chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 8, 2024 0:13:46 GMT -5
So, I mentioned this in the main Mania thread, but back in 2017 in Hopkins, Minnesota at an ROH show I saw Punishment Martinez (fresh off the awful Sullivan/Whitmer pairing after Corino left) vs a pre-Switchblade Jay White. Both enter to largely indifference from the crowd, but by the end got a damn near standing ovation. I knew that night, if given the chance and striking the right chord, both could and will do amazing things. Been a fan of Damien since he was a stand-out in the 2016 ROH Top Prospect tournament (probably the best they ever did) and especially after how likable he was in QT Marshall's mid-2010s documentary 'The Wrestler' where a young pre-ROH Martinez/Priest just absolutely steals the show with how likable as a prospective wrestler he is. The man debuted in 2005 (not a typo) and just kept at it and here his stands now on the verge of turning 42-years-old and he's won his first world championship and he did it at Wrestlemania. Never, ever, ever, EVER give up on your dreams. Ever. Never let the difficulty reaching those dreams change who you are or how you treat people. Ever. The more I think about it, the more feel good I feel. I never saw a super huge amount of him in ROH, but generally enjoyed what I saw. Meanwhile you have the thread when his signing was announced where everyone was crapping on him. officialfan.proboards.com/thread/578724/punishment-martinez-signs-wweI never got the hate tbh. He was Dalton Castle's first ROH title feud and they absolutely brought the best out of each other. Beyond his own match abilities, his selling is super underrated too. Jeff Cobb squashing him for the ROH TV title essentially made his career. I love Cobb, but do think Martinez being his size and still selflessly making Cobb's moves all look so devastating on the way out was a tremendous boost. EDIT: Holy shit I'm the very first response in this thread and it reminded me of the mountain of charity outreach work he did for ROH even as a heel. Once again, I've been absolved by history.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 23:57:41 GMT -5
So, I mentioned this in the main Mania thread, but back in 2017 in Hopkins, Minnesota at an ROH show I saw Punishment Martinez (fresh off the awful Sullivan/Whitmer pairing after Corino left) vs a pre-Switchblade Jay White. Both enter to largely indifference from the crowd, but by the end got a damn near standing ovation.
I knew that night, if given the chance and striking the right chord, both could and will do amazing things.
Been a fan of Damien since he was a stand-out in the 2016 ROH Top Prospect tournament (probably the best they ever did) and especially after how likable he was in QT Marshall's mid-2010s documentary 'The Wrestler' where a young pre-ROH Martinez/Priest just absolutely steals the show with how likable as a prospective wrestler he is.
The man debuted in 2005 (not a typo) and just kept at it and here his stands now on the verge of turning 42-years-old and he's won his first world championship and he did it at Wrestlemania.
Never, ever, ever, EVER give up on your dreams. Ever. Never let the difficulty reaching those dreams change who you are or how you treat people. Ever.
The more I think about it, the more feel good I feel.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 23:48:55 GMT -5
9 for me. Could have done without Bubba or Punk. Otherwise an excellent show.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 23:47:15 GMT -5
I want to go back in time and inform 2017 ROH fans that Punishment Martinez would one day win the World title at WrestleMania. As someone who was in Hopkins, Minnesota that year watching Punishment Martinez and a pre-Switchblade Jay White completely win over a crowd - I had a feeling then that both were going to go on to do absolutely huge things. So proud of him. I don't know if anyone else has seen QT Marshall's mid-2010s documentary 'The Wrestler' about his last attempt at trying to get to WWE, but a pre-ROH Martinez/Priest is in it and comes off as the most likable dude in the film. You just want the cameras to start following him and root for him.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 23:36:25 GMT -5
I don't mean to be snobby, but the difference between the scale of WrestleMania as an event, and the outlets that show up at these press conferences is enormous. I haven't watched the press conference yet (just finished the show unspoiled on a two hour delay) but in terms of the outlets' clothing were there almost no suits, barely any collared shirts and mostly people in merch and stained t-shirts again?
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 19:00:41 GMT -5
He's not my favorite, no. What do you think of D-Von? Absolutely love him, wish his 2002 Reverend D-Von schtick lasted longer.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 19:00:14 GMT -5
HEY! IT'S THE GUY WHOSE SHITTY BOOKING FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY SENT FANS AWAY IN DROVES FROM RING OF HONOR THAT TOOK A GLOBAL PANDEMIC TO WIN THEM BACK! THE WORST MIND FOR THE WRESTLING BUSINESS WITH A PODCAST THAT'S ONLY LISTENED TO BY DIVORCED DADS WHO ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO SEE THEIR KIDS ON THE WEEKEND AND STILL DON'T! BUBBA RAY DUDLEY! Bubba to Chaz: Just be a fan, OK?! Hahahahaha, that popped me
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:59:21 GMT -5
Snoop out here being the best guest commentator all weekend!
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:58:07 GMT -5
2006's 'The Blue Carpet Treatment' is outstanding and one of the best aging rap albums of that decade. Highly recommend revisiting it if you haven't heard it since it dropped. Snoop's said it's the album he made to impress his children when he found out that none of them considered him a Top 5 rapper, so he wanted to show just how much he could really rap. Probably the last great Nate Dogg hook is on there too. I also thought "No Limit Top Dogg" and "Tha Last Meal" were solid albums. I'd agree with that. Solid's a good word for it. Only real missteps on those come from the guest appearances. That said, 'Blue Carpet' I'd put a step above solid into legitimate spectacular territory. Still amazing that era Snoop did that. 2006's 'The Blue Carpet Treatment' is outstanding and one of the best aging rap albums of that decade. Highly recommend revisiting it if you haven't heard it since it dropped. Snoop's said it's the album he made to impress his children when he found out that none of them considered him a Top 5 rapper, so he wanted to show just how much he could really rap. Probably the last great Nate Dogg hook is on there too. he's actually been really good with changing things up too. his public persona can get a little old and make people think he is resting on his laurels but there's almost always at least a few that go hard on each album! I'd agree with that. "Sexual Seduction" is great too, and one of the rare cases where the clean version is superior to the album version.
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:52:20 GMT -5
HEY! IT'S THE GUY WHOSE SHITTY BOOKING FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY SENT FANS AWAY IN DROVES FROM RING OF HONOR THAT TOOK A GLOBAL PANDEMIC TO WIN THEM BACK! THE WORST MIND FOR THE WRESTLING BUSINESS WITH A PODCAST THAT'S ONLY LISTENED TO BY DIVORCED DADS WHO ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO SEE THEIR KIDS ON THE WEEKEND AND STILL DON'T! BUBBA RAY DUDLEY! So, not a fan? He's not my favorite, no.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:48:28 GMT -5
Snoop did Doggystyle so he's a legend for eternity, but hes been crap since then. 2006's 'The Blue Carpet Treatment' is outstanding and one of the best aging rap albums of that decade. Highly recommend revisiting it if you haven't heard it since it dropped. Snoop's said it's the album he made to impress his children when he found out that none of them considered him a Top 5 rapper, so he wanted to show just how much he could really rap. Probably the last great Nate Dogg hook is on there too.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:46:17 GMT -5
HEY! IT'S THE GUY WHOSE SHITTY BOOKING FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY SENT FANS AWAY IN DROVES FROM RING OF HONOR THAT TOOK A GLOBAL PANDEMIC TO WIN THEM BACK!
THE WORST MIND FOR THE WRESTLING BUSINESS WITH A PODCAST THAT'S ONLY LISTENED TO BY DIVORCED DADS WHO ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO SEE THEIR KIDS ON THE WEEKEND AND STILL DON'T!
BUBBA RAY DUDLEY!
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:09:58 GMT -5
Everyone knows the true national anthem begins with "come my lady, come, come my lady"
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 18:09:11 GMT -5
No America the Beautiful? At all this year? A TRUE NEW ERA! I'm just glad there's no Lee Greenwald.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 17:58:07 GMT -5
lmao You just know he got blocked for that!
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 16:50:06 GMT -5
I agree with TK's decision to escalate this. Not because I think its going to make anyone look good but because I support drama. Flame on Tony. Seriously, what the f*** was the ECIII/Kevin Kelly thing?
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 16:35:55 GMT -5
Tony literally said the other day that he's spent more money than he wanted to this year but yolo, he's still going to go big on any future free agents. The dude has the cheat code of unlimited money, he's not sitting there fretting about his business plan. Surely you don't believe Paul Heyman set out to do those things? They were (poor) reactions to circumstances Tony will never have to face barring some collapse of his dad's wealth. I know this is a very tough (some would say EXTREMEly tough) pill to swallow, but Paul absolutely did. If you really want to compare "cheat codes" - look at Acclaim wiping out ECW's entire debt when they purchased part of the company back in 1999. ECW had a blank slate with a TV deal and toy deal on the horizon - and Paul goes out of his way to keep f***ing over all of his partners and making the same mistakes again. I'd wager to guess most people who get a second chance at a crumbling business wouldn't go right back to making the same mistakes within the same calendar year - but that's exactly what Paul did. It's why I suspect he has a very self-destructive core in the most unsexy way. The not working with any of the crew or extra broadcast slots TNN were willing to give him - there's no logical remotely respectable or understandable business approach where that would make any, any *any* sense. If you look at the bankruptcy court filings, the contemporary television industry trade coverage, or really any source that isn't a WWE or Heyman owned rehabbing of his image, he was a businessman whose primary business was making sure he himself never looked like the guy who f***ed up and f***ed over. But the paper trail always goes back to him.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 7, 2024 14:19:13 GMT -5
Long term: I like the potential program of Gable beating Gunther for the world title.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 6, 2024 2:31:37 GMT -5
f***, can't believe I'm about to buy my first Madden game in 15 years solely to play as Smokey.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 6, 2024 2:29:28 GMT -5
I would NOT say it's as popular as it's ever been. It's potentially getting there, but rewatching a lot of non-WWE owned 1985 footage from local news coverage of the events leading up to Wrestlemania, it's not there.
Hogan/T vs Piper/Orndorff has public comments from Tina Turner, the vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, National Organization for Women head Gloria Steinem and Little Richard. Additionally, you had the direct involvement from the biggest starts in television, music and the art world involved.
Media has changed a lot in the last 40 years. Some would say nothing can capture that much of a zeitgeist again, but last year we had Taylor Swift and we had Barbenheimer.
Until wrestling reaches that kind of not just popularity, but ubiquity, it's not "as popular as its ever been."
We're near Attitude Era level heating up, but lets keep expectations and reality in check.
Anyway, to answer your main question, I think 2018 was the very first year you could say was more misses than hits. Every year has things that don't work and there's plenty of rough patches, but bad years like 1995 you can look at a lot of the calendar and say they at least spent the majority of the time making the most of what they had. 2018 is really the dire spot where the bad outweights the good and the scales don't really have an entire year tipping back for the full 12 months past that.
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