Showing posts with label pro wrestling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pro wrestling. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Some Thoughts on John Cena
Was such a huge fan of him when he was like this, but that Cena's long gone. His first rap against Rock was entertaining, but to expect him to rap like in this video now is like expecting Raven (who has a family now) to have the same mystique that he had in his ECW days.
After Raw last Monday night, I think it'd be best for him to be a tweener who expresses gratitude for those who still believe in "Hustle Loyalty Respect" while questioning those who cheer for stars who walk in and out of the business as they please.
I had been a fan of the idea of a full-blown heel turn just as much as the next guy for awhile, but even if it made business sense it'd be doomed to be compared to Hogan's for all of eternity.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sami Callihan's Rising Star: If I Were WWE...
Earlier today I was blown away yet again by a Sami Callihan promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX1fCLEQ2JM). The eerie atmosphere he creates is quite refreshing, and gets me hyped-up for whatever he's about to do. Unless he gets picked up by one of the Big Two soon (which I consider to be a very real possibility), I could really seem him making a big impact on the indy scene along with his former tag partner Jon Moxley.
Fantasy Booking: Based on what I've been hearing about CM Punk's Nexus, Callihan would be a perfect fit for it. At some point later in the group's run Punk has had the WWE title for a good while. When Sami starts getting over via a Batista-like push, the Nexus start losing important matches, perhaps briefly costing Punk the title. Punk orders Callihan and another member to square off to determine who leaves the faction. When Callihan loses, Punk sternly enforces the order in spite of Sami's resistance, but begins to telegraph a small amount of intimidation as the Straight-Edge leader does so. On his way out of the arena, Callihan wrecks objects such as the announce table computers, and is not seen again for some time. A promo like the DGUSA one mentioned earlier surfaces (again that's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX1fCLEQ2JM, DG factions = Punk's Nexus) to put an awesome spin on the "I'm taking you out one-by-one" formula. Sami starts jumping Nexus, brutally beating-down members as the scared-as-shit Punk watches in despair (Matt Striker: "Switchblade Conspiracy! What has CM Punk unleashed!?"). Of course, it all builds up to a mania progam, highlighted by a promo with a similar vibe to the "number 3" promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIivkjh0IKY). If they fetch him up now, WWE would be able to argue that they made Sami Callihan into a main event star.
EDIT: Forgot that I could embed vids. Here are the promos linked above for those who prefer to watch them in this format. If you liked the old Cactus Jack and Chris Jericho promos, you're in for a treat.:
Thursday, October 14, 2010
My Essay on Indy Wrestling
Sorry for the lack of updates. I tend to be really busy during the school year. Below is an essay I wrote on indy wrestling for my English class.
Professional wrestling is a strange animal in the world of performing arts. Though the masses now recognize that the outcomes of bouts are pre-determined, few seem to understand the reality of the sacrifices these men and women make for their craft. There is no off-season, and much of the time spent outside of the ring is dedicated to training and traveling to the next show. The different styles entail varying amounts of intensity, but injury is difficult to avoid in all of them. Due to the industry's loss of mystique, it has become more popular for performers to "work stiff", or hit with greater force to make a match more believable, shortening career-length expectations. Amongst the most humble of these pro wrestlers are those who work at the independent circuit, which is a collection of smaller pro wrestling promotions that receive limited to no TV time and offer less pay than the larger, mainstream companies. Independent wrestling shows can take place in a variety of venues; from high school gyms to bingo halls. The wrestlers develop their skills and personas there in hopes of becoming stars on a bigger stage, but until then they provide fans with unique experiences that can't be seen elsewhere thanks to the creative freedom that is afforded to them.
Indy wrestling audiences also bring something special to the table in return. As a result of the Internet and DVD trading many of them have been exposed to all kinds of pro wrestling content from around the world, making them difficult to please at times. They'll often respond to mistakes with a roar of "You fucked up!" chants. A wrestler named Brad Allen attracted relentless booing throughout a recent match, especially after tripping when attempting to do an acrobatic maneuver early on. The fan reaction was a bit harsh, but honest and Brad responded in kind by taunting the audience. In a mainstream promotion, Brad would've been reprimanded for not acting strictly as instructed, deterring this spontaneous interaction. This is especially unfortunate because it's become widely understood that pro wrestling's most successful stars channel their real-life personalities to develop their characters. The sight of a large group of people with varying physiques critiquing an individual of athletic build can be unusual to the uninitiated, but the most dedicated persevere and earn so much admiration from the independent wrestling audiences that it becomes inevitable that they find themselves pursued by a bigger company.
Professional wrestling is a strange animal in the world of performing arts. Though the masses now recognize that the outcomes of bouts are pre-determined, few seem to understand the reality of the sacrifices these men and women make for their craft. There is no off-season, and much of the time spent outside of the ring is dedicated to training and traveling to the next show. The different styles entail varying amounts of intensity, but injury is difficult to avoid in all of them. Due to the industry's loss of mystique, it has become more popular for performers to "work stiff", or hit with greater force to make a match more believable, shortening career-length expectations. Amongst the most humble of these pro wrestlers are those who work at the independent circuit, which is a collection of smaller pro wrestling promotions that receive limited to no TV time and offer less pay than the larger, mainstream companies. Independent wrestling shows can take place in a variety of venues; from high school gyms to bingo halls. The wrestlers develop their skills and personas there in hopes of becoming stars on a bigger stage, but until then they provide fans with unique experiences that can't be seen elsewhere thanks to the creative freedom that is afforded to them.
Indy wrestling audiences also bring something special to the table in return. As a result of the Internet and DVD trading many of them have been exposed to all kinds of pro wrestling content from around the world, making them difficult to please at times. They'll often respond to mistakes with a roar of "You fucked up!" chants. A wrestler named Brad Allen attracted relentless booing throughout a recent match, especially after tripping when attempting to do an acrobatic maneuver early on. The fan reaction was a bit harsh, but honest and Brad responded in kind by taunting the audience. In a mainstream promotion, Brad would've been reprimanded for not acting strictly as instructed, deterring this spontaneous interaction. This is especially unfortunate because it's become widely understood that pro wrestling's most successful stars channel their real-life personalities to develop their characters. The sight of a large group of people with varying physiques critiquing an individual of athletic build can be unusual to the uninitiated, but the most dedicated persevere and earn so much admiration from the independent wrestling audiences that it becomes inevitable that they find themselves pursued by a bigger company.
Bryan Danielson is one man who has gained the respect of even the most rowdy of crowds. Always pushing himself, Danielson's matches are filled with displays of athleticism, elements of mixed martial arts (such as submission holds and relentless elbow strikes), and passion. It is almost impossible to not be thrilled as you watch him launch himself back up to a standing position, fist raised to his shoulder, after landing a devastating dropkick from the top of a corner turnbuckle. In an independent promotion, fans begin with a "You're gonna get your fucking head kicked in!" chant (in reference to Bryan's kicks). After a controversial firing during his first experience working there, Danielson has returned to WWE, the largest pro wrestling promotion in the world but is also fulfilling his remaining commitments for independent shows. He is so gracious that he would immediately exit a ring after a grueling match, soaked in sweat, to sign autographs. On many occasions, Bryan has thanked the fans of independent wrestling for "making his career."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
SummerSlam 2010 Review/Thoughts (SPOILER)
EDIT: Removed a note I made to myself when writing this up.
Background: Just to let everyone know, I've had limited exposure to WWE programming due to time constraints. The following are my opinions on the SummerSlam 2010 PPV on its own, not on its build-up, which my awareness of which arrives from the PPV pre-show, discussions with friends, the Raw Viewer's Choice show and bumping into news items while googling).
IC Title match: Solid, but forgettable. Kofi really had the crowd behind him, but he could really use some more direction. Has he done anything since the Orton feud? The Vicky G. + Ziggler pair was quite new to me; I thought WWE had given up pushing Ziggy. Since the IC title wasn't booked very well when I was last watching anyway, I guess the run-in was a fairly wise sacrifice considering how it put over the Nexus and main event.
Miz, Jericho and Edge had a funny segment as the latter two attempted to convince the former into joining Team WWE. The Canadian stars both displayed elements of their old personas, which was a great touch.
Divas Title match: Blah. Melina's new attire made the win a little predictable. I missed the Lay-Cool segment (and possibly the match finish, cuz I don't remember seeing it) to pick up some food. No disrespect to Melina, who has been a great worker who's been hindered by a weak division and a series injuries, but if you want to see real women's wrestling I recommend you check out Kong vs. Martinez at Evolve Wrestling on 9/11 (expect to see more plugs like this, I'm a big fan of the promotion).
Big Show vs. SEE: Standard big-man-dominates-everyone-WWE-ness.
The Miz cut a mind-blowing promo about his participation in Team WWE. It put over the main event in a big way, and reminded me of Homicide in the Ring of Honor vs. CZW feud in ROH. If you see anything on this show make sure it's this. I'll even go as far as to call Miz's performance Rock-like.
WWE Title match: Was going pretty well until the lousy DQ finish. I really liked Orton's Garvin stomps to Sheamus on the ropes and the missed Brogue Kick spot. I'd like to know the name of that ref; he took a throw to the outside and called the DQ when others would pass out after a hit from an irish-whipped participant. Sheamus was surprisingly watchable, but emphasizes too much about his being Irish. Guess that's how they intend to get him heat. I also think that Orton works a bit too hard on his mannerisms as a face, he should just keep doing things the same way that got him face pops in the first place; was nice to see him over anyway. It's been awhile since SummerSlam had a memorable title change, and this could've been it.
World Title match: This was my first time seeing Kane as champion. I always thought he'd remain right in the middle of WWE's totem pole for the rest of his career, squashing all but the most promising mid-carders while being dominated by whoever is in a world title picture. The timing for this reign was kind of odd and there are better workers with higher ROI due the youth factor (especially for Money in the Bank, but that's for another post), and no one really thought the way he was booked to be powerful at the last Wrestlemania MitB would really lead to anything, but I can't say Glenn Jacobs doesn't deserve it as this is his first to go past a single day and considering the good rep he has backstage according to many shoot interviews. Can't say I remember much from the match but Rey-Rey's Lucha rolls when thrown to the outside and crazy flying headbutt to gut. The segment afterwards was a poorly-executed swerve-attempt, but seeing Kane destroy Taker on his return (since when has that ever happened?) all the more solidified 2010 as The Big Red Machine's best year ever.
…and now, for the shock of the night. When Team WWE announced a replacement for Miz, I was so certain that we'd see HHH have a turn with the Royal Rumble '08 miracle and single-handedly squash the Nexus (and if he was in a good mood he would've "needed" the sledgehammer instead of his bear hands). Though I knew for sure it would eventually happen, seeing Bryan Danielson's/Daniel Bryan's early return was inspiring and brought everything full circle since the last time I saw WWE TV was on the fateful Viewer's Choice Raw. Hearing Michael Cole have a personality for a change (this was the first I've seen of the lauded Bryan/Cole feud; heel Cole was my idea!) was also a nice treat. It's just hilarious hearing his remarks that could only come from a moron that's never heard of an indy promotion!
Team WWE vs. The Nexus: While it won't be remembered as a technical clinic, it felt important, had good storytelling and accomplished a couple of big things: namely getting Daniel Bryan over (which is always a big plus) as well as continuing his feud with Miz.
A big gripe I have is how John Cena took out two Nexus members on his own after taking a DDT to the concrete. I thought this was match was supposed to be about talent like Daniel Bryan and the faction from which he dissented from, but I didn't come out of the SummerSlam thinking that anyone was evenly matched with the current company posterboy. If it really wants to give the ball to new stars WWE has to stop making them tap out to the first STF Cena applies to them. Barrett/Cena was supposed to be the big showdown!
All in all from what I've seen, the Nexus angle has been great aside from a couple hiccups like what was mentioned above. Barrett serves as a great mouthpiece and ruthless general for the group, and I like the "You're either Nexus, or against us!" catch phrase. The guy was really over with everyone I watched the show with, and I can see why. Looks like WWE finally found a British star who fits their arbitrary formula well enough for them to get behind and push to the top. I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that he (if anyone) may have a shot at ending Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak.
While my friends and I agreed there wasn't anything special match-wise, I took the show for what it was and enjoyed it. Miz's promo stole the show and Daniel Bryan's return was a sight to behold, the crowd was pretty hot throughout the night, and even Sheamus and Cole were tolerable. The main event had a feeling of importance that you rarely get from big tag matches in WWE these days. However, anyone looking for a serious in-ring product should take a look at the promotion that Daniel Bryan helped to conceive: Evolve Wrestling, where he'll face Japanese talent Munenori Sawa in a card that will also feature Amazing (formerly known as Awesome) Kong on 9/11 in Rahway, NJ.
Background: Just to let everyone know, I've had limited exposure to WWE programming due to time constraints. The following are my opinions on the SummerSlam 2010 PPV on its own, not on its build-up, which my awareness of which arrives from the PPV pre-show, discussions with friends, the Raw Viewer's Choice show and bumping into news items while googling).
IC Title match: Solid, but forgettable. Kofi really had the crowd behind him, but he could really use some more direction. Has he done anything since the Orton feud? The Vicky G. + Ziggler pair was quite new to me; I thought WWE had given up pushing Ziggy. Since the IC title wasn't booked very well when I was last watching anyway, I guess the run-in was a fairly wise sacrifice considering how it put over the Nexus and main event.
Miz, Jericho and Edge had a funny segment as the latter two attempted to convince the former into joining Team WWE. The Canadian stars both displayed elements of their old personas, which was a great touch.
Divas Title match: Blah. Melina's new attire made the win a little predictable. I missed the Lay-Cool segment (and possibly the match finish, cuz I don't remember seeing it) to pick up some food. No disrespect to Melina, who has been a great worker who's been hindered by a weak division and a series injuries, but if you want to see real women's wrestling I recommend you check out Kong vs. Martinez at Evolve Wrestling on 9/11 (expect to see more plugs like this, I'm a big fan of the promotion).
Big Show vs. SEE: Standard big-man-dominates-everyone-WWE-ness.
The Miz cut a mind-blowing promo about his participation in Team WWE. It put over the main event in a big way, and reminded me of Homicide in the Ring of Honor vs. CZW feud in ROH. If you see anything on this show make sure it's this. I'll even go as far as to call Miz's performance Rock-like.
WWE Title match: Was going pretty well until the lousy DQ finish. I really liked Orton's Garvin stomps to Sheamus on the ropes and the missed Brogue Kick spot. I'd like to know the name of that ref; he took a throw to the outside and called the DQ when others would pass out after a hit from an irish-whipped participant. Sheamus was surprisingly watchable, but emphasizes too much about his being Irish. Guess that's how they intend to get him heat. I also think that Orton works a bit too hard on his mannerisms as a face, he should just keep doing things the same way that got him face pops in the first place; was nice to see him over anyway. It's been awhile since SummerSlam had a memorable title change, and this could've been it.
World Title match: This was my first time seeing Kane as champion. I always thought he'd remain right in the middle of WWE's totem pole for the rest of his career, squashing all but the most promising mid-carders while being dominated by whoever is in a world title picture. The timing for this reign was kind of odd and there are better workers with higher ROI due the youth factor (especially for Money in the Bank, but that's for another post), and no one really thought the way he was booked to be powerful at the last Wrestlemania MitB would really lead to anything, but I can't say Glenn Jacobs doesn't deserve it as this is his first to go past a single day and considering the good rep he has backstage according to many shoot interviews. Can't say I remember much from the match but Rey-Rey's Lucha rolls when thrown to the outside and crazy flying headbutt to gut. The segment afterwards was a poorly-executed swerve-attempt, but seeing Kane destroy Taker on his return (since when has that ever happened?) all the more solidified 2010 as The Big Red Machine's best year ever.
…and now, for the shock of the night. When Team WWE announced a replacement for Miz, I was so certain that we'd see HHH have a turn with the Royal Rumble '08 miracle and single-handedly squash the Nexus (and if he was in a good mood he would've "needed" the sledgehammer instead of his bear hands). Though I knew for sure it would eventually happen, seeing Bryan Danielson's/Daniel Bryan's early return was inspiring and brought everything full circle since the last time I saw WWE TV was on the fateful Viewer's Choice Raw. Hearing Michael Cole have a personality for a change (this was the first I've seen of the lauded Bryan/Cole feud; heel Cole was my idea!) was also a nice treat. It's just hilarious hearing his remarks that could only come from a moron that's never heard of an indy promotion!
Team WWE vs. The Nexus: While it won't be remembered as a technical clinic, it felt important, had good storytelling and accomplished a couple of big things: namely getting Daniel Bryan over (which is always a big plus) as well as continuing his feud with Miz.
A big gripe I have is how John Cena took out two Nexus members on his own after taking a DDT to the concrete. I thought this was match was supposed to be about talent like Daniel Bryan and the faction from which he dissented from, but I didn't come out of the SummerSlam thinking that anyone was evenly matched with the current company posterboy. If it really wants to give the ball to new stars WWE has to stop making them tap out to the first STF Cena applies to them. Barrett/Cena was supposed to be the big showdown!
All in all from what I've seen, the Nexus angle has been great aside from a couple hiccups like what was mentioned above. Barrett serves as a great mouthpiece and ruthless general for the group, and I like the "You're either Nexus, or against us!" catch phrase. The guy was really over with everyone I watched the show with, and I can see why. Looks like WWE finally found a British star who fits their arbitrary formula well enough for them to get behind and push to the top. I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that he (if anyone) may have a shot at ending Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak.
While my friends and I agreed there wasn't anything special match-wise, I took the show for what it was and enjoyed it. Miz's promo stole the show and Daniel Bryan's return was a sight to behold, the crowd was pretty hot throughout the night, and even Sheamus and Cole were tolerable. The main event had a feeling of importance that you rarely get from big tag matches in WWE these days. However, anyone looking for a serious in-ring product should take a look at the promotion that Daniel Bryan helped to conceive: Evolve Wrestling, where he'll face Japanese talent Munenori Sawa in a card that will also feature Amazing (formerly known as Awesome) Kong on 9/11 in Rahway, NJ.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Gabe Sapolsky's Eye for Talent
Gabe Sapolsky seems to be the very best when it comes to discovering talent in the wrestling business. I remember times when Samoa Joe was compared to JBL, when YouTube shooters would wonder why Davey Richards was booked so strongly, and when people insisted that Bryan Danielson had no charisma. All three became huge wrestling stars under Gabe's booking regime. It must be thrilling for the guy to believe in such men so long before the masses would.
It is for this very reason that I am confident in the future of Bobby Fish. From talking with friends and bumping into forums while googling, I get the sense that he is respected as a solid worker but not the kind of guy who can be the face of a promotion. Although Fish currently has a 0-4 record at Evolve wrestling (a promotion that greatly emphasizes on win-loss records), he took his opponents to their very limit. A friend of mine was quick to point this out when we saw Evolve 3, and the trend has continued to Evolve 4 where he fought Bryan Danielson. According to evolvewrestling.com, Bryan handpicked Fish as his opponent and was quick to him put over from his time working with him at Pro Wrestling NOAH. During the match, Fish valiantly endured Danielson's offense and the excitement of the heavily pro-Dragon ACE arena crowd. It seems quite evident that both Bryan and Gabe are very high on Bobby Fish, and I think I am beginning to see why.
As an MMA fighter, Fish incorporates some of the offense of this craft in his arsenal, most notably his brutal mounting-kneestrikes. This fits him perfectly into the mold of Richards and Danielson before him, and enables him to represent the style of wrestling that Gabe and Dragon envision for North America.
At this point I've seen most of the Evolve shows either live and/or on DVD, and the events make it evident how important a victory is to Bobby Fish. In the Evolve 2 DVD, there is a segment where he is having a phone conversation with someone who appears to be a significant other. I must say I am compelled to see where this angle takes him.
In an industry where pushes are often fleeting (see JMo and Kofi from the last time I've seen WWE TV, then again I've heard the former is in a main event tag match at SummerSlam), or are provoke the suspicion of object-able motives, Gabe finds a way to find and develop new stars whom can connect with even some of the most cynical pro wrestling fans amongst us.
It is for this very reason that I am confident in the future of Bobby Fish. From talking with friends and bumping into forums while googling, I get the sense that he is respected as a solid worker but not the kind of guy who can be the face of a promotion. Although Fish currently has a 0-4 record at Evolve wrestling (a promotion that greatly emphasizes on win-loss records), he took his opponents to their very limit. A friend of mine was quick to point this out when we saw Evolve 3, and the trend has continued to Evolve 4 where he fought Bryan Danielson. According to evolvewrestling.com, Bryan handpicked Fish as his opponent and was quick to him put over from his time working with him at Pro Wrestling NOAH. During the match, Fish valiantly endured Danielson's offense and the excitement of the heavily pro-Dragon ACE arena crowd. It seems quite evident that both Bryan and Gabe are very high on Bobby Fish, and I think I am beginning to see why.
As an MMA fighter, Fish incorporates some of the offense of this craft in his arsenal, most notably his brutal mounting-kneestrikes. This fits him perfectly into the mold of Richards and Danielson before him, and enables him to represent the style of wrestling that Gabe and Dragon envision for North America.
At this point I've seen most of the Evolve shows either live and/or on DVD, and the events make it evident how important a victory is to Bobby Fish. In the Evolve 2 DVD, there is a segment where he is having a phone conversation with someone who appears to be a significant other. I must say I am compelled to see where this angle takes him.
In an industry where pushes are often fleeting (see JMo and Kofi from the last time I've seen WWE TV, then again I've heard the former is in a main event tag match at SummerSlam), or are provoke the suspicion of object-able motives, Gabe finds a way to find and develop new stars whom can connect with even some of the most cynical pro wrestling fans amongst us.
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