The hardest albums to review aren’t those so catastrophically bad that you want to slap the band round the face with the CD. Nor are they the technical masterclasses, albums so full of intricacies that ten years later you still hear something new. No, the real fucking buggers are the ones that are just alright. Not too bad, not too good. What the hell are you meant to say about that?
Meltzer’s Classics – Hansen & Gordy vs. Tenryu & Kawada
After a brief time in the US of A, we are back in Dave Meltzer’s beloved Japan for our next five-star classic. Once again it is a tag team match featuring Stan Hansen, but this time he teams up with Terry Gordy to take on Genichiro Tenryu and Toshiaki Kawada. This match was the final of the bizarrely named World’s Strongest Tag Determination League in All Japan Pro Wrestling.
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New Japan Pro Wrestling
Coming into 2017 I made the decision that from now on I was going to watch less WWE. With five hours of Raw and SmackDown and two PPVs a month enough was enough, and it was dampening my enthusiasm for other wrestling. Alongside that, I vowed that this would be the year I finally got into New Japan. I’ve watched a couple of Wrestle Kingdoms in the past, but it is time for me to give it the effort it deserves. With that in mind, the last two days have seen me sign up to New Japan World and tune into Wrestle Kingdom 11 and New Year Dash and as this is the internet in 2017, here are some things I learnt.
Uncharted 4
There’s a moment about three-quarters of the way through V when following a particularly gruelling shootout Nathan Drake and his long-suffering better half Elena stop to engage in some mild bickering about what has come before. Eventually, they sign an uneasy peace and get in the car to drive off elsewhere. What follows is 30 seconds to a minute of Naughty Dog at their best. The music rises and as the beautiful landscape flies past you can sit back and appreciate what they’ve created. It’s the giraffe in The Last Of Us all over again.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
There was a moment about ten hours into Dragon Age: Inquisition when I seriously considered packing the whole thing in and moving on. Every fight felt like a losing battle, and the story had all the gripping power of Jamie Langfield grasping for a cross (niche reference). It was only the fact that the game was already well over two years old and the knowledge that leaving it behind now was leaving it behind forever that convinced me to keep going. Thankfully, it turned out to be the right decision.
Meltzer’s Classics: War Games -The Four Horsemen vs. The Road Warriors, Paul Ellering and The Super Powers
‘This is War Games,’ as we dive into 1987 we hit our first five-star match which would feel at home in the world of sports entertainment. War Games sees two rings sit side by side with a giant cage covering both. Two teams of five go head to head, taking it in turns to have a man enter the structure until all ten men are in the ring at which point the match ends when someone is knocked out, surrenders or submits.
Top Twenty Albums Of 2016
If 2016 has been a great year for film, it has been a spectacular one for music. Every week seemed to bring another incredible album from musicians both old and new. It also made putting this list together even harder than it normally is but somehow I managed. As usual, it is purely opinion, and you are welcome to tell me I’m wrong but don’t expect me to care.
Top Ten Films of the Year
I’ve spent a lot of time scoffing at people’s declarations that 2016 has been a bad year for cinema. While there is no denying that Batman vs. Superman, Suicide Squad, X-Men and a few other blockbusters were utter balls, there have been more fantastic movies outside of that world than there has bad in it. In fact, this is one of the toughest top tens I’ve ever come up with and if ten were a bigger number films like The Witch, Rogue One, Spotlight, Your Name, Creed,  Bone Tomahawk, Adult Life Skills and more would have found their way into it. Sadly it’s not, and these are my chosen ten. As usual, this is my ten favourites which are different from the ten best and is based on UK release dates. It is also opinion so while you can feel free to tell me I’m wrong, don’t expect me to care.
Wrestler of the Year
There was a time when people questioned whether AJ Styles could make it in WWE. Did he have the charisma and even if he did would Vince see in him what countless others always had? Well, that view looks pretty fucking stupid now.
Wrestling Match of the Year
Having finally clambered over the tedium that was Roadblock, wrestling is all but over for the year, and it is time to reflect. Therefore, over the next few days, I am going to put up my Match of the Year, Moment of the Year and Wrestler of the Year for your pleasure. Let’s get going.
Ramblings About Wrestling 