Ooh, just watched this weeks NXT UK, Walter vs Dragunov II will now happen at Takeover 36.

Forget your deathmatches. If you want to see the most brutal wrestling match that will take place this year, make sure you watch this match.

https://twitter.com/EFFYlives/status/1419142761501052932/video/1

Here’s what happened when Ryder won the title off Gage.

A superb entrance on AEW.

Matt_82 wrote:

A superb entrance on AEW.

I really enjoyed that. Both entrances for that 10 man tag match were great. Dark order and Hangman was epic and then just completely undercut by Omega and the young bucks being absolute goobers with the basketball entrance. They're so dumb and I love it.

The Jericho Gage main event was great too. Could have done without the commercial break slowing things down but other than that it was pretty brutal but managed to stay fun. The Labour's of Jericho has turned into this really fun angle that I really didn't expect.

The rest of the show was okay. The crowd were pretty dead for the tag match between Santana and Ortiz and FTR which was a real shame but I think that was due to the opener killing them.

There was also a repeat pet hate of mine with the varisty blonds promo before Hart and Thunder Rosa fought - it's Julia Harts match so let her talk rather than have Griff and Pillmam Jr talk for her. She was just standing there grinning like a moron. They did the same thing with Penelope Ford during the Miro/Kip/Best Friends feud and it just looks so bad. Ford's wedding was ruined and they didn't let her say two words about it she just got to stand there while the men talk. It comes across incredibly sexist.

Jr also continues to be a massive downer.

Also Julia hart is no where near hood enough to be on dynamite. Keep her on dark until she’s good enough.

Frosty wrote:

Also Julia hart is no where near hood enough to be on dynamite. Keep her on dark until she’s good enough.

Yeah that's true. The womens division is a mess and they need to sort it out but I'm not sure if they will. It's certainly not goig to get much more attention than it gets now with what's coming. Also as you're the New Japan guy - what's the deal with Hiroshi Tanahashi? On a scale of 1-10 how excited should I be about a match between him and Moxley?

If you asked me this question 4 years ago I'd have said a 10. Tanahashi was Cena levels of popularity and arguably the best worker in the world of the previous decade with bags of charisma and a phenominal babyface. In the 00's NJPW was the absolute shits and him and Nakamura under the booking of Gedo dragged it out of the doldrums of practically being out of business into selling 20K shows. Now a days, he's real good, though not the level he was because his knees are fucked. Saying that, he's been in 2 of my favourite matches of the year so far so I'm pretty stoked for it. I'm about an 8.

RedDave2 wrote:

There's a heavy bang of Impact circa 2010 off AEW at the moment. Hope they dont make the same mistakes. Key reasons I think this: A glut of new talent coming in, potentially over shadowing the genuinely interesting home-grown names (although at least it seems in this case, its as much to do with the new show) OTT Gore - Sorry but that Nick Cage/ Jericho thing was garbage and not even intense. Just out of the blue a random guy is allowed to come in and cut up a wrestler with one week build and no issue between the two actually competing wrestlers? Also, Nick Cage is a scumbag.  Too much going on - it's mostly entertaining but the booking at times in the last few weeks is making jumps which I think they've done better to avoid. The best example was the MJF Jericho feud... slow build until the turn which was great and then once the 2 factions were established it was super rushed.  Thats not to say its not entertaining and TNA in 2010 wasnt bad overall... but I'd be a bit worry they are hot shoting a little too much. After Moxleys Death Match and now the Jericho Death match, they should really tone back on the blood for a bit. Otherwise it loses its impact (pun intended)

I agree on the excessive gore which I have no time for and ocaasionally I think they have way too much going on to the point where things get rushed and aren't as effective as they should be (see FTR v LAX feud). I do think they've done well with their signings though. TNA tended to sign a WWE guy and within months they were world champion putting on half arsed matches (bar Kurt Angle). I think they've eventually used them very well. Christians putting Jungle boy over, Darby's getting the rub from Sting, Spears is the job guy in pinnacle. What I've really liked it the fact that some guys have completely washed the WWE filth off. I forget Moxley was ever there, he's a completely different person. I also like the way a large percentage of the roster isn't on every week and thinking of it, other than Joey Janela (who's admittedly a guilty pleasure and usually off doing stuff with GCW) I can't think of anyone who should be on Dymanite more. Maybe Riho.

Wow, that is surprising. Have go say, I hated the fiend stuff but could see wyatt showing up with the dark order being a hell of a pop. Can't think of many good matches in the wwe with him, but I often got the impression vince and his writers often let the concept of the character get in the way of his ring work.

There have been a few surprising releases by WWE, recently.  Gotta imagine he'll reappear in AEW in 90 days time.

Weird one to let go though he hadn’t been on tv for a while from what I understand.

I haven't checked, but I imagine she is getting all kinds of unwarranted abuse on twitter right now.

Yeah she's had to set all her socials to private.

ChopperByrne wrote:

"Beautiful" Bobby Eaton of the Midnight Express has died. Only 62. Nobody ever had a bad word to say about him. Sad loss.

Yeah and an absolute old school gem of a wrestler. Up there with Arn for being a believable "wrassler" Eaton and Condrey were ahead of the time with their tag work (and Eaton and Lane were quality too) If you are into wrestling well worth checking out some midnight express matches.

As a person, yeah, Eaton seems to be a rare good person in a business which often has fallen stars. Love the story in Foleys first book about Bobby Eaton and the homeless guy. Class act.

Just watched Midnight Express vs Fantastics from Clash of the Champions 1.

Only about ten minutes, but holy shit, talk about a hot crowd.

I know he isn't to everyone's taste but the latest Jim cornette podcast is dedicated to Eaton (cornette being close to him throughout both men's careers) A very good listen.