Eris

He/Him 18+ please Library of Alexandria Of Wrestling Magazines Beat Me If You Can, Survive If I Let You

[blowflyfag]

Hello!! I’m blowflyfag! But you can call me Eris! (He/Him)

I’m your piece of shit stoner bro (22) who’s a wrestling enthusiast and clown. I mostly post transcripts and scans of my wrestling magazines! I love talking about my magazine and love helping find them! If you have any questions please let me know!

TLDR! Please don’t be afraid to reach out to chat! I love to make new friends and talk wrasslin.

[fuckthisshit-ugh]

please read this even if you're not indian. especially if you're not indian.

you've seen the jokes. india is "dirty", indians are "everywhere", why don't they fix their own country. ok. let me tell you why, and what's happening right now while nobody's watching.

first, the history you skipped: britain ruled india for two centuries and drained it. economist utsa patnaik's research estimates around $45 trillion in today's money was taken. the india that got independence in 1947 was one of the poorest countries on earth. every "why is india like this" question starts there. you don't get to profit off a robbery and then mock the crime scene.

now, what's happening RIGHT NOW:

in may the question paper for NEET leaked. that's the national medical entrance exam. over 2.2 million students took it. cancelled. years of studying, families' savings poured into coaching, gone overnight because someone sold the paper. students died by suicide after. these were kids who wanted to be doctors.

and out of that came a protest movement. a gen z group called the cockroach janta party, started by a 30 year old named abhijeet dipke, got 22 million instagram followers within DAYS. they've been doing a sit-in at jantar mantar in delhi demanding education minister dharmendra pradhan resign.

and then there's sonam wangchuk. if you've watched 3 idiots, he's the real engineer the character was based on. built solar schools in ladakh. invented ice stupas so himalayan villages have water. spent his whole life on education. he's 59 and he's been on hunger strike for 17+ days now. reporters went to see him this week and he was too weak to talk. and the troll armies are calling him "anti national" and "foreign funded". a man starving himself for other people's children. that's the thing here, anyone who asks a question is suddenly a traitor.

it's not one incident, it's everywhere you look:

• infrastructure worth thousands of crores failing within months of the ribbon cutting. tunnels collapsing in regions where heavy rain is a guarantee, not a surprise.

• youth unemployment near 10% for ages 15 to 29, 13.6% in cities. in a country of 1.42 billion where more than half the population is young.

• only about the top 3% of indians earn above 10 lakh a year. meanwhile billionaire wealth keeps ballooning and the headlines celebrate it.

• manipur burned for over two years. an ethnic conflict, tens of thousands displaced, and the prime minister barely said the word manipur while it happened.

• journalists raided. critics' houses bulldozed. activists sitting in jail for years without trial under laws like UAPA. our press freedom ranking has cratered.

• even the petrol is a fight now, ethanol blending pushed through while drivers complain about their engines and get no straight answers.

and through all of it, the PM, who came to power on religious polarisation (americans, sound familiar?), travels abroad for photo ops and has not held one single open press conference in over a decade. not one.

what i'm asking:

if you're not indian: share this. our media mostly won't cover any of it because the big outlets are owned by the same billionaires the government serves. the only reason wangchuk's fast is getting any coverage is people refusing to look away.

if you ARE indian: speak up even if you're comfortable. especially if you're comfortable. join the protests. add to this, correct me, translate it. staying quiet is a choice when nothing in this post touches your life.

india is not "dirty". india was robbed, and it's being robbed again, from the inside this time. but it's also the country where a 59 year old will starve for strangers' kids and 22 million young people will rally behind a party literally named after cockroaches, because cockroaches survive everything.

we can still save her. but only loudly.

reblog. share. don't scroll past.

[standwithdaanes]

India's youth-led Cockroach movement vows to continue protest after police crackdown

The movement, which began as a satirical protest, has evolved into a nationwide challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Supporters of India's youth-led Cockroach movement said Tuesday they will continue their protest in New Delhi, refusing to leave their sit-in site a day after police used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of them as they tried to march toward Parliament. Hundreds of protesters camped at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, under heavy police presence, saying they would stay until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns over alleged failures in India's examination system. "We are going to continue our protest," said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, which emerged just two months ago. The movement, drawing students, professionals and families, marks a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's government in its third term, reviving criticism over its handling of dissent and its use of force to respond to protests. [...] Sona Bisht, a 20-year-old student who was part of the protest, said the confrontation strengthened her resolve. "If the government thinks that doing this with Gen Z, they can stop us, then that won't happen. We are here talking about education, talking about securing our future. And till the time our demands are not met, we will not move from here," she said.

"Definitions developed thus far about youth, like the Gen Z narrative, have largely been linked to roles attributed by the dominant system. The rulers have invented a whole range of terms — rebellious, irresponsible, apolitical, extremist, consumerist — not to understand youth, but to neutralize it. They know as well as we do that whoever wins over the youth wins over society. [...] Thus the question is not whether youth is powerful, but in whose interest this power is directed. Today’s uprisings — such as those in Nepal, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, and beyond — demonstrate that youth continues to emerge as a decisive actor. Young women like Deniz Ciya have proven this with their lives. These uprisings are not expressions of generational temperament. These „Gen Z uprisings“ are expressions of a social force confronting structural crisis inherent in the current system. [...] Recent youth uprisings — whether in the form of environmental justice protests, labor movements, or uprisings against authoritarian governments — are proof that youth worldwide are not only responding to a set of circumstances; they are consciously and collectively rejecting the narratives that seek to define them. Thus, it is crucial to analyze what transpired, and draw lessons from these uprisings, particularly in the context of building a global youth democratic confederalism. For the power of youth movements is interconnected, despite being geographically distant." — "Beyond "Gen Z": Defending Revolutionary Youth Spirit" by Lêgerîn

"The youth in general, and especially the young women, are the spark of every revolution.We can’t look at the history and found a revolution without the youth. We are a fundamental factor. We should be aware of this reality, we should take conscience of our historical role. By doing this we will provide ourselves with a plan that will allow us the unity of action and objectives. The Youth should not be condemned to be a slave of the capitalist system. [...] If we reject the labels and mentalities imposed by the system, taking consciousness as Internationalist Youth in a global level and organizing ourselves, is there someone who can stop us?" — "The youth is the spark of every revolution" by Lêgerîn.

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

CANADIAN STORMFRONT

By stressing his wrestling training, Lance Storm has become one of ECW’s top heels

By DAVE SCHERER

ONE BAROMETER OF a wrestler’s popularity is the reaction the performer gets from his catch phrase. If a performer starts his trademark saying and the crowd finishes it, that wrestler knows he’s over with the fans. Most of the sayings are simply extensions of the wrestler’s character. For example, in the WWF, the Rock’s saying, “If you smell what the Rock is cooking,” stresses the character's high opinion of himself. 

In ECW, however, one worker refuses to waste time with clever catch phrases. When Lance Storm says, “I’m from Calgary…Alberta…Canada,” he has a serious message. Being from Calgary means Storm learned his trade in the famous Hart Dungeon, Graduating from the same program as wrestlers including Bret and Owen Hart, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. 

DUNGEON TRAINING

Storm, whose real name is Lance Evers, began learning the fundamentals of wrestling from the Harts in 1990. Stu Hart, patriarch of the Hart family and the school’s mentor, always stresses the importance of being a solid mat wrestler. 

“It’s just one of those things–unless you go through it, it’s hard to describe,” Storm says of his training in the Hart Dungeon. “They’re certainly trying to dramatize it [ in documentaries such as “Wrestling With Shadows”]. There were certainly days they would take you down there [into the dungeon], stretch you, and make you cry. They were trying t teach you respect, which a lot of trainers don’t do. The actual in-ring training was very similar to the way the Japanese train, teaching the basics and fundamentals.” Storm, who made his professional wrestling debut at age 21, realized the importance of being trained the Hart family way. 

“I think I really benefited from it,” he says. “I’ve seen so many people who trained at other places. There were so many basic things they just didn’t learn. The people who trained them just took their money and showed them how to take a couple of bumps and said ‘OK, go out there and pretend you know how to work.” Coming out of the Hart camp, you are adequately trained. You still need experience, like everyone does, but at least you have your fundamentals, and a pretty damn good work ethic, too.”

Originally from Toronto, Storm moved to Calgary when he enrolled in the Hart school and now calls the city home. After he graduated, the Harts hired Storm to work with the classes of 1991 and 1992.

During that time, Storm met his present-day ECW “Impact Players” tag-team partner, Justin Credible. Storm was Credible’s instructor at the school.

[Chris Chetti finds out why Storm’s thunder and lightning are very, very frightening.]

“Justin and one other guy were the only really talented guys when they went through the camp,” Storm says. “I worked with him a lot because he looked like he had a lot of promise.”

The two formed an enduring friendship. 

TRAVELING THE WORLD

Early in his career, Storm teamed with another graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Chris Jericho. The two faced each other in their debut match on October 10, 1990. They also worked together in Japan for Wrestling and Romance and in Europe for the Catch Wrestling Association, where Storm won the CWA world junior heavyweight title from Hiroyoshi Yamamoto in Vienna, Austria, on July 24, 1993, under the name “Sudden Impact." 

Storm and Jericho got their first shot at regular work in the United States in the spring of 1994 in Jim Cornette’s now-defunct Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Booked by Cornette as a babyface team known as “The Thrill Seekers,” Storm and Jericho played the gimmick as fun loving, young guys. Jericho showed his enthusiasm in interviews, playing a completely over-the-top babyface. Storm, meanwhile, was more content to let his ring work do the talking. 

[Dawn Marie and Storm are ECW’s very own version of Bonnie and Clyde.]

When Jericho suffered an arm injury, Storm was left without a partner, and the men soon went their separate ways. The two remain friends, but Storm still needles him. 

“I actually know how to do a short arm scissor,” Storm says. “He must have been away that day at camp.”

By the end of 1995, Storm left SMW and went back to work in Europe for a few months before moving to Japan, where he began to work full time for WAR. There he gained valuable in-ring experience and honed his craft, moving up to the heavyweight class and adjusting his style to mat wrestling with a mix of flying maneuvers.

LANCE STORM SPOTLIGHT

Real name: Lance Evers

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 235 pounds

Debut: October 10, 1990

Titles Held:

SMW television title (from August 8 to September 5, 1994)

WAR international junior heavyweight tag-team title with Yuji Yasuraoka (twice: March 27 to July 20, 1996; November 9, 1996 to February 12, 1997)

WAR world six-man title with Kouki Kitahara and Nobutaka Araya (July 6 to October 12, 1997)

ECW world tag-team title, with Chris Candido (December 6, 1997 to June 27, 1998)

STORM HITS ECW

On February 1, 1997, Storm debuted at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia at the “Crossing The Line Again” show, where he beat Balls Mahoney. He worked a few more shows in Japan, but by the end of 1997, he was working for ECW full time. Already solid in the ring, Storm turned to ECW owner Paul E. Heyman, who helped him develop his mic skills. Heyman realized the best way to bring Storm out of his shell was to have him brag about what he does best–wrestle.

Soon Storm was booked high on ECW cards. He was involved in an angle as Chris Candido’s partner and “crashed” his way into Shane Douglas’ Triple Threat. He and Candidio, who was in the group with Douglasm won the ECW world tag-team title on December 6, 1997, Storm initially was the face in the angle, but as he developed his character he became the heel. He brought in the lovely Dawn Marie to be “Tammy Lynn Bytch,” an insult directed at Candido’s valet, Tammy Lynn Sytch. Throughout the feud, Storm developed a heel persona that was the perfect complement to his stellar wrestling work. 

[Though he once won a tag-team title with Candido, Storm turned against his partner.]

An ECW veteran for nearly three years, Storm is a proven “Impact Player” on and off camera. Storm’s work ethic has always been his strong point, but Heyman helped bring out Storm’s sense of humor, which made the wrestler one of the company’s strongest heels. 

His popularity with the fans is abundantly clear when the crowd finishes his catch phrase in unison: “I’m from Calgary…Alberta…Canada.”

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

ECW Insider

BY JASON “JAY DAWG” SCALES

ECW’s True Charm Is Its Accessibility

BEYOND THE STIFF CHAIR shots, insane table spots, and bloodletting via staple guns lies the charm of ECW. While both WCW and the WWF offer better production values on their televised shows, ECW offers fans a chance to get close to the action and personalities.

Jim Fullington–a.k.a. the Sandman–exemplifies this better than any other performer. At the November To Remember pay-per-view in Buffalo on November 7, the Sandman performed his usual five minute introduction to the tune “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. While the WWF’s Edge and Christian have made a habit of coming to the ring through the crowd, Sandman has made an art of it. 

Giddy fans mobbed Sandman as he made his way through the crowd from one end of the arena to the other with cigarette in mouth, Kendo stick in hand, and beers in pockets. Granted, he may not be the only face to slam beers on his way to the ring–such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin of the WWF–but he may be the only one who shares his suds with the fans. 

[ECW offers fans a chance to get close to the exciting action and personalities like Lance Storm.]

Besides liberally spraying the crowd with the brew, Sandman poured his last can into the mouth of a ringside fan who held a sign that read “Pour Beer Here.”

Sandman may not be a role model, but he sure knows how to give the fans something extra.

Brawling in the crowd

ECW also goes one better when it comes to taking the brawling from the ring into the crowd. In the WWF, Austin and the Rock aren't afraid to cross the barrier into the crowd to trade a couple chops within an arm’s reach of the fans. But in ECW, performers such as Super Crazy and New Jack skip the chops and execute insane bumps in the sea of ECW fans. 

At November to Remember, Super Crazy performed an Asai moonsault onto Jerry Lynn and Tajiri from a camera scaffolding 10 feet above the crowd. And New Jack jumped from a ladder 15 feet above the arena floor onto a table that held a hapless Angel. In order for both these bumps to happen, fans parted like the Red Sea to give their heroes room to work. There’s nothing like having a table-side seat to a New Jack leap. 

[ECW performers like New Jack aren't afraid to take the action into the crowd.]

Access away from the ring action

The ultimate access fans have to ECW stars occurs away from the arenas. Anyone walking into the bar at the Marriott in Buffalo the night before November To Remember could have seen Lance Storm, Cyrus, and Lynn playing cards or ECW owner Paul E. Heyman talking on his cell phone. 

Imagine the same scenario with personalities from the WWF: Vince McMahon playing crazy eights with Mick Foley and Mr. Ass in a packed hotel bar?

I don't think so.

The WWF and WCW may be giants compared to ECW–and therefore able to provide slicker shows–and therefore able to provide slicker shows–but ECW fans couldn’t ask for more when it comes to being able to rub elbows with the talent. 

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

[ringsidechoir]

📸brainbuster (for his merch)

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

Bye, Bye Birdie

Miserable in WCW, Raven returns to roost in ECW

By STEVE ANDERSON

IN LATE AUGUST 1999, RAVEN rocked the foundations of two wrestling promotions. 

On August 23, Eric Bischoff, then vice president of WCW, informed Raven that if he was unhappy in the program, he could leave the company. Raven accepted the offer, which set in motion a series of events that led to his triumphant return to ECW. On August 26, his first night back, Raven captured the ECW world tag-team title with longtime foe Tommy Dreamer, in Queens, N.Y.

Hours before ECW’s Anarchy Rulz pay-per-view on September 19 in Chicago, Raven (real name: Scott Levy) sat down to discuss what went wrong with WCW the circumstances surrounding his departure, and his reasons for returning to the place where "Raven the wrestler” was born. 

STEVE ANDERSON: When did you realize you were not happy working for WCW?

RAVEN: WHile Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Benoit were involved in a three-way angle, I was the only person in the company getting good heel reactions, with fans chanting, “Raven sucks, Raven sucks” whenever I came out. Other than Eddy Guerrero, who is a great heel, all the other heels were getting tepid responses. They didn't draw the kind of animosity and pure hatred that I did. 

That’s when DDP got over. At one point, he was a monster. They weren’t cheering, “DDP, DDP.” They were cheering, “Raven sucks.” That’s a big difference. It means the heat is so overpowering, the fans want the heel to get beat up more than they want to see the babyface win. There’s a distinct difference. 

SA: You didn’t feel appreciated in the company even though you were getting such great heat from the fans?

R: At the time I thought I should have ascended into the “big 10,” which included wrestlers such as Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. I sat at No. 11 for two and a half years, which I thought was completely unfair, biased, and purely political. I thought WCW made a mistake and should have elevated me. 

I felt like I was the sixth man off the bench in basketball when I should have been in the starting five. I still got tons of TV time and got to book my own angles for a while, but members of the booking committee kept adding their own twists and turns. Invariably, it never came out the way I wanted it. 

SA: How did you feel when that happened?

R: Eventually, I was miserable. And that's why I stayed in ECW so long. When I originally came here, I planned to stay for only four months, but I stayed for two and a half years because I loved it. I had no reason to leave. Eric Bischoff made me at least five very lucrative offers to come in during that two-and-a-half-year tenure. Even though I was making less money, I was happy with ECW, which is something you can’t replace. 

I got really miserable by the end in WCW, So, I went on Mancow’s Morning Madhouse radio show and vented my hostility and said how crappy I thought the show was. Of course, that led to the infamous meeting with Bischoff. Plus, the reports that Eric told everyone who wanted to leave that they could do so were wrong. That’s not how it went. 

[“ECW is like a Led Zeppelin tour,” says Raven, adding that “I’m like the Robert Plant of this outfit.”]

SA: What exactly happened at that August 23 meeting?

R: I had been up all night and got about an hour of sleep. I put on the same clothes I had on the night before and went to the meeting a couple of hours late. I went to the locker room, and Bischoff called the meeting. The first thing he said was, “Scott Wilkinson, our attorney, is right outside. Raven, if you’re unhappy with the company and want your release, you can go right now.”  I said, “See ya,” and walked out the door. 

SA: It wasn’t a universal, “anyone can leave” declaration?

R: No. Absolutely not. I was singled out. After I left, he singled out some other guys, but what happened with them is none of my business.

SA: Did Bischoff let you walk out or did he try to reason with you?

R: Eric talked to me later and said, “I think you made a mistake.” I said, “I’ve got too much pride to ask for my job back, and you’ve got too much pride to offer it back, so we’re pretty much at a standoff here.” He said, “I think you really need time to think about this.” I asked him how long, and he said to take as much time as I want. We talked about three more times that night.

He also asked me, “Why are you going to leave? Where are you going to work? For [ECW owner] Paul E. Heyman?” I said, “No, I’m going to Vince [McMahon, owner of the WWF.]” he said, “You’re not going to Vince.” I said, “You offered me a release and I think that should allow me to go anywhere.” He said, “Yeah, you’re right.”

SA: Why did you choose ECW?

R: My heart wanted to come to ECW, but my head wanted to go to McMahon because the WWF is the biggest company with the most money to offer. I love Mick Foley and Steve Austin. They’re good friends of mine, and I wanted to work with them. Plus, the WWF needed a heel. When ECW got national TV coverage [on TNN], I thought, “This is where my heart’s been. This is the love of my life, ECW. The two and a half years I spent with ECW were the greatest years of my career and my life.”

SA: Could you have gone to the WWF?

R: I felt I deserved the option, but ultimately I’m glad Bischoff didn’t give it to me. He said he was going to give me the option, then his attorney said to me, “He’s not going to give you the option. You can only go to ECW.” I said, “That’s wrong. Eric just told me I could go to WWF.” He said, “No, you can’t.”

So, I was running on an hour of sleep, and that’s obviously not the best time to make a life-altering decision. I was going to take a red-eye flight home, because I was wiped out from partying all weekend, but I decided to stay. I ran into Eric that night and he said he really wanted me to stay in WCW. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be a part of ECW. I couldn’t let them go on national TV without being there. 

SA: How do you get along with Bischoff now?

R: I always got along with Bischoff and I like him as a person. Bischoff said I could come back any time I want. In fact, he has even more respect for me now than before for walking out. It took a lot of balls to stand up to those egos, and he tried to humiliate me in front of the boys. I walked, and that really got over with him because he respects that.

[You talkin’ to me? Raven says he is the DeNiro to ECW head Heyman’s Scorsese.]

SA: Besides the emotional connection and the sense of loyalty, what other benefits do you see from returning to ECW?

R: Paul E. Heyman is the Martin Scorsese to my Robert DeNiro. Let’s face it, we’re not the greatest actors in the world. I consider myself one of the better ones. The gimmicks you saw before–Scotty Flamingo, Scotty the Body–represented the manic side of my personality. That’s from not getting attention as a child. I didn’t care if it was good or bad, I wanted attention, and that’s why I wanted to be famous. 

It’s like the Counting Crows song, “Mr. Jones.” We all want to be big stars so everyone will love us. That’s why I was always the obnoxious character because I wanted attention. The more flamboyant I was, the more attention. The more flamboyant I was, the more attention I got, but I wasn’t getting anywhere like that. So I decided to explore another side of my personality. I made TV a forum for my own personal baggage. 

SA: Describe what it’s like in ECW.

R: ECW is like a Led Zeppelin tour. It’s a giant party going down the tracks at breakneck speed with no brakes. I’m like the Robert Plant of this outfit. I’m the charismatic front man, similar to Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain. Wrestlers are like rock stars. We play the crowd. We tour year-round. It’s not like a regular sport. It’s a hectic lifestyle, and it’s hard to live on the road. Some of these guys have families and they miss them, but if you’re like me–single forever–you have no one to care about. Partying makes you feel less of the pain and more of the joy.

Tracey Smothers came in for a tour of the company and said the ECW locker room is like a nightclub. That’s what it is. Everyone loves each other. There are a couple miserable bastards in the company, but for the most part, we’re one big happy family

[mrfunnyinthebank]

the larger piece is entitled Samoa Joe Has Been Voted Sexiest Man Alive For The Twentieth Year In A Row and has this text on it in braille, which I wrote (by hand):

The champ is here – the 25 year old world champion rests in the corner of the barricade, glistening with sweat. The competitor in the two-toned trunks is billed at 6'2" 270 lbs. His wrist tape is white, for now.

His lips are parted and his thighs are spread in his squatting position, elbows resting on the barricade walls. His mid-thigh trunks ride up. the lights in the high school gymnasium bounce off the shiny fabric.

The wrestler shaves everything below his eyebrows, which are thick. The dark hair on his head is thick and full as well, cut respectably yet fashionably short. His eyelids are shiny with sweat, resembling the glitter of eyeshadow.

14 months, 19 men, and none of them get it done. CM Punk thinks he can take the belt tonight, but he is sadly mistaken. Samoa Joe is professional wrestling, and he cannot be beat.

the smaller piece is entitled That Fat Ass Samoa Joe and has this text on it in braille, quoting the Big Bad Booty Daddy Big Poppa Pump and Lauren Thompson in the Steiner Math promo:

See, but I'm gonna break it down for all you ladies: would you rather be with me? Or would you rather be with Joe?

"Well, I think Joe's kinda nice, I mean, y'know..."

See, you're one of those girls that like romance. I'mma talk to all my freaks out there. Would you rather come home to me, a genetic freak, to be satisfied every night? Or go home to that fat ass Samoa Joe?

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

WCW Insider

By TIM TOWE

Diamond Dallas Page

The Gem of WCW

IT APPEARS THE DEMISE OF WCW was greatly exaggerated, With the re cent hiring of Vince Russo, and the move from “safer” family wrestling into the realm of sex and TV-14, WCW viewership is up about 30% and climbing. This fact gives the WCW faithful flashbacks to when WCW was the wrestling show to watch on TV. WCW is back on its way up. And what it needs to stay there is an infusion of new leadership/

Just who will be the man to lead WCW’s resurgence into the next century? Will it be Hulk Hogan, who has seen more angles in the past few years than a geometry teacher? Will it be Ric Flair, whose space mountain has been crumbling before out eyes? Or will it be the Stinger. Whose character has gone through so many transformations we can’t take him seriously anymore? With all due respect to these aging superstars, their careers are winding down, their bodies and gimmicks are not nearly as resilient as they once were. We are witness to history: Wrestling’s changing of the guard. 

DDP leads the charge

So who will be the man to lead this change and take WCW into the new year and beyond? My pick won’t shock you. This guy is not only my pick to lead WCW, he is also the right pick for outstanding wrestler of 1999. He is Diamond Dallas Page. 

DDEP has been a major player in the WCW since 1994, and during the past five years he has seen the WCW television title, the United States title, and the world title twice pass through his hands. His feuds with Johnny B. Badd in 1995 and “Macho Man” Randy Savage in 1997 are still regarded as two of the hottest storylines of the 1990s. His current angle involving his real-life wife, Kimberly, and David and Ric Flair is one of the most popular angles WCW has had in years. 

DDP possesses a rare combination of size and speed, plus his mic skills and charisma are unmatched in WCW. His signature move, the Diamond Cutter, has gone the way of Flair’s figure-four leglock and become legendary. His catch phrases–”feel the bang” and “I don't think so”--have ingrained themselves into wrestling fans’ minds. Page is at the pinnacle of wrestling–a larger-than-life superstar who is achieving legendary status.

Quest for perfection 

Beyond his ability as a wrestler in his incredible drive for perfection. DDP videotapes every one of his matches, looking for ways to do things bigger, better, and faster the next time. DDP is a student of the game at a stage in his career where he could get by on name alone; just wrestling for 15 minutes and collecting his check. Younger wrestlers do it all the time, but not DDP.

[Diamond Dallas Page]

There may be better wrestlers out there. There may be wrestlers with better bodies out there. But what you will not find is any wrestler with a bigger drive to succeed than Page. 

When deciding who should be named the outstanding wrestler of 1999, it’s hard not to turn it into a popularity contest, with a couple of WWF performers being the most obvious picks. The best strategy, though, is to look past how many “fingers” these guys gave the public and how many cans of ravioli they helped to sell, and to base a selection on what really mattered, which is who means the most to his federation. 

The WWF could easily get by without Steve Austin or the Rock. WCW cannot get by without DDP. He is the true gem of the federation.

[deathmatchdiva]

[fishwikipedia]

GAP MOÉ 👍

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

WWF Insider

By GABE SAPOLSKY

Is Wrestling on Its Deathbed?

FOR THE WWF, BUSINESS COULD not be better. Overflow crowds are attracted to every television taping, merchandise sales are astronomical, and ratings are soaring. It’s too bad that wrestling is dead. 

At a time when the WWF has achieved more financial worth and stronger customer loyalty than at any time in its history, its fans seemingly couldn’t care less about the in-ring product. Increasingly indifferent crowds just waiting for the next run-in or catchphrase to be uttered plague matches on “RAW” and “Smackdown.” The fans care more about whether the Rock is smelling or if DX is pointing at their crotches than the winners and losers of all but a few bouts. A prime example is the No Mercy ladder match on October 17, 1999, between two of the most talented tag teams in wrestling: The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian. Death-defying, athletic and fearless moves did little to engage the crowd or improve either team’s star power. 

[In a match that reached thrilling heights, Christian [left] and Jeff Hardy hardly engaged the crowd.]

Despite the most arduous efforts of many of the WWF’s performers, no one seems to give a damn about the actual matches anymore. Why is that and how did it happen? The answers are simple.

Fans perceive the wrestling matches as secondary to the soap opera. The WWF shows became about the latest saga in the life of Steve Austin or any one of its other stars rather than what was happening in the matches. The myriad short bouts seemed almost like filler between the backstage skits. The emphasis was placed on what was going on in the locker room, rather than the ring. On top of that, many storylines didn’t even feature wrestlers; instead, the trials and tribulations of the likes of the McMahon family, Sable, and Debra dominated the airwaves.

Wrestling doesn’t even play second fiddle to the soap opera any more. Actual, in-ring grappling was pushed further into the background behind the rating-grabbing T&A, display that has become the WWF’s trademark in 1999. Importance was placed first on the soap opera, then T&A, and finally on wrestling. 

Even the titles have become meaningless. There were so many champions in 1999 that it’s almost impossible to keep track. If a title changes hands so many times, what can it really be worth?

Finally, the WWF has been ineffective in developing new stars as it so successfully did in its re-emergence. The end result finds the WWF forced to bring back something old to try to make it new again. DX played a large part in the WWF’s success by boosting its ratings past WCW. With no new main-event bad guys for the likes of the Rock, Austin, Mick Foley, and the rest, the WWF was forced to reunite DX, whose members had not really gained success as individuals. Perhaps the charismatic and adept DX can help reignite the flame inside the ring. It is doubtful little will change about where the emphasis is placed until the ratings begin to dip. 

[Triple H takes on the Rock, in the kind of action that used to excite wrestling fans.]

So where does this leave fans of athletic, hard-fought matches? WCW is more likely to follow the direction of the WWF now that many members of the WWF’s creative team have sought employment in Turnerland. ECW looks to be the only alternative for fans seeking that kind of action. But do the fans today want to see wrestling or do they want to see the soap opera? Right now, no one can argue with the WWF’s success. It remains to be seen when the wrestling fad wanes, if many of these fans will tire of the soap opera and put their entertainment dollars elsewhere. Then wrestling really will be dead. 

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Digest: April 2000

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: December 2020

HOTSTEAT

AN INCISIVE INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE SPORT’S TOP STARS

JON MOXLEY

[PHOTO BY SADIEL “SPEEDY” RUIZ/AEW]

Unconventional, unflappable, and undefeated.

The three words are an apt depiction of Jon Moxley, who’s deftly risen to the top of the sport over the last year. And, in his 14 appearance on this list, the “Death Rider” rides to the top of the PWI “5000.” True to form, the AEW World champion received the news of his achievement with less enthusiasm than he would watching the sunset from his pickup truck alongside his wife, WWE announcer Renee Young.

It’s not that Moxley isn’t proud of what he's accomplished in the last year, including going unbeaten in singles matches in AEW and proving nearly unstoppable in New Japan (where he still holds the IWGP U.S. championship). It’s that, in his post-WWE wrestling career, motivated by anything other than his love of the sport … and his quest to enjoy it. His approach seems to be working pretty well. 

In this interview with PWI Senior Writer Al Castle, Moxley talks about his journey from studying this annual list of the world’s greatest wrestlers to conquering it.

Castle: Congratulations on being the 2020 PWI “500” #1 ranked wrestler. I’m always interested when I talk to wrestlers who I know were fans as kids, to hear their memories of the “500,” or of reading the magazine as a kid. Can you tell us anything about that?

Moxley: When I was a kid in the mid ‘90s, the internet was not as much of a pronounced thing as it is now, where everybody has smart phones, computers, and stuff. Back then, I didn’t even have a computer. So, the extent of anything that went on behind the scenes, or any closer look at what wrestling was, for me was the magazines at the newsstand. A new one came out, and I would just sit there at the newsstand and pore through every single detail of them. A lot of my early education was those magazine. I was obsessed with them. I’d go to flea markets and scour for any wrestling tapes I could find. I collected them all–like, stacks and stacks of magazines. And I would adjust pore through every single detail of those things.

[Jon Moxley celebrates before a red-hot crowd after beating Chris Jericho for the AEW World title. Though, COVID-19 has kept fans from cheering him on in person, “Mox” remains grateful that he’s able to continue doing what he loves. 

PHOTO BY LEE SOUTH/AEW]

Castle: Do you remember the first time seeing yourself on the PWI ‘500”? For what it’s worth, it was in 2006, and you ranked at number 447.

Moxley: I imagine at the time I was pretty excited that my name was in a magazine. Hat a novel concept: From when you’re imagining it, to the first time. I don’t care what anybody says. The first time you see your name in print somewhere, it’s pretty cool.

Castle: So, did we get this right? Are you the best wrestler of the last 12 months?

Moxley: I don’t know. I’m not one to pat myself on the back. These days, I’m wrestling for me. I’m not really looking for any external validation from anybody or anything  like that. But it is pretty cool. Where I was at mentally at the beginning of 2019 was pretty low. So, for it to be 2020, and I’m sitting where I’m at now, it’s pretty awesome. To be number one–it’s like I said, those magazines were such a big part of my childhood. It was such a dream. And it just goes to show that, no matter who you are, no matter how poor you are, or where you come from … Back then, when I was reading those magazines, I was like, the quiet kid who got picked on. I was in special classes because they were trying to diagnose me with all these social anxiety disorders and stuff. And I’d get mocked for watching wrestling. And, at that point, it's just like this fanciful dream, and everyone thinks you’re crazy. But, if you want it bad enough, you go ahead and chase your dreams, man. Because it just goes to show that anything can happen.

“I’m not looking for external validation. But PWI was such a big part of my childhood. To be number one… It’s pretty cool.”

Castle: In putting your bio together, I thought a lot about the Chris Jericho podcast interview you did where, there was this man there who really seemed hellbent–not on proving yourself, because I think you already had–but on showing that the WWE’s system was broken, and proving that there was a better way. Is it some kind of vindication that you achieved this level of success outside of WWE that you never did while you were there?

Moxley: There is some of that there. But I try to just maintain the same kind of mindset I had when I originally left. My thought was that I was just going to kind of disappear for a while–maybe go to Japan, maybe wrestle under a mask. Basically, just be low key. I was like, “I’m just going to go take myself off-broadway,” ad just kind of start over and get back to just wrestling for the love of it and figure it all out again, and come up with a new style or new look or whatever … a new presentation, the whole thing. And then,maybe a year later, maybe I’ll come back on the national scene. It didn't go like that at all. I popped immediately right in everybody’s faces, which turned out to be cool in a different way. But I’ve tried to maintain the mindset that I’m just wrestling because It’s a blessing and a joy to be a pro wrestler, and I’m pretty good at it, and let’s just have fun.

[Moxley levels Juice Robinson with the Paradigm Shift on night two of Wrestle Kingdom 14 at the Tokyo Dome. At press time, he was the reigning IWGP United States champion. 

2020 NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING. LTD.]

Castle: Because 2019 was so much fun and you were able to accomplish all these life goals, has it made the last few months especially difficult–having the plug pulled on all of it? The red hot crowds that you were performing in front of every week on Dyanite are not there. You don’t get to go to Japan at all. And, on top of that, your wife was dealing with COVID-19 firsthand. Has it all been really deflating?

Moxley: Yeah, I mean, everybody in the world is deflated. It’s literally something that’s affected the entire world. So yeah, I mean, it sucks, because AEW had a red-hot-crowd. They loved being a part of that show. The fans are as big a part of the show as any of the wrestlers. Not having them sucks right now. But they will be back, and it will be hotter than ever, eventually, when the world becomes a safer place.And, for me, the audience is a really big part of my presentation. I don’t like to put myself over, but when I come out, the place goes nuts. It’s part of the atmosphere. We don;’t have that, and that’s not ideal. But we’re adapting and adjusting and doing the best we can to try to give it the liveliest atmosphere we possibly can. I’ve been determined throughout this whole thing to not feel sorry for myself. It sucks to win a title on a Saturday and then that following Wednesday is the last time we’re ever in front of people. I want to come out in front of 20,000 people and defend the title. But, I’m not going to complain. There are people out there who are going through actual hard times, that are losing their jobs, that have been furloughed, or their family is sick. Mauve even worse. Maybe they lost people. There are people so badly affected by this. I’m not going to cry because we can’t wrestle in front of fans. That’s a small sacrifice. I'm determined to not bellyache about anything. I’m very fortunate and blessed. My wife had it, but she got through it, and I never got it somehow.

[Brian Cage is one of many worthy contenders to have tried the champ and failed. Moxley remained undefeated in AEW singles bouts throughout our evaluation period.

PHOTO BY LEE SOUTH/AEW]

Castle: I realized today that you, Seth [Rollins], and ROman [Reigns] have all been number 1 on the PWI “500.” I don’t think that’s ever happened before with a tag team, much less three guys who came into the national spotlight together, all achieving this success at the very top. What does that say about the three of you?

Moxley: When we came in, it was a different atmosphere in the locker room. It was a lot harder for young guys to really get a shot to move up the card. Even getting out of developmental was tough. It was like we were on an island in FCW, hoping that, maybe every once in a while, somebody gets off the island. We had a lot of pent-up aggression, because me and Seth thought we were having the best matches in the company down in FCW, and nobody was paying attention. So, we come in with this attitude and a chip on our shoulder. And a lot of people don’t like us. But we stuck together, and we all knew that we could all be top stars. We were driving together in the car, and we had an all-for-one, one-for-all attitude. We knew we were going to shake up this thing, and take it over. And we were not going to be stopped. I think it shows that we were right, all these years later.

[After an incredible year, Jon Moxley joins his former Shield cohorts, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, on the elite list of wrestlers to top the PWI “500”-proof, if any were needed, that this rough-and-tumble brawler is a top-tier star.]

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: December 2020