HarmonicGenerator

I’ve gone for “these aren’t the best matches and they’re not my favourite matches but they’re five matches with a special place in my heart” as my metric. Undertaker vs. Mankind, Hell In A Cell I didn’t watch it at the time. For years, all I had seen of it was the clip of the first fall from “don’t try this at home”. But as a newly re-hooked fan in late 2000, I read the section of Have A Nice Day Foley wrote about this match again, and again, and again. I couldn’t believe it had really happened, that wrestling could be this spectacular. TLCII, Mania X7 Then I saw this - and it was the ultimate stunt show spectacular. Having been desperate for Summerslam 2000 to be my first ‘PPV’ (I think it was on Sky Sports, I think you could see the first hour on one of the free channels because I’m sure I saw at least up to X-Pac vs Road Dogg) I didn’t convince my parents in time. So this was my first TLC match. I didn’t convince them for Mania either and I’d borrowed the tape off my friend David. I must have rewound Bubba and Matt’s big table bump dozens of times. Jonny Storm vs Teddy Hart, TNA The first match I saw on the first show I watched on the test broadcasts for what became The Wrestling Channel. My first steps into a larger world. Twenty years on, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t stand up - it was only about three minutes and it’s Teddy Hart, for Bret’s sake - but it was like nothing I’d seen before. D’Lo Brown vs Sheamus vs Assassin, Dan Fitch’s first show I’d been to WWE live before this show in October 2005, but I hadn’t experienced just how fun wrestling could be live until this match, where the crowd just LOVED D’Lo. Constant “D’Lo is a legend” chants for him, and I don’t think it was an ironic hijacking thing, I think it was genuinely an audience who knew they’d better recognise. It’s the second most memorable part of that show behind a guy from Gateshead who was booked on the opening cruiserweight six way that was meant to showcase Spud, but who blew everyone’s minds. From this show he went on to FWA, then within a couple of years wrestled El Generico in PWG, then went over to Dragon Gate, then WWE, and now he’s wrestling Okada on PPV. PAC has been my favourite since this show. Stadium Stampede, All In London I couldn’t believe my wife was willing to come to a wrestling show with me. I had no expectations she would stick around longer than the first match. But her reactions to the cooking skewers, to OC getting beaten up, to SUUUUEEEE arriving… she stayed for the entire show. This match didn’t make her a fan but I think it’s the match that made her understand the appeal of this stupid wrestling thing.

I’m off today so got to spend my morning watching. I really liked PAC vs. Okada and could have happily watched them do another 20 minutes. Happy Willow won, would have been fine with them having a not-so-short match. Mercedes is losing me each time she appears, hopefully by the time she has a match she’ll show why she’s a good signing. I’m very ready for The Sabbatical Of Jericho. Danielson vs. Ospreay was incredible. Impossible to follow that. I didn’t love the ending and that did take some of the shine off, but right up to the shaky neck injury it had all the stars from me. What a match. Swerve is champ! Found it hard to focus on the match after Danielson-Ospreay but this is a good move and excited to see where they go next.

I treat Khali as a world champion very differently, because the title he won had only been around for about five years when he won it, and didn’t really mean a lot anyway. Jinder won the title, the one that’s supposed to go back to 1963 as the pinnacle of the company. That’s worse.

I don’t recognise the name Soner Durson at all. Who was he? (He?)

Sami Zayn’s entrance this week was something special.

I’ll happily have Danielson vs PAC at Wembley please. Ospreay and Swerve for the World title would have been on my card but I’d rather see Swerve and Hangman in a stadium setting, so Ospreay vs Okada will do. That’s a decent triple header. Oh, and Jamie Hayter returning to beat Toni for the Women’s title please. Anyway, I was up for paying for Dynasty as soon as they said Danielson vs Ospreay. Interest confirmed with PAC vs Okada. I’m also keen on seeing Joe vs Swerve, and Willow vs Julia. It’s a great card.

Happy birthday and may the fifth dawn be a real not false one!

Hidden subtext of the whole Rhodes vs Bloodline saga?

This was my wife’s impression too. Her only thought while watching it was that Joe came across really well. It’s more opinion on the actual footage than I have, I mainly just wish they hadn’t shown it. It doesn’t feel like AEW has much goodwill behind it anymore, even though they’re giving us PAC vs Okada in a couple of weeks, because of decisions like this. No need. My wife also very much enjoyed Timeless Toni’s Champagne Reception. She laughed, she loved the colour split screen, she was shocked when Toni tried to remove Rosa’s face paint. Good bit of business all round and I’d so much rather we were talking about stuff like this than that stupid backstage footage.

If you’re going to apply logic to the end of that match, I say you have to apply logic to the rest of it. Heyman said in the backstage interview earlier in the night that Bloodline Rules meant (paraphrasing) “whatever we want”. So where was the Over The Edge 1998 style rewriting the rulebook as they went? Why didn’t they say “in Bloodline Rules, nobody is allowed to hit Roman Reigns ever” or “in Bloodline Rules, Cody Rhodes requires a 20 count to win but Roman Reigns only needs a 1”? Logically if the rules are “whatever we want” they could have done that. But when you apply logic to wrestling you ruin the magic. Enjoy the cameos. Enjoy the run ins. Enjoy the match and enjoy The Story!

Wondering if they’re planning to drag that bit out long enough that they have Jericho vs Ogogo at Wembley. Speaking of Wembley, I am very excited for PAC vs Okada to the point I’m buying Dynasty to see it, but if they want to wrap PAC in cotton wool after that until August that is fine because I can’t have him getting injured and missing All In again. ”I’m calling you out, bonny lad!” Yes PAC! This episode also had a great Dustin promo. He never said “bonny lad” and he has zero chance of winning the title but it was great nonetheless.

If I hadn’t read this thread, I would have assumed the Bucks releasing exclusive footage from All In would have something to do with the fact that it was announced on the same show where FTR booked a match against them for the Tag Titles and the last time they wrestled was All In. Which it still could be if they really wanted and that would be preferable. Just be fun, wrestling.

Is that Dasha as in the ring announcer? I hadn’t realised that was her surname if so!

Now now…. But yeah. Absolute nonsense. I had fun but it’s not good.

Where’s this one available? It sounds fun.