Song of the Day - The Unicorns: 2014

The Unicorns - The Unicorns: 2014 from 2014 (2004)

Tomorrow is 2014!

RIP 2013.

Last.fm

Match of the Day - Zayn/Cesaro's 2-outta-3 falls NXT match

Sami Zayn vs. Antonio Cesaro - 2 out of 3 falls match - NXT TV (2013)

One of if not the best kept WWE secrets is NXT. Not to be confused with that Tough Enough-type game show, NXT is WWE's replacement for FCW, their old developmental territory. Currently it serves as the place to be for wrestlers looking to hone his or her skills, shed the indie skin, and create a good gimmick.

One of the best new talents in NXT has to be Sami Zayn, a former masked generic luchadore in the indies, who is now trying to make a new name for himself as a Canadian wrestler of Syrian descent. Regardless of his simple gimmick, he already has the ability to put on tremendous matches. Exhibit A: his series of matches with WWE "Superstar" and no stranger to Zayn in the past, Antonio Cesaro. 

The match that stands out the most in the series has to be the 2-out-of-3 falls match the two had with each other earlier this year. It's a entertaining bout that sees two former big time indie wrestlers put on a wrestling masterpiece without needed excessive flips or big spots. That's right, I said it; a masterpiece. Check it out!

Song of the Day - I Have The Wine

Sat. Nite Duets - I Have The Wine from Electric Manland (2013)

A fuzzed-out anthem about getting too fucked up to die.


There's also a little "Oblivion" by Grimes in there too...

Last.fm

Match of the Day - Mr. Monday Night returns to Raw for the first time in 6 years

Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho - Raw (2013)

After returning to WWE at Money in the Bank, Rob Van Dam looked to impress the "Universe" by doing more than going through the motions as he did for most of his TNA run. So, for his return match to Raw he stepped his game up tremendously against some nobody from Calgary... err, wait, I mean Winnipeg, Chris Jericho.

While this match looked a bit sloppy to me at first, I had to keep coming back to because I knew I was missing something. After my fourth or so watch I take back the sloppy comment and replace it with yeah, this might just be my favorite match of Raw 2013. Mind you, even with that god awful "Download the WWE APP", "everything we say is trending", "Isn't social media great?" commentary.

Theme Week - 2013 Week!

Theme Week comes a little earlier than usual to usher in the new year. What better theme to do so than some great or noteworthy matches of 2013? The worst matches of 2013?

Enjoy!

Song of the Day - What Child Is This?

The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - What Child Is This? from Live at the AV Club "Xmas Under Cover" (2013)

The World is... turns the classic Christmas hymn known as "What Child Is This?" into a dark and dreary Christmas Eve nightmare.


Apparently they picked this song because the ICP Christmas song they originally wanted to cover was too hard to learn.

Last.fm

Merry Christmas!

Match of the Day - Mr. T in his referee pj's takes on Kevin Sullivan + Santamania

Kevin Sullivan vs. Mr. T - WCW Starrcade (1994)

Tis the season for a Christmas disaster.

Part way through the match Mr. T gets his zebra shirt stuck on his hands rendering the toughest man in Chicago useless. Then the camera man falls over and T tries to pin him or something before Santa Claus comes out and stands around for too long. Eventually someone in the crowd takes Santa's hat off and reveals that he is Kevin Sullivan's wannabe Hulk Hogan brother, Dave. Dave then stuffs his Santa sack with Jimmy Hart's megaphone and clubs his brother over the head with it to help our handless hero, Mr. T win the match.

The segment ends with the crazed Kevin Sullivan seeking retribution on his jolly clad brother by beating Dave with his pants down, piledriving him, and smacking him around for a bit with the leather Santa belt. No run-in from the real Santa Claus to help Dave, no run-in from Hulk Hogan, no run-in from Hulk Hogan as Santa with muscles, no nothing. Merry Christmas.

Song of the Day - Snow Angel

By Surprise - Snow Angel from Arbor Christmas: Volume 14 (2013)

By Surprise's annual Christmas song is out now via the Arbor Christmas collection!



Merry Christmas Eve!

Last.fm

Match of the Day - That other unification match that happened that one time

Chris Jericho vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - Match to unify the WWF Championship with WCW's World Heavyweight Championship and to crown the new Undisputed Champion - WWF Vengeance (2001)

WWE may be labeling Randy Orton and John Cena's TLC match to unify the WWE title and the World Heavyweight title as the first unification match of its kind, but as someone who watched WWF buy out WCW, the eventually Invasion angle, and the final unification match with both companies top titles, I would have to beg the differ on that. Yes, I am aware that Jericho and Austin were wrestling to unify the WWE and WCW titles, but that same WCW title is being considered the same title still used today (or was, we'll see what happens) as the World Heavyweight title when it was reintroduced in 2002. Saying that this title here is not the same as the one John Cena held before TLC, yet saying that the title that Booker T won in WCW is the same, is completely ridiculous. By the way, if you go back and watch Jericho's entrance from the previous match you can clearly see Jericho is labeled as the "World Heavyweight" Champion; not just the WCW Champion.

Clearly someone just wants to make this Orton/Cena showdown huge by calling it the first of its kind.

The context behind this Austin/Jericho unification match is that there was a mini-tournament of sorts to crown the first undisputed champion by combining the WWE title with WCW's World heavyweight title. The first match was Kurt Angle taking on the WWF champ, Steve Austin, then The Rock (unsuccessfully) defended the World Heavyweight title against Chris Jericho. Jericho, just hot of winning the WHC had to take on Austin in the match above to crown the very first Undisputed Champion. The rest is history.

Song of the Day - Where a River Starts and Ends

Kal Marks - Where a River Starts and Ends from Life is Murder (2013)

Here's a really good last minute find from the year 2013.

If you like weird vocals and bumping indie rock, you are gonna love Kal Marks.



From Beantown.

Last.fm

Match of the Day - Chris Hero/Eddie Kingston loser leaves CZW match

Chris Hero vs. Eddie Kingston - Loser Leaves CZW match - CZW Out With the Old, In With the New (2007)

In honor of Chris Hero's return to the Combat Zone tonight, I present the heated blood feud of Hero vs. Eddie Kingston - loser leaves CZW for good. You can tell that these two really didn't like each other, in the ring or out. That being said, this is less like a wrestling match and more like a straight up, back and forth stiff fest; slow brewed to the very final strike. 

PS: The loser did happen to make a one match return to CZW in 2010. 

Song of the Day - Glasgow

Øjne - Glasgow from Undici/Dodici (2013)

Italian Screamo reminiscent of Raein and La quiete.



English subtitles are provided on their bandcamp, but I honestly wouldn't know what they were saying if it was in English. Regardless, "Glasgow" is a great track.

PS: The dialogue in the beginning is from the 1984 film, entitled, Paris, Texas.

Last.fm

Match of the Day - HBK scores a Big Bossman/Mankind ladder match

Big Bossman vs. Mankind - Ladder match for the Hardcore title - Monday Night Raw (1998)

Mankind defends his Hardcore title against the one man 'Shield' for the Corporation, the Big Bossman. During the match, Shawn Michaels, commissioner at the time, provides commentary as well as scores during the match for Mankind's performance a la cue cards. The Rock also happens to makes an appearance in the match.

Theme Results

TLC: Ladder.

Song of the Day - O.P.P.

O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature from Naughty By Nature (1991)

Are you down wit O.P.P.?

Yeah, you know me.

Last.fm

Match of the Day - The Chair on a Pole match

Crowbar vs. Meng - Chair on a Pole match - WCW Thunder (2001)

A "Chair on a Pole" match. Featuring the alternate chair at ringside, paisley versus Daffney, and overreacting Stevie Ray.

Enough said.

Theme Results

TLC: Chairs.

Song of the Day - Dancing In My Dick

My Dick - Dancing In My Dick from My Dick's Double Full-Length Release (2012)

The Boss? More like The Dick.



This is a Bruce Springsteen dick cover by the way.

Last.fm

Match of the Day - ECW's barbed wire TLC match

Sabu vs. Sandman - Stairway To Hell match - ECW House Party (1998)

Even ECW had their own variation to a simple ladder match going in the late 90's to early 00's. The match was called a "Stairway To Hell" match and was much more like a pole match than a ladder match as the object was to retrieve a weapon hanging above the ring for use, but the retrieval did not end the match. The weapon of choice, of course, was a big ball of barbed wire.

This is ECW's first Stairway To Hell featuring the cane wielding, beer drinking, cigarette smoking, Sandman versus the homicidal, genocidal, and incredibility suicidal, Sabu.

Theme Results

TLC: All of 'em.

Match of the Day - A TLC match from across the border

Abyss & Chessman vs. Extreme Tiger & Jack Evans - AAA Tag Titles TLC match - AAA Heroes Immortales (2011)

Here's a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match from AAA in Mexico. It's Chessman (not "Cheeseman") and TNA's Abyss taking on the masked high-flyer, Extreme Tiger and the "P-Town" homeboy, Jack Evans. Tiger & Evans are the champs while Abyss & Chessman are the challengers. Enjoy!

Theme Results

TLC: All of 'em.

Song of the Day - Dogfood

Sleeping Bag & Rozwell Kid - Dogfood from Dreamboat (2013)

Indie rock poppers, Sleeping Bag (IN) & Rozwell Kid (WV) have teamed up to show the world that cool collaborations are for not just for the big name pop stars. And by teamed up, I mean they sent each other music via e-mail.



This song itself is about eating dogfood because there's no more chips left.

Last.fm (Sleeping Bag)
Last.fm (Rozwell Kid)

Match of the Day - The first one on one TLC match in WWE

Ric Flair vs. Edge - TLC match for the WWE Championship - Raw (2006)

While maybe overlooked by wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels and The Hardy Boyz when it comes to who's who of ladder matches, Edge is definitely a pioneer of the ladder match in his own right. He was in the very first tag team ladder match, the first ever triangle ladder match, the first three TLC tag team matches, seen here in the first ever singles TLC match, participated and won the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match, and has (as of right now) been in more TLC matches than anyone else. Looking at it that way, Edge should definitely not be overlooked when it comes to ladders and wrestling. His opponent in this first ever TLC match for the WWE title on the other hand, had never been in a TLC match, let alone a ladder match. Edge's opponent was familiar with one thing in this match of firsts however, and that was championship gold... his opponent was the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair after all, a 16 time World Champion. And it was also Flair's home state of North Carolina.

This match between Edge and Ric Flair is a PPV quality match that replaced the death-defying spots that the tag team TLC matches were praised for with pure brutality. I almost forget this match is even a ladder match until at least 10 minutes in. Someone eventually climbs the ladder and retrieves the title, but who?

Fun fact: This is the only TLC match where someone blades... You'll never guess which one did that *Cough* Flair *Cough*.

Theme results

TLC: All of 'em.

Theme Week - TLC Week!

Since it's the month of TLC, WWE's PPV dedicated to Tables, Ladders, and Chairs-related matches, it's only fitting that this week's theme be anything to do with those three things. Anything goes as longs as there's either a ladder, table, chair, combination of those three, or all three weapons used in a match.

TLC the group unrelated.