Board 8 > All-Purpose Wrestling Topic 412: New Japan's Answer to the Mae Young Classic?

(+) Yeah! (+)

RavenCyarm is just awesome. He makes great mash-ups too.
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I'm watching 205 Live now and Dasha had an even more robotic interview.

She asks Drew Gulak a question and he's being a stupid dumb idiot and even goes "So why are you showing all of Ali's highlights and not mine, Dasha?" She just stays totally deadpan and looks off camera as though to go "What I do???" and then Gulak just keeps going until Ali comes by. To which she just keeps the same dead face and pivots to hold the mic in front of Ali, who goes "And do you know why that is, Dasha?" and Dasha doesn't even fucking move an inch. He says a corny thing to poke at Gulak and leaves and she just stands there blankly while Gulak looks pissed.

I wish it was online. It was a marvel. I don't understand why WWE doesn't let interviewers react to things. If Drew Gulak is saying a bunch of mean or ridiculous stuff, a simple look of disgust helps us get more into the promo because we get the same immediate reaction instinctively from seeing the interviewer look one way. And if she laughs at the face punking out the heel, it helps create a more positive reaction from the viewer. It's like when you see someone laugh, you instinctively laugh as well. I kinda get that they don't want the interviewers to take the spotlight away from them, but so long as you make it so they don't make a totally outrageous reaction, it should be fine. There's a reason why Renee Young is the only interviewer you had worth a damn and actually promoted. It's because Renee was the last one allowed to show any kind of reactions.
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I think this is more kn Dasha tbh
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Yo. Killshot vs Jeremiah Crane is a must watch.
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Seriously, goddamn that match is crazy good.
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Kairi Hojo renamed to Kairi Sane

Good old copyright mess...
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https://twitter.com/WWEJapan/status/880701353076678657?s=09

Even in Japan they keep trying to bury CM Punk.
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

https://twitter.com/WWEJapan/status/880701353076678657?s=09

10/10 for Shockmaster
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https://twitter.com/davemeltzerwon/status/880834984512180224

A new style of burn by Dave
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Jakyl25 posted...

https://twitter.com/davemeltzerwon/status/880834984512180224

A new style of burn by Dave

Between this and the Alicia Fox/Melina burn from last week, I think Dave has reached the pinnacle of wrestling critique.
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So we're getting yet another Naomi vs Lana match because Lana's shoulder was up, maybe on purpose or maybe because she's still entirely too green.
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Between having to watch Baron Corbin and Lana every week, you'd think RAW would be trouncing Smackdown.

Edit: Not to mention the dull Randy Orton promos and repetitive Jinder promos.
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

So we're getting yet another Naomi vs Lana match because Lana's shoulder was up, maybe on purpose or maybe because she's still entirely too green.

Really?

I remember thinking the shoulder was up early, but I replayed at the ref counted three legit. Or maybe just because it wasn't flat against the mat the entire time?
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

I'm watching 205 Live now and Dasha had an even more robotic interview.

She asks Drew Gulak a question and he's being a stupid dumb idiot and even goes "So why are you showing all of Ali's highlights and not mine, Dasha?" She just stays totally deadpan and looks off camera as though to go "What I do???" and then Gulak just keeps going until Ali comes by. To which she just keeps the same dead face and pivots to hold the mic in front of Ali, who goes "And do you know why that is, Dasha?" and Dasha doesn't even fucking move an inch. He says a corny thing to poke at Gulak and leaves and she just stands there blankly while Gulak looks pissed.

I wish it was online. It was a marvel. I don't understand why WWE doesn't let interviewers react to things. If Drew Gulak is saying a bunch of mean or ridiculous stuff, a simple look of disgust helps us get more into the promo because we get the same immediate reaction instinctively from seeing the interviewer look one way. And if she laughs at the face punking out the heel, it helps create a more positive reaction from the viewer. It's like when you see someone laugh, you instinctively laugh as well. I kinda get that they don't want the interviewers to take the spotlight away from them, but so long as you make it so they don't make a totally outrageous reaction, it should be fine. There's a reason why Renee Young is the only interviewer you had worth a damn and actually promoted. It's because Renee was the last one allowed to show any kind of reactions.

It's sad, too, because Gulak/Ali is a very fun feud and they really did their parts to sell that segment
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Though speaking of interviewers, who was the one Miz always messed with and Fandango called "Timothy?" Is he still there? I thought he was decent with reactions
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Wasn't that Tom Phillips? He was mostly doing interviews around the time Renee did, so I think he got a pass and promoted too.
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The PWB says that Primo and Epico ask for their release.
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All I can think of right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kq2iMnLn8U
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See I dont get that the "land of Oppertunity" keeps getting people wanting to leave. Swagger, Gotch, Colons/
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eaedwards6400 posted...

The PWB says that Primo and Epico ask for their release.

Damn. Feels bad man. I liked how Talking Smack was hyping them up a bit after the draft, as well as the name change. I wish Smackdown had more time for its entire tag team division. Usos, New Day, Breezango are killing it, we've got Alphas on standby, Ascension finally FINALLY getting a bit more to them, and Colons... upstaged and outmatched by Usos as reigning heel team.

It sucks that they're asking for their release now, though. I mean, why not for Los Matadores or Shining Stars? I feel like this is the first time where its like, "Okay, let's see what they can do!" instead of comedy crap and trading wins with 3MB every night.
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ScareChan posted...

See I dont get that the "land of Oppertunity" keeps getting people wanting to leave. Swagger, Gotch, Colons/

Swagger came in and completely bombed his opportunity. It was a tortuous promo that killed the zero momentum he had switching brands. Don't know if that was completely on Swagger, but also an example being made of anyone wanting to switch brands. As far as I'm aware, he's the only one to jump ship outside the shake-up (besides Heath Slater trying to get a contract, James Ellsworth getting a contract, and Undertaker saying Smackdown was his home before going to RAW to fight Bork Laser). And Gotch was backstage poison from what I've heard, and the Vaudevillans were easily the lowest rung of full-timers on both shows (not counting Spirit Squad or Headbangers).

Feels bad because I could totally see Colons able to gain traction somewhere if Usos/New Day weren't so hot right now, Breezango was the best thing each week, and there were only two hours to devote to a solid women's division and men's division.
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Yeah, the Colons have actually always been really solid. It's sad they've never found a good thing for them, but they were even fun when they were Los Matadores for a while. I don't blame them though. They can go back to Puerto Rico and get booked a ton and have a lot more fun, likely. But man, the Shining Stars was probably one of the worst gimmicks in a while. It's a one-note joke that you can't do anything with. It's an issue with them on Smackdown though because their gimmick is basically the Usos... but less unique.

They were always good though. They probably could've split them up and had them maybe team up with other people.
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Taker went to fight Reigns...fat lot of good that did.

*Flops over while trying to set up tombstone*
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Also, I think Smackdown should just be three hours long. They have enough talent there that they can fill up time. I mean, look at how cramped it is. We didn't see any Maria and Mike last week, and this week was a short little thing. American Alpha has just freaking disappeared. Naomi vs Lana was (mercifully) only a few seconds long, and Hype Bros vs Usos was about one commercial break long.

They could afford to give the show more time and fill it out just by having longer matches and adding more storylines, because the storylines are fun on Smackdown whereas on RAW they're just terrible and uninteresting.
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Yeah, the Colons have actually always been really solid. It's sad they've never found a good thing for them, but they were even fun when they were Los Matadores for a while. I don't blame them though. They can go back to Puerto Rico and get booked a ton and have a lot more fun, likely. But man, the Shining Stars was probably one of the worst gimmicks in a while. It's a one-note joke that you can't do anything with. It's an issue with them on Smackdown though because their gimmick is basically the Usos... but less unique.

They were always good though. They probably could've split them up and had them maybe team up with other people.

The best Shining Stars moment was really a Heath Slater/Rhyno moment for Survivor Series.
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Yeah, they really overbooked last week.
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Also, I think Smackdown should just be three hours long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-pGwEWQFsA
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I didn't realize Carmella had a really, really awesome shirt.

https://shop.wwe.com/carmella-fabulous-womens-authentic-t-shirt/W12530.html?dwvar_W12530_color=Black#start=7

I mean, the back of the shirt kind of sucks because WWE can't help themselves, but the front looks really cool.
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https://www.cagesideseats.com/impact-wrestling/2017/6/30/15905854/anthem-renames-tna-gfw-global-force-impact-wrestling

"So, according to a story just published in The Tennessean, the newspaper which covers TNA’s headquarters city of Nashville, from here forward Anthem’s wrestling company will be known as GFW. Their weekly show on Pop TV, Fight Network and other outlets will keep the title Impact."
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Well that seals the deal on who wins the title matches at Slammiversary.
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Does Anthem think this will help? Because they have to be crazy to think so.

Speaking of crazy, Vince has banned the word "briefcase", and you must always refer to the Money in the Bank as a "contract".
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Vince's neurotic fixation with words is frightening.
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I want to meet Vince one day and ask him about a wrestler cashing in the briefcase to win the belt.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Well that seals the deal on who wins the title matches at Slammiversary.

Not really. Lashley and Sienna could still win but just use the GFW belts moving forward

It at least ends the silliness of saying "We are not TNA anymore" while your Champions walk around with belts that have "TNA" on them in big letters
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I really am not sure what was bought if they were just replacing TNA with GFW anyway.
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-FFDragon- posted...

I want to meet Vince one day and ask him about a wrestler cashing in the briefcase to win the belt.

You're a risk-taker.
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Lopen posted...

I really am not sure what was bought if they were just replacing TNA with GFW anyway.

Which purchase?

They bought TNA for the roster and TV contracts

They bought GFW so they could use the slightly superior name to put TNA's roster and TV contracts under
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As stupid as banning the word briefcase is, at least his reasoning is TECHNICALLY correct this time. You're not cashing in a briefcase, you're cashing in the contract inside that briefcase.

It will still lead to dumb situations like an announcer having to say "Baron Corbin just knocked out Randy Orton with the Money in the Bank contract!"
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Man, we used to say "for all their problems, at least TNA is better run than GFW"

And now GFW beat them
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Oh. I guess the TV contracts have some use

The roster doesn't seem terribly so since I don't think TNA does written contracts anyway does it? You could just hire the dudes you wanted piecemeal.
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They were trying to get as many people out of written deals the last couple years in preparation for the sale, but not a ton of people bit.

They wanted to change their payments from guaranteed to per-date AND retain control over all of their indie bookings (under the pretense that they would promote them to indies themselves and the wrestlers wouldn't have to do it anymore, lol)
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Double J always wins
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Wait so does this mean TNA is officially dead?
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Hope you all invested in GFW gold when you had the chance!
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Don't know if anyone here watches them, but OSW Review's TNA Lockdown 2007 review just went up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6gUysPXyEM
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How exactly does Punjabi Prison work? Is it two climbing cages, two doors, or one of each? I didn't follow Smackdown much at the time, and couldn't afford split brand PPVs.
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You gotta climb out of the first cage and then there are a few doors out of the second cage that can each be activated once for a brief period of time, and once those are gone you have to climb over
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This is more for you guys in america, but:

The original test run of T-shirts for the Bullet Club and its members at Hot Topic, which were at selected stores over the past few weeks was a big enough success that every Hot Topic store has ordered a full line of Bullet Club, Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and Marty Scurll T-shirts. They started showing up in about 15 percent of the Hot Topic stores in the U.S. last week. The original deal was to eventually market Bullet Club shirts nationwide, but the individual shirts were test marketed, with the Young Bucks in about 143 of the 800 to 900 stores and Omega & Rhodes in a slightly lower number and Scurll not in many at all. But all the shirts greatly over performed and they will all now be in all stores starting roughly 7/17. The story behind this is execs from Hot Topic were in Orlando for WrestleMania and saw Bullet Club and Elite and Young Bucks stuff all over the place, and asked WWE why those popular shirts aren’t part of their deal. By calling, they found out they weren’t WWE shirts so made the deals themselves with the individuals

I wonder, the WWE didn't find the Broken brand worth fighting for, but if they could obtain the Bullet Club license, would they actually offer good money for it?
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The issue isn't the brand itself but the precedent it sets for WWE.
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Those are kinda different.

WWE wouldn't be buying "Broken" for themselves. They would have to be arguing that Matt owns it and can use it anywhere. THAT'S the bad precedent.

Flat out buying the Bullet Club license from NJPW is just a straight up corporate brand transaction

NJPW would be INSANE to give it up for anything WWE could offer though.
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