Category: Wrestling Musings

All posts related to pro rasslin’ that isn’t covering specific shows or events.

I Genuinely Don't Care About Ring Of Honor

Your weekly PPV Musings has been put on hiatus because I don’t feel like talking about PPVs anymore. So in its place, I’ll fill the void with some other stuff… such as today’s piece on why I don’t care about Ring Of Honor.

I’m going to clarify that I’m not talking about Ring Of Honor as a whole; my exposure to the promotion during its active years has been minimal, but the few shows that I would watch – be it the Best Of shows that would air on the Fight Network or the rare PPV show – I had enjoyed tremendously. It was never a product that I followed closely, but every so often, I would check out whenever I can.
Ring Of Honor had been around for two decades and when word broke that the promotion would be undergoing a restructuring hiatus, I was somewhat concerned yet unsurprised. The past couple years have been a trying period with the whole pandemic and some companies have struggled to stay afloat while others vanished into the ether. Ring Of Honor plodded along as best as it could, but realized it needed to change. Some assumed that the company would be going out of business. Given that all contracts were null and void – allowing talent to go anywhere else – the possibility was more than likely.
And then one day, on an episode of AEW Dynamite, president and CEO Tony Khan announces that he had acquired Ring Of Honor. Everyone rejoiced. ROH was saved and it was under the ownership of someone who was a fan of the sport and would carry on the legacy of Ring Of Honor. Then the first PPV of the new era, Supercard of Honor, took place and it was a good show. People were hyped and excited.
And then ROH titles and stars started appearing on AEW television. Okay, fine. We need to keep the brand alive until we can get a TV deal. And we can still do the occasional PPV event; Death By Dishonor was the other show they did… didn’t watch it, but I’ve heard good things.
And then ROH titles and stars continued to appear on AEW television… while the guys signed to AEW who were really hot signings that people were excited about seeing was nowhere to be found.
Where the fuck is Miro?
It seems like as time went on, more time was devoted to ROH talent and storylines rather than spotlighting AEW stars on the AEW show that the AEW audience was watching. And the more often I would see ROH on my screen, the more I started to not care about ROH. Because at the end of the day, I watch AEW programming for AEW matches, stars, and stories. That’s the brand I’m interested in, not this half-baked ROH zombie that you’re keeping on life support until you find a TV deal.
Where the fuck is Miro?
So this past weekend, AEW held its final Ring Of Honor PPV of the year. I did not watch it. I’ve heard good things about the show, but I wasn’t interested. (I did see the post-PPV press conference and man, was that a fucking embarrassmentTo be honest with you, I haven’t watched a single AEW PPV since Double Or Nothing. And the funny thing about that is that I not only didn’t watch the shows, but I don’t even know that they’re on until the day of or long after the fact. It’s no secret that AEW is in a bit of a creative lull and there’s a lot of things that needs to be fixed.
This ROH thing is one of them.
Looks like there’s good news on that front; Tony Khan announced that there’s going to be a weekly ROH show… on the ROH Honor Club subscription service and nowhere else. Not exactly sure how that’s a positive in that you have to pay for your weekly fix of ROH, but hey, as long as it gets ROH off my AEW television and we can start bringing back some of that neglected AEW talent, I’ll all for it.
I know I’ve been down on this ROH thing. I’m not the only one, as many people have voiced similar concerns over the overabundance of ROH on AEW. Maybe someday, I’ll be a fan of ROH when it’s its own thing and not something that’s part of the AEW show. I don’t know.
That’s all I’ve got.
Later.
P.S. – Where the fuck is Miro?

How Long Before I’m Accused Of Being An Anti-AEW Bot?

So let me get this straight…

CM Punk – your AEW World Champion – returned to TV last week and clashed with Jon Moxley – your interim AEW World Champion and last night, the two had a bit of a kerfluffle if you will. This match to unify both belts is supposed to be a big deal. Jim Ross went so far to say on his podcast that this could be the biggest match in AEW history. Clearly, if there was a bonafine main event for your big All Out PPV that’s coming in three weeks, this would be it.

So why in the blue hell would you book that match next week on Dynamite… FOR FREE?

I think ol’ TK is starting to lose his marbles. Just when you think things are on the up and up with some good shows, there’s a couple whacko decisions that make me wonder what the fuck. This PPV is in three weeks and they haven’t done much of a good job of building this bloody thing. Give me a reason to watch this show, is what I’m saying.

I’m not upset enough to throw up the Corny Face… but was I ever tempted here.

On the bright side, Danielson/Garcia was top-notch.

THQnordiq Shows Off AEW Video Game With MINIGAMES!

The newest trailer for the upcoming AEW Fight Forever – featuring MINIGAMES – is here.
Looks more arcade-y compared to the other ones, so it’ll probably be easier to pick up and play. I’m not too crazy about the minigames; they look silly and I hope they’re not part of the career mode. Other than that, it looks okay.
I know some concerns have been raised about the graphics, but that’s not a concern. The concern is how the game plays and if it plays great, then the game could look like dog shit for all I care. We’ll see what happens when this game eventually comes out.

Lana Cries Foul At Brock Lesnar Not Being Buried Because He's A Professional

Source: https://rajah.com/node/cj-lana-perry-calls-out-wwe-giving-brock-lesnar-special-treatment-compared-sasha-banks-naomi

Reposting a comment I left on the article:
“What’s the difference between Brock walking out and Sasha and Naomi walking out?”

Drawing and star power aside, Brock came back and did his job, thus making him a professional in their eyes. Sasha and Naomi didn’t. Anyone with one-eighth of a functioning brain could figure this out even if they don’t agree with it.

Oh, by the way, remember when Steve Austin walked out in 2002 because he didn’t want to job to Brock Lesnar? Because I do. And I don’t remember him getting special treatment. He got suspended, buried, and had domestic issues. He eventually came back, but that was months after the fact.

If Sasha and Naomi come back, it’ll be water under the bridge. If not, then it won’t.
There’s having your girls’ backs and there’s being a brain-dead idiot. And unfortunately, she’s not the only one who has this mindset.

Random Thoughts On Vince McMahon’s Retirement

So if you didn’t catch the news this past Friday afternoon – July 22nd, 2022 – Vincent Kennedy McMahon, 77, had announced his retirement from WWE, stepping down from all responsibilities including CEO, Chairman, and head of WWE Creative. The news came amid a series of allegations directed towards McMahon regarding hush money payouts to various female employees regarding personal favors, if you get my drift.

There is a lot to process here and quite frankly, even a couple days after the fact, I’m still trying to find the right words that convey how I feel about this. Regardless of whether the allegations are true or not – and part of me feels that this is Vince making the move to get out of WWE on his terms before external forces would’ve pushed him out if things didn’t go his way – the fact that Vince is actually, honest to god, retiring – as a shoot, brutha – is something that many have thought would never happen. Everyone figured Vince would keep doing this until he very much died… and then found a way to cheat death and run WWE from beyond the grave.

Fact is, if this scandal hadn’t been brought up, he still could very well have been. I say that without a hint of malice or benevolence; just what I believe deep down is the truth. Vince McMahon’s life was WWE, everything he did revolved around WWE, and trying to picture him retired and out of the public eye while WWE is still a thing is almost akin to division by zero; it’s impossible to picture.

And yet, here we are.

There is a lot you can say about Vince McMahon. Some have called him a father figure. Others have called him an asshole. Some have referred to him as a creative genius. Others consider him to be out of touch. Some know him as the man who took his father’s regional wrestling promotion and turned it into a global brand in sports entertainment and beyond. Others have decried him for making a mockery of the sports of professional wrestling. Some will bring up some of the good that he has done over the decades while others will accuse him of things more scandalous than others.

There is, indeed, a lot to say about Vince McMahon. But when all is said and done, one thing remains absolutely crystal clear; there will only ever be one Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Anyone else coming up in the wrestling business will never be able to match up to the incredible life and career that this man has had. They can try, but it’s never going to happen.

One will undoubtedly wonder what WWE will be like now that Vince is gone… and that is another story for another time. For now, all I will say is… Thanks for the memories, Vince. You may have slipped off the wagon in recent years, but it was your product and your performances that made me a regular fan of this genre of entertainment and for that, you have my thanks. Wish all the best in all your future endeavors.

P.S. So now that Vince is gone, does that mean Maria Kanellis is open to coming back to WWE?

P.P.S. Can we start digging up some shit on Kevin Dunn so he can step down and we can have a show that doesn’t look like shit? You can have anybody behind the wheel on creative, but if the camera work and production looks like amateur hour, what does it matter?

P.P.P.S. Congratulations to Tony Khan for being the longest tenured CEO in sports entertainment today. Keep up the good work. (I assume check’s in the mail?)

P.P.P.P.S. Don’t be surprised if this whole thing ultimately blows over and Vince comes back better than ever or however that goes. It’s wrestling, after all. Retirement is another word for extended sabbatical.

P.P.P.P.P.S. I’ve got nothing else. Go away.

Hell Freezes Over As Vince McMahon Retires… For Real

Source: https://corporate.wwe.com/investors/news/press-releases/2022/07-22-2022-210511643

Well… that was a thing that happened.
Seriously, I just got back home a short while ago and this popped up.
So, um… yeah… I guess all it takes a couple dozen allegations to take down the king.
I’ll come up with a proper thing down the road.

No Review Today, Pausing On Dynamites

I’m currently in the dumps… as in I’m writing this blog post on my laptop while in the john and it’s been tremendous fun waiting for the drizzle to stop. It’s that time of year where I’m currently having to put up with some timely bowel pains. Nothing that a few choice medicines can’t fix, but it has taken a toll on the fun stuff that I usually post on this here blog. So today’s regularly scheduled review has been pushed back to Monday and we’ll just continue from there.

As far as Dynamite musings are concerned… yeah, I’m going to pause on those. To be honest with you, I missed the last episode this week, only managing to catch Wardlow’s TNT title win as well as the Christian Cage/Matt Hardy interactions. From all accounts, it was a nothing happening episode of Dynamite with some good wrestling, but nothing important happened. They’re apparently building towards the next ROH PPV, which probably means a bunch of stuff to try and convince people to buy this show. I’m wondering if this is AEW’s way of getting more PPVs on the cycle without actually booking more AEW PPVs on the cycle.
Personally, I’m not all that interested in ROH and quite frankly, if that’s where the focus is going to be, then I might as well give the show a rest for a little while. The fact is that I want to watch AEW for the AEW stuff. The stuff with New Japan and ROH does nothing for me. I don’t care if those shows are going to have good wrestling. I can get good wrestling anyway. It’s not something that’s in short supply at the moment.
When AEW is ready to start building towards their All Out PPV and when we’re done having Mox defend the Interim “I’m Just Keeping The Belt Warm Until Punk Comes Back” title against midcard guys, then I’ll jump back on board, but until then, I’m giving this show a rest. I’ll follow second-hand reports, but that’s about as far as I’ll go. I’ve got stuff to do in the coming weeks and I’d rather focus on stuff that I can get into. Don’t worry about me as far as the wrestling goes; I’ve got that covered.

The Forbidden Door Is A Cursed Show

Ever since the AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door show was announced, fans were speculating on all sorts of dream matches that could’ve been booked on this show. And then along came the glutton on injuries and political games that will keep key players from participating. Matches that were written in suddenly found themselves changed around due to the lack of said players.

Instead of CM Punk defending his newly won AEW World Champion against Tanahashi, we’ve got the Ace and Jon Moxley fighting for the interim AEW Title… which basically means whoever wins is just keeping the belt warm until Punk comes back and they can have a match for the “undisputed” title or whatever. Instead of Hangman Page and Okada going at it for the IWGP title, we’re getting a four-way match. Speaking of four ways, we’ve got another one to crown another AEW singles title nobody wanted. A bunch of multi-person tag matches. And a women’s title match between Thunder Rosa defending against Toni Storm, which seems to be tacked on just for the sake of having a women’s match on this show.
Look, I was on the fence about this one before, but the ever-changing card, along with the lackluster build to make this show worthwhile to anyone who doesn’t already have that New Japan hard-on, is making this the first AEW show that I have no qualms about skipping. I’m sure it’ll be a great show with lots of great wrestling, but like I said on the other post, I can get great wrestling just about anywhere these days. If you’re going to convince me to spend $50 on this show, I need more than just the promise of great wrestling. I need a reason to care. And I didn’t get that up to this point.
To all the people watching this show tonight, I hope you all enjoy it and who knows? Maybe somewhere down the road, I’ll give it a shot if I’ve got some cash to spare down the road. Right now, however, I ain’t feeling it and I am more than content to skip out on this one and wait for the All Out PPV come September.

A Quick Note Regarding This Weekend’s Forbidden Door PPV

Well, last night was another edition of AEW Dynamite and by proxy, the go-home show for this weekend’s upcoming Forbidden Door PPV where AEW wrestlers will face off against New Japan wrestlers and a couple titles will be on the line on top of that.

I will not be watching that show.
Here’s the thing. I like the AEW schedule of having four PPVs a year; it makes them feel special. And after years of monthly WWE PPVs with most of them not being worth it, I don’t have the stomach to put up with another minor PPV a month after the last one. But perhaps the one thing that drove me to my decision is the lack of sufficient built towards this show. I watch AEW on a regular basis, but my exposure to New Japan has been extremely limited. I know names, I know faces, but that’s about the extent of it. So I thought that AEW would take the time to introduce some of these names and help the AEW audience unfamiliar with New Japan and give that audience some emotional investment and reason to care about this upcoming Forbidden Door.
I did not get that.
As someone who doesn’t watch New Japan, I didn’t have the handicap of coming up with dream matches and scenarios that more than likely were not going to happen on this first (or possibly only) collaborative PPV. The appeal of such a crossover piqued my curiosity, but that’s about all it did. Naturally, the thought of another PPV so soon after Double Or Nothing gave me pause and while I wasn’t holding lofty expectations for the final card, the one thing I needed – a reason to care enough to buy this show – was the one thing I didn’t get.
No doubt some folks will argue that whatever the card ends up being, it’ll be a great wrestling show and I have no doubt that will be the case. AEW is capable of putting out great wrestling product and New Japan has certainly proven itself more than capable of putting out a wrestling product leagues above its contemporaries. The thing is that we live in an age where we can get good wrestling anywhere and everywhere. There’s plenty of streaming services, plenty of tapes and DVDs floating around out there, and hell, there’s some free good matches you can look up on Youtube that are legally broadcast for the masses to see. I don’t need this show for my fix of good wrestling.
But what I do need is a reason to care, a reason to get invested, a reason to spark that interest that will prompt me to buy this show. A bunch of multi-man matches and two guys competing for the right to keep the AEW World title warm while current champ CM Punk is out of action is not exactly setting my world on fire. And don’t get me started on that whole All Atlantic International World Global Legends Western States Heritage Big Gold Super Heavy Metal Weight World Championship thing.
This is the first AEW PPV that I’ll be skipping and as such, there will be no PPV musings on the show as a result. I’ll find something else to ramble about in its place and if not, we’ll skip a week in this case and we’ll dive into the WCW stuff in July. I doubt I’m going to ruin everyone’s day with this overblown “I’m not watching” announcement, but if someone is wondering where that Forbidden Door musings is at, stop wondering because there isn’t one.
Maybe down the road, I’ll change my tune. But not anytime soon. And if you’re watching the show, I hope you enjoy it. I’ll be doing something else this long weekend.