Ricochet (shown here vs. Uhaa Nation/Apollo Crews) is attempting to advance the business, and that's good Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Keep Moving Forward: An Essay Inspired by Ricochet and Will Ospreay
Labels:
animated gifs,
NJPW,
psychology,
Ricochet,
twitter,
Vader,
Will Ospreay,
youtube
Smackdown: Friendship is Magic
Rusev remains strong with the power of friendship Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Post-League of Nations, Rusev is probably doing the best. He's got a pretty dominant hold on the United States title for now. Winning a slot in the upcoming Money in the Bank match may not be super comparable, but it is at least leagues ahead of LOSING a slot in the upcoming Money in the Bank match, which is what happened to poor Sheamus. In beating Zack Ryder and securing himself a chance for the prize, del Rio at least has a chance to shine. It does feel weird to have him in the match, though, if only because everyone else in it has some recent history together.
Labels:
Alberto del Rio,
Alexander Rusev,
Charlotte,
Dana Brooke,
Friendship Is Magic,
Goldust,
Lana,
R-Truth,
referees,
Smackdown
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Art Of Wrestling Ep. 303
The controversial Hart is Cabana's latest guest Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 303 (May 26, 2016)
Run Time: 1:15:21
Guest: Teddy Hart (12:19)
Friday, May 27, 2016
Best Coast Bias: Immovable, Irresistible, etc.
And NEWWWWW #1 contender... Photo Credit: WWE.com |
As Asuka and Nia Jax malevolently, gleefully stared each other down to draw the curtains on the final May 2016 episode of NXT television, a thought may have occurred to other pop culture polymaths watching the new number one contender mean mug the recently crowned champion (or maybe that should be the other way around, since Ms. Most Dangerous made a point of getting in the ring when she could've left from the rampway and then held up the belt right to her face): at what point during the last month did the San Diegan learn the game from William Wesley?
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Cheap Heat May 25
Cheap Heat discusses feuds involving The Shield this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: “Mr. Rollins’ Opus II” (May 25, 2016)
Run Time: 1:14:10
Guest: Andrew Goldstein (0:54); Stipe Miocic (1:05:16)
Thursday, May 26, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Ringer Wrestling Podcast, Ep. 2
The former NXT Champion is one topic of discussion Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Ringer Wrestling Podcast
Episode: 2 (May 24, 2016)
Run Time: 1:11:12
Guest: Steve Kazee (1:02)
In Defense of a Brand Split
The brand split is coming back, and that's a good thing Graphics Credit: WWE.com |
Labels:
ECW,
Paul Heyman,
RAW,
Ryan Ward,
Smackdown,
wrestling news,
WWE,
WWE Network,
WWE NXT
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 326
O'Hearn talks bodybuilding with Austin Photo Credit: Muscle and Fitness |
Show: Steve Austin Show — Unleashed!
Episode: 326 (May 19, 2016)
Run Time: 1:38:41
Guest: Mike O’Hearn (13:15)
Monday, May 23, 2016
Smackdown: Friendship is Magic
The end of Smackdown was lit this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Best Non-Friendships – The Intercontinental Title Scene
Nope, still not sick of this. I can think of far worse ways to spend Smackdown than watching Kevin Owens and Cesaro throw down in the ring while listening to Sami Zayn be affable and the Miz be indignant on guest commentary. Miz was also in pretty buoyant spirits, acknowledging the skills of his opponents and alternatively cheering on and taunting Owens and Cesaro. He probably figured that being on the sidelines might spare him from getting beat up for once, but of course it was not to be. Yes, the finish was predictable, but did I care? Not really. Let's keep doing this forever.
Labels:
AJ Styles,
Becky Lynch,
Claudio Castagnoli,
Dana Brooke,
Dudley Boys,
El Generico,
Friendship Is Magic,
Kevin Steen,
Roman Reigns,
Sheamus,
Smackdown,
The Club,
The Miz,
the Usos,
THE VAUDEVILLIANS
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Ringer Wrestling Podcast, Ep. 1
Shoemaker and guest discuss Cena's new hosting gig on the debut episode of The Ringer Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Ringer Wrestling Podcast
Episode: 1 (May 19, 2016)
Run Time: 1:26:45
Guest: Dan St. Germain (1:02)
Saturday, May 21, 2016
The Wrestling Podcast, Vol. 2 Ep. 10: Alex Martino
Ambrose's likability is a topic of conversation this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Alex Martino comes on the show this week to preview Extreme Rules. Even if you're listening to this show after tomorrow night, you can still delight in some of the talk, as we less look at the actual matches on the show and more the circumstances surrounding them. After kicking off talking about Ryback, Panera, and pot roast, we get into why the Roman Reigns/AJ Styles feud isn't clicking for Alex. Mainly, the Usos are at the heart of the matter, which is not surprising at all. We move into Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose, why the former is so resilient in character and the latter is so charming. Alex defends Natalya as Charlotte's first feud after WrestleMania, and we both lament the lack of diversity in WWE's booking of women. We get into the Intercontinental Championship match, specifically Miz's heel bona fides, Kevin Owens' Dad of the Year resume, and why Cesaro and Sami Zayn make beautiful music together. After touching on the Finn Bálor/Samoa Joe feud, we get into Twitter questions, and finally, we talk about Alex's day job covering sports, which includes why Shawn Michaels is rooting for the Pittsburgh Penguins now.
Friday, May 20, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Art Of Wrestling Ep. 302
Brian Cage does his best Scott Steiner on this live ep of the AOW Photo Credit: Mikey Nolan |
Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 302 (May 19, 2016)
Run Time: 1:05:23
Guests: Marty DeRosa (5:16); Lanny Poffo (10:43); Lance Archer (22:40); Kevin Gill (33:38); Bobby Fulton (43:06); Brian Cage (54:54)
Thursday, May 19, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Booker T on Cheap Heat
Booker T guested on this week's Cheap Heat Photo Credit: WWE.com |
If you’re new, here’s the rundown. We 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 many wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but this feature largely hews to the regular rotation we feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If we can save other folks some time, we’re happy to do so.
Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: “Extreme Jewels” (May 18, 2016)
Run Time: 1:00:05
Guest: Booker T (1:41)
Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: “Extreme Jewels” (May 18, 2016)
Run Time: 1:00:05
Guest: Booker T (1:41)
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 325
Austin talks to the proprietor of the company that makes these clocks this episode Photo Credit: CurtisClock.com |
Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: “Steve Austin’s Bucket List” (325, May 17, 2016)
Run Time: 1:09:48
Guest: Curtis Stimpson (8:25)
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 324
Hornswoggle, here in the gator costume with Heath Slater, was Austin's guest Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Steve Austin Show — Unleashed
Episode: 324 (May 12, 2016)
Run Time: 1:28:59
Guest: Dylan Postl (10:25)
Monday, May 16, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Art Of Wrestling Ep. 301
Corino is part of the live podcast experience this time around Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 301 (May 11, 2016)
Run Time: 1:08:58
Guest: Marty DeRosa (3:26); Buff Bagwell (10:21); Bill Apter (21:00); Matt Striker (31:54); Court Bauer (39:31); Justin Roberts (49:47); Steve Corino (58:27)
The Wrestling Podcast, Vol. 2, Ep. 9: Francis Adu, Jr.
Ciampa is one of the topics of discussion Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Francis Adu, Jr. checks in this week to talk about all the important issues, like the ongoing beef between Dave Meltzer and TNA Wrestling. After that opening salvo, we go into an extensive conversation about Chikara, from its family-friendliness through the return of Jigsaw to the seemingly continuous narrative into the stories of both UltraMantis Black and Mr. Touchdown. We also touch on the slowness of the narrative in 2015 into its epic payoff. We then get into our requisite chat about The Cruiserweight Classic, which morphed into a discussion on Tommaso Ciampa's "bigness" compared to the other cruisers. Then, it's all about celebrity wrestling fans before getting into bad fans and whether they represent the whole or not. We talk about the early days of Gabe Sapolsky's post-Ring of Honor ventures, a lengthy discussion about the evolution of wrestling and finishes, and Twitter questions before I end admitting an embarrassing music purchase.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Best Coast Bias: Schadenjoyed
A-Bye Photo Credit: |
Here lies Alex Riley's WWE employment, and we are all the richer for its passing. It lays in state next to the idea of Elias Samson, Wrestling Hobo as a viable threat, a horrifying short-term delusion passing as a fad along the lines of the Pet Rock, the Macarena, and GOP front-runner D.J. Trump. But as they take up their residencies in the underworld doomed to toss Margaret Thatcher's salad for infinities to come, let us remember what they left behind in the wake of this hour of NXT television.
Labels:
Alexa Bliss,
American Alpha,
Austin Aries,
Bayley,
Best Coast Bias,
Dubstep Cowboys,
Elias Samson,
Eric Young,
Nia Jax,
Prince Devitt,
Rachel Ellering,
Samoa Joe,
Shinsuke Nakamura,
shut up Alex Riley
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Cheap Heat May 11
Trips is a topic of discussion this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: Night Of (Losing) Champions — May 11, 2016
Run Time: 1:08:08
Guest: Bryan Diperstein (40:27)
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Nakamura Ambition: Why His NXT Stay Needs to Be Short
This was a fun sight, but Nakamura means more than clobbering jobbers Photo Credit: WWE.com |
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, 5/11/16
Carter stops by the Roberts show to gab about TNA and other things Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Show: Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast
Episode: 5/11/16
Run Time: 2:00:41
Guest: Ethan Carter III, Katie Linendoll
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 323
Austin talks to an outdoorsman this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 323 (May 10, 2016)
Run Time: 1:32:21
Guest: Michael Waddell (11:35)
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 322
Austin does another episode while convalescing Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Steve Austin Show — Unleashed!
Episode: 322 (May 5, 2016)
Run Time: 1:23:31
Guest: Ted Fowler (8:59)
Monday, May 9, 2016
A Shopping List for The Cruiserweight Classic
Gable is number one with a bullet on my Cruiserweight Classic wishlist Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Smackdown: Friendship is Magic
Styles had layers on this episode Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Anyway, life goes on, so...friendship and stuff.
Labels:
AJ Styles,
Charlotte,
Claudio Castagnoli,
Curtis Axel,
Emma,
Friendship Is Magic,
Samuray del Sol,
Smackdown
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Art Of Wrestling, Episode 300
Cabana's milestone ep sees him take listener questions Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 300 (May 5, 2016)
Run Time: 1:41:44
Guest: Marty DeRosa (4:31)
The Wrestling Podcast, Vol. 2, Ep. 8: Kevin Brown
Kevin goes in on The Miz this episode Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Kevin Brown comes on the show this week to gab about wrestling. We kick off talking about a fresher RAW narrative, Roman Reigns' new direction, and whether or not Finn Bálor will ever make it to the RAW roster and the overlap between RAW and NXT, after an aside on the cinematic career of Keanu Reeves. We then go whether John Cena is good or bad, the flaws with the Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins feud, highlights from TLC '14, and Ambrose as Charlie Kelly from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Kevin then goes in to his big spiel about The Miz, mostly criticizing him. WE take breaks to lament Sheamus' lot, talk about Drew Gulak and Timothy Thatcher, Ryback's importance, Randy Orton's give-a-shit factor, and whether WWE's lack of good heels. We finish on Cena's rivals and a few Twitter questions.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Best Coast Bias: E.Y., Joe
The answer to "What's Young Eric doing in the NXT Zone?!" Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Clarity is a boon that there's not nearly enough of in the world, so let's make this blue orb a little brighter here, shall we?
NXT's cup runneth over right now with talent, and admittedly they're more popular than Charlotte McKinney at a junior prom. But that doesn't mean they're infallible, and unfortunately that was on display on their first show back in Full Sail since Takeover: Dallas.
NXT's cup runneth over right now with talent, and admittedly they're more popular than Charlotte McKinney at a junior prom. But that doesn't mean they're infallible, and unfortunately that was on display on their first show back in Full Sail since Takeover: Dallas.
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Cheap Heat May 4
Jim Ross guests on Cheap Heat this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Cheap Heat
Episode: May 4, 2016
Run Time: 1:10:47
Guest: Kaz (0:53); Jim Ross (17:48)
Thursday, May 5, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: The Taz Show, May 3
Ryback's departure is a topic for conversation Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: The Taz Show
Episode: 5/3/16
Run Time: 2:00:08
Guest: Mike Johnson
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 321
Keller and Austin run down Payback Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 321 (May 3, 2016)
Run Time: 1:34:29
Guest: Wade Keller (9:11)
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 320
Austin is still recovering from surgery this week Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Steve Austin Show — Unleashed!
Episode: 320 (April 28, 2016)
Run Time: 1:29:38
Guest: Ted Fowler (7:24)
Monday, May 2, 2016
Smackdown: Friendship is Magic
That's what happens when you get involved in your cousin's business... Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Saddest Friendship Break-Up – The League of Nations
Not sad as in, “I am heartbroken to lose the League of Nations;” sad as in, “My god, no one put any thought into this whatsoever.” I mean, I'd LIKE to think that this was all a nod to the historical League of Nations also being a lovely idea in theory but falling far short of its ultimate goals, but I know that's not the case. The break-up came out of absolutely nowhere, with Sheamus, Alberto del Rio, and Rusev arguing throughout their match against Sami Zayn, Cesaro, and Kalisto, eventually leaving Sheamus abandoned to lose the match alone. Then, as if we hadn't got the message, we also had a backstage segment that ended with Sheamus officially declaring the League to be over. I don't buy any of this for one minute, because Rusev would NEVER turn on his friends like that, and him yelling “You walked out on me!” at del Rio was the only sincerely sad part of this.
Labels:
Baron Corbin,
Cody Rhodes,
Damien Sandow,
Friendship Is Magic,
League of Nations,
New Day,
Smackdown,
the Usos,
Uhaa Nation
I Listen So You Don't Have To: Art Of Wrestling Ep. 299
Vega is on this week's AOW Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Show: Art Of Wrestling
Episode: 299 (April 28, 2016)
Run Time: 1:06:03
Guest: Savio Vega (11:12)
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