My feelings about WWE are no secret, and yet, even I was shocked by what happened there this week. Vince McMahon, having already decided to put his wrestlers at risk by running live TV, culled the roster, releasing name after name into a world where their chances of finding employment are severely reduced. People who a few days before were so essential they were asked to fly across the country during a pandemic, were now told they didn’t have a job. It was a callous and evil act that proved, once again, Vince does not give a flying fuck about the men and women who work for him.
Continue reading “Fuck WWE, Love Wrestling”ChocoProLIVE! Episode Three Ramble
It’s safe to say that there is not much going on in the world of wrestling at the moment. Unless you’re a WWE or AEW fan, your cravings are probably not being met. Thankfully, Emi Sakura and co are here to help because after I raved about the first episode of ChocoProLIVE!, they’ve only gone and got better.
Continue reading “ChocoProLIVE! Episode Three Ramble”TJPW: Battling Without Fans
When you get past the discussion as to whether wrestling should be running empty arena shows, the biggest talking point for most fans at the moment is how to go about making those shows work. As I write this, the only WWE I’ve watched took place in a graveyard, but it’s safe to say their television efforts have been widely criticised and while AEW hasn’t been quite as badly received, no-one is screaming from the rooftops about them being shows of the year. Wrestling is struggling with how to present itself in a fan-less environment, and it’s quite interesting watching companies scramble for answers.
Continue reading “TJPW: Battling Without Fans”ChocoProLIVE! And Doing It Yourself
Coronavirus might be putting the world under lock and key, but even that can’t stop Emi Sakura. Over the weekend she debuted ChocoProLIVE!, a wrestling show broadcast live on YouTube from the famous Ichigaya Chocolate Square And boy, did they have a name to help them kick things off as they said hello to Murder Grandpa himself, Minoru Suzuki.
Continue reading “ChocoProLIVE! And Doing It Yourself”Some Matches That Might Convince You To Watch Wrestling
The world is fucking weird at the moment and, as of today, I don’t have a job, so if you like my rambles, get ready to see a lot more of them. With that weirdness, there are suddenly a lot of people with a hella lot of time on their hands. Now, I don’t normally do listicles on this website because, well, why would I? I spent some time in the trenches of making money by writing for WhatCulture, and it ain’t much fun. However, what better way to spend all that free time than by getting into everyone’s favourite pseudo-sport, wrassling! Usually, when people try to get you into wrestling, they’ll go straight to WWE. There is a decent chance they’ll show you Mick Foley being thrown off a cage because of the wrestling fan’s innate need to prove it’s not fake. However, that’s dumb, and WWE sucks. So, I’ve decided to put together a list of matches, all of which you can watch for free, that might tempt you to fall in love with this world that gives me so much joy.
Continue reading “Some Matches That Might Convince You To Watch Wrestling”Miyako Matsumoto vs Chikara: Wrestling Can Be Anything
I have long been a supporter of the idea that wrestling can be whatever you want it to be. Whether it’s the Marvel-esque crash and bang of New Japan main events, the art-house genius of Gatoh Move or whatever the fuck it is WWE is up to, wrestling’s beauty comes from its ability to be twisted into any form.
Continue reading “Miyako Matsumoto vs Chikara: Wrestling Can Be Anything”Manabu Nakanishi: Going Out In Style
I have no deep connection to Manabu Nakanishi. By the time I started watching Japanese wrestling, he was firmly rooted in his role as a New Japan Dad. The years weighed heavily on him, and he’d slipped into the world of Young Lion matches and undercard tags. However, I’ve always loved the Dads. There is something beautiful about these grizzled old veterans, beaten up and hurting, but refusing to die. Every time they wander down to that ring, they are trying to prove their fire still burns. Perhaps ironically, Nakanishi would prove his fire is still roaring in his final ever match.
Continue reading “Manabu Nakanishi: Going Out In Style”Natsumi Maki vs Miyu Yamashita: Progression Through Defeat
Since returning from injury, Natsumi Maki has been determined to prove herself. She might not have gone after the biggest dogs in the yard, but she definitely went after those who kick the hardest. Up first, was her close friend Sareee, with whom she had a fantastic match based on mutual respect. Maki lost, but she came out the other side feeling like she’d taken a step forward and was emboldened to challenge The Mega Champ, Miyu Yamashita.
Continue reading “Natsumi Maki vs Miyu Yamashita: Progression Through Defeat”Jushin Thunder Liger: The Perfect Wrestler
On January 6th, New Japan said goodbye to Jushin Thunder Liger. By wrestling at the Tokyo Dome on both the 4th and 5th Liger had made sure that during his thirty-five-year career (and he wasn’t far off hitting thirty-six) he’d wrestled in five decades. According to Cagematch, those five decades included 4205 matches (and let’s be honest, they’ll have missed a few) 113 of which took place in 2019. During that time, he arguably redefined the role of the Junior Heavyweight, becoming a star recognisable to anyone who has ever shared even a passing interest in the world of pro-wrestling.
Continue reading “Jushin Thunder Liger: The Perfect Wrestler”Maki Itoh vs Thunder Rosa: The Quest For Acceptance
When you strip it down to its bare bones, Maki Itoh’s journey through the world of wrestling has been a desperate quest for acceptance. She entered this weird and wonderful form of entertainment feeling like idol had rejected her, chewing her up and spitting her out. To recover, she sought to prove herself in a different medium, one that bore similarities but allowed Itoh to be a lot more, well, Itoh.
Continue reading “Maki Itoh vs Thunder Rosa: The Quest For Acceptance”
Ramblings About Wrestling 