Fatty Facesitter

It's JUDGEMENT DAY, and I'm not talking Rhea Bloody Ripley. 

Over the course of Tuesday/Wednesday, 32 cueists will battle it out for the 16 spots left for the main Crucible draw. There's a mixture of steady old hands and some surprise packages all trying to get through to the Big One. Predictions below (which will become out of date pretty quickly as it's all happening now as I type this).

Jak Jones vs Barry Hawkins
The Hawk is a Crucible thoroughbred with many appearances in the latter stages and someone who tends to perform better in long-form matches, however he's dropped out of the top 16 and finds himself having to go through the rigours of qualification to return to the big stage. Welshman Jak Jones, still quite young in snooker terms at just 29, has had a shite season progressing no further than the fourth round of any competition. However, as I type this, the first session between these two is now complete and Jak leads 5-4. You'd expect the Hawk's experience to come into play to see him over the line - if he does that's a bastard of a draw for whoever he meets from the top 16 in Round 1. 
Prediction: Bazza

Fan Zhengyi vs Stephen Maguire
Maguire is another former top 16 regular who now founds himself out of the elite. He's had a horrendous season - only a Championship League semi-final for a pittance to show for his efforts and multiple early exits. He needs a run at the Crucible for the bank balance and his ranking. Fan Zhengyi is only 22, already a ranking event winner and he also reached the semis of the Champion of Champions earlier this season. This could go either way - Maguire's got a terrible temperament but does have the experience factor over the young gun, who as yet doesn't seem to have been caught up in the betting scandal that his Chinese contemporaries have been thus far...
Prediction: Maguire

Chris Wakelin vs Wu Yize
Wakelin has quietly had a good season, taking home his first ranking title in the incredibly famous and prestigious Shoot Out followed up by a strong run in the German Masters and he's been very competitive throughout. Wu Yize - just 19 - has had some good results too considering his age including a run to the quarters in the European Masters and an impressive 10-2 win over compatriot Tian Pengfei in the previous qualifying round. However, Wakelin is 6-3 at the conclusion of their first session and the former should see the job through from here. Far from an easy draw for whoever he meets from the top 16. 
Prediction: Wakelin

Jordan Brown vs Si Jiahui
Jiahui is another youngster off the Chinese production line with a bright future - he too has made a ranking event quarter final this term and impressively dispatched veteran campaigner Tom Ford 10-5 in the previous round. Jordan Brown hasn't been able to build on his 2021 Welsh Open title victory and ever since has been mostly floundering on the tour trying to rediscover that mojo, though he does have a couple of Championship League semis to show for this season. It's even stevens at the time of writing this masterpiece and I'm going to break from previous predictions and go for Si Jiahui to cause a mini-shock in making it through to the big one. 
Prediction: Si Jiahui

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Ricky Walden
This is very, very tough to call. Both have progressed through the Judgement Day phase on several occasions and both are good players in different ways - Thepchaiya is fast-paced and aggressive on his day, but Walden's a crafty veteran and always has a knack of getting himself out of trouble. Theppy leads 5-4 after the first session but I reckon this one will go the distance - one of the toughest to call of the batch but I'll go with Un-Nooh purely out of favouritism and because he's currently got a slender lead!
Prediction: Theppy

Graeme Dott vs Matthew Selt
This one's a bit of a bastard to call as well. Dott, World champion in 2006, has been around the block and back but has struggled to make it through to the latter stages of many competitions this season. Matthew Selt is a tough opponent at any stage, let alone a final qualifying round, and this season he's appeared in the semis or the final of each Championship League phase - not a massive set of tournaments by any means but with events cancelled this season and with the Chinese events still on hold, it all counts. Selt leads 5-4 as it stands, but you can never count out 'Pot the Lot' - so expect this one to go the distance as well. 
Prediction: Selt by a hair, which ironic as neither of them have any...

Noppon Saengkham vs Zhang Anda
I've always liked Noppon - a very underrated talent with a decent CV in terms of Crucible scalps. He's had some great runs this year reaching the semis of the British Open and the World Grand Prix, and more recently the fourth round of the WST Classic. By contrast, 31-year-old Zhang Anda has had nothing to crow about this season with his results, but he's already won two rounds to get to this stage of the quallies and he currently leads Noppon at the end of their first session, so he's gunning for quite the payday. Noppon's a classy operator though and I expect him to not only pull through, but to be a potential surprise package for the Big One depending on the draw. 
Prediction: Noppon

Anthony McGill vs Cao Yupeng
It's been a mixed bag for Crucible regular McGill - quite a few early exits, but a run to the semis in the Northern Ireland Open and a run to the quarters of the World Grand Prix mean it hasn't been a total disaster for the Scot. He's made it through to Judgement Day by the hairs of his arse by limping over the line against an unfancied John Astley in a decider in the previous round. Cao Yupeng's biggest claim to fame so far is being banned for two years for match-fixing. The deviant. McGill leads 5-3 heading into the second session and he'll surely go the distance now. He's had crap seasons before and still gone deep at the Crucible, so you wouldn't bet against him doing so again. 
Prediction: McGilly 

Matthew Stevens vs David Gilbert
A pretty poor season for the two-time Crucible finalist Stevens, consistently crashing out in tournaments early doors and sinking to 54 in the rankings. He does arrive at Judgement Day off the back of two wins in the qualification process including a 10-3 spanking of compatriot Jamie Clarke, so perhaps he's been saving his best for the big spectacular. It hasn't been much better for the Angry Farmer - a run to the Northern Ireland Open quarters scant consolation for losing his top 16 placing. He easily (and sadly) dispatched Norfolk's Barry Pinches in the previous round 10-3, but this will be a sterner test. This one might go the distance on the count of a lack of form or quality, but I'll plump for Gilbert on the basis that he's got better recent World Champs pedigree.
Prediction: Angry Farmer 

Mark Davis vs Joe Perry
I like this one - two old gunslingers. Davis, I believe, is fighting to keep his tour card, and the bottle he's shown to win the previous rounds 10-8 against tough opposition in Michael Georgiou and Lyu Haotian respectively could stand the 50-year-old in good stead. Perry though is different gravy and still capable of mixing it up with the best. Nothing major to shout about other than a run to the quarters of the UK Champs at the back end of last year, and he too had to squeak through 10-8 in the last round against a game Sanderson Lam. But Perry has more pedigree at the event and should take this one. 
Prediction: Gentleman Joe

Andrew Higginson vs David Grace
Now this is interesting - Higginson, technically an amateur, has competed since the very first qualifying phase at the EIS. He's faced some tricky sorts as well - Andy Lee, Louis Heathcoate and the fancied Joe O'Connor have all succumbed to the Scot. 'Amazing' Grace has slipped to 66 in the rankings but does arrive in ok form having reached the fourth round of the WST Classic and having won in the second and third qualifying rounds in tight encounters against Sean O'Sullivan and the fancied Sam Craigie, the latter being a bit of a surprise result. Logic dictates that Grace should take this, but I'd love to see an amateur reach the Big One having done a Shawn Michaels by going from the beginning and winning to earn a spot at the showcase of the immortals! He hasn't made to the Crucible since 2012...
Prediction: Higginson

Hossein Vafaei vs Jackson Page
Decent season for the Prince of Persia though his wait to break into and stay in the elusive top 16 goes on for now. One of the classiest operators in this phase and someone who all of the top 16 will be desperate to avoid in the main draw. 21-year-old Jackson Page has a bright future and has picked up some decent wins here and there this season. He also took down Martin Gould 10-6 in the previous round and arrives in good form after a decent run in the WST Classic. But I can't see past Big Hoss for this one. Iran Number One! Hack! Puh! 
Prediction: Prince of Persia

Elliott Slessor vs Zhou Yuelong
Crap season for Slessor and the Geordie is close to losing his tour card. Yuelong, still only 25, has been a consistent performer all season which includes two ranking finals. I think he'll make short work of Slessor here and this could be one of the more one-sided victories during this phase. 
Prediction: Yuelong

Anthony Hamilton vs Jimmy Robertson
Another one I really like and another tough one to call. The Sheriff of Pottingham has been around for donkeys, pre-dating even the famous class of 1992 (he turned pro in 1991!) and at 51 is still holding his own at 42 in the world. A relatively consistent season by his standards with a few early-round progressions keeping his head above water in the rankings, and he imposed law and order on Oliver Lines by breaking his heart in a decider in the previous round. It's been a similar story this season for Robertson and he had a good run in the German Masters again a few months back. My heart says Hamilton, my head says Robertson...
Prediction: Went with my heart. Up the Sheriff

Xu Si vs Pang Junxu
Crap season with nothing to crow about for Xu Si, but his compatriot Junxu arrives in inspired form - in the last two big tournaments he reached the semis of the Welsh Open and then the final of the WST Classic. He took down the Darling of Dublin Ken Doherty in the last round fairly comprehensively and I expect he'll do the same again here - this 23-year-old is a tidy prospect and definitely one to watch.
Winner: Pang Junxu

Ryan Day vs Scott Donaldson
A very good season for 'Dynamite' Day who has played some great stuff this term along with taking the British Open crown. A player who's always either just inside or just outside the top 16 but always extremely consistent. Also bagged a maximum against Selby in the Tour Championship a few days ago. It's been a crap year for Donaldson, but he did reach the fourth round of the WST Classic and has consistency from winning two previous qualifying rounds to get to this point. I can only see this going one way - Day is a bastard hard draw for any of the top 16 and he's perfectly capable of going deep at the Crucible if he can keep his head. 
Prediction: Dynamite

I look forward to revisiting these predictions when it turns out I've gotten every single one of them wrong. Fuck you all. 

Three episodes in to Kenobi (I know, it's been out for ages). Didn't think much to the first ep, but the second and third were pretty good. I found Obi Wan far too mopey in the first ep but I was very quickly put in my place by Mrs Facesitter: 

"He's sad because of what happened to his pupil! If you had someone in on work experience and built up a good relationship with them and offered them a job, but they joined another company you would feel exactly the same!" 

...She's not wrong 🥲

EDIT - Also, the young lass is brilliant in her role. 

👍 EVIL TRISH?!?!?! 😍😍😍💦💦💦 Erectus Maximus. 

👍 Cody promo - Great stuff, seamless transition from the Roman stuff and onto the business with Brock. And wouldn’t you know it, he’s still over like rover and absolutely beloved. He’s such a captivating bastard. There’s no way this story is finished and the more promos and moments we get like this along the way, the merrier. He could really, really do with getting the W at Backlash and it would be a big moment if he did - the perfect shot in the arm to keep him perfectly poised in the main event scene as the top babyface. He’s not going to drop off into the wilderness just yet. 

👍 Solo/KO - Great main with a simple yet effective story based around the psychology of Solo targeting KO’s ankle. Solo didn’t look out of place in this TV main event at all - he’s going to have an absolutely massive year I think. KO’s just so easy to get behind as a babyface. Lovely stuff. 

👍 Finn/Rey - Proper tidy opener. Mad when you consider how long Rey has been doing this for and how often he’s been wrestling of late, and considering Finn’s had his head split open and he’s had calf issues. Rey in particular is operating at such a bloody good level at the moment. Who would have thought that would happen at this stage of his career? Top marks for this. What a contrast from Otis/Elias opening last week!

👍 Usos/Alpha Academy - A lovely little ripper, this one. Gable is just something else isn’t he? A proper, proper athlete. 

👍 Women’s triple threat - Didn’t outstay its welcome and a great showcase for Io Sky - that’s going to be a cracker against Bel Air. Sews the seeds nicely for the group dissension too. 

👎 Women’s tag titles - I initially went with a thumbs up for this on the basis that it was much, much better than I’d originally anticipated and they definitely had the crowd on side. However, quite a few timing issues really took the sting out of it for me, and when you compare it to the rest of the show it’s just not up to the same standard. Trish will cop a lot of flak for communication issues. That said, RR/Morgan have good chemistry and they deserve a crack at the straps (even if I think Morgan is one of WWE’s most annoying personalities). Also Trish vs Becky will be interesting. Heel Trish though. Deary me. 

👎 Bobby/Bronson - Again, bit of a subjective one. I’m normally all for big meaty men slapping meat, to me though this one didn’t really bang as much as I’d hoped and some of the execution was quite clunky, especially in comparison to two beefcakes like Solo and KO (albeit less girthy). However, I actually didn’t mind the double countout finish and the big pull apart at the end - if anything that was more exciting than the match itself. I’m up for a rematch where hopefully they can iron out some of the kinks. Can’t wait for Bronson to splash Big Bobbo with the tsunami. 

👎 I love this Dom run but let’s be brutally honest, his promo ability was exposed here. He ballsed up his first line and his delivery is a touch wooden. He’s a great little shitbag heel - perhaps just needs some more mic work when doing promos on his Todd - he’s usually better bouncing off of his JD compadres. 

👎 Watched this live because my sleeping pattern is all over the shop. It’s such a fucking chore especially watching a US feed. Now I’m just hungry from watching all the fast food ads. I like the look of that $20 a month office chair someone’s flogging though. Too long. 

Overall - A welcome return to form for Raw. Didn’t have much that will live too long in the memory but definitely a massive step in the right direction, glad they had to bin Riddle vs Miz as well!

Got chronic toothache and can’t sleep so thought I’d complete the set of shows for the week -

👍 Everything @JLM has already said! His analysis further up the thread is spot on.

 👍 Athena/Yamashita - If you watch one match from the show, go straight to the main event because it’s a complete belter. To go with JLM’s earlier comments, another thing I really like about Athena is how vocal she is - constantly mouthing off, screaming, the full works, and it really radiates on screen in a way that I didn’t get from other performers in the show except from Mark Briscoe, and maybe Vincent with his…I want to call it jiving? Fuck knows. Good shit.

👍 All the wrestling! Sounds like a stupid thing to give a thumbs up to but rather give a thumbs up and a rundown of each match, may as well just say each match caught the eye and the in-ring presentation was pretty much flawless. Even the squashes had positives about them. Bell to bell, in terms of the technical side and action crammed in, a brilliant couple of hours of grappling tele.

👍 Production note - they seem to film a lot of the matches from quite low camera angles. I quite like this as it differentiates from how AEW matches are filmed. Over time, little things like this will further help ROH establish a separate identity from its new sibling.

👍 Both members of the Kingdom fitting into Satnam’s jacket 😂

👍 Garcia responding to the ‘we want tables!’ chants, going under the ring pretending to grab one, only to then flip off the crowd. Top tier shithousery.

👍 The Even Stevens’ name and attire! What a duo.

👎 As a counter-balance to what I said about the quality of the in-ring product, is there such thing as TOO much wrestling on a show? Maybe it’s just a smidge of burnout from me having watched a ridiculous amount this week, but there were only a couple of additional promos and bits of angle advancement here across the two hours. I do think a mix is important especially if a show is running for that length. I know a big selling point of ROH is the technical wrestling element and it always throws in copious amounts of it - I just wonder if they maybe remove a couple of matches here and there to tighten things up or - and I’m probably contradicting myself here - perhaps reduce the number of matches but make some of them longer?

👎 Can we get Penta to park using the Destroyer for a bit, please?

👎 That thing Dutch does with his tongue. Creepy AF. Good for his significant other, mind you!

Overall - Definitely an enjoyable romp and some excellent quality in terms of the in-ring product. Just give me a touch more angle advancement/silly bollocks to go with it. Still, lots of good stuff here. Watch the main event if you still haven’t seen it!

Ben Foster might just be the signing that gets Wrexham over the line and finally promoted back up t’ League. Clean sheet in his debut, penalty save here. Inspired bit of business. 

Elsewhere, Dean Smith is apparently in talks about the Leicester position. Why would anyone in their right mind go there at the moment when they are getting closer to becoming doomed? They’ll be on a hiding to nothing when the new season starts as well and immediately on the back foot with the fans. I was impressed when Norwich got him after he was dismissed by Villa, but it didn’t work out for him for a combination of reasons. It’s not an appointment I think any Foxes fan would look at with much confidence. 

Double-post wanker but here's what's on tap for tonight - 

Cody addressing Mania/Raw last week - give 'em hell, Codylicious. 

Priest addressing Bad Bunny - give 'em hell, Damo. 

Riddle vs Miz - I hope it's quick. 

Women's tag titles - As above, hope it's quick. Pretty low hopes for this in all honesty. 

Cody's promo is probably the only thing that really whets my appetite from the line-up in all honesty, but hopefully there's more to come from bits not yet announced. 

👍 Shit the bed, the Motor City Machine Guns are still going! Really fun, action-packed opener. Tag matches are brilliant openers for shows as they’re essentially a cheat code to whip the audience up into a sprightly mood for the night ahead. Lots of really nicely executed stuff in this one. Another little production tidbit I liked with this - they do a spot where Sabin does a tope dive through Shelley’s legs to the heels, but rather than the camera focussing on the waiting heels who are getting into position to take said dive, the camera stays on the babyfaces. It’s a small thing but WWE/AEW constantly fail to do this and it makes a massive difference in terms of keeping you invested in enjoying the action and not going “Bit contrived that, innit?”

👍 Gresham/Speedball - Some really nice technical sequences throughout this one. First time seeing Speedball - a questionable bonce that reminds me of 80’s Jimmy White and some interesting footwear (or lack thereof) but looked the part - would like to see more stuff from him like those quick kicks in succession to really live up to the Speedball moniker. Trey Miguel seems like a good shithouse and his commentary turn was a fun listen. 

👍 Jody Threat/Tara Rising. First of all, huge pop for the latter, what a name. Short but sweet in terms of a showcase for Jody.

👍 Santino/Dirty Dango - Just all of their backstage silly bollocks. Big fan of both of them. 

👍 Eddie Edwards/PCO - Big meaty men slapping meat is it? Cor, PCO isn’t it? Marvelous isn’t it. Jumpers for ringposts? Beans on toast? Marvelous. PCO is an absolute mentalist in the best possible way. I wince at every spot but he keeps getting up to administer more beatings. Not entirely sure where this is going next but another enjoyable bout. 

👍 Main event promo - Did its job - Alexander’s promo hit the mark in terms of covering off his reign and relinquishing the strap, then it transitioned to Maclin/Kushida have a mini-scrap to shift the focus onto them establishing clearly who was the goodie and who was the baddie as we head to Rebellion. Also, Josh Alexander’s young son grabbing the title before his dad was about to relinquish it 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 

👍 Sidenote - The opening Josh Alexander feature and the one around halfway through the show were really nicely edited and I’m quite impressed with how they were cut together. If, like me, you’re not a die-hard fan of Impact and you’re tuning in for the first time in a while, you were left in no doubt about the impact (no pun intended, and I literally mean no pun intended as I couldn’t think of another word to replace impact with and now I just feel silly) of his title reign and what he means to the company. These were almost WWE-quality montages in terms of production, and if anything they had less of some of the overt bells and whistles like filters and effects WWE sometimes throw at theirs which I think helped them if anything. Noice.

👎 Bully/Dreamer Six Man - Didn’t enjoy this as much as other bouts from the show. Perhaps it’s because I’m not as invested in the Bully/Dreamer feud and don’t know much about the hockey chap that got the pin, but to me there wasn’t much that caught the eye compared to other matches and the difference in pace was almost too much of a change, rather than a gradual transition into a match that perhaps could have started slow and picked up down the stretch. My reaction to Dreamer still wrestling is the total opposite of seeing the MCMG still going. Bully’s a heat magnet but other than that, not many redeeming qualities about this one for me. 

👎 A few more production points if I may - love what they do for some of the entrances, with the videos taking up the whole screen and being really cool in terms of the editing before transitioning back into the main arena. The Purazzo studio-based segment and promo were nicely executed. The backstage interview with Gisele Shaw and Tasha Steelz had a great aesthetic as well with the lighting and the screens. The cutting backstage to an injured Santino reminded me of some of the hidden camera style of shooting of the Impact of old. On the downside, some of the locations and the execution of the other backstage segments were a bit naff, and I know we shouldn’t criticise acting in wrestling too much, but some of the promos and interactions really didn’t bang for me. This is where so think the old style of TNA/Impact shooting backstage segments would fill that gap and lift some of those segments massively. Perhaps they’ve made a conscious decision to move away from that, but it’s not something I see other companies doing so why not implement it here? They do so much of the other stuff really well and their production crew clearly know their stuff, so they could definitely execute it. Also, can we get a different position for the lads on commentary and a proper table for them - this looks like something I’d set up at a car boot sale. 

Overall - Thanks @garynysmon for the recommendation - a fun watch with loads of plus points. Rebellion is shaping up to be an interesting card too. 

8 hours ago, garynysmon said:

Thought this last week’e episode was great in terms of storyline and production, if anyone wants a starting point for Impact.

Thanks, might give it a whirl today. Are they still in the same soundstage?

Operation Fortune: Ruse De Gerre

Really enjoyed this. I’m a fan of Statham in pretty much everything so this was an easy sell. Aubrey Plaza and the rest of the cast are great - Josh Harnett possibly the VIP, surprisingly great turn from him. Some nice, creative shots employed throughout as well. Dead easy watch in just shy of two hours. 

13 hours ago, Butch2000 said:

Went to Halifax yesterday. We took 5000. Highlight of the day was a pub lunch in Sowerby Bridge. 
 

Proof that despite Wrexham being the second biggest club in the world after Wolves, that doesn’t stop you being a bottle job

Absolutely mad that there's still games to play and BOTH your mob and Notts County are now on 100 points. What a season it's been in the National League. Season 2 of Welcome to Wrexham is going to be one hell of a follow-up. 

@Butch2000 Would you rather go straight up, or have a day out at Wembley on April 13th? 

15 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

I guess Tony Khan could book this one of two ways. He could book it like AEW's Wrestlemania and get the biggest matches he can on board and the odd celeb, or he could book it like a Clash of the Champions (if it's going to be non-PPV) which could potentially be more interesting in terms of match-ups and quality. Either way sounds intriguing.

I can't recall exact dates but when did AEW announce their first Double or Nothing? That's been the flagship PPV show for them thus far and it's become a very bankable franchise for them, but if they did want to go down the Wrestlemania-esque route, they've at least given themselves a few months to try to get to that point and perhaps even surpass it. Who knows, we could be looking at their attempt at a Wrestlemania-type contender if it actually takes off. It'll take years to reach the same kind of scale (maybe even decades) but with each passing year, as the buzz grows, it won't take long for them to fill the stadiums and attract more eyes as a result.

59 minutes ago, Nick James said:

If we get Bill Roache reciting lines as Ken Barlow with RJ City's Diedre, it will be the greatest show in history. 

Potentially, although personally I’d save this for the inevitable Manchester-based show of 2024, along with the B show that takes place at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road, where you can run the above and also book Rita’s return to the city where she was previously wronged. The ovation will be the like the first time Bret got to return to Montreal. Interrupted by the Blackpool Combat Club who launch an attack on her. 

For something of this magnitude, you’ve got to throw the kitchen bastard sink at it. Some of the suggestions from Supremo would work wonders. I’m not sure if Punk returning is the right call depending on how the mood might change if he does, but imagine they save his return for this. The pop would be ridiculous. You’d sell a ton of tickets off the back of that alone. 

I don’t mind chucking a celebrity or two into the mix if - not to get all HHH circa 2013/14 - it’s best for business, i.e they’re part of the wider fabric of the show rather than doing something which doesn’t help another talent or benefit them in some way. 

What I’m hoping for over the course of the next few months is an attempt to really rekindle the spirit of the original. You won’t be able to match it directly because the stakes and scales are obviously much higher. But if done correctly and not gratuitously, they’ve got a real chance to go full ‘us vs them’ on this. 

Who knows, if Vince does wind up keeping a stranglehold on creative and WWE becomes unwatchable again, it might do their job for them. 

https://wrestlenomics.com/2023/04/06/yes-wwe-fan-interest-really-did-improve-during-the-triple-h-era

Someone get this under Ari Emanuel's nose fucking pronto. 

2 hours ago, Nick James said:

I just want to say, I am loving your reviews in this style. Really enjoyable to read. 

👍 Nick James!

3 hours ago, Nick James said:

The heat Dom had in that segment was nuclear, kids a star. 

Brilliant, isn't it? Can barely get a sentence in without getting dog's abuse. I know Michael Cole isn't everyone's cup of tea but I love how he absolutely batters him on commentary as well. A proper arse. Long may it continue. 

3 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Damian Priest was superb too. I love that guy, I hope they do something more with him at some point.

+1. After Rhea, Dom and Finn got their respective Wrestlemania programs I was pleased that he got more spotlight on him in one of the few good things from Raw by taking the lead on the Bad Bunny beatdown and it looks like he'll be the focal point of that as they build to it. Judgement Day in the HHH-era is so much better off for the direction its taken compared to its original incarnation and they've all benefitted massively, Priest included. That BT promo also made me think of something slightly unrelated - I'm glad BT won the rights from Sky because their coverage has been absolutely brilliant since it kicked off. They haven't just broadcast the shows on their channels - they've actively engaged in some great content creation with them, including all the ads like these, the interviews with Ariel Helwani, etc. 

3 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

Give Dom the US Title just on that reaction alone. Austin Theory could never get that heat. 

They could certainly do much worse than this - it would strengthen the wider Judgement Day as well by adding more gold to the mix. 

1 hour ago, The King Of Swing said:

Gave QTV a chance but it can get in the bin.

I'm the opposite - QT and those pricks are growing on me! It's so cringeworthy but I think this is more by design rather than it being poorly executed. The 'break a leg like Dante' bit was so overtly crap that it kinds of works because of the copious amount of cheese they exude. It's incredibly annoying, but that's as it should be. I like the crap corporate-style-banter-by-the-watercooler theme they have going on, which I also think makes it quite relatable to a lot of people that have to endure the monotony of the fake pleasantries that come with office life. I enjoyed the tag match as well following this - I went into it under the impression there was absolutely zero chance the Lucha Brothers would lose the titles 6/7 days after winning them against challengers in a thrown together TV match. Yet as it picked up down the stretch and the heels engaged in all sorts of shithousery, I actually thought the champs were in jeopardy, even if it was just for a fleeting moment or two. 

I want the same hair transplant as him as well. 

It encapsulates why I still have hope for his eventual title win - even if he hams himself up a bit and comes across as cringeworthy to some, I believe every word the prick says. He's got this authenticity about him, how he carries himself and his overall story that make me desperately want to root for him regardless of what happens to him. If anything - and this bit is a dangerous game to play as it could still backfire - the way he's been booked makes we want to see him triumph and get his flowers even more. I think that's actually what they're banking on, again though it's such a risk because if you put it off for too long then people might lose interest. 

The difference between him and Roman is that Roman, a heel, is being rammed down our throats as the top dog. This actually benefits Cody massively - it means that all the hate and vitriol is directed in the direction of Roman and the creative direction. If he keeps his nose clean, I still think it can work and the pop he gets when he does finally win the strap will be just as orgasmic as we all hope it will be. 

What a job Unai Emery has done at Aston Villa. 17th in the table and only outside the relegation zone when Gerrard got binned - now in the top six as I type and the prospect of Europe on the horizon. Some return. Give him his flowers. 

10 minutes ago, El Hijo del Mikey Jr said:

So... thoughts?

It's a forum and a message board, mate - usually people tend to post their own thoughts and then discussion usually comes from that 

Savage for me is completely intolerable. Soccer Saturday is alright although when Stelling eventually finishes I think people will turn elsewhere. The BBC Sport/Final Score one is usually my preference purely for convenience watching through the BBC Sport site/app and you're often greeted by the wonderful Dion Dublin for analysis. It's never groundbreaking but it's charming enough and inoffensive for me, Garth. 

@SuperBacon I'll invite you to take back your slanderous remarks on Norfolk's own Chris Sutton, however. A national treasure. 

5 hours ago, WyattSheepMask said:

So, how did that ‘Hijack Smackdown’ thing work out?

It didn't materialise but that's ok because there's lots of other great stuff to talk about from the show 

Going to respectfully tap out at this stage in the season folks and concede overall defeat and claim the wooden spoon. Thanks again to Fog Dude for running the thread 👍

Athena's doing some absolutely smashing work at the moment - not someone I'd previously thought would make a strong heel as I'd been so used to her being used as a sprightly babyface, but she's been great to watch and seems really stimulated by this run. 

👍 Orange Cassidy/Dralistico - A few years in now and I still love Orange’s Cassidy’s schtick - it’s all daft as a brush and I love it. This International title run is a great opportunity for him to have longer matches and establish himself as more of a threat, yet still retaining all of the comedy gold he can provide. Bang up for him defending his title in singles matches against all of the HOB contingent as well. Match itself here was great, only minor criticism would be a couple of contrived spots like the dive into the pile of eagerly waiting bodies on the outside. Otherwise, an enjoyable romp. 

👍 Bang up for the forthcoming chicanery of Mark Briscoe and the ‘has he?/has he not?’ dynamic of joining Lethal and co. Also good to see Cowboy Double J back - thought for a horrible moment his run might’ve been over and that would have been very upsetting. 

👍 TBS title - First half wasn’t great and there were a few mistakes, but the match did improve as it went along so I've gone with a tentative thumbs up. There were times where I thought the execution was lacking, but unlike the Jay/Hart match on Rampage, there was a little more intensity and effort here. Starkz at 18 is an exciting prospect - a little green but bags of energy and didn’t look too out of place. One to watch and a potential star in the making with the right guidance. Please just don't let JR talk about her on commentary ever, because it's rather creepy and it gives me the willies. 

👍 ROH tag titles - Slow burner that picked up nicely down the stretch. The very end of the match saw the champions in genuine jeopardy because of the shithousery going on outside the ring and even though the Lucha Bros literally won the titles a week ago, I actually did temporarily buy their potential demise here, even if it was only for a brief moment. QT Marshall is growing on me as a shithouse heel. 

👎 Cutler/Nakazawa cutting a promo with cringeworthy acting and hilarious ‘intensity’. Bin. 

Overall - Another solid hour of wrestling funsies.