When it’s Good it’s Fucking Great.

[BomberPat]

3 hours ago, WeeAl said:

Really? I'd never heard that one before. Interesting to hear that was a possibility at one point. 

I'm not sure if anyone other than Prichard has supported it, but it makes sense - Bischoff was apparently of the mind that he wouldn't be worth the money without the Undertaker gimmick, so this was 'Taker's way of showing he had something to offer without it. I'm not convinced that, in 2000, any top WWF stars were eyeing up a spot in WCW, though!

The other story I vaguely recall is that the gimmick change happened around the same time as 'Taker becoming a born-again Christian, and he was uncomfortable continuing to do the more overtly Satanic version of the gimmick that he had been doing through the Attitude Era.

Maybe he just wanted an excuse to wear big gold trousers.

[mim731]

1 minute ago, BomberPat said:

Maybe he just wanted an excuse to wear big gold trousers.

Snakeskin trousers Taker > Deadman Taker

[Accident Prone]

Bayley vs Sasah from Takeover:Brooklyn. Still the best the women's match I have ever seen. Whilst the whole match is magic, there were three points when I had tears in my eyes from how incredible it was;

1) Sasha has Bayley in the Bank Statement. Bayley crawls towards the ropes only for Sasha to counter by repeatedly, and viciously, stomping on her arm and hand. No idea why, but the desperation of Sasha's attack, doing anything to kill the dream of Bayely, really had me welled up. 

 

2) The finish. What's missing here is Bayley tightening up her hair before delivering the final Bayley-To-Belly, as that really cemented the emotion during the final sequence. Incredible.

 

3) The post-match. This gets a bit of disdain from some. "It breaks kayfabe!" they cry from the streets. Lads, Vince McMahon destroyed kayfabe on February 10th 1989 when appeared in front of the State of New Jersey Senate to say wrestling was bullshit in order to free himself from the State Athletic Commission's restrictions. That genie isn't going back in the bottle.

So enjoy this amazing moment as four women, who fought valiantly to put North American women's wrestling back on the map, finally did it. And if you've never seen two people embrace after a fight, then you've clearly never been to Mayo or Belfast.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Accident Prone

[BomberPat]

A big one for me was Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar.

I was a fan of Eddie's, but hadn't really bought into him as a top level guy. In my time getting back into wrestling from around mid-2000, I hadn't really seen anyone organically climb up the card, I'd seen the old guard, the WCW imports, and Brock Lesnar getting a mega-push, but someone like Eddie just catching the audience's attention and making himself invaluable was new to me.

So I saw Eddie as a midcard guy. A good midcard guy, but WWE Champion? Not a chance. This was clearly a stopgap match, with Lesnar on his way to fight Bill Goldberg at Wrestlemania, there's no way he's dropping his belt to the bloke who used to be Chyna's boyfriend, and seemingly not that long ago was wrestling Doug Williams for the FWA.

I don't think I even bought into the "this is my addiction!" promo, because it was all a foregone conclusion. Eddie was there to make Brock look good, because that's what he did.

Roll on the match. I'm staying up late to watch it. I'm on my own, it's 3am. Goldberg runs in, hits the Spear. I'm on the edge of my seat, but surely they wouldn't? Nah, Lesnar sets up the F5, it was fun while it lasted....and Eddie counters it! As Eddie climbs up to the top rope, I find myself completely sucked in, every shred of the smarky know-it-all attitude I had at the time is stripped away and I'm willing Eddie to climb to the top rope. When he hit the Frog Splash, I found myself jumping up from the sofa and cheering. They got me, 100%. 

[dopper]

13 hours ago, Supremo said:

We start with John walking to the ring, arguably looking the coolest he ever has. Head down, belt raised in the air as he’s showered with profanity and hate. Cool as fuck.

 

I would argue that your statement is not arguable.

Cena looked cool as fuck doing that ring entrance, and I have never seen Cena look cool as fuck again before or since. A distant second place would be when Orton realised they were handcuffed together at Breaking Point 2009 and frantically tried to pull away while Cena flexed every muscle he had standing firm.

 

But enough about him...

 

@Accident Prone has already gone into detail about the match I was going to mention here: Sasha Banks vs Bayley at NXT Takeover Brooklyn.

A lot people call it the best women's match in WWE history but I'd rate it pretty highly on my list of best matches between men or women.

All I can add to what he already said is that it felt like a huge deal going in to the event, based on storylines that had been ongoing for TWO YEARS. Sasha & Bayley came in at the same time and struggled to work their way up the card. Sasha turned heel and became the Boss and she was able to get to the top. Meanwhile Bayley stayed babyface wanting to things the right way and that held her back. She formed an alliance with Charlotte until she turned on her in a tag match. She formed an alliance with Becky until she turned on her too.

Eventually Bayley was able to find the killer instinct to finish off her opponents and slowly worked her way to being Number One contender. Meanwhile Sasha was having the match of the night at each Takeover. She won the Title in the excellent 4-way match at the February Takeover, she then retained it in an even better match with Becky at the May Takeover.

Which all brought us to Brooklyn.

 

It was the first Takeover outside of Full Sail University and the Barclays Center went crazy for everything. They even cheered for the babyfaces and booed the heels with only a few exceptions.

Expectations were high about this match and they exceeded those expectations. It was a good, solid match for those first few minutes. Then from the minute Sasha did the somersault plancha it reached a whole new level. They built and built the drama and finished at that perfect moment when the crowd have reached fever pitch.

I bloody loved it. 

Edited November 16, 2018 by dopper

[Carbomb]

3 hours ago, BomberPat said:

A big one for me was Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: Eddie/Brock was venomous.

[Ambulance Chaser]

Another one for me has to be the RVD/Jerry Lynn feud from ECW in 1999, I remember at the time being absolutely amazed at what I was seeing, I'd been exposed to some WCW Cruiserweight matches but this was different. It was athletic in the same way but also incorporated violence and a physicality, such a fantastic blend of different styles all in one match. I have rarely seen chemistry like those two had, particularly the living dangerously match that had a sequence in which they countered each other with a chair, aint many matches I have watched as many times as that. Van Dam at that time was the coolest bastard to me, the entrance theme, the ring walk, the intro, fonzy, everything.

Might watch it later actually fuck it.

[tiger_rick]

Apologies if any of this covers the same ground but off the top of my head, here are a few things I could watch any day of any week.

1997

I can't even narrow this down to a particular match or moment. Plain and simply, the Harts vs USA angle the best there has ever been. The two matches between Bret Hart and Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996 and WrestleMania 13 are spotless. Whatever the benchmark is for wrestling matches, they're both it. The story they are telling at WrestleMania raises it ever so slightly above SS96 but the work is just magnificent. The street fight they have on Raw in April '97 is right up there too. It has a great street fight feel that they just can't replicate now and it feels very old-school NWA. Bret's promo the night after the Royal Rumble is good stuff and his promo work in general is very good. It's not perfectly delivered or wonderfully pronounced but just has so much passion and feels so genuine. Mainly because he wasn't really acting. The one the night after Mania 13 is the king of promos though. He somehow tells the story of months and months of build with so much spite and bitterness that it really speaks to you if you're on his side. It's just amazing.

None of the above should detract from Steve Austin either. He makes himself a superstar in that 6-9 months. The company comes to depend on him to fill segment after segment every week and whether he's wrestling or just abusing some poor cunt, he's brilliant in everything he does. A specific though - that tag match on Raw where Austin & Michaels take the tag titles off Owen & Davey. Not sure there's ever been a better TV main in the company tbh. The heat is great,the work is superb and the result has you jumping off your chair. It's top drawer.

The finish to SummerSlam 1997 is one of the best they've ever done. Adding that layer of HBK having to call it down the middle only for Bret to make him to lose it and accidentally smash Taker is amazing. It does sadden me that this is really the end of the Hart/USA feud and the end of Bret in the WWF in truth but in pure TV story-telling of the Hart/HBK rivalry leading to  the turn of HBK, the transition into the Taker feud, the match at Ground Zero with that amazing dive and then the need to contain them in Hell In a Cell where they have an incredible, bloody brawl to end all brawls only for Kane to debut in shockingly brilliant fashion and transition Taker into a feud that sounds ridiculous on paper but is somehow great while Michaels goes back to face Bret for the title having established his own little clique and a trademark that will still be on WWF/E telly 21 years later. Incredible.

Rock/Cena

This feud meandered a bit which is understandable given it was spread over two years but the first two weeks of it are something I can watch over and over and over again. Rock's promo on Cena, after years away, is him being as brilliant as ever. The material is ropey ("fruity pebble") but its on point, it's everything the crowd wants to hear and he has them in the palm of his hand like only he can. The response from Cena the following week where he's kind of humble but convinces himself to respond, rapping for the first time in a while (AFAIR) and delivering some ace zingers putting down Rock's motivation and his movies is great. There was no way we were going to get this quality for one year, let alone two, and it struggled at times, particularly when Rock couldn't remember his lines, but there were still highlights and the matches, first especially, were way better than I expected. That Cena kid isn't bad.

While I'm on Cena, I've written at length before in a review thread about that match with Umaga at Royal Rumble 2007 which is absolutely superb. Despite the laughable claim of some moron on here once that Jamal from Three Minute Warning had carried John Cena, that is all Cena. The guy is incredible. He's had really good matches with everyone and great matches with the best. He's had good matches with Lashley and Khali. Let that sink in. His promo work suffers from being written by dweebs and from him having had to SAY SOMETHING almost every week for a decade and a half but when he's got something to sell, he's as great as anyone has ever been.

Also, see my thread on Hollywood Rock for me masturbating (not gay) over that gimmick.

nWo/WCW

I'm not a massive fan of the nWO angle as a whole because over a couple of years, it was allowed to drift and then die without a real conclusion and the formula kills TV most weeks. But to take the name of the thread, when it's good, it's incredible. From Nash and Hall showing up looking like cool motherfuckers (even in double denim!) to Nash powerbombing Bischoff through the stage, the early premise is great. Then Hogan turns heel in one of my favourite angles and promos ever. Even though I hate Hogan, this is the best thing he's ever done - by miles. The follow up promo from him on Nitro and the one Sting does where he tells him to stick it are great. That angle where Nash threw Mysterio into a truck backstage and the three of them decked half the roster which lasts years is fucking phenomenal TV. Wish I'd have seen that at the time. Absolutely love the early angle with the fake Sting and Sting's promo where he turns his back on the hard camera and tells everyone who  doubted him to go fuck themselves. From there, it's more bad than good for me for the next year but still loads of highlights, particularly the finish to Uncensored where Sting destroys the nWo. That's one of the most rabid crowds you'll ever see.

My other favourite WCW moments are Goldberg beating Hogan in front of a massive crowd at the Georgia Dome who go fucking apeshit for the title change. Also Ric Flair's return in 1998 in front of another crowd who just adore him. With hindsight, these moments make me sad thinking that no-one would give a shit about the company within two years after moments like these.

NWA/WCW is probably under-dsicussed on here. Mostly, I reckon, because it's so long ago now but a little because people maybe think it's already been said. There were loads of wonderful moments though and some great angles. The Horsemen breaking Dusty's arm, the spike in the eye that got him fired, the transition from the Flair/Steamboat series into the Funk feud and the subsequent empty arena match, the rise of Vader, the Hollywood Blondes formation and Arn/Flair feud, the surprise Luger debut, DDP as La Parka, Chris Jericho's conspiracy theories, etc, etc.

Warrior/Savage

I've gone over and over this but it's my favourite match of all-time. As much as I hate that Warrior lost the title to Slaughter, Savage's run in is legendary. The match, after months of build just delivers everything that is great about wrestling. The colour, the glamour, the ring entrances, the music, the simple, perfectly executed story, are all utterly brilliant. There are highspots that you remember from the match but it’s unique in that stuff like Warrior talking to his hands is more memorable than any move. The finish delivers not one but two happy endings with Warriro winning and then Liz and Randy uniting. Rick Moranis crying at ringside is amazing too.

If you take WM6 to WM7, I think that might be my second favourite period in wrestling. Rumble 91, SummerSlam 90 and Survivors 90 are great shows that I adore and that cast of characters defines why I love wrestling. With hindsight, loads are shit, but loads more are magical.

I'll end it there. No-one is reading all this anyway! Agree on Brodus Clay too. My daughter, in her 13 years, has only been interested in wrestling for about 2 weeks and that angle is the reason why. I'll always love it.

Edited November 16, 2018 by tiger_rick

[Accident Prone]

11 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

 

The finish to SummerSlam 1997 is one of the best they've ever done. Adding that layer of HBK having to call it down the middle only for Bret to make him to lose it and accidentally smash Taker is amazing. It does sadden me that this is really the end of the Hart/USA feud and the end of Bret in the WWF in truth but in pure TV story-telling of the Hart/HBK rivalry leading to  the turn of HBK, the transition into the Taker feud, the match at Ground Zero with that amazing dive and then the need to contain them in Hell In a Cell where they have an incredible, bloody brawl to end all brawls only for Kane to debut in shockingly brilliant fashion and transition Taker into a feud that sounds ridiculous on paper but is somehow great while Michaels goes back to face Bret for the title having established his own little clique and a trademark that will still be on WWF/E telly 21 years later. Incredible.

 

Reading stuff like this really makes me want to re-visit 1997 WWF. Yeah it's got it's negatives but what period of wrestling hasn't? The product feels so wild and organic. 

And you're bang on the money with that HBK/Austin vs Owen/Davey tag. I had a few of those 'Best Of RAW' tapes and that match got many repeated viewings. It had that brilliant HBK/Hart angle on it too, where Shawn superkicks Bret right into his own wheelchair. The panic Shawn has when trying to escape the Hart Foundation is ace, even though it border's on a Wyle E Coyote impression.

[Carbomb]

4 hours ago, Accident Prone said:

3) The post-match. This gets a bit of disdain from some. "It breaks kayfabe!" they cry from the streets. Lads, Vince McMahon destroyed kayfabe on February 10th 1989 when appeared in front of the State of New Jersey Senate to say wrestling was bullshit in order to free himself from the State Athletic Commission's restrictions. That genie isn't going back in the bottle.

So enjoy this amazing moment as four women, who fought valiantly to put North American women's wrestling back on the map, finally did it. And if you've never seen two people embrace after a fight, then you've clearly never been to Mayo or Belfast.

If anyone has seen the Terri Invitational Ladder Match, or any of the TLCs between E&C, The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz, they shouldn't have a problem with it whatsoever. We see it in regular combat sports, too - fighters who previously talked a load of shit about their opponents showing respect for each other after a hard-fought match isn't uncommon.

[Accident Prone]

15 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

If anyone has seen the Terri Invitational Ladder Match, or any of the TLCs between E&C, The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz, they shouldn't have a problem with it whatsoever. We see it in regular combat sports, too - fighters who previously talked a load of shit about their opponents showing respect for each other after a hard-fought match isn't uncommon.

Well that's precisely how I see it. Some don't share that opinion though, and will talk as though they've shat in the middle of the ring. I got into a fight with a friend once and at the end I just wanted to hug the bastard and complement his right hook.

[tiger_rick]

Genuinely don't think I've ever seen anyone enjoy wrestling as much as this woman when The Rock does his "Finally The Rock has come back ... home" bit in 2011. Hearing people love wrestling is the best bit. I can understand why WWE are so desperate to catch these moments on camera but it used to be so much more organic. I blame Miz girl.

[BomberPat]

A couple of non-WWE/WCW ones that probably won't resonate with many, but were extremely cool to me.

CHIKARA - Deucalion

Let's set the scene - at the culmination of a storyline with roots going back nearly a decade, CHIKARA holds an iPPV. The main event pits Icarus against Eddie Kingston for the Grand Championship. Icarus has gone from the most hated man in the company to, gradually, over the course of the year, a heroic figure, a homegrown babyface fighting for honour. Eddie Kingston has gone from the beloved first champion to a bitter, violent thug obsessively clinging to the championship. Icarus' hero, Marty Jannetty, has been invited to take a ringside seat to watch the match, but - in a storyline with no small basis in reality - Jannetty no-shows. Icarus is all alone, his hero not there to see his moment of triumph. At one point, with the referee knocked out and replaced by reinstated corrupt official Derek Sabato (think CHIKARA's answer to nWo Nick Patrick), Eddie Kingston beats Icarus with the chair reserved for Marty Jannetty.

Meanwhile, there's something curious going on in the background of CHIKARA. Several years previously, a press release was issued stating that CHIKARA had been bought out by Worldwide Media Group (or a name to that effect). It was reported as legitimate in the Wrestling Observer, and WMG's logo started being featured at the start of every CHIKARA DVD. Sometime later, when the evil heel authority figure du jour was removed from power, he was replaced by WMG's Wink Vavasseur. Wink was a Jim Herd-esque figure, who knew nothing of wrestling, and made absurdly wrongheaded booking decisions as a result - splitting up tag teams, introducing impossible to follow points systems, forcing rivals to team together, and introducing new "X-Treme" versions of popular babyface acts to cash in on their marketing/merchandising potential. Over time, though, Wink developed from hopelessly inept to power-mad and corrupt, with something to prove. 

Around the same time as the takeover takes place, "Condor Security" start appearing at CHIKARA events. Unacknowledged, it's just two or three guys in branded shirts working security at every show. Nothing would even make you look twice at them.

A blog appears during this season of CHIKARA, called "No Private Army". Nothing in the blog would explicitly tie it to CHIKARA - it has posts dating back six or seven years, discussing conspiracy theories, government cover-ups, and the paranormal. But the odd post references an organisation named Titor Conglomerate. Later posts start appearing discussing a private paramilitary organisation owned by Titor, responsible for horrific, unaccountable acts in active war zones - that organisation's name? Condor Security. Maybe a coincidence, right? But later posts, in amongst the rank and file conspiracy stuff, reference the Eye of Tyr, a magical Norse artifact already significant in CHIKARA lore. Someone discovers the Titor Conglomerate website, on which its child companies are listed - they include Condor Security, WMG, and other organisations with both kayfabe or legitimate connections to CHIKARA. Later No Private Army posts start to repeatedly reference a particular Condor soldier named "The Duke", and to reference Wink Vavasseur's father as the mastermind of the organisation.

Back to that iPPV match - Icarus has managed to fight back, and he locks Eddie Kingston in the CHIKARA Special, the babyface finish of the promotion, and a symbolic gesture of fealty to the promotion. Before Kingston can tap out, though, several men in Condor Security uniforms rush the ring. They tear the wrestlers apart, take out the referee, and begin tearing the set down. They even start ejecting fans, forcing everyone out of the building. Amidst the chaos, Wink Vavasseur sits and watches, eating an apple. Abruptly, the PPV feed cuts out. The show is over.

 

The next day, the CHIKARA website is updated. All future shows (each one named after a song from George Harrisons "All Things Must Pass") are listed as cancelled. Social media channels are shut down. CHIKARA start to auction off title belts, banners, and assorted paraphernalia. Eventually, a statement is issued that the company is closing its doors. Wrestlers start touting for bookings elsewhere, and CHIKARA doesn't run another show for a full year. 

Clues to CHIKARA's continued existence appear over the coming months - YouTube videos, cryptic clues on social media, even "guerrilla" shows in Philadelphia featuring CHIKARA regulars and trainees. A number of satellite promotions, all but one following the naming format "Wrestling Is..." (i.e. Wrestling Is Art, Wrestling is Respect) pop up. Eventually, people realise that initials from all of the satellite promotions spell out the word "CHIKARA". But then, one of those shows is shut down by Condor Security. Another is taken over by former CHIKARA baddies the BDK. Another by Sinn Bodhi. Villains from CHIKARA's past are coming together and shutting down every remnant of the promotion.

The following February, Icarus leads a triumphant charge of CHIKARA talent at National Pro Wrestling Day, and the return of CHIKARA is announced. The show goes off the air with babyfaces celebrating. Cut to credits, fade to black.

But then there's a post-credits scene. The feed goes live again, and the conglomerate of heel stables march to the ring, led by Jimmy Jacobs. CHIKARA try and fend them off,  when an unnamed monster walks out from the midst. We will later learn that his name is Deucalion, and that - most likely - he is "The Duke" of Condor Security. But in this instance, all we know is that he looks like this;

 

Like a cross between Bane and Predator, he's just a hulking, inhuman monster. He swats away everyone who attempts to fend him off. The smallest man on the roster, Kobald (pictured prone at his feet in the photo above), charges Deucalion, and hits a Spear, but just bounces off him. Deucalion hoists Kobald up on to his shoulders, and hits a Chokeslam down across his knee. Kobald is treated, for all extents and purposes, as if he is dead.

In the coming months, Deucalion appears fleetingly. But always in the same way - walks out amidst chaos, is impervious to any attempt to stop him, and puts a wrestler down with a chokeslam across his knee. Every wrestler taking that move is never seen again.

A fiery young rookie, Kid Cyclone, who wrestled on the guerrilla shows but has yet to be allowed the opportunity to compete on a proper CHIKARA show, takes a stand. Flanked by two fellow trainees - Equinox 3 and Create-A-Wrestler 2 - he pushes for a spot in the King of Trios tournament, and is denied. Cyclone is defiant, and says that he will be at Trios regardless, and with a purpose. He calls out CHIKARA's trainers, its veterans, its leaders, for failing to stop Deucalion, and failing to save people from him, pointing out that none one of them has even lifted a finger against them. He calls them cowards.

At Trios, Cyclone and his flunkies come to the ring, Cyclone wielding a metal wrench. He now calls Deucalion himself a coward, claiming that he only attacks people from behind. He challenges Deucalion to fight him like a man. Deucalion comes out to face him, and Kid Cyclone attacks him with the wrench, before jumping on his back with a sleeper. With Deucalion weakened, Cyclone is able to remove his mask.

With jet black eyes, Deucalion arguably (not that the photo illustrates this) looks scarier without the mask. Kid Cyclone is momentarily frozen in fear, and Deucalion bellows one word, the only word he has ever spoken - "COWARD~!". Cyclone runs, leaving his friends to fall victim to Deucalion. They are never seen again.

 

The story petered out from there - Deucalion only wrestled twice, and in his final match was concussed so early on it was barely watchable. But the vast ambition of the story, and those two key points of his part in it - the initial "holy fuck, what is that?" of his first appearance, and the sense of "oh shit, you've done it now" that came with his unmasking are something I have never seen matched in pro-wrestling. That it was surrounded by fans feverishly guessing at theories, trying to make sense of the story, could at times be infuriating, but also really captured the possibilities of wrestling as long-form storytelling above and beyond what we see on TV. Very few things have ever captured the shock of that debut, for me.

 

Pro Wrestling EVE - Jetta's She-1, and the Redemption of Jetta

This has a lot of recency bias, but I loved it.

Context - the She-1 is a round robin league that takes place across four shows, with three groups, with the highest scorer in each group going to a Triple Threat final. 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, nothing for a loss.

Last year, in the She-1 tournament, Jetta was hopelessly outclassed in a Block of Death. She lost in 40 seconds to Meiko Satomura, in 30 seconds to Emi Sakura, and despite a more valiant effort, lost to Viper. She was one of only three people in the tournament to secure zero points. 

On the final night of the tournament, Jetta teamed with Erin Angel - a former rival she defeated in a match meaning Erin had to be Jetta's "apprentice" for a year, but in reality meant Jetta was trying to encourage the babyface Erin to cheat and take shortcuts, and to aid her in doing the same. In this match, though, working together, they are able to win.

Fast-forward to Wrestle Queendom in May. Jetta is facing Kris Wolf, with Erin Angel as guest referee. The winner qualifies for a ladder match to earn a title shot they can cash it at any time. The match goes to a draw when Erin counts a pin on both women and, not wanting to upset anyone, gives them both the win, so they both qualify for the ladder match. As ever, Jetta loses.

Shortly thereafter, Jetta's contract with Erin expires. Lost without the only person who ever treated her like a friend, Jetta still tries to interfere in Erin's matches, but does more harm than good. Erin just wants rid of her, and Jetta keeps begging for another chance - being too good natured for her own good, Erin keeps giving her that chance. Around this time, a funny thing starts happening - fans start cheering for Jetta. Maybe they feel sorry for her, maybe they recognise that she genuinely wants what's best for Erin, maybe they've just warmed to her.

A few months later, Jetta's running body, the former EVE Champion Sammii Jayne, returns to the company. After a match, Sammii is beating down everyone - Erin Angel included. Jetta tries to get her to stop, without getting in-between them, but Sammii swats her away. Soon, it's just too much for her, and Jetta steps in, knocking Sammii down, and saving Erin! The mouthiest, cockiest heel in the company has, somehow, turned face.

We come to She-1, last weekend. Everyone is rooting for Jetta to succeed, to improve on last year. She doesn't. She loses her first match to Command Bolshoi. She loses her second match to Toni Storm. There is no way she can win enough points to make the final.

Heading into her last match of the tournament, Jetta faces Kasey. Jetta cuts a promo, explaining how she really wanted to win, she really wanted to put the mistakes of the last year's tournament behind her, but that if she has one motto that's guided her to the dizzying heights she's reached, it's, "there's always next year".

Jetta and Kasey, both on zero points, is just a match making up the numbers. Ostensibly, there are zero stakes. They have a heated, but uneventful match...but Jetta's showing some fire. She kicks out of moves that would normally keep her down. She fights harder, with more spirit. Ten minutes pass. The crowd are heavily behind her. Another five minutes pass, and it's only a 20 minute time limit. Kasey starts to punish Jetta, with excruciating submission hold after hold, and Jetta fights back. Hobbled, hurt, arguably outclassed, she fights back. The crowd are electric as the clock counts down. They're not even rooting for Jetta to win at this point, just to hang on, just to survive. She's too hurt to mount any offence, she just has to hang in there.

The crowd, en masse, erupt in cheers of Jetta's name, they start singing her theme music, anything to will her on. The clock counts down. It hits zero. It's a time limit draw, and the crowd are ecstatic. Jetta has won one point, and we're celebrating as if it's the biggest win of her career. The redemption story is complete.

 

It was an atmosphere unlike any other I've seen in wrestling. A match you probably wouldn't bother advertising, between two wrestlers that are there every show and rarely trouble the main event, fighting to a zero stakes time limit draw, and it's enough to bring people to tears. It was like supporting a non-league time and seeing them claw through on a draw, qualify on a technicality, and celebrating like they'd won the FA Cup. Incredible scenes.

[Accident Prone]

12 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

Everything about that CHIKARA storyline.

Fucking yes. Absolutely loved this story and it turned out to be CHIKARA's last hurrah. Some stuff was slightly corny (that YouTube movie was a bit hit and miss) but they were trying something not really attempted before and you have to commend the way they handled it. Despite the undercurrent of what was apparently going on behind the scenes that caused CHIKARA to go in this direction, they made the best of the situation and produced gold. Wonderful.

God, I miss how great CHIKARA used to be. They were PROGRESS before Smallman had ever picked up a booking sheet. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

So how did all that CHIKARA stuff end @BomberPat? I was hooked just reading it but ... All that set up and build - they wrapped it up somehow, didn’t they?

Edited November 16, 2018 by HarmonicGenerator