d-d-d-dAz

The only thing I want Gunther saddled with is the weight he lost. If he knew that crown was in his future, I reckon he'd have told them to stick their kale and sit-ups.

The effort they've put into making those gaudy crowns suggests whoever wins King of the Ring is going to be saddled with a godawful prop for the next 6 months. The Queen of the Ring wearing their crown is a bit less egregious, as diamonds and jewels are a little more in keeping with what the potential winners already wear, but Gunther will look a prize prat in his little diamond crown. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C67bbF2JrNL/?igsh=MXR5YXk0Z2RvZnpsYQ== Awful. I'm not sure there's a deader gimmick in wrestling than that of 'royalty'. Let that corpse be ridden to its final resting place by Lawler, as Lord knows he'll never give it up. But let it end there.

I'm not saying that. For one, I don't think it needed toned down, and for two, I enjoy what Eurovision expresses; the quirks of national identity, stripped of the jingoism for the most part, and a platform for the creative freedom for the LGBTQ+ community, which is often closely tied to sexuality as a way of reclaiming something for themselves. Seeing each year these unique artistic/cultural mash-ups is great. If that changes and becomes something else, either toned down or different entirely, great. I'll enjoy that too. Providing its not changed because someone's worried about Little Timmy and his childhood sensibilities and is changed because the way those national identities and personal identities are expressed has changed. I'm just a passenger and a viewer. And if someone wants to wear a liederhosen and play a nose flute, or wear a crotch pouch and play the tit fireworks, I'm there for it.

See, I think 'focus on the singing' would strip it of its identity. Its obviously grown to be more than a singing competition, and is a reflection of both national cultures but also continental inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community, who have taken the competition to heart and to new heights. I actually don't think it's the right argument, as I don't think it was any more sexualised than any mainstream pop music over the last twenty or thirty years, whether it was Pussycat Dolls asking for people to be freaks or Another Level licking people up and down or Peter Andre making my old dear go dizzy with his abs. But, to the extent, queer culture can be seen to be overtly sexual that's - I assume - because that's their reclaiming of the thing that saw them persecuted for centuries (and still to this today). So I don't think it's something to clutch pearls about, it's something to celebrate that we live in a time which, though far from perfect, still has green shoots of humanity like this which allows communities to express themselves on national telly. The kids can watch something else for a night if people are that concerned. And... Ireland were robbed.

Odd one to pick out, considering there were examples of people wearing far less - or Finland where the fella was mostly completed naked. I didn't really notice it being any more provocative than previous years, but I've seen this 'not suitable for children' thing used as an insult a few times. Have Eurovision ever advertised themselves as being for children? I always think there's an odd assumption that because some people might choose to watch something with their kids, the product should then bend to their idea of what's acceptable for their kids. It's essentially become the biggest mainstream outlet of LGBTQ+ pop culture, outside of the Pride Marches, in Europe hasn't it? Plus, it's scheduled to go on until midnight. I don't think there's any expectation that it'll be for children, nor should there be.

Whisper it, but I think Adam Copeland is AEW's best signing. He just seems to totally get the appeal, and joy, of AEW and has thrown himself into it wholesale. I hope he has a couple of years left in him.

Already filmed, I think. They filmed most of it alongside this one, owing to Ncuti's schedule. RTD has already started writing the third season.

Croatia, Finland, Switzerland, Ireland, Estonia and Spain doing the heavy lifting tonight.

I dunno, I think the exact word I'd use to describe this is 'dull'. They set a precedent with Russia over Ukraine, so hiding behind impartiality is bollocks and I'm sure they know it. Just an awful mess, and another fun thing that's been swallowed by the miserable hellscape that the world has become.

Ncuti was very good. Everything else? Big no from me. Jinkx Monsoon's whole act felt like the actor walking all over the Director, doing 'their' thing irrespective of how it impacted the show. I know that's not what happened, but absolutely mad no one thought it might have been a bit much at any point. The babies were stupid. I'll end up liking the Moffat episode more than anything else this season. History just repeats itself.

If a Bo Dallas return is booked to interrupt a WWE title match between Logan Paul and Cody Rhodes in Saudi Arabia then I might finally be convinced we actually are living in a simulation.

Given the lack of options for Cody throughout 2024, they should make this his major rivalry. If that means they bounce the title about a bit, I'm game. I'd be all for Cody leading a team of wrestlers against Logan Paul's team of influencers at War Games. Providing all the influencers wear the prime bottle costume. Someone left Carmelo Hayes in the wash too long. He's tiny.

Cody v Logan?? Fifty stars. I'm in.

I've only checked in via social, but I think they've already announced this. As far as I understand it it's Bucks/Okada/Jungle Boy v FTR/Kingston/Bryan. Slightly disappointed we don't have more AEW originals in the babyface team.

Horrible flashbacks to Edge turning up to a Manchester Arena show in a Man Utd shirt, completely failing to understand British football dynamics and just getting booed out of the arena. As a babyface.

Yeah, I think all roads lead to heel for him. Or they should. As to him leaving or blowing out, I don't see it. I think his time in AEW reignited his love for wrestling, even if he didn't get on with the environment/people, and this is the actual last chance saloon. I reckon he'll be on best behaviour until he either chooses to leave or his body gives up. I'm probably coming across very negative, but i'm actually - still - a big Punk fan. I just think he needs to a) tweak his act to avoid it being a greatest hits tour and b) either turn heel, or change the way he works, when it comes to guys like Drew who are just big lads without being monsters. The same would be true of Roman, for example, who just seems so much more physically dominant than a Punk figure. He'll be grand with the Cody's and the Rollins' types, he just needs to find a way of working with those big boys.

I think you've touched on the issue that exacerbates their physical differences; Punk doesn't really wrestle like a small guy, or from underneath particularly. His presentation is that of a physical equal, dangerous because of his MMA, and someone who will beat you with his wrestling acumen. That alone presents a challenge, but the fact that he also isn't particularly athletically impressive in the same way as a Danielson or whoever, and suddenly you're stuck with a Greek God type figure in Drew, versus a guy half his size trying to play his equal, without any of the athletic gifts to make that seem plausible. Drew looks like he could throw him out of the arena from the ring.

I don't usually fall for this sort of stuff when it comes to wrestling, and my favourite guys have often been smaller (hi, Daniel Bryan Danielson 👋) - but is anyone else struggling with the physical comparison between Drew and Punk? Drew looks like he'd fucking murder him.

The worst part about last night, was realising that Punk - the guy who made his name off of intuiting what a crowd wants - had no idea his promo was going nowhere or that his joke divebombed, and Pat McAfee - a former football player and current gob for hire - showed himself to be a much more intuitive performer and had to rescue the dead joke for anyone watching at home who either didn't get it or didn't care. Guillotine indeed, Pat. It's a shame because by and large Punk has had a decent return. Not the blockbuster they envisaged I imagine, but he's willing to do anything and everything, seems to be having a good time and has done some good stuff with Drew in particular. But when he does these angry voiced, long, cynical, 2011 shite bomb promos it just feels so out of place. Like watching a mime going down some imaginary stairs despite the fact talkies have been invented. Just... stop, man. Christ, he's this generations Bob Backlund isn't he? A man completely out of time. Not without value, just an anachronism.

Eurgh. Drunk prick.

Whilst I'm sure Dragunov will end up in Imperium after impressing Gunther in a heroic semi-final effort, I hope they resist. I love the idea of Dragunov losing in a belter of a match, and then tormenting Gunther every time Gunther tries to achieve something to force him into a rematch. A proper Gunther v Dragunov feud across the main show could be an absolute belter whilst Gunther waits for someone to be a World Champion he can challenge. Perhaps let Gunther win the King of the Ring first before Ilja starts trying to fuck his life up, can bill it as the Mad King vs the King of the Ring, then. Like two feuding monarchs trying to establish their claim to be the top European on Raw. I'm in.

DM Hunk to the rescue...

Final Testament vs House of Cack in a 'First Pop' match. Raw would need every second of those three hours.

Who's the spooky boy from NXT who looks like he collects Pokemon cards and fingernails? Isn't he meant to be good? Can't he be the leader? Bo Dallas is basically the personification of the word 'sidekick', so if it's going to have any legs at all, they need to bring a new leader in surely?

I'd love to see the data on how many people have scanned the QR codes teasing the return of Bo Diddly and his band of Spooky dickheads. I've not seen one person talking about the content, or theorising about it.