Wendell Cooley

Just finished Jericho's first book on me kindle. He comes across as an ingratiating fuckwit with terrible taste in music. Awful jokes, perhaps because his publisher nudged him toward writing for a childish audience. Some interesting anecdotes but I suspect he's full of shit. And like every single American/Canadian who feels the need to write a book he has to suck off Jesus on every page which gets incredibly tedious. Having said that, I read it in 3 days and don't feel worse off for it.

I haven't seen it for sale anywhere in Indonesia, but the WWE magazine is available in some English language bookshops. They don't even show wrestling on TV here anymore - the government banned it from being shown after some kid died trying to copy a DDT or something. It was really popular at the time, and all. Funny thing is that Indonesians never use the word 'wrestling' to describe it - it's always 'Smackdown'. Vince would jizz his pants if he cared.

Anyway, I don't miss reading Powerslam as you get better, funnier criticism here and I have the Observer for News and Facts. It used to be a monthly ritual of mine to buy it from Smiths then read it over a few pints in Weatherspoons, but it started to be a bit of a chore when Fin went into grumpy old man mode. It used to be a great read back in the day when you had guys like Rob Butcher and John lister writing for it, but it increasingly became like reading a blog penned by a petulant masochist with a peculiar vision of what wrestling should be like.

It's a really weird editorial policy for a specialist magazine to take. Who, for example, would want to read a heavy metal magazine that told you that everything metal bands do these days is wrong and that you, the reader, are foolish for not sharing the same esoteric tastes as the guy who writes almost all of the articles? Fin Martin, that's who. It would be one thing if he was a dab hand at the sort of snarky, spiteful writing that's all over the Internet, but he just comes across as a guy banging his head against a wall, obsessively documenting everything that could be perceived as contributing to the decline of an industry that he used to love but now wants to die, if only to say "I told you so!"

Power Slam claim that Roddy Piper is older than Hulk Hogan in this months issue, this is incorrect.

omg, those utter cunts.

Are they invitation only? or can anyone access?

I tried the xtreme one but it wasn't taking new applications. Is there are a decent site I can sign up to now?

I know this has probably been asked a million times, but what's a good site for wrestling torrents? In particular, I'm looking for old mid-90s WWF PPVs.

Was that "World Of Wrestling"? I could never understand what they were talking about, but they'd often have countdowns on it.

 

It was presented by Carsten Schafer and the TNM7 bloke if I remember correctly.

Thats it. You knew it was time for the dirty phonecall adverts to finish, when some German bloke popped up on the screen and went "WOW". As in "World of Wrestling". Not "WOW" as in, "did you see her mot?" Alex Wright used to be a roving reporter on DSF as well.

 

Ah, great days.

Great days indeed. I remember watching a documentary/news type thing about wrestling on DSF. I have't a clue what it was called or anything, but it featured Mike Awesome (then in FMW) explaining the difference between Japanese and American wrestling styles.

Sky and Virgin are great and everything, but I do miss the foreign channels like that one that would just show a burning fireplace all night. That and the pornography, of course, far superior to Babestation.

Two for me, both from around the same timeframe, I think, which really made me question how I was spending my leisure time.

 

Firstly:

 

 

Not a great pic, but I found this hideous. Ignoring the debacle that was McMahon's Million Dollar Mania which in and of itself made WWE a laughing stock, and showed just how out of touch Vince seemed to have become with popular culture, the fact that it ended like this: McMahon crushed under a scaffold, a week after a TNA crew member lost their life in the same way is just horrible. Whether or not Vince knew about it personally is beside the point. Someone in the company should've seen what was planned and said "no".

 

Secondly:

 

 

I don't care how much of it was agreed or not agreed to beforehand - I very nearly gave up wrestling for good when this happened. Totally beyond the realms of taste and decency in my opinion. In fact, I nearly cancelled my sub to F4W when Alvarez kept going on about how he was sure she wouldn't have minded getting a fat lip if it made the angle look that much better. Deplorable.

 

Sadly, wrestling really is a sickness, and no matter how much it continues to offend my sensibilities, like the junkie that I am I will always come crawling back for another fix.

How's that any different from the awesome angle in which Jake Roberts hit Elizabeth? Beating women should be used sparingly in wrestling, which it is, as it can generate a lot of heat when done well. 'Totally beyond the realms of taste and decency'? Considering some of the stuff that's happened over the years that's a ridiculous exaggeration.

The Tim White suicide FAIL did give rise to the very funny series of skits he did with Josh Matthews, though. 'Mr White! That's not wise!'

Steve Austin was told by WWF's merchandise department that Marc Mero and Mark Henry were going to be the big merchandise sellers of 1997 and they didnt see anything in him as far as marketability went. People always get onto WCW about not knowing what to do with Austin, but WWF didnt really have much for him either initially.

 

Out of interest, was Austin's first '3:16' speech at KOTR '96 all his own work or was it scripted?

I remember Austins documentary where it said Michael Hayes told him to cut a promo on Jake Roberts and his god-squad character, and Austin came up with "Austin 3:16". It is brilliant, though. Austin came up with alot of ideas for his t-shirts as well. He was very hands on with his character. It's funny, because Hogan and Austin were both particular of how they were used and both had little quips in refusing to do something, according to wrestlers going shoot interviews. It always comes up that Austin would apparently say "I dont think the Stone Cold character would you do that" and thus wouldnt do it. Hogan would always say "that doesnt work for me, brother". I suppose you have to be very picky and paranoid if your at the very top.

 

Anyone remember the "SID 3:16" signs early 90s WCW PPV's? WCW Magazine had an article about it when Sid return in 1999, claiming credit for the Austin 3:16 success. WCW were getting desperate at the time of course.

Ah, cheers. Interesting about the Sid signs too.

There was a guy who used to show up at sports events in America wearing a rainbow wig and holding a sign with 'John 3:16' on it, so maybe that's where the whole idea comes from.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/4...th-those-john-3

Steve Austin was told by WWF's merchandise department that Marc Mero and Mark Henry were going to be the big merchandise sellers of 1997 and they didnt see anything in him as far as marketability went. People always get onto WCW about not knowing what to do with Austin, but WWF didnt really have much for him either initially.

Out of interest, was Austin's first '3:16' speech at KOTR '96 all his own work or was it scripted?

Given his murky past, Feinstein has done quite well for himself with all these shoots, hasn't he? I'm surprised anyone wanted to work with him after he was busted by Perverted Justice.

I would be suprised if the vast majority of people who he interviews are even aware of whom Rob Feinstein is, let alone his shady tendencies. As far as they are concerned it is just another payday.

How much do wrestlers get paid for shoot interviews? Does Feinstein pay them directly?

And, to his credit, Cena heels it up brilliantly in that match. The way he keeps throwing his t-shirt into the crowd is magic.

I'm no huge fan either (he's been really good most of this year but the prospect of him vs Orton again has made me hate both of them a bit), just commenting on the "I'm too old and male to like him!" superiority complex. Although I feel like I'm too old and wise to just go along with what Fin Martin and Wade Keller spout, so I'm just as guilty of being condescending.

 

Only women and kids like Cena/Hornswoggle/WWE etc, only virgins and losers like cruiserweights/Shimmer/indies etc.

Fair enough. Your harsh words have upset me, though, so I'll cheer myself up by watching Cena get massacred by the fappers at One Night Stand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJhHDoarORU

Now THAT'S why I fucking love wrestling.

I don't begrudge him his spot, nor am I a 'hater'. Just because you like him doesn't mean that anyone who thinks his gimmick is childish and a bit naff is part of some reactionary faction of 'Internet people' that you seem weirdly obsessed with.

5 pages of people mentioning all kinds of shit with no critisism, then a few mentions of Cena lead to the people posting it being questioned for why they hate him and people summizing it's just because it's the cool thing to do.

 

I'm all for discussion and everything but a lot of people on here seem to dismiss anyone critisizing John Cena as someone doing it just to get a reaction.

 

Personally I find his matches hard to enjoy because his offence and his selling - so everything he does inside a wrestling ring - are so phony looking (something I've never said about any other WWE main eventer ever) that I can't suspend my disbelief, and I have the same problem with his promos. I love psychology in a match where the heel breaks down the babyface until he can muster up a comeback. That's probably the biggest critisism of Cena (and there are many), that he STILL hasn't grasped the concept that if somebody works for 10 minutes on your arm or leg you really shouldn't be running around or picking people up 2 minutes later.

So there is literally nothing about John Cena I enjoy watching.

 

... just kidding, I only don't like him because it's the cool thing to do.

Aye, pretty much sums it up. However, I think his promos are usually well delivered - it's just that the idiot writers tend to give him awful, cheesey shit to work with.

Besides which, I don't have a vagina or play in a sandpit (well, sometimes on Saturdays...), so Cena is clearly not being marketed to the likes of me, so bollocks to it.

Before the Nexus angle, I said to myself 'fuck watching this shit.'

Regal and Fit Finlay give each other a total fucking thrashing at Uncensored '96. Tremendous stuff.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZAKYKug05w

Really? Boring as fuck, I thought. The crowd was totally dead for it - even Schiavone mentions this towards the end. It was quite amusing when Heenan and Rhodes decided that Ireland was about 7 miles away from London, though.

I have no interest in CZW but this tribute video is pretty cool.

 

 

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but I don't think unprotected head shots and ludicrous bumps are cool, just very very dangerous and stupid.

Very dangerous and stupid but for a 3 minute youtube video with a Slayer soundtrack, cool.

I have no interest in CZW but this tribute video is pretty cool.

Fantastic! There's something a bit homoerotic about the way the voice-over guy keeps saying 'HOT wrestling action!'

Sid and Stan Hansen as a tag team? FUCK YES!

Beavis and Butthead squashing Hogan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K4r14ZNy8Q

Coliseum Video intro, complete with porno music soundtrack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phx_z5yvkKk...feature=related

Nailz sounding like a cross between Chewbacca and a dalek:

For some reason, I think this cheesey song by Shindown really compliments this tribute to the WM 22 main event: