Accident Prone

On 1/14/2023 at 1:16 PM, Merzbow said:

I'm going to see the Cheapshow pod live next month in Leicester, I've been meaning to see them before but this was close and only a fiver compared to me having to trek to near Watford with awful public transport back. Was going to get a friend to come but tickets sold out real quick so I'll be awkwardly on my tod giving two guys some noodles.

Bloody hell, didn't know that Cheapshow were still going! I went to their double live show in London in 2018ish, and that felt like the peak to me as I quickly dropped off and ending up unsubbing soon after. I'll give them another whirl now that I've had a break from the lads, maybe I'll start when these recent live shows make the pod feed. It's a shame their YouTube channel with Ashens and Barry Lewis didn't take off as intended as that's where they were in their element. Me and the wife still have an annual watchalong of the Barshens channel, and "I'M GOING TO SHIT" is still an regular in-joke around the house.

14 hours ago, DavidB6937 said:

Put me up as another one that definitely said some absolutely stupid shit on here back in the day. But now I really hope I contribute in a more positive way. I enjoy the wrestling discussion.

Back in the day? Have you seen what's taking the lead in the most tired gag award? Bloody hell mate, you and Keith are gonna have to split the trophy in a joint video on that one!

15 hours ago, BobJones1 said:

I was hoping ‘Nasty’ posters like Keith and Devon are eradicated….. let’s be honest what does their nastiness actually contribute……

Why, for God's sakes, is "Nasty" in apostrophes? Is this some sort of ironic nastiness? Is the wink implied?

Feels like a proper pre-pandemic wrestling year when we've already got the MOTY award sewn up by January 4th.

THE GOOD
Best Women's Wrestler - Jamie Hayter

Best Men's Wrestler -  Jon Moxley

Best Tag Team - FTR

Best British Wrestler - Will Ospreay

Best Non-wrestler - Excalibur

Best Event - AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door

Best Wrestling Show - AEW Dynamite

Best Feud or Angle - CM Punk vs MJF

Funniest Moment - The CM Punk post-All Out press conference

Best Heel - MJF

Best Babyface - Jon Moxley

Best Podcast - GRAPPL Spotlight

Moment of the Year - Eddie Kingston carries a jug of petrol to the ring during Anarchy In The Arena

Match of the Year - CM Punk vs MJF, AEW Revolution 2022

Promo of the Year – Ace Steel hypes up CM Punk on the 31st August Dynamite
 
THE BAD
Biggest Letdown - Red DRagon

Worst Wrestler - Marina Shafir

Worst Match - Chris Jericho vs Colt Cabana (Dynamite, 02/11)

Worst Event - 02/11 Dynamite (Cargill vs Shafir & Colt vs Jericho were bleak spots on an uninspired, bland two hours of pro wrestling)

8 hours ago, LEGIT said:

 Don't like Home Alone because I feel sorry for the bad guys.

I love Home Alone (and number 2) but watching it last night I was sat there thinking, "This massive house that's full of mega-rich upper-class bellends and spoiled brats, and they all despise each other and are constantly ridiculing a nine year old, and they still got duped by a cheap police costume that didn't even spell fucking 'police' properly on the fucking hat, and I'm meant to be rooting for THEM and hoping that all their shit ISN'T stolen?!".

I was quickly won over again though because it's fucking Home Alone and the soundtrack alone is enough for it to get by.

I applied for a job at CEX once just as it was opening on a high street I used to live near. I got through to the interview, only to find that it was being held in stages throughout the month, with the first interview being a group interview, the second stage being a one-to-one, and then a trial work week before being successful.

All of that for a retail gig at fucking CEX?! I popped along to the group interview anyway and left within ten minutes as the interviewer bloke darted the room with red flags like "We're a family here (despite only being open a fortnight)" and "If you conform then no one is left out".

I believe CEX is franchised out so any fucker with a bank loan and money to burn can open one. It used to be a haven for cheap DVDs and games, but now it's fallen into despair. I swore off CEX completely a few years back when I queued for almost half an hour to buy some box sets at the store in Merry Hill. One person on the till sorting through a massive bag of trade-in Skylanders and all the other staff were milling in the background, not bothered by the huge queue forming. I dumped the DVDs on a nearby shelf and left. Down with CEX! Down with CEX!

Thanks @scratchdj, you've successfully etched me closer to selling up and investing in one. A dedicated thread would be a good shout as people can recommend power settings, emulators, games that work surprisingly well/games that don't work so well, and other nerdy tinkering shit.

I'm considering selling my Vita, DS Lite and 2DS, and putting the cash towards getting a SteamDeck because it feels like a one and done handheld. I've read reviews and understand the weight and battery life issues, and I still can't help but feel like it's the be-all end-all for souped-up GameBoys. The fucker can almost play anything, it must be worth all the cash...right? Is there any negative that I'm not considering or have I missed a glaring issue? I barely touch my living room games consoles these days and this seems like an ideal replacement (or at least until I have more free time for such pleasures).

Whatever happened to Hundred Reasons? They were supposed to be the second coming of sliced bread; tons of coverage in Kerrang, tons of coverage on music channels, 'Ideas...' had mostly glowing reviews up and down the music magazine world, mainstream newspaper coverage, radio play for their singles...and then...nothing. I saw them support New Found Glory in 2004, and didn't think of them for another 15 years. Really odd.

A cracking weekend of shows. FTR vs Aussie Open is going to land high in a lot of MOTY discussion, and Ishii vs Tsuji was a belting performance. All the other matches were loaded with holiday Butlins camp antics that won't do well on video but were great to see live in a venue like that. Everyone worked hard and the crowd were into mostly everything, and that's all I ask for when I buy a ticket to a wrestling show. 

I've kept my Series X longing at bay, despite the fact that I really really really really want one. What keeps me sane is the fact that my gaming time is at an all-time low, what with family life and work being my focal point these days. I just can't justify going all out on the latest modern console if I can't play the big guns for extended sessions like I used to; I doubt that Elden Ring is any good when you're playing it in two hour bursts twice a week. It's hard enough playing Batman: Arkham City that way! Been plugging through that for ages and I've only just got to the middle portion where you switch to Cat Woman for a bit.

Heads up guys; train strikes are going down tomorrow so make sure you check your journey before heading out. It's caused a ton of bother for my brother, who I'm now picking up and adding two hours into my drive time. 

https://news.sky.com/story/rail-strikes-dates-for-october-disruption-and-which-lines-are-affected-12706867

What a cursed weekend. If these shows don't deliver then I'm shoving both my petrol bill and my therapist bill up Gedo's arse.

Maybe not the worst Dynamite of the year for me, but certainly one the blandest and most embarrassing. That women's segment, the JAS opening and Starks doing fuck all were woeful. Jericho vs Bandido and Mox vs Juice saved the show from being a truly awful episode, so it'll sit in the "Eh, it was fine, I guess" section. 

5 hours ago, air_raid said:

Why does that matter if you’re there? The matches will be the same. Some of the best matches I’ve seen weren’t broadcasted live.

It's the disappointment of the downgrade I guess. The first Royal Quest being live and with all that positive buzz, I don't know. It's just another thing that made me question the show's quality, but maybe I'm actively looking for criticisms.

I am a lot more positive on the shows today though. I think a lot of my anxiety stems from justifying the money I've spent on the weekend, especially since the cost of living crisis and the pound plummeting since buying tickets and hotels. I want to come away from the weekend thinking that it was money well spent.

I've got tickets to both nights, and I'm mostly excited to see live wrestling for the first time since the Royal Quest 1 in summer of 2019. I'm also mostly excited because I'm road tripping with my younger brothers for the weekend, something we haven't done since...well, ever.

The card is what it is. I would've preferred something a lot stronger, and it lacks the excitement of it being a live PPV, and I go hot and cold on the stronger matches, and I'm dreading the drive through London and getting back home for 1am on Monday morning, but I'm still giving New Japan the benefit of a doubt.

Despite the promotion being ice cold and despite them not knowing how to market themselves to an international audience in a post-COVID world, I saw a lot of the same critiques get lobbied at both the first Royal Quest and Forbidden Door, and they turned out to be critical successes. So here's hoping!

Yeah the area is a little dodgy, but there is a couple of car parks facing the main carriageway. I've parked there plenty over the years when I used to frequent Starworks and The Hangar and had no trouble. I wouldn't leave loose change in the cockpit though, as it's not exactly got security looking over the place.

What's the compensation from the government if you're thrown in a cell for twenty years for a murder you didn't commit, or a murder where the evidence wasn't enough to convict a life sentence like that?

Big "having the day off work to 'mourn' the passing of Eddie Guerrero" energy from some of you today.

3 hours ago, RedRooster said:

I love it, it's actually one of my favourite AEW themes!

I don't understand the love for it , at all.

We've got this grizzled forty-one year old pro wrestler who's catchphrase is "I'm going to kick your fucking head in" and who does a muscle pose when he makes his opponent's submit, and his entrance music sounds like something made in a late 90's eJay demo.

I don't believe there was a real negative or muted reaction to Hangman, I just think it was a weird show with a weird vibe and the crowd were acting weird because a) all the weird shit that happened on Sunday, b) the weird lack of explanation from Tony Khan's address, and c) Buffalo isn't exactly known for having a hot wrestling atmosphere. They cheered for their fave's entrances and were kinda quiet during the matches save for big moments, finishes and highspots.

Hanger is fine, but Bryan's music has to fucking go. It doesn't fit his character and in-ring style at all, and doesn't illicit a big reaction due to how fucking drab it is.

I'd ship all the gals off to WWE, because they have the TV time and star power to continually make something of their women's division. Storm, Shida, Britt, Hayter, Rosa, Jade, Athena, Nyla, the lot.

Not only would it strengthen WWE's mantle of 'Best Women's Division In North America', but it would also end the irritating discourse around AEW's women's division where fans are slapping stopwatches and asking why CM Punk gets more time than Thunder Rosa.

11 minutes ago, TheDude said:

your idea could happen AND still it could kill the company. 

Vince McMahon ran a pro wrestling PPV in 1999 where a pro wrestler fell from the ceiling to his death in the ring, and Vince insisted on having the show carry on as normal instead of ending the show, cutting the feed, emptying the building and having the police treat the situation. He continued to run that company to blistering new highs (and lows) for over twenty years, unabashed and unopposed. I think AEW can handle some backstage fighting without crumbling.

I'm not buying into any notion that this is a work. Might AEW, down the line, manage to quell the anger and bring it to TV and PPV? Yes, but it will still be rooted in something very real. Punk's outbursts during the presser were real, the backstage fight was real, and the potential consequences will be real. Just like MJF and just like Eddie vs Punk though, AEW might spin a story around these real actions later on in order to capitalise on the interest. Real feuds and real issues sell, and I'm ready to buy into this should AEW go in that direction.

Is this the show where MJF returned at the end? I can't remember.