Twitter Request Line, Vol. 112

Would Austin's coronation at WrestleMania XIV make the cut for a Mania weekend watch party?
Photo Credit: WWE.com

It's Twitter Request Line time, everyone! I take to Twitter to get questions about issues in wrestling, past and present, and answer them on here because 140 characters can't restrain me, fool! If you don't know already, follow me @tholzerman, and wait for the call on Wednesday to ask your questions. Hash-tag your questions #TweetBag, and look for the bag to drop Thursday afternoon (most of the time). Without further ado, here are your questions and my answers!

@tholzerman You're hosting a WM weekend watch party: What do you screen? Full events? Matches? Network docs? HOF induction? #TweetBag
— Star of Savage (@StarOfSavage) March 4, 2015

Hall of Fame induction is a must. As for full events or documentaries, I wouldn't want to put my guests through too long of a sit-down. Some of those Manias can be rough, as referenced by the Retro Live Tweet for WrestleMania 2. Even X-7 and XXX, two of the most highly-regarded Manias ever, have dull points. So if it's an entire weekend thing, then I'd probably curate a bunch of of the best matches of the last 30 years intermingled in with replays of segments and matches from the past year that set the table for Mania. I'd want to give frequent chances for bathroom and snack breaks. Plus, I would probably set up a few play-throughs of this year's card on a WWE game, maybe WWE 2K15 or maybe even Fire Pro. 

Best Coast Bias: Straight Cash, Homey

hashtag not all WWE programming
Photo Credit: WWE.com

We'd bring out Rob Lowe to further underscore the point, but if you're here already, we don't need to. You already know. Before last week the main roster could barely bring themselves to talk about it unless it was as Sunday night fodder for the Exclamation Point; down in NXT, they're -- and at this point have for the past couple years consecutively -- about that life where they have wrestlers who happen to be women and not women who sometimes vaguely approximate wrestling.

I Listen So You Don't Have To: The Ross Report Ep. 55

The Funker was Jim Ross' guest this week, but Ross wouldn't let him talk
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: The Ross Report
Episode: 55 (March 4, 2015)
Run Time: 1:42:58
Guest: Terry Funk (27:19)

Kimber Lee Is Okay

She's a wrestler, and she's okay
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Kimber Lee provided an update on her health after the nasty-looking chairshot/powerbomb combo she took from Chris Dickinson to end the latest Beyond Wrestling Fete Music card this past Sunday via a video released via the Beyond YouTube channel. You can peruse it after the jump:

Pro Wrestling SKOOPZ on The Wrestling Blog: Issue 21

DeMott is in hot water again, and HORB'S GOT YOUR DETAILS
Photo via SportsKeeda.com

Well, well, well, if it isn't the readers of THE WRESTLING BLOG again this week coming to take all the scoops from ONE HORB FLERBMINBER. You know you want all my thick, juicy, veiny news stories. You know where to get all the most glorious rumors. You even know where to get all the brainiest, most erudite analysis ever. THAT'S RIGHT, OL' HORB's EXPANDING HIS VOCABULARY, SUCKERS. I AM THE BRINGER OF EVERYTHING RIGHT IN WRESTLING JOURNALISM. Can anyone else say that? The answer is no, ABSOLUTELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY NO. Who broke the story about Vince McMahon getting ALIEN TESTOSTERONE TREATMENT in order to look jacked for the cover of Muscle and Fitness? HORB. Whose career retrospective of Superstar Billy Graham was the only one that had the GUTS to report that he was actually the Lindbergh baby all grown up? HORB. Who gave the world exclusive photos of Lana and Rusev ordering INFINITE APPETIZERS from TGI Friday's? Well, that one was Bruce Mitchell, but you can't win 'em all.

LuFisto Pens Heartbreaking Blog

LuFisto wrote a blog filled with regret, no doubt fueled by systemic misogyny in wrestling
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Via Wrestling Done Right

LuFisto took to the Internet to convey her thoughts about the Kimber Lee/Chris Dickinson flap yesterday, and the words took a tone of regret and sadness. She's taken a lot of abuse over the years, beginning her career toiling in the death match scene both here and in Japan. Price for the abuse she suffered was a minor stroke in 2010. In the blog she explains why she wrestled and the bitter regret she has for going to the extremes she went through. The most telling quote is located after the jump:

What If John Cena Missed WrestleMania?

Would Mania really suffer without Cena?
Photo Credit: WWE.com

John Cena is not going to miss WrestleMania this year. I doubt he'll ever miss WrestleMania as long as he's active and able to toss on a pair of jorts and a colorful shirt and run the ropes. But Stephanie McMahon's spiel to Cena on RAW last night - an obvious proxy message from her father Vince to Brock Lesnar - sparked an intriguing hypothetical. What if Cena were left off a Mania card? It might seem unimaginable because of his stature as the man in the company still looms large. But he could conceivably not wrestle on the biggest show of the year without the card suffering.

I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 199

Austin talks turkey with Court Bauer for this week's clean episode
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 199 (March 3, 2015)
Run Time: 1:24:41
Guest: Court Bauer (13:22)

On Chris Dickinson and Kimber Lee

She's a wrestler, and she deserves protection from her opponent
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Another week has elapsed on the calendar, and another incident of a wrestler making things too real for another one has surfaced. Granted, Chris Dickinson probably didn't mean to hurt Kimber Lee intentionally like Yoshiko did to Act Yasukawa. However, the footage is still just as hard to digest. Basically, at the Beyond Wrestling King of Arts show this past Sunday, Dickinson plastered a kneeling Lee with a chairshot to the head, and followed it up with a stiff crucifix bomb into the corner where the ringbell was located. Lee may or may not have hit her head on said bell at full speed. Lee is a tough as nails performer who takes bumps as hard as she dishes them out, but this sequence seemed a bit off.

I Listen So You Don't Have To: Art Of Wrestling Ep. 239

Vader talked about everything except for Boy Meets World, apparently
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 239 (Feb. 25, 2015)
Run Time: 1:03:32
Guest: Vader (14:50)

Lessons from UFC, or Allowing Women to Seize the Day

Paige may not get to tap opponents in 14 seconds like Ronda Rousey, but she can do equivalent sports entertainment things
Photo Credit: WWE.com

The only match on RAW that featured women last week went 30 seconds. It sparked a major campaign for WWE to treat its women performers better. UFC 184 featured a headline bout between two women. The match went only 14 seconds, and yet it was heralded as a major success. Of course, comparing sport to entertainment is extreme folly. And honestly, UFC's track record with women isn't exactly sterling to say the least. For example, color commentator and "comedian" Joe Rogan's history with women is atrocious. From going on message boards and calling Maggie Hendricks a term derived from the c-word because she didn't want to see her colleagues get threatened by Rampage Jackson in 2011 to recently saying that selling a Ronda Rousey fight was difficult, it's easy to see that misogyny is strong with him. I don't want to make sweeping generalizations about MMA culture, but at the same time, it's not hard to see why such attitudes can thrive in that kind of environment.

King of Trios to Happen Labor Day Weekend, Be Too Sweet

Chikara's about to get too sweet
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Chikara announced yesterday on Twitter that this year's installment of King of Trios would take place at the Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township, or the Easton (PA) Funplex for short, during Labor Day weekend this year. Tickets are already on sale, and if you buy tickets for all three nights, you'll get a free pass to the Fan Conclave, which is the special meet-n-greet/swap meet/fun game time that takes place before night two. For those looking for specific dates, that's September 4, 5, and 6.

50 Shades of Rey - 50 Shades Freed

Fare thee well, Rey Rey
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Rey Mysterio has finally been granted his long-running wish and has been released by WWE. The move came last week on Thursday, which you may have missed because of runaway llamas and a dress that looked different colors depending on which angle you were watching from. He's wanted his release for over a year now, going so far as to appear via tape at the pay-per-view broadcast of AAA TripleMania saying he'd see everyone there soon. His contract situation protracted out into the murkiest of waters and included Vince McMahon getting to treat a real live human being like a fungible asset by deciding whether he'd tack time that Mysterio sat out hurt onto the end of said contract or not. Fun!

I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Eps. 197/198

Austin had a lot of Fast Lane talk this week
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 197 (Feb. 24, 2015)
Run Time: 1:11:35
Guest: Wade Keller (4:00)

The 2014 TWB 100 Announcement and Call for Ballots

Bryan finished #1 for 2013. Who will finish there for last year?
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Ladies and gentlemen, that time of the year has arrived again. The voting process for the 2014 TWB 100 has officially started. For those new to the process this year, the TWB 100 is a crowd-sourced, fan-voted, open-participation list that looks to rank wrestlers from the last calendar year (in this case, 2014) in terms of their performances in the ring as wrestlers/workers. Participation is open to anyone who would like to submit a ballot and follow a simple list of rules for submitting a ballot. The following is the list of participation criteria: