So the world is abuzz after ESPN’s feature on Scott Hall on their E:60 docu-series.

 

While I do agree it is an incredibly sad case and I feel for him and his family there isn’t really a whole lot of new information. His situation does bare a striking resemblance to Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, anyone who follows the wrestling business knows there are dozens of other cases just like Hall.

 

However…

 

I would like to take to task the promoter of the event that displayed Hall in the state he was in. Now first and foremost, Hall NEVER should have arrived at the venue in that state. He was booked and should have been ready to perform whatever it is they had planned for him.

 

Now, with that being said…. The promoter of the show NEVER should have shoved Hall in front of a crowd in that state. As fragile as it is, and while others may disagree, there is somewhat of a fraternity in our business. A brotherhood. No one goes out to hurt anyone intentionally or to make anyone else look bad.

 

By displaying Hall that night, he made Hall, his promotion, all his talent and the entire wrestling industry look horrible. He flippantly said the fans “wanted Hall so he gave them Hall.” Hopefully he never falls on hard times and needs to be bailed out by his peers.

So I was thinking about the race driver that was killed in a crash on Sunday… My first instinctual thought was “Well, you’re driving around at 200 MPH so you can’t be surprised that something like this could happen to you…”

 

But then I thought about something that I am passionate about, pro wrestling. When something like that happens in our industry (and I don’t mean an Eddy Guerrero thing or a Benoit thing but a death in the ring during competition, which has happened) it rocks our community pretty hard, and pro wrestlers put their bodies on the line in a somewhat similar fashion as race drivers. So even if I can’t really identify with it, a tragedy is a tragedy.

-Seems like the mic audio is cutting in and out during the Briscoes promo.

 

-And we bleep “bitch.”

 

-The live event promos are way old school, I’ve read that a lot of folks don’t like it but I think it’s all good.

 

-The Tomasso Ciampa vignette was interesting. A good way to introduce new guys and help get them over.

 

-MATCH: Andy Ridge vs. Tomasso Ciampa.

 

-Ciampa has an awesome finisher. A powerbomb into a backbreaker. Basically a squash.

 

-Roderick Strong is an awful heel.

 

-MATCH: ROH World title – Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards (c)

 

-Strong taps to the ankle lock after they beat the shit out of each other for a half hour. Another stellar match for the 2.

-The build for Roode vs. Angle has been pretty solid.

 

-MATCH: Gunner vs. Kazarian.

 

-Kaz taps to an arm bar after having the ar, worked over the whole match. Gunner doesn’t release the hold so the ref reverses the decision. Standard stuff….

 

-Weird end to the Bully Ray/Anderson promo.

 

-MATCH: Mickie James & Velvet Sky vs. Winter & Madison Rayne.

 

-Heels win with the good ol’ TNA roll up, that being saidnit wasn’t a bad match.

 

-The segment with Jeff Hardy and Bischoff was interesting. Quite interested to see how this is going to play out.

 

-MATCH: Samoa Joe vs. Crimson.

 

-The live event graphics are very distracting during a match.

 

-Crimson is on the defensive for the majority of the match but wins with the good ol’ TNA roll up. I’m not sold on Crimson yet, doesn’t do much for me.

 

-MATCH: Bobby Roode vs. James Storm.

 

-Angle runs in after a ref bump and attacks Storm, leading to Roode winning with a fisherman suplex. Announcers are perplexed.

 

-HATED the way they handled the Hogan retirement angle. How can you fuck that up?? Yeesh.

-MATCH: Christian vs. Sheamus.

 

-Miz and Truth show up with tickets which prompts Johnny Ace to appear and have them removed.

 

-Pretty quiet crowd.

 

-Sheamus goes over with the bro kick or whatever it’s called. Solid work by both but this crowd may be difficult to win over or they are sitting on their hands waiting for the cage.

 

-MATCH: Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara.

 

-Heel is in black, looks cool.

 

-What to say… The crowd HATED this match which is unfortunate because it wasn’t a bad match. I even heard a few boring chants. I’m sure if you ask Mistico and Hunico they both weren’t happy with the match, it wasn’t as “tight” as I think they both would have liked. But that being said it was a fun match with a lot of high Lucha spots and I liked it. For the record, blue won with a flipping power bomb.

 

-MATCH: WWE Tag Team titles – Air Boom (c) vs. Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler.

 

-Bourne reverses a powerbomb off the top into hurracanrana to pin Swagger. Not much to say, standard.

 

-MATCH: Hell in a Cell – World Chmpionship – Mark Henry (c) vs. Randy Orton.

 

-Another PPV in 3 weeks?

 

-Henry wins a somewhat lackluster match with the WSS. I don’t have a problem with Henry as Champion but lets move on from Orton.

 

-Love the classic IC title, hate the white strap. Cool idea for Cody. Now just to get rid of that fucking spinner.

 

-I HATE that they are using Lauranaitis as an on air character. He comes out and says Rhodes has to defend the title…..

 

-MATCH: WWE Intercontinental Title – Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Morrison.

 

-Rhodes wins with a surprise roll up, pretty solid bonus match. Cody is running with the ball, good work.

 

-Miz and Truth are found attacking Air Boom, HHH and Lauranaitis argue, blah blah blah.

 

-MATCH: WWE Divas title – Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Beth Phoenix.

 

-Nattie grabbing the microphone was a weird partmof the finish. Glam Slam, new champ. Blah.

 

-MATCH: WWE Title – Hell in a Cell – John Cena (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk.

 

-Punks back is cut. Not sure if by the cage or the steps.

 

-And we get into the traditional triple threat style of one guy sells on the floor while the other 2 work in the ring.

 

-Rodriguez assaults a ref and opens the cell, Cena FU’s him out, and Del Rio pushes him out and locks the door. I like it.

 

-Del Rio pins Punk after a couple of shots from a pipe Ricardo passed him.

 

-Miz and Truth show up and attack Cena, the cell lowers again and HHH and Lauranaitis can’t get in. Miz and Truth reign supreme!

 

-Cops show up with bolt cutters and Truth and Miz “surrender.”

 

-After they are cuffed, HHH attacks them… Crazy end to an awesome match from a mediocre PPV.

-MATCH: Pac vs. Kevin Steen.

 

-Funny commentary from the PWG guys but they are talking over Steen and Pac who were doing some business in the ring.

 

-First time I’ve seen Pac and he lives up to the hype in terms of his high flying ability.

 

-Steen gets his knees up on a PAC shooting start and rolls him up for the win. Good opener, lots of comedy and crowd interaction. Pacs inverted 450 is sick.

 

-Brian Cage-Taylor vs. Brandon Gatson.

 

-Don’t know much about either of these guys…

 

-The commentary with Chris Hero, Excalibur and co. is pretty funny.

 

-Cage-Taylor wins with a move he calls the weapon X. Both guys looked really good, Gatson is very agile for a guy his size but he needs new ring gear.

 

-MATCH: El Genrico & Ricochet vs. Alex Shelley & Roderick Strong.

 

-Strong pins Ricochet after a fucked up looking vertical suplex into a backbreaker. Shelley and Strong make a good team.

 

-Generico and Ricochet argue after the match, ending with Generico getting spit on.

 

-MATCH: Pretty Peter Avalon vs. Ryan Taylor.

 

-Never seen these guys before either.

 

-Avalon wins after botched interference from Cage Taylor. Not much but not bad….

 

-MATCH: Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma vs. Joey Ryan & Scorpio Sky.

 

-Early part of the match is a brawl on the floor which is fun for the fans but doesn’t translate well on TV.

 

-Johnny Goodtime with a series of cool highspots.

 

-Sky takes a sick vertical suplex to the outside.

 

-Turned out to be a really fun match once it got in the ring, the 2 Johnnys win with a combo-dvd finisher after the Young Bucks distract Joey Ryan. Johnny Goodtime was very impressive.

 

-MATCH: The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & CIMA.

 

-Matt Jackson taps to a Steen Sharpshooter and a meteor from CIMA. Good match, not enough CIMA for my liking but definitely good shit.

 

-I think Kevin Steen may be one of the next guys picked up by TNA.

 

-MATCH: PWG World Title – Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Chris Hero.

 

-Kings of Wrestling Explode!

 

-Excalibur and Kevin Steen on commentary is interesting to say the least…

 

-The first ten minutes is a mat wrestling clinic.

 

-Castagnoli works over Hero’s leg at length and Hero sells like a champ.

 

-Announcers really emphasize Castagnoli’s viciousness towards his partner and friend.

 

-Hero finally taps to the Neutralizer. Great psychology by both guys. Not too long but long enough to tell the story.

 

-Afterwards, Kevin Steen approaches the ring and says he He has earned his title shot and says he wants to go right now. Claudio says no and walks out. Steen chats with the fans a Castagnoli jumps him from behind and says ring the bell. Young Bucks hit the ring and double super kick Steen but only for a 2 count. Sky and Ryan take care of the Bucks. Steen hits a package piledriver and pins him and the crowd goes NUTS.

 

Fun show.

I forgot to actually post these, but it’s our trip to Ontario this summer. Enjoy!

 

3BTV – X Canada Part 1

3BTV – X Canada Part 2

3BTV – X Canada Part 3

3BTV – X Canada Part 4

3BTV – X Canada Part 5

3BTV – X Canada Part 6

 

-Dave Prazak, Kevin Kelly and Jim Cornette welcome us and Corny informs us this is the biggest crowd in ROH history.

 

-MATCH: Colt Cabana vs. Tomasso Ciampa.

-Who the fuck is Tomasso Ciampa?

-Some comedy spots with the ref to start off. Wouldn’t be a Colt match without something to laugh at.

-Ciampa finishes Colt with a powerbomb reversal into a backbreaker that I’m sure didn’t look as good as he’d had liked it too. A lot of comedy, not a great opener in my opinion.

-MATCH: Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal.

-Crowd is hot for Lethals return. He gets the extended shine before brutal Bob interferes for the heat.

-Lethal wins with the Macho Man elbow. pretty much a competitive squash if such a thing exists.

-MATCH: No Holds Barred streetlight – Rhino vs. Homicide.

-I know it’s silly to expect any psychology in a match like this but Homicide goes through a table and then pops up and goes on the offensive. Rhino is suplexed on a ladder and pops up on the offensive. Makes no sense.

-Homicide reverses a gore into a sunset flip for the win. Not a lot to it. Post match, Rhino gores him through a table.

-MATCH: Steve Corino vs. Michael Elgin.

-Corino introduced Kevin Steen who is still gone from ROH after losing to El Generico at Final Battle. Gets a great pop from fans who want him back.

-Thumb in the bum!

-Corino is lucky Elgin was to catch him on his tope or he would have spiked his head on the floor.

-I like Kevin Kelly much much better then that shithead from HDNet. Can’t remember his name.

-Elgin wins with a succession of power bombs. Not much to write about. Afterwards Elgin brawls with Jimmy Jacobs until Truth Martini hits him with the book. They beat on Jacobs until Steen returns to make the save. Crowd loves it. Steen gets the mic and heels out on everyone and piledriver Corino. Fans are livid. Good shit. Steen is dragged out by security. Cornette loses his shit and says we will never see Steen again.

-Corino lays in the ring for a long time.

-Awesome promo by Chris Daniels ruined by Truth Martini.

-MATCH: ROH Television Title – El Generico vs. Christopher Daniels (c)

-Daniels is a great heel. Haven’t seen it in a while.

-Generico wins with a sick brain buster onto the top turnbuckle. Good stuff.

-MATCH: ROH Tag Team Titles – Worlds Greatest Tag Team (c) vs. Kings of Wrestling vs. The Briscoes vs. The All Night Express.

-KoW are rapped to the ring, I thought it was cool. Chantal hated it.

-The Briscoes are the first eliminated, by the ANX. Stellar work by all the teams thus far. Fast paced action.

-Hero uses that “damn loaded elbow pad” to pin Titus, eliminating the Xpress. Great match so far.

-Haas pins Hero after a double spine buster for the win kind of a weak finish but a great match.

-MATCH: ROH World Title – Davey Richards vs. Eddie Edwards (c).

-They exchange some sick headbutts on the top rope. Gross.

-Richards wins by kicking Edwards head off his shoulders after the 2 beat the shit out of each other for half an hour. Unbelievably stiff and hard hitting. Awesome.

I thought it was incredible the way western Canada rallied around the young boy that was kidnapped in BC.  The live screen billboards had his face all over them, I was in Shoppers Drug Mart and the tills had his picture on all of them.  It was an amazing show of human unity.  No ones personal politics, or religion or views or opinions had any affect on the outpouring of support.

Why can’t it always be like this……

Looks like me and my better half are going on a four night Disney cruise in January… Can’t wait.