Raw Meat for 8-13-12

Cant believe the huge drop off Raw had this week. I dont feel like being grumpy, so I may make this short and sweet. Ive avoided writing for a few days, because I dont like to complain a lot, but a lot was wrong with this Raw.

First of all, WWE has three hours of Raw and decided to just stop pushing towards any match that wasnt the WWE Title or Lesnar/Hunter. They've made Jinder Mahal look like a legit threat, they announced Miz vs Rey, and not to mention the non-feud that has been Kane vs Daniel Bryan. For those three matches, the people literally didnt come in contact with one another over the three hours of Raw. Really? You're Kane. You hate Daniel Bryan because....well we still really dont know why. I assume it has something to do with AJ, or maybe Bryan cut him off in traffic. Whatever, you're Kane. You hate Bryan. You don't find the time over the THREE HOURS to sneak out of your weird lair with the red glow to rough up Daniel Bryan a bit? Jinder Mahal? No where to be seen? Rey? Anybody?

But boy, sure am glad we could have that Sin Cara vs Tensai match. Thats gonna be meaningful on Sunday when they're....golfing, or whatever they do when they're no were near the Summerslam card. That match however, was actually a good little match. Kudos to them.

That triple threat was a helluva match too and Im excited to see Jericho and Dolph mix it up at SummerSlam. The two main matches had a nice build of course, with Punk continuing to evolve and Lesnar getting monster heat. This was the first week though that the last hour dragged on a lot. I felt like every segment, from the contract signing, to the Punk interview, to the car crash seen all could've been strong show endings. I kept thinking, okay now its over....holy shit there's still a half hour! We'll see how Summerslam goes down, and how the post-ppv Raw shakes out.

Raw Meat For 8-6-12

Just got done finally finishing this week's Raw and I was impressed. The idea of a three hour Raw sounded down right dreadful but this week more than any it delivered. The segments were entertaining and the matches for the most part mattered going into SummerSlam. Some great matches with Rey/Punk and Bryan/Cena leading the pack. I of course, have a few things I feel I need to touch on so lets get at it.

First thing that comes to mind with this Raw, is the first thing we see, the opening segment. Raw had a great opening segment due to the great performances from two of Raw's most featured and talked about acts: AJ Lee and CM Punk. First off, AJ Lee is doing a great job in the General Manager role and the only downside is she's one of the few women in the company that can work and isn't going to be wrestling anytime soon. What I noticed this week (and this is just as much a compliment to the writers as it is her) is that she is coming off very in control, which is fun to watch. From settling down the ol' "every guy comes down to the ring" chestnut to looking these guys dead in the eyes and not cracking, AJ is being positioned as a very good character and a strong, positive influence for women (if you skip past the fact that she kinda got around the last few months). Its fun to watch this like 5'5 girl have control over all these giants. We'll get to CM Punk later.

Greatness in this business is only handed to a chosen few. People can work their ass off and become great wrestlers in the ring or good talkers on the mic, but it seems that only a chosen few have that aurora about them. Watching Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels go at it on the mic is a huge moment to me. They can sit on their couch for years or months and not only come back and be entertaining, but be driving forces behind a major angle. This angle is nothing without Heyman and Michaels added a lot with his mic work on Raw and promised presence at SummerSlam. I'm very proud to say I grew up watching these guys and every time they even do a guest appearance I feel like I should write a book about them, but I'll have to settle for a paragraph in a inconsistent blog.

I thought the Zigglar loss to A-Ry was very interesting and didn't see it coming, not to mention it was a very good match. Zigglar can obviously afford the loss while he holds the briefcase, it'd be nice if it goes on to mean a little something for him (though it probably won't). I'm looking forward to Jericho Vs Dolph as it could be Jericho's last match for awhile, or who knows, ever. I feel bad, honestly, as somebody who calls themselves a huge Jericho fan. I don't feel like I've really cherished this latest run, or even paid a whole lot of attention. Maybe it'd because reports kept saying it wouldn't last long, maybe it's because his feud with Punk was largely overshadowed by Lesnar and Rock, whatever the case I've just been sorta...waiting for him to leave. I'm gonna watch that Summerslam match like it could be his last though, because you just never know.

Finally, let me get to CM Punk and his Raw performance. As a huge fan of Punk and his work let me say...Thank God CM Punk is interesting once again! Punk was very much lossing my interest and to an extent, getting on my nerves. Punk's fight the system attitude and "Pipe bomb" routine was becoming just that, routine. Everything you say is not a biting pipe bomb, to say the least. For Punk to have that bite that he had in the "Summer of Punk 2", he's got to have something to fired up about and I think this storyline is perfect. He has been overshadowed by Rock, Lesnar, and even AJ (I'd like to think WWE forshadowed this with the Eve segment a few weeks ago) and he's sick of being overlooked by not only WWE, but the fans he fought so hard for only a year ago. It's entertaining and more than anything the thing I love about it, it makes sense. I'm not hard to please, just make it all make sense.

To sum it up simple, that's why I loved Raw this week. Kofi and Truth's beef with the Prime Time Players, Sheamus messing with Del Rio, HHH and Lesnar's feud, Jericho and Dolph's story, and CM Punk's turn are all realistic, well thought out storylines. Raw was at it's best this week the more I think about it, and yet, I'm sure most probably still complained. That's why you read my blog, and not the other's.

Wrestling Round Up 8-3-12

Once again Ive missed a few weeks. Had some crazy stuff going on in the ol personal life, but its all good. I'll try to wrap up my major thoughts on the last couple weeks in wrestling, Raw and otherwise.

First off all, I'll give some sweeping thoughts on Raw 1000. I was lucky enough to attend Raw 1000 with my close friends and family and I loved it. It was not the best wrestling show Ive ever witnessed, but anyone who expected three hours of Steamboat/Flair is out of touch. The show was going to be based around nostalgia, and with that in mind, I had a few major goosebump moments. The opening video package was brilliant, and my friend Jason and I looked at each other about halfway through thinking "Thats our entire lives!". It was awesome to see the full DX reunion, and its always special to see Shawn for me. Other than my father, I dont know theres a man on this planet that has had a bigger affect on me than ol HBK. My entire idea of cool is based around 1997 Shawn Michaels. I will say,  even though I also enjoyed the Lesnar segment, I didnt see the need to seperate these segments. You could've had DX crush Sandow, only for Heyman to come out and draw Triple H away from the ring....with Lesnar sneaking in and tearing apart DX and accepting the challenge. That would've opened up another slot for a match.

The main event came off well and I loved Punk's attack on Rock. Notice I will not call this a heel turn. I dont know if Punk is a "good guy" or a "bad guy" because of this one moment. Punk has been the antagonist going way back before last year's money in the bank. I think they're just going to turn up the heat and yes, eventually the crowd will turn. Hopefully, as his "face" shtick was growing old quickly.

This week's Raw I think came off better than I expected. Hard to go into details because nothing really blew me away or turned my stomache. I did really enjoy AJ and Daniel Bryan's work not only this week, but the week before. And let me take a second to call out all you internet jackasses that think the WWE is ran by misguided idiots and question every little thing. Everyone seems to enjoy all this success AJ Lee is having. I am a huge fan of hers and have been since NXT. She's talented, charismatic, and cute which is the makeup of a star female worker. With that said though, all her talent and cuteness was getting her nowere. She was drowning before she became Daniel Bryan's girlfriend and even then, I didnt hear anyone raving about her. Im going to go ahead and point out something I havent seen anyone say...

None of this would have happend if Daniel Bryan wasn't squashed in 18 second by Sheamus at Wrestlemania.

That is the stone cold truth folks. That was the event that ignited the switch in AJ's character that has gotten her more over than Jesus. This is proof we all need shut up and see where a story goes before we get outraged. Not only is Daniel Bryan doing just fine, that "mistake" at Mania launched AJ to the moon. So WWE Creative, consider this my formal apology for doubting you on that match.

While Im ranting, a big "Hahahahaha!" is due to anyone who said "Well golly, TNA sure is awesome now that Austin Aries is champion". Ive watched the past two weeks (which btw, how much TNA did you all REALLY watch after your messiah won the title? I doubt you made it through more than a week) and guess what? About 75% of the show is devoted to 8 guys running around in masks assaulting people and a bad actress yelling about having sex with AJ Styles. The other quarter is spent tallying points for some tournament and trying to make Chavo Guerrero look like a star.

I fucking win!

See ya next time.

Authors Note: I realize after saying "wait and see where things go" I immediately criticized TNA for their two major, in progress storylines. Let me be a bit more clear on what I was saying, to avoid smartass-ery. Im not saying you shouldnt have an opinion on things as they happen. You either enjoy something or you dont. If you didnt enjoy the Daniel Bryan/Sheamus match, that's fine, I didnt either. I also didnt get on here and claim the WWE had lost their minds and they were going to cut Bryan's balls off and they have no idea what they are doing, ect. It'd be like me coming on here and saying the Clair Lynch story is going to ruin AJ Styles career. It's bad, but he'll survive. Just like Bryan might not have gotten his Mania moment, but he survived. In short, love or hate what you see, just don't play Chicken Little and tell me the sky is falling before you see where it heads.

Raw Meat For 7-9-12

Lets all stop the fucking Madness please!

I take a week off and the whole damn world goes crazy. Im back again this week and I'm going to go ahead and be the one to drop some truth on the internet. So, all of the sudden, Austin Aries wins the World Title for TNA and magically, Impact is this revolutionary new program and Raw is once again in the toilet. All the good that Raw has done lately, apparently has been undone by a midget being crowned Heavyweight champion.

I will be the first to admit Raw was far from perfect last night. But its clear people are overlooking the positives in the wake of the Austin Aries shit storm. Whats been the biggest complaint towards WWE? That Punk and the title are not the focal point. Well last night, outside of the MitB tag match, pretty much all of Raw was focused on Punk, Bryan, and AJ. They even addressed the issue of Punk being over looked in the segment with Eve. It was all compelling television. Another complaint is the Divas aren't taken seriously. Sure seemed like WWE paid attention, since AJ and Eve basically Main Evented Raw. WWE even gave you a solid, 3 segment long tag team match with their top guy in the middle of the damn show (even if it did have a goofy DQ ending).

Was it a perfect show? No. But I see a lot of smart asses out there basically saying it was terrible and its time to pay attention to Impact.

I got news for you people, go ahead and watch Impact. Because I can promise you, TNA isnt going to change over night because Aries is the champion. God bless Aries and I wish him success, even if he is a giant prick, but I dont imagine this lasts long.  Even if it does, Impact is still going to be ridiculous. We seem to have lost in all this Aries hype that this company still is running a crazy pregnancy angle with Dixie Carter. They still had Sting get jumped by three masked dudes. Hell, theyre still featuring Sting, isnt that enough? For every indy guy theyve made (Aries) there are tons they've ruined or let slip away (Punk, Joe, Homicide, Daniels, Kong, ect). This company's face (Hogan) still refers to guys like AJ Styles as youngsters looking to breakthrough! Im pretty sure the only triple crown TNA guy has broken through already, and I think that youngster might have grandchildren.

And I wonder were TNA got the idea to put the belt on a guy like Aries. Maybe from the biggest company in the entire World, who has had an indy guy as their champion for SEVEN MONTHS! Whose top feud involves two "indy guys" and a former indy girl who is far from the stereotypical "Diva". WWE has been on this for quite some time, you are all just looking for a reason to hate. End of story.

Raw Meat For June 25th, 2012

I actually thought Raw was pretty fantastic this week. Lots of entertaining segments and good matches. It wasn't perfect but when is it? Hopefully, since we've sorta washed away the whole Big Johnny era, the show will trend up. Im no mark, Im not anti-Ace, but the story was a dead end angle that was absorbing the whole show. It was nice to see the focus on Punk, Bryan, Jericho, and Cena.

Lets kick off the blog were WWE did, with a strong triple threat match. That match was a PPV Main Event quality match and really set the tone for the show. With all the criticism on WWE for not putting Punk in the Main Event, I understand their strategy. If you kick off the show with a Cena promo, people (myself included) tune out. You kick it off with a quality match, it gives critics like myself hope and sets a good tone for the 2 hours.  Rather than go on and on about Punk and Bryan's ability though, lets focus on something less obvious...the staying power of Kane.

So, Sunday night, I watched a Raw from 1998. Guess who was in the WWE title picture on that show, on the show last night, just under 14 years later. BY GAWD ITS KANE! Yup, 14 years ago Kane and Undertaker were feuding with Austin for the WWF title, and last night on Monday Night Raw, there Kane was in the main WWE title storyline. I do a lot of dissing on the Kane character, but there is no denying that it has taken talent, charisma, and at times patients on the part of Glen Jacobs to stay at the top of his game for over a decade. He must be one of the most underrated, safest, smartest workers of all time to stay healthy and good for this long.

I have hope for Brodus Clay (I dont do transitions anymore, fuck'em). The match was handled well, and Show won without burrying Brodus which I feared. The question is, were do they go from here? With Show in the MITB I hope they dont just forget about this.

So its time for my weekly dissection of this AJ buisness. They had some entertaining stuff last night. The segment with Kane was nice. It seems for once, I know were I personally want it to go. I would personally like for all of them to just get fed up with her. Just be like, "Yeah youre smokin hot, but this isnt worth it." Just have AJ lose it and be a psycho for awhile. Its the only logical end point anymore, nobody would put up with this mess.

Lets all just pause and applaud Santino shall we? A couple of times, the character has seemed dead in the water, but the guy is so charismatic that he just keeps bringing him back. This latest run, dating back to December or January has been the modt remarkable. Im constantly saying, okay this is the night Santino gets the axe, and they keep putting him over. As they should. If you ask me, Santino is what wrestling is all about. He's fun to watch in and out if the ring. He's the perfect underdog. What do you have bad to say about him? The only legitimate criticism Ive heard is his finisher is silly, and I can even defend that. At the end of the day, its a punch right in the damn nose. A punch in the face should be a damn finisher! It hurts, a lot! They shouldn't be thrown around all willy nilly. Play on Santino, I'll defend you to the end.

Sid looked like fucking George W Bush. I popped, dont get me wrong, but not as hard as Vader. I think every week, with these old timers performances, the "Give Vader all the belts" party's argument is getting stronger. He's gotten the biggest pop and gave the best performance. Vote Vader In 2012!

Speaking of Vader (Hey, a transition!), lastly lets tackle the meat of Raw: the coming together of the Money In The Bank match for Raw. The Cena promo actually made me giggle. We all know that Jericho and Cena can create magic on the mic and on the mat, and they showed flashes of why. Other than his haircut, I liked Jericho's return. I like Show's new attitude, he's turned a predictable, silly angle into a positive. What I really want to dig into though, is the pros and cons of this Money In The Bank setup.

First, the positives. Jericho, Kane, Cena, and Big Show are all vets capable of putting together a PPV quality match, which is the most important thing I suppose. If these indeed are the only four, its unpredictable, I could see a reason for all of them to win it. For once, a Cena win would actually be compelling. How would the great white hope Cena handle holding the case? Seems like it would be out of character for him to cash it in when somebody is down.

The negatives....I can already tell Kane is an after thought. He's gonna be inbetween the two storylines. Of course, apparently he'll bounce back and continue to wrestle forever. Only four people certainly changes the giant ladder match element. The biggest thing that bothers me is career wise, none of these guys need this. Look what the MITB did for Daniel Bryan. Look how far he's come in just one year, all because of that one win. Hopefully atleast Smackdown will be setup differently, or nobody will get that rub.

Raw Meat For 6-18-12

I'll drop some quick thoughts even though I mistakenly didn't really analyze Raw with the intent to write on it. I'll throw out some quick bullet points that rush at me...

First of all, I thought it was interesting that Brodus Clay seems to be the next feud for Big Show, judging from No Way Out, Raw, and Smackdown spoilers. Clay may finally be getting set to show us if he can really hang. Love him or hate him, he's over. He needs to prove to us now that he can tell a story. This is a nice jumping point, with Show being the first one to beat him down, and The Funkasaurus looking for revenge. The story has potential, and it is on Brodus to knock it out of the part in the roll of the protagonist. Its his first test.

Paul Heyman was gone for like a decade, and he's already the best part of Raw again. That's why he is my hero, above even Cornette and Hennan. Heyman has built himself an aurora of importance, and when he appears people hush up and listen. I like his interaction with Triple H and I love this story, but Triple H has to back down and lose this match for me to not go completely insane. I was fine with the Cena loss, because Cena needed a huge win after the loss to The Rock, but if we get an even bigger build up and Lesnar losses to a semi-retired Triple H, then the whole Brock Lesnar deal was a fucking waste. We're all wanting this big Lesnar title hunt, and I think it'd be good for buisness. Especially is somebody came along and knocked him off the podium at Wrestlemania. That man by the way, shouldn't be The Rock. Lesnar should win the title, claim he will reign forever since he's a "legit" tough guy, and he should be knocked off by a "wrestler's wrestler", a great defender of the product. My picks would be CM Punk or Undertaker. Punk would make sense, as he would likely lose the title in some controversial fashion, and they could have the big rematch at Mania. Of course, this may have been a waste of time, as it is expected that The Rock will get a title run at some point, and my plan clearly doesn't involve that so...back to the drawing board....

The AJ storyline has officially fallen to the too weird side for me. I'm still into this, but it's becoming a bit silly, and honestly a little sad to watch AJ make out with Kane every God damn Monday.

Laurinitis got a good send off. The whole storyline has made no sense for months, since Big Johnny was a hell of a lot more unfit that Triple H or Vince who both got fired for doing a lot less than using guys like Lesnar and Show for personal vendettas. I have two concerns. The first, where do we go with the GM title from here on? If the shows continue to share wrestlers, the title should just fade away in my opinion. The GM role is useless unless they have a specific roster to manage afterall. If that is the intention, then let's just give the rains back to Vince or Hunter on screen, and have them fade off. The whole idea of somebody running the show on screen has gotten stale anyway and it would be a much bigger deal when the boss made an appearance if they weren't there every damn week. Look at Vince's character right now, that's proof enough.

My other concern is what happens now to the much more compelling characters of David Otunga and Eve. While I didn't care much for Big Johnny, I loved the way Otunga and Eve were used. They fit there roles perfectly as the assistants with Otunga always getting the physical punishment, Eve reinventing herself, and both of them fucking with Teddy Long. It seems that these guys can't survive on their own, they only work as lackey's. I'd like to see Otunga go on to manage somebody who needs him as their "legal consultant". Or possibly even join team Lesnar and assume Heyman's role of Lesnar's mouth piece once Paul fades off again.

Vader should've showed up and killed Cindy Lopper.

...that's about all I got. See y'all next week.

Wrestling 2012 Update

Well, updating after every show didn't quiet go so well, now did it? Let me catch you up to speed...

Dynamo Pro Wrestling has had two shows since my last writing. In April, in front of a packed house, I led the First Church of Karrington to a ultra successful night. Not only did K.C. defend his NWA Missouri State  championship against The Cancun Kid, but we also captured the Tag Team Titles. While, we may not technically be champions, we certainly did capture them. After the Bum Rush Brothers won the farce of a tag tournament, we swooped in and took what was ours. Unfortunately, I was on business during the last card, but I will return to lead my warriors to glory in August.

St. Louis Anarchy has saw similar success for me. In May, at The Mill Skatepark, I stuck it to ol' Mat Fitchett again. I acquired the services of The Submission Squad by helping them defeat Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano. They repaid the debt by helping me take out Fitchett, a situation that quickly led to a locker room brawl. Then, on June 16th we traveled to Cleveland to do a joint card with Beyond Wrestling. I once again partnered with The Submission Squad as we defeated Arik Cannon, Darrin Corbin, and Christian Rose in a trio contest. I return to the St. Louis area July 13 in Alton IL, and I plan to make waves once again, and I do best.

***

On a personal note, I stated in my last update my desire to branch out. While I still hope to do that, I want to do it the right way. I think instead of focusing so much on trying to branch out right now, I want to focus and hone my craft. I want to be the best I possibly can be, I want to grow with my two main promotions right now and most importantly build a library of video to showcase my work. I plan to have somebody video tape every appearance for me, so that I can have something to analyze and show off to potential bookers.

Raw Meat For June 6-11-12

Well, Im back after quite the hiatus. Lots of stuff going on, barely even watched Raw half the time.

Before saying my piece about this weeks Raw, I do have to go back to a segment from a couple weeks ago. I preface this by saying, Im barely kidding, if at all. I take you back to the iced coffee segment. Let me jog your memory, Eve asks Teddy to get her some coffee. Otunga, hilariously says he's good, Teddy walks off, and the segment goes on. Teddy returns, and Eve spits the coffee back at him and yells its cold. The camera then zooms in on Teddy's beady, angry eyes and like he's auditioning for the Shinning remake reads, "Its supposed to be cold! ITS ICED COFFEE!".

An opportunity for comedy gold was missed. Teddy read that line like it was the last fucking straw. Insult me. Fire me. Dress me in women's clothing. But God damnit, when you disrespect my ability to bring you coffee (even though she didn't ask for a fucking iced coffee, I'd be pissed too) that's were shit goes crazy! I totally wanted to come back from break, with Teddy holding a steak knife to Eve's throat, Otunga panicing, Teddy has his maid costume half off, yelling in tongues. Atleast it would shake the show up a bit. This is coming from the person who pitched the only logical way to end the Jeff Jarrett vs Kurt Angle feud was for Angle to murder the Jarrett's, so maybe we should move on before I get thrown into therapy...

So, this week's Raw. Right off the bat, maybe I've not been paying attention, but when did Vince reclaim any power. Was it ever explained? One minute he's deemed too old and feeble, next he's back to firing people. I hate to be this guy, but there was clearly too much Vince.  All you need is the opening segment and the closing one. Even though some of the stuff in between was okay (the Hart bit was funny), it was unnecessary and stupid. Clearly a time waster on a too long Raw, better get used to it.

Vader was the fucking man, end of story. It might be a bad sign when he gets the biggest pop of the night though.

So, what the fuck are they doing with AJ here? So she's a love scorned, crazy, kinda slutty person now? There is a fine line between compelling an down right weird, and I can't decide which side this story falls on. Im giving it time, but I im kind of losing interest. The moment attractive women make out with Kane is usually when I start to fade.

Finally, I really hope we get more Punk vs Bryan on a large scale. Kane is talented, but he would be better served replacing Del Rio. This story between Punk and Bryan was compelling enough, especially with the insertion of AJ (giddy) that we didn't need Kane in here. He just looks so silly next to these normal people. I'll never get it. You can make Kane trouble and deranged without making him a borderline super villain.

Raw Meat For 4-30

I took an extra day to try and digest Raw and attempt to find something to talk about on here. Overall though, Raw was extremely bland this week. Between the first segment and the last segment, nearly nothing happened that was either shockingly bad or good. A good portion of the show was just downn right boring this week and the only reason I stayed tuned in was the Blues game was embarrassing.

Let's start with the opening segment though. The segment between these three came off very well. Lesnar kept his mouth shut which seems like the way to go after last week's Raw and Triple H and Johnny Ace do a good job of making it seem like there is legit tension between the two. I like Lesnar breaking Triple H's arm and peacin' out, although I will say, good luck with coming up with these kinds of segments. With his contract, Lesnar is going to have to go away and comeback a lot, and seeings how they aren't promoting him as a special attraction like they did with The Rock, they're going to have to keep writing him out of the show in creative ways.

Everything in the middle was so vanilla, Im gonna go in another direction for a minute. As long as we're talking Lesnar, I'll give my opinion on his loss Sunday. I haven't gotten the opportunity to see the match yet, but strictly from what I've read and saw on Raw, Im going to patiently await where they go wit Lesnar before passing too much judgement on his loss. That being said, I do think it will end up being a mistake for WWE. Lesnar has been billed as something dominant and special since his return. I think, no matter how good Lesnar looks after this, he's just another guy now. Look at The Rock for a minute. I'm excited to see when Rock is going to come back and what he'll do, because him defeating WWE's top guy still makes him special. Rock is still in a class all his own, so next time his music hits, he's still going to send goosebumps up your arms. Lesnar is now just another WWE superstar in my opinion. A 0-1 record takes away all the aurora of a UFC fighter and this dominant force.

Let me be clear, Lesnar shouldn't have beaten Cena. In my world, Cena/Lesnar should've been held off until SummerSlam. Let Brock face and beat credible opponents until then, matches with guys like R Truth, Randy Orton, Miz, ect. Every month make a huge deal out of who he will face and every month Cena looks for the match but Lesnar keeps ducking him. Then, Lesnar can win or lose, as long as he looks strong. At this rate, with a match with Triple H looking likely, how the hell are they going to prime him for a title run like they've planned?

One piece of  from the middle of Raw, why the hell do Primo and Epico need two managers? What is Rosa just there to get double teamed by these guys? And why is Abe Washington so actively pursuing what is now a lossing tag team? Whatever.

Finally, the last segment....what the hell? Just why? Why are we going to be subjected to this crap? What does Laurinitis stand to gain by beating the shit out of his top guy? Why build up Lord Tensai to make him a lackey? What was up with Johnny for shadowing a Punk/Tensai match weeks ago, guess that's out the window? This whole idea is a mess. From a storyline stand point, didn't two people get fired last year for doing things like this? I can say for the first time in a few months, I absolutely don't care what happens next week after seeing this Raw.

NHL Diary Update.

Okay, so with my Raw review and a busy few weeks, the diary has gotten away from me. But something happened today that required me to write. If for nothing other than therapy.

First, I will catch you all up a tad. Now, I don't have the numbers with me, but I do remember some major events. When the tragedy of today occured, I was just fresh off the 2019-20 season. With that being said, the finnacial crunch I was under the past few times I wrote wasn't solved. Every year I was just squeking in under budget. So two seasons ago (fresh off my most recent cup win) I started to have to make painful adjustments.

First came at the 2018-19 trade deadline. I had a nice young player in Michael St. Coix who's contract was coming up. I knew he'd want more money, and with all my talent, he was never going to crack my top line and be worth it. So I shopped him around and Minnesota, who has a storied past of giving me awful trades,  gave me two first round picks (2019, 2020). I was happy. That season we had a strong showing in the playoffs and got eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals. I was pleased....apparently, ownership wasn't.

In the off season that year, I had to make two more hard decisions. I decided to let go Zach Phillips, and more surprisingly, our captain PK Subban. Philips was in the same boat as St. Coix, unable to crack the top six, but wanting top six money. Subban's contract came up the same time and the rest of my top four defenders. Sbisa signed a resonable deal, as did Demers, and I have Cam Fowler the 10 mil he deserved from winning the Norris. Subban was starting to age quickly at 30, he had already dropped from a 91 to a 87 and was going to stay in decline. I also let go vetern depth and added lots of young, undrafted guys who had potential. I thought I had done a fine job with what I was given....ownersip, apparently, did not.

So the 2019-2020 season goes well. Everyone steps up and fills the roles that were subtracted. Claude Giroux had a amazing season finishing second in points with an amazing 98 points! We finished with 47 wins, just shy of the lofty goal of 52 set by ownership. Ownership set the goal of getting to the conferene finals, which we did, before being bounced by Detroit in the cup.

And after that season....after (off the top of my head) 4 cups and 6 cup appearances....after battling not only other teams but the cap year in and year out....after getting them 7 first round draft picks in two years.....

I GOT FIRED BY THE MONTREAL CANADIANS!

I couldn't handle it! I would've been less pissed if I got fired from my real job!
Upon reading the news, I promise you this is true, I stood up, pointed at my TV and yelled "AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU?! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!". Let me remind you, I am indeed a grown man.

I got offers from the Sharks, Islanders, Kings, Bruins, and Rangers. I hate the Sharks and Kings, the Islanders are hopeless, and the Bruins just aren't fun. So I opted with the Rangers. I do like the Rangers in real life, not my favorite but I dig them. Especially after Mike Rupp's heel move on Jagr at the Winter Classic. They will be fun in the game too, as I knew Lundquist had just retired and I would need to rebuild them from the net out, which is fun. Upon examining them, they have some star guys at good prices (Stepan and Staal at around 6 mil a piece) and some people I will need to ditch (an 87 center which is also making 6 millions).

But let this blog be my statement......my new life goal is to destroy the Canadians and everything they stand for.

Raw Meat for 4-23-12

Well, I wasn't able to watch Raw as close as I usually do, but I've got a couple things to gripe about.

In short, what the fuck was up with that Lesnar promo? Ugh, after I've been really happy with his work too. It was slow, boring, and sounded like he was reading his lines straight off of that paper which is bush league. He can handle himself on the mic, but that pausing every four words stuff isn't going to fly. A bit of a side bar, but I almost don't see a positive way to book Lesnar vs Cena. Either Cena wins and all this Lesnar hype was for nothing right out of the gate or Lesnar wins and Cena looks like the Peyton Manning of the WWE. Im excited/worried to see where this goes.

Also, and I have to give the assist to my friend Jason on this thought....how many times is Paul Bearer going to get murdered on live TV?! Paul has been encased in cement, locked in freezers, knocked off scaffolds, not to mention the time Undertaker just straight up fried him with lighting in the Smackdown game! Come on already, he's like the Kenny of the WWE Universe. Except he has a large layer of fat covering his head instead of an orange sweatshirt.

Not to mention, it doesn't get much dumber than this locked in a freezer bit. Let's give this even a second of thought. What was Paul Bearer (who we've established, was dead) doing there? Did Orton take his rental car to that old shack where Bearer used to make Taker forge caskets and kidnap him? Why did Orton lock him in a freezer when Kane only beat up his dad? Oh yeah, because Randy Orton is a DOCUMENTED UNSTABLE LUNATIC! Who we all are supposed to cheer for! How the hell did the handshake feud become "You murdered my dad, so I killed yours, let's have a FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE MATCH!". A fucking wrestling match? Two elderly men have been killed here!

I could go on and on. This feud only stands to prove my theory than Kane is one of the most misused, silly characters in wrestling. Along with Abyss's stupid ass, but that's for another blog...

Raw Meat For 4-16-12

I didn't watch Raw...so...here's this....

That's Hulk Hogan causing 911. It's the most hysterical/offensive thing I could find during my 10 second search. Enjoy.

NHL Playoffs: Fan's Perspective

Well, Game 1 of the St. Blues' playoff series is tonight. I can't wait to go home, eat some home made burgers, and cheer on my Blues. I've loved hockey, and the Blues, since I was a kid and I've waited what seems like a long time for a team like this to come around. These Blues are contenders this year and have all the pieces to compete for years to come.

First off, this season was unlike any other I've experienced as an adult. See as a kid I remember going to the "Kiel" and routing on my favorites like Hull and McInnis and I was a fanatic. After the lock out season, my fandom really died down. I just had to know EVERYTHING about hockey, and when the lockout happened and seemingly every player moved and rules changed, I tuned out. I still paid attention but I wasn't obsessed with it. Until two seasons ago. I bought a NHL game for the first time in year and used it to study all the new names and rules I'd missed, and I fully credit that game with relighting my fire. It was that young, hungry Blues team that I fell back in love with.

So to see the Blues mature and fight to get were they are this season, against all odds was magic. This was the first time I can remember going to a signifigant amount of games and not seeing a single loss. I also got to introduce my girlfriend to my love of hockey this year and she has taken to it well, haha.

So I go into the playoffs with high hopes, but history tells me to have low expectations. The Blues are, as Sadie discribed them this weekend, quickly becoming the Cubs of hockey. We always look like a contender, only to come up short. I hope this is the season we get rid of that, but Im keeping my expectations low.

All I expect of them is to win this first round. They are at home, were they have dominated. They are playing a team that they beat 4-0 in the season series and who are an aging, shell of their former selfs. This is winnable and anything less will leave me with a sour taste in my mouth. I think they can and will do it. Beyond that, its all hope and wishes. Who knows who they could play. There are some seriously tough teams in the west this season. I believe that if the Blues can win this series and carry some confidence to the next round though, anything can happen.

Beyond the Blues, I've got some other teams I've got my eye on. I've got a lot of teams I dig in the Eastern side of the tourney. I love what the Panthers did this off season and that they've made it in. Them, along with the Senators, would be a great underdog story. Mike Rupp's pro wrestling heel-like disrespect during the Winter Classic would soften a Rangers cup win too. The West on the other hand, I hate almost every team. I've thought about a series of blogs detailing why I have a seemlingly unrationable hatred of certain sports teams/figures, so I'll keep it short, but I can't fucking stand San Jose or LA. Detroit, while I respect what they do year in and year out, can fuck up a rope. Fuck those Canuks. Chicago I think of as more of a fun rivalry, but I sure don't want them to win AGAIN before St. Louis gets one. Phenoix I litterally forget exists these days, maybe they have that as an advtadge. The only team I would accept beating my Blues, is Nashville. I predicted long ago Nashville will be trouble in the playoffs and I respect them. Their goaltending is top notch and they really went all in at the deadline to add quality players.

Finally, some predictions...

East...
Rangers d. Senators
Bruins d. Capitals
Devils d. Panthers
Penguins d. Flyers

West…
Kings d. Canucks (Yep, LA is going to be a tough 8 to beat, mark my words)
Blues d. Sharks
Predators d. Red Wings
Blackhawks d. Coyotes

Raw Meat For 4-9-12

I'll admit straight up, I was in and out of Raw last night. I just went back and watched it on the DVR, which is never quite the same and I find myself fast forwarding a lot of the action and watching the segment. A bit of a side bar, I've never been a fan of taped wrestling. Its hard for me to sit through even the best show that isn't live, there's just an air of unpredictably that can't be matched. We all have Eric Bischoff to thank for that by the way, for as big of a tool as he is, he made leaps and bounds in the industry and never gets enough credit.

On with the show, as they say! That opening segment was perfect. I actually found myself asking if the punches were becoming legit for a second after Cena got busted open, which I'm sure is exactly what they were going for. Made Cena look like a bad ass for coming out and laying it on the line. Lesnar continues to look strong as well. Of course, I decided while watching this, Brock Lesnar could look tough dressed as the Easter bunny. It's not because of his physique, his background, his tattoos, or whatever. It's that awful haircut. The guy has had it since atleast college that I know of! You've GOT to be tough to sport that hair cut for 10-20 years. What does Brock even tell his barber? "Hey, I'd like a box on top of my head. Spike up the front, make it a little longer than the rest. Of course I want to look ridiculous!". What a battle of stupid flattops that match at Extreme Rules is gonna be, eh?

I didn't watch every match but caught most of the tag team match and all of the Lord Tensai squash. Eh, they were what they were. The tag team match was entertaining, but why the hell did Swagger just watch his partner get pinned. That's a former World Champion there? That's a rookie mistake. The Tensai squashes aren't supposed to be five star classics, I'm very into the character and like how it's based on what really happened with A-Train post WWE.

The past two weeks the Jericho vs Punk feud has been red hot. I found myself saying, "FINALLY!" while watching the segments between them this week. This is the stuff that I wanted to happen before Wrestlemania. Both men have done well on the mic (although I must say, Jericho did seem sharper than Punk this week) and I really feel the venom and emotion now. As great as that match was at Mania, it really could've used this venom. It just doesn't mean as much going into Extreme Rules. I dug Punk lossing his cool, getting DQ'd and the ensuing beatdown from Jericho and trash talk was more of that raw emotion that was missing going into Wrestlemania.

So, the Stooges. I mean, clearly it's stupid to be on Raw but atleast the segments were funny. Will Sasso did, hands down, the best Hulk Hogan impression I've ever heard. Anyone can put on a mustache and make a gravelly voice, but Sasso really had the subtle stuff down. Like how Hogan sometimes seems like he's trying to speak three words ahead of himself, his "dUde!". It was all there, classic. Took a damn good chokeslam bump too!

The main event did a great job to sell the Cena/Lesnar feud as well. Notice with every appearance, there were less and less cheers for Lesnar. Lesnar is naturally unlikable, so he is the perfect heel. I love his character, the idea that he thinks he's a "real" fighter in a world of bums, yet resorts to a low blow. Love him or hate him, they'll building a great character here with Lesnar and a great feud with Cena.

A couple final thoughts though, and my first one picks right up from here. As I just said, I love what they did with Cena and Lesnar this week and can't wait to see where it goes. With that being said, this angle is supposed to be heavily based in reality right?.Som  Lesnar is returning to dominate the WWE and he's starting at the top. That mean's he's challenging the WWE Champion, right? No...well, then maybe he's going to go after the World Heavyweight Champion since he won it so quickly...oh...no...he's not doing that either. Well then he HAS to challenge the man who won the biggest main event of all time, on the grandest stage of them all, right? Oh....no...he's challenging the guy who fucking LOST! Can't believe it took me a week to decide that was kind of dumb.

Finally, I don't know how to put this without contradicting some things I've said going into Wrestlemania....but it really makes me sad to see this Punk and Jericho feud take a back seat in ways. Now I've defended the WWE the past few weeks on here and on facebook because a bunch of internet fans are crying that Punk and Jericho didn't main event Mania. I'm not going back on that, Rock vs Cena was the only option. Even if the Punk/Jericho feud had this venom that it has now, I still don't put it above Rock vs Cena. Also, it's not like they were hurting, they were one of the final matches of then night and stole the show in ring wise.

Even now, I totally understand why they are not the focal point of the show. Brock Lesnar's return is the biggest story in wrestling today and should be the focus of Raw. That being said, as both a wrestler who has more respect for Chris Jericho than just about anyone and a fan who enjoys both Punk and Jericho's work, I hate to see them having these just perfect segments and in the end....its like it doesn't even matter. How quickly we forget with the returns of The Rock and Brock Lesnar, that Chris Jericho has just recently made a huge, surprising return as well and it just seems like nobody cares because of all these circus sideshows popping up.

WWE isn't really helping this fact either. It seems like the better the men do, the more WWE throws at them...

"So, you guys had an okay build going into Mania, too bad we've booked an impossible to top main event, eh?

"Wow, what a great Mania match guys. So tonight on Raw we're going to continue your feud, start a feud with Henry, tease a feud with Lord Tensai, and debut Brock fucking Lesnar."

"You guys actually came through last week, even though you fell the fuck down and the bottle exploded in your hand Chris. No worries, I know you'll knock it out of the park tonight. Oh yeah, Punk, you're STILL feuding with Henry on the side though. Also you have no chance of main eventing next year's Wrestlemania either."

I'm rambling, so I'll close this off. It just makes me sad to see two world class workers be constantly fucked with here. Till next time, folks.

Raw Meat For 4-2-2012

First and foremost, my Wrestlemania thoughts. I'll make them quick and dirty sense you are already probably tired of reading reviews of it. Overall, Mania turned out well. Let me first say, from a booking stand point, I get the quick title change for Daniel Bryan. But man, when you tune in to see somebody have a good match and get that, it just left a bad taste in my mouth for the first hour or so. Show/Cody was good, that Maria broad is tough, even Kane/Orton wasn't bad but I didn't get into it. I thought the big three matches all delivered and had everything you'd want from a great match. My one surprise was that I really liked the 6 vs 6 tag team match. Had a lot of fun spots and a really convincing false finish.

Now, on to Raw. The Rock's promo at the start of the show was great and did a great job pulling in the excitement from Wrestlemania. Rock settling out a goal of being WWE champion was surprising and left me wanting to tune back in and see where it goes, and that's all you can ask for. I will say, I think the idea of Rock vs a certain former UFC Champion at Wrestlemania 29 is a mammoth mistake. A huge match with Lesnar and a WWE title match could make a mega star out of somebody who is right on the cusp like CM Punk. I even think there is magic to be had in Taker Vs Lesnar. I think I'd rather see Lesnar vs Cena/Taker and have Rock go in as champion against a guy like Punk. But hey, I' writing a review blog, not the show, so who am I to say what's good for buisness. I'll try to just sit back and enjoy it.

Lord Tensai's debut was interesting. The match was a snoozefest but it wasn't supposed to be the second coming of Steamboat/Flair. It was to establish Tensai's character which I think they did a nice job of. I look forward to seeing where they take him.

CM Punk vs Mark Henry was a great match, never thought I'd say that. The Jericho attack afterwards was classic too, even if he did fall the hell down. My only concern is, they are possibly spreading Punk a little too thin right now. Rock has basically laid a challenge down to become Champion. Johnny's promo suggests that either Tensai or a reanimated Earthquake is about to e inserted into the title picture. None of that is necessary  when there is a compelling feud with Jericho that hasn't been fully tapped yet.

And yep, Brock fucking Lesnar. That promo from Cena was great and you really felt his emotion pouring out. For all the people bitching, The Rock coming back is like Jesus coming back in the WWE Universe. The fact that Cena took one of the greats to his limit but came up just short is not burrying John Cena. Not to mention, all you people do is bitch that Cena never loses...then you bitch when he gets beat at Wrestlemania. And now it looks like he's in for a nice little feud with Lesnar which I would expect to elevate both men. There work together pretty much launched John Cena back in the day, now Lesnar is back for revenge.

I have to say, I never thought Lesnar was coming back. I was shoot surprised when he came out, and I marked out for it. Its been talked about so many times I just assumed it would never happen. I'd like to see Heyman return as his manager but I doubt we get that. Still, Im not a hater, there was magic in Miami, I haven't heard a pop like that in years.

I'll close with this, that was one hot crowd last night. The "Yes!" chants were great, and the "Si!" chants were fucking classic. They were into the whole show for better or worse. I hope if anything, the signing of Lesnar and part time return of The Rock leads to more of that. Less people sitting on their hands and more giant reactions like the ones that opened and closed the show. That's simply good for all of us.

Raw Meat 3-27-12

Final Raw before Wrestlemania. I tried to watch last nights show with the mindset of, "If I was on the fence about ordering Sunday's show, how would this show push me one way or the other?" I also want to touch on the build up of some matches and some overall Wrestlemania 28 talk so this may be a tad longer than average.

First, the show opens with a wrestling match, shocked me a bit. I've almost been trained by WWE to think that's not how it should be done. That match couldn't be a better place to start though. First off, a nice little tag match to open the show from were I sat. The matches it was designed to promote couldn't be more polar opposite though, and this match only widened the gap.

First, the good, because I like to be positive. Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan has been a pretty decently built feud. Not even sure if I'd say that before this match. I think before this one, I really felt more tension going on over AJ and Bryan's relationship. This tainted win over Sheamus before the PPV gives Bryan some serious fuel, we got another YES! moment. It was a little push over the edge I needed to really get into the match.

Orton vs Kane on the other hand, what the fuck is going on there? For the record, I think Glen Jacobs is an excellent performer. That being said, is there a harder character to get into than Kane? Is this day and age, I believe the key is getting people to suspend their belief somehow, and its harder everyday, which is why a lot of wrestling sucks. It is just impossible to believe Kane exists. And why, why are they fighting? A damn hand shake? I applaud the attempt to throw this thing together at the last minute, but I'd have rather Kane cut Orton off in traffic or something. Orton has totally dropped the ball in pushing this too. See, Cena vs Kane worked because Cena made it work. Kane can be silly if he doesn't have somebody really help in drive the story. Orton is just not as strong as Cena, that's why Cena's match has been promoted for a year, and Orton's was tossed at him last minute.

The final build toward the GM match, as goofy as the premise was, has to be considered a success. Both teams pull some last minute hail marys out. Both teams looked super strong before getting cut off by the 6th team member, which makes both final team members really appear to be game changers. One thing I love about this match, I very much question who wins and the build has been such that either side could win.

There was no build to the women's match, but I have to say fucking hates off to Maria Me-whats-her-face. She's planning on going out there with two broken ribs. Not bad for the broad I watched give the news in the 6th grade (She was on Channel One! How bout that for a reference!)

The final push towards Show vs Rhodes is kinda hit or miss. First off, let's go down the logic path again...why on Earth did Big Show vs Epico happen? They didn't make the Giants play my local high school football team 6 days before the Super Bowl. Not to sound like a grizzled vet, but this is a small way that TV tarnishes wrestling. "Well, we need to kill five minutes and push Show/Rhodes...trot out those Puerto Rican fellas." It was lazy. Rhodes promo was a nice touch though and overall, I've loved this build. Rhodes has stepped his game up lately, and I've failed to mention it before but those video packages that were made for him were fucking brilliant. "Wrestlemani 18, Woooooo!" about killed me. Rhodes deserves to and should win this one,but we'll see how it goes down.

Two of the top three matches fell way short for me. The fact that really nothing was done with HHH vs Taker tells me they simply ran out of ideas. Its a shame, because while it coulve been better, the build has been good. Punk and Jericho really needed something more as well. I love the promos from both men, and I love Punk snapping, but I just feel this one needed something physical. If I'm watching saying, "Man, I really want to see Punk vs Jericho, should I buy the show?" Jericho calling Punk a bastard doesn't make me want to throw down 60 bones. I think I get it, Jericho is manipulating Punk from afar, and the question is, what will Punk do to him when he finally gets his hands on him. Wouldn't it be better is Punk gets done snapping on Christian...only to be blind sided by Jericho? Then Jericho stands tall, mentally and physically, and Punk goes in a serious underdog. Everyone likes to see the underdog win.

Say what you want, but The Rock and John Cena brought it, and saving this for the end was perfect. My first thought was that it was a mistake for them not to get physical, but the more I mauled it over, why? Why give one person the upperhand? Why do the cliche pull apart brawl. These two guys really letting it all hang out, letting everyone feel that tension. That's what this is all about. That tension is what is selling Mania.

Overall, this was a good show and while some of the build fell flat, the closing promo should've pushed any wrestling fan over the edge. As always, I can't wait for Mania, and unlike last year, I don't expect this one to disappoint.

NHL Diary

A quick update. Even with all the injuries, we manged a league best 110 points this year. And long and short of it, we've raised the cup again. It was a rough go this time, as we were banged up all through the playoffs losing key guys like Leblanc and JC LaFlamme again. But we muscled through it and beat Minnesota (How did they make the playoffs, let alone the cup finals) 4_1 to raise another cup.

Now the offseason. Keslar and Price have contracts coming up and Im scared. Sorry forr the quick updated, not a lot of time.

Raw Meat 3-19-20

I've settled on Raw Meat. Anything cornier, please inform me.

I've seen a lot of people complaining about this week's show. It certainly wasn't as well done as the last few weeks shows, but it wasn't crap wall to wall, it had some bright spots.

First off, the Punk/Jericho interaction is getting very good. I think the problem with last nights show was that promo at the start sets it up for something else to happen. Punk go ballistic in the back, Jericho does a run in revealing he really is there, something. I think the whole show you were waiting for something new to happen there, and it was a major let down when nothing new happens.

A major complaint I can't really refute is the lack of decent wrestling. Only two matches really stick out at me. First, Santino vs Otunga. Sure it wasn't a five star classic but I've learned it doesn't have to be. If you get the people on their feet, you've done your job, and Santino might pound for pound have the most charisma in all of WWE right now. People just love him, listen to those crowds, he's as over as anyone. He did the impossible and got people into a David Otunga match! I would murder a puppy with my bare hands for his gig. He's becoming a top face in the company, he's got a major Mania angle, he's a champion, and oh yeah, he takes like two or three bumps a match, tops! Santino has the best gig going today, bar none.

Ryder vs Bryan stuck out at me too. I will admit right here, there was a time where I fucking hated Daniel Bryan. I blame it on my introduction to him. My first ROH show, and first Daniel Bryan match obviously that I saw, was in Chicago Wrestlemania 22 weekend. Bryan wrestled Roderick Strong in an hour long, classic, five star....snoozefest, if you ask me. I hated that match live. After all the high paced action we had that night, capping the show off with a hour long mat encounter was poor booking. I think it eventually picked up but I would say the first half hour was slow paced. I refused to believe the Bryan Danielson hype after that, only occastionally winning me over with bits like The Hybrid Dolphins and Mr. Smallpackage. I am now fully prepared to admit that I was wrong. Not only is he a great wrestler, which I never really disputed, but he is insanely charismatic. This character is right in his wheel house, really shows off his brand of charisma and promo ability. Not only that, I think its great acting. Acting and wrestling do not go hand in hand all the time, and Bryan is really displaying an amazing ability to fully immerse himself in this character. Once again, you wont often hear this...I was very wrong.

IWC - 1
Greg Jovi - 52,364

Rock/Cena was business as usual. Good promo from Rock and okay match from Cena, but I'm ready for them to lock horns next week.

Final note, the HHH/HBK/....U...T...K? segments are very good promos, obviously all three are very talented. This week was down from last week though. The best line uttered so far is "Isn't it ironic, that I can still be the guy to end the streak". I think that really needs to be the focus of all this, and this week Shawn pretty much could've stayed home, other than a little stare down with ol' deadman.

I would like there to be some sort of consequence for Shawn if he fucks over Taker. Right now, all thats gonna happen is Shawn is going to get his ass beat by Taker. I'd take an ass kicking for the glory of knocking off Taker. Either Hunter should be telling him not to aswell, creating conflict between them and jeopardising their friendship or something bigger. Like I dig the idea of Vince or some authority basicaly telling Shawn that if he doesn't call this down the middle, he'll be blacked balled by the WWE. No more paychecks for sitting at home, no more spot light or appearances or hall of fame status. Then you would have a real inner conflict with Shawn, because he would still consider it, he needs it to happen that badly.

NHL Diary

Wow, lots has happened early on. We are 25 and 13 and the last time I checked we topped the NHL standings. But we have had major shuffles to our lineup since the last update.

First, Tindori, my third line defensemen whose name I've butchered multiple times, gets post concussion syndrome and he's out for awhile. I had a decent replacement for him in Matt Smaby, so not too bad but he will be missed on the PK.

Next, the big one. J.C. LaFlamme sprains his MCL and is out about 3 months. That shit hurt. I've bumped Matt Puemple up to the first line, and brought Molin up to the second line. That makes everyone on my second line right handed, something that I hate. Had to be done though. I believe Dumount moves to right wen on line three, Helm moves to center on line four, and Victor Stalberg gets called up to fill the void. Phew.

Not the last move though, as I made a goaltending change. I glanced at free agency and saw that a elderly Rick Dipietro was not signed. He had went all through free agency and nobody got him (not even desperate Minnesota, who had Ben Bishop starting for them an 81 ovr). So I shopped around Josh Harding. I wanted a second round pick, but ended up accepting a 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft. I then signed Dipierto who, at 87 ovr, was 3 ovr points better than Harding and took about the same in cash.

My huge dilemma now is this. Cary Price will be a free agent at the end of this year. The last contract I gave him was a 4.5 milion dollar a year deal. He is now a 97 overall. So the amount should double, if not much more. I expect him to ask for atleast 10 million. Here's the deal though, other than when him and Brian Elliott dominated the league and won the Jennings Trophy, Price hasn't performed like a 97 ovr during the year. He dominates the playoffs and wins the Conn Smythe any time we win the cup, but I just don't know how I will justify having to get rid of guys like Kelsar and Giroux to pay him this money. Im a little scarred that the Dynasty will come crashing down hard after this season.

My question is, do I make a huge deadline deal of a guy like Keslar or Price to prepare for this, or just let the chips fall?

NHL 12 Diary Update

Well the 2017-18 season is off and poppin.

We had a really active off season. Draft day, more than anything. I was able to resign all my top stars, especially with Zeterbergs 6 million dollars now gone. Most guys resigned for good dollar amounts. The only huge jump was Louis Leblanc got a real deal. He was on a entry contract, now he's got a nice 2.2 million dollar deal for 3 or 4 years. I thought it was a mistake as Zach Phillips had produced a lot last year, and I planned to put him on the 2nd line, but Louis Leblanc has out performed him and earned the spot and money.

I took a big risk draft day and made a big trade with Dallas to try and replace Zeterberg. I traded a prospect who was thought highly of, but I wasn't a big fan of and a 3rd round pick to Dallas for Jean-Chritsophe LaFlamme. He was drafted in the 3nd round of the 2012 draft by Dallas and he's been productive for them, even won the Calder Cup for rookie of the year a couple years ago. I don't know he's ready to be that Big 3 guy, but he's there now. I thought I was making a mistake but with 8 goals and 8 assists in 20 games, he's done fine.

There was a mass exodus of my depth talent. With everyone needing new deals, they thought they could all get 1.5 mil to 2.5 mil and it just wasn't possible. So while my NHL lineup is basically the same, my AHL is full of vets who where kind of the bottom of the barrell, last few guys around.

Near the end of the season, I picked up off waivers a young guy named Michael St. Croix and he is now in my NHL lineup. Along with LaFlamme, those two are the only new forwards. I also added a new back up, as I spent some coin to get Josh Harding in free agency, my only big signing.

I think I made other minor trades, getting picks here and there but didn't log that. Got a couple good guys from the trades I made with Anhiem and The Wild in the draft. Kinda wasted the pick from LA on a shitty goalie but you live and you learn.

We are now 14-4-2.

NFL Free Agency Blog One

Incase you couldn't tell from my obsessive NHL 12 Diary, I would love to be a general manager in another life. I love trades, free agency, roster moves, ect. My favorite sport obviously is hockey, and I follow those deadline days religiously, but I still like to check out what's rumbling in the other sports.

Football is probably number two on my list, so today is a fun day to watch. So far, nothing huge.

Pierre Garcon has announced he plans to sign with the Redskins, which I dig for two reasons. I'm a passing Redkins fan, number one. I hate pretty much every other team in that division, so I dig them by default. Plus, they're always just a little bit crazy, which I dig in a franchise. Doesn't make for my favorite franchises, but makes for a fun one to follow. Also, it makes me respect Garcon. Garcon is going to get his money and hopefully get on a winning team (Dallas and the Eagles can be beat, and the Giants could easily be the team from the first half of the year). I am fully prepared to hate on any ex-Colt who is going to hang around for his bestie Peyton to sign first. Im interested in seeing how this impacts Denver's chances of getting Manning though. With no proven big play receiver, Im sure they will need to sign one to entice Peyton. What is Peyton dicks around so long they are all gone though? We've seen one fall already.

The Brandon Marshal deal was a bit of a shocker. Once again, I figured a big play receiver was a must for Peyton, and Miami wasn't looking good for him in the first place. This guy must be a huge problem to always be dealt around. And the Bears take themselves out of the Mario Williams hunt to go get him? Could be a mistake on their part. I think I could play offense for the Bears if they had Peppers and Williams on their D line.

I think all this makes the Titans the front runners in the Peyton race. They have a big play receiver in Kenny Britt. Chris Johnson well...he supposed to be a big name runner, ask his fantasy owners if he was last year. I think its an attractive team to go to, they were right on the cusp last year.

Mario Williams, that situation puzzles me. Now, im not a die hard fan so maybe I don't know what Im talking about, but if Im the Texans I keep him at all costs. Even if that means losing Arian Foster. They had Ben Tate come in last year and run huge behind him. They had a servicable replacement for him, there is no replacement for a franchise guy like Williams. Not to mention, they where right! Reggie Bush is no where near as valuable. They should've kept him, and sent a letter to everyone who doubted their pick of him saying "Suck our dicks, Love, The Houston Texans."

As for Mario, he's clearly all about the money. That's okay, but its a fact. The Texans are right there man. They stay healthy and play like they did last year they got a shot at this thing. Where is Williams going? The front runners are the Bills and Seahawks! Are you serious bro? The Bills are terrible. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a joke, that franchise is a joke, the only thing that isn't a joke is their cap space. Seahawks, I've backed off on my hatred of them (You want the ball and you're gonna do what now?!?! Huh?!?!) but I still don't see it as the sexy pick, unless they are cutting the biggest check.

A quick sidebar, I kind of got behind the Seahawks last year. Now that every piece of the team I once hated is gone, they're kind of a young, scrappy team. If they went on got Matt Flynn and Mario Williams, or even just another good reciever to go with Rice, they could do damage. All im saying is, Seattle isn't a sexy city for the biggest price in free agency to head to.

One last bit. Rams fans, keep laughing at the Randy Moss signing, you morons. The team stomped the world last year without him! Its not like adding Randy means they're going to somehow lose games they would've won. If it gets to that, they'll cut'em. He came to them because they were winners, and if they keep winning, he's gonna make Alex Smith look even more legit than last year. And who knows, maybe he IS legit, now that he has real weapons and some confidence.

NHL 12 Diary Update

Post trade deadline was up and down, but we met and exceeded our goal of 50 wins, ending up with 53. We actually regained not only the division but the conference lead, as our 110 points were enough to tie the Flyers for the tops in the East, and we won the tie breaker. Not enough to bring home another Presidents Trophy though, as Nashville actually was best in the league with 118 points.

I only played one game threw our entire 2016-17 playoff run. I played an exciting, down to the wire Game 7 in the first round against Florida. The Panthers have become a gritty, defense first team and Jacob Markstrom was impossible to beat. It was 1-0 us most of the game, until they tied it with 9 minutes left. That lit a fire under Zeterberg and Kesler though, and we ended up winning 5-1. A game that was a hard fought win, without captain P.K. Subban as he had post consussion syndrome in this series and would be out until Mid April.

I didn't play a single other game. We handed the Penguins a 4-1 series defeat and moved on to play the Flyers for best in the East. We proved our self against them, getting P.K. back early in the series and defeating them in 6 games to move on to the cup. We faced the Kings fresh off their defeat of the league best Nashville Predators and in 6 games, the Montreal Canadian brought home their 3rd cup in 4 years!

Carey Price takes home the Conn Smythe. This off-season we will celebrate not only the great season, but the great career of Hendrick Zeterberg. As after three more cups, not counting the ones he had won in Detroit, Hendrick is calling it a career. Hendrick retires with 1,033 points in 1,068 games with both Detroit and my Montreal Canadians. He was one of the big pieces of the puzzle that lead to me having my Miami Heat style Big Three and I'm glad I traded Sharp instead of him. He will be missed.

I'm now in the offseason. Lots of contracts up again but if I could pull it off the last few seasons, no reason I can't this year. I've renewed my contract or another three years, despite a offer to join the by far league worst Minnestoa Wild, which I thought would be fun to rebuild.

NHL 12 Diary Update

Post trade deadline was up and down, but we met and exceeded our goal of 50 wins, ending up with 53. We actually regained not only the division but the conference lead, as our 110 points were enough to tie the Flyers for the tops in the East, and we won the tie breaker. Not enough to bring home another Presidents Trophy though, as Nashville actually was best in the league with 118 points.

I only played one game threw our entire 2016-17 playoff run. I played an exciting, down to the wire Game 7 in the first round against Florida. The Panthers have become a gritty, defense first team and Jacob Markstrom was impossible to beat. It was 1-0 us most of the game, until they tied it with 9 minutes left. That lit a fire under Zeterberg and Kesler though, and we ended up winning 5-1. A game that was a hard fought win, without captain P.K. Subban as he had post consussion syndrome in this series and would be out until Mid April.

I didn't play a single other game. We handed the Penguins a 4-1 series defeat and moved on to play the Flyers for best in the East. We proved our self against them, getting P.K. back early in the series and defeating them in 6 games to move on to the cup. We faced the Kings fresh off their defeat of the league best Nashville Predators and in 6 games, the Montreal Canadian brought home their 3rd cup in 4 years!

Carey Price takes home the Conn Smythe. This off-season we will celebrate not only the great season, but the great career of Hendrick Zeterberg. As after three more cups, not counting the ones he had won in Detroit, Hendrick is calling it a career. Hendrick retires with 1,033 points in 1,068 games with both Detroit and my Montreal Canadians. He was one of the big pieces of the puzzle that lead to me having my Miami Heat style Big Three and I'm glad I traded Sharp instead of him. He will be missed.

I'm now in the offseason. Lots of contracts up again but if I could pull it off the last few seasons, no reason I can't this year. I've renewed my contract or another three years, despite a offer to join the by far league worst Minnestoa Wild, which I thought would be fun to rebuild.

Untitled Raw Review

I think im going to start doing short Raw reviews on here. I would like them to have a stupid, cliche title too. Like The Raw Deal or whatever, but ridiculous. Early candidates are "Raw Meat" and "Rubbed It Raw". I would be open to suggestions, but only if they are as brutal as mine.

Last night's Raw was a fun show, and I'm very much digging a lot of the Mania build up. I think last night's Cena and Rock buildup was great from both guys. As for Cena, like I tweeted during Raw, who the fuck doesn't love Basic Thuganomics?! God damnit that shit is what's up! As far as the segment, it did what it needed to do. It kept Cena looking hard and rough instead of goofy and yellin' Cena. I do think this is the first week Rock really turned it on. He clearly out did Cena this week. I loved to old heel Rock Concert segments, and he lived up to them with this one. The line of the night was Rock calling out Cena's wife, for sure, he should've closed with that I think.

I think there is a couple reason's we saw The Rock turn it on this week. I think part of the reason is some of what Cena has been saying is the truth. I think The Rock, past his prime and out of practice was having trouble hanging with Cena at the top of his game in promos, that could be seen on last weeks Raw. Also though, I think its clear that this was the first week Rock was supposed to outshine Cena. The Rock is amazing, but he's also a buisness man. He knows that while he is getting something out of this, the ultimate goal from the WWE's side is to elevate Cena's game and to kill off some of the boo birds. While Rock has been legitimatly stunned I believe at just how good Cena can be, a lot of this was designed. For instance, do you really believe The Rock needed promo notes on his wrist? He may have been gone for awhile, but Rock has been in this buisness a long time and is one of the greatest promos ever. He left for hollywood, were you have to remember your lines word for word. Hell, i've been in wrestling for under 3 years and don't need to write notes on my wrist, I'm sure The Rock doesn't. That was clearly a cleverly designed, subtle gimmick to make Cena look more capable than The Rock and get some more fans in Cena's camp.

My only concern is, how many more creative ways can Cena and Rock get at each other the next few weeks without touching each other. I know contact is being held off until the last Raw and that's a brilliant choice, but I hope they don't have to have a bake off next week to make it happen.

The Jericho promo was also top notch. They're doing what they need to do and keeping Jericho strong going into Mania.

My only complaint is that in the middle of two very real feeling story lines, we have this GM bullshit. I think the single most ridiculous thing that happens in wrestling today, is power in a company being decided in the damn ring. Dana White is never going to fight Tito Ortiz for ownership of the UFC. David Sterns is never going to assemble an all-star team to defend the NBA from Mark Cuban. Gary Bateman is never going to suit up for a shootout to decide who is the commissioner of the NHL. So the idea that one of the most important jobs in WWE will be decided in the ring is silly and it shouldn't happen, on any level I might add. Its even more assinine to think the board of directors would decide this. Im pretty sure I'll be fired if I storm into the next YMCA board meeting and challenge my boss to a fist fight for control of the building.

All in all though, a good show, and it has been lately. I'll likely do a blog on this all of its own, but damnit I wish we could've pulled off going to Mania. Around this time of year, when we decide not to go, all of the logical, sound reason's we passed on it seem to go out the window. I don't care who you are or how long you've been wrestling, Wrestlemania is a good fuckin time and im a little sad I've got to miss it this year. I've been to five and they've all been great in their own way. The whole weekend is great. Dragon Gate, ROH, $5 Dollar Wrestling, and yeah even Axxess are all great times. If you're too jaded to let go and enjoy all of that then i'm sorry that the fan inside you died. I had every reason not to go to Mania this year, but it still stings a bit. Maybe I just need to start saving to take me and my lady to the Jersey Shore in 2013 ;).

NHL Diary Update

Two season milestones have passed, the All Star Game and the trade deadline.

We had a couple selections in the All Star Game. Hendrick Zeterberg was selected and played on the third line. Cam Fowler started and is having a great year with great offensive. This is the first year I can remember that Carey Price was not selected and is having an extremely disappointing year with a GAA above 2.0. He was actually injured and has played better since returning. Matt Hackett actually did well for a few games starting in his place.

I was extremely active at the deadline as well. When I looked at my roster, I only had 2 forwards with future potential. Moline, the guy who plays RW on the 3rd line and Matt Guille, I guy I actually drafted in the 5th round who is going to be a nice sniper someday. But I decided that I needed some potential upfront, as my back half is set for years. So, I had planned to pull the triggar on Sharp for Matt Pumpmel, but on deadline day, after all I times I turned them down, the Senator refused the the deal. I still decided I would take a good offer for Sharp as he was 35 years and the fourth best talent. The Kings came threw and offered me a 2017 1st Round Pick and a 2018 first round pick. So now I have atleast 3 1st rounders this year, as I've also acquired Minnesota's pick in the Clutterbuck deal and the Ducks pick, as I dealt my 2022 1st rounder for the Ducks 2017 first rounder, as my scouts said to expect many top prospects. I also dealt away Ryan O'Byrne for a 5th Round pick, as he was replaced by Brock Beaukebeum. Ryan got injured and Brock took over as a 79 with some upside. He's already advanced to 80 ovr and has played well alongside Tinboli.

After all that, in the last hour, I decided I was getting Matt Puempel. I over paid for him probably, but his upside is huge and that gives me a good left winger for the future. I dealt the aging Rene Bourque who was in a contract year, and a 2nd and 3rd Rounder in 2022 (I've basically decided to sell that entire draft).

We currently hold 4th in the East. The fact that we're not dominating is what lead me to shake it up.

1st Line
Zetterberg - Kesler - Giroux

2nd Line
Puempel - Leblanc - Oshie

3rd Line
McGinn - Dumount - Moline

4th Line
Gagne - Helm - Phillips

D-1
Fowler - Subban

D-2
Sbisa - Demars

D-3
Tinboli - Beaubebeum

Goaltenders Price Hackett

NHL 12 Diary Update

The 2016-17 campaign is underway and we've had an interesting start. Before I started I took a quick glance at were Brian Elliott landed as the last time I let a back up go (Budaj, 82 ovr) went and started in Boston. He signed with fucking Carolina to backup Cam Ward! Virtual Brian Elliott needs to fire his virtual agent.

We are still an overall great team. We have a 16-4-1 start which is good for a division lead and 2nd in the east. Started off 13-0 though, so we hit a bit of a skid.

Im wrestling with weather to trade somebody or not. At the start, I was intent on trading Sharp (1 yr left, 4.5 million, 88 ovr) but I've gone back and forth. When we started 12-0 I took him off and said no way im touching the team. Then I got great offer I nearly took. Sharp for Matt Puemel, Brett Sterling, and two 5th round draft picks. This was a move for the future, which im not used to in this particular franchise. I ended up balking at it, but when we lost 4 straight I questioned it. Was going to try and get the same deal...until I saw Sharp was our leading scorer with 22 points in 21 games. So im torn.

I also ask, should I trade Sharp whose 34, but fairly replaceable or Hendrik Zeterberg. Hendrik is a 93 overall and the best on the team, but with a 6 million dollar contract and a looming retirement, it makes me think. I want him to finish his career here and want his production now, but wonder if he would be better bait than Sharp.

Oh well. Im stopping for now to deliberate.

What's On Tap: 2012 Wrestling Intro Blog

2011 ended great for me wrestling wise.I have two very solid wrestling companies that I am genuinely proud to be a part of. I can decidedly say im no longer a ring announcer. Not that I had an issue with it, looking back, I'm very proud of the work I did and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better ring announcer than me.

But the end of 2011 and now on into 2012 has been and will continue to be about showing everyone what I'm really capable of. I would like to branch out, although my real job certainly limits my ability to do that since I work early Monday and late Fridays with no real replacement for me. Im going to attempt to find a way though, and if not, i'm going to make an impact on St. Louis.

If you've followed me, family, friends, or by some off chance fans then thank you. So far i'm only with St. Louis Anarchy and Dynamo, but expect big things out of me in 2012 in both. I'll be posting after each show in 2012 if possible, if for no other reason than to have something to look back on at the end of the year.

St. Louis Anarchy kicked off 2012 with a bang with a huge show in Granite City. My very close personal friend El Hijo Del Masko (son of famous, possibly fictional Lucha Legend, El Masko) made his Anarchy debut and lost in a tag match. I was very proud of his performance. I was even more proud of myself, later on in the night. Fitchett and Vega vs Davey Richards and Kyle O'Reily was what wrestling is all about. A five star classic that is easily going to be a match of the year candidate. I was happy to be even a small part of it, when I emerged from the front of the building to cost Fitchett his big match. I loved it, here was this knockdown drag out display and the fans where just about to get what they wanted, and I showed up and shit all over them. Anarchy does not have a new date yet, but hopefully very soon there will be a big announcement and we will let you know what I have in store.

Dynamo hasn't had a show yet in 2012, but I will be there on April 6th to make some noise with the First Church of Karington.

NHL 12 Diary Update

Played through the offseason before work today and the team stayed roughly intact.

Bryan Elliott had to go, as he wanted 4.7 million and couldn't pay that to a backup, especially with Cary Price locked down at 4.5 millions for two more years.

TJ Galleardi was let go as well, he wanted 2.3 million and he was a third liner, his role was replaced with cheaper talent I had in the AHL.

I let go some grey beard D-men like Andrew Alberts and Derick Engelund. Cory Sarich retired. All were pretty much replaced by call ups.

In an effort to clear some cap, Cal Clutterbuck was traded back to his original team the Wild. I received a matured prospect Zack Phillips to replace him and a first round draft pick. Plus used that to sign some depth guys, most noteworthy Sam Gange, who is aging but still has blinding speed and will be the first call up incase of injury.

Luckily the top guys all signed on at decent rates. Giroux and Kessler both took considerably less than they wanted, about a million or so of a cut. Subban and Sbisa I paid their money and they gave me more years than they wanted. Sbisa is mine till he's 30 and Subban will pretty much finish his career in Montreal.

Let's see if I can remember the lines and list them like a sports collumn.

Line 1
Zetterburg - Kessler - Giroux

Line 2
Bourque - Sharp - Oshie

Line 3
Helm - Leblanc (matured prospect) - (Can't remember his name, a matured prospect I drafted in the fifth round)

Line 4
McGinn - Dumont - Phillips

Def 1
Fowler - Subban

Def 2
Sbisa - Demars

Def 3
Tinbilini (matured prospect) - O'Byrne

Goaltenders
Carey Price
-
Matt Hackett

NHL 12 Diary: Montreal Canadian

Let me tell you guys, I love hockey, and I loved playing NHL 12. The Be A GM Mode is better than ever and I love starting new ones and trying to build teams up.

If you follow the real NHL, you'll see that the Montreal Canadians are in a skid. Despite having great young talent like Subban and Carey Price (who I hate, btw) they are full of overpaid, past their prime veterans and under performing folks. Even though NHL 12 didnt predict this skid, I figured my latest venture would be to start a Canadians franchise (with the most recent roster update) and try to reinvent them.

My strategy was to obviously build from the net out, with Price. To give a brief history, I decided I would do this by only have one major scoring line of superstars and having the rest of my forwards be gritty two way players and grinders. I started putting together insane packages of players and while I don't remember who I sent off for the most part (wish I had written about this from the start) I ended up accomplishing that. I know I sent Markov off with a prospect for Patrick Sharp (a deal the computer offered me, actually). I had him at center with Bourque on the left and the newly aquired TJ Oshie on the right. Bourque and Oshie really fit my vision more for the second line than the first, so I put together other huge deals that shipped off guys like Scott Gomez and Thomas Plecanic for Claude Giroux and eventually Hendrick Zeterberg. In turn, it was also easy to grab guys I really wanted for depth like Daren Helm, George Parros, Cal Clutterbuck, and Sean Avery.

Im currently in the offseason after the 2015-16 season. The first season I was in town, we barely made the playoffs and got dumbed first round, since these trades will still coming together. The 2012 campaign got us a bit closer as I added some better pieces to depth and ended up signing great Dmen to compliment my maturing forwards with guys like Brad Stewart and young folks through trades like Jason Demars and Cam Fowler. In doing this, I have pretty much sold all my high draft picks for forever. Alas, we got booted in the second round.

2013, I had the team pretty much the way I wanted it. Despite that, it was up and down most of the year and we were very streaky. I decided we needed another top six scorer to sit inbetween Oshie and Bourque to help us score. So I sent off Brad Stuart and some picks to aquire Ryan Keslar. Keslar was a higher caliber guy than I had even planned on getting and even fit the big body, two way mentality I wanted out of my fowards. I was then able to deal some pieces to get Lucas Sbisa from the Ducks to plug the hole left by Stuart. We squeaked into the playoffs, and with these two big deals, surged on to beat the Sharks for the Stanley Cup.

2014 I was torn. I couldn't decide to stay and try to repeat (where they wanted a seemingly impossible 48 wins) or move on. I stayed and luckily got all the guys resigned under the cap for long term deals. I also added some new pieces and adding more scoring, getting away from my bang'em forward style. Well, 48 wins was apparently not the task I thought it was, as the team continued to steam roll as it did the previous year in the playoffs. We won 56 games, the presidents trophy, and whooped the Sharks' ass again in the cup finals.

2015, we again stayed strong and resigned players. My only big move was to send some prospects to the Blues for Brian Elliott. The talent was just too much. We steam rolled the compition and went 61-15-6. We again captured the presidents trophy. We even netted our first individual awards (beyond Prices two Conn Smythes). Subban won the Norris Trophy. Price nabbed the Vezina and the William M. Jennings Trophy (although, Elliott should've been listed too, as he played in nearly 30 games and had a ridiculous season. Alas, some how, it was not our year as the NY Islanders (43 god damn wins!) booted us from the 3rd round and went on to beat Nashville for the cup.

I'll keep this updated. Its going to be a hard off season, we will see who I can and can't sign as Sbisa, Keslar, and Giroux all wanna get paid.

My Grand Return.

Well I'm getting the writing bug again.

I've taken a long stint away. I do that. I'll blog every little detail for months then just stop. As always, so much has happened in my life since I last wrote I couldn't possibly catch you up fully. At the end of the day, if you are reading this you likely already know me and my goings on. If you don't already know me, you likely don't care about my past exploits.

I will say, that what lead me to stop writing regularly was a kind of dark period in my life. I was in love with my now girlfriend Stephanie, who was in an abusive relationship. This fact was a secret and so plastering it all over the internet wasn't the best of ideas. Since it was pretty much all I thought about, it was hard to get motivated to write. As I said, my life has much changed since then. That dark place is a distant memory, only occasionally visited to reflect on how great things are now. So im ready to bore you all again. A little of everything, my everyday thoughts and feelings, some sports talk, some video game talk, and some wrestling stories too.