Pill Friends - Prayers from 420 Love Songs (second 40) (2013)
This little number comes from a compilation of love songs mostly by the people associated with Teen Suicide, Julia Brown, Infinity Crush, and Ricky Eat Acid. It's actually the second compilation of 40 songs compiled for this project so far and there's a lot more to come.
You can check out all the tracks and a little write up about them on the 420 Love Songs tumblr.
The tagline to this project is: "it's like Magnetic Fields but not as good".
I'd say it's just a lot more lo-fi.
Last.fm
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Match of the Day - The new Macho Man takes on the old Mach Man's brother
"Black Machismo" Jay Lethal vs. "The Genius" Lanny Poffo - Pro Wrestling Syndicate New Jersey indie show (2007)
Channeling the spirit of Macho Man within, "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal takes on the real-life brother of the late great Macho Man Randy Savage, Lanny Poffo, best known for his time in WWF as "Leaping" Lanny Poffo or a bit more remembered as The Genius. The 50 something year old looks in great shape here and even pulls of some pretty agile moves including a moonsault... yep, some Terry Funk shit right there.
Unfortunately for Lanny, the much younger Jay Lethal pulls away with the win despite Lanny's best efforts to beat his "brother from another mother, so to speak".
The commentary is pretty poor, what more would you except from an indie show in New Jersey, and I have no idea what Jay Lethal said during and after the match. Other than that, this isn't really that bad of a match. Unless watching a 50 year old man wrestle in his speedo against a young wrestler pretending to be his brother isn't your thing, of course.
Cameo: Jay Lethal's family as Lethal is a native to New Jersey.
Channeling the spirit of Macho Man within, "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal takes on the real-life brother of the late great Macho Man Randy Savage, Lanny Poffo, best known for his time in WWF as "Leaping" Lanny Poffo or a bit more remembered as The Genius. The 50 something year old looks in great shape here and even pulls of some pretty agile moves including a moonsault... yep, some Terry Funk shit right there.
Unfortunately for Lanny, the much younger Jay Lethal pulls away with the win despite Lanny's best efforts to beat his "brother from another mother, so to speak".
The commentary is pretty poor, what more would you except from an indie show in New Jersey, and I have no idea what Jay Lethal said during and after the match. Other than that, this isn't really that bad of a match. Unless watching a 50 year old man wrestle in his speedo against a young wrestler pretending to be his brother isn't your thing, of course.
Cameo: Jay Lethal's family as Lethal is a native to New Jersey.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Song of the Day - Today We Stand
Match of the Day - Wrestlemania X-Seven's triple threat hardcore title match
Hardcore Wednesday:
In one of the most memorable hardcore Wrestlemania, the hardcore champion, Raven must battle the two biggest wrestlers WWF had in 2001, Kane and the Big Show.
This hardcore match lasts about a minute in the ring before making its way to the backstage area where many memorable spots are performed including: Raven getting thrown through a glass window, Raven slipping and almost getting run over by the cart, and Kane and the Big Show going through a door then through a wall. The match ends at the entrance way when the Big Show and Raven both fall off the side of the entrance ramp into a cloud of smoke giving Kane the chance to perform what looks like a blind flying leg drop into the carnage to the side of the ramp. Kane ends up landing on the Big Show and gets the pinfall to become the new hardcore champion at the seventeenth annual Wrestlemania.
Overall a very enjoyable worked match!
During this match we also learn that Paul Heyman's favorite type of snapple is diet peach.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Song of the Day - Paper Thin
RVIVR - Paper Thin from The Beauty Between (2013)
The Beauty Between is RVIVR's new album released just yesterday after being pushed back for almost a year.
"Paper Thin" is currently my favorite track with "The Hunger Suite I. Go Away" creeping close behind.
You can grab the whole album for free (or by donation ;) ) at the Rumbletowne Records homepage or pay 10 punk dollars for it on their Bandcamp.
"Paper Thin" can also be heard on RVIVR's Belebend 7-inch along with the demo version of "Wrong Way/One Way".
Last.fm
The Beauty Between is RVIVR's new album released just yesterday after being pushed back for almost a year.
"Paper Thin" is currently my favorite track with "The Hunger Suite I. Go Away" creeping close behind.
You can grab the whole album for free (or by donation ;) ) at the Rumbletowne Records homepage or pay 10 punk dollars for it on their Bandcamp.
"Paper Thin" can also be heard on RVIVR's Belebend 7-inch along with the demo version of "Wrong Way/One Way".
Last.fm
Match of the Day - The young and the ridiculous
Konnan vs. "Dangerous" Devon Storm - WCW Monday Night Nitro (1996)
One year before having a short run with WWF in their short-lived light heavyweight division, Devon Storm took to the skies, ropes, chairs, stairs, and what ever he could jump off of as the spot hungry, "Dangerous" Devon Storm in WCW to take on Konnan, the current US heavyweight champion at the time.
Both of these athletes would later reinvent themselves in WCW many years later as Konnan made a name for himself again as a member of NWO Wolfpac and eventually with The Filthy Animals while Devon Storm went on to be a bet more of an uncanny competitor as he donned the ripped jeans and went by Crowbar as he aligned himself with Zombie-hot but screams like a banshee Daffney and the Nature Boy's dysfunctional son, David Flair.
Konnan defeats Devon Storm with somewhat ease as he clearly was a very capable and skilled wrestler. Being a well-trained wrestler is not what get's you big in pro wrestler believe it or not, however, and Konnan would pretty much get overlooked through most of his career in WCW up until about the point where he just started wearing the street clothes and all that. One place he definitely wasn't overlooked at was Mexico considering Konnan was basically the John Cena of his day in Mexica.
That's a big deal I've heard.
One year before having a short run with WWF in their short-lived light heavyweight division, Devon Storm took to the skies, ropes, chairs, stairs, and what ever he could jump off of as the spot hungry, "Dangerous" Devon Storm in WCW to take on Konnan, the current US heavyweight champion at the time.
Both of these athletes would later reinvent themselves in WCW many years later as Konnan made a name for himself again as a member of NWO Wolfpac and eventually with The Filthy Animals while Devon Storm went on to be a bet more of an uncanny competitor as he donned the ripped jeans and went by Crowbar as he aligned himself with Zombie-hot but screams like a banshee Daffney and the Nature Boy's dysfunctional son, David Flair.
Konnan defeats Devon Storm with somewhat ease as he clearly was a very capable and skilled wrestler. Being a well-trained wrestler is not what get's you big in pro wrestler believe it or not, however, and Konnan would pretty much get overlooked through most of his career in WCW up until about the point where he just started wearing the street clothes and all that. One place he definitely wasn't overlooked at was Mexico considering Konnan was basically the John Cena of his day in Mexica.
That's a big deal I've heard.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Song of the Day - Arboreal Gallows (Mandagora I)
Botanist - Arboreal Gallows (Mandragora I) from IV: Mandragora (2013)
Some kind of black metal about plants using only drums and a dulcimer by a guy named Otrebor . At first it sounds like a guy with an electrical voice box banging on metal and a marching snare drum, but it gets enjoyable in a weird way once you listen to it a few more times.
Or don't. I don't care.
Last.fm
Some kind of black metal about plants using only drums and a dulcimer by a guy named Otrebor . At first it sounds like a guy with an electrical voice box banging on metal and a marching snare drum, but it gets enjoyable in a weird way once you listen to it a few more times.
Or don't. I don't care.
Last.fm
Match of the Debut - The debut of Oz
Oz w/ The Great Wizard vs. Tim Parker - WCW SuperBrawl (1991)
In honor of the new Oz movie coming to theaters near you, I present wrestling's answer to the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz: a young 7 foot tall and very green (both in attire and experience) performer named, yep, Oz.
If you are thinking this is one of those gimmicks where the wrestler behind the old wizard mask and cape was eventually phased out of television and never seen again, you would actually be very, very wrong. Yes, Oz flopped like most of Dusty Rhodes's wildly bad ideas, but the man behind the wizard gimmick actually ended up becoming quite the star in both the WWF and WCW after a few more failed attempts at superstardom. Turns out, Oz is one of Kevin Nash's earliest gimmicks in his first run of WCW.
Kevin Nash, like a lot of other wrestlers around his time, recovered from a lot of bad gimmicks to become big name stars. Nash might be the biggest success story as no one else can say that they had to play the wrestling equivalent of Oz: the Great and Powerful.
Hopefully James Franco will have the same luck as Nash and start getting good roles eventually. And hey, I never said Nash was any better at wrestling after this...
Also, why was Nash's manager Merlin the Wizard? This is a question a see a lot online and something that still baffles me today. Maybe the new movie will explain it...
But probably not.
Kinda fun fact: Timothy (Tim) (Britten) Parker is also the name of a stage actor who played Doctor Dillmond in the Broadway production of Wicked, a musical about The Wicked Witch and other pre-Dorothy Wizard of Oz themes.
In honor of the new Oz movie coming to theaters near you, I present wrestling's answer to the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz: a young 7 foot tall and very green (both in attire and experience) performer named, yep, Oz.
If you are thinking this is one of those gimmicks where the wrestler behind the old wizard mask and cape was eventually phased out of television and never seen again, you would actually be very, very wrong. Yes, Oz flopped like most of Dusty Rhodes's wildly bad ideas, but the man behind the wizard gimmick actually ended up becoming quite the star in both the WWF and WCW after a few more failed attempts at superstardom. Turns out, Oz is one of Kevin Nash's earliest gimmicks in his first run of WCW.
Kevin Nash, like a lot of other wrestlers around his time, recovered from a lot of bad gimmicks to become big name stars. Nash might be the biggest success story as no one else can say that they had to play the wrestling equivalent of Oz: the Great and Powerful.
Hopefully James Franco will have the same luck as Nash and start getting good roles eventually. And hey, I never said Nash was any better at wrestling after this...
Also, why was Nash's manager Merlin the Wizard? This is a question a see a lot online and something that still baffles me today. Maybe the new movie will explain it...
But probably not.
Kinda fun fact: Timothy (Tim) (Britten) Parker is also the name of a stage actor who played Doctor Dillmond in the Broadway production of Wicked, a musical about The Wicked Witch and other pre-Dorothy Wizard of Oz themes.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Match of the Day - It's Time! It's Time! It's... Paul Bearer Time!?!
Kane vs. Vader - Mask vs. Mask - WWF Over The Edge (1998)
Kane and Vader go mask to mask in this match that marks Vader's decline into jobber status. After losing to Kane even after using that wrench that came with a lot of Kane action figures back in the day to wear the big red monster down, Vader gives a very unforgettable speech about making the biggest mistake of his life and then proceeded to call himself "a big fat piece of shit" before storming off into the back.
Since Kane had previous destroyed Vader's face with that very same wrench we see make its return in this match, Vader had to get surgery on his face, therefore giving this who mask versus mask stipulation a little more believability considering Vader usually ditched his mask halfway through every match anyways.
After Vader loses his classic face mask to Kane's tombstone piledriver, Paul Bearer puts the sweaty jockstrap looking face wear and announces into the camera that, "It's Time! It's Time! It's Paul Bearer Time!" after The King jokingly says Paul Bearer's line moments beforehand. The mask was never seen again on Paul Bearer's ugly complexion known as a face again and neither was Paul Bearer Time.
Vader did however reappear wearing his signature face mask again after this match but the lose at the hands of Kane here at Over The Edge 1998 was really a metaphor for losing his career, since, like I mentioned above, this was really Vader's last match before becoming a glorified jobber and losing to all the young up-and-comers from Mark Henry to Bradshaw to Edge on Sunday Night Heat (his last televised match in the WWF).
Kane and Vader go mask to mask in this match that marks Vader's decline into jobber status. After losing to Kane even after using that wrench that came with a lot of Kane action figures back in the day to wear the big red monster down, Vader gives a very unforgettable speech about making the biggest mistake of his life and then proceeded to call himself "a big fat piece of shit" before storming off into the back.
Since Kane had previous destroyed Vader's face with that very same wrench we see make its return in this match, Vader had to get surgery on his face, therefore giving this who mask versus mask stipulation a little more believability considering Vader usually ditched his mask halfway through every match anyways.
After Vader loses his classic face mask to Kane's tombstone piledriver, Paul Bearer puts the sweaty jockstrap looking face wear and announces into the camera that, "It's Time! It's Time! It's Paul Bearer Time!" after The King jokingly says Paul Bearer's line moments beforehand. The mask was never seen again on Paul Bearer's ugly complexion known as a face again and neither was Paul Bearer Time.
Vader did however reappear wearing his signature face mask again after this match but the lose at the hands of Kane here at Over The Edge 1998 was really a metaphor for losing his career, since, like I mentioned above, this was really Vader's last match before becoming a glorified jobber and losing to all the young up-and-comers from Mark Henry to Bradshaw to Edge on Sunday Night Heat (his last televised match in the WWF).
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Song of the Day - Keep Your Opinions To Yourself
Host - Keep Your Opinions To Yourself from Split w/ KYOTY (2012)
Just learned that this quite angry hardcore outfit from New Hampshire will be playing a show in my neck of the woods real soon (Portland, Maine)! These guys put out a very solid but much too short split with KYOTY, this song is named after the abbreviation, which features my favorite Keep Your Opinions To Yourself track and, after a long time thinking it out, my definitive song of the year 2012.
KYOTY might not be playing with Host as far as I know, but these guys seem to be a well-oiled wrecking crew of good times all by themselves from the sound of 'em!
I'm pretty pumped for all the awesomeness still coming Portland's way...
Last.fm
Just learned that this quite angry hardcore outfit from New Hampshire will be playing a show in my neck of the woods real soon (Portland, Maine)! These guys put out a very solid but much too short split with KYOTY, this song is named after the abbreviation, which features my favorite Keep Your Opinions To Yourself track and, after a long time thinking it out, my definitive song of the year 2012.
KYOTY might not be playing with Host as far as I know, but these guys seem to be a well-oiled wrecking crew of good times all by themselves from the sound of 'em!
I'm pretty pumped for all the awesomeness still coming Portland's way...
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Sleeveless-flannel monsters ball match: Abyss versus Mick Foley
Hardcore Wednesday:
Abyss vs. Mick Foley - Monsters Ball Match - TNA Bound For Glory (2009)
Everyone's dream match, right?
Just watch.
Special guest referee: Dr. Stevie Richards.
Also features "Zombie Hot" Daffney taking a barbed-wire board bump. That was awesome *chants*.
Abyss vs. Mick Foley - Monsters Ball Match - TNA Bound For Glory (2009)
Everyone's dream match, right?
Just watch.
Special guest referee: Dr. Stevie Richards.
Also features "Zombie Hot" Daffney taking a barbed-wire board bump. That was awesome *chants*.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Song of the Day - Night School At the Knight School
Thee More Shallows - Night School At the Knight School from Book of Bad Breaks (2007)
Found this way cool song thanks to Yoni Wolf of Why?'s Yo La Hannukah mixtape. Be sure to check that out as well, here!
Match of the Day - WWF Champion Triple H vs. ECW Champion Tazz
Triple H vs. Tazz - Champion vs. Champion - WWF Smackdown! (2000)
Only a couple of days after defeating WCW's Mike Awesome for the ECW heavyweight championship in about 3 minutes in Indianapolis, Tazz appears on Smackdown! to take on WWF's champion at the time, Triple H.
Though no titles were on the line and Tommy Dreamer appears only to be left looking like a fool with his silly suspender pants on the ground, Tazz puts up a good fight againt Triple H.
Anyways, here's the ECW champion, Tazz taking on the champion of the McMahon/Helmsley era, Triple H.
Only a couple of days after defeating WCW's Mike Awesome for the ECW heavyweight championship in about 3 minutes in Indianapolis, Tazz appears on Smackdown! to take on WWF's champion at the time, Triple H.
Though no titles were on the line and Tommy Dreamer appears only to be left looking like a fool with his silly suspender pants on the ground, Tazz puts up a good fight againt Triple H.
Anyways, here's the ECW champion, Tazz taking on the champion of the McMahon/Helmsley era, Triple H.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Song of the Day - Peter Pan
Match of the Debut - Tekno Team 2000
Tekno Team 2000 vs. two jobbers in short-short jean shorts - WWF Monday Night Raw (1995)
Raw Debut:
Unlike my favorite 80's tag team from the year 2002, New Breed, The futuristic team of Troy and Travis, Team Tekno 2000 where definitely meant for their time. Not meant for any time for that matter.
The way I look at it, the team of Erik Watts and Chad Fortune weren't bad because they were from the future, the future being five years away, they were bad because they just didn't make sense. They weren't giving quirky speeches about riding on their future scooters or Dusty Rhodes being president in five years; they were just two guys, one being the son of Bill Watts and an already somewhat known wrestler, who had another random gimmick and didn't do anything with it. I mean, what was their story? Why did they come back to the past to wrestle the worst tag teams WWF could whip up? Were they trying to sell techno music to kids because techno music was huge in 2000? Clearly not because they spelled it wrong. Were they trying to tell us all the cool things computers can do other than porn and how it all didn't blow up once 2000 hit? Not even that! All this questioning really makes me wonder if they were even from the year 2000.
If only they were really from the future, then we would have had a wrestle who once had somewhat of potential but never went anywhere, Erik Watts, and a monster truck driver, Chad Fortune. Yep, Chad Fortune is now a monster truck driver... a superhero monster truck driver! Now that's a gimmick for you!
Chad Fortune currently drives the Captain America Monster Truck. He previously drove the Superman truck as well.
Erik Watts's only claim to fame these days is that he is still alive.
Raw Debut:
Unlike my favorite 80's tag team from the year 2002, New Breed, The futuristic team of Troy and Travis, Team Tekno 2000 where definitely meant for their time. Not meant for any time for that matter.
The way I look at it, the team of Erik Watts and Chad Fortune weren't bad because they were from the future, the future being five years away, they were bad because they just didn't make sense. They weren't giving quirky speeches about riding on their future scooters or Dusty Rhodes being president in five years; they were just two guys, one being the son of Bill Watts and an already somewhat known wrestler, who had another random gimmick and didn't do anything with it. I mean, what was their story? Why did they come back to the past to wrestle the worst tag teams WWF could whip up? Were they trying to sell techno music to kids because techno music was huge in 2000? Clearly not because they spelled it wrong. Were they trying to tell us all the cool things computers can do other than porn and how it all didn't blow up once 2000 hit? Not even that! All this questioning really makes me wonder if they were even from the year 2000.
If only they were really from the future, then we would have had a wrestle who once had somewhat of potential but never went anywhere, Erik Watts, and a monster truck driver, Chad Fortune. Yep, Chad Fortune is now a monster truck driver... a superhero monster truck driver! Now that's a gimmick for you!
Chad Fortune currently drives the Captain America Monster Truck. He previously drove the Superman truck as well.
Erik Watts's only claim to fame these days is that he is still alive.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Match of the Day - That match where Steve Austin wrestles in a tuxedo
"Stunning" Steve Austin vs. Johnny B. Badd - Tuxedo Match - WCW Worldwide (1994)
Part of Dust Rhodes's "Dream Match" during "May Mayhem". Sort of like an early Raw Roulette concept where wrestlers pick a gimmick match out of a hat to wrestle in that night. The object of a tuxedo match, if you haven't witnessed one before, is: the first person to strip their opponent of their tux wins.
"Ever seen a guy in an otter suit?" - Bobby Heenan
Part of Dust Rhodes's "Dream Match" during "May Mayhem". Sort of like an early Raw Roulette concept where wrestlers pick a gimmick match out of a hat to wrestle in that night. The object of a tuxedo match, if you haven't witnessed one before, is: the first person to strip their opponent of their tux wins.
"Ever seen a guy in an otter suit?" - Bobby Heenan
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Song of the Day - Goatman
Goat - Goatman from World Music (2012)
Goat are a psychedelic voodoo rock band from a very remote village known as Korpilombolo somewhere deep in Sweden. Rumor has it, of course.
These guys made a lot of best of lists last year and that actually how I heard about them. They even made Spin's top 20 metal albums of the year, too - though they aren't really a metal band at all.
Last.fm
These guys made a lot of best of lists last year and that actually how I heard about them. They even made Spin's top 20 metal albums of the year, too - though they aren't really a metal band at all.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Masked Team of Snow/Credible take on Heel 1-2-3 Kid and Sid
Avatar & Aldo Montoya vs. 1-2-3 Kid & Sid - WWF Superstars (1996)
For the first time ever, The Portuguese Man O' War, Aldo Montoya - later Justin Credible - teams up with Avatar, the first airbender - later Al Snow - against The Money Corporation's freshly turned heel, 1-2-3 Kid and not so psych, vicious or justice, Sid.
Both Al Snow and Justin Credible (PJ Polaco) would have very unsuccessful gimmicks at this time in their career which led them to seek success in ECW. Why didn't their masked characters work out, you ask? Let's just say that while The Portuguese Man O' War sounds kind of badasss, it's actually a name of a jellyfish, a not so badass jellyfish either. Oh yeah, and that their costumes were a little ridiculous at this time. Remember that this was the beginning of the transition period for WWF - when flashy gimmicks and colorfully characters were no longer making it and new, realist, "attitude" characters were soon to be taking over.
They weren't the only characters begging for a realist makeover, though. No, most of the wrestlers in this video were eventually stripped of their ill-fated gimmicks and given a much more real, or at least workable, persona. For example, "The Ringmaster", who was said to appear later in the program, became, of course, Stone Cold; The rooted-teeth dentist, Isaac Yankem D.D.S. who would become the replacement to Diesel ironically as well, later became The Undertaker's burn-victim brother, Kane; Even Skip from the Bodydonnas would eventually lose the "yeah, I lift" 90's get-up and become himself, Chris Candido, later on in ECW.
Whether or not Aldo Montoya and Avatar were meant to be, I sill think they made a cool tag team. I'm not sure if they made anymore appearances together, but I think it would have kept their characters alive for a little longer if they stuck together...
P.S. Avatar and Aldo's double flipping clothesline was way cool! What a maneuver that was.
For the first time ever, The Portuguese Man O' War, Aldo Montoya - later Justin Credible - teams up with Avatar, the first airbender - later Al Snow - against The Money Corporation's freshly turned heel, 1-2-3 Kid and not so psych, vicious or justice, Sid.
Both Al Snow and Justin Credible (PJ Polaco) would have very unsuccessful gimmicks at this time in their career which led them to seek success in ECW. Why didn't their masked characters work out, you ask? Let's just say that while The Portuguese Man O' War sounds kind of badasss, it's actually a name of a jellyfish, a not so badass jellyfish either. Oh yeah, and that their costumes were a little ridiculous at this time. Remember that this was the beginning of the transition period for WWF - when flashy gimmicks and colorfully characters were no longer making it and new, realist, "attitude" characters were soon to be taking over.
They weren't the only characters begging for a realist makeover, though. No, most of the wrestlers in this video were eventually stripped of their ill-fated gimmicks and given a much more real, or at least workable, persona. For example, "The Ringmaster", who was said to appear later in the program, became, of course, Stone Cold; The rooted-teeth dentist, Isaac Yankem D.D.S. who would become the replacement to Diesel ironically as well, later became The Undertaker's burn-victim brother, Kane; Even Skip from the Bodydonnas would eventually lose the "yeah, I lift" 90's get-up and become himself, Chris Candido, later on in ECW.
Whether or not Aldo Montoya and Avatar were meant to be, I sill think they made a cool tag team. I'm not sure if they made anymore appearances together, but I think it would have kept their characters alive for a little longer if they stuck together...
P.S. Avatar and Aldo's double flipping clothesline was way cool! What a maneuver that was.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Song of the Day - Blurry
Captain Hollow - Blurry from Blurry $iNGLE (2013)
Maine's only emo band has a mega hot new single out and rumors of a new album a hundred years in the works. Supposedly the new album will be called "Greatest Hits" which I think is really dumb. Maybe because that's what I wanted to name my first album when I was kid and had dreams of becoming a big rock star some day...
Last.fm
Maine's only emo band has a mega hot new single out and rumors of a new album a hundred years in the works. Supposedly the new album will be called "Greatest Hits" which I think is really dumb. Maybe because that's what I wanted to name my first album when I was kid and had dreams of becoming a big rock star some day...
Last.fm
Match of the Day - WCW's ill-fated hardcore division
Hardcore Wednesday
Norman Smiley vs. Brian Knobbs - WCW Mayhem (1999)
In the height of hardcore wrestling in the mainstream, WCW tried to cash in on this new brand of weapon-based wrestling like WWF had successfully done by creating their very own hardcore division. And as the hardcore division was a great way for wrestlers who couldn't really wrestle to prove themselves in a Mick Foley sort of fashion, wrestlers like Brian Knobbs, Hardcore Hak (Sandman in WCW), 3 Count, Crowbar, Carl Ouellet and many others finally had a purpose in life.
So, what better person to win the title during the official crowning match at Mayhem 1999? Fit Finlay? Nope. Hak? Nah. Terry Funk? Not yet...
Turns out it was Screamin' Norman Smiley, the flamboyant, Santino Marella of the late-90's/early 2000's (since he also appealed to kids), wiggly black wrestler who always wrestled in different sports equipment (this match in particular as a Toronto maple Leaf hockey player). I guess that was his thing, I don't remember. And by his thing, I'm talking about the sports equipment gimmick...
Norman Smiley, the unlikely suspect for the hardcore division, actually became the first WCW hardcore champion after defeating Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs thanks to Jimmy Hart who hit his own Managee with a trash can as he was coming out of an elevator backstage. Silly as it may seem though, did it really matter who was hardcore champion at this point? It was already a gimmick division and was already being perfected by WWF anyways.
I still think these sort of hardcore matches are fun to watch regardless of how dumb they may look in retrospect. WCW's hardcore division is still better than watching people whack each other around with fluorescent light tubes any day...
Norman Smiley vs. Brian Knobbs - WCW Mayhem (1999)
In the height of hardcore wrestling in the mainstream, WCW tried to cash in on this new brand of weapon-based wrestling like WWF had successfully done by creating their very own hardcore division. And as the hardcore division was a great way for wrestlers who couldn't really wrestle to prove themselves in a Mick Foley sort of fashion, wrestlers like Brian Knobbs, Hardcore Hak (Sandman in WCW), 3 Count, Crowbar, Carl Ouellet and many others finally had a purpose in life.
So, what better person to win the title during the official crowning match at Mayhem 1999? Fit Finlay? Nope. Hak? Nah. Terry Funk? Not yet...
Turns out it was Screamin' Norman Smiley, the flamboyant, Santino Marella of the late-90's/early 2000's (since he also appealed to kids), wiggly black wrestler who always wrestled in different sports equipment (this match in particular as a Toronto maple Leaf hockey player). I guess that was his thing, I don't remember. And by his thing, I'm talking about the sports equipment gimmick...
Norman Smiley, the unlikely suspect for the hardcore division, actually became the first WCW hardcore champion after defeating Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs thanks to Jimmy Hart who hit his own Managee with a trash can as he was coming out of an elevator backstage. Silly as it may seem though, did it really matter who was hardcore champion at this point? It was already a gimmick division and was already being perfected by WWF anyways.
I still think these sort of hardcore matches are fun to watch regardless of how dumb they may look in retrospect. WCW's hardcore division is still better than watching people whack each other around with fluorescent light tubes any day...
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Song of the Day - My Funny Valentine
Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine from Chet Baker Sings (1956)
It's almost that time of the year again. Are you ready?
Match of the Day - Akebono versus Big Daddy V in slow motion.
Akebono vs. Big Daddy Voodoo - AJPW (2011)
In honor of fat Tuesday, I present a match featuring that guy who sumo wrestled Big Show at Wrestlemania 21 and won, taking on Big Daddy Voodoo, better known to the viewers at home as either that guy with the man-tits named Big Daddy V, The fat guy in the pajamas called Big Vis, that big black guy in all black in The Undertaker's Ministry as Viscera, or that fat guy in purple who kept hurting people and actually won the 1995 King of the Ring... Mabel - depending on when or if you ever have ever seen him wrestle in the last two decades.
So yeah, this is definitely a "how much do these guys weigh?" Art Donovan kind of match up!
PS: No, this match was not recorded in slow motion, but from the stamina and speed that these two superheavyweights possess, it almost seems like this match has been slowed down to a snails pace... or should I say, a Akebono meets Big Daddy V pace.
Luckily for the Japanese fans, Big Daddy did cover up those titties of his... Ayeyeye.
God love the dead silent Japanese crowd.
In honor of fat Tuesday, I present a match featuring that guy who sumo wrestled Big Show at Wrestlemania 21 and won, taking on Big Daddy Voodoo, better known to the viewers at home as either that guy with the man-tits named Big Daddy V, The fat guy in the pajamas called Big Vis, that big black guy in all black in The Undertaker's Ministry as Viscera, or that fat guy in purple who kept hurting people and actually won the 1995 King of the Ring... Mabel - depending on when or if you ever have ever seen him wrestle in the last two decades.
So yeah, this is definitely a "how much do these guys weigh?" Art Donovan kind of match up!
PS: No, this match was not recorded in slow motion, but from the stamina and speed that these two superheavyweights possess, it almost seems like this match has been slowed down to a snails pace... or should I say, a Akebono meets Big Daddy V pace.
Luckily for the Japanese fans, Big Daddy did cover up those titties of his... Ayeyeye.
God love the dead silent Japanese crowd.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Song of the Day - At first, I thought it was an ocean but then realized it was only a puddle
Dore Mear Beon - At first, I thought it was an ocean but then realized it was only a puddle from Dore Mear Beon EP (2012)
Dore Mear Beon is a one man math rock band from Ontario, Canada. That one man is named, Andrew Sagriff.
This song closes with a sample from Waking Life, a Richard Linklater film I watched once about lucid dreaming and the meaning of life.
Last.fm
Dore Mear Beon is a one man math rock band from Ontario, Canada. That one man is named, Andrew Sagriff.
This song closes with a sample from Waking Life, a Richard Linklater film I watched once about lucid dreaming and the meaning of life.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - WWE's first "real" handicap match
Big Show vs. Zack Gowen & Stephanie McMahon - No Holds Barred Handicap match - WWE Smackdown! (2003)
In Zack Gowen's first official match on Smackdown!, the youngster had to prove that he had just what it takes to be a true competitor in WWE by defeating the 500 pound Big Show and seizing an official contract out of Vince McMahon's cold dead hands. Throw Stephanie McMahon, the General Manager at the time, in there and you got yourself a classic pro wrestling Cinderella story.
Did I mention Zack Gowen is a one-legged wrestler? Oops, that was important.
Anyways...
As Zack Gowen was a legitimate amputee and Stephanie McMahon couldn't wrestle to save her life, this truly was WWE's first "real" handicap match.
Get it?
Thanks to face Kurt Angle, face Brock Lesnar, and a steel chair, Gowen's Cinderella story comes true and he gets his contract. The icing on the cake? A combination of Gowen's rival and soon-to-be boss, Mr. McMahon getting knocked on his ass and Gowen's perfect one-legged moonsault onto Big Show for the win!
Gowen's time in WWE was very short-lived despite making it to Vengeance of that year in a match against Mr. McMahon and a short rivalry with Matt Hardy Version 1. I remember him having a broken leg (that's right, the one leg he has) courtesy of Brock Lesnar (heel again) and then never really seeing him on Smackdown! much after that. I guess once you break a one-legged man's only leg you really can't do much else with him. His character was pretty much dead from that point on.
In Zack Gowen's first official match on Smackdown!, the youngster had to prove that he had just what it takes to be a true competitor in WWE by defeating the 500 pound Big Show and seizing an official contract out of Vince McMahon's cold dead hands. Throw Stephanie McMahon, the General Manager at the time, in there and you got yourself a classic pro wrestling Cinderella story.
Did I mention Zack Gowen is a one-legged wrestler? Oops, that was important.
Anyways...
As Zack Gowen was a legitimate amputee and Stephanie McMahon couldn't wrestle to save her life, this truly was WWE's first "real" handicap match.
Get it?
Thanks to face Kurt Angle, face Brock Lesnar, and a steel chair, Gowen's Cinderella story comes true and he gets his contract. The icing on the cake? A combination of Gowen's rival and soon-to-be boss, Mr. McMahon getting knocked on his ass and Gowen's perfect one-legged moonsault onto Big Show for the win!
Gowen's time in WWE was very short-lived despite making it to Vengeance of that year in a match against Mr. McMahon and a short rivalry with Matt Hardy Version 1. I remember him having a broken leg (that's right, the one leg he has) courtesy of Brock Lesnar (heel again) and then never really seeing him on Smackdown! much after that. I guess once you break a one-legged man's only leg you really can't do much else with him. His character was pretty much dead from that point on.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Song of the Day - Ocean, Quick!
Real Kind - Ocean, Quick! from Hard Red Winter (sketch) (2012)
Real Kind is the humble moniker of Marissa Owens from my favorite place, Portland, Maine.
A more fancy and full version of Hard Red Winter will be available in April.
I think this version sounds great as it is, though. Just sayin'...
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Real Kind is the humble moniker of Marissa Owens from my favorite place, Portland, Maine.
A more fancy and full version of Hard Red Winter will be available in April.
I think this version sounds great as it is, though. Just sayin'...
Match of the Day - Bunkhouse Battle Royal
WWF Bunkhouse Battle Royal - WWF Boston Garden House Show (1987)
Here's a perfect send-off for theme week, it's a mid/late-80's come as you are, wear what you want Bunkhouse Battle Royal.
This battle royal features many great and/or forgotten 80's superstars in their street clothes including: Don Muraco, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (first to be eliminated), Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Jimmy Jack Funk, Danny Spivey, Mr. Fuji (in a suit), Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Hillbilly Jim, Dick Slater, Scotty Mcghee (gets carried out via stretcher), Sika, The Islanders, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Corporal Kirschner, King Kong Bundy, Pre-I.R.S. Mike Rotundo, The Duke of Dorchester (not to be confused with Duke the Dumpster), some guy dressed up as a knight, and Blackjack Mulligan (the winner).
Blackjack Mulligan comes up with the win after help from The Duke who hits King Kong Bundy with a chair allowing Mulligan time to take off his cowboy boot and clock Bundy over his big noggin before being pushed out of the ring.
This little piece of history comes from an early Coliseum Video exclusive called, WWF's Even More Unusual Matches.
Here's a perfect send-off for theme week, it's a mid/late-80's come as you are, wear what you want Bunkhouse Battle Royal.
This battle royal features many great and/or forgotten 80's superstars in their street clothes including: Don Muraco, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (first to be eliminated), Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Jimmy Jack Funk, Danny Spivey, Mr. Fuji (in a suit), Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Hillbilly Jim, Dick Slater, Scotty Mcghee (gets carried out via stretcher), Sika, The Islanders, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Corporal Kirschner, King Kong Bundy, Pre-I.R.S. Mike Rotundo, The Duke of Dorchester (not to be confused with Duke the Dumpster), some guy dressed up as a knight, and Blackjack Mulligan (the winner).
Blackjack Mulligan comes up with the win after help from The Duke who hits King Kong Bundy with a chair allowing Mulligan time to take off his cowboy boot and clock Bundy over his big noggin before being pushed out of the ring.
This little piece of history comes from an early Coliseum Video exclusive called, WWF's Even More Unusual Matches.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Song of the Day - Informer
Snow - Informer from 12 Inches of Snow (1992)
Yep. It's Snow.
The Canadian reggae rap sensation of the 90's is perfect for any snow day.
Get lost in the snow or get lost in Snow's lines... Your choice.
Last.fm
Yep. It's Snow.
The Canadian reggae rap sensation of the 90's is perfect for any snow day.
Get lost in the snow or get lost in Snow's lines... Your choice.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Triple H goes to boot camp with the commissioner
Triple H vs. Sgt. Slaughter - Boot Camp match - WWF D-Generation X: In Your House (1997)
The commissioner of the WWF at the time, Sgt. Slaughter comes out of retirement and puts his combat boots on to teach the young punk from Connecticut a lesson or two in a good ol' Boot Camp match at a PPV named after Triple H's newly formed stable known as D-Generation X.
What is a Boot Camp match?
Pretty much a Sgt. Slobber-type street fight featuring combat boots rather than wrestling boots.
Let the military honor begin, courtesy of The King.
Theme Results:
Jeans: Triple H
PS: The Sarge's theme music at this time was later used as Kurt Angle's classic "You Suck!" theme!
What is a Boot Camp match?
Pretty much a Sgt. Slobber-type street fight featuring combat boots rather than wrestling boots.
Let the military honor begin, courtesy of The King.
Theme Results:
Jeans: Triple H
PS: The Sarge's theme music at this time was later used as Kurt Angle's classic "You Suck!" theme!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Song of the Day - Boku and Chevre'
The Clippers - Boku and Chevre' from An Evening With... (2011)
Most of the stuff on Topshelf Records' Bandcamp are free today!
Grab all the free goodies before they are gone!
And by gone, I mean no longer free.
Last.fm
[Editor's note: Stuff costs money$$ again.]
Most of the stuff on Topshelf Records' Bandcamp are free today!
Grab all the free goodies before they are gone!
And by gone, I mean no longer free.
Last.fm
[Editor's note: Stuff costs money$$ again.]
Match of the Day - Hulk Hogan wrestles as himself to take on younger wrestlers trying to get over
Hulk Hogan as Terry Bollea vs. Mike Awesome - WCW Nitro (2000)
Would you like the long version or the short version?
Short version it is.
In 2000, WCW had a big brain idea to pit young up-and-comers with seasoned vets and well past-their-primers. Though the intention was to get the new guys over, WCW management made the god awful decision of putting the two biggest wrestling personality heels, Eric Bishoff and Vince Russo, in charge of the young talent. Combine that with the fact that the veterans were known as The Millionaire's Club and led by Hulk Hogan, a man who supposedly passed the torch on in 1990 but still needed the spotlight every year he wasn't making terrible movies in Hollywood (sound familiar), made the chances of the young guys getting over a lot harder. Like WCW hard.
I understand that sometimes a company already has solid top guys and don't need green competitors getting a push, but this was WCW 2000; the top guys of the past were gone and it was time for the top guys to carry the weight of the company.
So, in the mist of the New Blood (the young guys looking for a break) versus the Millionaire's Club (the guys who needed to step down from their pedestals , Hulk Hogan decided that he needed to take matters into his own hands and fight as himself, Terry Bollea, to take on Mike Awesome, an up-and-comer with high potential to keep the power of WCW to the old guys.
Hulk Hogan also had a running feud with Billy Kidman, a kid who was never big enough to be a main eventer, as well as his own nephew, Horace Hogan, who was always just destined to be in a B-list NWO. Soon after he would feud with Jeff Jarrett before leaving the company after the Vince Russo shoot/work incident at Bash at the Beach. A story for another day.
As for Awesome, he was never given the main event status push he really deserved and was repackaged numerous times starting with the "Career Killer" gimmick, then the "Fat Chick Thrilla" gimmick, then "That 70's Guy" gimmick, and then finally the "Canadian Career Killer" gimmick after joining Team Canada in the dying days of WCW. It should also be noted that his gimmick as the Career Killer was because he could kill careers but in an ironic turn of events is what killed his career.
Theme Results:
Jeans: Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea
Would you like the long version or the short version?
Short version it is.
In 2000, WCW had a big brain idea to pit young up-and-comers with seasoned vets and well past-their-primers. Though the intention was to get the new guys over, WCW management made the god awful decision of putting the two biggest wrestling personality heels, Eric Bishoff and Vince Russo, in charge of the young talent. Combine that with the fact that the veterans were known as The Millionaire's Club and led by Hulk Hogan, a man who supposedly passed the torch on in 1990 but still needed the spotlight every year he wasn't making terrible movies in Hollywood (sound familiar), made the chances of the young guys getting over a lot harder. Like WCW hard.
I understand that sometimes a company already has solid top guys and don't need green competitors getting a push, but this was WCW 2000; the top guys of the past were gone and it was time for the top guys to carry the weight of the company.
So, in the mist of the New Blood (the young guys looking for a break) versus the Millionaire's Club (the guys who needed to step down from their pedestals , Hulk Hogan decided that he needed to take matters into his own hands and fight as himself, Terry Bollea, to take on Mike Awesome, an up-and-comer with high potential to keep the power of WCW to the old guys.
Hulk Hogan also had a running feud with Billy Kidman, a kid who was never big enough to be a main eventer, as well as his own nephew, Horace Hogan, who was always just destined to be in a B-list NWO. Soon after he would feud with Jeff Jarrett before leaving the company after the Vince Russo shoot/work incident at Bash at the Beach. A story for another day.
As for Awesome, he was never given the main event status push he really deserved and was repackaged numerous times starting with the "Career Killer" gimmick, then the "Fat Chick Thrilla" gimmick, then "That 70's Guy" gimmick, and then finally the "Canadian Career Killer" gimmick after joining Team Canada in the dying days of WCW. It should also be noted that his gimmick as the Career Killer was because he could kill careers but in an ironic turn of events is what killed his career.
Theme Results:
Jeans: Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Song of the Day - Swa Cwæð Eardstapa
Men As Trees - Swa Cwæð Eardstapa from Weltschmerz (2008)
Here's a perfect epic opener for a supah blizzard. The English translation for this song means "So Spoke a Wanderer" and features the voice of Bob Swerer Jr., who narrated Dick Proenneke and his amazing feats as he hunts and builds a log cabin all by himself to survive the cold winters of Alaska. This particular narration comes from the first documentary of Dick Proenneke's first voyage into the Alaskan woods, entitled, Alone in the Wilderness; one of the best documentaries out there in my opinion.
I meant to feature this song a little earlier (maybe on January 2nd - the date read in the opening minute of the song) but I figured I would wait until there was a really cold day leading into a severe snow storm like today.
Last.fm (song's free!)
Here's a perfect epic opener for a supah blizzard. The English translation for this song means "So Spoke a Wanderer" and features the voice of Bob Swerer Jr., who narrated Dick Proenneke and his amazing feats as he hunts and builds a log cabin all by himself to survive the cold winters of Alaska. This particular narration comes from the first documentary of Dick Proenneke's first voyage into the Alaskan woods, entitled, Alone in the Wilderness; one of the best documentaries out there in my opinion.
I meant to feature this song a little earlier (maybe on January 2nd - the date read in the opening minute of the song) but I figured I would wait until there was a really cold day leading into a severe snow storm like today.
Last.fm (song's free!)
Match of the Day - The Rock Bottom British Bulldog-shit incident
The Rock and Sock Connection vs. The British Bulldog and Val Venis - WWF Raw is War (1999)
Recently on NFT Presents, I've brought up some pretty memorable Rock moments and feuds such as his many battles with Mankind to his eventual partnership with the deranged man, but this match right here may be a little less known to some people. In the heart of one of The Rock's lesser-known feuds, the one with the British Bulldog, who now just wears jeans out to the ring because hey, it's the attitude era, Bulldog finds himself in deep, well, doo-doo when he had to take on The Rock, the man he screwed out of the title about a month before.
In anticipation for their one on one match at No Mercy 1999, The British Bulldog teamed up with Val Venis to take on The Rock and Val Venis's rival for a short period of time, Mankind. The match would come to a climactic end when Mankind chased Venis into the back with Mr. Socko leaving The Rock to finish The Bulldog off all by himself. Before the match, The Rock and Mankind had gather a bit of bulldog feces and put it on a big tray to bring to the ring to show Davey Boy just what he was. The tray soon made its way into the ring were The Rock got a hold of The British Bulldog and delivered a Rock Bottom into the dog poop!
The dog poop! The dog poop! The dog poop! - Michael Cole
The Rock and Mankind then get the win via dog poop TKO.
Theme results:
Jeans: The British Bulldog
Recently on NFT Presents, I've brought up some pretty memorable Rock moments and feuds such as his many battles with Mankind to his eventual partnership with the deranged man, but this match right here may be a little less known to some people. In the heart of one of The Rock's lesser-known feuds, the one with the British Bulldog, who now just wears jeans out to the ring because hey, it's the attitude era, Bulldog finds himself in deep, well, doo-doo when he had to take on The Rock, the man he screwed out of the title about a month before.
In anticipation for their one on one match at No Mercy 1999, The British Bulldog teamed up with Val Venis to take on The Rock and Val Venis's rival for a short period of time, Mankind. The match would come to a climactic end when Mankind chased Venis into the back with Mr. Socko leaving The Rock to finish The Bulldog off all by himself. Before the match, The Rock and Mankind had gather a bit of bulldog feces and put it on a big tray to bring to the ring to show Davey Boy just what he was. The tray soon made its way into the ring were The Rock got a hold of The British Bulldog and delivered a Rock Bottom into the dog poop!
The dog poop! The dog poop! The dog poop! - Michael Cole
The Rock and Mankind then get the win via dog poop TKO.
Theme results:
Jeans: The British Bulldog
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Song of the Day - Graveyard
LVL UP - Graveyard from Extra World 7" (2013) (coming soooooon)
This here is LVL UP's new single, Graveyard off their 7incher, Extra World dropping April 6.
Courtesy of Double Double Whammy.
Don't know LVL UP yet? GET ACQUAINTED.
Last.fm
This here is LVL UP's new single, Graveyard off their 7incher, Extra World dropping April 6.
Courtesy of Double Double Whammy.
Don't know LVL UP yet? GET ACQUAINTED.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - America's Dream vs. wrestling's original worst nightmare
Steve Corino vs. Dusty Rhodes - Bullrope Match - ECW Living Dangerously (2000)
In one of ECW's last hooray's, a rising star named Steve Corino came on board much like CM Punk had with WWECW and quickly began making a name for himself during a time when Extreme Championship Wrestling was on its last leg and had lost most of its original talent. Corino, a wrestler who often criticized hardcore wrestling and called himself "The King of Old School", would find himself in a surprising feud with a true old school competitor in the one and only... "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.
Steve Corino and Dusty Rhodes's feud for "who's the most old school" would eventually be contested at Living Dangerously 2000 in one of Dusty Rhodes's signature matches: the unforgiving Bullrope match. A match that can be called one of, if not thee best matches of TV-era ECW.
In good fashion while getting into the part, Steve Corino would rock the jean plus cowboy boot look that Dusty Rhodes would often sport when going into such a brutal environment whether it be a street fight, a Bullrope match, or any match after the 90's.
Corino may not have won this match after falling victim to The Dream's killer Bionic Elbow, but his feud with Dusty Rhodes that we see displayed here is really what got him over in ECW and eventually led him to Extreme gold.
Their feud would resume once more in 2004 when they faced off in a one on one match for the Japanese promotion, HUSTLE.
Theme results:
Jeans: Dusty Rhodes and Steve Corino
In one of ECW's last hooray's, a rising star named Steve Corino came on board much like CM Punk had with WWECW and quickly began making a name for himself during a time when Extreme Championship Wrestling was on its last leg and had lost most of its original talent. Corino, a wrestler who often criticized hardcore wrestling and called himself "The King of Old School", would find himself in a surprising feud with a true old school competitor in the one and only... "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.
Steve Corino and Dusty Rhodes's feud for "who's the most old school" would eventually be contested at Living Dangerously 2000 in one of Dusty Rhodes's signature matches: the unforgiving Bullrope match. A match that can be called one of, if not thee best matches of TV-era ECW.
In good fashion while getting into the part, Steve Corino would rock the jean plus cowboy boot look that Dusty Rhodes would often sport when going into such a brutal environment whether it be a street fight, a Bullrope match, or any match after the 90's.
Corino may not have won this match after falling victim to The Dream's killer Bionic Elbow, but his feud with Dusty Rhodes that we see displayed here is really what got him over in ECW and eventually led him to Extreme gold.
Their feud would resume once more in 2004 when they faced off in a one on one match for the Japanese promotion, HUSTLE.
Theme results:
Jeans: Dusty Rhodes and Steve Corino
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Song of the Day - Everywhere, Everyone
Lilacs & Champagne - Everywhere, Everyone from Lilacs & Champagne (2012)
Lilacs & Champagne is the sample-based side project of Alex Hall and Emil Amos - two guys who also play guitar (Alex) and hit things (Emil) in the Portland, Oregon instrumental band, Grails.
Very interesting stuff.
Last.fm
Lilacs & Champagne is the sample-based side project of Alex Hall and Emil Amos - two guys who also play guitar (Alex) and hit things (Emil) in the Portland, Oregon instrumental band, Grails.
Very interesting stuff.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Bart vs Billy: the Gunn family feud!
Bart Gunn vs. Billy Gun - WWF Monday Night RAW (1996)
In this gripping brother versus brother bout, we see Billy Gunn in the darker jeans taking on Bart Gunn in the lighter jeans on RAW late 1996.
Though this match looks like the works of a long running feud a la Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannetty Rockers split, the outcome of Bart Gunn inadvertently injuring Billy Gunn's neck (causing the kayfabe wives of both Gunn's to run out of the crowd in hysteria) and pretty much ending the storyline right there dead in its tracks.
The wives were never seen or mentioned again and the Gunn's pretty much were never brothers again. While Billy was taking some time off after getting written off RAW for a while due to this incident, Bart would become "Bodacious" Bart in the new Midnight Express with Bob Holly ("Bombastic" Bob). Billy would eventually return as The Rockabilly which lasted just about as long as The New Midnight Express and the whole NWA invasion storyline.
...And the rest is history.
Theme results:
Jeans: Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn.
In this gripping brother versus brother bout, we see Billy Gunn in the darker jeans taking on Bart Gunn in the lighter jeans on RAW late 1996.
Though this match looks like the works of a long running feud a la Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannetty Rockers split, the outcome of Bart Gunn inadvertently injuring Billy Gunn's neck (causing the kayfabe wives of both Gunn's to run out of the crowd in hysteria) and pretty much ending the storyline right there dead in its tracks.
The wives were never seen or mentioned again and the Gunn's pretty much were never brothers again. While Billy was taking some time off after getting written off RAW for a while due to this incident, Bart would become "Bodacious" Bart in the new Midnight Express with Bob Holly ("Bombastic" Bob). Billy would eventually return as The Rockabilly which lasted just about as long as The New Midnight Express and the whole NWA invasion storyline.
...And the rest is history.
Theme results:
Jeans: Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Song of the Day - Devil Town (by way of cello doom!)
Correspondences - Devil Town from Christmas // Devil Town (2012)
Usually I wait to Wednesday to post covers but whatever...
Here's Correspondences (all-female cello-driven doom band formally of Portland, Maine) taking on Daniel Johnston (one of the most covered musicians of all time) and his all too familiar song for a lot of us living in devil towns with vampires as friends.
PS: I'm not sure why this song says it's by Lee (as in Lee King, the drummer?). It sounds like Correspondences to me and is on their bandcamp...
Last.fm
Usually I wait to Wednesday to post covers but whatever...
Here's Correspondences (all-female cello-driven doom band formally of Portland, Maine) taking on Daniel Johnston (one of the most covered musicians of all time) and his all too familiar song for a lot of us living in devil towns with vampires as friends.
PS: I'm not sure why this song says it's by Lee (as in Lee King, the drummer?). It sounds like Correspondences to me and is on their bandcamp...
Last.fm
Match of the Day - The debuting Cryme Tyme "steal one" against The Spirit Squad
Special Theme Week debut debut:
Cryme Tyme (Shad & JTG) vs. The Spirit Squad (Johnny & Mikey) - RAW (2006)
After the OVW male cheerleading team known as the Spirit Squad (remember those guys?) issue an open challenge for their tag team titles, the black parody team of Shad and JTG come out guns a blazin' as they debut on RAW in 2006.
While Cryme Tyme was supposed to be an openly stereotypical comedy troupe, they mostly made light of thug life and had the gimmick of stealing things from people. Despite the sound of all that, their gimmick was actually a lot better than the Spirit Squad, which was essentially just a way for WWE to try to get a few guys over from OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling), WWE's training territory which is now TNA's training territory, to at least make it somewhat big. Of course, these young up-and-comers had to be male cheerleaders before they could become the likes of Kenny Dykstra (the chosen one who flopped) and Nicky (who waited this whole gimmick off before renaming himself, Dolph Ziggler). As for the rest of the team, they eventually got sent packing back to OVW (literally in a crate marked OVW via DX one Monday night).
As for Cryme Tyme though, they actually had somewhat of potential. I mean, at least they were a real tag team, not just two wrestlers put together and given a fan picked name i.e. Air Boom, Team Hell No, etc. They also had great size and a gimmick that, oh wait, PG era... never mind.
And yes, Cryme Tyme did wrestle with baggy jeans, "non-traditional wrestling boots", grills, and occasionally the bulletproof vests when necessary.
You never know when you'll run into New Jack in the hood... The hood known as pro wrestling.
This debut also features Johnny AKA Johnny Jeter, who mostly stayed in OVW after the departure of the Spirit Squad, and Mikey AKA Mike Mondo, who currently works for Ring of Honor.
Theme results:
Jeans: Shad & JTG.
Cryme Tyme (Shad & JTG) vs. The Spirit Squad (Johnny & Mikey) - RAW (2006)
After the OVW male cheerleading team known as the Spirit Squad (remember those guys?) issue an open challenge for their tag team titles, the black parody team of Shad and JTG come out guns a blazin' as they debut on RAW in 2006.
While Cryme Tyme was supposed to be an openly stereotypical comedy troupe, they mostly made light of thug life and had the gimmick of stealing things from people. Despite the sound of all that, their gimmick was actually a lot better than the Spirit Squad, which was essentially just a way for WWE to try to get a few guys over from OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling), WWE's training territory which is now TNA's training territory, to at least make it somewhat big. Of course, these young up-and-comers had to be male cheerleaders before they could become the likes of Kenny Dykstra (the chosen one who flopped) and Nicky (who waited this whole gimmick off before renaming himself, Dolph Ziggler). As for the rest of the team, they eventually got sent packing back to OVW (literally in a crate marked OVW via DX one Monday night).
As for Cryme Tyme though, they actually had somewhat of potential. I mean, at least they were a real tag team, not just two wrestlers put together and given a fan picked name i.e. Air Boom, Team Hell No, etc. They also had great size and a gimmick that, oh wait, PG era... never mind.
And yes, Cryme Tyme did wrestle with baggy jeans, "non-traditional wrestling boots", grills, and occasionally the bulletproof vests when necessary.
You never know when you'll run into New Jack in the hood... The hood known as pro wrestling.
This debut also features Johnny AKA Johnny Jeter, who mostly stayed in OVW after the departure of the Spirit Squad, and Mikey AKA Mike Mondo, who currently works for Ring of Honor.
Theme results:
Jeans: Shad & JTG.
Theme of the Week - Rasslin' in jeans!
Every first week of the month will now be theme week!
This week's theme is rasslin' in jeans. Every match will include a wrestler (or multiple wrestlers) donning some fine trousers into battle.
Also, usually I'll have a pic related to the theme of the week. Finding just the right pic is quite challenging and uncomfortable at times for "rasslin' in jeans" - so here's a bunch of 90's kids wearing their ball-crushing 90's jeans.
Image courtesy of Denimblog.com - a site dedicated to celebrities wearing jeans.
This week's theme is rasslin' in jeans. Every match will include a wrestler (or multiple wrestlers) donning some fine trousers into battle.
Also, usually I'll have a pic related to the theme of the week. Finding just the right pic is quite challenging and uncomfortable at times for "rasslin' in jeans" - so here's a bunch of 90's kids wearing their ball-crushing 90's jeans.
Image courtesy of Denimblog.com - a site dedicated to celebrities wearing jeans.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Song of the Day - I Wish
Skee-Lo - I Wish from I Wish (1995)
Yes, this is that song in the Super Bowl Toyota commercial. Actually two Toyota Super Bowl commercials this year, for that matter.
Yes, this is that song in the Super Bowl Toyota commercial. Actually two Toyota Super Bowl commercials this year, for that matter.
It's a classic though!
The song, I mean.
Also spotted was Chet Faker's (clever name, right?) cover of No Diggity on the Beck's Sapphire beer ad.
Match of the Day - The Rock and Mankind fight in an empty arena at halftime during Superbowl XXXIII
The Rock vs. Mankind - Empty Arena Match for the WWF World Championship - Halftime Heat (1999)
Here's a little something-something for all the halftime lovers out there. Yay, football!
Not satisfied with Beyonce's breathtaking performance tonight? Watch this classic featuring Mankind taking on Th Rock for his World title in a very special Heat that was aired during the halftime of the 1999 Super Bowl on USA.
This match was only a week after Rock and Mankind's very intense "I Quit" match at the Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for The Rock in this match, he did not drink his milk that morning which costed him the win to Mankind tried to kill him with a forklift!
WWE should have had more of these Halftime Heat programs. I would have loved to see CM Punk taking on The Rock in an empty arena match this year...
Enjoy!
Here's a little something-something for all the halftime lovers out there. Yay, football!
Not satisfied with Beyonce's breathtaking performance tonight? Watch this classic featuring Mankind taking on Th Rock for his World title in a very special Heat that was aired during the halftime of the 1999 Super Bowl on USA.
This match was only a week after Rock and Mankind's very intense "I Quit" match at the Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for The Rock in this match, he did not drink his milk that morning which costed him the win to Mankind tried to kill him with a forklift!
WWE should have had more of these Halftime Heat programs. I would have loved to see CM Punk taking on The Rock in an empty arena match this year...
Enjoy!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Song of the Day - Dude Love
Best Friends - Dude Love from The Mick Foley EP (split tape) (2012)
In honor of National Pro Wrestling Day, here's a punk song abut one of Mick Foley's many alter egos, Dude Love!
Also, Happy Groundhog's Day!
Spring's coming soon!
Bandcamp
Last.fm
In honor of National Pro Wrestling Day, here's a punk song abut one of Mick Foley's many alter egos, Dude Love!
Also, Happy Groundhog's Day!
Spring's coming soon!
Bandcamp
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Greg Valentine breaks Wahoo McDaniel's leg and makes a sweet t-shirt off of it!
Greg Valentine vs. Wahoo McDaniel - Heavyweight Championship Match NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1977)
Happy National Pro Wrestling Day, everybody!
In this heated battle between Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel in the Mid-Atlantic territory, not only was the heavyweight title up for grabs, but two thousand silver dollars! Apparently silver dollars were all the rage in the 70's and meant for a good ol' slobber-knocker because that's what this match is!
Though not the most brutal or intense matches, it did feature a lot of heat for its time as the match that Greg Valentine "broke" Wahoo McDaniel's leg. As the story goes, Wahoo's legs were too big for the Finger Four Leglock, Valentine's finisher just like his friend The Nature Boy, and so Valentine instead torqued on Wahoo's leg enough for Wahoo to surrender. Instantly, on national TV, it was determined that the leg was broken. Whether or not the leg was really broken is not what matters here but rather that Valentine was now champion and would forever have the reputation of a man who could break any opponent's leg.
Greg Valentine also must have had enough silver dollars to spare himself a sweet custom T-shirt after this bout with Wahoo that read, "I Broke Wahoo's Leg" on the front and "No More Wahoo" on the back (at least that's what I've heard; I've never actually seen the back of the shirt).
A similar situation like this one where a wrestler makes a T-shirt stating his pride of injuring his opponent would be Owen Hart and his parody of Steve Austin's Austin 3:16 shirt (which was a mockery of its own) and on it it said, "Owen 3:16" and on the back, "I Just Broke Your Neck". The thing about Owen Hart's shirt though was that he legitimately broke Austin's neck (which shortened his career) and didn't intend to.Valentine on the over hand, was out for broken Wahoo bones!
More recently, CM Punk has also made light of the "I Broke Wahoo's Leg" after breaking Big Show's hand back in 2010 which led to him donning a "I Broke Big Show's Hand" tee in the same fashion as Greg Valentine's.
Happy National Pro Wrestling Day, everybody!
In this heated battle between Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel in the Mid-Atlantic territory, not only was the heavyweight title up for grabs, but two thousand silver dollars! Apparently silver dollars were all the rage in the 70's and meant for a good ol' slobber-knocker because that's what this match is!
Though not the most brutal or intense matches, it did feature a lot of heat for its time as the match that Greg Valentine "broke" Wahoo McDaniel's leg. As the story goes, Wahoo's legs were too big for the Finger Four Leglock, Valentine's finisher just like his friend The Nature Boy, and so Valentine instead torqued on Wahoo's leg enough for Wahoo to surrender. Instantly, on national TV, it was determined that the leg was broken. Whether or not the leg was really broken is not what matters here but rather that Valentine was now champion and would forever have the reputation of a man who could break any opponent's leg.
Greg Valentine also must have had enough silver dollars to spare himself a sweet custom T-shirt after this bout with Wahoo that read, "I Broke Wahoo's Leg" on the front and "No More Wahoo" on the back (at least that's what I've heard; I've never actually seen the back of the shirt).
 |
| "And Still Have a Bunch of Silver Dollars I Don't Know What to Do With!" |
More recently, CM Punk has also made light of the "I Broke Wahoo's Leg" after breaking Big Show's hand back in 2010 which led to him donning a "I Broke Big Show's Hand" tee in the same fashion as Greg Valentine's.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Song of the Day - Unbecoming
RAGANA - Unbecoming from Unbecoming (2013)
RAGANA is a female drum and guitar witchy black metal band from Olympia, Washington.
Unbecoming is the title track off their new record released last month.
It's intense.
Last.fm
RAGANA is a female drum and guitar witchy black metal band from Olympia, Washington.
Unbecoming is the title track off their new record released last month.
It's intense.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - The Stinger fights his past, present, and future selves at Halloween Havoc 2000
Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett - WCW Halloween Havoc (2000)
Jarrett and Sting have had a long running history together not just in TNA but also in WCW. And while Sting was still the cornerstone and backbone of WCW after all the NWO business settled and WCW was running out of steam, Jeff Jarrett, who was always jumping ship sort of just rose to the top in 2000 - now all the sudden was WCW's "Chosen One". Jarrett's main eventing status at this time may have merely been do in part by the lack of talent, talent that WWF and its impending Monday Night War victory was picking up by the truck loads. Don't get me wrong, Jeff Jarrett is one of the greatest heels in professional wrestling, but it took him forever to get over and when he did, he didn't even have to do anything for it. I mean, now that I think about it, did Jeff Jarrett really ever get anything in his career by actually earning it? And yet here he is in 2000; the king of the mountain while Sting is at the bottom of the barrel trying to earn US title shots and doing gimmick matches with Vampiro.
So what better way to honor Sting and his amazing commitment to a company that was once on top of the world and now on its way out the door faster than a Flair blade job? By making him face impostors of himself from better times than 2000. Yep, instead of wrestling Jeff Jarrett in this match which would have been decent at best, Sting really ends up fighting five guys who dressed up like him during different points of his career.
The first Stinger we see is a light green pants-ed late 90's Sting (Tenay says he's the sting from Halloween Havoc 1989 but Sting wore black that year) who gets a Scorpion Death Drop delivered to him on the entrance way. The next Sting is the 1990 World Heavyweight Champion Sting in bright pink who also receives the Scorpion Death Drop on the entrance way. After that we get Wolfpac Sting with red face-paint who, yep, gets Scorpion Death Dropped on the entrance way (I'm guessing to dispose of them faster?), and then when we think that all the Stings are gone, we get Crow Sting, maybe circa '97, who cuts his way through the mat and drags Sting down into the hole to "hell". Luckily our hero, the real Sting, makes short work of this black and white Sting as he throws him out of the ring to get back to Jarrett. But wait! Here comes another black and white Sting - this time it's rafter-repelling Sting who gets his wig taken off to reveal that he is actually "Sting from the year 2525"; 70 year old Sting is then Scorpion Death Dropped on the announce table.
"Where's the Black Scorpion, we need him now!" - Mark Madden
Taking out what Sting thought was the last of his mirror-image impostors was not the end of the match, however. Sting tries to go back in to finish Double J off with the Scorpion Deathlock, but the Sting from under the ring reappears and smashes a guitar over real Sting's real head. Luckily though, Sting no-sells the guitar shot and Scorpion Death Drops the fourth Sting, who now has blood all over his face. Sting putting away bloody Stinger gives Jeff Jarrett time to find another guitar to use on Sting. Jarrett succeeds in smashing the guitar over Sting's head, all the while, the ref (Slick Johnson, of course) is off somewhere looking for more Stings and doesn't notice the shards of wood in the ring as he returns to give Jarrett the three count.
So yeah, this was a clusterfuck. A big heaping pile of Vince Russo shit clusterfuck.
The best - I say best because it's funny to me - part of this whole bad idea gimmick is that Jeff Jarrett, whose grudge with Sting was a combination of Sting losing his heart (a classic feud saying which means nothing at all except to bring in heat), refusing to retire, and not being as good as he was in his hey-day, is the fact that Jeff Jarrett would do this again in TNA (when Sting was returning to action in 2006) with Eric Young as 90's Sting (he also portrayed The Great Muta against Mr. Anderson Sting 5 years after), knock-knock who's there? Braden Walker (Chris Harris) as the black and white Sting with James Storm (a man who would eventually be champion of the company 6 years later) in a chicken suit as The Crow, Sting's mascot, and last but definitely not least, Monty Brown as the black daddy Sting with a little Stinger baby. Boy oh boy, do I love when history repeats itself...
A bonus to the 2006 TNA Sting impersonation gag was that Chris Harris, who portrayed a very spot-on black and white Sting, was also one of the impostor Stings in the match above. I'm not sure exactly which Sting he played but I'm almost positive it was bloody black and white Sting.
That's all I got.
Jarrett and Sting have had a long running history together not just in TNA but also in WCW. And while Sting was still the cornerstone and backbone of WCW after all the NWO business settled and WCW was running out of steam, Jeff Jarrett, who was always jumping ship sort of just rose to the top in 2000 - now all the sudden was WCW's "Chosen One". Jarrett's main eventing status at this time may have merely been do in part by the lack of talent, talent that WWF and its impending Monday Night War victory was picking up by the truck loads. Don't get me wrong, Jeff Jarrett is one of the greatest heels in professional wrestling, but it took him forever to get over and when he did, he didn't even have to do anything for it. I mean, now that I think about it, did Jeff Jarrett really ever get anything in his career by actually earning it? And yet here he is in 2000; the king of the mountain while Sting is at the bottom of the barrel trying to earn US title shots and doing gimmick matches with Vampiro.
So what better way to honor Sting and his amazing commitment to a company that was once on top of the world and now on its way out the door faster than a Flair blade job? By making him face impostors of himself from better times than 2000. Yep, instead of wrestling Jeff Jarrett in this match which would have been decent at best, Sting really ends up fighting five guys who dressed up like him during different points of his career.
The first Stinger we see is a light green pants-ed late 90's Sting (Tenay says he's the sting from Halloween Havoc 1989 but Sting wore black that year) who gets a Scorpion Death Drop delivered to him on the entrance way. The next Sting is the 1990 World Heavyweight Champion Sting in bright pink who also receives the Scorpion Death Drop on the entrance way. After that we get Wolfpac Sting with red face-paint who, yep, gets Scorpion Death Dropped on the entrance way (I'm guessing to dispose of them faster?), and then when we think that all the Stings are gone, we get Crow Sting, maybe circa '97, who cuts his way through the mat and drags Sting down into the hole to "hell". Luckily our hero, the real Sting, makes short work of this black and white Sting as he throws him out of the ring to get back to Jarrett. But wait! Here comes another black and white Sting - this time it's rafter-repelling Sting who gets his wig taken off to reveal that he is actually "Sting from the year 2525"; 70 year old Sting is then Scorpion Death Dropped on the announce table.
"Where's the Black Scorpion, we need him now!" - Mark Madden
Taking out what Sting thought was the last of his mirror-image impostors was not the end of the match, however. Sting tries to go back in to finish Double J off with the Scorpion Deathlock, but the Sting from under the ring reappears and smashes a guitar over real Sting's real head. Luckily though, Sting no-sells the guitar shot and Scorpion Death Drops the fourth Sting, who now has blood all over his face. Sting putting away bloody Stinger gives Jeff Jarrett time to find another guitar to use on Sting. Jarrett succeeds in smashing the guitar over Sting's head, all the while, the ref (Slick Johnson, of course) is off somewhere looking for more Stings and doesn't notice the shards of wood in the ring as he returns to give Jarrett the three count.
So yeah, this was a clusterfuck. A big heaping pile of Vince Russo shit clusterfuck.
The best - I say best because it's funny to me - part of this whole bad idea gimmick is that Jeff Jarrett, whose grudge with Sting was a combination of Sting losing his heart (a classic feud saying which means nothing at all except to bring in heat), refusing to retire, and not being as good as he was in his hey-day, is the fact that Jeff Jarrett would do this again in TNA (when Sting was returning to action in 2006) with Eric Young as 90's Sting (he also portrayed The Great Muta against Mr. Anderson Sting 5 years after), knock-knock who's there? Braden Walker (Chris Harris) as the black and white Sting with James Storm (a man who would eventually be champion of the company 6 years later) in a chicken suit as The Crow, Sting's mascot, and last but definitely not least, Monty Brown as the black daddy Sting with a little Stinger baby. Boy oh boy, do I love when history repeats itself...
A bonus to the 2006 TNA Sting impersonation gag was that Chris Harris, who portrayed a very spot-on black and white Sting, was also one of the impostor Stings in the match above. I'm not sure exactly which Sting he played but I'm almost positive it was bloody black and white Sting.
That's all I got.
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