After losing to Chris Jericho in a grueling bout at Double or Nothing in May, he was unceremoniously destroyed by a debuting Jon Moxley.

It was enough to send Omega into a tailspin, breaking the former IWGP champion mentally and spiritually.

In the ring, though, he is finding his way. Against an opponent with plenty to prove in Joey Janela, Omega raised his game to heights only he can reach. The result was one of the most remarkable matches of the entire year.

It was an unsanctioned bout that didn't count on their AEW records, but the two men wrestled it like it was a pay-per-view main event and not a match on AEW Dark, a YouTube show available for free to anyone.

The bout was a modern twist on ECW, a match filled with high spots, plunder and plenty of both guts and glory. Imagine the very best technical wrestler in the world wrestling Tommy Dreamer in a match where basically anything goes. That was this match in a nutshell—a must-see for anyone who loves wrestling.

Runner Up: Kota Ibushi vs. Evil (New Japan: King of Pro-Wrestling)

Hard Times Promo of the Week: Darby Allin

The first time I saw Darby Allin wrestle, I knew he was a star. Admittedly, I was late to the party. He'd already spent years wowing crowds at super-indies like Evolve, waiting for the opportunity to take his unique energy to a bigger stage.

My first visit to Planet Darby was on a stage so small there wasn't even room for a ring. He and his wife, the wrestler Priscilla Kelly, were taking on another couple in an intergender bar fight. There were maybe 100 people there, and none of them could take their eyes off of Allin and Kelly.

When they closed the match with Priscilla spitting directly into Darby's open mouth, I knew I had to meet him.

His personal magnetism was evident, his weird energy was of the time. He wasn't cosplaying a skateboard kid with a barely disguised death wish. He was that kid on stage and off. Sans makeup and in a sharp black suit the next day, he was every bit as interesting as I'd anticipated.

His energy was even more powerful in conversation, his passion for performing so strong that he couldn't even hope to hide it in a post-modern haze of ennui or irony. Why, he asked, did wrestlers limit their influences to previous wrestling matches and angles? He intended to look all around him to inform his art with the present and not the past.

Although not immediately identifiable, it's this perspective that makes him feel different. Fans are getting a taste of it right now on AEW television.

AEW provided the platform, and Darby used it to make himself the first breakout performer in the promotion's short history. He may not have beaten Chris Jericho for the championship but check back here in six months and we'll count coup then.

Because Darby Allin is a star.

Wednesday Night Wars: Week 3 Showdown Between AEW and NXT

It's Week 3 in the Wednesday Night Wars, as AEW went head-to-head with NXT on national television once more.

The wrestling world has turned its attention to this midweek battle for supremacy and both brands have brought their best.

The result has been a spectacular win for fans. Among the promotions, though, there can be only one winner.

Let's run down each show in the two major categories that combine to create great wrestling television.

Wrestling

As Arn Anderson once said, "it's on the marque." Everything else is built around the action in the ring, and both brands specialize in modern, exciting action.

As is becoming the norm, AEW promised an incredible card and somehow delivered excellence even beyond our expectations.

The best technical match was the barnburner between Kenny Omega/Adam Page and Pac/Moxley. One day after announcing he was still the top performer in the world at AEW Dark, birthday boy Omega teamed with Page to again steal the show.

The Elite beat Pac and Moxley in a slobberknocker that saw all four at the top of their games, a combination of high-flying action and enough storytelling elements to build future matches between the quartet.

But the match we'll all remember was the main event, a star-making performance from Darby Allin, the 22-year-old prodigy who literally wrestled much of the event with his hands behind his back. He gave champion Chris Jericho all that he could handle, even without the use of his hands, forcing The Inner Circle's Jake Hager to interfere and preserve Jericho's reign.

Allin is a star.

NXT has a different approach. Most of the matches don't feel like a big deal, bordering on being simple, competitive squash bouts with obvious winners. They are well-executed, with the winners looking like stars, but it's hard to compare positively with AEW using this approach.

Two bouts stood out: the rubber match between Keith Lee and Dominic Dijakovic and the main event battle of attrition featuring Damian Priest's upset win over Pete Dunne. Lee and Dijakovic have good chemistry, but their clash was marred by a sports-entertainment finish setting up a three-way dance with Roderick Strong next week.

The main event had some mild shenanigans at the end, but it was an excellent back-and-forth contest worth seeking out.

Advantage: AEW

Presentation and Storytelling

This was the best night yet for AEW's commentary team of Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. The three men are starting to figure out where they fit in and when it's time to hit their spots.

Ross seemed engaged throughout and Schiavone, in particular, always seems to chime in just when he's needed.

There was an excellent vignette that told much of the story I shared in my Cody Rhodes feature piece earlier in the month and set up his title challenge against Chris Jericho nicely. AEW shines here with these videos. Their shoulder programming generally is top notch.

The co-main event set up a match next week between Pac and Jon Moxley and generally made everyone involved look amazing. The main event further cemented Allin as a star of the future while establishing Jericho and The Inner Circle as bad actors willing to cheat to win. Solid, basic storytelling.

NXT did a much better job of building its characters this week and further defining who the key players are and what they're about. Johnny Gargano felt like a big deal for the first time and Shayna Baszler cut one of the best promos I've seen from her, telling a returning Tegan Nox, "Let's be honest, you're running out of limbs to rehab."

When Mauro Ranallo is on, he's one of the best announcers in the sport. An enthusiastic Mauro is a lot of fun to listen to. A Mauro who is trying to namedrop the Brazilian stink bug makes me think about reaching for the mute button. He walks a continuous fine line between excellence and utter disaster.

This show did an excellent job building for next week and teased future bouts such as Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley that have fans salivating. NXT's best effort yet as an overall show.

Advantage: Even

Overall

As good as NXT was, AEW is going to be hard to beat when they are loaded for bear the way they were Wednesday night. No one on NXT can match Jericho, Omega or Cody Rhodes as overall performers, and the undercard wrestlers on TNT are given the time and freedom to make something special of their segments.

Given the opportunity to shine, great talent is always going to deliver something worth watching. So far, AEW has done this every single week.

Winner: AEW

Three-Count: A Look Ahead

AEW Dynamite (October 23, TNT)

Pac vs. Jon Moxley: These two couldn't get along during their tag team match Wednesday against Kenny Omega and Adam Page, and they will settle their differences next week in Pittsburgh. Wins and losses matter in AEW, making this match of particular importance to Pac, who is seemingly close to earning a title shot. Prediction: Moxley emerges victorious after outside interference by a member of the Elite.

Private Party vs. Lucha Bros: Wondering if the Lucha Bros were babyface or heels? Wonder no more. They announced their presence on the villainous side of the ledger with a brutal attack on SCU. They will likely do something equally dastardly to the up-and-coming tag team that upset The Young Bucks in the first round. Prediction: Private Party comes to an end and the Lucha Bros advance to the AEW Tag Team Tournament finals.

SCU vs. Dark Order: We don't know a lot about Dark Order, the one notable failure on the part of AEW's creative team. They've had such a golden touch that the one bust really stands out. Prediction: SCU gets the upset and earns the opportunity at revenge against the Lucha Bros.

[buttdawg]

FTR vs. The Initiative (Brandon Cutler & Peter Avalon)

Pineapple Pete & Michael Nakazawa vs. Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss

Abadon vs. Skyler Moore

Will Hobbs & Shawn Dean vs. Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Evil Uno)

Corey Hollis vs. Scorpio Sky

Kenzie Paige vs. Penelope Ford

Aaron Solow vs. Wardlow

Best Friends vs. Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)

Lance Archer vs. Frankie Thomas

Orange Cassidy vs. Serpentico

Fuego Del Sol vs. Sammy Guevara

SCU vs. Private Party vs. Santana & Ortiz

I’m watching this one right now, so I might as well throw in some liveblog commentary.

--This episode marks the beginning of the Cutler/Avalon team using the name “The Initiative”.   The implication is that they’re finally getting comfortable working as a unit.

I don’t really get FTR’s “Follow The Rules” gimmick.    This match is a good example, because they nag Aubrey Edwards about enforcing proper tag rules, but then they tried to do a hand-to-boot tag themselves during their match on this show.    And then they win using a spiked piledriver, which used to be illegal in 1989, so it seems weird that these “Old School” traditionalists would adopt it as a finisher.    Or maybe it’s supposed to be ironic, I don’t know.   They’re a great team, I’ve always thought so, but I keep losing the plot with them.

--Sonny and Joey have a new remix entrance theme.   Not sure how I feel about the music, but I like it when teams enter together.

I guess Pineapple Pete is into baby oil like Nakazawa now?  This match sees Pete oil up Naka’s back and then slide across him to spear Sonny in the corner, using Naka’s back like a homoerotic slip’n’slide.

Pete just tagged Joey even though they’re on opposite teams?   Was Pete mocking them, or did Joey think that was Sonny’s arm because they were all locked up in a hold?    Or did Pete think he was in his own corner?    So many questions.

Joey and Pete sell Naka’s thong claw like a champ.    I feel kind of bad for Sonny having to deal with all these goofballs, but he looked good out here.

--They talk a lot about how green the AEW Women’s roster is, and I’m not disputing that, though I can’t tell which women are experienced and which ones aren’t.   Nevertheless, they’ve got a lot of strong characters in this division, and I think that’s something women’s wrestling usually lacks.   Abadon is a prime example.    Maybe she’s a total rookie, but she looks so horriffic that it doesn’t matter.   She’s like Bray Wyatt but actually scary.

And then you’ve got Britt Baker’s dentist/role model thing, Kris Statlander’s alien gimmick, Rayche Chanel’s “what have I stumbled into?” character, Leva Bates, and so on.   That’s the cure for a roster with limited experience.    They need to repackage Skyler Moore as some sort of truck driver or a witch or something.

--Promo package for Shawn Spears here.   I saw this on Twitter, and it made no sense to me, because he didn’t explain what the glove does.    Basically, Shawn lost on PPV to Dustin Rhodes, and Tully Blanchard chewed him out on Dynamite, and then he gave him a black glove like it was the key to furthering his career.    

Now that I’ve watched all these Dark episodes, I finally see what’s going on here.   The glove isn’t loaded.   There’s nothing special about it, and they even have the refs make a big deal out of checking it before the bell.   But then Tully will pass a metal slug to Shawn during the match, and then he’ll load the glove.  

And this is great, because it justifies Tully’s presence (the glove only works as a cheat if Shawn has someone to smuggle the slug to him.), and it gives Shawn a winning record.   My beef with the “Search for Spears” angle was that Tully kept putting him in tag matches to audition potential partners, and they never won.   The implication was that Shawn Spears sucks and the only possible way to fix him is to pair him up with a better performer who can carry him through a tag match, except there isn’t one.

But the glove works, because it really is a coaching tool.    Sometimes, Tully doesn’t even give Shawn the slug until after the match is over, because Shawn doesn’t always need it.    So it’s not just a cheat.   It’s a secret weapon if Shawn needs it, but it’s also a confidence builder.   As long as Shawn is wearing the glove, he knows he can use the slug if things go poorly, but he also feels motivated to do his best without the slug.  

My only complaint is that they introduced the glove on Dynamite, but only explained how it works on Dark.   But now that I’m caught up, it doesn’t bother me as much.

--Not much to say about these Dark Order matches.  I looked them up the other day because I wanted to make sense of their numbering system, but as far as I can tell they never used 6 or 7, and you never see 8 or 9 anymore.   Maybe the unnnamed “spokesman” guy is 6 and Brodie Lee is 7?   I thought the whole point of Brodie Lee was that he was the Exalted One, but they have Evil Uno, so that’s shot to hell.   Is Brodie #0?   Is he unnumbered because he’s in charge?    Does Anna Jay get a number?   Does Colt?  

--It’s weird to watch Scorpio Sky’s winning streak on Dark, because I watched his TNT title match with Cody first, and I think that was supposed to be the payoff of this story.   But I sort of hope this keeps going.   Sky might as well keep doing singles matches, keep racking up wins, and take another crack at the AEW World title.    While he was fighting Cody, the announce team talked about him becoming the first Black AEW World Champion someday, and it got me thinking about how he could very easily become TNT Champ someday, and I think the World title’s only a few years away at most.    Really, the conversation should be about Scorp becoming the first AEW Triple Crown winner.   

In terms of Black firsts, would he be the first African American Triple Crown winner?   Nah, Booker T pulled that off in WCW, right?  I’m not even sure he was the first to do that, but I’d have to look it up.   Anyway, Sky looks like a guy who could win all the singles belts, and he’s already done the tag title, so he’s got a leg up over just about everybody. 

-Dig the psychology of Penelope Ford locking in a camel clutch and (illegally) hooking her fingers into Kenzie Page’s face, then turning Kenzie’s face from side to side to hide her fingers from the referee.   Nice stuff.

-Aaron Solow kind of looks like Kirk Hammet from Metallica.  Wardlow wins by KO, then keeps attacking Solow after the bell, and I feel like they really need to bring back the thing where the ref will reverse the decision to punish the heel for excessive brutality.   It didn’t get a lot of use in early 90′s WWF, but it was pretty cool when it happened.

-I really want to see Lance Archer mow down a whole squad of Dark Order guys.    That’d be pretty sweet.

Holy shit they didn’t cut off Lance’s theme song during his entrance!    First time for everything.

Taz asks on commentary how Jake can control Lance Archer, because he thinks he needs pointers on how to control Brian Cage.   Taz, Jake’s just some guy Lance Archer lets follow him around.    He’s gonna beat the shit out of Jake too; he’s just saving Jake for later.

-A lot has been made on Dark about Serpentico’s streamers.   I dig them, but I don’t know what more there is to be said.   I’m more interested in the weird protrusion from his luchadore mask.

-I dig the laid back commentary from Excalibur and Taz, including where they try to figure out what to call Penelope Ford’s leather garter (thighlet?) and whether or not “smooth as ice” would be a good figure of speech.  

-I’ve seen Sammy Guevara’s GTH a few times, and I can’t really tell if it’s anything other than a GTS.   Well, he carries the guy face-up on his shoulders, and I think the GTS starts out with the guy lying face-down on the shoulders, so maybe that’s the difference? 

-Private Party and Matt Hardy do a promo before their match.    The problem I’ve got with Matt is that he announced that he was dropping all of his characters, but I can’t tell the fucking difference.   I think he was doing a bit as “Big Money Matt”, which I vaguely remember from a run he had in ROH?   I never saw it, though.    But it doesn’t sound that much different from all the other Matts, including default Matt.   Also, he went nuts on the last episode of Dynamite, attacking a guy he thought was Sammy Guevara when he actually wasn’t.    So is that him going nuts and descending back into his Broken gimmick, or is Normal Matt just going normal nuts?    I sort of don’t care enough, is the problem.

-I like this triple-threat tag match, as it features the three teams that sort of got overlooked in this whole Young Bucks/FTR/OmegaPage thing.   Those three teams have been circling around this “who’s the best?” business, but I think Private Party, SCU, and Santana/Ortiz have plenty of business in that conversation.    Oh, and the Lucha Brothers, but yeah, there’s an embarassment of riches in this tag division.

-And of course PNP wins, because they’re THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE--!

[wrestling-and-such]

My 10 Favourite Matches of 2019

Ok, so I was planning to release this days ago, but school caught up and now everyone is over 2019. But I’m still gonna finish this list anyway cause I said so. Shhhhh... let me have this...

So, I see a lot of people talking about the best wrestlers or best matches or best promotions of the 2010s. But I only just got back into wrestling in 2019, so I don’t feel as though I can talk about the entire decade. Instead, I decided to make a list of my favourite matches of just 2019. Now, these aren’t the BEST matches, these is my FAVOURITE matches, and thus subject to my own opinion. And obviously spoilers for each of the matches ahead. Got it? Good. 

Honourable Mentions: 

Grizzled Young Veterans vs Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) vs South Wales Subculture (NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff) 

The Women’s Wargames Match (NXT TakeOver: Wargames (2019))

A-Kid vs Will Ospreay (Triple W Total Rumble 9)

Kenny Omega vs Jon Moxley (AEW All Out)

Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks (WWE Hell in a Cell (2019))

10: Jon Moxley vs Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW G1 Climax 2019 - Day 6 Jul 19th 2019)

I liked Dean Ambrose. I love Jon Moxley. So, what happens when you put one of the most legitimately badass wrestlers in the world today with perennial fellow badass, Tomohiro Ishii? A straight up brawl between two of the best brawlers in the business. Moxley was at his violent and unhinged finest, while also refining that brutality in a more serious and direct manner. We even got to see a more technical side of Moxley that we weren’t presented in WWE’s “sports entertainment” landscape. Also, ISHII DIVES OFF THE TOP ROPE THROUGH A TABLE, ISHII DOES NOT DO THAT GUYS, YOU JUST DO NOT SEE THAT, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT. Ishii is one of those wrestlers in NJPW that I instantly connected with, and he worked his ass off in this match, and basically the entire G1 Climax. And with a match like this, I would like to see him in more. Amazing.

9: PAC vs Ben-K (Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival (2019))

So, Disclaimer; I do not watch Dragon Gate. I’m sure I should, but I don’t. That being said, I absolutely loved this match. From what I’m told, there was another match at Kobe World that might have been better than this one. But if I’m being honest, it would have to be REALLY great to top this one. Ben-K, through just one match, became one of my favourite wrestlers today. Dragon Gate is a promotion primarily made up of Junior Heavyweights, so it’s somewhat strange to see a wrestler like Ben-K among their mix, as he’s primarily a power and ground based wrestler. Nonetheless, his style was completely in-sync with the high flying PAC. PAC is a sadistic son of a b%&* throughout the match, as usual. However, when he lost he made sure he put Ben-K over HARD, even risking his stable’s own credibility to do so. If you want a great underdog and redemption story, this is definitely one to watch.

8: The Revival vs Undisputed Era (O'Reilly & Fish) (NXT Tapings: Nov. 20, 2019)

Anyone who’s seen this match will know where I’m coming from. A sleeper hit on the road to Survivor Series, everyone who recognized the abilities of those involved knew something big was going to happen. Despite, traditionally being Heels, The Revival were the de facto Babyfaces in this match, with the single goal of showing the world why they were so big in NXT. And they did, in a showcase of Tag team wrestling at its finest. Matched up with the technical excellence of the Undisputed Era, this match produced GOLD. Its all the fixings of a great Revival match: blind tags, fluid tag team moves, climactic hot tags. All topped off with a surprising chemistry with the almost always excellent Undisputed Era. I love you Revival. Now please go somewhere else to do your thing. I would like to see it.

7: Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole (bay bay) (NXT TakeOver: New York)

This was the first NXT TakeOver show I had ever watched, as I had just missed the Phoenix show and hadn’t had the chance to watch it before the Wrestlemania weekend. That being said, what an introduction to TakeOvers this was. The entire New York card was probably my favourite WWE PPV of the year (save for one other NXT PPV mentioned) and this match was just delicious sugary icing on the cake. And I don’t even like icing that much. Johnny Gargano is by far one of the best Babyfaces in the world and draws sympathy like no other, most people recognize this. But what this match did differently than his other matches was introduce us to his uncanny ability to suspend you disbelief.  And Adam Cole was an integral foil for Johnny, even if it was never planned, as I don’t think Tommaso could have gotten this out of Johnny as he was only one man. But when the rest of the Undisputed Era came out to assist Cole, Johnny took down all of them, and you believed it possible. It wasn’t a cop out like we see so many times on the main roster and its main event scene. It was genuine, heartfelt, underdog resilience that we hoped, we knew, and we saw pay off in the end. 

6: WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match (WWE Elimination Chamber (2019))

I know, I know, many people prefer Kofi Kingston’s Wrestlemania triumph over “The New” Daniel Bryan. However, for personal preference, I enjoyed Kofi’s Elimination Chamber Showcase just a little bit more. Essentially, this is where KofiMania started. Kofi was an incidental figure in the match due to Mustafa Ali getting injured, but he nonetheless seized his opportunity and put it all on the line for one of the greatest matches of his life. This isn’t to say that the other members of the match didn’t play their part either; Daniel Bryan may have been more conniving than ever before, Samoa Joe was a literal machine during his time in the match, Jeff Hardy was at his high flying best, AJ Styles put his technical excellence on display once again, and Randy Orton actually felt threatening for once! However, this was Kofi’s night, and this is where it all began.

5: Rhea Ripley vs Shayna Baszler (NXT Tapings: Dec. 18, 2019)

As of this writing, Shayna Baszler is basically headed to the main roster, so it was almost a shoe-in that Rhea Ripley would be walking out of 2019 as the new NXT Women’s Champion. However, the skill and strength of this match was making you forget about that and question whether or not Rhea could actually get the job done. But she did! And it was great! Shayna’s new style lends itself as both punishing to her victims but also rewarding to those who know what they’re up against. And for a while, Rhea was especially rewarded for her close understanding of Shayna and her ability to read her out, as seen in her previous match with her a few months earlier and the Women’s Wargames Match. But when that ability was hindered by Shayna when she finally managed to injure Rhea’s arm, you were left on the edge of your seat the entire match worrying about the outcome. And that’s what a match is supposed to do, even if the outcome is somewhat predictable. Even still, sometimes its best to just give fans what they want, and that’s exactly what they did.

4: Tomohiro Ishii vs Shingo Takagi (NJPW G1 Climax 2019 - Day 16 Aug 8th 2019)

I showed this match to a friend who had never watched pro wrestling in his life and had no interest in it. I still showed him this match and he actually had a lot of fun watching it. When you take two big beefy bois and have them run into each other for about 22 minutes, you get this wonderful match. The story of this match is a classic case of one-upmanship, with the two men battering each other while no-selling each others moves throughout much of this match. This is also helped by the fact that these they look like they’re actually hitting each other in the face. One of the hardest hitting matches of the year, this was the Japanese Strong Style at some of its finest with how stiff the strikes were. That’s not to say there wasn’t much technical work in this match either. Nonetheless, I still feel as though this explanation doesn’t do this match justice. It’s still available online, so just go watch it yourself right now. Please.

3: Candice LeRae vs Io Shirai (NXT TakeOver: Toronto (2019))

I’m gonna be honest, this match is kind of helped by the fact that this took place in my home country of Canada. Don’t care, this was a phenomenal match either way. Context: Io Shirai had just turned heel, and Candice LeRae had just been dropped onto her head. Onto a chair. Being honest, she’s probably taken worse bumps on the indies, but still bad though! So Candice wants revenge, and she’s given this match at TakeOver. And it is wrestling at its finest. The story is so simple; one wrestler hurts another wrestler and the two have a match because of it. And it’s made all the better thanks to that match being great. That night in Toronto, LeRae even got more sympathy behind her than Johnny Gargano, who, as noted earlier, is a sympathy magnet. And Io proved herself a heel not through necessarily nefarious means (though there was some of that), but by simply being a fantastic technical wrestler, revived with a new heel persona. Made all the better by a resilient babyface opponent who Io literally had to choke out in order to put away. Candice LeRae is a tough f*&#ing cupcake, dammit.

2: Walter vs Tyler Bate (NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff)

Another contender for one of the world’s best babyfaces, big strong boi Tyler Bate helped put on my favourite match at my favourite WWE PPV of the year, the ever so underrated NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff. Walter is one of my favourite wrestlers, and I’m saying that as a guy who probably likes spots a bit too much. His old school catch wrestling style stands out amongst his contemporaries, and know one understands the fundamentals better than him. But what really stood out in this match was actually when he was on the back foot, selling for Tyler in a way that suspended your disbelief. And when Tyler managed to actually LIFT Walter up you really felt as if this David would conquer his Goliath. And when he didn’t you felt genuinely heartbroken, but not cheated. And that’s the important distinction. Thank you boys.

1: Cody vs Dustin Rhodes (AEW Double or Nothing)

Ok, you guys knew this was gonna be here. It’s on most people's lists, but nonetheless, I just loved this match a lot. Even as a kid, I remember not thinking much of Cody Rhodes. Goldust was neat, if a little weird for me as a kid. Like many people, I expected this match to be good and very emotional, but not great. Then it happened, and I was blown away. The buckets of blood, sweat, and tears spilled in this match would in theory be enough to turn some more squeamish eyes away, but it was so powerful that I’m not sure that too many people could actually take their eyes off it. Dustin was there to prove that, even after all these years, this old gunslinger’s still got it, with a technical smoothness to rival even the younger guys on the AEW roster. Meanwhile, Cody proved a dastardly but nonetheless sympathetic, nay empathetic, heelish wrestler who was tortured by his own actions in trying to put down his older brother. Nothing I say could truly capture the beauty of this match, but the sheer fact that I found it beautiful is a large reason why I’ll continue to watch wrestling for a long time to come.

[truesportsfan]

Dustin Rhodes on his escape from WWE ‘prison’ and the quick rise of AEW

Dustin Rhodes, formally Goldust, tries his hand at a Q&A with The Post’s Joseph Staszewski ahead of his match with Jake Hager (formerly Jack Swagger) at All Elite Wrestling’s Revolution pay-per-view (8 p.m, BR Live) on Feb. 29.

(Edited for brevity)

Q: AEW has prided itself on trying to tell long-term stories. With your story with Jake Hager, do you feel like you’re delivering that since this goes back to November?

A: Definitely. Me and Jake aren’t strangers to each other and he came in and he made an impact and he broke my arm, and now I’m just out for revenge. It’s taken me awhile to get there because I went through Sammy (Guevara) first. It’s slowly building and brewing, and last (Wednesday) I got my hands on him a little bit and the crowd, I could feel the energy in the crowd start to rise because I think they’re ready to see it and that’s a good thing.

Q: How rewarding is it for you to be working an angle similar to the one your dad, Dusty Rhodes, had with The Horsemen breaking his arm in 1986?

A: Watching those times when dad got his leg broken or his arm broken, just going back with The Four Horsemen and stuff like that, those are special times and I remember them like they are yesterday. It’s really cool that we have this little old-school feel to certain elements of our show with new school.

The stuff with Jake, when you can sink your teeth into something and plan for it and make these small elements and bits and pieces and plug them in and they’re there and you finally get your hands on him, you will see it.

Q: You spoke out on Twitter after some of the negative comments on social media about Nyla Rose winning the AEW women’s title. Rose being a champion, Dwyane Wade’s daughter identifying as transgender, how much does that type of representation help toward tolerance toward the trans community?

A: It’s there. It’s not going away, and I didn’t understand that for the longest time. Then I got married to my wonderful third wife, and my son is trans. So I started to learn a little bit about it and I started to see all the stuff these men and women go through and it’s so ridiculous and stupid.

This is 2020, man. Let somebody live their life like they want to. I don’t care what the Bible says. I don’t care what anybody else says. Live your life and be happy. That’s all I care about for my son is to be happy, and nobody picks on him because if they do they got to deal with me.

And I see that in Nyla. I treat her like she’s my child. I love Nyla to death, and I don’t think of any of that when I’m at work with her and I watch her perform — and she’s a great performer. This is not the Olympics, OK? This is pro wrestling, this is entertainment. This is scripted stuff that we do, and you’re gonna have Nyla Rose wrestle Riho and everybody get all bent out of shape about it and just really give her hell, I don’t like that at all. I take offense to that and I let them know it because it’s wrong.

Q: Luke Harper and Matt Hardy are two of the names rumored to be joining AEW. You were around them in WWE. What do you think those two guys would bring to a company that doesn’t have some of the creative restraints there are in WWE?

A: I think they’d bring creativity. Harper, man, is incredible. I’ve worked with him many times with the Wyatt Family, me and Cody did, and he knows his stuff and he’s not a greenhorn in the business. He can help people. He can take them to new highs and he can get them there and at the same time get himself over in a company that will allow him to do so.

Matt Hardy, if he comes in here, my God, he’s been through so many different variations on YouTube and things like that with WWE. He’s so creative in all the things that he does that when we do it with him, it’s gonna touch gold.

Q: How has it been for you to step away from the Goldust character?

A: Piece of cake. That’s probably the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But it was the hardest thing to leave a company where they made you a household name in Goldust. I became a star there with something other than the Rhodes name with the full-on Goldust character. And to take it to the levels that I did.

But the last couple years where you’re just sitting and you have so many talents and they just keep giving you the “We don’t have anything for ya” and this and that, and I know I’ve got so much more to give. So much more, and they’re not allowing me to do that. I lost my passion for those last couple of years in WWE.

Getting out of WWE is a very tall order once you’re in there. It’s tough. It’s like a prison. I compare it to a prison, getting out of prison, breaking out of prison. I’m very thankful for all the things they’ve done for me and my career, but when I got out of there, my head lifted and I got the phone call from Cody and we went to “Double or Nothing” and after that night, my passion reignited. It was a very special time, and since that night, I’ve had probably the funniest time that I’ve had in my 32 years in the business, every single week here doing this with my brother, with my family, with these passionate kids.

I don’t want to go nowhere. I like this place. I’d like to retire here. I’m not ready to retire, but somewhere down the line, you know, and just continuing to help these kids.

Dustin RhodesAll Elite Wrestling

Q: Cody recently tweeted that you and Dean Malenko held classes for the roster. How often are those being done, and is that something that’s going to be done more often?

A: Everybody flew in (to Atlanta) and Dean had a little 3-4 hour seminar on just working and just transitions and holds and things like that. Everybody loved it. I flew in the next day and we had a great turnout. They came over to DDP’s (Diamond Dallas Page) studio and sat them down and I talked to them a little bit about the art of promos, how to tell stories with it just like they do in their matches, and they were all taking their notes. I’ve never seen a more hungry, passionate group of kids.

I’m suggesting and the kids came to me after the seminar and they loved it and they wanted to do it again. Logistically, it is tough to get everyone together for more than one day. So “Double or Nothing” is our next pay-per-view (in May). Maybe there, since we are in Vegas the whole week basically and we can do another one there and slowly fit them in more often because it was a hit.

Q: What’s it been like for you to work in that more athletic style that we see from the likes of The Young Bucks and the Lucha Brothers?

A: It’s fun. When we first worked The Young Bucks, me and Cody, I was so nervous because they do so much and I’m not used to that. I’m used to more of an old-school-type wrestling and approach. I started doing some things I’ve never done before and I did it well and it was like, “Oh s–t, I can do this. This ain’t that bad.” It’s just sometimes you can get lost in what they do because they’re doing so much impressive stuff that you’re like, ‘Where do I plug myself in here?’ But they got me and they talked me through this and we do some cool stuff, and their timing is impeccable so they know and I fit right in there.

Q: What’s it been like to watch Cody evolve as a storyteller?

A: He is so creative and has so much of our father in him and just him taking the ball and running with it and hurdling over these little ant mounds. Everybody makes everything mountains, but he’s hurdling over these things and he’s handling it. He’s got so much now on his plate, doing so much in the back, running things day-to-day. He has the help of the other EVPs and [AEW president] Tony Khan of course, but Cody — now, I’m partial to my brother because he’s my brother — and I watch him and he’s just, it’s unbelievable the knowledge in such a short time that he’s picked up.

It’s incredible to watch him, and his performance has really stepped up to where he takes a beat and he feels the crowd and he can go off that now and he’s learned the element of telling a story and have them in the palm of your hand. He’s incredible. His promos have gotten phenomenal, man, because it’s repetition.

Not everybody has that gift of gab. MJF has a great gift of gab, but you have to give him structure. You have to give him a little structure, otherwise he might step over the line, and we don’t want that right now. We need to protect that.

Q: Was it tough to watch Cody get whipped by MJF with a belt? It’s part of the show, but he’s actually getting whipped.

A: Yeah, but it’s not gonna kill him. He’s a tough kid. He took a whipping, man. It’s like when we got whipped when we were little. He took a whipping and he kept getting up. He had some marks on his back to show for it, and I’m sure it stung like hell in the shower or tub the next day. But man, yeah, it’s uncomfortable. It’s uncomfortable when you are watching somebody whip somebody else. It is. It’s real. There is a real element to that. And me as his brother, I’m just looking at his eyes and focusing on him and what he’s going through and not really trying to pay attention to everything else, just trying to help him get through it.

Q: One of your other passions has been acting, and you have a new movie coming out, “Copper Bill.” What have you enjoyed the most about being able to get away from wrestling and use your creativity in a different area?

A: I was not allowed the freedom to do those things (in WWE), so I would have had to really keep it under wraps and not tell anybody, and that’s not the way I wanted to live. They wanted control of every single thing in your life. And then you get out and you continue, because during my stint there I had little-bitty, little low-budget independent films, and that was preparing me for more and more and that’s what I wanted.

One of these days, I’m going to be big. I really feel that because I’m gonna make it happen and I believe that it’s gonna happen. This movie I just did, “Copper Bill” … I did really well in it, man. I nailed the role to a T. It’s a different side that nobody’s ever seen of me. They’re gonna go, “Damn, Dustin can act.” That’s all I want. I want to be a good actor.

Q: You have a project, “Thunderclap,” with R-Truth and Kevin Nash?

A: I think the director and the producers and stuff are trying to get the proper financing for it. That is in the works. I’ll be starring as Van Thunderclap. I’ve already told the director I do not like the name because it sounds like an STD. Hopefully we’ll change the name, but the script I love.

source https://truesportsfan.com/sport-today/dustin-rhodes-on-his-escape-from-wwe-prison-and-the-quick-rise-of-aew/