A new year is upon us, and with it comes the usual mix of post holiday blahs (I still haven’t bothered to take down my tree yet), a cold, and yes oh yes, Gooker voting. Won’t say I am shocked at all by the latest vote tallies, but I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t miss the days of the front-runners being more storyline than business-driven. I almost want a button to slap on my shirt that says “I miss Al Wilson.” Am I the only one? Let’s see what y’all have for me this week.
Charles B kicks us off with…”Best Christmas gift you have ever gotten so far?”
It’s going to sound utterly absurd, but this year I think my favorite gift was, no joke, a pair of nail clippers! It’s not that I didn’t get a lot of cool gifts, but I’m always a fan of having the very best of something, and these nail clippers are absolutely incredible. Get this – when you clip, there is a small container where the nail you are trimming off goes. You don’t have to do it over a trash can or anything, it just holds them as you go, and then you dump it out when you are ready. They are also super sharp and powerful and it’s just a delight. I used to really lag on trimming my nails, but no more! Can’t recommend them enough.
James L wants to know…”When rewatching 2019 AEW what stands out?”
Ah yes, AEW on Max has also been something fun to start the year. Not just because I was able to save $40 a month by dumping Sling, but because I can now go back and watch some AEW archives. I watched the first Dynamite the other day, and you know, for all I rag on the company just going way too heel heavy, the ending of that debut featured Chris Jericho and his heel contingent leaving the babyfaces flat on their backs. So that’s nothing new. That kinda surprised me as I thought for sure it was all sunshine and lollipops at the beginning, but nope, that wasn’t the case.
Brendan N asks…”Do you agree with Meltzer that Ospreay vs Fletcher was the best PPV opener of all time? In your view how did it compare with Bret vs Owen at WMX?”
Yes, I agree with Dave. At the time of WMX, you couldn’t find a bigger Bret Hart fan than me, and I loved that match and still do. It’s fantastic. But I went back and watched Ospreay vs. Fletcher and to me it’s an apples to oranges comparison. I prefer today’s wrestling to the wrestling of the 90’s. It’s more athletic, it’s more fun in my eyes. I can appreciate the slower pace with more storytelling, but yeah, I like what we get today better. Thus it’s not a hard decision for me. That’s why I also will tell you that Ospreay vs. Danielson from last year is the best match I’ve ever seen live. Times change. It’s ok to say you prefer a different style, it’s ok to say you prefer another opener. But for me personally? Yep, that’s my favorite opener.
Sean B ponders…”If Blade’s Lions make it to the Super Bowl and win it, how will you mark it for our favorite hobo?”
I really, REALLY want the Lions to go all the way this year and will be cheering for them every step of the way. I might just bust open that can of Stroh’s from Blade’s funeral and down it when they win it all, be that this year or at some point in the future. Man I wish he was here to see the juggernaut they’ve become.
Michael S asks…”Best Shawn Michaels moment. I’m going for “who’s your daddy Montreal?” He’s born again and a huge babyface but he’s the hottest heel in the world again in the space of 3 minutes. Fabulous!”
I always, always thought Shawn was a total phony, so it’s tough for me to pick a favorite moment. Wait, no it’s not. That’s easy. It’s when he played into being a total phony in his match with Hulk Hogan.
Yep, that’s always a classic. And that is just like 2% of the match! Unbelievable.
Tim C queries…”If Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair happens at Wrestlemania 8, does it change the trajectory of the company? Does Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan stay with WWF? Does the New Generation Era happen? And what would become of the pushes of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart?”
I don’t think it really changes too much honestly. I think Hogan was still on his way out the door within the next couple of years and that Flair would eventually lose to Bret regardless. If we’re lucky, though, we’d get a smoother transition and not the jarring “New Generation” with garbage men and plumbers clogging up the ring. See what I did there?
Ahmer A gives us a match for the ages with…”3-way between Norman the Lunatic, Friar Ferguson, and Bastion Booger – who you got?”
Gotta go Lunatic after a run-in by Trucker Norm!
Richard P wants to know…”Netflix is going to bring major new eyes to WWE in my opinion – but how would you have promoted it? What would you put in your “introductory package to pro wrestling” ?”
They did an introductory type of deal years ago during a Super Bowl halftime show and it was awful. I’d honestly do nothing different than a normal week, other than giving more time to the very top stars and having every single one of them on the show. If a newcomer sees a giant crowd going nuclear, they’re either going to buy in or they won’t – they don’t need to be told “This is Liv Morgan, she did this and that and this is why people are reacting this way to her.” WWE is super hot right now, so you just ride that wave until the tides change.
Jeremy W wraps us up with…”TNA signing Tessa Blanchard has ruffled feathers for obvious reasons. Do you think that she deserves a second chance there with her history, and do you think this is a potential trial run on behalf of WWE for a signing down the line like some think?”
I think pretty much everyone deserves a second chance. People make mistakes in life – heck, that’s why I am such a supporter of the Rupert Kids program and put a ton of effort into helping them at the arcade. If she burns another bridge, then she has no one to blame but herself. But yeah, why not. Give it a shot. It’s not like WWE hasn’t hired people with WAY worse baggage than Tessa.
And with that, we will call it a week! Have a great one and keep sending in those questions rightchere!