Ah, it’s the combination of an awesome weekend and a sad weekend, as the NFL conference championships are here. I love watching the NFL and the fact that after today we just get what is likely to be a Chiefs Super Bowl makes me very melancholy. Here’s hoping against hope Josh Allen and the boys can win one for all of us (who don’t live in the greater Kansas City area). I’d love to get a Bills-Commanders game to wrap everything up, but I’d pretty much bet the house we wind up with Chiefs-Eagles and a threepeat. On a happier note, the mailbag is stuffed this week with good questions so let’s get started!
Craig B kicks us off with…”What is a weapon used during hardcore matches that you’re absolutely tired of? For me it’s the “steel” garbage can.”
I’m not a big fan of garbage matches in general, but for me it’s either the steel garbage can LID or the random cookie sheets laying around. Why do those always seem to be available? And why ain’t I gettin’ any cookies?
Dustin N wants to know…”Are the WCW Cruiserweight tag titles the ugliest, cheapest-looking title belts ever in a major promotion?”
I always hated the big penny version of the WWE tag belts:
How much cheaper can you get than a PENNY?
Seth L goes down a dark path with…”Morbid curiosity question… hypothetically if camera phones were a thing in 99 what would wwe do to make sure that the owen hart or droz footage didn’t get into the public eye??”
There’s an old saying you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, so the only thing they could do is claim that whatever is floating around is doctored footage. But when you wind up with a guy paralyzed and another one deceased I don’t think they could realistically do.
Josh J makes me update the “To Do” list once more with…”AM I REMEMBERING RIGHT THAT PUBLIC ENEMY ACTUALLY WAS IN THE WWF FOR ABOUT 37 SECONDS AND LITERALLY EVERYONE HATED THEM BACKSTAGE FOR SOME REASON”
YES THEY DID AND I CANNOT BELIEVE WE HAVE NOT INDUCTED THAT YET. ALSO WHY ARE WE YELLING AT EACH OTHER ABOUT THIS?
Charles B ponders…”What was your favorite wrestling event that you went to live so far?”
I absolutely loved the first AEW Double or Nothing. That was a Starrcast weekend and I hung out with Blade, Jordan, Maffew, and so many others and the show was just electric. Historically though I would say WrestleMania VIII here in Indy…and I will be doing an induction special on that one in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.
Lew S writes…”Have you started on the death of aew book yet?”
They have a zillion problems, but considering they just signed a huge deal with WB I think that’s probably a bit premature. The talent is all there, Tony just needs to get out of his own way and give the book to someone who can harness all that potential. Here, I’ll help with step one: stop this never-ending Mox kills everyone storyline. You don’t even have to pay me, TK.
Sean B hits the road with…”Have you played the sequels of OutRun?”
Of course. I love them all to varying degrees, but OutRun 2SP is my all-time favorite…that’s why we have these at Rupert’s.
I will forever say this is the greatest racing game of all-time.
Robert R takes us to the cinema with…”What’ are your favorite “so-bad, it’s good” movies?”
Too many to count, but some recency bias is about to show up. Not sure if they count, but I cherish the Fast & Furious franchise, and the more absurd they get the better. Just watched Fast X again last night and had an absolute blast the entire time. So ridiculously stupid and we quote them all the time.
Adam W wants to know…”What are your thoughts on Pat McAfee? Personally, I’ve never been a fan. I find him really obnoxious and irritating to listen to, yes even more than Michael Cole. I just don’t get what WWE sees in him.”
I mean, I was around when he got arrested for being so drunk he tried to swim in Fall Creek here in Indy so I know a bit more about him than most folks I suppose. Not sure if that’s good or bad. But I know what WWE sees in him – dollar signs. He’s part of the SCREAM AS LOUD AS YOU CAN generation of sports broadcasting. Go watch NFL Network sometime and you will see a ton of those folks. They just scream and scream and make a spectacle without ever actually saying much at all. I don’t get it but I mean Chris Berman has been around forever and kinda was the forerunner of all that so what do I know?
Michael B ponders…”If WCW hadn’t spoiled Mick Foley’s first WWF title win, do you think Nitro would have won a few more weeks in the Monday Night Wars?”
I think it really didn’t make much of a difference, the paths were already set. A week or two wouldn’t have changed things long term so while it was an all-time dumb thing it wasn’t something that was the kill shot or anything.
James C asks…”What are your thoughts on finishers meaning nothing? Why must every wrestler hit their finisher 3-4 times every single match? What happened to the psychology of the finish?”
This will sound absurd but blame it on videogames. Maybe if I didn’t have to hit six diamond cutters to put away LaParka in those WCW N64 games we’d live in a different world. Laugh if you want but I really do think this is part of it – how many of today’s wrestlers doing what you are talking about grew up playing those games?
In short – it’s all THQ’s fault!
And with that I live you once more…have a blessed week ahead and keep sending in those questions!!