Post of the Year 2023

[Keith Houchen]

31 minutes ago, Frankie Crisp said:

So. I’ve really been trying to get myself in better shape the last few months. Every now and again, I’d go through these little bursts of running, boxing etc. but it invariably gets fucked off because I never really had the motivation or desire to look after myself.

In the last few months, though, I’ve tried. I’ve really tried. Running most days, waking rather than driving and more importantly, eating much, much better than I have done in my entire adult life.

The main reason for the upturn in self-care is my wonderful girlfriend and wanting to be a better person for her and - quite frankly - not wanting to die on her with a big massive stroke or heart attack or whatever.

Anyway, I’ve now got a PT. He’s fucking sadistic. He breaks me every single time but do you know what, he’s brilliant. I’ve lost a good load of beef and I’m sticking to his nutrition plan. No junk food, no crap and I’m loving the stuff he’s put me on to. Porridge, protein, water, good veg, fruit. All that shite. All the stuff I’d usually swerve for ten McDonald’s hash browns, but here I am.

Anyway, I’ve been really happy with my progress and thinking I’m doing well. This morning, my PT had to cancel today’s session right in the middle of the worst morning of my professional life; EVERYTHING went wrong and my head just went. I lost it. I didn’t give a fuck. 

I came home, ordered the biggest kebab from the place around corner and devoured it, maybe just to give me that guilt/pleasure thing but I told myself it was one slip and it wouldn’t be a big problem. I’ve lost loads of weight and I deserve it after such a bad day and let’s be honest, I can work the calories off, so what’s the worst that can happen?

I’ve just been for a shit and broke the toilet seat. 

Maybe I haven’t lost that much weight.

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Poor Frankie. We all love you, mate, but your misfortunes are an absolute highlight of the forum. 

[Keith Houchen]

28 minutes ago, JLM said:

I don't dispute that she's done many bad things, but I think it's ludicrous to claim that the culture and people she found herself involved with from her early 20s onwards didn't do a ton of harm. You acknowledge yourself that Shawn Michaels was especially vile at that time, also powerful and influential politically. She cheated on Candido and took advantage of him being madly in love with her. That is shitty behaviour, but amongst the boys (many of whom slept around and cheated on their partners and bragged about it in their books) that makes her satan. 

See also: Paige being slut-shamed for her sex tape and fans revelling in her spiralling out of control, whereas a male wrestler with a tape of them shagging multiple women's wrestlers at once would be lauded as an absolute LEGEND MATE by the same people. 

A lot of the quotes from people who hate her read like this: 

SANDMAN: 

"There are so many stories I could tell you about how she disrespected Chris.

We were on the roof of a club in Miami where she was blowing Raven [while] she just had her hand out for pills.

[I was] walking into the boiler room to get high and f***in’ Sabu’s in there gettin’ a BJ from Tammy [in exchange for pills]…he doesn’t give her the Somas ’til she’s done the job.

[Another time] I walked into the bathroom, and she’s blowing him and jerkin’ Joey Matthews off, I think it was…[all the while] Chris is running around the bar looking for her…

The take away from seeing an addict staggering around a venue offering sex for pills is that it's "disrespectful" to her boyfriend. 

 

The Godwinns: 

Paul Bearer and Henry Godwinn: 

Cheating on her partner repeatedly and displaying diva-ish/egotistical/narcissistic behaviour are the main charges I see levelled against her before she was an addict. So many of the male wrestlers of the time did that and far worse. I'm not trying to do whataboutism here. I'm not saying all of her bad behaviour is excused because men do it too, but  when a woman dares to be an arsehole or sleeps around in wrestling it's a hell of a different narrative from when a man does it. Maybe Sable and Tammy Sytch are two of the worst humans ever and deserved to have people shit in their bags and on their food. Or maybe when a woman is an arsehole in a thoroughly toxic boys club industry, they get less of a pass than men do. 

Her life derailed into addiction by her mid-20s and she was part of a horrible industry that treated women like shit before that, so I'm not comfortable with the black and white writing off of a human being, particularly based on the testimony of people who gleefully told tales of people shitting in her food. 

JLM on the difference how men and women are treated in wrestling for scummy behaviour. And he’s correct.  

[RedRooster]

I’ll link to it rather post the full thing, but @simonworden’s  post on Chris Jericho’s surprise appearance at Vietnam Pro Wrestling is well worth a read. The show recap is brilliant, and I hope he gets round to posting photos some time too. For all the time he’s put into writing this fascinating recap (and the prior recap or recaps), I hope he gets at least a nomination this year. It’s one of my favourite wrestling posts ever posted on these boards. Cheers for writing these, Simon.

[Keith Houchen]

16 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

I’ll link to it rather post the full thing, but @simonworden’s  post on Chris Jericho’s surprise appearance at Vietnam Pro Wrestling is well worth a read. The show recap is brilliant, and I hope he gets round to posting photos some time too. For all the time he’s put into writing this fascinating recap (and the prior recap or recaps), I hope he gets at least a nomination this year. It’s one of my favourite wrestling posts ever posted on these boards. Cheers for writing these, Simon.

Seconded. The enthusiasm leaps off the screen and for a bunch of wrestlers that most of us would never see or hear about. 

[SpiritOfTheForest]

Thirded. I don't often venture into On-Topic any more but very glad I did this time. Simon also always comes across as a great guy so it's nice to see him getting some kudos for that terrific and informative post. 

[simonworden]

Thanks guys, really nice to hear that people enjoyed it. I'll definitely be at the next one in March so will post another report then. I might even try not to drink as much to improve my recollection abilities. 

[johnnyboy]

 

[SuperBacon]

A lovely call back for sure.

[Fog Dude]