#i’m the opposite of john cena

[our-transmasculine-experience]

happy trans day of visibility y’all! have some memes from my transgender meme collection

[gregoftom]

Man watching some reactions to succ on youtube and this one guy ended up shipping tomgreg so hard, yet people in the comments had to be like “you know they’re not actually into each other right?”. Like I’m aware some people somehow view this show through a boring, non homoerotic lense but the way they feel the need to gatekeep and overcorrect people just having fun and giving their honest opinions is giving homophobia. Conversely I’ve also seen people that do end up shipping them, but feel the need to state “no I don’t actually think these characters are gay and in love”. Well I do damn!! At the end of canon there’s negative evidence to the contrary to say otherwise, a whole lot of the opposite in fact. It’s like the normcore crowd can’t understand what nuance and fun is

yeah sadly like, that’s the thing, ppl will say ah it’s just fun but at the end of the day it’s nothing serious, it’s not real, it doesn’t matter, you’re reading too much into it, it’s just friendship or a comedic duo, like i hate to break it to mfs but it is absolutely not any of those things. just because it’s two men and they’re both nd it does not cancel out the fact that they could have real feelings for each other, sorry to say. lot of roots in shame and homophobia and ableism, which is sad but we can’t change peoples minds, only enjoy it our own way and analyse what we see.

like… i heard about someone who was on a podcast saying tg was Only a relationship of convenience and i was like l… lol ok [john cena voice] are you sure about that

like. lmao. to say they are simply shrewd businessmen who only use each other to corporate climb is just factually incorrect. to say they don’t care for one another is also incorrect. to say that tom was not obsessed with greg and did not have feelings for him is incorrect. to say the two of them were into each other romantically is not only possible, but plausible. hell, they got literally the best ending out of every mf in the whole of succession for fucks sake lol. they were chosen to be the only ray of light and hope in the bleakness, that doesn’t sound like “they couldn’t possibly be actually in love!!!” to me.

[blowflyfag]

Inside Wrestling: Volume 26, 2009

hotseat 

BATISTA

“It’s an honor to represent the business, and I take that seriously”

FOUR-TIME WWE World champion Batista is one of the federation’s most bankable superstars. Whether he’s squaring off with heels such as Chris Jericho or taking on a fellow fan favorite such as John Cena, he never loses his trademark intensity in the squared circle. 

Out of the ring, Batista remains one of the WWE’s most quietly effective promo men. His calm, confident demeanor conveys an image of someone who doesn’t need to shout to get a point across. While he’s generally soft-spoken in his delivery, Batista almost never holds back or sugarcoats his view about other wrestlers or the business in general. 

“The Animal” has recently taken a detour in his pursuit of a fifth title reign to renew hostilities with longtime rival Randy Orton. The two have been on opposite sides of the fence every since the breakup of Evolution, and whenever they’ve been on the same WWE brand or interpromotional pay-per-view event, a Batista-Orton clash never seems far away, even when they’re feuding with other wrestlers.

Batista recently took part in a bout that had special meaning to him, defeating Manu in the latter’s Raw debut. Batista, who was trained by Manu’s father, Wild Samoan Afa, has always paid homage to the role Afa played in his development. 

[“I suppose Orton thinks going after me makes a statement that he’s ready to push for another title shot. I’m ready for anything Orton does. We’ll see how ready he is for me.”]

Veteran wrestling reporter Matt Brock recently sat down with Batista to discuss his World championship aspirations, the feud with Orton, and the experience of opposing Manu. As usual, Batista gave straightforward answers to even the most probing of questions.

Q: Dave, it seems like your path and Randy Orton’s will keep crossing whenever you’re in the same place at the same time. Four years ago, there was a red hot debate as to whether you or he would be the bigger long=term star in WWE. In the time since then, I’d say you’ve had the upper hand. 

A: Without trying to sound arrogant about it, I’d agree. I’ve been more consistent, although it took me a while to recover from that torn triceps a few years ago. Orton has been a lot more up and down, while I’ve usually been either the guy on top or right in the title mix.

Q: Clearly he sees you as one of the main obstacles to another title reign. Do you feel the same?

A: I can only speak for myself. My own goal, of course, is to eventually regain the belt, and a healthy Randy Orton is always a threat to win the title. I suppose Orton thinks going after me makes a statement that he's ready to push for another title shot. I'm ready for anything Orton does. We’ll see how ready he is for me. 

Q:  Are you concerned at all that Orton has more to gain from a feud with you right now than you do with him? After all, you were fighting title matches with Chris Jericho when Orton provoked you. He needed to go through you, not the other way around. 

A: I hear you, but that’s not how I look at it. I’d run into Orton sooner or later, and I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. So it might as well be now. 

[“To have staying power, you’ve got to prepare a little different for every opponent. There are adjustments to make. Flair told Orton that, and told me that.”]

In his most recent feud with Chris Jericho, Batista saw both the highs and lows of the business. One minute he was winning the World championship, and the very next he was losing it right back to Jericho. ]

Q: Even when you feuded with Triple-H and Ric Flair, the mutual respect level was obvious. That’s not necessarily the case with Orton, is it?

A: Let me put it this way. I’m a confident guy, and so is he. But here’s the difference. I was taught very early on, by Afa, Flair, and other guys, that it’s a privilege to wrestle and the best way to learn is by paying respect to the guys who’ve succeeded for years. I admire the true pros. I think anyone who has watched Randy Orton over the years knows that he thinks the world revolves around him, as if he was perfect in his first match, and steadily improved from there. 

Q: I’d like to try something here. I’ll give you my scouting report of Batista vs. Orton, and you can tell me where you agree or disagree with my assessment. 

A: No problem. Go ahead. 

Q: Let’s start with the no-brainers. He’s 28 and just entering his prime, and you’re 39, so he gets the edge in youth. You’ve got the edge in power in terms of technical ability and pure athleticism, I’d give him the edge. 

A: I’d agree with that. Yeah, for sure. He’s one of those guys who looks like he was born to wrestle professionally, even apart from his family background. I wasn't a natural at this, so I learned to compensate by using my size and strength to my advantage. I think I'm ok technically, and that took a whole, but my bread and butter is always going to be my power, and also my heart. No question. 

[Batista is willing to face opponents of any size, and his determination to win never changes. No matter if they are as massive as The Big Show (above) or as quick as Rey Mysterio Jr. (below), Batista has a custom strategy for every wrestler he faces.]

Q: In terms of intangibles in the ring, though, I’d give you the advantage. The biggest reason is that you seem to have more built-in respect for your opponent’s capabilities, whereas Orton is still so wrapped up in himself that he refuses to adjust.

A: Yeah, well, that’s something that goes back to Evolution. Everyone thought Triple-H, Flair, and me were just jealous when Randy became the youngest World champion in WWE history, but we all thought he won the belt a little too soon for his own good. To have staying power, you’ve got to prepare a little different for every opponent. THere are adjustments to make. Flair told Orton that, and told me that. Triple-H told both of us that, too. I took it seriously, Randy thought he knew better than the veterans. It’s only been very recently that I think Orton has reached that next level. To be honest with you, I think he’s better prepared for big matches now than he was then. If he stays healthy, I think he’ll be a more consistent wrestler than he used to be. Give credit where it’s due. He had a hell of a year before the collarbone injury. 

Q: Will you go right after the collarbone? 

A: Hell, yes. I’d be foolish not to do that, Matt. Everyone knows it, including Orton, so I’m not giving anything away to say that my game plan is to make him prove he’s going to hold up physically after the injury. I won’t do anything fancy, just stick with what works. I’ll bodyslam or armbar him every chance I get, lean on his neck and shoulders and force him to use his upper body whenever possible. He’s a big guy, but I’ve got the height and weight advantage on him. 

[If Batista wants to become a five-time world champion, he’s going to have to get through former Evolution partner Randy Orton. RKO has had his eyes on Batista, but he better be careful: This Animal doesn’t take kindly to being in anyone’s crosshairs.]

Q: We talked a little bit about making adjustments. You are more of a straight-up power wrestler than anything else, but what are some of the specific adjustments you have to make to go up against guys like Orton, Chris Jericho, or The Big Show? 

A: With the super-heavyweights like Big Show, you want to get them down on the mat and work their back or their legs. For a guy like me, it’s tempting to try to test my power, but going in, I know I might not be able to use my Batista bomb finisher or a bodyslam. Even if i do execute it, it saps a lot  of energy, so I’d better be sure the guy is totally set up for it. With guys who are smaller than me, it’s the opposite. I don’t want to get worn down, and I need to use my own size advantage. 

Q: Do you see a fifth world championship reign in your future?

A: That’s my plan, yeah. In this business, 39 isn’t old, so long as you stay healthy. I have a lot of good years left if I play my cards right. Right now, I feel really good. 

Q: Did it have any special meaning to you to be tabbed to go up against Afa’s son, Manu, in his first Raw match?

A: Definitely. He’s got a lot of potential, and it’s no secret that I admire the hell out of Afa  and owe him a debt of gratitude for giving me my own start. Afa knows that I wasn’t about to let up on Manu because of who his dad is. He would have been disappointed in me if i wrestled Manu any differently.

[“In this business, 39 isn’t old, so long as you stay healthy. I have a lot of good years left if i play my cards right.”]

Q: Who knows, maybe someday you’ll have a kid in wrestling and Manu can pay his respects to you by beating the hell out of your kid.

A: [Laughs] Yeah, that’s how it goes in this business. Trust me, Manu is going to be a real handful as he continues maturing in the ring.

Q: One final question. You’ve never really  had any pretensions of being a crossover star, yet you’ve appeared on Family Feud, MTV Cribs, and even appeared at the presidential convention to encourage people to vote. Does that sort of recognition ever surprise you?

A: Here’s how I look at it. I make a great living in this business, and I’m proud of what I do. I owe everything I have to wrestling, and that’s the truth. It’s an honor to represent the business, and I take that seriously.

[glapplebloom]

A look at the relationship between Strength and Durability.

Newton's third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. You punch something? That force is reflected back on you. Which is why you break your hand punching a wall because you heard Cody from Final Fight could. So usually, when someone has the strength to do something, they most likely have the strength to be affected by said something without being hurt.

For example: Dragon Ball. When we get to Z we got planet busters coming out the wazoo. I’m pretty sure outside Hercule and the non-combatants the majority of the cast can destroy a planet at minimum. And since that is the case, they are most likely able to survive a Planet Busting attack if hit by it. They can’t breathe in space, but in the initial explosion they can likely survive. 

Superman, the Hulk, John Cena; if there’s a fictional character with Super Strength, 99% of the time they have the durability to take whatever they can dish out. After all, their opponents are usually on their level of strength so of course they’re more inclined to take a beating as much as dish it out. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules.

Sometimes there are characters who only have one extreme. These are called Glass Cannons (Powerful Attackers but Fragile) and Stone Walls (Immovable force, but not a dangerous threat). Thing is these are like that because of either two reasons: story or balance. I bet you can already figure out one such Glass Canon: Deku from My Hero Academia. His story in the beginning was trying to make All Might’s power his own, because if he doesn’t it will break his bones every time he uses them.

Other Glass Cannons: Akuma from Street Fighter and Tifa from Final Fantasy 7. They’re Glass Cannons because of gameplay. They have high damaging moves, but can’t take a lot of damage themselves. That’s because of gameplay balance. Akuma can split a mountain in half and kick a Submarine from undersea to the ocean with a kick. Tifa can lift Weapons over her head when using Limit Breaks. Do you think Dan Hibiki or Scarlet realistically stand a chance against these two?

A Stone Wall example ironically comes from Dragon Ball. Botamo, the Anime Winnie the Pooh, is a guy who can take any attack thrown at him (so far). That includes the likes of Base Goku or actually trained Gohan. If given the benefit of the doubt, he could possibly survive attacks that could destroy universes and remain intact. But the two times we do see him in action, he doesn’t really seem like a threat to those who can take his blows.

So when researching, always remember that while they could have feats in one end that seems impressive compared to the other, 99% of the time the two are parallel with each other. So unless the story made sure to state such a thing, even if the games do it for balance, always assume that strength = durability.

[mjfass]

Learned that Undertaker

Said that he resents that "all boys in the locker room do is play video games" as if drinking and drugging themselves to an early grave is better

Bully in the locker room, no better at JBL.

Undertaker is known as a "locker room leader" for 30 years has been praised as one of the most decent, unselfish, stand-up men. But the numerous things we've seen and / or heard regarding him recently points to the opposite.

Infamously known as the judge of wrestler's court he was known to abuse his position and use his pawns in the form of JBL, Benoit, and Hardcore Holly to take the fall for hazing, humiliating,and torturing newcomers for petty mistakes and for their own amusment all justfied by the dated cliches of yesteryears with the likes of "respecting the business" and "paying your dues" when in all actuality it's a bullshit excuse for bullying all orchestrated by the beloved highly respected Mr. Calloway.

John Cena and Paul London had never taken a drink before joining WWE. Paul's brother was killed by a drunk driver, so he was very strong in his conviction not to drink. Both men eventually started drinking after joining WWE - the reason? Constant bullying & pressure from The Undertaker. No, he didn't physically force them to drink, they both eventually made the choice to start drinking, but guys like The Undertaker and others pressured them enough to the point that they eventually gave in and started drinking. Undertaker has always been a bully & was awful to a lot of the talent.

Bullied Renee Dupre “They took my $500 shoes and $1000 suit and ruined it in the shower because I didn’t go out drinking at a bar the night before because nobody invited me. That’s just materialistic sh*t you can replace that, that doesn’t bother me. What really bothered me is when in Italy the next night they took my French flag – my heritage – they shoved it in a toilet and p*ssed and sh*t all over it. I don’t know what bullsh*t world you live in but in my world that’s called racial discrimination. That was really hurtful.” “What I did do was I went to Arn Anderson who was the agent and I asked him – Arn’s advice to me was ‘Don’t sell it.’ I was like ok. The next person I went to was The Undertaker and I said ‘What do you do when someone does this to you?’ And he goes ‘Well you find out who does it.’ He ordered them to do that because I didn’t go out drinking with him and the guys at a bar.”

Chris Kanyon. Kanyon and Taker were friends until Kanyon came out as gay. Taker stopped being cool with Kanyon and got a free pass to basically gay bash him when Kanyon wanted to do a non comedic gay gimmick. There is the infamous Undertaker chairshot to Kanyon. It's alleged that Undertaker was told (or wanted) to beat the piss out of Kanyon on a segment on SmackDown for being gay which included a real walloping chair shot. It was reported that Kanyon wanted to be a wrestler who was gay without being comedic or stereotypical. Next thing we know Undertaker beat the shit out of him. This locker room "culture" was a big contributor to his eventual death.

Reddit thread that pretty much exposes Mark Calloway as a big racist

The more I learn about Mark Calloway, the less I wish Undertaker never broke Kayfabe

I’m not mad, I’m just… disappointed.

[alaffy]

Peacemaker, Ep. 5 – Monkey Dory (Spoilers)

We’re a little more than half way through the season.  I was concerned that Peacemaker’s personality might wane on me as time went on; but John Cena is doing such a good job that I actually have grown to love this character.  I’m not going to say much much about this episode.  It’s a really fun episode; lot’s of good character moments and some team bonding. 

We now know what the Gorilla was for.  

And, yes, finding common ground over music is the best thing.

Once again, this episode proves that Peacemaker is smarter the people think.  Now that he knows what Project Butterfly actually is, he’s able to choose a helmet that gives him the ability to identify who’s been possessed. This, in turn, removes the factor of possibly killing an innocent person and makes Peacemaker a lot more affective. Which is why they should have told him in the first place.

That being said, Murn is also the one of the few people that realizes that Peacemaker isn’t dumb and Murn also a Butterly. So, it’s possible Murn didn’t tell him, and didn’t want the others to tell him, because he knew Peacemaker would figure out a way to identify the targets.

It’s interesting to see how Leota is so much the opposite of her mother.  She is so good at reading people and I feel like it’s her that’s bringing the team more together.  She, more then anybody, has a good idea what Peacemaker’s life is like with a parent that…well, a parent that is a pretty awful person.  Now, obviously, the reason why Waller and Smith do the things they do are completely different.  That being said, both have done terrible things and that’s got to be hard on their children. But, getting back to Peacemaker, he’s becoming more vulnerable because he’s finally got somebody he can tell these things to.  I’m going to hate it when he finds out who Leota’s mother is.

Of course, I also wonder what’s going to happen to Leota now that she knows Murn is a butterfly.  

I know Detective Song wants to do the right thing; but I’m kind of on the side of let’s leave the Supervillain in prison.  

WB shows really like to mention Riverdale.  Of course, they do have the Black Hood playing a detective, so….

And finally, I really have to give a hand to Freddie Stroma.  Vigilante, realistically, should be a character we should all be terrified of. The man is not ok.  However, the way Stroma plays him, I can’t help but root for the guy.  I mean, I feel horrible afterwards as I am basically rooting for a Sociopath, but still.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey band Movie Reviews: Wowza

The Suicide Squad is the best film DC has made since The Dark Knight. That’s it. That’s the review. If you want to know why i can say that with unassailable confidence, you can continue reading but from this point on, i am literally just going to gush about this f*cking thing like a straight up school girl.  It’s that good and you should go watch it right now. This is about to be a love letter to the best film I've seen all year, mostly because i haven’t seen any A24 flicks, but this thing is a fantastic consolation for that glaring disappointment.

The Inspired

The writing in this movie is easily the best the DCEU has to offer. I say that knowing there are some people who believe BvS is f*cking Shakespeare and MoS is Hemingway. They’re not. They’re both dogsh*t. The Suicide Squad absolutely is everything the neckbeard fanboys want those films to be. I marvel at how well the events blend, how organically the character interact, how real they feel in a movie with a giant kaiju space starfish as the driving conflict for the plot. It’s f*cking inspired and lays solid ground work for very exceptional aspect of this movie going forward. Your film starts on the page and James Gunn understands that sh*t very well.

The emotion in this movie is palpable. I literally teared up toward the end. That’s rare for me because I'm kind of an emotionless monster but that line, “I’m a superhero!” f*cking gut checked me. Gunn has done that to me three times. “WE are Groot.” "He may have been your father, boy. But he wasn't your daddy." It wasn’t Pete swinging in after the “On your left.” in Endgame but it was close. Dude is too good at that sh*t and it’s weird that Marvel is willing to let him go. They better lock that dude the f*ck up!

Chemistry is everything for an ensemble like this and this cast definitely has that. I bought their interactions without having to suspend my disbelief, not like in other, lesser SKWAD films. I particularly like the relationship between Ratcatcher II and Bloodsport. That sh*t was sweet and brought a legitimate smile to my face.

I mentioned how well this film was written but, aside from the brilliant plot that made all of these misfit killers relevant, the character work really goes a long way to selling this narrative. Like, you absolutely fall in love with Polka Dot Man by the end of this thing. They made Peacemaker an irredeemable bastard. Like, do you know how well you have to develop a character played by John f*cking Cena, for people to hate him? He’s the White people version of The Rock! That’s near impossible but they definitely pull it off. It’s like Gunn watched the first SKWAD, saw what they did with El Diablo and just decided to do that. And when i say “do that’, i mean actually write these f*cking characters as people instead of stereotypes and tropes.

The Great

This is an ensemble film, which means it lives and dies by it’s cast. Well, this motherf*cker is living mas! Not a single character was miscast in this. Not a one. From the supporting characters like Alice Braga’s Sol Soria and Peter Capaldi’s Thinker, to the expendable distraction SKWAD. Loved seeing Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang again and i even like Pete Davidson’s Blackguard. I can’t stand Pete Davidson. This cast is MCU levels of excellent but, of course, there are standouts.

Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag does the best work of his career. This dude almost always sucks in the roles he takes on but I'm starting to think that’s because of the direction he’s given because dude kills it as Flag in this. I genuinely liked him this time around. He felt like a real person and not some caricature of whatever the generic US Marine is supposed to be.

Margot Robbie is the live action Harley Quinn. She embodies this character like Ledger did Joker and RDJ did Stark. It’s that good and this version of Harley is easily the best. She feels complete, like she’s finally the Harls in the comics and i love it. This Harleen is who the character should have been from the jump but a lot of that was on Margot. She had to grow into the character, develop her ability because the first time she donned that Puddin’ necklace was rough. She’s come a long way and so has Harley.

I touched on this before but John Cena’s Peacemaker is a f*cking bastard. This casting genius because of the message behind the movie. I’ll get into that later but casting the most All-America motherf*cker to play the villain in a film about US involvement in Sovereign Foreign nations? And for Cena to literally play up his Patriot shtick only to turn out to be an allegory for the sordid reality of America? Bro, this sh*t got over. Cena is outstanding as Peacemaker. This cat really does have the chops to be a movie star. Looking forward to this show they gave him, for sure.

Polka-Dot Man is arguably the best character in this entire film. I love what Gunn wrote for him and absolutely adore how David Dastmalchian gave the character life. He had the best arc in the entire film and i really enjoyed his journey. When he got his moment, i teared up a little bit. Dude deserved that. Dude earned that. For me to have such a visceral reaction to that scene is testament to how well  Dastmalchian did his job!

Listen, i love Idris Elba. I do. Cat has all of the swagger. He’s easily as charismatic as Obama and i dig that. However, he just plays Idris Elba. Like, his Bloodsport is literally just John Luther but, you know, murder prone. That’s not a bad thing, it definitely works, but, if I'm being honest, as a character, he’s the weakest of the lot but that’s how good everyone is in this. Idris f*cking Elba is the weakest character in this cast! What?? It’s not even like he’s bad or anything, he just plays the same dude over and over.

And now we get to my favorite character in this flick, Ratcatcher II. Listen, i have no idea who the f*ck Daniela Melchior is, but she is the absolute heart of this film, the moral compass of this team, and she never shirks away from that challenge. She has outstanding chemistry with Elba and the relationship between their two characters is the sweetest sh*t I've seen in a long time. It reminded me a lot of Logan and Laura. Melchior, if he chooses, can have a great career in Hollywood because she’s a real talent.

The Good

The plot to this thing makes sense. It’s not something as intricate as The Dark Knight but it’s head-and-shoulders better than anything the DCEU has produced and objectively sh*ts on the SKWAD that came before it. Destabilizing a small Latin American nation feels more like something Waller would have theses assholes do, rather than trying to kill a f*cking god with boomerangs and bullets. This movie is everything the first SWKAD attempt wants to be.

The violence and gore in this is ramped up to a eleven. There is a lot of grotesque sh*t in this thing and it starts the second Blackguard gets his face blown off. Like, his entire f*cking face. You see ALL of that sh*t and SO much more. Like, it gets grimy and i appreciated that. A SKWAD film needs that blood. This is a team of remorseless killers. We, as the audience, need to feel that and this flick delivers.

James Gunn can direct his ass off. When they announced he was going to be in charge of this film way back when, i knew it was going to be legit. When they announced t was a hard R, i needed it in my life. We’re talking Guardians with murder. Were talking the quintessential James Gunn vision and what a vision it is. Not only did he direct the f*ck out of this movie, but he wrote it, too! Mans has the only writing credit on this production. This is all him! It’s wild seeing the difference between directors on display. Gunn delivered a film that one could argue is the best of the year while Zack Snyder made f*cking Army of the Dead. The discrepancy between the quality of these two films is why i hate Snyder so much and have all of the love for Gunn.

The imagery in this thing is f*cking top tier. There are shot that are legitimate art It's a weird juxtaposition considering how bloody some of these scenes get but, f*ck, is it gorgeous!

I have to mention the editing. I usually don’t bother because it’s always adequate and, admittedly, it feels only slightly better in this film but it’s competent. It’s better than the first and you really feel that sh*t. Like, i watched the movie in preparation for this one and, oh my god, the difference in an actual team of professional film editors really cut a great film. Who’ have thought letting a f*cking trailer house construct your movie that it would end up feeling like a ton of trailers strung together and be bad?

This movie is overtly political. It has a lot to say about the influence of the US abroad. It doesn’t shy away from the realities of our international policy and really hammers home the reality of what the United States is, rather than the way we portray ourselves to be. This culminates in a struggle between Flag and Peacemaker; Both soldiers to the core but on opposite ends of the American ideal. It’s actually really brilliant and, if you aren’t paying attention, will go over your head. This is how you instill your politics into a film. This is how you execute ideals in a narrative. Gunn has a lot to say and he says it in the loudest way, but with the quietest voice.

The Okay

The only beef i can see people having with this is the exposition dumps. There are a few but they kind of stall the overall flow. I didn’t mind them too much because, by the time we get to them, the film has built up so much good will by being just fantastic.

The Verdict

I f*cking loved this movie, dude. Look how long this list of dope sh*t is. I literally itemized all of the reasons why this flick is so great. I can’t articulate it and more clear. I told you at the very beginning, literally the first thing i wrote, that The Suicide Squad is the best film in the DCEU and i mean that sh*t. Grace Randolph is a f*cking hack. Don’t listen to her incredibly bias opinion. Just f*cking go watch it and decide for yourself! It’s in theaters right now and on HBO max for free.

[dani-the-mark]

Raw July 26, 2021 Review

Opening Segment

Nikki A.S.H opens the show, who I wish would just adopt “Ash”. I feel like the letters are too jarring and don’t feel like a name. I love her gimmick and the crowd did as well, chanting for her throughout the entire segment.

I feel as though they need to give Rhea more reason to be here. She was the champion just weeks ago, but she doesn’t seem to care about Nikki. Maybe she’s not threatened and therefore letting Charlotte take the brunt, but it is very unclear.

Damian Priest vs. Sheamus

This was just a Damian Priest showcase for 90% of the match. The pop when Shamus lost his mask was comforting, as was his reaction, to see that his time away has not rusted his talent. Overall there were some solid spots, and Shamus is an A+ worker and actor, but this felt like it’s either the beginning of something or we’ll never see them in the ring again.

AJ Styles and Omos vs The Viking Raiders

Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it, AJ and Omos are too thrown together for my liking. I’m a much bigger fan of tag teams that have a cohesive look and they just…..don’t. That being said, the talent was ON POINT. AJ can do no wrong in the ring. He’s the only person who has made me excited about a John Cena match (Royal Rumble 2017) and Omos is genuinely terrifying both in and out of the ring.

The Viking Raiders have almost the opposite problem. The cohesion, the teamwork, the gimmick, everything is visually on point, and they stand up well next to Omos and AJ. They're entertaining but they aren't on the same talent level. They could be there and they show promise, but it’s not polished just yet. I’m excited to see them get those championships, and I feel as though it’s going to be sooner than later

Drew McIntyre vs Veer

Jinder Mahal's music slaps, nothing new there. What is new is him bringing a lawyer to the match, but so beautifully on brand. Overall, I didn't hate this match. Not as one-sided as it could have been, especially with another certain match on the card).

Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin

I don’t like Bobby Lashley right now. It feels like they gave him a Brock Jesnar Jr. gimmick that Brock couldn't be bothered with. Yes, he’s big and can rip through a clothesline like it’s a spider web. At least he shows weakness sometimes, unlike Brock. I’m sure his Goldberg match will be great, but right now just feels like more and more of the same. Lashley destroys someone again. He does it well, but I’m tired of brick walls.

John Morrison vs. Riddle

This was just an overall fun one. Miz is another character who in my eyes has never done anything bad. The in-ring action was a solid back and forth, and I’m invested. I want to see this match again at Summerslam, or at least what these three are going to put together for August. Someone is getting a hold of that ball. Omos breaking Riddle’s scooter was also pure gold. I’m a sucker for middle school bully tactics, especially in a match already so light-hearted. Long Live Johnny Drip Drip.

Charlotte Flair def. Nikki A.S.H.

Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte. Where have your mic skills gone? It’s not like she doesn’t have everything else. I think it says something that my boyfriend, who knows nothing about wrestling, walked by, pointed at her and said “She’s evil”. You have to have something to make that come across so clearly.

The wardrobe helps, her fighting style helps, but unless the writers are going for “whiny brat” (which they might be, they might not be, quite frankly I’m confused), her promos just don’t match. She’s big, scary, and mean. This match showed that perfectly. She truly believes no one is on her level, but while acting like a high schooler. I have a feeling she’s going to win again next week unless Rhea steps in, which I would love to see.

The Hulu version cut out Natalya and Tamina vs. Eva Marie and Doudrop, Karrion Kross vs. Keith Lee, Reginald vs R-Truth, and Mustafa Ali and Mansoor vs. Mace and T-Bar, which is disappointing. I’m a Keith Lee fan specifically, and I always worry about him getting screen time. The man is too talented to be pushed back.

Overall

This was a fine Raw, better in the first half than the second, and meant mostly for build-up. Which is accomplished, even if I feel that it’s happening a bit too early. I’m sad at what I missed out on, and hopefully, I’ll be able to find those matches somewhere else. Also, no Becky, which even though I know she’s almost certainly going to be on Smackdown, I still hope every week she just shows up anywhere

[hwaflms]

hii :)) i was wondering if i could have a matchup with enhypen, stray kids and nct? i’m 5’2, my personality type is INFJ-T and i’m a May taurus sun, aquarius moon and libra rising. my hairs dark brown i think, and it’s reaches just under my ears. the back of my hair is also dyed silver. i have dark brown eyes and i wear glasses.

i tend to be awkward, especially around people who i don’t know. i’m pretty shy, just depends who i’m with. my parents also say that i’m overly polite and so it comes off as flirting when i’m just trying to be nice. i’m quite naïve and gullible sometimes. i’m the youngest among my siblings so i can get a bit bratty but i purposefully do it. i’m not very emotional so my emotions usually build up, and when i have a really bad day, i tend to let everything out. i don’t like showing my emotional side though.

i’m quite an anxious person when it comes to making friends so i don’t usually put myself out there. i’ve had the same group of friends since i was 5.

i love to dance (not the cool kind, the embarrassing kind)

my ideal date would be a super aesthetic picnic with lots of yummy food and coy flirting

overall i’m a quiet person, and i don’t mind being by myself. most of the time at i have my headphones in. i appreciate the little things someone does for me and i try to do my best to show my affection towards them as well. thank you so much! i hope you are well and healthy!! <3

୨୧ 𓂃 : 🐇 :┊ i ship you with . . .

💌 — sunghoon ♡ enha.

𖥻 like you, sunghoon is quite a reserved person, quieter and more guarded in nature. however, when he warms up to people, he can be more affectionate and comfortable, which would be ideal in a relationship with you. once you get over the awkward phase which comes with time, sunghoon and you would form a strong bond and a comfortable relationship. he wouldn't mind giving you your space when needed as he would probably appreciate if you did the same, but as your relationship grows stronger, the more affectionate he will become. he would also love to take you on pretty dates and take loads of pictures !

💌 — minho ♡ skz.

𖥻 minho may seem standoff-ish at first, but it may be just to appear more confident. so at times, it may seem that he doesn't care when in fact, it is the complete opposite. minho would definitely be the type to show affection in his own small ways. contrary to popular belief, i think, while it is very cute nonetheless, minho's flirting is more of a confidence thing, and we can see his love for people through his actions more than words. minho wouldn't need you to "prove" your love for him, as he would already know and he might just act the same way as you, though he definitely won't be opposed to affection every now and then.

💌 — ten ♡ nct.

𖥻 ten would never take advantage of the fact that you can be naïve and gullible. sure, he may tease you a little bit by making you believe that john cena was walking down the street or something, but he would never try to use the fact that you fall for things easily to benefit him. he would help you to not bottle emotions up and be as supportive of you as he could. he would definitely also make you dance with him, no matter how embarassing you think it is.

♡ 𓄹 ࣪ ˖ i hope you like this !! thank you for sending this in, stay safe ^_^

[photosbyameil]

i’m so confused by this whole john cena thing🧍‍♀️cause whether it’s pr or not like... he and my hero are so violently opposite i’m floored

EXACTLY ITS LIKE?? WHERE DID THIS EVEN COME FROM??

and then he follows bkdk accounts on twt and one is even nsfw...

[dreadwhoop]

Reviewing the All Elite Wrestling personnel (Part 2)

Part 0 - https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/631091725056835584/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-part Part 1 - https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/631092482075148288/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-part

Wrestlers to Release

Let's start with an easy one. Chuck Taylor is damaged goods. Is he the worst wrestler? No. Is he unmarketable? Yes. What's his standing? Currently one of the top tag-teams in the company and personally ranked 8th in the overall scoring. Are you kidding me?! This guy makes you change the channel - bush league dime-a-dozen goof with bad gear, bad promos, and abyssmal credibility. The worst is how badly he holds Trent? back from being a break-out star. Eliminate this idiot.

Another popular choice for removal - he may be kind backstage but I never want him on TV. Carnie Hick. People constantly compare him to better wrestlers and the fact he was self-trained makes sense why he's so horrendous at fundementals, ring psychology, and stardom as a whole. We already have a 'Superbad' boy! This guy needs to go to a real school to learn the holes he's got and take every criticism to heart to return as a unique talent. Until then? Get rid of this glorified fan.

I finally have a legit reason among opinions - liability. Imagine if he took Matt Hardy's bump. He's not concussed. He's dead. What's more to say? This isn't a case like Riho in the women's division - Marko Stunt looks like the average untrained and out-of-shape wrestling fan could kick his scrawny ass. If you can't believe he'd kick your ass how can you believe he could kick the ass of any professional? He makes Rey Mysterio look like Andre the Giant. Toxic to this company - he doesn't deserve a single victory and I can't believe people can defend him beyond sympathy. He's a moron and attitudes of a child, gimmick or not, which makes people change the channel. Heel booked as face and a charity case. Same as Janela - go train and if he comes back then return dignified and not as a lost cause. Please stop leaning into the child-like persona and validating every criticism levied against you. THE FLOSS! !!CRINGE ALERT!!

AEW needs to get rid of their gimmick low-tier wrestlers. This isn't DDT or Chikara. This is national TV. If you want to keep Michael Nakazawa then I'm sure you're also happy with wrestling never being popular or you being called an idiot for watching it. This is their attempt at having a Toru Yano - a genuinely amusing comedy act who gets unexpected wins. The best thing he can do for talent is by not being involved at all. Considering AEW got rid of Jimmy Havoc for his real-life sexual misconduct, how the BTE YouTube show distanced itself from Joey Ryan, and the whole Jake/Brandi segment, it's unwise to have a wrestler whose main schtick is to joke about sexual assault and weaponise it.

I changed my mind and rules just this once for this guy - this friend of Tony Khan won't be released but every time he's on TV it's like releasing a wet fart into my face. He sucks! I can't believe how incapable he is at conducting interviews or even stringing complete sentences together. Why else would he be taken off commentary? The more you see someone else do his job in the same company the more you realise he has no place in the company. Dasha is a Buenos Días.

What a total failure. He's the modern day Billy Gunn and Billy is in the same company still wrestling! I mean it - Shawn Spears is the guy with a Million Dollar Body and a Ten Cent Brain. His manager has given up on him after he couldn't find a tag-partner, called Dustin a wash-up and then lost to him, and looks so stupid when he's with MJF running circles around him. Shawn Spears is a loser. A big loser. He's the embodiment of mid-card hell and he's a walking mid-life crisis. The only thing I can see even saving his career in AEW right now is if he teamed with Adam Page against FTR because it would be unexpected and interesting and would play into the whole 'Teambreaker' clause.

Where to even begin. The biggest indictment to her is how she was niche and needed when the women's roster had so few talents. Now it's growing she's shrinking in usefulness and we know her character or wrestling won't evolve - it's going to stay as bland and cliche as her looks and attitude. I hate she represents a stereotype and not a role model. She got over her disease? Good for her. She acting like she's hood-life and all? Change the channel.  

If you glanced at the Dark Order and saw John Silver, Alan Angels, and Stu Grayson, you may mistake one for the other. The difference though is John Silver has degenerated his value as a performer by being the absolute butt of every joke. The whole point of the Dark Order was to make people better so being a little servant and whipping boy is better than what he had before? Why isn't Alex Reynolds doing this? Oh it's because it's garbage. Fecal matter in the form of a human. I want 'long' John Silver to be 'long gone' Silver.

QT Marshall. So I say this name with reverence and think "wow this guy is going to light the world on fire?". Let's picture the scene - he's the hand-me-down MJF/Shaun Spears, teams with Dustin to get some starpower, and adopted DDP's move because he has nothing original to show. His entire arc is being a goofball tragic loser who got hair plugs and hangs with Allie...Allie, who incredibly has a better record than him! It's just bad bad bad throughout. Diet-Arn Anderson. He's not in the shadows he's just in the shade.

This will need a bit more explanation. Moxley is, at best, hit-or-miss with his promos and very specialist in his matches. AEW's executives have put a lot on him to see this company's growth and yet it feels since he beat Jericho it's been the opposite. Now you could blame the lockdown for this but it's an excuse. The truth is Moxley is always best being a chaser to the title not the title holder. Do I think he should be AEW Champion? Eventually, but this is AEW's biggest issue - they book for short-term gains and not long-term gains. The losses will be creeping in if his loyalties are questioned. When he loses the AEW championship, and the lockdown is over, he's jumping back to NJPW or WWE. Why would he want to elevate talent? He's not there for AEW he's there for himself and tell me I'm wrong. Everything about him was booked wrong - he should of never beaten Jericho, continued to chase for the title, had to deal with Hager, Brodie Lee, and then when Brian Cage became FTW Champion, go after this to make it a more legit title. The fact Moxley thinks he's Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, HHH, Cena, Lesnar, and Roddy Piper all in one, is a complete embaressment to the legends. He tries too hard and it shows. His wife not joining AEW is a bad omen for his loyalties. Mox is Pox - a parasite of every proportion and we've seen his type before play to the ruination of companies.

[corbo-florbo]

Fantasy Booking: John Cena & Elias

Tagging the awesome @mith-gifs-wrestling and the amazing @adriennegabriella for this one, since they seem to enjoy my fantasy bookings so far!

So as of writing this, John Cena is coming back to Friday Night Smackdown on February 28 of 2020, and I’ve got a couple or few ideas of what I’d like to have done with him. I figured, why not start with one that seems like a continuation of a recent subtle ongoing feud with The Drifter, Elias?

Are you ready for a good time? The episode of Smackdown opens with a bang, as fireworks go off and fans cheer. Then the hum of John Cena’s music blasts through the arena, and he looks as happy as ever when making his way to the ring. 

Cena grabs a mic, and waits for the cheers to die down. “Boy, y’all sure did miss me huh? I gotta admit, it’s been a while. I left y’all behind while I pursued my acting career, but it’s okay, it’s fine, The Leader of the Cenation is back baby!” *cheers* “But it’s not all about to be sunshine and rainbows, I’m afraid. See, I gots some things to share with y’all, and I dunno how y’all are gonna feel about it.” John then turns his hat around to where the bill is facing behind him. “Y’see-”

A guitar strum silences John as the arena goes dark and the spotlight flashes on one sole figure making his way to the ring. That figure ladies and gentlemen, is Elias. “John, John, John. Oh, this is so us. I interrupt you, you interrupt me, it’s a whole thing! Sometimes I beat your ass, you beat my ass, you know how it goes! Why, last time you threw a package of nuts at me, and quite frankly, you said some mean things at me. When was that? Oh, uh... Wrestlemania! But it’s all good, John. I’m glad to see you back! Maybe this time we can duet, because I”m tired of playing with myself.” John grins at this. “Oh, you like that one don’t you, John? Yeah, that was pretty funny. Now, I’m not sure why you tilted your hat backwards, but I thought maybe we can show it’s all water under the bridge and have some honest to God fun! It’s Wrestlemania season after all!”

Elias steps in the ring and John leans on the turnbuckle opposite Elias’s end, with a Cheshire grin on his face. Elias strums and plucks at his guitar. “Hey John, why don’t you start us off with a rap verse, maybe? I think that’ll get the people of Boston in the spirit! What do ya say, Boston?” Obviously, cheers.

John nods, puts his arm around Elias’s shoulder, and as a melody emanates from Elias’s guitar, John opens his mouth, as though he’s about to rap, until a quick turn and Drift Away! Ladies and gentlemen, John Cena has taken down Elias with his own move! Why, John, why?!

The next week passes and there’s a new episode of Smackdown. Neither man is to be found until the main event, advertised earlier in the day as an explanation from John Cena. People sit, waiting for the familiar “My Time Is Now” but instead are met with “Basic Thuganomics”. Cena comes out, decked in the same wear befitting of someone dressed in early 2000′s hip-hop clothing style. 

“Word Life” brass knuckles wrapped around his fingers, microphone in hand, the Doctor of Thuganomics speaks. “Now, since I was so RUDELY interrupted last week by that weak, punk ass jobber, allow me to lay down the line right here, right now. Y’all cheering me were the same ones booing me all them years. No matter what I did, it wasn’t good ‘nuff for ya. It wasn’t until I used my profile to elevate others, you seemed to care. 2006. One Night Stand. Manhattan. Hammerstein Ballroom. I came out to toxic, nuclear heat and my shirt being thrown right back at me. Said I ain’t got no moves! I gave them moves! They boo’d that shit too! I’d give my all, yet I was so hated. Yet the children loved me. Guess what? Those kids grew up. Y’all even popped loud as hell whenever someone mentions my failed relationship with Nikki Bella? Y’all so easily worked it ain’t even funny! She and I are still tight, life just pulls us in diff’rent directions. Y’all hated me, now ya want me back. Now I’ve been gone so long, y’all miss me? Well, John Cena don’t forget, no he don’t! I remember clear as day, y’all as fickle as Daniel Bryan always said, but he back in the Kool-Aid now, talkin’ bout the Yes Movement comin’ back. Now he fickle too, but that’s okay ‘cause Cena here to collect. Talk about my golden shovel, talk about burying talent, well guess what? Anyone in my path gon’ wish they was dead. Cena out.” 

Cut to next week’s Smackdown, things seem to have gone back to normal. Elias is back, and is in a match with Mustafa Ali. Of course, he is a little paranoid of John Cena, which Ali takes advantage of, easily getting in the win. Elias doesn’t seem to even care or process the loss. He just...leaves. Like someone who left a haunted house, but the haunted house hasn’t left them. 

Main event time, and the Dirt Sheet is dunking on everybody. They continue to talk smack to The New Day in their ongoing feud. John Morrison dunks on Elias for his upset state, while Miz derides the outdated nature of John Cena. On the Titantron, John Cena calls them out via satellite, as he sees himself above fighting anyone on the roster on a measly episode of Smackdown. “I mean, I’m John F%#^ng Cena!” Miz and Morrison then challenge him to a 2-on-1 handicap match, now he’s got them too heated to go after Kofi Kingston and Big E of New Day, that they MUST beat Cena. And they must do it at the upcoming Elimination Chamber pay per view.

The night of the match, Cena dominates. He takes both men out with ease. Miz, perhaps the easiest, but Morrison’s parkour gives him at least a sliver of a chance. Cena is the victor. 

More Smackdowns, more of Elias being afraid. Miz and Morrison act like nothing happened, pretending they didn’t just fight and lose to John Cena. Elimination Chamber didn’t happen in their eyes. They continue to emasculate Elias, who on the fifth Friday night, grows tired of them mocking him and takes them down, accusing them of being in cahoots with him. He’s greatly losing it, as is evident when he plays his guitar out of tune, or messes up lyrics. 

Roman Reigns, however, is tired of it all. He calls out Cena, challenging him at Fastlane, which Cena accepts. Not before he chastises Roman about how he had to elevate him at No Mercy 2017, about how while he isn’t as hated by crowds anymore, he’s still just “a guy”, and will never reach that level. That Roman’s 2017 win was just a fluke. Yet another nut joke by the Doctor of Thuganomics  before a low blow and an F.U. lays Roman out at the end of the night.

Fastlane 2020 approaches, and the two put on a 30 minute classic. Roman gets more vicious, and Cena becomes more dastardly. He constantly taunts and goads Roman most of the match, and at one point even HEADBUTTS HIM. That’s something you don’t do to Samoan pro wrestlers, yet Cena evades it all, wearing Roman down until he runs out of steam. Roman, staggering, falls victim to another F.U. before being gifted with Cena’s Five-Knuckle Shuffle, and goes for the pin. Cena wins, but his victory is shortly celebrated after Elias slams a guitar on Cena’s head, the last visual of the match being Elias glaring down at his handiwork.

Elias is not to be seen the next several Smackdowns leading to Wrestlemania, at least not live. In pre-taped segments, in front of chain-link fences, Elias rambles on about how John Cena lives rent-free in his head. In the final vignette of his ramblings, Elias declares at Wrestlemania that he will get his groove back, as he plays a new percussion instrument, one he calls John Cena before declaring the match needing to be No DQ. Meanwhile, Cena hosts mini-segments where he freestyle raps about how trashy a lot of the wrestlers signed to WWE are, along with old legends. Last Smackdown, he raps about how easily worked Elias got, that he doesn’t stand a chance because Cena declares himself the master of psychology, adding to his resume, added along with being  a doctor of Thuganomics.

Wrestlemania time, and Elias is easily dominated early in the match. It’s almost like Cena vs Lesnar at Summerslam all over again, until Elias goes in for a Drift Away and hammers on Cena. He even grabs his head, “slamming” it down on the mat before stomping and kicking Cena. Elias manically grabs at his own hair, before bringing chairs into it. 

Elias slams Cena with chair after chair, but like a superhuman, Cena rises again and again. He can even be heard that no injury, no chair could hold him down. Elias doesn’t stop though. He hits like he has lost his mind. It’s as though his brain is now the one drifting in and out, not him. There’s almost a rhythm to Elias’s shots. Then he sets it up for a con-chair-to. And another. And another and another, you get the picture. Cena’s lifeless body is rolled over and Elias covers him for a pin, and you see his hand move, but he does not kick out. Elias gets the win, and is tearing with joy. His first Wrestlemania win, and it’s one not for a title, but a peace of mind and a reclamation of his lost sanity. 

Almost as if knocked into his senses, Cena rises, clutching his head. He removes the “Word Life” armbands and wristbands and shakes Elias’s hand before raising it. Cena has reclaimed his own soul, seeing everyone cheer for Elias. The sight of what he missed was enough to wake him up. He had grown cocky of having won the world of wrestling, music, and film that he forgot what it was like, being someone looking to make a name. He remembers that same John Cena that made an impact after beating Kurt Angle and winning the respect of the locker room back in the early 2000′s.

Elias is able to move on to other feuds, no longer feeling the need as a drifter to bash other towns he rolls into, and even finds himself in main events every now and then. Cena reflects the night on Raw after Wrestlemania that he is done with wrestling now, but the WWE Universe will see him again from time to time. He leaves with letting everyone know the three most important words to him: Hustle Loyalty and Respect.

The end.

I hope you guys enjoyed it! I got two more Cena fantasy bookings, then I hope to jump into some fresher ideas later!

[buttdawg]

Double Championship

Just finished watching the Naito/KENTA match.    Here’s what I can’t figure out.

Do the IWGP Heavyweight and IC championships just stay together, or do they split them up again at some point?    There’s really only three double-champion scenarios I’m familiar with, and they don’t seem to resemble what’s going on with New Japan.   

First, the Ultimate Warrior, as WWF Intercontinental Champion, won the WWF world title at Wrestlemania VI.    Very soon after, WWF President Jack Tunney announced that the Warrior couldn’t hold both titles simultaneously, so the Warrior vacated the IC title, and a tournament was held to crown a new champion.   That doesn’t seem to be happening in New Japan, or they would have already done it.  

Second, Triple H, as World Heavyweight Champion, won the Intercontinental championship from... I think Rob Van Dam?    Well, it was in 2003, I’m pretty sure.    Anyway, that was just a unification match, and the IC title was retired for a while until it was reactivated some time later.   I doubt New Japan would do this, since their Intercontinental title is much more prestigious and they actually think ahead about this stuff. 

Third, Seth Rollins, as WWE Champion, won the U.S. title from John Cena.    I want to say 2015, but whatever.   Anyway, the catch to Rollins being a double champion was that he had to defend both belts separately, against different challengers.    Sting got a match for the World title, while Cena exercised his rematch clause for the U.S. championship, and Rollins had to do double duty on the same night.   He retained the world title and lost the U.S. belt.  

I guess New Japan could do the Seth Rollins model, except there doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason for this to happen.    From what I can tell, the main path to getting a title match is to pin the champion in a nontitle contest.    So if you pin the World champion and the IC Champion at the same time, it doesn’t really make sense for some guy in charge to say “Well, he’s earned a shot at one title, but not the other.”

I feel like American promotions use a fictitious ranking system for each championship, so you can have different guys in line for different belts, but New Japan doesn’t seem to work that way.    Or maybe it does, and I just haven’t been watching long enough to see it work.    To be honest, I kind of like that New Japan doesn’t waste airtime explaining how matches are made and who decides these things.    The commentators debated the rationale for KENTA “jumping to the front of the line”, but it was a fait accompli, and eventually Kevin had to admit that it stopped mattering once the bell rang.   

But however it works, the bottom line is that NJPW has their champions do one defense at a time.    There was a match where Kurt Angle defended the European and IC titles in a three-way match, and the first fall was for one title and the second fall was for the other.    I liked that arrangment, but it seems kind of silly in hindsight.   It would have been simpler to just have Angle defend each belt in separate matches, or just unify the titles and be done with it.   

I can’t really see any of those scenarios happening in New Japan.   At least, for right now, they seem to enjoy the mystique of a double champion, and they’re not in any hurry to split up the belts.   But they don’t want to make it permanent either, because if it becomes just one championship, then it’s not really a double anymore, you know?    So I think eventually the double champion has to lose one belt but not the other.   Or maybe the double champ has to vacate both titles and they put them up for grabs in separate matches?   That might be cool, although it would mean the double-champion loses the titles without getting beat.

Okada might be the solution to all of this.   I remember hearing during the build to Wrestle Kingdom 14 that he was the one guy in the Double-Gold Dash who had no interest in winning the IC title, since he was already World champion and he considers that title to be the top prize in the game.    So maybe he gets back in the title scene, wins the double-championship, and vacates the IC title just to prove a point.    Jack Tunney smiles down upon him from heaven.   

Or maybe he wins the G1 Climax this year, and he does the opposite of what Ibushi did when he propsed the Double-Gold Dash.   Okada gets the contract, and he’s more than willing to challenge for the World title, but he wants no part of the IC title.  That might rub fans the wrong way, but it might also create some interesting angles going into WK15.  

But maybe it’s too soon to be thinking about that.    The one thing I can tell for certain is that New Japan really digs this double-champion business, and they’re not looking to undo that anytime soon.  

[katieamazeballs]

Welcome to the red carpet, Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev!

Nearly four months after confirming that they are dating on Instagram, the couple made their red carpet debut on Thursday night at the 2019 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports Awards.

Both looked happy as they posed for photographers at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, hugging and kissing for the cameras multiple times.

Bella, 35 — who was nominated for the show’s queen of swag title — wore neon-yellow high-waisted leather pants with a racing stripe detail, that she paired with a cropped white cotton tank and black stilettos.

Chigvintsev, 37, looked fresh in a short-sleeve white button-down T-shirt with slim-fit blue dress pants and white sneakers.

Chatting with PEOPLE, the pair opened up about their romance.

“Artem’s aura and energy, he’s so calming and relaxing,” Bella said. “I’m like the Tasmanian devil, I need someone with his energy to make me stop and be present. … He’s so adorable and sweet.”

“I think she’s the exact opposite of me,” said Chigvintsev. “What I’m missing in my life, she fulfills.”

The two were paired together on Dancing with the Stars season 25 back in 2017, and started dating after Bella called off her engagement to pro wrestler John Cena last summer. Relationship rumors sparked about the two in December, though Bella and Chigvintsey stayed mum about it until March when Bella confirmed their romance on Instagram.

Since then, they’ve been seen on multiple outings together, but Bella has continued to insist that the two are not boyfriend and girlfriend. “We are not engaged, we are not married, we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend, we don’t say, ‘I love you,’ ” Bella said on her podcast.

So are they ready to make things official now?

“You’ll find out on Wednesday,” Bella told PEOPLE at Thursday’s awards, teasing an upcoming episode of her Bellas podcast. “Artem and I actually talk about the world official and where our relationship stands.”

“It’s getting serious,” Chigvintsev hinted.

Both went on to explain that they’re glad they’ve been taking the time to get to know one another.

“What’s really tough is that you can’t just casually date because everyone is like, ‘Wait we’ve seen you here and there so you’re official right?’ ” Bella said. “It speeds up the process.”

“I think nowadays people jump so fast to the conclusion of what it is,” said Chigvintsev. “People need to be given time to be themselves and adapt and adjust and get to know each other. Whatever happens, happens.”

Last month, Bella celebrated the dancing pro’s 37th birthday, dedicating a loving tribute to him on Instagram.

“Happy Birthday to a man who not only makes my face smile, but my heart,” she wrote alongside a slideshow of photos of the couple. “You’re a special one Mr. Chigvintsev! Your relaxing, calm, patient, kind, happy energy and aura is contagious!”

“You truly are the kindest soul I have ever met,” she added. “Thank you for bringing a lot of sunshine into my life. Happy Birthday my Artem!”

[gifsbysimplysonia]

Me going to town on my phone, my thumbs furiously typing about how not all plus size people spend every minute of every day self loathing cuz that's what I keep coming across whilst looking for fan fic

Only to realize nobody gives a good God damn what I think so never mind! I'm still in my feelings tho, 

so...always mind? That'd be the opposite, right? Very personal rant behind the cut.

Like honestly, y'all? Plus size people are MORE than their plus size! You wanna mention they have to wiggle into their jeans, they make ONE self deprecating joke about their size that is ACTUALLY FUNNY, or the fact she is wearing a babydoll top cuz she likes the way it flares out from under her chest to hide her stomach or he likes John Cena jorts cuz they let his legs breathe? COOL BEANS! Cuz those are real but common and every day life.

But if you wanna make them have a conversation with someone about how they just don't think they are worthy of attention because, GAWD WHAT A PIG, like....no. I beg of you, NO. That is CHEAP FCKING ANGST, and I challenge you as an author to do better. I challenge you as a person to do better because if you go there FIRST THING when you need conflict in your story? It means somewhere deep down, or maybe even surface level, you only see fat people for their size and you think we should be sitting around hating ourselves.

We ALL have our bad days where we self doubt and self loathe and can hand someone a laundry list of reasons why we believe we are unworthy of affection and adoration. That is true for the human race and these feelings are not size specific.

But I KEEP coming across plus size reader stories where ALL SHE IS? IS OBSESSED WITH HER SIZE and it's like, God damn! Y'all really think us fat girls are THAT egotistical and self involved? That ALL we do, or at least all we do worthy of reflecting in fan fiction, is obsess about ourselves? And the only way to get to love or affection is having someone ELSE reassure us that we are beautiful or amazing and lovable?

I'm so disappointed. There are maybe 4 authors I've read stories from who managed to make a plus size protagonist human WITHOUT the use of "Never go for a girl like MEEEEEE cuz EW" or a constant negative ticker tape running through the character's head. But I couldn't tell you how many stories I've had to bail on because I couldn't take being reduced to that narrative.

Fat people are more than being fat and if you are writing a story about a fat person, I am pleading with you to please remember that.  If that is your personal experience and you are working it out through writing, I am SO sorry that you’ve been in that place and are in that place. Obviously, you have the right to work through it however you see fit.  And if someone specifically requests that type of angst from you, that is their right and God bless you for trying to make anyone's request come to life. 

Otherwise? I HOPE y'all can find different stories to tell about fat people cuz there are SO many. And it's just beyond tired seeing this one same story told over and over. 

And know this...IT CAN BE DONE WELL. That fear and worry that relates to size? It can be a real issue sometimes, but the trick is to handle it with grace and dignity, as well as preferably one and done (like, if someone writes for Plus Size readers and I go through their Masterlist, I would HOPE that a bare minimum of stories has anything to do with size because, again, that’s not all a plus size person is). I could link you to a story right now that is a perfect example of dealing with angst over being plus sized, but I'm not gonna cuz I don't want a praise call out over something REALLY WELL DONE buried in a garbage fire post lol.

Just know that if care and thought isn't being put into addressing the issue, you should hit the delete key and start fresh. They are angsty cuz they are fat and how could anyone possibly love them that way? IT HAS BEEN DONE, VERY BADLY, AND WAY TOO FCKING OFTEN. And you're helping perpetuate a stereotype that tells fat people we SHOULD be ashamed and recognize that anyone loving us AS FAT PEOPLE? Is a privilege of some kind and if it happens, we should thank our lucky stars. If that's how you think or that's the only way you know how to write about plus size people?

I want better for us fatties/plus sizers/full figured Gods, Goddesses and everything in between. We just...we deserve it all, and without having to reflect too long on why or what it took to get there or being made to feel like loving us is some kind of fcking favor being done despite who we are. 

Sigh.