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Showing posts from December, 2013

TCW Wrestling - Episode 13-49 Review

Here's hoping that everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Kwazy Kwanzaa and a Righteous Ramadan. Now go out and have a Happy New Year, and if you had a miserable 2013, here's hoping 2014 is better. If you had a good 2013, here's hoping you're knocked down a peg or two. First, here's where to find the show on your local TV: http://www.tcwwrestling.com/tvinfo.shtml Now, from the Youtube channel, here's the actual episode, if you feel like playing along:

Bryan

> > Assuming Bryan isn't being used towards a tricked them Rumble win, and he really is getting screwed down the card for Mania, is it almost worth it to see how bad the post Mania crowd hijacks the show this time? Have to figure they make Seattle look like nothing compared. > So Cena beat Lesnar? You don't say.

Who Should Have Won Every Royal Rumble?

Who Should Have Won…EVERY Royal Rumble? Hi, I’m Scotty Flamingo.  You might remember me from such BoD’s as “I Dream of Wrestling”.  Last year, I sent in a rather lengthy tribute to Wrestlemania where I speculated what every main event should be.  For my next trick, I decided to try to do it with every Royal Rumble winner.  You are encouraged to play at home. (Scott sez:  I accept the challenge, because I don’t really feel like watching RAW anyway and this is more fun.) 

Top 50 WWE Matches of 2000s plug

Scott, Hope you have a happy New Year, you and family both. My latest for Camel Clutch Blog, a subjective (and surely debatable) ranking of the best WWE matches so far this millennium. http://camelclutchblog.com/top-50-wwe-matches-of-the-2000s/ Thanks man This millennium is just FLYING by.  

Is it me? Am I wrong?

Tonight's finish just seems like someone in the back making sure Daniel Bryan stops being over.  He was their biggest face and they do THIS.  And now your Doomers are saying I'm overreacting and just being a smark bitch.  NO!  How can you justify this?  How can THEY? I'm baffled, Scott.  This is such an awful decision... I think it's disappointing that they had this idea for Bryan and they're bullheadedly going with it no matter how much the crowd rejects it, but it's certainly not out of character or unexpected by them.  The days of Vince giving a shit about his fanbase are long, long gone.  

BoD Daily Update

John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt Not in the Current Plans For WrestleMania? According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, he has not heard anything about Cena facing Wyatt against WrestleMania during the past month or so. At one point, the plan was for Wyatt to win the Rumble then face Cena for one of the World Titles but that was before the unification of the titles and the announcement of Batista signing with the company. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Hulk Hogan Update Although he has not signed with the company yet, there have been several ideas tossed around in regards to his potential involvement at WrestleMania. One plan is for him to team with Cena against the Real Americans. Another plan is for him to face Roddy Piper in a legends match. Other plans include him being in the corner of Cena and for Piper to be involved on the opposing side of Hogan. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Original Plans for Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble The original plans for Brock at

The PG Era Raw Recap, 12-30-13

When last we left our heroes, they were celebrating Christmas with the troops. But now that the festive season is basically out of the way, it's time to focus on what's important: the Royal Rumble. Challengers must be named, participants must declare, and the fastest hour in sports entertainment must begin to take shape. But how will it take shape? And who steps aside to challenge Randy Orton? The live look-in hypes the Intercontinental Title match between Big E Langston and Fandango, and the Authority has some announcements to make. The PG Era Rant for Raw, December 30, 2013. Live from Richmond, VA. Your hosts are Mike, John, and Jerry.

Monday Night Open Mic

Hello BoD'ers, The final Monday Night Open Mic of 2013. We don't have NFL Monday Night Football but there are a couple of college games on and a bunch of NBA, College basketball and NHL action across the board. I originally thought RAW was in the can tonight but apparently it's not and there's the potential of a Brock Lesnar return so I'm going to keep my eyes open for that one. Not sure why they would waste a Brock appearance on what's likely to be one of the lesser watched programs of the year. Oh well, not my company. So for the final time in 2013, enjoy your evening and come out swinging but please try to keep it clean.

In defence of KOTR 95'

Hi Scott This one has been on my mind for a while Now obviously, Mabel winning the KOTR in 1995 ended up being a big flop and the show itself is remembered with scorn. That being said, I think the reason this is less to do with Mabel actually winning, but more to do with how he won. Mabel won the tournament by beating Savio Vega in the final. Vega had only been in the company for less than a month and hadn't had any sufficient time to get over to where fans would be prepared to route for him in a main event match. The original plan for the tournament was that the Savio role would have been played by Sean Waltman, but Waltman was too injured at the time to compete for that many matches. When you think about that, the story not only makes sense but also sounds pretty cool. Savio was in the tournament because Razor Ramon had to be taken out. The Kid was known at the time as Razor's buddy, so it would have made sense for him to take his friends place. Kid was like

A+ Match of the Day

Happy Monday BOD'ers. Listening to the second part of the Austin-Jim Cornette podcast had me wanting to find another Midnight Express and this one they had with the Southern Boys at Great American Bash 1990 is one of the best tag matches I've ever seen. Awesome action and a tremendous finishing sequence caps off a match that ranges anywhere from ****1/2 to ***** depending on who you ask. I'm closer to five stars for what it's worth. Enjoy this under appreciated match.

2013 Look Back: The Raw of 6-17-2013

Yes this was the RAW the night after Payback, which was an excellent PPV by most accounts. The June PPV is often a good sign for how the rest of the promotion's year is going to go. So if you add the PPV with the RAW the night after it looked like we were in for a hell of a second half of 2013. Money in the Bank was a rousing success as was Summerslam but soon after the wheels sort of came off and we're heading into 2014 with a lot of questions and silly rumors...(John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania?). Maybe things will get back on track. So I wanted to look back at the 6-17-2013 RAW to see if it was as good as I remembered.

Joey Styles

Hey Scott, Ending the year with some pearls of wisdom from the Voice of Extreme. http://temple-news.com/arts/2013/12/27/joey-styles-inspires-final-semester/ Thanks for giving me publicity all year and Happy 2014! John Corrigan -- Set All Time Record for Most Hits on The Temple News' Website W.H.I.P. Radio Host: Fired Up with John & James Pro-Wrestling Columnist for The Temple News

BoD Daily Update

WWE.com RAW Preview http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-12-30/five-point-preview-26172827 CM Punk Update Punk sent out a tweet  on Saturday that had some fans believe he was retiring soon. According to Mike Johnson from PWInsider.com, no one in the company is under the belief that Punk is retiring. His contract is set to expire at some point in the Summer of 2014, as Punk signed a three-year extension in 2011. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com WWE.com Article on " 15 Superstars That Should Have Been Bigger Deals." http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/15-superstars-who-shouldve-been-bigger-deals

PG WEEK: WrestleMania IX by Request!

You know, you didn't disappoint me. I knew, once I said you could pick a WrestleMania, you'd choose this one. And you did. The Internet is nothing if not predictable. Okay... let's get this overwith. The PG Era Rant for WrestleMania IX. Original airdate April 4, 1993. Aired live from Las Vegas, NV. Your host is Gorilla Monsoon, who welcomes us to the event and passes it on to our play-by-play man, Jim Ross. Jim is making his WWF debut at this event, which is a huge deal and is in no way lessened by the fact that he has to dress up in a toga like everyone else, no matter what they tell you.

Entrance Music

Say what you want about Hogan, I don't think there's ever been better Super Hero Face entrance music than "Real American". It hits all the most important points: 1) You can recognize it the second it starts to play with an iconic opening riff. 2) Totally suits the character. 3) Repetitive enough that it can keep going during circumstances longer than an entrance without getting distracting, but varied enough that it never gets boring.  Similarly, Austin has (in my opinion) the no question best Anti-Hero Face entrance, for the same reasons.  Considering they're the two biggest stars ever, and that everybody else on that list (HBK, Edge, Rock, Vince, Taker, Flair, Savage, arguably Cena though personally I prefer Word Life) has similarly excellent entrances, I have to ask: how big of a deal is it? Is there anybody in the last 20 years who succeeded in spite of crappy entrance music? Some guys are just ok, sure, but the top of the WWE right now is Cena, Orton (I H

How Did You Get You Hooked?

I don't know if you covered this at some point; I've been BODer for years and don't remember if it was: How did you get into professional wrestling? Me, at age 9, a friend of family watched it and I happened to be awake at midnight on a Saturday night to watch Championship Wrestling. The 1979 WWF TV Ted DiBiase/Hussian Arab (Iron Shiek) match got me interested and Larry Zbyszko turning on Bruno Sammartino won me over (Yes, I'm exposing my age here). Magazine subscriptions, fuzzy UHF shows from Los Angeles and Florida and live events at MSG followed. And through various degrees of interest, I've been into it. Keep up your great work on the blog and I hope all the BODers have a great New Year. I've definitely covered it before, but once again for posterity.  My dad would watch Stampede and Al Tomko's crappy Vancouver promotion all the time and it had very little interest for me.  Then my mom rented Wrestlemania 2 for my 12th birthday party an

Road Wild 1998

Road Wild 1998 Date: August 8, 1998 Location: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Sturgis, South Dakota Attendance: 8,500 Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenany, Bobby Heenan Reviewed by Tommy Hall The summer of celebrities continues with one of the worst ideas I can imagine: Jay Leno as a professional wrestler. I still don't get who this is supposed to attract. Fans of the Tonight Show don't seem like the kind of people that are going to drop $30 to see something they know is going to be a goofy comedy bit and wrestling fans aren't going to buy it because it's Jay Leno as a wrestler. On top of that there's one match that has been pushed at all here and it's a battle royal. Why they can't just do NWO vs. NWO and Goldberg vs. Giant is beyond me but I'd bet politics were involved. Let's get to it.

BoD Saturday Night Thread

On tap for tonight: UFC 168 WWE "Tribute to the Troops" NBA Action NHL Action College Basketball Citrus Bowl, between Louisville and Miami Sun Bowl, between Michigan and Kansas St Also, the shoot interview that will be recapped next week is the 1987 WWE Timeline with the Honky Tonk Man. The selection was made by Randie

UFC beats WWE to the Network punch

http://www.ufc.tv/page/fightpass This is pretty cool, although no Paypal = NO BUYS from me.  Which is odd because I can use it to buy the PPVs online.  But yeah, this is basically what everyone is wanting out of the WWE Network -- all the matches you want streaming 24/7.   Totally buying the PPV tonight, by the way.  They earned my $60 after the first fight.  

PG WEEK: SmackDown En Mexico Retro Rant

So last night I got invited to a holiday party and did that instead of continue PG Week. I think you'll all agree I made the right choice. As a result, TWO POSTS today! First, the one I should've made yesterday as we look back on a particularly favorite SmackDown of mine. It's the final show before Vengeance 2011, and we are making history tonight as SmackDown originates in Mexico for the first time in history. We've been promised two important matches tonight. In one, WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio crosses over to SmackDown to face the Big Show, participating in his first match since being injured at Mark Henry's hands. In the other, the two Sin Caras will face off in a Lucha De Apuesta, and the loser will have to surrender the Sin Cara identity by unmasking. As normal SmackDown reviewer Tommy Hall would say, let's get to it.

Thunder - August 5, 1998

Thunder Date: August 5, 1998 Location: Casper Events Center, Casper, Wyoming Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, Bobby Heenan, Mike Tenay Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's the go home show for Road Wild which means we're probably in line for about 174 Tonight Show clips in the next two hours. We might even get to hear some new matches announced for the show as I think we have three at the moment. I'm so glad Thunder came back for such a great occasion. Let's get to it.

BoD Daily Update

Undertaker Update As of now, the plans for the Undertaker at WrestleMania still include him facing off against Brock Lesnar Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Vince McMahon Says There Are No More Faces and Heels At a recent meeting, Vince said that there are no more faces or heels, with the belief that no one in real life is either completely good or completely bad. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Kayfabe Commentaries "Breaking Kayfabe" Preview with Jim Cornette The DVD will be released on January 7th but here is an eleven minute long preview https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152100193577888&set=vb.150325082887&type=2&theater RF Video Has 35% off Everything Sale Until December 30th http://www.rfvideo.com/rfvideocurrentsale.aspx

UFC 168

Scott, who ya got: Silva or Weidman? Does Silva come to fight? Does he get knocked out & retire? Does he win & retire? Or does he win and start his next legendary reign? Does Brock show up to talk business with Dana? The Silva-Weidman deal reminds of the movie The Great White Hype, where this time Silva is finally gonna be that little bit motivated and just come out and TKO his ass in the 2nd because even at half-speed and bored he's still better than everyone in the division by miles.  I'm also really looking forward to Meisha Tate showing off her range of armbar defense that she's been training before Rousey taps her with another armbar in the first.  Should be entertaining to watch.  It's actually a hell of a show tonight and I'm pumped for it.  No idea what the Brock deal is, unless he's working an angle to fuck with Vince McMahon and get more money.  

Cucch's Book Review's: Coming Soon to a Blog Near You.

Hello again all. It is your friendly, cheap neighborhood Cucch checking in with you all to let you know, yes, your long national wet dream is over: I am returning with book reviews. The holiday season has provided me with enough vim and vigor to bring back the fun threads that I am sure will cause this site to explode. The books I have read in the past month or two include Shoemaker's shit, Dusty's, Gary Michael Cappetta's, and others. A now former co-worker (read about it after the jump) gifted me a Secret Santa gift that allowed me to gain access to three books I would have found unaccessible.

Smackdown - December 27, 2013

Smackdown Date: December 27, 2013 Location: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's the final blue show of the year and I don't remember anything being announced on Raw. The main story from Monday was Big E. Langston/Cena/Punk running off the Shield after being them for the DQ, meaning it's payback time tonight. We're getting closer to the Rumble and have less than 100 days until Wrestlemania so the times are getting exciting. Let's get to it.

A+ Match of the Day

Hello guys, I hope your boxing day was good and you are prepped up for a nice weekend. We will hit another Royal Rumble today and another one of those Rumbles that happened during the "rebuilding phase" of the WWF/E. As I re-watch this Rumble it was truly a rough period for the WWF roster with a lot of mid-carders and unknown AAA guys (??). However, it had Steve Austin, and they were smart enough to bring him in early and work him hard. Ladies and gentlemen the 1997 Royal Rumble. Enjoy.

QOTD: Rob

This came in from a Rob M.  Thought it'd make good discussion... "Favra, I'm typically just an onlooker but have a QOTD I'd be interested in. Say you had the ability to travel in time to match up wrestlers of different eras, specifically say Austin in 01, Savage in 88, HBK 97, etc.  What two wrestlers, time specific, would the blog put in to fill the following criteria.. - greatest technical match? - most entertaining feud, specifically promos and the ability to sell a match? - highest grossing/drawing match of all time? - worst technical match ever?  Thanks

First British World Champ

Hey Scott, Hope you're enjoying the holidays. Here's my interview with Magnus on TNA's live event at Temple tomorrow night as well as his upcoming fitness book. I can't believe he's the first British World Champ in over a century. Just mind-boggling. http://temple-news.com/arts/2013/12/26/tna-world-champion-will-decided-friday/ Thanks! I find it mind-boggling they even put the belt on him in the first place, but he seems like a good guy and it's not like it matters at this point anyway, so good for him.  

BoD Daily Update

John Cena Update As of last week, the plan for John Cena at WrestleMania was to wrestle Bray Wyatt. Another interesting note is that Vince apparently told all of the writers and producers that "Cena is the main event until is time is clearly up. That man feeds us!" Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Backup Plan in Place if HHH vs. CM Punk Does Not Happen at WrestleMania? As of now, the plan is still in place for HHH to face CM Punk at Mania as the climax to the authority angle. However, if that falls through, Roman Reigns is the backup plan to face HHH. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Mistico/WWE Update The contract of Mistico, the original Sin Cara in the WWE, is set to expire on January 10th. No one in the company expects that he will be signed to a new deal Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Son of Former WWE Intercontinental Champion at Recent Tryout Camp at the Performance Center The son of Rick

PG WEEK: Then and Now

PG Week rolls on here on the Blogodoom.  This is new feature that is based on the old Rant Crew that Scott did back in the day.  Basically, if something is bugging me, I will spend time blowing off steam about it.  It will be heavy-handed (probably), it will be controversial (possibly), it will stir discussion (hopefully), and it will get the idea off my chest (with any luck).  I don't expect you to agree with me.  I doubt you will, in fact.  But I do expect that you'll at least have an opinion on the topic and we can beat it into the ground.  WARNING: This is a long one and is based on my experiences on other messageboards.  Everything expressed here is my perspective and may not match what you know. Most of the time, this will be in the form of Then and Now, where I look at something that's been making headlines (in or out of the ring) today and compare it to moments throughout history.  This time, the infamous cartoon of AJ, Lita, and Punk caught my attention.  You alr

Impact Wrestling - December 26, 2013

Impact Wrestling Date: December 26, 2013 Location: Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Mike Tenay, Taz Reviewed by Tommy Hall We close out the year tonight with the fallout from last week's Final Resolution which saw Magnus (in theory) join up with Dixie as the new corporate champion. This should mean the imminent return of AJ Styles and the unification match for the two titles. It should also be interesting to see if TNA starts having more matches during the show or sticks with around three plus a lot of talking. Let's get to it.

Which Shoot Interview Should be Reviewed Next

Just like last week, I will ask a question and the person who is the first to guess correctly, will get to choose the shoot interview that I will recap next week. I will send you a word document of the shoots that I have in my collection (the ones that have not been reviewed on the blog) and you email me back the one you want to see reviewed. Here is the question: What was the first "Timeline" shoot that I reviewed for the blog?

TNA Impact Thread

Matches for tonight include: Joseph Park vs. Bad Influence in a "Monster's Ball" match ODB vs. Lei'D Tapa Plus, Dixie Carter as a "special announcement" to make and Magnus addresses the crowd for the first time as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

NXT - December 25, 2013

NXT Date: December 25, 2013 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Host: Renee Young Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's Christmas time in NXT and since this is a sane promotion, tonight is a year in review show, plus Cesaro vs. Regal. This should be entertaining as usual given how good NXT has been over the last year. It's always fun to see where guys on the main roster got started and several guys on the main shows today were in NXT earlier this year. Let's get to it.

A+ Match of the Day

Happy Boxing Day Blog O'Doomers! Thought about Mr. T-Roddy Piper from Wrestlemania 2 but said, 'nah, let's stick with wrestling.' And I picked this match to honor the soon-to-be returning Batista. Hopefully he channels the awesome that he brought in 2010, I don't see why he wouldn't since he remains pretty funny and witty. But if not, let him be the ass-kicking machine he's always been. I decided to pluck this match from 2008 since it was "the first time", like we couldn't see the millions of Levithan vs. Prototype matches from OVW? Anyway, Summerslam 2008, Batista vs. John Cena in a battle of true-blue A+ players. Enjoy!

Monday Nitro - August 3, 1998

Monday Nitro #148 Date: August 3, 1998 Location: Denver Coliseum, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 7,697 Commentators: Mike Tenay, Larry Zbyszko, Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's the go home show for Road Wild and up to this point there are only a few matches announced. One of the matches that hasn't been officially announced yet is the main event, which presents even more problems for the mess that WCW is in at the moment. The Leno match will draw money, but you need a lot more than five days to promote a match like that. On top of that, we still don't have a match for Goldberg and the potential battle royal between the NWO camps has only been mentioned. Let's get to it.

1996 Dark Matches

Hey Scott, 2 Quick questions: 1) I'm listening to the SCSA podcasts and he talks about doing a bunch of jobs to HBK and Hitman when he started out. This, of course, blew my mind and have been searching, non-stop for these matches, but haven't been able to find, EVEN ON YOU-TUBE, any of these (I'm assuming) apocalpytically good 1995-Earlier 1996 Pre-Neck Injury Ringmaster matches. Any thoughts on this? 2) As part of my Austin-HBK-Hart crusade, I was looking at some old IYH entries on Wikipedia and was shocked to find some amazing main event-level matches that were taking place in dark matches. To Wit: IYH 7     UT/Mankind-  (Within weeks of their feud starting) IYH 10    Sid/Vader IYH 11     HBK/Goldust (THIS IS A WORLD TITLE MATCH) IYH 12     HBK/Mankind- (Because of course you would follow their life-changing match 2 months earlier, with a dark match on one of the least-talked-about PPV in history). What was going on here? More importantly, Where are these

PG WEEK: Retro PPV Rant for Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good retro rant! So, now the question: what's my favorite retro (non-WrestleMania) PPV? Well, it's one that has a format that desperately needs to come back. And it's one they could do now, because with the Network in place, they can afford to experiment on major shows the way they used to. Ladies and gentlemen, I speak of:

Xmas MOTD

The last great match of 2013. From this weekend, which was filled with good stuff from Dragon Gate to PWG (Kevin Steen in teal Young Bucks spandex) and in between, but this was the best of them all. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18sh3s_tetsuya-naito-hiroshi-tanahashi-vs-kazuchika-okada-shinsuke-nakamura-njpw_sport

QOTD

Not much going on around here so Ill throw one up to give us something to bullshit about. This MUST have been done before, but I don't remember it.  Since wrestling is the tie that binds us... "What is your favorite wrestling moment?(match, segment, promo, etc.)" "What's the most disappointed you've been as a wrestling fan? (bad match, your guy losing, shitty angle, bad reveal, etc.) "

PG WEEK: What If?

It's PG Week here at the Blog of Doom, and as promised, a special life-or-death What If? What if the events of July 17, 1988 turned out differently for Frank Goodish? A little background: on that day, Goodish was in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, preparing for a match when fellow wrestler Jose Huertas Gonzalez asked him to step into the shower for a private discussion.  There was a scuffle, then a loud groan the whole locker room heard.  Tony Atlas was first on the scene to try to see what happened... and he wound up carrying Goodish to the ambulance.  Goodish did not survive. Huertas was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the trial was a circus.  Several witnesses, Atlas among them, were too scared to testify against the politically connected Huertas.  He was found to have committed the act in self-defense. You know Huertas better as Invader #1, one of Puerto Rico's biggest heroes.  You know Goodish better as Bruiser Brody, one of the greatest crazy brawlers of all tim

Jay-Eee-Double-Eff

Hey Scott, I've been without power for about 48 hours after the ice storm, longer than during the big blackout of ought-two.  In the meantime it looks like Jeff Jarrett and TNA have parted ways.  Did we discuss that already?  It seems like a thing. Is this just the latest sign of the company falling apart, or is it a step in a new direction?  Do you see any future for him in wrestling, or is this his effective retirement? Dudes in his 40s, I barely even thought of him as an active wrestler in the first place.   He'll probably do a surprise Rumble appearance and then go run that new AAA promotion or something.  

BoD Daily Update

TNA Issues Statement Regarding Jeff Jarrett's Depature http://www.impactwrestling.com/news/item/5351-TNA-issues-statement-on-Jeff-Jarrett Heath Slater Update The reason for Slater's absence is that he is out for the time being to deal with "personal issues." Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio Roddy Piper to Appear at the Next Ring of Honor Television Tapings He is advertised for a pre-show meet and greet. No word yet on whether or not he will be making an appearance for television Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Bobby Eaton Hospitalized Eaton has been hospitalized due to complications from his diabetes. He will be held for observation for the next few days Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com

A+ Match of the Day

An early morning present as I've got a heck of a day ahead. This is one of those strange matches. I don't think people thought a Ric Flair-Terry Funk feud had the traction to go as long as it did in 1989 but both guys were into it pretty good and had a good supporting cast to make things work over the course of several months. So this Flair-Funk match at The Great American Bash in 1989 was thought to be a blow off to a quick feud/injury angle but the AMAZING brawl at the end of this match showed that it was just the beginning. Come for the match, stay for the brawl. Enjoy.

PG WEEK: A Very Raw Christmas 2013

Yes, folks, it's PG Week here on Scott's Blog of Doom. With Scott on vacation all week, he's handed the keys to me (I volunteered). Every day from today to December 30 th , I'll be providing you with new content: recaps, retro rants, audience participation, everything. Sit back, relax, and enjoy, as we open PG Week with a look at a Very Raw Christmas! Welcome aboard!

A+ Match of the Day

Hope the BOD Universe had a great weekend and those of you celebrating the holidays finished up all of your shopping. I was thinking about all the negativity surrounding Triple H these days (I'm just as guilty as anyone) and got to thinking that it wasn't always like this. HHH used to be really good and used to do a very good job of giving guys the rub. Case in point, Chris Jericho had been hanging around the WWF for close to a year and while he had been doing some good stuff with Angle and Benoit and had even been given the title for about 5 minutes on a RAW, Jericho had yet to have that first real defining match in his WWF career. Well at Fully Loaded 2000 it happened as Jericho took on HHH in a last man standing match. It was a tremendous, bloody, brutal classic that took Jericho to the next level and set up his future success in the sport. So enjoy it for the first time or enjoy watching it again, HHH-Jericho, Last Man Standing.

BoD Daily Update

Batista Update The current plans for Batista include him wrestling on TV and at house shows, as well as appearing in storylines after WrestleMania. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com WWE.com RAW Preview http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-12-23/five-point-preview-26172556 American Wolves Update As of now, there has not been word that the Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) have signed with the WWE. This is after both guys made their farewell at a recent PWG show, stating that they were heading to "Orlando.". TNA is apparently high on both guys. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com WWE.com Article on "Top Ten Shocking Tag Breakups http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-shocking-tag-team-breakups

Dave's Updated Rasslemania Rumorz

So according to the radio show this morning, we are WAY off in our pointless speculation. Current direction until they change their mind again: John Cena against someone in the undisputed main event. Not Hulk Hogan. Dave has no idea who is even left to book for the spot, but WWE feels Cena is the guy and people will buy the show based on him being on top. Brock Lesnar v Undertaker Royal Rumble winner Batista v WWE champ Randy Orton HHH v Vince's guy Bryan and Punk probably doing something. Boy, that lineup sure makes you wanna run out and buy the Network, huh?

Random blogness

Scott, hope all is well.  Thought I'd give you a break from the Bryan/HHH stuff... I don't think I've EVER seen you give your opinion on the streak... Should it be ended?   If so, would you end it in Takers last match, end it to put over the heir apparent (guy like Reigns), or end it to set up a huge rubber match (like have Cena/Taker split the first two and then build to a rubber match in Takers final WM match)? Or would you keep it in tact for whatever value is in that? The value in the streak is chasing it, not actually ending it for whatever theoretical rub that Undertaker might give a guy, since they'd just fuck it up anyway and have someone else beat the Streak-Killer so as to try and get everyone over and thus get no one over.  Plus once you've taken that genie out of the bottle, you can't just build up another 20 year run of some guy, so why even take the chance?  On a related note... I must have missed this somewhere, but could you ple

Bret Hart Question

> Hi Scott, > > Quick question. Did Vince want Bret to leave in 97? I know he signed him to that deal and then told him he couldn't afford to pay him. So did he want Bret to leave? I don't understand that part. Vince was very clear about wanting Bret to leave for WCW instead of paying him that money. The whole thing came across to me as a passive aggressive way to move Bret out.

QOTD: MATT HAYDEN

By Gawd, a wrestling QOTD! Send suggestions to: mhaas42@gmail.com This was sent in by Matt Hayden... General consensus seems to be that Roman Reigns is definitely gonna get the rocket push. We all know that timing is often everything with these things, and pushing a guy too fast, or waiting too long, can mess with his heat or even cause the push to fail.  My question is: if you were booking the Reigns ascension to the top, what's the general gameplan and timeline you'd follow? How soon do you do the Shield split? Does he feud with Ambrose first? Do you give him a long run and a variety of feuds with the IC/US belt? When do you plan on having him regularly wrestle in main events, and, ultimately, capture the world title? Given that it seems Reigns may get to showcase himself in the Rumble, I thought now would be a good time to ask the BoD how they'd proceed with the Reigns push from here. My only stipulation is that my question assumes the push WILL happen, so answ

BoD Saturday Night Thread

On Tap for Tonight: NBA Action NHL Action College Basketball The New Orleans Bowl is tonight, with Tulane vs. Lousiana-Lafayette Saturday Night Live is new tonight, with host Jimmy Fallon and musical guest, Justin Timberlake Poster CG4 correctly guessed the shoot interview question and has selected the recap that will be posted next Thursday, which will be the 1999 WWE Timeline with Sean Morley (Val Venis)

WrestleMania XXX

Scott, I know various versions and combinations of this have already floated around the blog,but are we safe to assume the following for WM? Cena v Taker or Orton Bryan v Shawn Punk v HHH or Brock as H's avatar Cody v Goldust Where would you slot in Batista and/or Goldberg if they sign up? If Batista is coming back (and hopefully he does because I'm already writing my next WhatCulture article on that assumption) then Wrestlemania becomes easy to lay out: - Cena v. Undertaker, GODDAMMIT - Brock v. Batista, because that way they have someone on Taker's level to get them out of this stupid Brock-Taker mindset. - Punk v. HHH (pretty much set in stone apparently) - Rumble winner Bryan v. Orton for the WWE World Unified International Saskatchewan Hardcore title - Cody v. Goldust - Roman Reigns v., I dunno, Goldberg?  Dean Ambrose?  Corporate Stooge Sheamus?   This would all be awesome and I'd subscribe to their network to get this.   Also, the Rumble

QOTD

I wasn't going to post one but had one pop up while at lunch today... Is there an odd food combination that you enjoy (ketchup on spaghetti, cheeze wiz sandwiches, something fucking strange on pizza, etc.?)  What unpopular foods do you enjoy?  What popular food do you dislike?

Random Old School Wrestling Questions...

Hey Scott, I have a couple of questions for you and they both kinda/sorta involve Christmas shows: 1) I remember hearing a while ago about how Dusty wanted to put the NWA Title on Rick Steiner at Starrcade '88. I didn't think anything of it and thought it was a joke. So last night I was watching one of the August 1988 episodes of World Championship Wrestling via Classics on Demand and saw Rick in a few segments. One thing led to another and I found a few other places online that noted Dusty did in fact want to put the title on Rick. Now I have to ask, what was the thought process behind this? Did Dusty really think that would be a good idea? Also, with Flair/Luger as the main event and definitely a big time match, how could Steiner have even won the belt? Would they have called an audible and not gone through with Flair/Luger? 2) I'm listening to Stone Cold Steve Austin's podcast with Jim Cornette and Cornette was talking about how Christmas used to be a huge time

Flair In Sin City

Scott, any idea why Ric Flair was so desperately keen to return to WCW in January 1993? If I remember rightly,he returned at SuperBrawl that February but due to legal tie-ups didn't actually wrestle until July. Why did he hotshot his WWF exit with little hype then gladly sit out six months? Why not hang around for the Mania 9 payday and some priceless "Nature Boy In Vegas" vignettes? Flair v Savage II,Flair v Hogan,Flair/Luger v Savage/Perfect or even Flair/Razor would have been decent options for that show. I think he was just really unhappy with his time in the WWF at that point and felt like WCW would be better money and people he knew.  Flair's never really been one for well-thought decisions in the first place.  

BoD Daily Update

Batista Returning to the WWE? There have been internet and radio adds for the 2/16 WWE House Show in Las Vegas that promote the appearance of Batista. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com spoke with sources in the WWE that confirmed he was expected back and that the adds were released prematurely. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Original Finish to the TLC Unification Match Switched? The original house show lineups post-TLC featured Cena vs. Orton wrestling in unification matches, meaning the PPV match would have had a screw-job finish. Apparently, all sides realized that another PPV ending like that would be a good idea. Credit Bryan Alvarez, Figure Four Weekly Newsletter Reason For Natalya's Drunk Text Messaging Storyline From "Total Diva's?" The story of Natalya sending messages to Stephanie McMahon while intoxicated was not legit but it was based off of a real-life incident. Apparently, this was based off of a male wrestler who either send messages by

Smackdown - December 20, 2013

Smackdown Date: December 20, 2013 Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield Reviewed by Tommy Hall We're getting closer to the end of the year and the main story coming out of Monday is the potential for a three way feud between Cena, Orton and Bryan. Daniel had the champion beaten but Orton cheated to get out of the match, drawing in Cena for the save. It should be interesting to hear Bryan's thoughts on Cena running in to help him. Let's get to it.

The Next Big Thing ?

Now, we all know what CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar was like. Basically, they blew the roof off during that Summerslam match. But I feel, such ***** matches should be treated in a super-special way by not having another match. The second match will not only live up to the expectations, but also make Lesnar look weak when he has to return the job to Punk. Their once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece was just PERFECT in every facet of pro-wrestling and it was the smartest way they could've booked either guy. Now, my question to you is : After watching how brilliant Punk vs Lesnar was, can you imagine how terrifyingly awesome Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar can be ? Lesnar treating Bryan like a little bitch throughout, and almost KILLING him during the process before Bryan makes his legendary babyface comeback and beats the shit out of Lesnar all over the place and MURDERS him with the RUNNING KNEE OF DOOM or makes him tap out or something. Sure, that may sound chimerical, but at this point I&

Apter Speculates Hogan at Mania

Hey Scott, I visited Apter's Alley, one of the coolest places for any wrestling fan, and tried to get some answers from Wonderful Willie about the Hulkster's status at Mania30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-6K6saDu0c&feature=c4-overview&list=UUBxWol9GgOTDFAhpBRkaMJQ Thanks! I think Hulk's usage at WM21 was just about perfect -- rescue Eugene from the evil bullies as a big surprise, do some posing, get out again before people got sick of him.  

Top Ten Bryan Matches of 2013 Plug

http://camelclutchblog.com/best-daniel-bryan-wwe-2013/ Has anyone outside of Japan ever had this many MOTYC-level matches in one calendar year? There were even matches I felt bad about leaving off, like his six man with Orton and Kane against the Shield from a June Smackdown, not to mention the Night of Champions match. I'd still go with Punk-Lesnar over Bryan-Cena, but either way my vote will be going to something from NJPW this year.  

BoD Daily Update

WWE.com Smackdown Preview http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2013-12-20/five-point-preview-26171105 Goldberg Update The WWE has reached out to Bill Goldberg to appear at WrestleMania. However, the word is that he "drives a hard bargain" and it doesnt appear that they are close to a deal. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter WWE Working on a New Logo The WWE apparently has fifteen or so logos to choose from. No word on when it will be revealed Credit Dave Meltzer Wrestling Observer Newsletter How Much Did AJ Styles Earn From TNA This Year It is believed that AJ earned about $350,000 while working for TNA in 2013. It is rumored that his most recent contract would have him earn around $200,000 in 2014, although it was largely a per appearance deal. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter NXT Name and Gimmick Change Leo Kruger will now be known as "Adam Rose." His character is going to be that of a crazy rock star

A+ Match of the Day

Early start today, lots of holiday stuff to do...who would have thunk Paul Roma would be such a controversial point of discussion. Almost made me want to look up a Power & Glory match. Maybe next week. For the weekend you guys get a Royal Rumble. We've done 1990 and 1994 so far but not we'll skip ahead a few years and go to the 2003 edition. Enjoy the weekend!

EBay Auction Plug

Hey Scott- Long time reader of your work and an occasional commenter on the website over the years. Your "Want of a Nail" column was one of my favorite pieces in sports writing ever. I could write about how HHH is screwing everyone, or Punk and Bryan should be pushed to the moon- but I was really hoping I could get a small plug for my eBay auctions that are going on right now selling some of my DVD wrestling collection. I'm selling off all my ROH DVDs which include plenty that are no longer sold. Also, have the Pioneer Entertainment ECW releases, and the Wrestling Gold stuff with Meltzer and Cornette on commentary. Here is the link for one auction and the rest are visible from there. Thanks http://www.ebay.com/itm/301048098659?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 t.l. hopper

Lighting Round - non wrestling!

Favorite Spider-Man story? The current run. Favorite Batman story? Dark Knight Returns Favorite video game - all time? Ratchet & Clank 3.   Super Mario World a close second.   Favorite ongoing comic? Superior Foes of Spider-Man.  I laugh my ASS off at every issue.  It's like old Giffen JLI but with C-level villains.   Also Hawkguy if they'd get the fucking schedule back on track.   Do you say 8th grade or grade 8? Grade 8.  Favorite comic book movie? Superman 2 will always hold a special place in my heart.   Curb or Seinfeld? Seinfeld.  I find Curb very spotty.  Cyclops or Wolverine? No strong opinion, so Wolvie.   Favorite horror film - all time? Saw.  Grant Morrison - Yay or Nay? Nay. 

Impact Wrestling - December 19, 2013

Impact Wrestling Date: December 19, 2013 Location: Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz Reviewed by Tommy Hall Tonight is the Final Resolution special with a double main event. The main stories are the Dixieland match with Magnus facing Jeff Hardy in the world title tournament final and Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode in a 2/3 falls match which might be the blowoff to their feud. The other question is where AJ Styles fits into this whole picture, assuming he still has a job in this company. We also get the Feast or Fired reveals tonight. Let's get to it.

NXT - December 18, 2013

NXT Date: December 18, 2013 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Tensai Reviewed by Tommy Hall Tonight is the 200 th episode celebration and believe it or not, that's actually an accurate count for a change, assuming you consider this the same show as the original competition show. The main stories tonight are an appearance by HHH and an NXT Title defense with Bo Dallas defending against Adrian Neville in a lumberjack match. NXT has a good history of making their big shows work so this has good potential tonight. Let's get to it.

Which Shoot Interview Should be Reviewed Next?

I have decided to switch things up for deciding next week's shoot interview recap. Instead of a poll, I am going to ask a question and whoever is the first one to guess correctly in the thread, I will send you a list of every shoot interview I have that has not been reviewed on this site and you can pick the one that will be posted next Thursday. Here is the question: What was the first shoot interview that I reviewed for the blog? Here is a hint: He wrestled in the WWF, for well over a decade, starting in the 1990's, and he never held the World Championship. He never went to ECW and had wrestled as a Jobber in WCW for one match.

TNA Impact Thread

Tonight is the "Final Resolution" show. Matches include: Jeff Hardy vs. Magnus for the TNA Heavyweight Championship Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match Gail Kim & Lei'D Tapa vs. ODB & Madison Rayne Plus, the "Feast or Fired" Briefcases will be revealed

A+ Match of the Day

Paul Roma as a Horseman usually draws a lot of snickers and snarls and I get it. Paul Roma wasn't exactly Horseman material but was the guy that bad of a worker? I mean I remember a little of his Young Stallions (not Pistols) stuff and his overall body of work as a JTTS in the late 80s, early 90s WWF wasn't bad. I mean he wasn't Ricky Steamboat but he wasn't the fucking Warlord either. He was all right wasn't he? Anyway, I found this six-man match from 1993, Barry Windham & The Hollywood Blondes vs. Flair, Anderson and Roma...so let's see if Paul Roma can hang with these heavy hitters.