Want to thank everyone for the crazy amount of feedback I’ve gotten on the Roddy Piper Saturday morning cartoon special I inducted a couple days ago. I love finding bizarre stuff like that – wrestling folks in outside the norm entertainment like game shows and specials like this scratch a bizarre itch for me. If you know of any of those we’ve not inducted, please pass them along as I’d love to do more in the future. You can also send in any other ideas you have as even I don’t know every induction worthy event or character, you know?
That outta the way, let’s dive into the ‘bag…
Ernesto B asks…”WWE is on a ratings tear of late, and AEW just posted its best Dynamite number in forever. Is it Triple H? Is it no Bucks? What is happening that is causing the numbers to go up?”
Years ago, I decided that I was going to stop reading reviews to movies I was going to see as the reviews I read would sometimes skew my enjoyment of the film. After a while, I quit looking at reviews afterwards in general as well. I always want to make up my own mind on if something is good or bad and don’t really feel the need for verification from others, friends and family aside. I found a lot of movies other folks hated that I really enjoyed.
I discovered the same with wrestling a while back. I’ve gotten to the point that I think ratings are one of the worst things in wrestling as it leads to toxic discussions that generally don’t enhance anyone’s enjoyment. Same when I hear people complain about Dave’s star ratings. It’s even worse when the wrestlers themselves do it. Sammy did it last week and it killed what was an otherwise great, GREAT promo. All I could think was “Did Harrison Ford scream at Roger Ebert and ask why he only got *** 1/2 for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade“? It just seems very odd to me and made me think less of him as a personality.
Well, maybe that and the fact he’s with Tay.
No no, definitely the Dave star rating thing. Yeah. That has to be it.
Hans P writes…”NXT is dropping the rainbow colors. Is this more Hunter getting revenge on Vince for killing his original vision or ramping up to do damage to AEW?”
Probably neither. Or mostly neither. Hunter should be doing the best he can with all the properties under the WWE umbrella, which is something it felt like Vince in his later years opposed. Like Hunter or not, he’s doing the right thing by killing off something that obviously wasn’t working and doing more cross-branding with various wrestlers showing up on different shows.
I never really understood when NXT and AEW were head to head why Vince didn’t just load up every NXT show with his top stars and squash the competition when he had the chance. You have three platforms, use them all, maximize them all. Put stars on all of them, do what you can to make every show can’t miss viewing.
Lando C writes…”Best wrestling game ever is?”
First of all, there is no way that is your real name. If it is, mad props to your parents. Please tell me they still give you capes every birthday.
Since you didn’t specify what you mean by “game”, I am guessing that could mean any type of wrestling game.
Like the Von Erichs board game, that crappy WWF VHS game, video game, pinball, arcade. Were I on a desert island, and I could not have any other game, this may sound weird but I honestly think that I may pick an arcade machine because that is my preferred type of game. WWF Superstars specifically. I know 99.999% of fans think Wrestlefest is better since it has a couple different match types and a much deeper roster, but it plays a bit too slowly for my liking.
I also would seriously consider Mania Challenge, the sequel to Mat Mania in the arcade. That thing plays super fast and is incredibly fun. Worth playing just for the goofball count of the referee.
Jeff M asks…”Luigi Primo…crap?”
I don’t know, but I do know I want to see more of him. I love quirky gimmicks like, but they need to be in small doses. Unless they are like Orange Cassidy, who is fantastic in every way, shape, and form. Cannot wait for him vs. Pac again, as I absolutely loved their first match.
Paul M writes…”Does it ever hurt your brain when you realize you are doing a weekly show with Vince Russo of all people?”
I actually think it’s pretty cool when people who should “hate” each other can talk things out and get past whatever differences they may have. Plus it gave me the opportunity to unleash perhaps the greatest Dad joke in history a few weeks back:
Zero chance I can top that, so I bid you adieu. Keep sending in those great questions by clicking rightchere and I’ll keep answering them!