Stinkface Wrestling News: Indy Star to be Repackaged as Doink The Clown; Current Plans for CM Punk

The following is a report from Stinkface Wrestling News, a pro wrestling news-source which aims to bring the integrity-fueled journalism of news sites such as ONN to this craft.  It just might get its own blog if it gets enough support from the people.

The current plan is for Jon Moxley to be repackaged as Doink The Clown and joined by the newly signed Japanese star Kenta Kobayashi, better known as KENTA.  In WWE, Kobayashi will use the name "Kenta The Clown" and all WWE onscreen personel will refer to him exactly as such at all times unless WWE can acquire the exclusive rights to the name KENTA.  Kobayashi currently performs for Pro Wrestling Noah, and has worked for Ring of Honor on many occasions in the past.

Since CM Punk is expected to leave WWE around the end of the summer, Doink and Kenta The Clown will take over and repackage The Nexus, writing off Punk via beatdown.  If Punk returns in time for Wrestlemania, the door would be open for a face-turn and feud with Kenta The Clown.

The feeling backstage is that this would especially benefit Mason Ryan as it would help to differentiate him from Batista and because no one can take seriously.

The following YouTube video came from a leaked audio feed for Moxley's first promo for WWE as Doink The Clown, along with transcript.



"For years I've been ignored, held down, and ridiculed.

You see, I'm not related to any of those old has-beens you like to put on the air whenever you feel like making fun of them, and lately, I haven't been the kind of guy you'd want your kids around, but I've been more loyal to this damn business than any big red dofus, any brooklyn pushover, or anyone that's spent the better half of their career waiting for their tag partner to retire.  I've kept my nose so clean that no-one on the Internet thinks that I am real.

Well pretty soon, you're all gonna find out just how real Doink The Clown is; all you snot-nosed dorks on your computers, all you sycophants that join in on the laughs about me and Gooker, all string-pulling general managers are gonna wish you paid me just a bit more attention.

It's about time that someone started a black hole in this WWE Universe."

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.

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.

If it weren't for McMahon's refusal to get behind a good goth/emo gimmick (and possibly PG rating + the psycho shootings in the news which Sami visibly shows influence from, but WWE has done stupider things in regards to those matters in the past, so why not for Sami and throw another quick disclaimer before the show again?), I'd say without a doubt that Sami would be first in line for a WWE contract. Even with the PG rating working against him, I've noticed that emo/goth references can be quite common in cartoons, and the guy oughta still be a top candidate at the very least. Even at this stage of his career, Callihan's charisma alone should be everything the E's looking for.

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.:

From Steve Pavlina's Email Newsletter: Creating Your Holiday Experience

EDIT: Clarified that this is an email newsletter and that you can subscribe for free on Pavlina's site.


Sorry for the lack of posts.  I've been busy with schoolwork and have some personal projects to attend to.  Since I haven't found it online and because it's now uncopyrighted,  I'm forwarding you with Steve Pavlina's (http://www.StevePavlina.com/, where you can subscribe to the newsletter for free) email newsletter post, "Creating Your Holiday Experience".  Happy holidays everyone!

Creating Your Holiday Experience

I've seen a few forum members lamenting that they'll be spending the holidays alone. It appears that this isn't what they want, but they've resigned themselves to it anyway. Their messages broadcast an air of sadness and perhaps a little regret.

It's perfectly fine to spend a holiday alone if that's what you want to experience. There can be many reasons for wanting to do so. Perhaps you value your solitude. Perhaps you don't celebrate certain holidays or find them too commercialized. Or perhaps you just need a break from people. Again, if this is your choice, that's absolutely fine.

But what if your preference is to enjoy a social holiday, and that doesn't seem to be happening? What if you're facing the situation of spending a holiday alone, and you'd rather not have that experience?

The people who find themselves in this situation aren't using their power to proactively create what they desire. They're being too passive to get good results. It's as if they're hoping for some grand invitation to come out of nowhere, when they're scarcely lifting a finger to make their desires a reality. They often invest more energy in complaining than in creating, which is great way to get what they don't want.

Of course if I were to be honest with such people and say to them, "You're using your power stupidly. Stop doing that. It's dumb." they might try to drown me in the punch bowl. So I'll write about it instead, which is much safer. :)

I can empathize with such people and feel compassion for them, but I also know that the "Oh poor baby" approach won't help much. I'd rather offer some realistic advice to get them moving in a positive direction, even if it pisses them off at first. Anger is a higher vibration than sadness, so that's actually a step in the right direction.

This situation is really no different from the person who complains about not being able to find a job while sitting on the couch watching TV or surfing the Internet all day. Does this person expect the phone to start ringing with job offers?

Reaching Out

There's no reason you can't create a wonderful holiday experience for yourself if you're willing to get off your butt and make it happen.

It's silly that so many people spend the holidays in solitude when they could be having a fun, social experience, if only they would take a few simple actions. There are lots of people who'd love to spend the holidays with someone who invited them.

This doesn't mean you have to spend your holidays with people you don't get along with. I'm not suggesting that you tag along for an experience you wouldn't enjoy. But I am suggesting that you have the power to create something fun that works for you.

What kind of people would you like to spend your holidays with? What kinds of activities would you enjoy? Take some time to identify your desires. If you want to spend the holidays alone, that's fine. But if you'd rather have a fun, festive, social experience, what would that look like? Give yourself permission to dream.

Now tell me this. Is it physically impossible to create this holiday you desire? If you really wanted to make it happen, could you do it? Could someone else do it if they were in your shoes?

What's preventing you from making it happen? The problem is seldom "out there." It's usually due to a lack of inner development like low courage or weak social skills. These are fixable problems though. We all start out with certain weaknesses of character, but those weaknesses can be corrected.

Your holiday will ultimately turn out the way you create it to be. You can create a lonely experience, or you can create a festive one. You're always creating something.

The very act of identifying what you desire is a big positive step forward, even if you don't see how to make it happen. Sometimes that's all it takes, and great opportunities will come to you. That won't happen unless you know what you want, however.

What does it take to create a wonderful holiday for yourself? Do you need to bake some cookies? Make some phone calls? Invite people over? Ask others if you can celebrate with them?

Redefining Family Traditions

Some of us grow up with socially conditioned notions of how we should spend the holidays. Since I grew up Catholic, I had pretty rigid notions of how certain holidays are supposed to be celebrated. As I got older, I still liked some of those traditions, but other aspects no longer resonated with me.

I realized that I have the power to create whatever kind of holiday experience I desire. I don't have to settle for a tradition that no longer works for me. I can keep the parts I like and add new ideas as well.

I celebrated the last two Thanksgivings by going to a local raw vegan potluck with 25-30 people, many of whom are friends of mine. I ate an amazing variety of food, had some great conversations, and enjoyed what I perceived to be a more conscious and compassionate way to celebrate this holiday. As I expected, my raw blueberry pie was gobbled up in no time. I loved all the amazing creations people brought -- it was much more colorful than a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And instead of feeling sleepy afterwards, I felt energized.

On Halloween I was delivering the final day of our last Conscious Growth Workshop. I invited everyone to wear costumes, and about 50 people did so. I delivered the workshop dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars. I had a blast, and the attendees seemed to enjoy the festive atmosphere as well. It made the learning experience more fun and memorable. I realized that I have the power to create a fun experience whenever I want, even if when I'm speaking on a stage.

Tomorrow I'm catching a flight to Winnipeg, Canada. This will be the coldest place I've ever visited and my first White Christmas ever. It's about 5 degrees F there right now, so I'll probably freeze, but I'm looking forward to the new experience. Rachelle and I plan to do some cross-country skiing, and hopefully we can squeeze in a snowball fight with her friends. We also intend to host a Winnipeg meet-up at The Forks.

These are very different experiences than what I had growing up, but they didn't just happen. I invited them into my life.

Some people also like the experience of doing volunteer work on the holidays. Feed homeless people, pass out gifts to poor kids, or volunteer at a shelter. Does that appeal to you? How hard can it be to find a place to serve?

You have the ability to create whatever holiday experience you desire. It's simply a matter of deciding what you want and exercising your power to make it happen. You're a creative being. Creating a certain holiday experience is within your power.

Building Your Social Skills

Sometimes wonderful invitations will land in your lap. Other times you have to go out and make them happen.

Let me suggest that if no invitations are forthcoming, that's because you're the one who's supposed to do the inviting. Everyone else is waiting on you. Don't let them down.

Creating your own social gathering is a skill. You may not be an expert at it. I'm no Martha Stewart, but with each year I learn a little more about hosting events. I can't say it's a major strength of mine, but I've hosted some potlucks and get-togethers now and then. They've been fun experiences.

Building social skills is like building muscle. The more you train, the stronger you get. When you don't exercise your skills for a while, they atrophy and you grow weaker. That's when you look at something like spending the holidays alone and see it as a daunting problem. In the grand scheme of things, it's a small problem and one that a person with well-developed social skills could solve with a few phone calls. If it seems like a big deal to you, you've allowed your social muscles to atrophy to the point where a 5-pound weight seems too heavy to lift. If that's you, then I'd suggest putting some serious effort into building your social skills during the next year. You can start by joining clubs and going to meet-ups, such as the ones you'll find locally at Meetup.com.

Being socially weak isn't a life sentence. It's your choice if you want to maintain the status quo or become stronger. When you become socially competent, it's fairly easy to design your own holiday experience, invite people you like, and have a fun experience together. It's not like people need a ton of convincing to say yes to a celebration invitation.

If everyone says no because you creep them out or they'd rather do something else, that just means you need to keep working on your social skills -- and probably your self-esteem as well. This is an important path of development for you.

Social Abundance

As you continue to develop your social connections, you may reach the point where you're getting more invitations than you can handle. This is a good problem to have, but don't forget that you're the ultimate creator of your experience.

It can be tempting to always pick from among the options that are offered to you, but realize that you always have the option of creating something new. Even if you get invited to lots of holiday parties, you can still host your own. You have the power to create whatever experience you desire, regardless of other people's expectations. Don't be afraid to say no to the good, so you can say yes to the best.

Creating What You Want

The way to create the holiday experience you desire is to: (1) Let yourself dream about it, to get a sense of what you really want; and (2) Dive into action to move yourself in the direction of that reality. Keep taking action till you figure out how to make it work. Your results won't be perfect, but you'll get a result that's better than nothing, and you'll learn so many lessons that you can apply next time.

The way to create the holiday experience you don't want is to: (1) Think about what you don't want, and (2) Feel bad about it. You can also complain about it to others. Sprinkle some pity on top for good measure, and you'll have a nice little gift to yourself -- the kind of gift you'd rather not receive.

The difference between these two options is choice. Which choice will you make?

I'm choosing the first option. I'm going to enjoy my frozen holiday in Winnipeg. :)

Happy Holidays!

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.

    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."

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.

My Approach to Writing

In case you think my writing sucks or is good so far, here's how I'm doing it.

I'm just writing whatever comes to mind, as un-filtered as possible.  Like I said in my Hello World, I'm experimenting with working to understand my intuition more, and seeing how acting on a whim can affect my life.

As a college student, this is contrary to how I am used to writing.  I'd usually get solid grades at it, but I just hate having to carefully explain every detail and write everything in a specific, planned manner.  That said, a technique called mind mapping (google it) has helped me greatly when doing that, as well as using "//" to make note of points I want to make before I finish. ex.:

//Mention how I the "//" was inspired from my experience programming with Java.

I came up with the idea after taking a intro. to Java course.  When programming in that language, "//" is used to make comments, which is information that is intended for programmers to read to understand what the program does as opposed to the computer which would use the information to try to do something.

As part of this experiment, I've have spent little to no time spell-checking so I apologize for any typos I make and would appreciate any and all kinds of feedback.

EDIT:  Changed title to more appropriately fit the post.