#now that I have THE POWERRR

[lemongogo]

i feel like i never talk ab vash frlsies but . hes like my fav character in the whole series hrmm..

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

I wanted to ask, what would it be like if Fischl had an S/O who not only plays along with her, but is just as much as a Chuunibyou as her? I'd kinda like to see her reaction to that. Maybe see what the other Mondstadt folks think as well? Oh, and bonus points if the S/O does the whole Shining Finger thing. from Gundam. That "this hand of mine glows with an awesome powerrr!" thing.

(Genshin Impact/Honkai: Star Rail)

Fischl, Ayaka, Rosaria, Eula, Furina, Shinobu, Bronya, and Seele with a very dramatic S/O

YOU ACTIVATED MY SLEEPER AGENT KEYWORDS, YOU MENTIONED GUNDAM, AND SPECIFICALLY G GUNDAM

Fischl's eyes seemed to gleam when she first realized that her S/O not only indulged her antics, but even joined her!

Their title was almost as impressive as her own, 'The King/Queen of Hearts'!

(Fischl) "Tell me dear, S/O, how can the fabled 'King/Queen of Hearts' measure up to the Prinzessin der Verurteilung?"

S/O clenched their fist and raised it in front of their chest triumphantly.

(S/O) "You may have your electric arrows, but I have these GOLDEN FINGERS!"

Oz on the other hand was completely suffering.

Well, at least he didn't have to translate for S/O, they were completely blunt and to the point, unlike his master.

Fischl did adore S/O for how brave and caring they were, but it was during a battle that made her heart first skip a beat.

(S/O) "HERE I GO!-"

S/O's pyro vision flared up as their fists began glowing a flaming gold, catching both Oz and Fischl by surprise.

(Fischl) "W-What?! S/O was serious with knowing an ultimate technique?!"

(Oz) "I thought they were in a similar boat to you, mein Fräulein-"

(S/O) "THIS HAND OF MINE IS BURNING RED! IT'S LOUD ROAR TELLS ME TO GRASP VICTORY!"

They rushed past Fischl and Oz, who could only watch in awe.

(S/O) "ERUPTING, BURNING...FIIINGEEEEERRRR!"

Their fist immediately crashed through a Ruin Guard (somehow), and lifted them off the ground with one arm.

(S/O) "AND NOW, HEAT END!"

The Ruin Guard exploded violently afterwards, with S/O's fist going back to normal.

(Oz) "Wow, really?"

(Fischl) THAT IS SO COOL! "...Ahem, a fine display, dear S/O."

Everyone in Mondstadt thought that Fischl had just found another roleplayer that took things way too seriously and were somewhat dreading talking to them.

Only to realize S/O wasn't doing a bit, despite the fact they were just as dramatic as her.

They were just insane.

Ayaka knew her S/O was a bit on the...flashy side, to put it gently.

They screamed all their attack names at the top of their lungs, yet she knew no one was better and hand to hand combat than they were. Especially when they began actually glowing red or ignited into flames.

All that did not matter terribly much to Ayaka. S/O was someone she loved, for their caring and valiant nature.

But, someone like S/O was something she had never expected to face, and they both drove her insane, and yet brought contrasting calmness to her life.

Nothing however would ever compare to meeting S/O's master for the first time.

Ayaka and S/O were travelling down the streets of Inazuma, until everyone, including the guards were watching someone coming down the street.

(Ayaka) "...Is...that person standing on their horse?"

Suddenly, S/O's eyes widened, and rushed through the crowd, unintentionally leaving Ayaka behind. She quickly followed behind and saw a man standing perfectly on the horse as it trotted along the streets of Inazuma, arms crossed and an expression that was razor focused.

(S/O) "MASTER!"

The man's head turned to S/O, and both of them exchanged a glance before Ayaka saw their master leap off the horse, extending a fist as they landed perfectly in front of them.

(Strange Man) "Answer me, S/O! THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST!"

S/O knelt down as they struck a dramatic pose, answering their master.

(S/O) "THE WINDS OF THE KING!"

In the middle of the city, they began exchanging rapid punches that traded perfectly blow for blow, so fast that even Ayaka struggled to keep track of.

(Strange Man) "ZENSHIN!"

(S/O) "KEIRETSU!"

(Both) "TEMPA KYOURAN!"

Both their fists collided before their other arms extended outwards in sync, screaming once again.

(Both) "LOOK! THE EAST, IS BUUUURRNING REEEED!"

Ayaka watched with a strange mixture of horror, second-hand embarrassment, admiration, and jealousy.

(Ayaka) ...I-Is it possible for S/O to teach me how to do that too...?

When Rosaria first met S/O, she thought they were going to be a troublemaker.

She was correct, but they fought to keep Mondstadt safe as much as she did.

But while she did it with subtlety, S/O grabbed subtlety with their literal shining golden fingers, and made it violently explode, all while screaming their attack.

The first time she had watched S/O perform their "Shining Finger" attack on a treasure hoarder, she stood there completely slackjawed.

(Rosaria) "...Oh my Bratabos, you're completely serious."

Rosaria thought S/O was doing some kind of bit like this 'Fischl' character she had heard about.

No, they were just that dramatic for no real apparent reason, and they had the strength to back their nonsense up.

She even doubted that herself could take S/O in a straight fight.

In a strange way, it attracted her to them. They were clearly not afraid of what anyone thought of them, only caring if the people they loved were safe. She had respect for that.

But...why were they like this?

They couldn't just defeat their enemies normally, no, they HAD to explode. Every single one of them.

Sometimes S/O's Vision wasn't even active, she would just see them explode after they had shouted "HEAT END!".

(Rosaria) "You are both the best and the worst person I know of to clean up a mess of bandits discreetly."

(S/O) "Hah! The King/Queen of Hearts doesn't need to fight discreetly! I only fight with my fists!"

Honestly, as strange as this was, she also found it to be the funniest thing in the world. Maybe there SHOULD be more people like S/O and Fischl after all.

Eula couldn't exactly call anyone out for being "flashy".

But her S/O took that word to a whole new level. Especially with their manner of speech.

It made Eula look polite in comparison. S/O appeared to be playing the bit of a mysterious, strong, and rude warrior who only thought with their fists.

She had seen them become soft and loving, hell they were a couple, she knows they can become serious.

But after watching them fight a few times, she's starting to believe that S/O wasn't doing a bit like herself, and she did not know how to feel about that.

Eula watched S/O pull out a sword made of pure flames from their hands, wielding it in both their palms.

(S/O) "THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER! IT'S BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!"

S/O slashed apart the Ruin Hunter with every swing, scorching the grass ablaze with their passion.

(S/O) "TAKE THIS! MY LOVE, MY ANGER, AND ALL OF MY SORROW! SHINING FINGER SWOOOOOOORD!"

With one final slash, the Ruin Hunter was split in half, with S/O leaping back as their pyro vision died down slowly.

Honestly, Eula didn't know if she should be impressed, cringing, or not be thinking that was one of the coolest things she had ever seen.

Probably a mixture of all three.

Honestly? Furina kind of gets it.

You spend so long doing a bit, it kind of becomes a part of you.

That being said, Furina isn't entirely sure if S/O's behavior was entirely theatrics.

But that's fine! It's a part of them after all, not like she had any room to criticize.

Whenever S/O wasn't in the room, she would be clenching her fists and throwing punches in the air, mimicking their tone.

(Furina) "How did they say it...? Ah, right! This hand of mine glows with an awesome power!"

Furina giggled as she said it out loud before putting on a 'serious expression' frowning as she concentrated.

(Furina) "It's loud roar tells me to grasp victory! SHINING, FIINGEEER!" giggle

As she turned to face the door, she nearly leapt out of her skin to see S/O watching her with a highly unamused face.

(Furina) "GAH! S-S/O! How long were you-"

(S/O) "The School of Master Asia cannot be replicated by simply mimicking my actions, Furina. It comes from within!"

Furina pouted a little.

(Furina) "It doesn't look that different from theatre, S/O! You're as dramatic as I am!"

(S/O) "Dramatic? Don't be absurd, I'm completely-"

(Furina) "You are not telling me you can say all that with a straight face every single time!"

(S/O) "...Can you not?"

...Either S/O was the best actor, or they lacked the self awareness that she (kinda) had.

Oh good Archons, please no.

Shinobu already had to reign in Itto and the others, now her lover was adding fuel to the fire.

Or more like an explosion to it.

S/O had taught Itto and the other members of the Arataki gang their strange dances.

Now instead of dealing with one, she had to deal with seven other idiots shouting about Erupting Burning Fingers.

(Shinobu) "S/O, you're a terrible influence."

(S/O) "Huh? What are you-"

(Shinobu) "Sara had just told me that Itto and the others were making a ruckus in the public square."

(S/O) "What ruckus can the dances my master and I-"

(Shinobu) "They're trying to match the speed of you and Master Asia, but end up only punching themselves in the face."

(S/O) "Hah! Looks like I need to train them harder-"

(Shinobu) "S/O."

S/O sighed loudly, adjusting their red headband.

(S/O) "Fine. I'll reign them in myself."

Personally, she thinks their nature is...strange, to put it mildly.

She has no idea how S/O and their master became so eccentric, but they meant as well as she and the others did so...Not too much harm could be done?

And admittedly, she did find it really cool that S/O's vision could make things explode in such a spectacular fashion.

But why did so many people in her life have to have some kind of screw loose with them?

There was only one word that could come to Bronya's mind watching S/O in action.

(Bronya) "What?"

She had been trained all her life to be noble, courteous, and elegant.

And here came S/O with all the elegance of a cannon.

S/O fought inside a machine that mimicked their actions 1 to 1. While the suit itself was strong, it was S/O who made it surpass the limits.

Their knowledge on martial arts was unsurpassed by anyone she had ever known.

But in a strange way, it made Bronya admire them. They wore their heart on their sleeve, with no one telling them how to live. That was really admirable.

And secretly, she found herself quoting S/O many times as she was training with her weapons. Much to her amusement and horror.

But the first time she watched them in action could not compare to anything.

The machine's wings flared out and formed an energy halo, with S/O's hand becoming a blinding fiery light.

Their chest opened up and revealed a large glowing orb, with the symbol of the King/Queen of hearts flashing in front of it.

Before Bronya could even question what S/O was doing, she watched them fly past all the Silvermane guards and save them by driving their robotic fist into the enemy.

(S/O) "BURNING, FIIIIINGEEEER!"

On command, the creature exploded into a brilliant light, making everyone recoil as their enemies fled in terror.

S/O turned around, their machine crossing its arms and standing dramatically on top of a hill, staring down at everyone.

(S/O) "Behold, THE SCHOOL OF MASTER ASIA! THE UNDEFEATED SCHOOL OF THE EAST!"

(Silvermane Guard) "...O-Okay...?"

Bronya had much of the same reaction, but a slight blush overtook her cheeks.

(Bronya) "That was...incredible!"

(Silvermane Guard) "Ma'am?"

(Bronya) "A-AHEM! Men, we continue onwards! Remember our training, and show that we are not to be surpassed!"

It was completely stupid how S/O shouted their moves but...damn, if it wasn't effective.

Seele sighs whenever she watches S/O in action.

Their moves were completely unnecessary, way too flashy, and the thing that annoyed her the most?

They worked. Like, there was nothing to counter S/O's idiotic moves, nor anything that could actually survive them.

It worked, and she hated that it did.

Seele simply steps out the way of an incoming monster part that had exploded spectacularly.

(Seele) "I will never understand how that machine of yours makes everything it touches detonate. It's like everything's made out of Natasha's grenades to you."

(S/O) "HAH! You are just watching the King/Queen of Hearts in action, Seele! Try to keep up!"

Her eye twitched. Oh now it was ON!

She had a great deal of respect for her S/O, truthfully. But it was dwarfed by her annoyance of them as well.

They would go on about complete nonsense, and yet when they were together, S/O could be a surprisingly normal and honest person.

Then she would watch them in the fight club and watch S/O in their machine grab someone's head, ready to make it explode.

(S/O) "Article 1: A Unit whose head section has been destroyed is disqualified!"

(Man) "H-HEY! THAT'S MY ACTUAL HEAD!"

(S/O) "Then I have won this fight."

Seele had never heard about these articles, or schools on this planet. Maybe it was an offworld thing.

...God, she hoped that whoever trained S/O wouldn't meet Natasha or the kids.

[cypherthesilliest]

Guys I made sans round and now I can’t stop

HES ROUND. 😨 I used to have so much trouble making round sans heads I just stuck to making them sharp but now.. I HAVE POWERRR MWAHAHAHAHAHA

I’m still gonna draw sharp sans heads but THE POWERRR EEEEHEHEHAHAHAHA

[queenofsquids]

@keiths-dolls @robotsandfrippary Your enthusiasm gives me powerrr

And then I remembered I have these Minnie fashion doll hands!! The pegs are way huge as they are. Gotta ruminate over shaving them down -- not sure I have the dexterity to make them as tiny as the RH holes.

@elizabethplaid You have a really good memory if you recall I had issues with the ears hitting the shoulders of another body, I can't remember which one now. But the shoulders on the RH are narrower so even though they're close it's not a problem! She can use the full range of this neck!

Here's how I cut the head. I traced the LPS hole onto the bottom of her head and cut slightly bigger than the line. So the head piece is bowed and shoved up in there very tightly versus sitting flat in the LPS hole.

[thisblogwilleatourselves]

"OH-Hohh!!! AnD JUST WHAt issSS AN IRkEN, YOU ASK?💥👀 OH WE’RE GLaD-glaD-yoU DID!!! WE’Rz! Liiikkke... th!nk oF an ‘ali3n’ 🍭✨but MaDE of *NightmAres ‘n* ChAoS wrapped up tight-tight-tight in a 🪲BUGGY LiTTL3 SHAPe!! 🌈SIX LEGGZZZ scuttLin’ aBout sCr@tcH-Sn@P! Hehehehhh—smoOoth, cOrr0ded, SICKLE-SHARPENED—AHH 💅hAha~we! EAT Worlds! 🍴we *snap* reaLit!Es!! tWiSt & twist TH’ VeRy STrands of UN-I-versE an’ shape-shift till we’re eVeRY li’l THINg YOU’VE EvER beEn scARed of!!! 🦑🍥👁️

OH BUT nO-noOoooOOO—Not jusT that!! NO! NO! NO! 💀✨We’re a pr3tty-DaNgERous pack o’ WHIMSY an’ POWERRR, baBy!!! 😈we-bEND! brEaK!! HAHaHAaaa ‘til REAL!Ty keELS oVEr wiTH a lil 💥snap, & *we’re thE oNLy oneZ left SmiLing—All-l0nG! cLOWn-H0RnS ‘n DaNciNG mazes 🥳

SEE, eACh I!rk3n—used 2 bee freEEEEE!!! Free anD BRILLIANTLY cOiled-in their OWN maD w0rldSss.... buT nOW?!! EHHH 🤷🏿BIG empirerrZziZZ, ContROlLLL and RePRESSssion 🕹️🌐zzzzaaapZzZ!!! 🥀They took IT from US!—but We SurvIv3!!! *We’re thE last-lAUGh*❗💚EVERY cr@CK in theeIR riDGEd sYst3m, WE SWIM ‘N DAnCE through 🌀liKE a piranha-DR@G0n eeling thRu FraCtured maTTeR! 👹💥We’rE bETTER NOW!! ooooh~ you should HAve Seen! sEEn tHE OG Z1M—beFOR3 th3Y tryT 2 nAI L uS d0wn! 🎭✨ So SHARP, *so* mAD-we used to~DEVOURRRrrr✨

*s0* WhAt ArE we??? SiiMpLe!!💀We’re aN IRKEN~ we’re the sPoOk 👻 aT ur BaCK! 🩸🔪the eeChO beHinD yR bRainz 🗣️~THE AC!D in ur SM1le🥴💥——WE’RE everyTh!Ng thaT waS feAR!!! folded & SP!rAlED inta 1 TRICKSY, writhin’ sHowdowN f0rm!!! Ah, but don’t WORRY~We’ll treat you NI!CE...aTTACK 👊🏿or wELcome~depends HOw YOU asK! 👈🏿💫

[galaxynajma]

ok i’m curious. do you have a favorite chainsaw man ending theme? (this is pretty much just me trying to get you to go listen to all of them 💀 unless you already have an answer)

Yk I’m been meaning to rewatch all the csm endings for a while and now because of this I actually did

( now I have not listened to any of these songs in full only of what I seen in the EDs but shh they’re all over one minute I’ve listened to them a enough I’ll do that in my meantime besides this list probably wouldn’t change a lot )

As fun and interesting it was to have a new ending for every week’s episode I would not mind if MAPPA never does this again with csm

Anyways

1. Ending 2 : time left by zutomayo ( did not expect it to like it as much as I did )

2. Ending 12: fight song by eve ( so cute yet so sad if you know what happens in the manga )

3. Ending 11 : violence by queen bee

4. Ending 3: hawatari nioku centi by maximum the hormone ( such chaos so fitting for chainsaw man im hope they do a another ED or maybe a OP for chainsaw man in the future)

5. Ending 4: tablet by tooboe ( POWERRR)

6. Ending 5 : in the backroom by syudou ( I like the references to the Four Horsemen especially Nayuta )

7. Ending 10 : dogland by people 1

8. ending 1 : chainsaw blood by vaundy

9. Ending 6 : rendezvous by kanaria

10. Ending 8: first death by tk from ling tosite sigure

11. Ending 9 : deep down by aimer

12. Ending 7 : chu tayousei by ano ( i feel so bad it’s not like i don’t like the song its just i like the others a little more )

[deusvervewrites]

In regards to the people that referred to JoJo or HxH as examples: I think the reason these fights work so well is the fact that,very often, they aren't really fights. They are puzzles!

When it comes to Shounen Power Systems there are, very generally, two types: There is the "One size fits all" system, in which all powers and abilities are based on the same magic/ki/soul/strength/etc... So it usually comes down to who is stronger. Thats you classic Dragon Ball Z nonsense, whoever yells the loudest/invokes the power of friendship & anime the most, will win.

The other system is what I like to call "Apples and Oranges". There might be some underlying connecting lore, but in practice, all powers are fundamentally different in a way that can't directly be compared. Obvious examples are the Stands from JoJo, but also things like the Devil Fruits from One Piece. In these settings, it is often not possible to "just" overpower your enemy, you also need to find their limits or weak-spots. The fight starts turning into a puzzle while the protagonists and the reader are trying to figure out what the opponents power is and how it works. Luffy was always physically stronger than Crocodile, but he first needed to figure out how to counter Crocodiles Sand-powers by using water to actually stand a chance.

And thats why I personally dislike the later arcs of MHA. Quirks are a perfect "Apples and Oranges"-system. All of them are so fundamentally different and have so many different use cases, that the puzzles write themselves. And Izukus analysis hobby/talent is perfect to figure out weaknesses and limits. Imagine, for a second, Uraraka as an hitherto unknown antagonist. At first she would seem to have some sort of super-strength or telekinesis power that is extremely strong and dangerous. Then you could slowly figure out that it actually is a gravity power, followed by the 5-finger activation requirement and the nausea-backlash, which, finally, would give you options to defeat her. And thats just her!

Now, you can obviously have hybrid systems/settings, One Piece is actually a good example here, some fights are puzzles, some are regular yell louder until you win with the power of friendship. It gives the series a nice balance, there is something for everyone, different characters can shine in different ways.

But it feels to me as if MHA slipped fully into "MOAR POWERRR!!!" in it's later arcs. We just crank up the power level of the antagonist and the protagonist and call it a day, no need for clever strategies and puzzles. Overhaul, Re-Destro and obviously Shigaraki have just extremely powerful Quirks with little to no weakness and generally are fought/taken out by a Friendship powered attack of the "I can't lose here!" variety. And that just feels like a waste of an amazing system to me.

This is one of the many reasons I hate All For One. Because he could have multiple Quirks to work through like this but instead he goes, "ah fuck learning Quirks, here are five strength boosters and a wind cannon. I have no other attacks. Fuck you."

[thedietelf]

"no no, the incendiary start is the best way to begin" -signs

"just because you don't like public transit because ot scares your lord and saviour mothman, does not make you a crypto fascist " -lanius

"Yeah we're going up there because of a sense of propriety...and totally not that they may have valuables lying around their definitely castle up there" -warlock

"so if they have to walk to get to me, it's kinda like being followed by the insta death snail." -warlock

"he's sucking on something rigid as he walks down the stairs" -dm

"None of those groups will lay claim to him" -DM after paladin uses divine sense

"it would give my skin some colour." - warlock on ingesting silver

"how many licks to get to the center of a silver ingot?"

"it's a silver lick"

"it's only science if you write it down"

"🎵bring it down bitch, bring it down 🎶" -Paladin to DM taking initiative

"our experience points"

"it looks like it's being held together by skin, tendons, and what looks like fetish gear"

"like a mother cat teaching you to how to hunt, here's a dagger"

"excuse me, hence has never sinned a day in his life" -ooc about paladin

"what are your pronouns?" "uh, doctor." -NPC

"UNLIMITED POWERRR..." "its not unlimited, it is in fact extremely finite." -fighter and artificer

"so what you're saying he's a vegetarian. ....just like Hitler." -warlock about NPC

"Everyone knows anger is not an emotion. Men feel it." -fighter

"... but if we're speaking hypothetically..." -Warlock asking about how to put a soul into a body

"oh is that your service kobold??"

"Bee-lay..." "Hence, what did we say about words with an E at the end?" "....bile??" -paladin and artificer

"why didn't i make a long furby as a construct?!" artificer

"i think if we have griffins assaulting people in the street for their sandwiches, the City might have something to say" -fighter, about our griffin (bird) bath idea

"tru site; the great value magic eyes" -warlock

"the real door was the friends we made along the way"

"we're going to go look at the body!" -warlock, with great enthusiasm

"well let's get going, Lomonds only got four hours of being big before he has to see a doctor" -warlock

"I'd like to see a rock run, bitch"

"jokes on you I'm too stupid for psychic damage" -paladin

"science has been achieved!!!!" -warlock, about our witch getting downed

"you are now back from death's front porch!" -dm

"true resurrection brings you back standing" "the most expensive way to recover from prone ever" -fighter and warlock

"caecilius crystal tv" -fighter

"gravity won't affect me! you have to believe in it for that!" "you know, lots of people tried that with Covid." -paladin and warlock

"respectfully, I have burlap..." -fighter about carrying monks petrified mother

"she ain't heavy, she's my mother." The emotional weight is nothing compared to carrying the stone statue

"everything looks like a badly compressed jpeg" -warlock about the enchanted glasses they've found

[missamyrisa2]

Does 1000 followers mean each of us get to tickle milk you once each??? I think it does!!

Unnnnnnnhhh~~~ whyyy do words have such powerrr?~~ I'm just trying to tease you all and then you had to say that ~~ and now I'm blushing pile again ~~

and eeeeee ~~ even though it destroys me even at the wordssss mmh suuureee send in your ~ tickle milkings ~ how would you dooo it~ I'm dying and also dying to know because oooh my gossh whyyy does tickle milking have to be sooo darn tickle hottt? It's like the ultimate tickly control to exert over a ticklish body isn't it? And just that hint of romantic sensual tickling without actually having to be so because it's y'know, sooo mean and wicked ~ but it's tickling so it's still cute and adorable ~<3

[gumi-megpoidd]

CHERRYYY

howve you beeen how was ur day

wanna look at sum hair and nails n shit

hiii bestieeee

i got hit with the bomb cycloneeee and now i dont have powerrr

was at my parents work all day so i could actually use my computer

and ofcccc

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: March 2024

On Heels

By Pollo Del Mar

TWICE IN A year?! Not too shabby. But a trifecta or more sounds even better! Naturally, I’m talking about my return to Busted Open Radio. While most never appear even once. I’ve now guested on the worlds #1 pro wrestling radio show and podcast twice in 2023!

Host Dave LaGreca first invited me on the SiriusXM gabfest early in the year. Our 30-minute conversation must have impressed the industry leading personality, who promised to have me back. True to his word, I joined Dave and former AEW Women’s World champion Thunder Rosa in the fall.

A scheduled one-hour co-hosting block soon turned into a three-house pro wrestling marathon. Thunder and I worked some of my earliest shows together for a small promotion called Wrestling for Charity. It was a wonderful reunion, and anyone who’s ever tuned in already knows how easy it is to chat with Dave.

As an avid listener, I love Busted Open’s diverse team of impeccable wrestling veterans and pundits. Having already thrown my hat in the ring to return, I won’t avoid this opportunity to campaign to become a regular. 

Dave, should Busted Open Nation need consistent doses of smarts, sass, and charm, I'm easy to find! 

TAG THEM IN!

Chelsea Green is perfection!

Since returning to WWE in early 2023, nobody’s been as consistently entratining as Green–not by a long shot. Each outing, the Canadian reinforces how significantly the company fumbled her first run … and the wise investment that was bargaining her back.

Whether with Sonya Deville (get well soon!) or Piper Niven, Greens redefined the Women’s tag title scene. She’s almost single-handedly reinvigorated interest, her gloriously grating personality offering reasons beyond the belts for challengers to line up. 

[Piper Niven & Chelsea Green]

From Nattie Neidhart and any partner she chooses to former NXT Women’s tag champs Katana Chance & Kayden Carter, Green and Co. have reignited the once-flailing division. For that alone, Adam Pearce, you should give Chelsea anything she demands!

In so many ways, Green reminds me of another irritating yet skilled in-ring competitor, capable of elevating any partner. Ella Envy’s been NWA World Women’s tag champ with three different members of Pretty Empowered.  While the group’s primary focus is recently crowned NWA World Women’s champion Kenzie Paige, Envy is the backbone–a comedic genius who makes any pairing fresh and fun.

In Green and Envy, two very capable grapplers anchor their respective divisions. The future of women’s tag wrestling feels secure–and I couldn’t be happier!

FEEL THE POWERRR

Speaking of the NWA, any who haven’t seen recent Powerrr broadcasts are missing out. In season 15, the National Wrestling Alliance flagship is again firing on all cylinders.

With a more polished look, revamped entrances, and a plethora of rising stars and long-time favorites. Powerrr serves great action and larger-than-life personalities–yours truly included. Airing Tuesdays at 6:05 pm ET on YouTube, NWA Powerrr is one of the fastest-paced wrestling offerings going today! 

[spider-gem]

SKsjsjs I was gonna say how unfair it was that u have polls and I didn't. Then I realized I didn't even know what the poll button looked like, and now that I do I just noticed I've had this feature for a week and a few days

heheheheheh the things I can do with this

Go wild! We now have uNLIMITED POWERRR

[louthingg]

if it makes you feel better here are some of my stupidest ones:

“bust a nuuuut” in a sing song voice

“…….a fish taco ?” from supernatural

“YOURE THE MAAAAAAN BUT I GOT THE I GOT THE I GOT THE POWERRR” i sing this one. full of riffs and everything. help

“i have screamed until my veins collapse i’ve waited out my times elapse now all i do is live with so much fate” from a slip knot song. i sound high and emo whenever my brain chooses this one.

they’re all extremely stupid. you’re not alone in the Stupid Vocal Stim Club.

FOR FUCKS SAKE

my echolalia has latched onto "now pu-pu-pu-pu-pump it up and back it up like a Tonka truck" from on the floor by jennifer lopez.

i cant stop saying it it sounds so stupid. help 😭😭😭

[eulaliasims]

This sweater Goat retextured is really cute, and I wanted it as a default for eftopsweaterset, so much so that I sat down and spent an afternoon learning how to default clothes. Doesn't it look so cute and cozy?

Download

Credit: EA, @goatskickin for the cool recolors, @keoni-chan for the original conversion & @deedee-sims for the age conversion

[skelltan]

Indie Promotion Round Up - Edition 1 Part 1 - NWA Powerrr

Throughout the years, wrestling has had its peaks and inclines. While you may have Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and D-Generation X tearing it up in WWE, you may also have your Kennel from Hell, Gerald Briscoe vs Pat Patterson evening gown match or Trish Stratus being force to bark like a dog.

2019 was no exception. I personally think it was a pretty great year to be a wrestling fan, from Kofimania in the WWE, NXT getting favourable reviews, and the inception of AEW. Sure, they weren’t without their hitches – Kofi’s title run ending in him getting squashed by Brock Lesnar or AEW’s growing pains, but I think it marked the start of something great with what would happen in the following years.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not here to talk about WWE or AEW. I’m no even here to talk about NJPW or IMPACT. No, I’m talking about some of the lesser known promotions – namely MLW and NWA.

Both revitalised themselves in 2017, giving the American wrestling scene a few other shows to keep an eye on as they progressed. MLW was a previously short lived promotion that emerged in 2002 as a spiritual successor to ECW, down to having Joey Styles on commentary and featuring the likes of The Sandman, Raven, Sabu and other notable names, while the NWA is a long living promotion who’s history is a bit confusing, but basically, it once had the most prestigious title in all of wrestling, but has since fallen in prestige somewhat. Oh yeah, also, Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins bought it.

These two companies would have their ups and downs, from NWA featuring talent such as Thunder Rosa, Eddie Kingston and Ricky Starks before they moved onto AEW while MLW had names like Darby Allin, MJF and the Lucha Bros. But where are they now? I’ve heard rumblings about both companies, but never found the time to sit down to watch them and see just what they’re all about. Well, that’s abou to change. Join me as I explore just what is happening in MLW and NWA after the fallout of their (as of writing) most recent PPVs.

I guess I may as well start off with the elephant in the room and have a glimpse at the NWA. They’re coming fresh off their “Hard Times” PPV, where, most notably, they put the world title on Tyrus. Tyrus, for those of you who do not know, is a man who was known for his time in WWE as “The Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay. He was a man who danced and… was a dinosaur. I guess. It’s not as cool as it sounds, trust me. In that role, he was never really relevant, nor was he world champion material – let alone now, 8 years after his “prime”, if you even want to call it that.

He also is a raunch conservative, constantly showing up on Fox News and has a sexual assault allegation against him. So, y’know. Great champion material. Anyways, the NWA has 2 main shows, both streaming on youtube. NWA Powerrr, which is their main show, and NWA USA, which focuses on the junior heavyweights. I think for this series(?) I’ll look at an episode of Powerrr, an episode of MLW Fusion (MLW’s main, and only, show, also youtube exclusive) and an episode of NWA USA.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into NWA Powerrr, season 11, episode 1.

---

We’re live from the Sigur Center in Chalmette, Lousiana. Kyle Davis – huh? Is this guy the fused form of Aussie Open? Anyways, he’s an official at NWA, and our host. He welcomes us and brings Tyrus down to the ring. Tyrus himself is from Lousiana so I guess they also wanted him to be a hometown hero.

As he makes his way to the ring, there are some jester masks and such – because it’s Lousiana! I don’t know if this is part of the arena or the NWA themselves designed this but it helps the arena stand out.

We hear from one of our commentators – the commentary team is Joe Galli, Velvet Sky and Tim Storm. Joe informs us this is the start of the “Idolmania Sports Management era”. Well, ok, there’s something I didn’t know. Wrestling legend Austin Idol leads a faction that Tyrus is apart of. I’m guessing they’re the top heel group? Strictly Business was last time I was watching, but Nick Aldis left the NWA, so I guess this is their replacement.

Joe also mentions the Revolution Rumble, which I’m guessing is just the name of this slew of episodes, but also Powerrr Trip? Haven’t heard of it. At this point I glanced at the likes and dislikes and realised they were even, 1.5k a piece. Anyhow, Velvet Sky lets us know Idolmania has all the gold, which made me look it up. As of this episode, two other members of Idolmania held gold – Cyon with the National Championship (which is one of the midcard belts) and Jordan Clearwater with the Television Championship (the other midcard belt). I don’t know why there are 2 midcard belts.

I guess I’ll start a rant. People rant about how AEW or WWE has too many titles, but they serve a purpose. Sure, I’m not a fan of AEW having multiple midcard belts, but at least the ROH are for ROH whenever that relaunches, and the All Atlantic title has a vaguely international theme to it. But the NWA has a world title, two midcard belts, two tag team belts, two cruiserweight belts, women’s belt and women’s tag belts. For a company with a roster as small as the NWA, that’s too many damn belts.

Anyway, rant over. One of these guys is wearing a Ric Flair esque robe, another is a luchador. They don’t look like they fit together. Realizing I’m going to have to listen to a Tyrus promo, I now regret my decision to start this series.

Austin Idol sounds old as fuck and curses out Kyle Davis. He also refers to the Ric Flair looking guy as “the golden boy with the golden toy”. There’s a free innuendo for you. Kyle won me over by saying “I’m glad you found the hard cam” as Austin spins around to face said hard cam as he yells.

The group does a bit of a promo, not a lot to say but Tyrus calls out possible challengers. Matt Cardona, EC3, Thom Latimer. Apparently Cyon and Jordan Clearwater can cash in for the world title at any time? Sounds a bit broken, but ok.

I won’t lie, I wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, but Powerrr only runs for about 40 minutes a week, so luckily they had time constraints as to not overstay their welcome.

--

We cut to the intro. NWA Powerrr used to have Into the Fire by Dokken as a theme – which actually got me to watch the Nightmare on Elm Street series and got me into horror movies. But now it’s a generic insrumental guitar song. Alright.

Anyways, time for the first match. Mims is here. He’s apparently the number 1 contender for the television title. He has an alright look, I hope he can back it up in the ring. Oh, he’s challenging for the Television Title right now. Alright. Well, it’s Jordan Clearwater, the Flair wannabe who stayed in the ring from the first segment, vs Mims. Maybe Mims can show us why he’s hot.

Joe Galli informs us there’s a 6:05 minute time limit for this match, as there is for all TV title matches? I have no idea if this is founded in history or they just picked a random time limit, but it’s a weird number anyways.

Clearwater is a chickenly heel and tries to run from Mims and stalls for time. Mims pushes him over, though. Clearwater gets back up, does some taunts, and threatens to leave, but Mims takes him by the hair and headbutts him.

Mims charges at Clearwater in the corner but gets a poke to the eye and hits him with… ok, I’m a wrestling fan, I’m not a commentator. I don’t know all the moves, but commentary doesn’t call it, so I’ll just say he slams him.

Clearwater takes control briefly, but Mims gets some hits on Clearwater – though that doesn’t last long as Clearwater takes control again and goes for a pin, but Mims kicks out at 1. Clearwater taunts the crowd to cheer for Mims.

He then whips Mims into the corner. Mims gets some more hits on Clearwater. Clearwater hits Mims with a suplex for a two count. He whips Mims again, but Mims goes for a sunset flip and hits it. Clothesline to Mims, however, for another two count.

Clearwater than gets a headlock on Mims, but Mims fights out. Mims hits a clothesline and back elbow combo and goes off the ropes but gets a big boot from Clearwater. Clearwater goes for the pin, but the time limit runs out.

This counts as a victory for Clearwater and is the 1st of 7 wins which will allow him to cash in the title to challenge for the world title. Ok, so Tyrus didn’t say the rules clearly. Anyways, I thought Mims might get a rematch – and hey, he might – but because of that 7 wins rule, I get the feeling they’re gonna want to move on.

It wasn’t a particularly great showing for either man, though I’ll chalk that up to the time limit. It made the match and having to structure it quite awkward, so we’re left with them trying to work a longer match in a short amount of time, so it doesn’t feel complete. I didn’t really get a feel for Mims as a wrestler and all I gleamed from Clearwater is he’s a coward. Hopefully they have better showings in the future.

--

There’s an ad for Austin Idol’s wrestling school. Then we’re back to the ring, a match with a 15 minute time limit. Alright, that’s more sensible. Anyways, here’s Ryan Davidson vs Odinson. Ryan looks a bit generic and is apparently from the Wildcat promotion, which they hype up, but I’ve never heard of it, so. His opponent, Odinson, I guess has a Norse mythology gimmick. He looks the part, at least. The chains look a bit out of place, but hey, it stands out.

Joe says he sprayed “the purpose” into his mouth – so I’m guessing he does some kind of green mist variation too? (Hi. This is editor skelltan. Coming back to this, I just realized this is never once relevant in this match.) Ryan here is apparently the longest reigning Wildcat champ, over 900 days. Let’s see how he does, then.

The two lock up. Odinson takes him to the corner, but Ryan fights out and pummels Odinson in the corner. He whips him to the other corner, and spins around – he looks a bit lost, as if he was expecting Odinson to run back and get hit with a back elbow? But continues running, getting hit with a big boot and clothesline. Odin hits an uppercut and sliding lariat on him for a cover and two count.

He lands a knee on Ryan, and two uppercuts in the corner before walking him around the ring for more uppercuts. He charges at Ryan in the corner twice, going for a spear but Ryan dodges. Ryan goes for the Manhattan drop and a scoop slam. He his the ropes and lands an elbow for a one count. Ryan gets Odinson in the corner and atacks him. He then gestures to the crowd, getting them to cheer and continues the attack on Odinson.

Odinson hits Ryan with a forearm and they jockey for position, hitting a DDT (at least according to Velvey Sky) that focuses on Odinson’s arm. Ryan continues working the left arm with a submission. The crowd gets behind Odinson to power out and hit a dropkick. Odinson then sells the arm a bit.

Odinson charges at Ryan in the corner, gets him to the other corner and charges again. He then goes for a torture rack but can’t hold it – Odinson then goes for a big boot and uppercut for a 2. Odinson goes back to the torture rack, but again can’t quite get it – Ryan hits him with a power slam for a 2 count. Ryan takes off an elbow pad and tries to go for something, but Odinson hits him with the pounce for the win.

Ryan looked a little awkward as I alluded to, but Odinson looked pretty good in my eyes. Obviously I’m not saying he’s anywhere near his level, but in terms of in ring style he reminded me a bit of Claudio Castignoli, what with the power moves and uppercuts. There was actually psychology in this match and the pace was much better than the opener and both men got some stuff in. Again, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a match of the year by any definition, but better than the opener and not that bad.

--

We then go backstage, where May Valentine interviews a man who’ll be in the main event – Aron Stevens. Like Tyrus, Aron Stevens is a castoff from the 2010s WWE midcard. He was known as Damien Sandow and was a henchman for The Miz and had an impersonation gimmick. I only got into wrestling in 2019, so I never got a chance to see him, but people actually thought he was funny in his impersonator role and thought he had potential – he also held the tag titles once and the Money in the Bank, though he failed to cash it in against John Cena.

Anyways, here’s Aron Stevens. Apparently he’s retired and May Valentine is his girlfriend. I don’t know if this is a work or he’s seriously stepping down from in ring action. He’s a little hammy and mildly entertaining. He’s no Eddie Kingston, but I’ve seen far worse promos.

We get another ad this time for the NWA merch shop.

Aron makes his entrance, but cuts a promo, again stating he’s retired and is a manager now, but is still gonna do this match. Apparently he has to or he’ll lose his manager license? He didn’t get that over in the promos, but alright.

Kratos is announced as “the most swagged”? He looks like a poor man’s Luke Gallows, which isn’t a good look. He’s also got garishly bright Hulk Hogan-esque red and yellow gear. He looks terrible. Commentary alludes to a story – Aron Stevens is friends with a masked wrestler called The Question Mark who’s identity is well known. I think I read Aron played one of them but there was another not played by him and the two fought? I dunno.

Anyways, Kyle says “due to the controversy of the black glove” that Aron Stevens is wearing, he must take off his glove or he’ll be disqualified. Very odd phrasing, but anyways, he takes something out of the glove and into his pockets. Underneath, he has another glove – a rubber one. Aron calls for a time out, though, and claims to not have a professional wrestling license, so he can’t wrestle, and says because he’s a manager, Kratos will be fined, suspended and gone.

Aron then beats down Kratos and then says his wrestler’s license is still valid. Kratos hits Aron with a big knee, though. He rolls Aron out of the ring and atacks him, and continues the atack in the ring. He tries to rip off Aron’s shirt. Kratos hits a release suplex. Some masked guys hit Kratos, and that’s the match.

I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Kratos work, but I didn’t get a chance to, so for all I know he’s alright. But yeah, in terms of in ring action and as our main event, that wasn’t great. But it served for an angle, anyways, so let’s hope it’s a good angle.

The Question Mark 2 comes to the ring – this is the one that faced Aron who was the other Question Mark, I guess, but he gets beat up. Aron puts his glove back on and puts something in the glove – I’m guessing something metal, and punches Kratos. The crew then beat up Question Mark 2 and pose.

So, that’s our first episode of NWA Powerrr in the bag. It wasn’t terrible, but if not for this series/my morbid curiosity, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this. We still have to wait for a payoff for the main event angle, and Idolmania were whatever, but Odinson was alright, so I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him. Otherwise, I don’t have much positive to say, other than it wasn’t terrible.

Want to read more? Continue here!

[wrestlingisfake]

Mania Weekend: Friday April 1

This is part 2 of my rundown of the minor-league shows streaming from Dallas this weekend. (See part 1 here.) There are a lot of shows going on, and I'm seeing new matches announced right up the last minute. For the latest, check out each promotion's Twitter feed.

LA Fights vs. JCW

12pm EDT (11am CDT) - $9.99 on Fite or part of The Collective bundle (12 shows for $139.99)

LA Fights is a Los Angeles-based indy promotion created last year as a sort of subsidiary to GCW. The idea is to build up West Coast indy talent in the same way GCW's New Jersey group JCW does. So now they're going to fight. Most of the names on this show would be prelim wrestlers on a GCW show, so don't expect a lot of star power.

The main attraction (for me, anyway) is a 7-on-7 elimination tag match, although I can't find a list of all the participants' names.

Zicky Dice's Trouble in Paradise 2

2pm EDT (1pm CDT) - Free on Twitch.tv/zickydice

Remember that weird Zicky Dice guy from NWA Powerrr a few years ago? Well, he's a prelim guy on Impact! And also now he runs his own indy shows. I missed the first one, but this one has a bear, so I gotta check it out this time. And you can't beat the price...

Rich Swann vs. Scotty 2 Hotty

Masha Slamovich vs. a bear

EFFY vs. Mike Bailey

Lince Dorado vs. Black Taurus

and more!

GCW: For the Culture 3

4pm EDT (3pm CDT) - $13.99 on Fite or part of The Collective bundle (12 shows for $139.99)

This is GCW's showcase for Black wrestlers on the independent scene. If you're bummed out about AEW cutting Big Swole or WWE cutting Hit Row, then you ought to check this show out because they're all on it.

Impact women's world title: Tasha Steelz vs. Big Swole

Rich Swann vs. JTG

AJ Francis (Top Dolla) & Tehuti Miles (Ashante Thee Adonis) vs. Shane Taylor & O'Shay Edwards

Trish ADora vs. MJ Jenkins

and more!

NJPW STRONG: Lone Star Shootout

6pm EDT (5pm CDT) - $14.99 on Fite or part of the WrestleCon bundle ($74.99 for 5 shows)

I've completely lost track of New Japan's US branch, but they seem to be carrying on quite well as they emerge from the closed-set shows. This isn't a blowaway card by New Japan stards, but the intrigue of Killer Kross starting his post-WWE career by calling out Minoru Suzuki is enough to get me interested.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Chris Dickinson

Jay White vs. Mike Bailey

Minoru Suzuki vs. Killer Kross

and more!

ROH: Supercard of Honor

8pm EDT (7pm CDT) - $29.99 on Fite

This is arguably the centerpiece of the non-WWE programming in Dallas this weekend, if only because it's ROH's first show under the ownership of AEW's Tony Khan. Everyone will be looking for any clue what ROH's future will look like. For an ROH pay-per-view, the card is remarkably all-killer, no-filler. But the main attraction is going to be the hype for any potential surprise announcements.

ROH men's world title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Bandido

ROH tag title: Jay Briscoe & Mark Brsicoe vs. Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler

interim ROH women's world title: Mercedes Martinez vs. Willow Nightingale

ROH pure title: Josh Woods vs. Wheeler YUTA

Swerve Strickland vs. Alex Zayne

and more!

GCW: Gringo Loco's The Wrld on Lucha

8:30pm EDT (7:30 pm CDT) - $13.99 on Fite or part of The Collective bundle (12 shows for $139.99)

GCW always seems to have a token lucha match on their big shows, and they're always wild and crazy. So here is a show full of nothing but lucha matches. I think the main draw here is Psycho Clown vs. Dr. Wagner Jr., in that they got into a (possibly real?) fistfight during a GCW show a couple of months ago.

Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Psycho Clown

Johnny Caballero (John Morrison) vs. Jack Cartwheel

Laredo Kid & Rey Horus & ASF vs. Gringo Loco & Flamita & Abismo Nego Jr.

Psicosis vs. Tony Deppen

and more!

Impact Wrestling: Multiverse of Matches

9pm EDT (8pm CDT) - $19.99 on Fite or part of the WrestleCon bundle ($74.99 for 5 shows)

Impact isn't as big as AEW, and it isn't as hot as GCW, and its future isn't as fascinating as that of ROH. But the one thing they've got going for them is that they've been right in the middle of a lot of "forbidden door" crossover stuff, so the name of this show is a savvy marketing move. This is probably going to be an underrated show.

Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder) & Chelsea Green vs. Mickie James & Nick Aldis

Josh Alexander & JONAH (Bronson Reed) vs. Moose & PCO

Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Eddie Edwards

and more!

GCW: Joey Janela's Spring Break 6, Part 2

12:59am EDT (11:59pm CDT) - $19.99 on Fite or part of The Collective bundle (12 shows for $139.99)

The main attraction here is the return of the Clusterfuck battle royale, where Janela tries to book as many goofy surprise entrants as possible. So far I've seen the Invisible Man and Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp announced for the show. It will probably get weirder.

Clusterfuck battle royale

Minoru Suzuki vs. EFFY

Matt Cardona vs. Chris Dickinson

Tony Deppen vs. Biff Busick (Oney Lorcan)

PCO vs. Mike Bailey

and more?