tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75984738432382338602024-02-18T21:47:12.655-08:00James BlogsJames (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-20002602323299232382022-09-28T14:08:00.004-07:002022-09-28T14:10:52.007-07:00Kid Lykos Vs Chris Brookes - Return of the Fly - Reflections on a Masterpiece<p>Sometimes you attend a wrestling show, you have a good night out, but its forgotten 5 minutes after you leave the venue. Other times though you walk out knowing you have just had an experience which will live with you forever. A moment which transcends entertainment and goes beyond. </p><p>Last night, in the Dome in Tufnell Park London, I had one such experience. </p><p>For context, when I was first getting back into the British Wrestling scene in 2016, I quickly found myself drawn to a pair of wrestlers who I felt had everything. They were a charismatic tag team, with fantastic free flowing tag moves, and a cockiness which meant even as baby faces they felt like assholes. </p><p>That pair was Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos: The Calamari Catch Kings: CCK. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCJSMhasuRNz-U73b1wm48XMrrnEprsxhdE8Y9iS7HMAcUFriwjFOmCh473h6y9qWnad9VLll31xicB-5_Y_eR5e96dWezNECCg4AUQTiHepD5HQzX4lPkYKDb9fL1TxdqnKAehIdL1LG5O_-W4v59Kg6s5zZnGymZhJ5AVCdkQdc3qJiwZ4P_p8JMFg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="474" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCJSMhasuRNz-U73b1wm48XMrrnEprsxhdE8Y9iS7HMAcUFriwjFOmCh473h6y9qWnad9VLll31xicB-5_Y_eR5e96dWezNECCg4AUQTiHepD5HQzX4lPkYKDb9fL1TxdqnKAehIdL1LG5O_-W4v59Kg6s5zZnGymZhJ5AVCdkQdc3qJiwZ4P_p8JMFg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>I followed their escapades across the country, from HOPE, to Tuesday Night Graps, but particularly in PROGRESS.</p><p> I’ve always been a fan of the psychology of tag wrestling - more so even than singles in a lot of ways - and these two guys had it all. </p><p>But then Lykos got injured, and had to retire, and Chris got the chance to move to Japan to live his dream. CCK was finished, with only a newly minted Kid Lykos II (Joe Nelson) to hold the fort. </p><p>Those of us who followed the team never quite gave up hope though. For nearly 3 years, through a pandemic and its after effects we sat and waited. </p><p> Lykos against all the odds made a comeback, returning as the dickhead heel who would arrogantly announce his BRAINBUSTAH finish was coming, only to inevitably be thwarted, usually only winning with the help of trusty sidekick Lykos II and their patented Baking Tray to the Head style of offence.</p><p> Brookes meanwhile went from strength to strength, forming CDK - the Calamari Drunk Kings - with Masa Takanashi, and winning gold in DDT. </p><p>But still that inkling remained. Lykos and Brookes both active again. Could it happen? Could we see CCK once more? </p><p>Well, that brings us at last to this year. At Super Strong Style 16 weekend its announced that Chris Brookes is coming home. 2 shows, one in Birmingham, one in London. And that was it. Surely CCK were back, we were going to finally pick up where we left off?! </p><p>And here’s the masterstroke. PROGRESS, Brookes, Lykos, they could have taken that easy way out. We could have had CCK vs CPF, or CCK vs Greedy Souls, and it would have been great fun. But it would have fallen into that first category of match I mentioned earlier - fun but forgettable. </p><p>Instead it was announced that in Birmingham we would get CDK (notably CDK not CCK) vs Lykos Gym, and that in London, at the Dome, it would be Chris Brookes Vs Kid Lykos. No Disqualification. </p><p> On September 27th 2022, at <i>Return of the Fly</i> they were going to go to war. </p><p>Every ounce of pent up frustration that might have been languishing inside Lykos at being left behind, the feelings of betrayal and sacrifice, all of it was going to come to a head. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG-Q7NZ42S8G3utPfOJMHWef7PoCnw2VSrnOxwXjOt2f1JgJZjb5W9uNlOQXWgUBrux--Uo-jrWI-oWWK5CHRMUUNAnp_tqpSBprpIciid1tJhwm6XUwtAY7uHw_CB83nZUkvKFhd53BfMjprVTCCdzmMrnIv22bQMjs1n6hZCVaN9oQ-s3KYwW9s1Ow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG-Q7NZ42S8G3utPfOJMHWef7PoCnw2VSrnOxwXjOt2f1JgJZjb5W9uNlOQXWgUBrux--Uo-jrWI-oWWK5CHRMUUNAnp_tqpSBprpIciid1tJhwm6XUwtAY7uHw_CB83nZUkvKFhd53BfMjprVTCCdzmMrnIv22bQMjs1n6hZCVaN9oQ-s3KYwW9s1Ow" width="180" /></a></div><br />Out Lykos marched, Lykos II with him, and a door ready to be smashed through emblazoned with the words FUCK CCK across the front. Boos reigned down upon him. How could he forsake the team which made him famous. <p></p><p>Brookes of course came out to the hero’s welcome. He got the best of the early going to, dropping Lykos around the ring multiple times, much to the crowd’s delight. </p><p>Chants of Kill The Wolf rung out across the hall. </p><p> But thats where the match kicked up from good to great in a tiny instant. Brookes, holding Lykos in place began to tear at the Wolf mask upon his former friends face. </p><p>The crowd gasps audibly, the disrespect of trying to unmask a masked wrestler is well known. Those gasps only intensified when Lykos climbed back in the ring and it very quickly became apparent that his head had been ripped open along with the mask, and was GUSHING blood. </p><p>The crowd, so firmly in Brookes’ corner from the start began to see that perhaps on this occasion that he may have gone to far - a smattering of cheers for Lykos as he defiantly flipped Chris off; a slightly larger smattering of Fuck You Chris chants as he proceeded to continue to rip the mask. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilADSZpV9lQn4Hg3_8kEqN9DrOnRtYCr9REhvqpC-l62i7m1G3vz1y4QaCkpzACAmN__g5U5CUGT1pBz5THu7IkU5xAIE7ornLtrJKBBpVpdaWhPMdMm4D_wGvYKdtKQCDTDHA2OWEChnNOUns52E6vFZcUsOkv4JawsXqPSNANFtNJZdDCKchMlC1ow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilADSZpV9lQn4Hg3_8kEqN9DrOnRtYCr9REhvqpC-l62i7m1G3vz1y4QaCkpzACAmN__g5U5CUGT1pBz5THu7IkU5xAIE7ornLtrJKBBpVpdaWhPMdMm4D_wGvYKdtKQCDTDHA2OWEChnNOUns52E6vFZcUsOkv4JawsXqPSNANFtNJZdDCKchMlC1ow" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>These two storytellers, who had always so clearly got it when it came to holding a crowd were proving just that. </p><p>In a matter of minutes a crowd which was 100% in favour of Brookes, morphed to 50-50, and then morphed to almost entirely 100% the other way. </p><p>With ladder bumps, table crashes, and several horrific looking thumbtack bumps, it became clear these men were not going to quit. </p><p>This wasn’t the story of a hero coming home to teach his former friend a lesson in manners. </p><p>This was instead the moment Lykos got to show the world how much he deserved the spot he has. He’s not just Chris Brookes’ best mate. He’s one of the very best wrestlers in the world. </p><p>When Lykos II offers Lykos the baking tray, telling him to finish it, and Lykos declines, only for Brookes to smash him over the head with it instead, its a moment entirely informed by years of what has come before. He doesn’t want to destroy Chris. He loves Chris and always will. But he needs to feel seen, in a relationship that has always had him appear second best.</p><p>This was a match that would draw on everything the two men have done together. It was a match where the shared history between the performers and the crowd allowed it to rise up into true art. </p><p>It would have been so easy to just do a quick buck CCK reunion tour, but by giving us this instead, it elevates both men, and elevates the company. This is the best match of the Under New Management PROGRESS era. Bar none. Its also probably the best PROGRESS match of all time if I’m honest. </p><p>For probably nigh on 40 minutes (I apologise I don’t have the exact match time), these two men put it all on the line. They showed the world why they are two of the very best storytellers that our country has ever produced. </p><p>They understand exactly what makes both characters tick, and exactly what drew the fans to each of them, and exploited every ounce of the history to execute a double turn so perfect that I honestly didn’t think it was possible. </p><p>I cannot wait to watch the match again on the Network when it drops. Its an absolute must see if you weren’t lucky enough to be in attendance. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVgBGSsLVHeUSjCyIM1VdYA_-n3pub3d0J2aMP6lbxurru6RV25qdbmKg2s2-mN5DYJ9k_4rLXuPtspiNyWlWRjz69fSYoq3pr8-0FMMKfOuin80fv8BJOwENbuY1h0AlFpXH4UEP_1rzL8HdUS4qfn6E22oBlZaP2-CRS9jYwNKNx3F3aYYl4vbmHrA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVgBGSsLVHeUSjCyIM1VdYA_-n3pub3d0J2aMP6lbxurru6RV25qdbmKg2s2-mN5DYJ9k_4rLXuPtspiNyWlWRjz69fSYoq3pr8-0FMMKfOuin80fv8BJOwENbuY1h0AlFpXH4UEP_1rzL8HdUS4qfn6E22oBlZaP2-CRS9jYwNKNx3F3aYYl4vbmHrA" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>And then, beyond it all there was the post match. With Lykos finally prevailing, the two men stare at each other. Lykos, all but unmasked (its hanging around his neck by this point), and Brookes, and Lykos asks for a mic. Before he can get half a word out though, Brookes grabs the mic: “SHUT UP LYKOS” he bellows. </p><p>One more call back, to the most famous CCK promo ever - in the lead up to their PROGRESS tag title win at Alexandra Palace. </p><p>And just like that, the two men smile. The war is over. </p><p>Brookes accepts his friend has risen to a level far above the level he was at pre-retirement. They hug, and CCK chants, Thank You Lykos chants, This is PROGRESS chants, all shower down. </p><p>Its a moment of euphoria. One day we will see CCK again - the post match reconciliation all but confirms that - but this roadblock along the way has made that eventuality all the sweeter. They had to go through each other. They had to know that the other guy still cared as much as they did. They had to know that CCK was worth fighting for. And this match told that story and so much more. </p><p>Its a masterpiece. A bonafide masterpiece. </p><p>Thank you Chris. Thank You Lykos. I love you both, and I’ll see you down the road. </p>James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-39648098455082804582020-04-06T00:05:00.003-07:002020-04-06T00:06:04.448-07:00The Firefly Funhouse Match, and the Rebirth Of The Fiend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvELaXdYldZwH2XXy_4jzxvlICRo2yDuPKXg9dgFniAaerP2a_SgQC_LigQ0ugXRYI703oxHJyvs6VzauU909n9I_bBAdtv55b5BzZiYXlXsUkMOEyRx8JuneHesuIP8DHTzyTeMIZCgG/s1600/EDAFE41D-7EF2-4958-87D8-82897C24675B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvELaXdYldZwH2XXy_4jzxvlICRo2yDuPKXg9dgFniAaerP2a_SgQC_LigQ0ugXRYI703oxHJyvs6VzauU909n9I_bBAdtv55b5BzZiYXlXsUkMOEyRx8JuneHesuIP8DHTzyTeMIZCgG/s320/EDAFE41D-7EF2-4958-87D8-82897C24675B.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">For nearly a year, Bray Wyatt and The Fiend have run roughshod over the WWE. Brutalising everyone they came into contact with (but of course for Bill Goldberg, though the less said about that the better), Bray would not only physically but more importantly mentally break his opponents, leaving them changed men. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Seth Rollins and The </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Miz</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> turned heel following their encounters, while Daniel Bryan’s entire look and demeanour was altered, bringing back the Yes Movement</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">When </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">The</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> Fiend challenged ultimate </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">babyface</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> John </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> to a Firefly Funhouse match at </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Wrestlemania</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> then, the stage for his greatest masterwork was set. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">This time though rather than seeing the situation through the eyes of our universe, we were whisked into the world of The Fiend – The Firefly Funhouse itself. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Wyatt and the leader of the </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cenation</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> have a history themselves of course, with </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena’s</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> defeat of Wyatt at </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Wrestlemania</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> 30 often cited as the moment the original Bray Wyatt character began to lose his lustre.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">History </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">would be the key to Bray’s tricks here, as he would force Big Match John to relive his past, making him face his greatest failures. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">First, in a darkened ring the Mr Rogers version of Bray would mimic Kurt Angle’s promo from the day of </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena’s</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> debut all those years ago. Suddenly John was there in full Ruthless Aggression debut gear.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">When asked what quality he might possess to be able to go face to face with (in this case) Wyatt, </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> would reply with the immortal “Ruthless Aggression” answer and take his swing, but – knowing his history – Wyatt expected it and ducks out of the way. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Wyatt impresses upon </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> that he’s too cookie cutter for his own good, </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">– transporting both men to an episode of Saturday Nights Main Event in the 80s and c</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">utting a Hulk-Hogan-</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">esque</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">promo, before turning on </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> and shoving him into the next room.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Here John was now in Doctor of </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Thuganomics</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> gear, able to speak only in rhyme. After some witty back and forth, the gimmick gets stale fast, and Bray clocks him with the Chain Gang chain, knocking </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> out and bringing us into the next phase. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Finally we had reached the crux of the matter. The moment Wyatt and </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena’s</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> path would cross. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Wrestlemania</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> 30. We see Bray now in his cult leader garb, in the Wyatt house on his rocking chair. He cuts a promo on </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> and then they’re back in the ring, this time with </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> in the same clothes he wore that fateful night.</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">In the original match Bray had handed John a chair, and told him to embrace the hate and smash him across the face but </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> refused. This time Bray again gives him the choice. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Having presented him with so many places he went </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">wrong in his career, the psyche of </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> has been damaged and this time he takes the swing – only for Bray to disappear. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">The cracks were showing and the moment to strike was finally there. In one final jump we arrive on – of all places – WCW Monday Nitro. Bray this time is mimicking Eric Bischoff and introduces a new John </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> – an </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">nWo</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> John </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> – who has turned heel. This is the Hollywood Hulk Hogan treatment for the next great superhero of the WWE. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Hate running through his veins at last – The Fiend’s trick having worked - </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> began to pummel Bray only for the spell to break and suddenly reveal it wasn’t Bray but </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Huskus</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">the Pig in the ring. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> looks broken and dejected, realising he has been lead down the destructive path – and finally The Fiend appears, locking in the mandible claw and pinning </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> for the 3 count, before </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena’s</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> body would literally vanish from the F</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">unhouse.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">If there was any danger The Fiend might have been ruined by his loss to Goldberg, we needn’t have worried. A master of mind tricks and manipulation, we have just seen him break the man many thought was unbreakable. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">In one match arguably the greatest superhero in the history of the company was completely deconstructed to the point he broke his own rule. He couldn’t rise above hate at the hands of the Fiend, and if </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> can’t, the question can only be: Who can?</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">The Firefly Funhouse match was not only wildly entertaining – more so even that the equally cinematic Boneyard Match from night one - but offers us our most brutal look at the powers of this new iteration of Bray Wyatt yet.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">If Wyatt can destroy </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Cena’s</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> very essence to the point he vanishes without a trace, what might he be able to do to someone lesser on WWE’s totem pole?</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">In one match the mystery and the mystique have been completely reinvigorated, and the memory of the loss to Goldberg eradicated. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Whats</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> next for Wyatt and the Fiend? I don’t know. But I can’t wait to find out.</span></div>
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James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-80960542710969844912020-01-31T18:33:00.001-08:002020-02-01T03:42:36.041-08:00From Southside to Schadenfreude: My love for Chris BrookesSometimes, as a wrestling fan, you find yourself inextricably linked to a certain wrestler. You feel it from the moment their music hits, and you’re ready to follow them into battle, cheering them or booing them. <br />
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I grew up a wrestling fan, and watched a local indie in the early 2000s with the likes of Robbie Brookside and the late great Drew McDonald doing battle, and between them that face/heel pairing got my 10year old blood flowing. <br />
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After a few years away - I kept up with WWE even if I wasn’t watching religiously, but really did slip away from the indie side unfortunately - I found my way to another local indie, this time in Nottingham, where I had moved for university.<br />
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The year was 2015, and the show, run by Southside Wrestling, was super fun, featuring the likes of (an INCREDIBLY YOUNG) Tyler Bate, Martin Kirby, Jimmy Havoc, and others, and I was hooked. <br />
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I went back a few more times when they would come back through town and I started to notice a guy on the shows. I honestly don’t remember if he was there that first one, but he certainly was moving forward, and thats Chris Brookes. <br />
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Taller than the average indie guy (especially at the time, but even now), he instantly stood out. Teaming at the time with Travis Banks, the pair caught my eye, and, even though I probably saw them lose more than win, the fluid style of Brookes’ wrestling in particular would stick with me.<br />
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As I began to get more and more into the scene, and with the rise of social media, even shows I wasn’t at I could see how my favourites were getting on. Over the course of 2016 and into the start of 2017, it was clear there was a new partner on the horizon for Brookes - “Mondai” Kid Lykos - the Problem Child. <br />
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Bringing back the CCK team name which Chris had shared with former partner Jonathan Gresham, this new iteration of CCK tore it up wherever they went, and in April of 2017, at FightClub Pro’s annual Dream Tag Team Invitational, the team would see off Moustache Mountain, the Hunter Brothers, and then finally the Lucha Bros, to solidify themselves as one of THE go to tag teams on the planet.<br />
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They would go on to win the CZW Tag championships, as well as a myriad of other belts besides around the UK. This guy who I started out quite liking was proving himself to be a megastar in the making, and I was hooked.<br />
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Like many in the BritWres bubble, we knew it was only a matter of time until PROGRESS, at the time seen as the top indie promotion in the country, came knocking. With Travis Banks, closely aligned with Brookes in the minds of the BritWrest faithful, having won Super Strong Style 16, and heading on to face British Strong Style leader Pete Dunne, surely the Best Boys wouldn’t be far away to even the score.<br />
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To an explosive pop, the team would finally debut in Manchester, immediately setting sights on BSS and their tag team championships for the upcoming Chase the Sun event at Alexandra Palace. It was after this debut that I got to see even more of what would come to define Chris Brookes as my favourite BritWres wrestler of this generation.<br />
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His in-ring work had already wowed me, but it was in his promo work that I would find out his personality. The now infamous “Shut Up Lykos” line, still quoted today nearly 3 years later. He was funny in almost effortless way. I knew from that moment on: I was a Chris Brookes guy. <br />
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I would cheer him wholeheartedly on that fateful night at Chase the Sun, as he and Lykos would pick up yet another title for the trophy cabinet, and would continue to cheer them through the trials and tribulations which would follow.<br />
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A series of heartbreaking injuries to Lykos would leave Brookes without a partner again, but rather than flounder or give up, he thrived. He took part in 2018’s Super Strong Style 16 tournament, and though he was defeated in the first round by Kassius Ohno, even Ohno himself would sing his praises, and the adoring crowd kept the memory of the Calamari Catch Kings alive. Challenging for titles around the country, building a passionate and dedicated fanbase, Brookes cultivated a community, and despite the hardships, he would come out the other side.<br />
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He would join forces with Aussie Open and form Schadenfreude, a stable of arguably two of the most dominant teams in BritWres, and would once again prove to be a reinvention by Brookes which would pay dividends. The team began as a reign of terror in Fight Club Pro, but it was quickly apparent that these guys had bigger plans. <br />
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They would launch Schadengraps, a promotion in Manchester taking over from IPW’s Tuesday Night Graps at the Frog and Bucket Comedy Club. Through a mix of fan interactions, great banter, and great matches, Brookes and the rest of Schadenfreude created the hottest product in the country, regularly selling out in moments. <br />
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I recently had the chance to attend my first Schaden show (the 5th overall), and it genuinely warmed my heart. In the opening contest, Lykos, now retired, would bring out Brookes and introduce Joe Nelson, a cruiserweight wrestler, as Kid Lykos 2. He would hand off the mask and the gimmick, so it could live on.<br />
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It was by this point no secret that Chris was on his way to Japan. After a tour in DDT, the promotion saw the value in him that myself and so may here do, and have invited him to live and work there for the rest of the year.<br />
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At the time I thought this Schadengraps show would be the last time I saw Brookes, and while the passoff of CCK to Lykos 2 would have been a fitting end, I needed closure.<br />
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There is one more Schadengraps show he’s due to work, but because of another engagement I can’t go, so that seemed to be that.<br />
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Which brings us, finally, to tonight. January 31st 2020 (or indeed as I write this now, its 2AM on the 1st of Feburary, but the point stands).<br />
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After some incredibly last minute (the actual day before) working out of my work schedule, I realised I would be able to attend Fight Club Pro’s Wrestlehouse ’20, on which Chris was booked for one of his last UK dates for the foreseeable future, and I knew this was my chance to say goodbye properly. In the main event, Brookes, Lykos 2, and Kyle Fletcher, would face off against FCP Tag Champions Moustache Mountain and FCP Champion Dan Maloney.<br />
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The crowd was firmly behind Schadenfreude - the supposed heels of the piece of course, but on this night no-one was going to boo them. When Brookes himself got the pin, the place came unglued. Trent Seven would give him a fitting sendoff, and then gave Chris an open mic to say goodbye.<br />
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His usual self deprecating self, this was a promo thanking the fans for everything he had achieved, and the fans - and the entire locker room which emptied to the stage, gave him a standing ovation. <br />
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This was one of the true greats of this generation of BritWres, and (but for a few more dates, though not for FCP), this was the last we would see of him for at least a year.<br />
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The work Chris Brookes has done to help this scene is immeasurable. From his work with Attack, to Lucha Forever, to Rev Pro, to Defiant, to FightClub, to PROGRESS, and of course to Schadengraps,<br />
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Chris Brookes leaves BritWres in a much better state than he found it. He’s worked tirelessly to get guys into positions to get themselves over, and has elevated everyone he has worked with.<br />
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It has been an honour to watch as this lovely person (has evolved and grown over the past 5 years I’ve been aware of him, and I am so incredibly proud to see him heading off to live his dream in Japan, something I know has always been a goal of his. <br />
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Thank You Chris. From the very bottom of my heart.<br />
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Without you, and the community you have fostered around you, I probably wouldn’t still be watching wrestling today.<br />
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The spark was there from my childhood, but you fanned the flames and lit an eternal burn in my heart that BritWres can keep burning. <br />
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There will be a huge hole in our scene with you gone, but because of you, I know there are people waiting in the wings - the likes of Mad Kurt, the likes of Cara Noir, and countless others, who have your example to build on.<br />
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We’ll keep the revolution going for you while you’re gone. But don’t stay gone forever. <br />
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We need to fly that CCK/Schadenfreude banner over the BritWres landscape again soon. So we won’t say goodbye. I’ll say: Until the next time my friend. Enjoy yourself, but hurry back. <br />
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#ThankYouChrisBrookes James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-43232073229283317222019-12-19T08:00:00.001-08:002019-12-19T08:49:12.257-08:00Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker - Review - SPOILERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">IF YOU HAVE YET TO WATCH STAR WARS EPISODE 9: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, STEP AWAY NOW.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">SPOILERS FOLLOW BELOW THE PICTURE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. </span></div>
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“No one is ever really gone” mused Luke Skywalker at the end of The Last Jedi. Words which would have an eerie foreboding over the franchises final outing. Right from the opening crawl we know that “The dead speak!” and that the long dead Emperor Palpatine is broadcasting a message of hatred and destruction of the Resistance throughout the galaxy.<br />
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While Ian McDiarmid’s return had been announced earlier in the year I think many had decided he might be returning as a Sith Force Ghost, or in flashback. The opening scene however confirms that Master Skywalker’s prophecy is closer to the true than anyone could have realised. Palpatine has survived the fall through Death Star 2 and has been living in secret, amassing a cult of followers, on the Unknown Territories.<br />
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How? Honestly its never fully explained nor fleshed out, though it is referenced at one point that the Sith had cloning abilities and other ways to cheat death. So…one of those I suppose?<br />
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This opening sequence is emblematic of The Rise of Skywalker as a whole. It looks brilliant on the surface, with some of the most beautiful and sweeping vistas in franchise history, but on a second glance it doesn’t add up to much, and seems to contradict earlier entries over and over.<br />
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Where The Last Jedi asked exciting, new questions, about the nature of rebellion, and about heroes coming from the most unlikely of places, it feels like JJ Abrams (returning to round out what he began in The Force Awakens) had to juggle taking up Rian Johnson’s narrative points while simultaneously having his own vision for Star Wars which was in deep conflict with the middle chapter.<br />
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Where Johnson looked to the future and what lay beyond the Skywalkers, Abrams’ approach was instead to cling onto history with both hands and never let go. So desperate was he for example for Rey to somehow fit into a lineage for the franchise, to make her journey somehow her destiny, that the choice of who’s family line she falls into is silly at best and almost insulting at worst.<br />
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He acknowledges the previous outing just long enough to have Palpatine tell Kylo “She is not who you think she is”. I rolled my eyes.<br />
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It isn’t all bad – indeed far from it, some of the franchises best moments exist in this film. It is easily Anthony Daniels’ best Threepio movie since the original trilogy. He gets every single laugh he's playing for here and it feels like they wanted to put our old friend front and centre. Meanwhile both Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver shine as series leads Rey and Kylo Ren.<br />
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Rey’s story in particular (but for the lazy reveal mentioned above) is her strongest of the trilogy, as we see her teeter on the edge of the darkness. Fear and a need to belong has controlled her entire life. Finally she has been offered that belonging, but still she doesn’t feel truly at home. Ridley plays the duality of the dark and the light perfectly.<br />
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Despite these bright spots though Rise of Skywalker feels like its trying to please everyone by appeasing those put off by Last Jedi while still trying to honour it at the same time. It falls somewhere in the middle and ultimately I would suggest falls flat because of it. There is too much fan service. Too many calls back to moments gone by.<br />
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JJ tried to cap off a 40+ year franchise with a whistle-stop tour back through its past, but in doing so the story of this movie, this chapter, feels cluttered and without enough of a direct through line of its own.<br />
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Where Avengers Endgame earlier in the year took a huge spanning franchise and made a movie which honoured it while feeling uniquely its own story, this film feels like it cannot escape its past long enough to move forward.<br />
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Its very final scene will be perhaps its most polarising. Even if you have gone with it up to now, the final sentence of the Skywalker saga is one I simply couldn’t get on board with. We have a rich and storied history and the end (while clearly trying to be homage) comes off more as like “Huh?!”<br />
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Two years ago I walked out of a cinema in the early hours of a morning with a beaming smile across my face knowing I had just witnessed the finest Star Wars film of all time - The Last Jedi. Future viewings and thoughts confirmed my initial opinion, but it was there right from the off. Walking out of this film in contrast I felt confused. Not loving it, not hating it, just struggling to form a coherent opinion.<br />
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Several hours, and some much needed sleep, later, and I can say that Rise of Skywalker is messy. Not without its joys, but messy undoubtedly. Its not the worst the franchise has to offer, not by a long shot, and at its best its spectacularly good. But its simply not at its best for enough of the runtime.James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-407568069310158472019-05-29T14:06:00.000-07:002019-05-29T14:06:06.087-07:00Booksmart - Film ReviewOlivia Wilde's directorial debut is an equal parts funny and cathartic take on the classic Coming of Age story.<br />
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Following best friends Amy and Molly on their final 24 hours as High School students, we are first introduced to the usual teen movie cliques - the nerds, the jock, the theatre kids, the popular slutty girl - and it seems like business as usual.<br />
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But very quickly we learn all is not as it first appears, and while Amy and Molly begin feeling superior - their hard work in school has paid off, they are off to prestigious universities - they quickly learn that their party hard classmates did just as well as they did.<br />
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Molly - a star making performance from Lady Bird's Beanie Feldstein - realises they have missed out on the the High School experience, and set the girls off on a trail to find the Grad Night party, finally trying to let the pairs hair down.<br />
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There has been a real renaissance of the great Teen Movie in the last few years. From the aforementioned Lady Bird, to Perks of Being a Wallflower, to The Way Way Back, many filmmakers have tried to capture that unique moment in life all teenagers feel where they feel like everyone else is fitting in while they simply don't fit.<br />
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Very few films get it as right as Booksmart.<br />
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The performances of the two leads in particular really display the camaraderie the two girls feel, while also showing that as we grow up we can become too stuck in our own minds. Too ready to judge someone or their position and get stuck there. Too stubborn to see things from anyones point of view but our own.<br />
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Its not just in the acting that the film shines either, some excellent music choices allow the story to flow, through the hedonism of the rush through the night, into the softer more character driven moments. Wilde clearly has not just an eye for her story but an ear for it.<br />
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Its impossible to bring this movie up without talking about its politics either. Amy is an openly gay teen, madly in love with the masculine presenting Nonbinary girl Ryan.<br />
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The film never once passes judgment on this in a way a less well handled offering might have. It simply presents it as business as usual. All the same shots you might get if the sexuality was flipped you get here. It just feels like any other teen movie, but dealing with LGBT youth rather than straight. This is how it should be done. Deftly and with a soft touch, and for that its to be applauded.<br />
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Though it released here in the UK this week, many cinemas seem to be opening it wider from Friday, so I implore you to search it out. This is a gem of a film, one of the very best I've had the joy to see this year so far, and it deserves to be seen.James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-53681329405815554272019-05-26T09:19:00.001-07:002019-05-27T14:05:22.004-07:00AEW Double or Nothing - Review/RecapLast night, from the Garden Arena at the historic MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada, All Elite Wrestling finally kicked off, after months of anticipation with their premier event: Double or Nothing.<br />
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Kicking off with hour long pre-show The Buy In on ITV4, the fans were first treated to the Casino Battle Royal, 21 guys vying for a spot in the first ever AEW World Title match. A frenetic and chaotic few minutes followed, with big moments for the man formerly known as Tye Dillinger in WWE as the Perfect 10, as well as hardcore spots between the likes of death match legend Jimmy Havoc and ECW’s Tommy Dreamer. This wasn’t going to be a 6* Tokyo Dome classic, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was crazy good fun, and by the time Hangman Page (the surprise 21st entrant following the high profile cancellation of his match with Pac on the main card) finally eliminated MJF, the fans were rabid for more.<br />
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Britains own Kip Sabian was up next, in a high flying and fast pace cruisers contest with former AAA Cruiserweight champion Sammy Guevara. Some frankly insane spots - including a shooting star press onto a prone Sabian hanging over the crowd barrier - would follow before the Norfolk boy would hit his Deathly Hallows finisher for the win, sending us into the main card hot. For those keeping score at home, this also means Kip was the first person to ever win a singles match in AEW, so when that trivia question comes up in a few years there’s your answer. <br />
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An excellent six man tag would start the show proper with SCU taking on the Strong Hearts from OWE. Again this was high paced, with all 6 men working their butts off to bring spot after spot before finally SCU would leave with the big victory. <br />
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Going into the evenings event Tony Khan and the other AEW execs had promised plenty of surprises, and the first of them was just around the corner. As the 3 competitors in the women’s triple threat waited for the bell to ring Brandi Rhodes would suddenly appear on the stage, in full gear, saying that she had thought about it, and while a triple threat would be great, it was lacking something. In the biggest swerve of the night - everyone in attendance assumed she was about to insert herself - she then said simply that great wasn’t good enough. This match needed to be AWESOME. And with that Awesome Kong’s music hit, and the roof came off the Garden. The commentary did a really good job of selling the swerve, asking amongst themselves what was happening, and if Brandi was about to insert herself, so the moment the shock comes it really lands.<br />
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The most dominant force in the last decade of American women’s wrestling, Kong marched to the ring and the KONG KONG KONG chants reigned down. The four women quickly went to work on another - allow me to say for me the stand out was Kylie Ray. I didnt know her going in, but she seems to be the purest babyface character I can remember. Cheering and smiling, completely unironically. She feels like NXT Bayley - and anyone who knows me knows that’s a compliment from where I’m sat. Her workrate was excellent, and her character work even better, so I can’t wait to see more of her. As the match drew on, the two big women in the match, Kong and Nyla Rose took each other out as Nyla speared Kong through the ring steps, and Britt Baker was able to capitalise and get the 3 count of Kylie.<br />
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Next up was for me the one real mis-step of the night. A 6 women tag match which would pit legend Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki and Emi Sakura against Hikaru Shida, Riho Abe and Ryo Mizunami was unfortunately let down by a couple of pretty egregious botches here. Chiefly among them, as the match was reaching its climax the ref counted a 2 count on a pinball but for some reason the timekeeper rang the bell. The 6 women (and the ref) did their best to salvage the situation, with the ref waving off the call immediately, but the fans noticed and the “You F**ked up” chants would ring out. A few seconds later the other team would pick up a 3 count and send the match home.<br />
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It was at that moment made clear that the mistake would have led the wrong team to win, which is why it had been so imperative to call off the decision, but it completely took the fans out of the match.<br />
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On a lesser show this could have been a death knell, the crowd lost, but thankfully they needn’t have worried because next up was - for my money - the match of the night. AEW founder and EVP Cody Rhodes would take on his brother Dustin in a match the pair had wanted to have for many years. It had been well publicised during their time in WWE that both Goldust and Cody were lobbying for a Wrestlemania match between the brothers, but in the end Vince McMahon’s company had decided the match was not worthy of PPV and blew it off in a TV match. With something to prove then, both men went out clearly ready to give it their all. Before the match even got going the fans were on their feet, with Dusty chants - celebrating their father the late great Dusty Rhodes - calling through. The story of this match was one of two men who knew each other so well. Constantly reversing moves and stealing eachothers movesets they were working the crowd into a frenzy early. Brandi would make herself a presence again - here spearing Dustin while the ref’s back was turned, but when he turned back he quickly worked out what had happened, leading to her ejection.<br />
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When she refused to go, DDP of all people came out, and forcibly removed her from the arena, leaving just the two men to go to war. Soon after the camera found Dustin’s face and it was covered in blood (ostensibly from a hard turnbuckle spot just before the ejection) and this would change the complexion of the match. It became a hard hitting brawl, with Dustin fighting on and on even when it felt like the match might have to be stopped. Cody hit Cross Rhodes, but Dustin kicked out, getting back up and hitting Cody with a Cross Rhodes of his own for the closest near fall of the night so far.<br />
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Eventually Cody would hit a disaster kick and a final CR for the win, but this wasn’t the end of the emotion. With Dustin sat broken, crying and covered in his own blood in the ring, the fans began a loud and respectful Thank You Dustin chant. This felt like the retirement moment which had long been teased. The brothers had their match. Dustin had nothing left to prove. But as the chant reached its crescendo Cody got back in the ring, saying that he wouldn’t let Dustin retire just yet.<br />
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At the next AEW event Cody was signed in a tag match with the Young Bucks, with a partner of Cody’s choosing. He said he didnt need a partner. He didnt need a friend. He needed his big brother. As the two embraced, their war finally done and their reconciliation complete, I burst into tears. This was such fantastic storytelling. There had been rumours of a Cody heel turn for the end of the match, but this redemption story was so much stronger, and it leaves us moving into the next phase of AEW at Fyter Fest next month.<br />
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It almost goes without saying given the competitors, that the final two matches - Young Bucks Vs Pentagon and Fenix, and a main event of Chris Jericho Vs Kenny Omega were also both great, but for my money Cody Vs Dustin was THE match we will be talking about moving forward as the defining match in the promotion so far. Indeed it was one of the very best matches from a pure storyline perspective which I can remember seeing this year. Absolute magic, and it shows why pro wrestling can be the best entertainment source in the world<br />
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At the end of this match was another of my minor blips on the evening (it actually happened after most of the matches, but it felt most blatant here), as they went to show some highlights. On other wrestling shows this might have been a 15 moment, recapping 1 or 2 spots. I feel like the production strategy here was to recap like a good minute or two of the match, showing every major moment. It was just too much. We just saw the match, we don’t need it again in a digestible form. Its a tiny teething issue on a brand new promotion though, so I give them plenty of leeway here that this can improve in an instant. <br />
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After the aforementioned main event, with Chris Jericho standing victorious in the ring though, heeling it up demanding a thank you from the crowd, well, then came the headline you’ll inevitably be reading coming out of the show. <br />
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A roar came through the crowd. Starting in a corner of the arena and slowly spreading across the screen as the news clearly spread like wildfire. Sauntering through the crowd came the man many had theorised would be AEW bound, but who I don’t think many ever really expected to see, certainly here tonight<br />
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Jon Moxley had come to AEW. You hear about the roof metaphorically blowing off a building well with this pop the roof must have reached half way to space. Meeting Jericho in the ring with a Dirty Deeds DDT, and then one from the ref, the unhinged Moxley turned his attentions to Kenny Omega. Tired and broken from his battle with Jericho it looked like Mox might get the best of him too, but as he went for a third Dirty Deeds, Kenny managed to push him out of the ring to the floor, and the pair would battle into the rabid crowd. <br />
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As they eventually reached the stage, both would climb up on a set of giant poker chips which made up the set, before Moxley would finally drop Omega with the Dirty deeds. Even this wasn’t enough though as he would pick up Omega and perform a HUGE standing Death Valley Driver, dropping Kenny probably 10-15 feet to the stage floor below, standing victorious, and sending the crowd home ecstatic. For a debut show you couldn’t ask for a better conclusion.<br />
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The purpose of the final shot of any PPV is to make you want to come back next time, and I think you’d struggle to find anyone who saw the conclusion of last nights show and isnt immediately All In (if you’ll excuse the pun) on whatever comes next. <br />
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Taking everything into account, this was an exceptional debut. There were a few very minor teething issues from a technical standpoint (all easily fixable), and the end to the womens six man was a real shame as its the closest we came to a genuine sour point on the night, but otherwise this was outstanding. <br />
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Bring on what’s next. If they can keep up anything like this pace, it’s going to be special. Really, really special.James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-28782008005779966122019-02-02T23:10:00.001-08:002019-02-03T05:04:36.580-08:00Review - Super Mario Odyssey<br />
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<a data-cthref="/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjQ0cKm_Z7gAhUPkRQKHZgEDuEQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbull.com%2Fus-en%2Fsuper-mario-odyssey-wishlist&psig=AOvVaw1i3T1xR5fGvq-eSDaEwBy-&ust=1549263155085043" data-ved="2ahUKEwjQ0cKm_Z7gAhUPkRQKHZgEDuEQjRx6BAgBEAU" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjQ0cKm_Z7gAhUPkRQKHZgEDuEQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbull.com%2Fus-en%2Fsuper-mario-odyssey-wishlist&psig=AOvVaw1i3T1xR5fGvq-eSDaEwBy-&ust=1549263155085043" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;focus:irc.rl;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for Super Mario Odyssey" height="213" id="irc_mi" src="https://image.redbull.com/rbcom/010/2017-02-13/1331844657500_2/0100/0/1/screenshot-from-the-new-super-mario-odyssey-video-game.jpg" style="margin-top: 39px;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For as long as I’ve been a fan of video games, I have been a
fan of the Mario series. The first game I remember playing was Super Mario All
Stars on the SNES, playing through Super Mario Bros in particular more times
than I can think to remember – it’s by far my most completed game of all time. This
love traversed into the 3D era when I picked up Super Mario 64 back in 1997,
instantly falling in love with it. <br />
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
I recently bought a Nintendo Switch, and I knew that one of the first games I
was going to pick up was going to be the latest offering from the Mushroom
Kingdom’s favourite plumber, so I hastily downloaded Super Mario Odyssey and
cracked on. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To say this game is a love letter to the history of the
Mario franchise would be an understatement. It mixes all the game play
mechanics we have known and loved from previous 3D Marios, but introduces a
whole lot more besides. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the game opens we are introduced to the first and most
important of these changes: Cappy. A living sentient hat who joins Mario on his quest, a
throw of the cap allows you to capture and inhabit a whole host of creatures.
From series favourites like the Goombas and Koopa Troopers, to far less
conventional options – a T Rex early in the game is a particular highlight, as
is a Christmas Tree in a later realm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The level design too is gorgeous and incredibly varied. One minute you're in a huge desert, climbing through a ruined pyramid, and the next you're inhabiting a kingdom of living fork creatures (yes really) as you jump over a colourful array of fruit and vegetables - avoiding steaming hot tomatoes which turn into a molten tomato juice. Every inch has been meticulously crafted, and you can feel the love the Mario team have put into it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No two worlds - or Kingdoms as this game calls them - are the same, and each have their own unique creatures and scenarios to master. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As you explore you find yourself inhabiting more and more of
these as you try and discover new routes and new collectibles. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This too is one
of Odysseys big wins – the sheer amount there is to see and do. While you technically
only need a little over 120 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power Moons –
Odysseys version of Mario 64’s Power Stars - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to “beat” the game and reach the final boss,
this is in reality barely an eighth of what the game actually has to offer. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
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After the credits roll there are still more than 700 moons to collect (and even
several Kingdoms you haven’t yet seen). Again this feels like the Mario of old –
without drawing too many comparisons to 64, that game too had multiple endings,
with a final prize for anyone willing to draw out every star – the game is
built with multiple players in mind. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the casual gamer, or children playing the game, the “final
fight” with Bowser feels rewarding, and like a real end point. If that’s where
you stopped you wouldn’t feel at all cheated by the games length or its story,
and this is clearly a deliberate choice from the creators. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the more hardcore gamer though this is arguably where
the game really begins. Everything which has come before is a mere prologue for
the game beyond, and the real quest to 999 Power Moons. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Moons though aren’t the only place Odyssey shines. We
have suggested already that the game celebrates what has come before for the franchise,<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and this
isn’t just in its 3D history either. <br />
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There are sections of the game – accessed through classic Mario warp tunnels –
where a 2D Mario sprite can play full 2D levels on the sides of walls – often allowing
him to climb towers or sections which the 3D world would leave unreachable. <br />
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These are beautifully designed, and they really pay homage to those early NES
and SNES Mario games I loved so much. <br /><br />A nice easter egg is that each of Marios
outfits in the game (and there are more than 40 complete Outfits) are
translated into 2D sprites, so if you enter the warp tunnel in a particular
outfit then Mario is still wearing that outfit in the 2D world. <br /><br />It’s a tiny
little detail – and something no one would have complained had they missed –
but its this kind of attention to the little things which makes Odyssey such a
joy. <br />
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Mario has had many great showings over the years, but this genuinely feels like
a high point. Between Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, and the Galaxy series, the 3D
hero has been through many iterations. Odyssey though feels like the franchise
at its most complete. The sheer sprawling insanity of it is its greatest
credit. Around every corner there is something new to explore and to discover.
You could play for hours and hours and still not see a fraction of what there
is to experience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even now I’m close to 100%ing the game, and I can’t wait to
start all over, to discover new and faster routes through sections, and to
simply experience the joy all over again. This isn’t just the best Mario game
of all time, it’s one of the best games of all time.</span> </span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-22959400940775872412018-09-30T17:17:00.000-07:002018-10-01T01:17:39.448-07:00PROGRESS Wrestling - Chapter 76 - Hello Wembley - ReviewTonight we got to experience something truly epic. A crowd of more than 4750 people - officially the largest independent wrestling crowd in England for over 30 years - packed out Wembley Arena for PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter 76: Hello Wembley <br />
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Right from the off the crowd were raring and ready to go. The pre-show battle royal got things off to a great start, with fan favourites like Chuck Mambo, TK Cooper and others being joined by a few surprises - Mad Man Manson, Ricky Shane Page, and the Inflatable Kid Lykos doll (just go with it) among them. <br />
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After some hilarious antics, it finally came down to Escaping the Midcard trio Chuck, TK and Spike Trivet, with Chuck eventually dispatching his friends to end the first match of the night with cheers of adulation. It was a really fun little opener, and got the crowd super hyped for things to come.<br />
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As the main card began, Wars played out the official Hello Wembley theme song live to get us started up on stage, before some of the loudest chants of This Is Progress ever reigned down as co-owner and ring announcer Jim Smallman marched down the ramp to For Whom The Bell Tolls.<br />
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“If I didn’t have this mic in my hand, and my Mr Showbiz brain hadn’t kicked in, I’d be crying my eyes out right now” he admits, clearly shaken by the immense swell of love from all in attendance. <br />
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The first match of the main card proper was a hard hitting brawl of an affair between PROGRESS mainstay Mark Haskins and the newest signee of NXT, Matt Riddle (himself firmly engrained in the history of PROGRESS’ Atlas Division).<br />
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The crowd was relatively split, favouring Riddle, but Haskins was certainly not without his supporters, and in the end it was the hard hitter from Malvern who would prevail, foregoing the traditional handshake, instead opting to hug Matt, and send him on his way out of the indies and off to Orlando.<br />
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Next up came the Women’s Championship match, which saw defending champion Jinny (accompanied by her House of Couture stable) take on young up and comer Mille Mckenzie, and former Women’s Champ Toni Storm. <br />
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The HoC used their usual numbers advantage tricks, climbing on the apron to distract referee Paz, before the babyfaces too were joined by some assistance, this time in the form of Candyfloss and Laura DiMatteo - on which more in a moment. <br />
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As the match progressed, Toni hit the Strong Zero piledriver to Millie on the apron of the ring, prompting Candy to rush over and check on her. I’m honestly not sure if this was kayfabe or legit but Candyfloss looked worried, and a few seconds later the match came to a conclusion.<br />
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The heel faction jumped in the ring, all facing Toni, prompting the baby faces to join them, and the stare down to ensue.<br />
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Just when it looked like all hell might break loose though, DiMatteo shocked the on looking crowd by smacking Toni in the back of the head, handing Jinny the victory in the process, and seemingly joining the House of Couture in the process. <br />
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With DiMatteo’s history with Jinny this was a massive shock but it wasn’t over there, as suddenly Jordynne Grace’s music hit and she debuted on this side of the pond for PROGRESS at last. She would clear house, and end up the last woman standing. <br />
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Shockwaves were felt throughout the entire women’s division tonight then as we now seemingly have a new contender to the crown, but also a new thorn in our good guys paws in Laura. It will be particularly interesting to see what comes next in this on going story. <br />
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Moving on from this shocker to one of the nights more seemingly inevitable - but nonetheless emotional - contests. Trent Seven would challenge for Doug Williams’ Atlas championship with the caveat that if Doug lost, his career would be over. <br />
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The two gave it their absolute all. Williams managed two Chaos Theory Suplexes, only for Trent to kick out both times, just when the fans began to think maybe, somehow, he could pull his way through. <br />
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Midway through the match, Trent tried his patented crossbody spot - which (as is the running gag), he missed, as usual. This should have been the hint we needed though, because following the second Chaos Theory, Seven got back to his feet, and finally hit the cross body pinning Doug to the mat for a count of 3.<br />
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One of the greatest professional wrestlers the UK has ever had the pleasure to give to the world, and for every person in attendance we had witnessed history, we had witnessed the end.<br />
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As Trent left the ring, gifting it to his fallen compatriot, the entire roster came to the stage, clapping and cheering just as loud as any fan.<br />
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The Honour Guard had come to take their fallen warrior home. As Williams staggered up the ramp, he stopped to shake every single hand of every wrestler on the stage, one at a time, showing them the respect they were showing him in return. <br />
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It was a truly beautiful moment, and one which really demanded this kind of stage. Someone of William’s stature wasn’t going to retire on a rainy Wednesday night in Scunthorpe (no offence to any Scunthorpians), but Wembley Arena felt just incredibly fitting. The chants of Thank You Doug eclipsed just about everything up to this point, and honestly if this had been the main event I don’t think anyone would have complained. <br />
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We were not even nearly done though as one of PROGRESS’ most brutal blood feuds was up next. Their previous match is still seen by many as the most brutal match in the promotions history, but here Paul Robinson, and PROGRESS stalwart Jimmy (F’N) Havoc looked to top themselves<br />
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Painted entirely white, but for black paint under his eyes, Jimmy and his trusty axe got to work early, literally opening the match with an Acid Rainmaker, before battering Robinson with chairs, and even a door, before turning to a collection of light tubes that the pair would basically take it in turns to smash over one another in ever more disturbing ways. <br />
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I’ll be honest: Death match wrestling has never really been my thing. I’m completely OK with people who like it (unlike some others who seem to take pleasure in mocking it as somehow “Less Than”, which clearly it isn’t), but its just not for me.<br />
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I found this hard to watch to be honest, and as the crimson masks began to adorn both mens faces and chests I was excited when finally Havoc picked up the win, sending us into our interval. <br />
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One note would be (and we will touch on this more as the night goes on), I get the feeling these matches - the women’s one as mentioned possibly excluded - must already have been running over, as we still have 4 matches to get to, and we were over half way through the allotted time for the show (which was meant to conclude at 8:30). <br />
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We returned from the break to the announcement that Super Strong Style 16 weekend will once again return to Ally Pally next May, and then former SSS16 winner and PROGRESS Champion Travis Banks came down to say that despite being injured right now he was declaring himself right now for the tournament. <br />
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The second half of the announcement (Travis’s half) really should have been cut in retrospect and moved to the next Chapter, because with the time constraints being what they were, a long promo segment really didn't help, but thats one of those hindsight being 20-20 things, and I know they wanted to make the SSS announcement feel big by getting a competitor in there early.<br />
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As the action resumed, we were treated to the first ever Tag Team Thunderbastard match, with Flamita and Bandido defending against 7 other teams. This was super fast paced, and with action all over the place.<br />
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One slight sour spot came as Mills and Mayhew’s elimination came during an entrance, so most of the crowd (myself included) were facing the tron, and suddenly heard Jim announce the elimination. I still don’t know who got them even now, so will have to watch back on the On Demand service next week.<br />
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Otherwise this was a really fun match, with all the teams gelling nicely, and giving us some huge spots. In the end it was Aussie Open, Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis, who would see off the Grizzled Young Veterans last to pick up the gold. Fletcher in particular looked incredibly emotional at the win, visibly sobbing in the ring as he held his belt above his head. The pair have come an incredibly long way since coming together as a team a little over a year ago, and to see them getting their just desserts was lovely.<br />
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Next we would be joined by CMJ - again cutting a promo which in retrospect should have been left on the script editing room floor - to hype our next contest, the biggest super-card match in European wrestling; Unbesiegbar Ilya Dragunov vs The Bruiserweight Pete Dunne. The two men held the fans in the palms of their hands for what felt like one of the longer matches of the night (especially singles wise).<br />
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Every false finish felt big, and the match built from a slow start through to a crashing and almighty crescendo at its finale. For what was clearly a home crowd for Dunne, the reception was more split than it could have been, and the longer the match went, the more duelling chants could be heard ringing out throughout the arena.<br />
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In the end though it was the Bruiserweight who would make his opponent tap out, finally ending the bitter rivalry which began all those months ago at Super Strong Style 16. <br />
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Speaking of bitter rivalries, next came what for me was the hardest match to watch all night. I’ve already mentioned: I’m not a fan of death match wrestling at the best of times, but this was something else.<br />
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Mark Andrews and Eddie Dennis, who have been locked in a bitter rivalry for more than a full calendar year, would finally do battle in a TLC match. As the match wore on though it became clear there was a problem. By my count 5 different table spots were attempted. Not one table broke. The fans were practically pleading with the wrestlers to stop trying. Use the ladders, use the chairs, but every time we saw raw flesh bounce off a table because it wasn’t snapping, it made it really hard to watch.<br />
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It could be said of course in many ways with how brutal this feud promised to be, this accidental level of brutality fit nicely, but honestly we come to see simulated combat not to watch two guys really get hurt but to entertain us with the SIMULATION of pain. <br />
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In the end, a Next Stop Driver from the very top of a ladder was enough to FINALLY send both men crashing through a table, and Eddie climbed the ladder to retrieve his contract.<br />
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I mentioned earlier that the show promised to be finished by 8:30PM. As Eddie stood atop the ladder I looked at my watch and saw it was already 8:24. Clearly, unless our main event went 6 minutes, this was not finishing on time.<br />
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Looking around, you could see clusters of people leaving, realising they had trains to catch and the like. This was perhaps the ONE detractor from an otherwise excellent night - some people were going to miss out on the main event because the show was clearly running not just over but WAY over. <br />
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For those of us who did stay though we were treated to what was for my money the match of the night. Big man WALTER would defend his PROGRESS Championship against the Big Strong Boi Tyler Bate. While both were ostensibly faces in the match, it seemed like WALTER was working perhaps the more heel leaning of the two, really battering into Tyler.<br />
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The young lad from Dudley gave as good as he got though, and a few massive feats of strength - dead lift german suplexing the Austrian, and getting him up for Bate’s patented helicopter spin come to mind in particular - gave fans hope.<br />
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After what was a very long night the crowd could have sat on their hands in this one, they could have shown the exhaustion that could be setting it, but to their credit this was the loudest they were all night. <br />
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Near fall after near fall, I heard more than one fan around me say “I don’t know who’s gonna win this!” on several occasions.<br />
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At one point Tyler hit Tyler Driver 97, and the entire arena came to its feet to count the 1,2….we all shouted 3, but no, at 2 and 99 100ths WALTER kicked out, and the place came unglued.<br />
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In the end, a thunderous piledriver would put Bate down, and WALTER would retain the title he won back in July. <br />
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It was clear throughout the evening that we were witnessing history. Real history. From the epic main event, to Doug’s retirement, to the first ever Tag Thunderbastard, this big show more than lived up to its hype. The energy of the crowd, and of every competitor who stepped through the curtain, was palpable. It was a real I Was There kind of night. A landmark in the history of wrestling that we will remember moving forward. I am so proud of not just Jim, Jon and Glen, but of everyone who worked so tirelessly to make this show, and more importantly this wrestling scene, possible. <br />
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We started from the bottom. Now: We’re here.James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-59475301322966249192018-05-08T15:09:00.001-07:002018-05-08T22:01:58.617-07:00Progress Wrestling - Super Strong Style 16 2018<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This past weekend saw Progress Wrestling’s annual Super Strong Style 16 tournament descend on its biggest go around yet, at London’s historic Alexandra Palace. <br />
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With sixteen of the very best independent wrestlers in the world right now, from WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne, to David Starr, to Zack Sabre Jr, and even the returning Kassius Ohno (Chris Hero), this was a tournament card which packed a whole lot of punch right from the get go. <br />
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I won’t recap every match we saw over the weekend (there were 24 of them after all) but I’ll hit on some big highlight moments. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Day One</span></i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">As Day One kicked off, we saw the first round matches, beginning with the aforementioned Pete Dunne taking on British legend Doug Williams. Its fair to say Doug’s journey in Progress of late has been tough, he’s raked up a string of losses, but he has kept fighting, and thats exactly what we saw here. In many ways this was a passing of the torch moment. One of the best of a bygone generation giving the brightest star in the next one his blessing. Doug wasn’t going to go down without a fight, and the two put on an incredible contest before Pete would finally get the better of the older statesman.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">If Williams’ career is winding down, this was a really nice spot on that road. Personally I’d like to see him maybe get one more title run (on which more later), but for now this was a nice moment, and a really hot way to get the crowd going.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Next up the technical wizard Zack Sabre Jr would begin his tournament against for my money the biggest shock of the tournament: Chuck Mambo. 9 months ago in this very venue Mambo had faced Spike Trivet in a pre-show match, he wasn’t even on the main card. When he got announced for Strong Style then he was considered a major underdog, even more so when the bracket came out and we saw he was facing Sabre. How could the comedy character stack up against the best in the world?<br />
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Everyone - myself included mind you - was counting Mambo out. As the two men told a story though, Chuck managing to fight out of Sabre’s submissions and mount a surprising amount of offence you could feel the crowd come alive. They began to believe that maybe Mambo could do it. In the end Sabre proved too much, but it was Chuck who was given a much deserved standing ovation. Sometimes in wrestling we make a lot out of one match, but genuinely, given the reaction he got the rest of the weekend this should be the launchpad that propels him into the next stage of his career. This was easily the match of Day One, and its one I can’t wait to revisit it on Demand Progress in the coming weeks.<br />
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After we saw David Starr make pretty easy work of TK Cooper we were treated to a debuting Angelico against Mark Andrews to close the first half. Of course the thought on everyones mind as the match went on was “Where is Eddie Dennis?” and it wouldn’t take too long to find out as he sauntered out to ringside where he has apparently bought a ticket and simply stared at him, distracting him long enough for Angelico to pick up the win. This again was top notch story telling from what is for my money the best feud in Progress today. Eddie didn’t have to touch Mark, he didn’t even have to get in the ring. Just his presence sent a message. These two are not done, and the story would continue as the weekend progressed (if you’ll excuse the pun).<br />
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Jordan Devlin and Tyler Bate put on a fantastic match to open the second half, followed up by the Grizzled Young Veterans who were given a choice of who they wanted to enter the tournament. As their would be opponent Joey Janella got bored of waiting for a response he began to beat both men down, eventually targeting Drake. Just when it looked like he was going to beat Drake though Gibson grabbed the mic, reminded him that they had never revealed who was in the match and that as of right now it would be him. The bell rings and Gibson rolls Janella up and steals a victory in about 10 seconds. <br />
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The continued descent of Flash Morgan Webster into the arms of Vicky Haskins’ stable continued as he took on Keith Lee. Having been absolutely rag dolled by the big man for most of the match their came a point where Vicky would get on the apron and distract the ref. Flash grabbed his trusty helmet and was about to knock Lee out when his conscience got the better of him. The hesitation would cost him dear as Lee got back up and flattened him to advance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then in the main event of Day One, and the final first round match, CCK’s Chris Brookes would take on the returning Kassius Ohno from NXT. The history between the two men has been documented (a - very - young Brookes would do a lot of Ohno’s design work when he was on the indies and the two had been friends since). To see them knock ten bells out of each other exchanging kicks and punches then was particularly special. Several times Brookes looked to lock in the Octopus Stretch, but in the end it was the Knock Out Artist who would pick up the fall over his friend after a thunderous elbow to the back of the head.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The second day would kick off with Pete Dunne once again getting things underway, this time against Zack Gibson, who commented that all Pete had done lately was throw a shoe. Which of course led a fan to give Pete a shoe to throw again. Because: Wrestling. It was hilarious, and the two were just beginning to put together a nice match when Haskins Havoc and Webster interfered. They will meet Dunne and the other members of British Strong Style in a few weeks at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. <br />
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Dunne fought them off with a chair before any of them could lay a finger on him, but then turned round and smacked Gibson with the chair, intentionally or not is unclear, leaving referee Joel Allen with no choice but to disqualify him, meaning Gibson would advance. At this point Haskins’ crew would start the beat down proper before Tyler Bate would come down to make the save.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having both impressed heartily on Day One Chuck Mambo and Jordan Devlin (along with T K Cooper) would meet in a triple threat match. The match itself was excellent but what this segment will be remembered for came before it. Chuck Mambo’s entrance had involved filling the arena with beach balls bouncing all over the place. <br />
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As they fell into the ring the wrestlers had been kicking or throwing them out. Then Devlin jumped up, and gave the best over head kick I have ever seen in my life to kick one sky high into the crowd. The pop was immense, and people were still talking about this hours later. It was amazing. One of those unique moments that you couldn’t possibly script because it wouldn’t work out as perfectly as it did just being in the moment.<br />
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The Vicky Haskin’s trio would come back out next to face another 3 of the eliminated SSS competitors in Chris Brookes, Andrews and Joey Janella. The former made surprisingly easy work of them, but after the match Janella said that he had come to Progress to prove himself and so far all he had done was get beaten by c**ts, and that Havoc (who he had faced off against in New York for Progress last year) was the biggest c**t of them all. He wanted to finish what they started back then, and demanded a death match for Day Three. Havoc accepted and owner Jim Smallman made the match official. This felt huge and the crowd ate it up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Keith Lee would show once again just how dominant he could be as he put away Angelico - who himself had a great showing, nearly getting Lee up for his Crucifix Buckle Bomb, but dropping him after a step or two and allowing Lee to get the win to advance to Day Three’s semi finals. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The start of the second half though was for me the highlight of the entire tournament. David Starr, my gun to head pick to win it all going in would take on Zack Sabre Jr in a quarter final match which will go down for the ages. Every move one had the other had a counter for. Starr tried to go hard against Sabre’s technical style. I literally lost count of how many Han Stansen’s he hit as the match went on, but incredibly both men kept getting up. It was an actual clinic of a wrestling match, the kind trainees should have to watch as required viewing. In the end it was the boy from Sheppey who would prove the victor, but honestly the real winner with this was the fans in attendance, who were just lapping it up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The night finished with two David Vs Goliath stories as first Tyler Bate went against Ohno, telling the story that Bate couldnt get Ohno up, no matter how strong he was, until finally he got the dead lift German suplex off and then his patented airplane spin. The crowd exploded when the latter occured and came to their feet, where they would remain as he hit a thunderous Tyler Driver 97 to secure his own semi final place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then came a main event more than 9 months in the making as the Progress World Championship would be defended by Travis Banks against the Atlas Champion Walter. A fantastic hype video package told the crowd all they needed to know - these were the two most dominating men in Progress, both undefeated since Chase the Sun back at Alexandra Palace last September, and that something was about to give. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rather predictably given the difference in size Walter manhandled the champion. The crowd, tired of Travis’s constant Terminator antics were squarely on the side of the Austrian as chants of “Walter’s our champion” and “Walter’s gonna kill you” rang across the arena. An interfering T K Cooper (dressed in full Roman Reigns flack jacket) got knocked out for his troubles but it was then that Travis enacted his awful master plan. As champion and challenger battled on the outside Walter eventually slid back in to break his own countout. Trav though decided that was it. He picked up his title, and he walked away, before Walter had a chance to go after him and senior official Chris Roberts counted the ten to count Banks out. <br />
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Walter had won, but had failed to pick up the title. He called Travis a disgrace and power bombed TK in the middle of the ring before storming out clearly fuming, to close off the wrestling portion of Day two. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I say the wrestling portion because there was still more to come. Across town at the Dome in Tufnell Park, Mark Andrews’ band Junior were the official Day Two afterparty. They put on a great gig but just as they began the encore none other than Eddie Dennis appeared, attacking the MC before security could drag him out. Mark was incensed, and took to twitter soon after to say simply “Eddie, be at Alexandra Palace tomorrow.” After months of build up, Mark had finally snapped. Which leads us nicely on to…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The final day of Super Strong Style 16 began where the second day let off. Jim Smallman played a video of the events of the night previous and Mandrews stormed the ring, saying that when Eddie attacked him, or other wrestlers, that was fine - they could defend themselves, but this was an innocent bystander. Enough was enough, and he was finally accepting Eddie’s constant challenges for a match once he was healed from injury. He said he would accept as long as Eddie promised that until that day he has to leave Mark and his friends alone.<br />
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Eddie jumped at the chance but had his own condition: he gets to pick the stipulation for the match. The two gave a brutal stare down and it was clear the match was set for Eddie’s return in a few months time. <br />
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Next up was Roy Johnson’s Wasteman Challenge, featuring most of the guys who had been eliminated from the tournament up to this point. After Chuck Mambo, and Devlin in particular got some big pops for their rhymes, Jim made the crowd aware that as Tyler Bate was unable to continue in the tournament because of an injury sustained during his Day Two match, this challenge would now instantly become a scramble match for his spot in the semi finals, and to ring the bell. All the men in the match made it clear how huge an opportunity this was and started knocking the hell out of each other, but in the end Ohno would lay waste to everyone with his swinging elbows. A highlight in particular to watch for on Demand Progress is the moment he catches Devlin in mid air with one as Jordan was coming of the top rope. It was brutal to watch but fantastic. Suddenly the big man was back in the tournament. </span></span></div>
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The semis would see ZSJ take on Keith Lee and then Ohno Vs Gibson. The former was a brilliant display of Sabres fortitude to get up from everything Lee would throw at him, before finally bridging a pin fall to get three against the big man. The latter was more akin to a PRO wrestling match than the technical side we got in the first semi. The match became about Gibson’s partner James Drake trying again and again to interfere, before finally getting caught by Joel Allen and ejected, leading to Gibson taking an elbow to the back of the head while he was distracted for the loss. Both matches were very different, but they showcased how many great styles of wrestling there are, and ever 3 days in this crowd were buying into every minute. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first half of Day Three would end with the Death Match which we had had announced earlier in the weekend. Now I’m not going to slate this match, I’m just going to say Death Matches aren’t my thing. I don’t like them very much. I completely get there are people who love them (and clearly the crowd were getting a lot out of it, so I’m not going to slate it). It just wasn’t my cup of tea.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What came after the match though got probably the pop of the entire weekend it was so out of left field. Jimmy, having lost the match began to cut a promo on Progess and Jim Smallman. He said that he and Haskins had joined forces because after the last Ally Pally show when they had put their lives on the line in a death match they hadn’t been booked on the next show. <br />
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They were frustrated with their clear lack of direction and took it out on David Starr and Jack Sexsmith who they thought unworthy of the spot. Nice to begin with to finally have that answer as to why the team came together, but it was when he then started going after Will Ospreay and how he had returned from his Loser Leaves Town stipulation so easily that he got really dark. He said that in the years since their feud Will had become a megastar and Jimmy had simply become more and more broken down. Maybe, he said, it was time to….</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before he could finish the sentence though the Aerial Assassin himself’s music hit and he walked down the ramp, Jimmy’s old axe in hand, to a thunderous reception from the Ally Pally crowd. </span></span></div>
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He said he had watched from afar but that Jimmy didn't get to decide when he was done. Will had that power. He had always had that power because their story had been engrained together since the very beginning. He was fed up of watching some bloke called James stumble through Progress. He wanted the bastard who nearly decapitated him with an axe. He wanted Jimmy F***ing Havoc. He wanted him at Wembley Arena on September the 30th. The promo was absolutely on fire, and one of the best I have ever seen Ospreay deliver. Jimmy accepted, before throwing himself not just once but like five or six times back bumping onto a collection of thumbtacks on the floor from the death match to show that he had snapped and that Jimmy Havoc was finally back. The ovation was like very little you could imagine, especially as this crowd had been chanting and screaming for nearly three solid days at this point. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The second half would see Toni Storm first see of Charlie Morgan in convincing fashion to retain her Women's Championship and set up the match nearly a year in the making as she will finally go on to face Jinny at Victoria Warehouse for the title. <br />
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Next up Walter would look to pick up a measure of retribution over the Kiwi Buzzsaw after the events of Day Two as he effectively ate up his little poodle T K Cooper and spat out the carcass. This was an annihilation. Once again though it was what happened in the after math that will be remembered. Travis cut a promo saying it was unfair that Walter could claim to be in two weight classes and that as long as he holds the Atlas title he would not get another World championship match. <br />
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To which Walter said: Ok then, and handed Jim his Atlas title before chasing Travis out of the arena. Its amazing to see that Walter will clearly not be done with Travis until he gets his hands on him for that belt, and even more interesting that this is the way they choose to get the Atlas belt off Walter. It frees him up to take that world title spot without having to lose and thus break some of the mystique. <br />
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I also hope, to refer all the way back to the first match Day One, that the fatal four way match at Victoria Warehouse between Joseph Conners, Rob Lynch, Rampage and Doug Williams will now be for the vacant Atlas belt and that Doug Williams might get one more run to close out his career. <br />
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All of which brings us nicely to the Grand Final of the Super Strong Style 16 tournament for 2018. Who would join Ospreay, Tommy End and Travis Banks as the fourth winner? In the end there could be only one. The first British born winner of the New Japan Cup would also finally get the demon of his back. He had been so close to touching this moment on a couple of occasions over the years that in many way this year simply had to belong to: Zack Sabre Jr. <br />
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As he celebrated, he called his title shot the only way a boy from Kent can: “Wembley, Innit” and with that the confetti fell form the rafters, and the streamers filled the ring. <br />
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As Jim tearfully thanked everyone in attendance for making the entire weekend as special as it was, it was hard to believe this was it. One of the best weekends of wrestling probably ever, had come to an end. The family that we had all become over several days were returning to our lives outisde the world of Progress.<br />
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But to misquote a great film: We’ll always have Ally Pally. <br />
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We will always have the memories of what we all shared together. We laughed, we cried, we made new friends and rekindled old ones. We all lived our best lives and cheered our hearts out because we were united. No matter how bleak the world outside, for one weekend 1500 people in North London were united in euphoria and bliss. <br />
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If that isn’t Progress, I don’t know what is. Lets do it again some time yeah? </span></span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-64483461468491502842018-04-09T09:25:00.001-07:002018-04-09T09:33:18.063-07:00Review - Wrestlemania 34<div style="caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Firstly: allow me to apologise for the odd paragraphing on this. Its in the default settings, so I'm not sure why its doing like triple line spacing on paragraphs. Its not like that in the actual text, or in preview mode but I can't work out how to fix it, so apologies. That said, onto the review: </div>
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At the time of writing, we are now nearly 12 hours removed from Wrestlemania 34.</div>
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I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about it. There were great moments, but also moments which - at best - left myself and those I was watching with scratching their heads. </div>
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Matt Hardy winning the Andre battle royal on the preshow, and then Seth Rollins winning the IC belt to kick off the main card got fans into the night early, with a proper hot crowd.</div>
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We were then treated to a great match between Asuka and Charlotte. The end of the match though is perhaps where the night's first issues started creeping in. Its not even that Asuka lost per se - she had to lose some time - but the way she lost. Charlotte had barely got the Figure 8 locked on when the Empress of Tomorrow tapped. Over 900 days of Streak just suddenly ended in a split second.</div>
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For the added drama they could have had her hold on for a minute or two, try and make it to the rope, before finally succumbing. It would have done a better job of keeping both women looking strong. From here its just not clear where Asuka goes next. </div>
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Throughout the preshow, and right through into the Smackdown Women's title match, we kept getting cutaways to John Cena in the crowd. It was a clever gimmick, but they went to the well way too often. Cutting away twice in what is a world title match is simply unacceptable. Thankfully they sent him to the back after the women were done because it was getting old FAST.</div>
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Another strange booking choice followed with the US title match. With Asuka's streak broken everyone I watched with agreed that if they were going to save the crowd and bring them back on side then Rusev was going to have to pick up the win here. Instead though, on the cusp of his glory suddenly Mahal was pinning him and raising the gold. A champion no-one wanted, and the guy people wanted to win eating the pin. Yep... *bangs head on the desk*</div>
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Back to the good side of Mania 34, who would ever have believed you going in if you'd said Ronda Rousey's debut would have been the match of the night. Well - it was. Rousey started slow, with a few minor botches, but she quickly found her feet, and the sheer spectacle of seeing her face down HHH, before locking in her patented arm bar on Stephanie felt huge. This was the first match on the entire card which felt like a Wrestlemania moment, rising above even your usual PPV fare. Like I say: it wasn't perfect, if this is Rousey's foundation I can't wait to see how she grows from here. </div>
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Perhaps a victim of its placement on the card, the SD Tag championship match felt incredibly rushed. At just over 5 minutes, none of the teams were able to really get their stuff in and while I'm excited for the Bludgeon Brothers to get a run with the belt, this wasn't the fantastic match we know these three teams to be capable of. </div>
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After that cool down through, John Cena's music hit and he ran to the ring, and the atmosphere suddenly filled with electricity. The moment we had waited for was here. The lights went out, and then....the guitar strummed. It wasn't Undertaker but Elias who slowly trudged to the ring. This was a really masterful use of the young heel. Fans love to boo him, and this trolling gave them ample opportunity. Cena made quick work of him before heading to the back assuming his Wrestlemania was over. </div>
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Half way up the ramp though the lights would go out again and this time the Undertakers hat and gloves would appear in the centre of the ring where he left them a year previously. The trademark lightning and pyro sent them straight to hell and the gong finally chimed. Rising back out of the stage - again a call back to what he preciously thought was his retirement last year - The Dead Man was back. He marched to the ring in classic Undertaker style and then arguably the biggest shock of the night so far occurred: He squashed Cena in 2minutes 47 seconds. </div>
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Yep. Big Match John, one of the biggest stars in history, and the man who has spent so long begging for this match, got his ass handed to him in under 3 minutes. </div>
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I'm honestly not sure what to think. The lead in segment was fantastic, and the quick finish did a great job of not exposing Undertaker's age. That said, in both mans primes this should have been one of those Wrestlemania dream matches which went down in the pantheon of the best ever. To see it over so quickly I just couldn't help but feel a little let down. For what it was it was great, its just when you start thinking of what it could have been.</div>
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Also: this didnt feel like a retirement match in the way I think just about everyone expected. It felt like it was building Taker for something. Will it be a rematch with Cena at Mania 35? A final match at Survivor Series to bring his story full circle? Without the answers to those questions this match feels even harder to judge. If this is the start of a story between the two that leads to a real match this was a really inventive way of kick starting the feud. If this was the end...it just feels wasted. </div>
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Daniel Bryan’s return was hot, and it didnt feel like he had missed a beat in the years he was gone. After the weirdness and shortness of the two matches which it followed, this finally felt like a welcome relief.</div>
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Aaaaaand thats where Wrestlemania’s upside ended. </div>
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Nakamura Vs AJ Styles had all the makings of a potential Match of the Year candidate on paper, but in reality the match just never quite got going. It was a bit of a metaphor for the night as a whole to be honest. Perfectly OK, but not at all what it could have been, and in turn that made it just feel even more disappointing than if we hadn’t expected anything from it.
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Braun Strowman and a ten year old then proceeded to effectively bury the entire Raw Tag division. Yes, you read that right. I’ve got nothing, sorry. </div>
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Last but by no means least we marched into a main event that no-one wanted to see - especially 70000 people who had sat for 7 hours at this point already including the preshow. Lesnar Vs Reigns felt like the entire match was laid out to make Roman’s eventual victory seem huge, like he was overcoming something. Samoa Joe and Braun couldn’t kick out of a single F5. Even the Undertaker was beaten by 3. </div>
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By the time Roman kicked out of a fifth, there were genuinely This Is Awful chants, and the fans just started playing with a beach ball. </div>
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Of course this would be followed by Roman getting a huge emphatic spear and finally exorcising the Lesnar demon off his back in this story that has been 3 years in the making. <br />
Right?</div>
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Wait, no. Thats not what happened. A sixth F5 would suddenly put the Big Dog away, leaving Brock with the title and Roman’s entire quest in tatters. </div>
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What was the point? If he was going to lay down for Brock why did they have to go the ridiculous six finishers route? Just have him get beat. It made NO sense. </div>
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As I said at the outset, I’m not going to suggest this Wrestlemania was a disaster. It wasn’t. This was no Wrestlemania 9 for example, which was awful start to finish. This time around there were huge highs - the IC title match, the mixed tag - and even to an extent the Undertaker and Asuka situations were good enough(although they weren’t without their flaws). Its just that with so much genuine mess, especially in the second half of the show and the two world title matches, I just can’t see this being one of those CLASSIC Manias we go back to time and again. I’m not angry, I’m just…disappointed.</div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-36099133282945177702018-04-08T11:51:00.000-07:002018-04-08T13:28:45.413-07:00Ranking The Undertaker's Wrestlemania matches<div style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
It’s Wrestlemania day, and, despite appearances to the contrary last year, this really does look like its going to be the year we see the swan song for the greatest professional wrestling character ever: The Undertaker.<br />
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Of course when you think of the Dead Man, his name is almost synonymous with Wrestlemania, having appeared at 25 of the last 27, and amassing an insurmountable 23 out of 25 wins. With that in mind I thought I’d take the time to go back over the legendary Wrestlemania career that Taker has had. and rank the matches from worst, through to the very best</div>
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<b><i>25: Giant Gonzalez - WM9 -</i></b> There is very little to be said about this utter turd of a match. Far from the masterpieces we will see down the list, this was a particularly low point on what is considered the worst Mania ever. Gonzalez was big and hulking yes but a good worker he was not, and even the Undertaker’s obvious skill couldn’t sort this out. It ends with Gonzalez choking Taker out with Chloroform and getting DQ’ed. I just… Nope, I got nothing. It was a turd. A complete total turd. </div>
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<b><i>24: Jimmy Snuka - WM7 -</i></b> At just over 4 minutes, the Undertakers first Wrestlemania appearance felt more like an extended squash match than anything particularly special. Its not bad for what it is, just very basic. He can (and will) do substantially better).</div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;"><b><i>23: Big Boss Man - WM15 -</i></b> For my money the worst Hell in a Cell match in WWE history, this is a Boss Man who never really gets going. Following the brutality of the Michaels and Mankind HiaCs this just feels entirely forgettable, something that cage should simply never allow. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;"><b><i>22: King Kong Bundy - WM11 -</i></b> Another quick fall, this feels at least a little more accomplished than the Snuka match, and did what it needed to to continue the ongoing story with Ted Dibiase which the Undertaker was working up to at this point. </span><br />
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<b><i>21: Shane McMahon - WM32 -</i></b> The lowest recent entry on this list, its the storytelling more than the match quality that let this down. Shane is still willing to do all his crazy stuff, and the Undertaker gets all his stuff in, but it just never made sense why Undertaker was doing Vince’s dirty work to begin with. Taker is ostensibly still a face here, and yet he’s fighting for the heel head of the company against a massively over returning Shane. And WHAT WAS IN THE LOCK BOX?! 2 years on and we still never got the end of the story. <br />
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<b><i>20: Sycho Sid - WM13 - </i></b>Sid, like Gonzalez above, was never a fantastic worker in the ring, and while he puts on a serviceable match here, its not what anyone remembers from this card - thats the Hart Austin submission match.<br />
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<b><i>19: Jake Roberts - WM8 -</i></b> The last of the very early matches we will cover, and again this is really before there was a Streak to defend. This is still very early in the career of the Undertaker and this squash match allows us to further that character in the eyes of the audience. <br />
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<b><i>18: A Train and Big Show - WM19 -</i></b> Notable for being the only non one-on-one match the Undertaker has had at the Show of Shows, this is 3 big men going at it. It might not be a masterpiece, but its a good hard hitting match. <br />
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<b><i>17: Mark Henry - WM22 -</i></b> For someone like my self who would call himself an Undertaker superfan I’ve never actually been all that partial to Casket matches, despite them being his signature. The gimmick rather detracts from the suspense of the big near falls which can make big matches feel even bigger, but again this is a decent big mans wrestling match, even if the suspense is never right where it needs to be</div>
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<b><i>16: Kane 1 - WM14 -</i></b> One of the best storylines Undertaker had been in up to this point saw him refuse to fight his brother, who was wreaking havoc in the WWE and consistently making Taker’s life hell. To see the two brothers finally come to a head, and for it to take 3 Tombstones to put the Big Red Machine down made both men look like monsters, which lets face it - is kind of the point. </div>
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<b><i>15: Diesel - WM12 - </i></b>On the ongoing subject of big men knocking bells out of one another, comes the Diesel match. I’m sorry to say this, and I know I’ll get flack for it from some in the Internet wrestling community - I’ve never really rated Kevin Nash as a performer. It may just be that you had to be around at the time to truly feel what he would become with the NWO, but I just never cared for him. Its why this match came as such a pleasant surprise because it feels like a bit of a high point for Diesel match quality wise. </div>
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<i><b>14: Brock Lesnar - WM30 -</b></i> Its a crying shame that the match which ended the Streak is so low down this list. From an importance stand point it could easily be higher but - having suffered a concussion just a minute or two into the match - the pace is completely thrown off, and it never really regains it. If the ramifications of the final moments weren’t there, I don’t think this match would even be in the conversation. Its a mess, but an honourable mess, and we have to give kudos to Taker just for keeping going in the condition he was in. And lets face it: the sheer importance of the end of the Streak makes this one of the most important Wrestlemania moments of all time even if the match itself doesn’t stock up</div>
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<b><i>13: Bray Wyatt - WM31 -</i></b> Thankfully it seems time heals all wounds. The broken Dead Man we saw just a year earlier losing the final Streak match would return seemingly rejuvenated. The result was never really in question, but it was nice to see someone of Wyatt’s stature in the WWE system at the time get the opportunity at such a high profile match. I’ve long been high on Bray Wyatt as a character and while its often felt he has been allowed to stagnate, at least at this point creative were clearly interested enough in him to hand him to the Dead Man. </div>
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<b><i>12: Ric Flair - WM18 -</i></b> On a night which saw Hogan vs Rock main event in an Icon vs Icon match that would go down in history, a little way down the card Flair and Undertaker too were looking to put on a huge legends match. WCW’s biggest star had come back to the WWE and the Undertaker was realistically the gatekeeper. A bloody affair with Flair donning his patented crimson mask early on in the proceedings, its a match which probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves given the match which came later in the night, but its definitely good. It also ends with Undertaker holding up 10 fingers, signifying his 10-0 record at Wrestlemania, the first time on television that the Streak had really been mentioned, and it wouldn’t come into its own for another several years - on which more later. </div>
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<b><i>11: Batista - WM23 - </i></b>By this point The Streak was in full swing, and The Undertaker was really reaching the peak in his career. It was The Streak Vs The World Heavyweight Championship, and for my money this was Batista’s best feud in the WWE. The two big men put on a hard hitting contest. A thunderous Batista Bomb came close to ending the Streak, while the Animal kicked out of The Last Ride, as the pair traded near falls. At a little over 16 minutes this was better than it ever deserved to be, and like I say: might just be one of Batista’s very best matches. </div>
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<b><i>10: HHH 1 - WM17 - </i></b>Another match which gets lost in the shuffle of the card it was on. WMX7 is for many the best Mania ever, and includes the best TLC match ever, and the best match of the Austin Vs Rock trilogy. That said this for me is the Undertaker’s big Mania coming out party where the matches really started getting good. They battle all over the arena. Chair shots, sledgehammers, a classic ref bump (seriously Mike Chioda, an elbow drop doesnt knock you out for 10 minutes), this was a properly fantastic match and a prelude to the two classics Hunter and Taker would later put on.</div>
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<b><i>9: Randy Orton - WM21 -</i></b> Above we mentioned the first time the Streak would really be called out as such, and this is the match. At this point deep into his Legend Killer gimmick Orton swore to do what 12 men hadn’t been able to do up to that point: Beat the Dead Man at the Show of Shows. This feels like the closest the booking ever came to ending the Streak before it actually happened, and the match is properly impressive. It was completely believable that Orton might have the rocket strapped to his back, and a win over Undertaker would have sent his stock into the stratosphere. Some interference from Bob Orton and an incredible Chokeslam-into-RKO reversal stand out as the high points of this superb match, but in the end its Randy’s hubris which gets the better of him. Determined to beat the Phenom with his own move Randy goes for a Tombstone which Taker flips back into his own for the win. 13-0, and the Streak marches on. </div>
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<b><i>8: Roman Reigns - WM33 - </i></b>I’m going to get a lot of flack for this going as high as it is. I’m not going to claim it has the match quality of some of the entries we are about to see, but the sheer weight of the emotion in this match was palpable from the get go. The moment Jim Ross came out to commentate, and the fact the match was the main event, fans had an inkling that this might just be the Undertaker’s Last Ride. A back and forth battle between the two would culminate in what many assume was the final time we will see The Dead Man, at least in that gimmick. He leaves his hat and gloves in the ring as an entire stadium gives this man a standing ovation, not a dry eye in the house. It may not be an INCREDIBLE match bell to bell, but its serviceable enough that the added emotion makes this chapter in the Undertaker’s legacy feel so important. </div>
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<b><i>7: Kane 2 - WM20 - </i></b>Another match more about the story than it was about the action per se, but what a story it was. The November before, the American Bad Ass version of Undertaker had lost a Buried Alive match to Mr McMahon after his brother Kane ceremoniously dumped an entire JCB load of dirt on the Biker. Over the next several months Kane became haunted by visions of the Undertaker, with the signature lightning bolts and gongs. Kane carried the brunt of the feud as Undertaker was intentionally kept off screen, but the Big Red Machine does an incredible job of playing up how he doesnt believe in the magic of the Undertaker. He believes the Dead Man is gone, and that he won. Then when Mania finally rolls around, the druids march out with their torches, Paul Bearer walks out with the Urn, and then there he is. The Dead Man has risen, black trench coat, black hat, this is THE UNDERTAKER. The Phenom. The Bad Ass might be gone, but the most powerful entity in the WWE is back. He makes short work of his brother and proves to everyone in attendance why he is the Dead Man. On a rewatch you could probably skip the match itself, but the promotional video and then the entrances are probably the best production WWE has ever done. There, I said it. </div>
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<b><i>6: CM Punk - WM29 -</i></b> This is the point in our list where we reach the real masterpieces. From this point onwards it would almost be fair to say that on any persons given list these could easily go down as a person’s favourite Mania match for the Undertaker. Having held the WWE title for longer than anyone in the modern era, CM Punk made no secret of the fact he believed he belonged in the main event of Wrestlemania 29, but with Rock Vs Cena holding that coveted spot, Punk would have to find another way to the show of shows. With the death of Paul Bearer, Punk gets to go into full heel mode as he steals the Undertaker’s urn, mocking the memory of Bearer and calling out the Dead Man.</div>
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<b><i>5: Edge - WM24 -</i></b> Featuring two of my all time favourite superstars, this is a match I have been back to many times over the years. Edge was able to counter the Dead Man time and again, with Undertaker unable to hit almost any of his signature moves to put the Rated R Superstar away. A ref bump which would lead to a reverse Tombstone spot which would echo the earlier Randy Orton effort, and an incredible reversal of Edge’s spear into a Hells Gate would ensure the Streak would last on another year. </div>
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From here the list gets even more interesting. These last four matches for me could almost be interchangeable in their position on this list, because to be honest: They are one ongoing story. It may technically be four matches, but for me WWE has never so successfully woven a story across four consecutive years as they did when The Undertaker would come face to face with HHH, and the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. That story is something we shall examine now. I will give them in my order of preference, but as I say, this is one of those where all four matches are practically perfect and I wouldn’t argue anyone who put the four matches in a different order.</div>
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<b><i>4: HHH 2 - WM27 - </i></b>Having watched his best friend Shawn Michaels be unable to beat The Undertaker not once but twice at Wrestlemania, and retire in the process, The Game had a lot to prove going into WM27. He had to beat the Phenom or die trying, and this is one of the most heart hitting battles of the entire streak. Chair shots, and an amazing camera shot as HHH delivers a Tombstone to Undertaker, trying to put away the Dead Man with his own move stand out. Its one of a hundred fantastic moments in the match, and its place in the ongoing story cannot be downplayed. The Undertaker being unable to walk out under his own power at the end of the match was a huge moment. The Dead Man suddenly felt a little more mortal, and even though the Streak remained, maybe, just maybe, it was beatable after all? It had to be worth just one more try right? On which more soon. </div>
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<b><i>3: Shawn Michaels 2 - WM26 -</i></b> Its not QUITE the high water mark of their first contest (darn it, that feels like a Spoiler, though you’ve all guessed already where I’m going), but Shawn’s retirement match is FULL of raw emotion. They trade false finishes back and forth for what feels like an age, but not for one moment does anyone want to see this instant classic end. This is a battle for the ages, and as the final 3 count falls it feels like we have witnessed something truly special. </div>
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<b><i>2: HHH 3 - WM28 End of an Era Hell in a Cell, Shawn Michaels as Special Referee - </i></b>This was very nearly top of my list. Its the culmination of the story these 3 men have been telling for four years. The Undertaker is the most vulnerable we have ever seen him up to this point after WM27 and we literally have not seen him on screen in a full year outside of some strange video packages. This time it is HIM who needs to prove something. He wants HHH because he needs to know. He doesn’t feel like his win counts the last time because it was he who was broken by the end. He wants one final match to settle it all. The addition of Michaels at the ref is the best touch, because the audience knows his history with the Undertaker, but also his history with HHH. They’re friends yes but there has also been huge animosity between them. Could Shawn bare to see Hunter do what he couldn’t and snap the Streak? Some frankly fantastic psychology goes in to this, but the match reaches its peak when Undertaker snaps at Michaels and puts him into Hells Gate, prompting Michaels to then give Sweet Chin Music directly into a Pedigree for what might have been the closest near fall of the entire Streak. This is probably one of the matches (along with Number One on this list) that I have seen more than any other, and I still explode into floods of tears seeing the curtain call at the end. Three men who gave EVERYTHING to a business they love, and to fans who loved them, and they are going out on a high. If I’m honest, I’d have liked this to be the end of all 3 men. Have Hunter go off into his exec job and have Shawn and Taker ride off into the sunset. They never bettered this with what followed, so quit while you’re ahead. </div>
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<b><i>1: Shawn Michaels 1 - WM25 - </i></b>It was never really in any doubt was it? As a lifelong Undertaker fan (anyone who knows me knows that he is my favourite wrestler), this is for me not only the best Undertaker Wrestlemania match, this is the single greatest professional wrestling bout ever. I have seen it easily 100 times, and could practically take you move by move. Right from the Heaven Vs Hell entrances, to the moment where Shawn pushes the camera guy in front of a diving Taker, to the moment which lead to my favourite gif ever (Taker’s SHOCKED eyes after Shawn kicked out of a Tombstone). This thing is a masterpiece from bell to bell, and, nearly 9 years later its still never been bettered by any pair of performers. I just don’t know how else to say about this. I don’t think there is any wrestling fan alive who I need to tell how good this was. Instead of rambling on I’ll say this instead: save the time you’d have saved reading an essay on how incredible this is, and go watch this match again on the WWE Network right now. Do it. Right now. You will not be disappointed.</div>
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With Wrestlemania 34 just hours away, we have to wonder whether he will answer John Cena’s challenge, and - if he does - where the match would fall if I was to redo this list after the event. Only time will tell, but for now lets simply celebrate the most important WWE career of all time. Thank You Undertaker. If this is to be the end, I just want to thank you for so many great memories. </div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-72008280568866693642018-03-31T11:45:00.000-07:002018-03-31T11:45:48.176-07:00Ready Player One - Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
Ever since I saw the first trailer for Steven Spielberg’s latest, Ready Player One, I was excited. A movie set inside a massive virtual world, picking up on Easter eggs and references to a whole host of other movies, books and video games, it sounded right up my street. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While I had never read Ernest Cline’s now much lauded novel of the same name, my interests were definitely peaked so I headed down to see the film opening night. </div>
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What followed was an action adventure romp which evokes everything from Willy Wonka, to Wreck It Ralph, to The Hunger Games, while deftly meshing the ultra-futurist world of its Oasis (the virtual world at the films centre) with the nostalgia we all feel for the simplicity of our childhoods.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We join Wade Watts, very clearly the Charlie Bucket character if we extend the Wonka metaphor out, a struggling poor boy from The Stacks, a literal trailer park where trailers are piled on top of one another because of the immense over population and crowding in this slum. He and his friends live their lives within The Oasis, which they use as a virtual escape from their troubles. In the Oasis we are told, anyone can be anything, and it’s using this prism that the films references come through – Wade drives the DeLorean, while his friend Aech has built working replicas of everything from the Iron Giant to the Galactica.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story of the film sees our heroes attempting to find 3 keys hidden within the game by its reclusive creator James Halliday before he died. Halliday (again like Wonka), wanted to find someone worthy of taking over his company and his creation after his death, so he has set up various challenges for an eventual winner to overcome. <o:p></o:p></div>
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From an epic car chase with obstacles as varied as wrecking balls and spikes right through to Jurassic Park’s T Rex and King Kong; through to a challenge set inside the infamous Overlook hotel from The Shining, Spielberg has effortlessly woven a tapestry with these characters.<br /><br />With the sheer amount of properties on display here this could have felt forced under a lesser director. Very much an exercise in “hey, look how many things you recognise that we managed to get”. Instead though rather than making too big a deal out of them, the film just puts these things on screen and then moves on. These things simply exist in this world. Its actual movie world building at is best.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The movie works though not because of its flash or its spectacle, but because you believe in the characters at its heart. Wade is far from a perfect hero, his arrogance and his desperation to rise above his current station nearly derail his efforts on several occasions – its perhaps fitting that he of all the characters is the one with the DeLorean, as he is evoking Marty Mcfly in that regard.<br /><br />The other central members of the group are well fleshed out too. Art3mis, a young activist who’s reason for wanting to win the contest are far purer than Wade’s, gives the film its emotional resonance. He wants to win, she needs to win because she understands the power that this place they have all created together has, and the dangers of allowing it to fall into the wrong hands.<br /><br />It’s a nice metaphor for the internet at large right now. The vast majority of its users are there to create a vast, interconnected community spreading its way across the globe. You don’t have to have met these people in real life to feel connected to them. At the same time there are those who’s corporate greed would seek to destroy the community and instead simply turn it into a bottom line figure.<br /><br />On that note, Nolan Sorrento, the films central villain, and owner of IOI, Halliday’s leading competitor, who wants nothing more than to finally destroy his enemies vision and turn it into a for profit machine. He’s perhaps a little pantomime (there is a sequence in which he genuinely talks about how many ads they can flood someone’s headset with before they go into full blown seizure), and for my money this is perhaps the films weak point. When everyone else feels so real and so well rounded, we could perhaps have done with just a moment of looking at why Sorrento became the way he was.<br /><br />It’s a minor quibble though. The film tears along at a rip-roaring pace, and really works hard to pack every sequence with as much emotional heft as they can manage. It feels, perhaps fittingly given the nostalgia factor at the films heart, like it fits into the old Amblin canon. It’s just as fun, and explores ideas just as lofty as its predecessors like ET. It doesn’t hold quite that high watermark admittedly, but then comparing much of anything to ET would leave an unfavourable view.<br /><br />Ready Player One though feels like a real return to form for one of cinema’s greatest creators. He’s created a visual and emotional paradise, and one I cannot wait to return to.</div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-63906673431575605292017-12-15T14:20:00.003-08:002017-12-15T14:47:44.771-08:00Review: Star Wars - The Last Jedi - SPOILERS<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Speaking as one of many for whom Star Wars was a formative part of my early childhood, the resurgence of the franchise to its former glories in recent years has been something I have joyously watched over. Force Awakens was a great, fun ride, Rogue One was the closest the franchise has ever come to what I’d refer to as a great FILM, rather than just a great movie. It was with baited breath then that I attended the midnight screening for Episode VIII. Willing it to live up to its recent predecessors. I needn’t have worried. It blows them out of the water, and even the original trilogy along with it.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Let’s begin of all places at the end. That last 60 seconds. The moment you realise hope is truly still alive in the galaxy. It’s a beautiful and enchanting vision of the rebellion, and unlike anything which has come before in 8 films truly seems to present how important the rebellion is not just to those few ragtag fighters but to the whole oppressed galaxy. These 3 children, telling the story of Luke Skywalker, are as important as any Jedi or Sith or Rebel or First Order fighter.
Where Empire Strikes Back leaves the universe in torment at the end of its trilogies second act, Last Jedi's message is one of hope from tyranny.
I know even after one viewing that this tops even Empire Strikes Back, long held in my heart as the high watermark by which Star Wars should be judged. A statement of intent on how the franchise could work. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Last Jedi is without a single shadow of a doubt in my mind the most well crafted Star Wars film ever made. Peril which genuinely felt perilous; a story which took everything I expected (an Empire carbon copy to follow on from Force Awakens’ New Hope carbon copy) and turned them on their heads; and even while it’s probably the bleakest vision of this universe we have had to date it’s also somehow the funniest.
Yoda being his playful mischievous self - and a PUPPET NOT CGI - was wonderful. Also a far younger puppet than the one in Jedi, because it would seem like Anakin in NewJedi he has decided to present himself in his prime not at the point of his death.
No, even in the darkness of a film in which we learn Luke nearly murdered a child, director Rian Johnson is brave enough to intersperse a nice amount of comedy and brevity to the proceedings without for one moment lessening any of those big moments.
We learn that where we thought Snoke was going to be our big bad a la The Emperor, in the grand scheme of things the point was that Snoke wasn’t that important. We assumed we would relive Jedi, and the struggle would be for Rens soul against Snoke as Vader’s was with the Emperor. But then they killed Snoke and Ben was still evil. The twist was the real important bit, not Snoke.
Ren was able to hide his true feelings from Snoke. Suggests Snoke was never that powerful a Sith, and that his apprentice is already WAY more powerful. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is a bad guy reborn from the ashes of his failures in Force Awakens. He is a mad man the likes of whom cannot be reckoned with, and to see him battle Luke at the end, with even Luke - who could turn Darth Vader of all people - conceding that Ren could not be saved sets Kylo up as an almighty big bad come Episode IX and his seemingly inevitable reunion-come-battle with Rey and her new Jedi order.
On Rey, her not being a skywalker or a Kenobi or a Solo is a bold, some might even suggest inspired choice. She’s just Rey. Its huge for the franchise because it takes it beyond the Skywalker saga. If Ren dies, the final part of the Skywalker bloodline dies with it. It also once again helps to subvert every expectation that this was going to be Empire2. We spend the film waiting for a huge familial reveal, because that is what must come, and it simply doesn’t.
I wept when Luke and Leia reunited, and actually cheered out loud when we finally got Leia's force moment. We have always kind of known she was at least passably force sensitive, but she is literally like a fully untrained Jedi. These characters have lived with so many of us for so long that to finally see them shine again on the big screen is incredible. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Carrie Fisher’s General Organa is fantastic. She has matured from the Princess cracking wise to a leader who understands that every life lost in the resistance is a blow which could wipe it out. Her expression while everyone else celebrates the Dreadnaught kill and she simply looks at the screen listing the fleet members lost is one of the more finely played moments in the franchise to date.
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It is Mark Hamill though who deserves the most plaudits. Luke Skywalker, our legend, our hero, has been torn asunder, and its in Hamills performance that it never for one moment feels forced. He gets the odd laugh (brushing himself off after the AT-AT barrage is a particular highlight), but for the most part he has completely inhabited the role of the old and broken master, desperate to end the Jedi once and for all, not because he has turned to the dark side, but because he believes it is the only way to bring balance to the force, ending the Jedi’s hold over it once and for all. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">His final emotional sequence as he pronounces the rebellion (an interesting choice of words, not Resistance but Rebellion, just like the old days) reborn, and that he is not the last Jedi after all is the completing of a story arc more than 40 years in the making. Him then bowing out in silence before the twin suns, clearly having transported his </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">consciousness back to Tatooine one final time, is the beautiful and touching end to a character we saw come from nothing all those years ago. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I can't remember how long its been since I felt so entirely euphoric coming out of a movie. I am so excited to see how they move forward, because right now we are in a position of great hope. They have to rebuild the rebellion, and they have to rebuild the Jedi order, and getting there is going to be so intriguing. There are what, maybe 50 people on the Millennium Falcon. Thats technically the entire</span> Rebel Alliance (a phrase which as mentioned above I think may be about to make a resurgence). Yet somehow we know they will overcome. We have what George Lucas knew was most important to the franchise decades ago, when he came back to sub-title Episode IV. We have: A New Hope. </span></span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-168867476045904882017-04-29T04:17:00.002-07:002017-05-03T07:33:05.273-07:00Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The sequel is never as good as the original. Its an adage as old as Hollywood itself, and has very very few exceptions to the otherwise hard and fast rule. After the overnight success that was Guardians of the Galaxy then, there was a level of trepidation surrounding Marvel’s return to their band of space mercenaries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thankfully it picks up right where the first film left off from a comedic point of view, and from the exuberant opening sequence which sees Baby Groot dance to Mr Blue Sky while his friends fight an inter-dimensional space slug in the background, its impossible not be smiling, and the laughs just keep going and going. <br />
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Its not just the comedy that keeps on giving though. This film sees our heroes really grow as characters. Where the first film concentrated heavily on Chris Pratt’s Starlord, somewhat at the expense of his compatriots this new entry concentrates far more heavily on the background players, as we see Nebula, Yondu and in particular Rocket take centre stage.<br />
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After Rocket’s “I didn’t ask to be made!” explosion in the first film, he is desperately searching for a true family bond, but doesn’t know how to ask for it, and so ends up sinking deeper and deeper into his outcast role, arguing and acting out constantly, just hoping to be noticed. As the group constantly mock him as a “trash panda” or “triangle faced monkey” his dejection only grows, as does his descent into anger and depression.<br />
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Its heartwarming therefore to see his relationship with Yondu grow, as they realise they are effectively two sides of the same coin. Both are reckless loners who long for acceptance, but both believe themselves irredeemable. Its my favourite thread through what is an excellent adventure, and really helps to round both characters beyond their rather flat roles from the first outing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nebula too grows beyond her “generic evil super villain” role here too as we realise that Gamora isn’t the only daughter of Thanos to see the darkness for what it is. We find out that Nebula was jealous of Gamora, seeing her as Thanos’ favourite and that this feeling of abandonment even from her adopted father is what had turned her heart cold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">For all the love that the Avengers will get within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and their part in the eventual battle with Thanos come the Infinity War, it would only be truly fitting at this point for either Nebula or Gamora to deal the final blow that brings the monstrous tyrant down. As deep and sweeping as Thanos’ terror has been across the galaxy, it is these two above all others who truly have that intimate terror, and inextricable link to Thanos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We are also reintroduced to a character who, despite only uttering 3 words, came to be the symbol for everything we loved about the first film: Groot. Long gone are the days of him being Rocket’s “resident houseplant and occasional muscle”. He’s now reborn from a single twig of the original, and is a hand sized Baby version of himself. Not only does this make him infinitely cuter, but it also brings a real change to the character, as the Guardians now have to look out for him, keeping him out of the fray of the darkest battles - a direct comparison to the first film. It was really interesting to see this evolution, and its wholly successful. You instantly believe that this is the same character, while equally understanding the shortcomings he now suffers. It will be interesting to see where Volume 3 goes, whether it will pick up from the post credits sequence with Teenage Groot or whether we will go back to his full grown form next time around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I make mention above of Mr Blue Sky, and it would be remiss in any review of a Guardians film not to bring up Awesome Mix Volume 2. Like the first film, this has a pumping soundtrack at it’s heart, as Quill’s walkman brings the music of the 70s and 80s to the big screen. I’d say it's not QUITE as good a mix as the first film offered, but that was always going to be a hard measuring stick, and this is great nonetheless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This film then takes everything which was great about the first films, these characters and their camaraderie, and boosts it up to 11, building on the universe with new characters, and really getting to the hearts of the characters we came to love first time around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To put it simply, this is a sequel with real heart, proving what the first entry in the series suggested: the Guardians are Marvels best movie property. Now the long wait begins. Bring on Volume 3 and the long awaited entrance <span style="font-size: 11px;">of the Sovereign’s secret weapon: Adam Warlock! </span></span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-13629207028676462792017-02-07T15:39:00.000-08:002017-02-07T15:43:39.167-08:00Why "Gilmore Girls - A Year In The Life" Cannot Be The End [Spoilers]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Today, I completed the final episode of the four part Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in The Life, and to say I have thoughts would be an understatement. I should say from the outset - I am not a long time GG fan, I haven’t waited nearly a decade to see this continuation, indeed I completed my first run through of the original series a little over a week ago. I should also say that despite the much maligning that original series’ finale has taken over the years, I actually think it was a perfectly decent ending, tying the show up nicely. So what of this revival and its finale? <br />
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Lets start, perhaps paradoxically, at the end. The last four words, fabled for so long in the Gilmore Girls fandom. The four words Amy Sherman-Palladino had meant to end with all those years ago that finally came full circle here:<br />
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Rory: Mom?<br />
Lorelai: Yeah?<br />
Rory: I’m pregnant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Do I believe this was always going to be the end? Yes I’m inclined to say so, but the finale of season 7 under Palladino, with Rory at just 21 years old would have been drastically different than the finale of this special, all these years later, and so the lead in to those last 4 words would be drastically different too - you’d set it up more, with a full season behind it, really hitting the situation home before the 4 words fall. <br />
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It would be a denouement, a final revelation, not a cut to black cliffhanger. I would picture her finding out about her pregnancy early in the finale or even an episode or two earlier, telling the father, and then, together, announcing it to Lorelai, as the music swells and the pair hug eachother, all smiles. <br />
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No, what we had at the end of A Year in The Life was decidedly not about ending the show, but about giving Netflix and the Palladino’s a back door into a seemingly inevitable full Season 8.<br />
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There is just too much open ended about it - we know the baby could be Logan’s, we see her sleep with him, but clearly, between Logan, Jess, Paul and even Wookie-One-Night-Stand-Guy there are options. This isn’t just a “You get to imagine what happens to the characters next” situation, this is a legitimate cliffhanger, and one which needs examining. <br />
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If fans were left unsatisfied by the original finale, at least it could be said to have tied everything up, the party at the end seeing everyone get their happily ever after moment. This had none of that. 30 seconds earlier it did, just letting the Gilmore Girls enjoy the first moments of Lorelai’s finally happy married life. But the final 30 seconds, and those final four words in this context cut deeper. They force you to cry out for the next four words, and the next four lines, and everything which follows them. <br />
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A Year in the Life was far from a disappointment though. At its best was the final redemption between Lorelai and Emily. We got a glimpse to it in the original finale, as Lorelai found a way to engineer the continuation of Friday Night Dinner, but this four parter took it one step further. As both of the Gilmore matriarchs tried (and often failed) to come to terms with the loss of Richard, they found solace in each other. <br />
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First in therapy, then in the last conversation we see between them as Lorelai belatedly shares her memory of Richard, its a moment with overwhelming power, and one which left me in total tears.<br />
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To see how far these two have come from the start of the series is remarkable. Its a troubled relationship, but one which has clearly taken both women to their limits and back again, in their quest to come together. They love each other deeply, and always have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">They will never be firm bosom buddies in the way Rory and Lorelai are, but the fact they have been able to come to this point is wonderful.<br />
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On Emily, Kelly Bishop puts on a tour de force performance throughout the revival. The loss of Edward Herrmann to the show was always going to be a tough one, especially for Emily, who had almost exclusively appeared along side Richard in the original series - their stories permanently linked. <br />
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To see Mrs Richard Gilmore find her place in the world, to learn how to be Emily Gilmore again, was beautiful. Her grief at the funeral/wake ; her spur of the moment selling then reversal of all the goods in her home; and then finally the decision to quit the D.A.R and sell the Gilmore mansion, these are all evolutions of the character we know and love, making her a more rounded character, a fuller person. Bishop was a master throughout and every time she was on screen she stole the scene out from under everyone else.<br />
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I am genuinely excited to see that relationship flourish more than any other the show has to offer as it moves forward, assuming it does - that and I long for more Lane, something drastically missing during A Year in The Life.<br />
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The revival as a whole felt like a snapshot, a view back into the lives of these characters, but as I’ve said, it didn’t feel like an end. I long to see where we go from here, with a full season. I get it that with scheduling getting all these characters back full time is difficult. I get it that we will lose Sookie, but thats not a reason to drop the entire show, especially when its reaching such an intriguing point. 4 episodes was always going to be a big ask to get everything lined up. It had to drop a number of the characters down to single scenes, with little room for growth. A full season would allow these characters to flourish, but also to answer the questions at the heart of A Year in the Life’s finale.<br />
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We need to find out whether Jess or Logan (the two presumably viable options) is the father, and indeed where Rory’s heart lies, none of which has been resolved yet.<br />
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My partner (who is a long time fan of the show), refers to Logan as Rory’s Christopher, and Jess as her Luke, and I’m inclined to agree. Jess is the right man for Rory (to use Lorelai’s logic from the final scene: he fits). It would be especially interesting seeing that play out if Logan turned out to be the father, while Rory’s true affection lay with Jess - it really would be a full circle finish, both for Rory’s book, and the show, a mirror reflection between the two Gilmore Girls, but with Lorelai showing the acceptance for Rory’s decisions that her own mother couldn't at the time. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Only with one more season can we wrap the show up properly, once and for all. So lets get it done, and soon. Lets get Season 8 recorded and onto Netflix soon. </span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-65978392257619760152017-01-06T08:55:00.002-08:002017-01-06T12:07:22.935-08:00Review - A Monster Calls<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
This weekend I was able to get down to my local Cineworld to watch A Monster Calls. I’d heard good things going into the film, but I honestly couldn’t have been prepared for what followed.</div>
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In short, the film was a masterpiece. </div>
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It’s visually stunning, and everything from the CGI of the Monster himself, through to the beautiful water colour animations are a feast on the eyes. </div>
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One early shot as we first meet the Monster in particular stands out in my mind, as we see Conor stood at his bedroom window while the silhouette of the Monster gets closer and closer, on the house the street lights flickering with every step so the silhouette flashes, growing larger each time. Its innately cinematic, and its terrifying on the big screen. </div>
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It is in its characters though that the film will come alive ever more. </div>
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Lewis MacDougall is a bewitching screen presence as the young Conor O’Malley, and from the first moments you are invested in his story. </div>
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As his mother slips deeper and deeper into her illness, you see Conor slip further and further into a state of despair, and retreat deeper into the fantasy he has created for himself, the Monster on whom he can project his fears and the darkness he is feeling. Under lesser hands, this might feel twee, but MacDougall more than holds his own. </div>
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Felicity Jones also continues her hot streak as the boy’s terminally ill mother. She is at times completely unrecognisable, but you truly feel that through all the decisions she makes this is a mother deeply and madly in love with her only son, trying to protect him from the darkness as long as she can, never wanting him to see just how much she is suffering until he absolutely must.</div>
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I’m not afraid to say I spent the last 20-25 minutes of the film just openly weeping in the cinema. What started as a single tear I tried to hold back was soon floods of them, and a quick glance around the packed cinema confirmed I wasn’t alone - the film was having a deep affect on everyone around them.</div>
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When the film ended, many - myself included - sat completely still while the credits rolled. So deeply moved by what we had witnessed that we couldn’t bring ourselves to leave, taking instead a few silent moments of reflection to process everything we had just seen. </div>
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Even now, I cannot get the film out of my head, and I’m desperate to see it again. Director Juan Bayona has created a modern masterpiece with this film. I know its early in the year, but I am already as certain as I can be that this will be my Film of the Year 2017 - put simply: Its one of my favourite films ever, so to bring it down to just this year, something is going to have to go one hell of a way to beat it.</div>
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James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-83187143631461753272016-12-03T13:58:00.001-08:002016-12-03T13:58:57.904-08:00Review: Moana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: white;">This generation of Disney films, beginning with Princess and The Frog, has been its strongest since the early 90s, but it is difficult to argue Moana as anything less than the jewel in its crown. It has some of the best Disney songs in decades, and will surely stand the test of time within that most hallowed pantheon moving forward. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: white;">From its opening narration it's clear we are in firm hands - it evokes the opening sequence of Beauty and the Beast, filling us in on the legends which will lie at the heart of this vibrant story. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: white;">The spirit of our heroine too is shown early on as we see Moana escape her father again and again in her quest to reach the ocean, even if she herself can’t quite work out why.<br />
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This longing leads us into the films first of several knockout songs - not since The Lion King has a Disney soundtrack so entirely bowled me over, and on which more later - <i>“Where You Are”. </i>Hamilton’s Chris Jackson makes this into an anthem about family, about duty, about putting the tribe’s needs ahead of the dreams of one person. Of course what it truly does is serve as the inspiration for the journey that must follow. <i><br />
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</i>We come to learn in time that like the very best of Disney characters, like Belle, or Mulan or Simba before her, Moana doesn’t quite fit in, and isn’t ready for the destiny laid out by her forefathers. She needs to journey out, discovering her path. This is presented beautifully in <i>How Far I’ll Go. </i>She understands tradition, but at the same time, she's “been standing at the edge of the water, long as [she] can remember, never really knowing why.” </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: white;">It’s when she journeys out into the Great Sea in search of Dwayne Johnson’s Maui though that the film hits its real stride. To begin with the oceanscape animation is a thing of beauty. You believe in it as a living entity, pushing Moana forward on her quest.</span></div>
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When we finally meet the demigod, its perfect. When I first heard that The Rock was going to be joining the Disney family, I rolled my eyes. I love The Rock, but Disney?! Surely not. And yet from the opening moments of ear worm <i>You’re Welcome</i> you realise he was born to play the role. <br />
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Just the right mix of arrogance, and self-obsession was what made The Great One such a wrestling phenomenon in the late 90’s and its exactly what makes Maui simultaneously hilarious and impossible to look away from. <br />
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His redemption arc gives the film its heart. We are already with Moana from the beginning, but in Maui we find the flawed character who we hope we can bring to the light as the movie progresses. In many ways (and its a comparison I keep coming back to), he is to this film as Beast was to Beauty and the Beast. <br />
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The visions of the spirit-ray and the ships as <i>I Am Moana</i> rips through the film will have your eyes glinting from their beauty even as the lyrics have you holding back tears as the anti-princess finds her feet. <br />
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On that note it is so refreshing to see a Disney female who is not the stereotypical princess with a love interest. Moana has no love interest at all, and while she is the daughter of the chief, she makes perfectly clear she is anything but a Princess. She is a strong and independent woman who will one day lead her tribe back across the ocean. She will make her own destiny. <br />
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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack will forever sit among the list of the very best Disney have put out there. <i>We Know The Way</i> will be an anthem to rival <i>Circle of Life</i>, <i>Tale as Old as Time</i> or <i>A Whole New World, </i>but every single song has a place, and a purpose in the story. Just as <i>Hakuna Matata</i>, or <i>Can’t Wait to Be King</i> could be Lion King’s centrepiece, <i>How Far I’ll Go</i> or <i>Shiny</i> or any of a number of songs could stand out here. <br />
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To say I loved this film would be an understatement. I laughed, I cried, I literally felt my toe tapping along to the songs. It was spectacular. <br />
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If I can give you a piece of advice: Go see it. Now. And hey, in advance…You’re Welcome. </span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-196494966822281412016-04-29T01:12:00.001-07:002016-04-29T01:42:12.039-07:00Captain America: Civil War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is eight years since Iron Man first graced our screens, introducing the world to a Marvel Cinematic Universe that has continued to grow both in its cast but also in its scope. With Captain America: Civil War it feels like the universe has reached a definitive high point. <br />
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With this many characters jockeying for screen time, it would be easy for the threads to become tangled, but the Russo brothers have masterly built a thriller which gives everyone a place in a jigsaw puzzle that under lesser hands would have fallen into disarray. It’s near impossible not to make comparisons to the other big Versus movie of the year, and to say there is little to no comparison would be an understatement. This is a vastly superior film</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From the start it is important to note that while the cast list would suggest otherwise: this is squarely a Captain America film and not Avengers 3. I was lucky enough to see the film as a triple bill screening alongside <i>First Avenger </i>and<i> Winter Soldier</i>, and viewed that way you realise that these movies stand not just as a technical trilogy but actually a three part story. This is the evolution of not just Cap, but of Bucky too, as they build from being young adults in Brooklyn to take on the roles destined for them.<br />
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Like <i>Winter Soldier</i> before it, this has all the elements of a great spy thriller, with the superhero backdrop as Rogers must work under the radar to try and prove his friends innocence while Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo tries to frame and discredit him at every turn. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While it draws on many elements of the graphic novel bearing the same name - the need for Superhero supervision leading directly from a deadly superhero inflicted explosion being an obvious one - this story is unafraid to jump off from this starting point and packs plenty of surprises too, and for that it deserves a lot of credit because none of these plots feel forced.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Right back to <i>Avengers Assemble</i> it has been clear that Rogers and Stark are peculiar bedfellows, both sharing very different world views. </span>The<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> further on through the story we </span>have<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> got this has only exemplified, with Stark's </span>guilt growing deeper with every passing calamity. As the mother of a dead boy chastises him for his role in the Battle of Sokovia, he finally reaches a breaking point. While his Ultron project may have failed to put the shield around the world, he cannot sit idly by any longer, realising something needs to be done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He is not entirely without fault of course - he (like many) wrongly believes in Bucky's guilt after the UN is bombed, and refuses to listen to Cap's explanation that there is a darker force at work, and this is where the two men's stories will separate at last. Iron Man is ready to be the soldier the world requires, while Captain America instead evokes the very thing Dr Erskine saw in him way back in 1942, that he will put what is right above his orders every time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He is ultimately a good man, even if that means he cannot be a good Avenger, or a good soldier. The emotional crux of the film, as the final battle reigns down is the moment he realises he cannot kill Stark. He will defend Bucky to his last breath, even giving up his role as Captain America if needs be, but he cannot kill Stark. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The film also marks the first appearance on film of Black Panther, as well as the long awaited appearance of Spider-Man in his rightful place alongside these heroes, and both is handled perfectly. Boseman’s Panther is a master warrior, introduced in the throes of an epic chase through the streets after telling Black Widow simply that he will kill Bucky himself if needs be, to avenge his late father. He is a stoic if somewhat silent protector for his people, and it will be interesting to see the character grow when given his own stage. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Without harping on too far in comparison between this and BvS, the reason this succeeds where the latter failed is that it is bursting to the seams with fun, something Dawn of Justice lacked entirely. The film is sidesplitting in its gags, and they just keep coming and coming and coming. I feel certain I need to see the film again because in laughing so hard I will have missed others. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While everyone from Ant Man to Falcon have their moments, nowhere is this more true than in the introduction of Peter Parker. <br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we get to the true introduction therefore at the airport, we can take a step back and see the sequence through his eyes. These are character’s we have known for years so we forget just how majestic they are. Yet to see this young guy in their presence, desperate for approval - but at the same time holding his own with enough quick talking smarts to put even Stark to shame - puts the entire sequence into perspective, and also helps further Stark’s point (while inadvertently also pointing towards Cap’s). Children are following them. They have to hold themselves to a bigger standard.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is also telling that Daniel Bruhl is by some margin the most understated of Marvel villains. There are no electric whips or red skulls here. He is just a man. A mercenary who’s very goal is to turn the Avengers upon one another. He doesn't need an arsenal of weapons or gadgets or even an ability, he just needs to light the fuse and watch as they blow the hell out of one another. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was a wise move on the part of the Russo’s because ultimately Zemo is of only a passing importance. He is the catalyst for the fight to come, rather than being the end game. The audience is here to see Captain America and Iron Man do battle, and when the film reaches its inevitable climax (with a reveal that has been perfectly portended while not overtly spoiled throughout), that is exactly what we get. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This has been the point the franchise has grown to over many years, cracks showing in our heroes ideologies running all the way back to their first joint adventure in Avengers Assemble, but here that story reaches a tremendous climax, and the jumping off point for something new. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Avengers have ripped each other apart, half are jailed, the other half broken physically and mentally, and it will now be the job of Phase 3 on the MCU to see exactly how we rebuild from here to get our heroes back on side by <i>Infinity War</i>. <br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For now though we can just sit back and enjoy the ride as we reach the absolute high point of a story eight years in the making. </span></span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-386623801339257052016-04-04T14:16:00.000-07:002016-04-04T14:42:12.738-07:00Wrestlemania 32<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll preface what's to come with a warning that this particular review is going to end with a rant. Not a rant about the show, but about those in attendance. But I will get to that later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For now though lets begin at the beginning, with the Intercontinental Championship ladder match. This was a match that was a darn sight better than it ever deserved to be. A strange build left this feeling sort of as if it had been thrown together at the last minute, with many wondering why the WWE hadn't simply gone for Zayn v Owens straight up, rather than hedging their bets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The match itself though was incredibly well executed, with just the right mixture of spots, while never feeling massively contrived in the way ladder matches so often do. As the match went on I genuinely found myself lost in the action, with no idea who was going to win. First Owen's climbs the ladder, only to take the most brutal bump I've ever seen, then Miz appears. Surely its not going to be the Miz? It would be a shock sure but not a welcome one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then, as if answering the very question we were all asking, from the back of the frame appears Zack Ryder. I was watching in a crowded bar full of wrestling fans following a packed out indie show that evening, and when we saw Ryder the entire place erupted, rising to their feet. This was the little engine that could, finally reaching the pinnacle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If I'd been asked to rank the likelihood going in of any of the seven men winning the gold, I would probably have placed Ryder last. Not because he was unworthy, but because the company has never really got behind him before. It was a true underdog story, and one I hope will continue now even with him as champion. Book him against bigger, stronger guys, and have him pull out some victories. The fans want to be behind this guy, so let them. Don't hotshot the championship. You've given him the ball now let him run with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Zack spoke of just wanting to hear his music play at Wrestlemania at long last after years of being in battle royals and multi person tags. Well not only did he leave hearing his music, he left a champion. His father hugging him in the ring in a moment this man will never forget. The Internet Champion no more, he was the People's Champion that night (The Rock will just have to forgive the gimmick infringement). I saw a tweet which read: "If you're not happy for Zack Ryder right now, you need to find a different sport." and I couldn't agree more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then came another shocker, in Jericho V Styles. Again going in this felt like a foregone conclusion. This was Styles' coronation as a megastar, cementing his place in the upper card. But - and this would be a theme for Wrestlemania 32 - not all went to the assumptive blue print, and after a hard fought match, in which Jericho would reverse the Phenomenal Forearm into a Codebreaker, Y2J was walking out victorious, tying up their series at 2-2. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The match wasn't quite as effective as their other three matches of late, but perhaps that has to do with us having seen it several times in quick succession already, but I enjoyed this thoroughly nonetheless. It was a good match, even a very good one, but not the GREAT one I believe they're capable of. We can just hope that when the inevitable fifth match comes (probably at Extreme Rules if I were a betting man), that the two really kick it fully into top gear, leaving this feud with both men better off than when it started.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Next up, my favourite act of the moment, The New Day would make their presence felt. Falling out of a giant box of Booty-O's, dressed in full Dragonball Z cosplay, the nerdiest tag team in the company just made me love them even more. But, and given the way the night was going this perhaps shouldn't be surprising: their fun was cut short by a surprise win by the League of Nations. A team which can't buy a win usually. To say it was a surprise would be a massive understatement. It almost didn't make sense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It doesn't make sense that is, until the League of Nations get on the mic and talk about how no-one can beat them, only to promptly be met head on by Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and the Texas Rattlesnake himself: Stone Cold Steve Austin. Its a nostalgia pop sure, but one which made this event feel larger than life. These are legends, standing across from the current generation, and just from the brief stare down they were elevated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was a really fun segment, which ended with the New Day trying to convince the legends to join them in their dance, only for Xavier to get a stunner for his troubles. Even now they are faces, seeing Xavier getting his butt handed to him is still fun, so that was just fine by me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One more surprise result for what was fast becoming the most unpredictable Wrestlemania in years. So often you can work out most of the results way in advance. This year it feels like more often than not it was far from the obvious choice they would go for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman marched to the ring next, the night kicked up a gear. The Beast Incarnate brought the fight to Ambrose throughout, hurling him around like a rag doll. Even in a losing effort though it was Dean who left looking like a million bucks here. After double digit suplexes, he continued to get up and bring the fight to Lesnar before an F-5 would seal his fate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My one minor gripe would be that having been gifted weapons by both Mick Foley and Terry Funk, these were perhaps a little bit under utilised. This could have been a true passing of the torch moment for Ambrose from these two men, and in the end neither really factored. A really fun match though for sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And then to quote The Rock's promo later on: its gonna get good! An already excellent show was highlighted by three women determined to make a name for themselves. Earlier in the night Lita had announced the end of the Divas division, and formally reinstated the Women's Title, now adorned with its own mirror image of the World Title belt. This is a proper belt, for a proper division, not a toy like the butterfly belt was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The three women sent out to fight for it, all understood the gravitas of the situation, and rose to it, stealing the show in absolutely the Match of the Night. If there was ever going to be a match to kick start a whole new division this was it. Counter after counter, blocked submission after blocked submission, these women fought like this title was the only thing which mattered to them. They've fought their way from developmental to the main roster, and now to grandest stage to be one of the main events. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">They worked body parts to allow them to get their submissions locked in, they sold the pain of every move both on their faces and in their bodies. These are three masters of the game, presenting their craft for all to see, and the very fact the company gave them this chance, and not a five minute including entrances segment, shows just how far we've come. Divas are dead. Women's wrestling is forever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All three women did every thing they could to make this feel like a big fight. Gone are the days when you'd go to the bathroom during the women's match. This was real wrestling, and they made you care about every second from bell to bell. Both Sasha's incredible Frog Splash, and Charlotte's near perfect Moonsault will appear in Wrestlemania highlight videos for years to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was pulling for Sasha, who I truly believe will be the face of the division one day, so as the match reached its final moments and Ric would screw Sasha out of her win, I was pissed, but I get it. The face chases the title. Thats how the business is most effective. This was Sasha's first chance at it, she didn't need to win yet because her fans will now be even hungrier to see her win. When it finally comes (I'm calling Summerslam, a year to the day after her instant classic at NXT Takeover Brooklyn), Sasha will ascend into megastardom, and thats because she was screwed out of a fair win here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is something a lot of the matches recently have forgotten. Wrestling is most effective when there is a clear face and a clear heel, and the heel cheats, and the face gets screwed until they finally rise up and overcome. Sasha, Becky and Charlotte just get it, and they put on a masterpiece, making history in the process</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Definitely the match most hyped up before the show, Shane McMahon would meet the Deadman in his yard. Hell in a Cell is always interesting because there are various ways of working it. Some take place almost entirely in the ring, with the cage a barrier to stop escape. Some use the cage itself as a weapon, throwing people into it. And some involve crazy bumps. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Shane and Taker took door number three. The question going into this was whether we could ever see the Shane of old now he is in his mid forties, but we needn't have worried. From the very start he barely misses a step, getting in and out, dodging Taker's onslaught while making his own offence count when he can. When Taker finally gets his hands on him the greatest pure striker in the business takes the Boy Wonder to task, but again Shane uses his mind, managing to get Taker into a triangle choke, before the pair would break down the wall of the Cell, and head outside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Again, the bar I was in rose to its feet as Shane looked up. He wouldn't?! He would. The fourth generation superstar dove 20 plus feet to the table below as Undertaker rolled to safety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved Michael Cole's call here: "For the love of all mankind, Shane just exploded through the table". A subtle reference to the last man to take that bump. Thankfully Shane looked like he took a far flatter bump than Mick did back in 1998, so I'm sure he'll be fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Shane demanding Taker bring it was a nice spot too, and gives credence to Shane's never say die attitude. He forced Taker to beat him, rather than just letting the match stop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While far from perfect, this was the best Undertaker Mania match since the End of an Era Hell in a Cell at Wrestlemania 28, and will be remembered for both the cell bump and the excellent Coast to Coast dive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It will be interesting to see how the story progresses from here, as Shane, even in a loss still has the leverage of the contents of the lockbox. He swore if he lost he would give it to Vince, but there's nothing to stop him just announcing it all first before leaving, knowing it will force Vince and Co. out of the company. We will have to wait for Raw to see how that goes, but taken as a match in and of itself, rathe<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">r than as part of a developing story, this was excellent, and historic (albeit in a very different way to the match which preceded it)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll skip The Andre, except to say well done Corbin, and welcome to the main roster, and then move onto The Rock. As they announced the cheerleaders coming out, this was the first time I looked at the clock all night, and realised they had very little time left, especially with a main event to come. The 4 hour show was already at 3hours 30minutes. Then Rock got a flamethrower. And blasted for a few minutes. It was epic, but this was the moment I found myself thinking: Wow, they're going over. This is the beauty of the Network vs PPV. They can go as long as they like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rock announces the all time Wrestlemania attendance record has finally been broken. Twenty nine years since Wrestlemania 3 and the record falls. We can finally stop lying about the Pontiac Silverdome attendance and admit it was probably 75-80000, not 93. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we get down to business, as Bray and the Wyatt family march to the ring, telling Rock that they chose him because he is the symbol for everything they hate. He despatches Erick Rowan inside of 6 seconds, breaking another record (something I think the company did to erase Daniel Bryan's name from the quickest loss on the record books), before John Cena made a surprise return to clear house for the Wyatts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Take from this what you will but the symbol on the WWE Network page right now for Payback is The Wyatt Family. Could we be about to see Rock and Cena Vs The Wyatts?! Probably not. But it would be incredible if we did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, as promised, there is a rant coming. Is Roman Reigns a perfect superstar? No. But he has one hell of an upside, and he is progressing incredibly. Yes, the WWE has clearly chosen him to be the next top baby face. But you know why they did it: because the fans were so behind him just 2 years ago in the Shield. He was by some margin the most over member of the Shield at the time, and it was only when the company made clear they were moving forward with Reigns that the smart marks online turned on him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From the very moment the bell rang, boos rang down throughout AT+T Stadium. These fans were not going to even give Roman the chance to throw his first punch before they wrote him off. There were Gable and Jordan chants, Ole chants, NXT chants, Boring chants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The in ring product actually WASN'T boring though. It really wasn't. I've gone back and watched the match with the sound off, and its a perfectly fine match. Not a five star classic by any means, but a perfectly fine, solid main event match. Hell, Hogan was the most over superstar ever and not one of his Wrestlemania matches was this good. More memorable for MOMENTS (slamming Andre), but not actually better matches by any means. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm getting really tired of certain portions of the IWC who are just going to crap all over anything the company does. If you don't like it for genuine objective reasons that is different. But if you don't like Roman because he's The Guy, that isn't a good enough reason. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you just want to crap on WWE, then go away. Find another promotion. Go watch New Japan, or TNA, or Lucha Underground. Go support your local indie promotions. Roman has been a victim of poor booking yes, and I wish he could come in as a stronger competitor (his booking at the Royal Rumble was atrocious for example, he should have broken his own elimination record, looked as strong as possible before the moment came for Hunter to eliminate him) but that doesn't mean he isn't an incredibly talented performer, who absolutely has what it takes to lead the company into the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The company has stuck to its guns not out of some blind belief that they know better (they showed with Bryan that they aren't afraid to admit their mistakes), but they clearly believe in Reigns if he is given the chance. Now its up to us to give it a fair shake. We cannot right him off from day one. Lets see if he can run with the ball. He might fall flat on his face, but at least then we will know. Or he could be a megastar who we come to love the way we loved Rock and Austin and Flair and Hogan. We've seen #GiveDivasAChance come to fruition so now I reverse the aim of this from the company itself to instead implore wrestling fans: #GiveRomanAChance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All of this said: while this was far from the high watermark of say a Wrestlemania 3 or 30, this was a really great show, with some REALLY great moments, chief among them the women's championship match, which we will look back on a decade from now as the beginning of a new movement in women's wrestling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It will be interesting to see exactly where the company goes from here, and I am super psyched to see Raw tonight. </span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-90241966727970425562016-03-25T14:43:00.000-07:002016-03-25T14:44:11.748-07:00Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spoilers abound for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice below the picture</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In an effort not to be accused of burying the lead on this one lets get this out of the way right at the very top of this review: I hated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Completely hated it. <br />
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Now lets take a step back and try to explain exactly where my dislike grew from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let’s start with Ben Affleck’s caped crusader. Everything about the character felt wrong. Zach Snyder had clearly decided that he wanted to try and make a Batman worthy of continuing the legacy of the Nolan movies (which were famously darker than what had come before). However: because Snyder isn’t half the film maker Nolan is, he lacks the subtlety to make this dark and gritty Bat feel real, and instead we just get shots of Affleck staring off into the distance with a brooding look. This is the darkness. Or he’s holding in a fart. I can’t be sure. It just becomes unrelenting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also isn’t afraid to break the One Rule which Batman has lived by, killing pretty much without regard. This isn’t Batman as we know him, but instead it feels like a sadistic monster who happens to be wearing the suit. This shouldn't perhaps be shocking, given that Snyder also totally sold out the Superman mythos for Man of Steel, so the fact he does the same here isn’t surprising, even if its disappointing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also: Don’t even start me on the voice, which sounds like what might happen if Siri tried to do Christian Bale’ Batman voice. Its just awful. Bale’s was never exactly great, but it looks like the work of a great thespian in comparison.</span><br />
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Then there’s the plot of the thing, which is both clustered and yet empty all at once. DC clearly realised they needed to catch up to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, fast tracking the build to Justice League. In doing so they end up with a single film here that is trying to do the job of 4 or 5, building this universe’s Batman, Wonder Woman, and continuing the build of Superman which Man of Steel began (while also offering a tantalising view of Cyborg, Aquaman, and Flash which it doesn't have time to really capitalise on). They also of course offer the first view of Lex Luthor, who one would assume we will see again as the franchise moves forward.</span><br />
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The problem is that they seem to have missed the point. The reason the MCU works is precisely because each character has had a very defined build up, they each have their place in the story, and their own personal goals and character traits are fully presented, so that by the time Avengers Assemble came around they could really get right into the film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here DC has instead gone the “Just throw everything at a wall and see what sticks” route, and it just comes off as an incoherent mess. You can’t become invested in any of the storylines, because they never have time to fully establish themselves. </span><br />
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There are several threads of what could be good movies - the political fall out for Superman after the battle of Metropolis, an already established Batman years into his vigilantism, LexCorp’s goals to create a Kryptonite weapon, just to name a few - but before you can try and care we have moved on to something else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And because you can’t get invested instead you just get bored fast. There’s not enough action to keep you involved though either because its trying to get these conceptual moments talked out, so it ends up rather awfully stuck in a limbo in which it just doesn't work.</span><br />
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I don’t know how a movie involving 3 of the most important superheroes, and very probably the most important super villain (except maybe Joker) of all time, all sharing the screen, could be called boring, but Snyder has managed it. The 2 and a half hours feel like ten, its so interminably slow, and by the time the final credits roll you’re elated just to be able to get out of the cinema and away from this out and out disappointment of a film.</span><br />
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This movie should be getting you excited for what is to come with the Justice League, and instead we are now two films into the franchise and both have been rubbish. Its not looking promising.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally lets talk about the last few minutes of the movie, and why they make an already bad situation worse. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows going into this film that it is a prelude to the Justice League, and that there is no way they’re going to do a Justice League movie without Superman. Yet still Snyder decides its a good idea to kill Cal El off in the films final act to try and bring about some emotion in what is an otherwise just mind numbing experience. Except that because we know he has to come back for Justice League, it doesn't work. There’s not one person in the audience that truly believes he is dead and gone. So why should we care? The film itself even realises this, and its very final second cops out the 15 minutes which has come before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Its impossible to feel the empathy the film wants you to when you just know its not real, and its even more difficult when even the film doesn't believe in it enough to go with its own conclusions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put simply, it is time to get Zach Snyder away from the DC Cinematic Universe. The man has always been more about flash and style than he has substance (see 300, Sucker Punch, and the aforementioned Man of Steel for examples of this), but with such an important franchise we cannot afford for someone who cannot tell a story to continue raking the universe over the coals. I hate seeing superheroes I love like this. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">he film is just awful. Overlong, with way too much going on, and without nearly the character development needed to make you care about any of these people. I’ll say it again: I hated this film. Completely utterly hated it. </span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-1944188209135216302015-12-18T11:47:00.000-08:002015-12-18T11:49:01.041-08:00Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Below the picture you will find my thoughts on Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. This will be a spoilerific discussion, so if you've yet to see the movie and what to go in clean, go away now. Otherwise read on.<br />
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"This will begin to make things right" utters Max Von Sydow at the very beginning of Episode VII. It is the very first line of the movie. He is talking about the map fragment that will allow his resistance brethren to locate Luke Skywalker. But more than that, director J J Abrams is speaking directly to the fans.<br />
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We all know that the prequels didn't live up to the hopes we had for them. I don't ardently hate them as some do, but they just don't feel like they exist in the universe of Star Wars. They were characters with recognisable names, but weren't those characters.<br />
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From minute one Abrams makes it his mission to return the franchise to form. A massive Super Star Destroyer fills the screen, just as it did in 1977, as a cute droid - on which more later - is entrusted with secret plans as the movie's Big Bad marches in, all guns blazing.<br />
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It is impossible not to be mentally transported back to the corridors of the Tantive IV as you see Kylo Ren first search Poe for the data, and then take him captive, just as Vader did with Princess Leia all those years ago.<br />
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From here the movie doesn't let up on its nostalgia kick. We knew that it would be exciting to see Han and Leia back, but to see Han in such a key role was just excellent. From the first moment he and Chewie run back onto the Falcon, it is not just they, but the audience too who sigh happily. We are home.<br />
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This isn't just a nostalgia movie though, playing on the blue print of A New Hope, but an entity which works unto itself as well. A New New Hope if you will. A New Hope for A New Generation. This relief comes in the hands of John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and most importantly: Daisy Ridley.<br />
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Ridley, a practical unknown (she has done some minor television roles, but nothing even within the basic realm of this kind of film) is a revelation as the scavenger girl Rey. She is one of the most finely drawn characters the franchise has laid eyes on, and even early on in proceedings as we see her beat up two aliens who try to mug her for BB-8 it is clear this isn't a damsel in distress.<br />
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She takes charge, and despite the assumptions one might have from the trailers, it is her and not Finn that will carry the franchise. The Force which is awakening is within her. She is a Jedi, and must find her place in the universe. As Lupita NYong'o's Maz Kanata tells us, her future is with Luke, the lightsaber has chosen her. Luke's lightsaber. Anakin's lightsaber. She is so incredibly important, and to see a women at the head of the franchise - in a way that arguably even Carrie Fisher never was - is a truly special moment. <br />
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It is clear that despite her relative inexperience however that she can more than hold her own, and she steals every scene she is in. Whether she is crying out over the death of Han; taking control of the Falcon through a spellbinding TIE Fighter battle on Jakku; openly weeping over Finn's body; or battling Kylo Ren in what will go down as the finest saber battle in all 6 films, this is an actress who can command the screen.<br />
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It is not just Rey who captures attention here though, but the simply wonderful BB-8. From the very first quarter second clip in the original teaser a year ago the fanbase watched in wonder as this little guy rolled his way into our hearts. Here in full the beauty continues forthwith.<br />
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He has several genuine laugh out loud moments as the movie goes on: from his rolling and falling around the ceiling of the Falcon as it flips around; the excellent lighter thumbs-up; and his clear respect for R2D2.<br />
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Its nice because J J hasn't simply forgotten R2 and C3PO, but gives them the roles of veteran's showing the new guy the ropes, just as Han and Leia do for our new cast. BB-8's adventures moving forward will be of great interest.<br />
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I could go on all day about everything that was right about this film. John William's score, to Adam Driver's dark, brooding, anger filled Kylo Ren, there isn't a hair out of place in the whole film.<br />
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To say it the only way I know how I will say this: J J has woven a tale worthy of the name. If the prequels struggled to maintain the identity of the original trilogy then allow me to pay The Force Awakens the greatest compliment I can give it: This is a Star Wars film. And a damn good one at that.<br />
<br />James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-2476637521070950712015-12-15T16:05:00.002-08:002015-12-16T04:52:09.519-08:00NXT Nottingham Review<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Below you will find my thoughts on the NXT tour show at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham last night. For the first international tour for NXT anywhere outside the states, its clear that the young men and women of the third brand (it seems silly to call it developmental now, it is a third brand) wanted to pull out all the stops and put on a great great show</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Even before the show got started the crowd was hot, with various chants circling the busy arena. And then, as 7:30 rolled around, and Greg Hamilton made his way to ringside to get the show on the road, the NXT chant got rolling fully, and the crowd rose another notch.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The show opened with Enzo and Big Cass Vs Blake and Murphy. They had a really solid tag match, with Enzo carrying most of the work for their team, taking the beating from the heels, bringing the already loud crowd to their feet as the How You Doin’ and SAWFT chants rose louder and louder until Cass could finally get the hot tag and clean house. It was a really great opening match, getting the crowd pumped. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After the match, as Enzo went around high-fiving the front row, it was immediately noticeable that he wasn't just slapping them and moving on as you would usually see, but taking the time to stop with anyone with a camera for a selfie, or anyone with a sign which he could sign. It was clear he wanted to make this night special for as many fans as he could, and despite being such a little thing, it gave me a huge deal of respect for him</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Next up it was the turn of Bull Dempsey and The Perfect 10, Tye Dillinger. After the hard hitting first match, this was a far more comedic affair, with Bull playing off his Bull Fit gimmick, star jumping in place (and even trying - and failing - to cartwheel), but the centre piece was a moment towards the end of the match where, after Dillinger had been getting his 10-10-10 chant going, Bull flattened him, and then proceeded to roll across the ring back and forth, straight over Dillinger’s chest. He did it, you guessed it, 10 times, as the crowd counted, ending in the loudest 10 chant of the match, and with Dempsey taking the win. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Moving along was Apollo Crews Vs Samoa Joe in what was undoubtedly the hardest hitting match of the night. With both men building towards big matches at Takeover, they looked to get one up on each other at every turn, throwing punches back and forth, and with Joe even kicking out of Crews’ standing moonsault, which came as a surprise. This was the first time the crowd had really felt divided too in who they wanted to win. Joe has long been a favourite in the UK from his TNA days, while Crews - as Uhaa Nation on the indies - had wrestled for our local Nottingham promotion Southside a few times before making his way to NXT, so fans were on both sides. In the end a mustlebuster from Joe would secure the victory, finally giving a bad guy the win. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The last match before intermission was a Womens division tag match, with the team of Emma and Nia Jax taking on Asuka and Bayley. If the crowd was raucous before, the entrance for Bayley was something else. As the music hit, the place just came unglued, with everyone on their feet, dancing and singing along. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Even Asuka got in on the act, as you’ll see in the video I posted last night. They went to the ring wearing each others tshirts, and actually functioned really well as a team. Although one assumes once she eventually drops the womens belt that Bayley will make her way up to the main roster, I wouldn't be against her and Asuka actually forming an alliance on TV, because on the basis of tonight they have great chemistry, and it allowed Asuka to show a brighter, different side of there than the usually mysterious vista we see on television. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As for the match itself, as should be expected it was something of a barn burner. Nia Jax in particular stood out to me as someone to watch - perhaps because I hadnt had too much experience with her, up to now, but it feels like she has good heel instincts, and knew just the moment to strike against her opponent at which it would draw a response. It goes without saying of course that Asuka and Bayley were also incredible to witness in person, and that after a Bailey to Belly on Emma, they would walk out victorious.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As a sign of honour to her Japanese friend, Bayley bowed in the centre of the ring to her partner, who reciprocated, before again the wacky waving inflatable tube men rose into the sky and the dance party recommenced into the interval.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just as the first half had, the second half got started with a tag team match, this time pitting tag team champs Dash and Dawson against Jason Jordan and Chad Gable. I cannot stress what I am about to say any other way than this: Jordan and Gable are the most over entity in the entire company. I am including the New Day, I am including Bayley, I am including anyone you can think of. They are Daniel Bryan immediately before WM30 over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As they make their way to the ring the chants reach a crescendo that they will not reach again all night. The noise is deafening, and all but drowns out their entrance music, and as the match begins it doesn't let up for even a second. They go on to have the match of the night, in a match that would make old school WRESTLING fans proud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The heels cut off the ring, with Chad Gable being stretched and contorted in various holds while Jordan on the outside rallied the fans to their aid. Every attempt at the tag was thwarted, bringing the anticipation level that little bit higher, until as either Dash or Dawson (I feel really bad not knowing which is which) is going for a power bomb Gable hops over his shoulders and dives into Jordan. Its nice not to see a hot tag come from a double knockout as has become the default method recently, and added to the explosion as Jordan makes his way in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This being a house show of course the belts couldn't change hands, but in one last stroke of excellence the heels actually cheat to win, with one of them tripping gable as he attempted a duplex from the apron into the ring, before holding his foot in place without the ref noticing while the 3 count fell. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While it is Enzo and Cass who will get their title shot in London, one has to assume Jordan and Gable’s time is coming. They are a powder keg ready to explode, and all it is going to take is to strap the rocket to them because they will go to the moon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Carmella and Alexa Bliss had the unfortunate job of following this tag team clinic. The girls actually did a great job, but the crowd were just tired from the 15-20 minutes of non stop screaming they had just taken part in, so as good as the in ring work was the match felt rather flat, and very very quiet in comparison to the rest of the night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally it was time for our main event of the evening. By now pretty much everyone had worked out that it was going to be Baron Corbin Vs Finn Balor as the only two major stars who had yet to appear, but when Greg Hamilton announced it would be a Triple Threat for the NXT title suddenly the crowd realised there was someone announced for the tour that they were forgetting, and the Ole Ole Ole chants began. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First came Corbin, then the champ, both of whom got great pops, but then - and it was produced perfectly, with just a split second of black screen and the lights dimmed, the letters SZ flash across the screen and the roof came off the Capital FM Arena. While we knew Sami was on the tour, it had been assumed that London might be the only show he actually worked on (as is the case with several superstars - the Hype Bros and Vaudevillians among them), but as the Montreal native made his way to the ring we realised we were in for something special.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What followed was admittedly slightly less hard hitting than I might have hoped, it was a match clearly meant to ease Zayn back into his duties. Indeed there was a rather drawn out section in the middle of the match in which (having thrown Corbin out to the floor), Sami steels Finns leather jacket and tries it on much to his dismay, before Finn in turn stole a jacket and hat that Sami had worn to ringside (the chants of Put The Hat On rising up throughout the arena. It was handled well though. In some peoples hands this could have turned into a farce, but they did more than enough around the comic moments to make up for it. One particularly great spot saw Finn gut punch Sami, throw him head first into Corbin’s arms before dropkicking Corbin, basically making Corbin DDT Sami as he fell backwards. Its difficult to explain but trust me it looked awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the end it was Balor who stood victorious, putting the cherry on top of a great night as he and Sami stood in the ring hugging, before congratulating Baron on a great performance too (they shook hands, only for Corbin to shove Sami, causing one last ruckus ending in a big Helluva Kick from Sami, sending everyone home happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been to plenty of house shows in my time, but it must be said I cannot remember the last time the crowd was this hot, and it made the entire night just feel so incredibly special. If I wasn't already excited to head to Takeover tomorrow, I sure am now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And remember, you too can catch NXT Takeover London on the WWE Network for just (say it with me:) 9.99!</span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-34391198479269565462015-12-06T14:54:00.000-08:002015-12-06T16:40:17.828-08:00Doctor Who - Hell Bent - Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just like that, another season of Doctor Who is over, and what a season it has been. From the excellent Zygon double bill, to last weeks episode - which I have maintained is the best of the Doctor Who revival - there have been a whole host of great moments. Not to be outdone though, Steven Moffatt has saved the biggest reveal for last. Following on from last weeks incredible Heaven Sent, Hell Bent sees the Twelfth Doctor finally make his way home to Gallifrey.<br />
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Returning to the shack from which he ended the Time War all those life times ago, he finally does what he knows had to be done: relieve the President of his duties. The last time Rassilon and the Doctor did battle in End of Time the Time Lords were banished back into the war, and here The Doctor’s mind once again trumps the President Rassilon.<br />
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He does not turn weapons on him, or even suggest his life should be paid as penance for all those lost - something he knows the President would do if the roles were reversed - but instead forces the Gallifreyan army to lay down arms and banishes the President and the council. <br />
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Capaldi’s cool calm delivery of “Get off my planet” shows just how far he has slipped into the role over the course of this season.<br />
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He is far more sure of himself now, far less reserved. He has a swagger which makes him seem almost like a rockstar - fitting given all the references to his guitar playing over the course of this season - right up to its climax.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is the return of Clara Oswald though that will be the most divisive thread of the episode. I have already read thoughts from some that bringing her back so soon diminishes the impact of her death. I must disagree though. Her end point in Face the Raven felt rather rushed, almost the after thought of what was already a high concept episode. A building block which would allow the story to go through Heaven Sent, but not a true conclusion in the way we are accustomed to seeing companions leaving the show.<br />
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The revelation that The Doctor and Clara as a combination are The Hybrid paves the way for a proper goodbye. We learned in Heaven Sent that he would do anything to get Clara back, even if it meant waiting 4.5 billion years, whereas Hell Bent gives us the real end point of their story together. One must forget the other, or neither can move on. <br />
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He is willing to see the entire universe - and the planet he spent so long searching for - burn if it means he can have her back. In the same way he inspired recklessness in her, she too inspires it in him</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">. They are simply not good for one another anymore, so they must go their separate ways and in the end he must forget her if the show is ever to move forward. </span><br />
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I will concede however that their story should have ended with the Doctor playing his song for a woman he doesn't realise is stood beside him, before walking into the TARDIS and seeing the Run You Clever Boy message, with Clara then returning to Gallifrey immediately. The fact we know she has time left, and is going to travel with Ashildr for a while in their stolen TARDIS before finally facing the raven does rather raise the question: What is her death for? If she can continue like this for the foreseeable why not just keep travelling with The Doctor?.<br />
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It is here that Steven Moffatt has clearly struggled with the way out. He has given Clara her proper goodbye, but somehow still can’t shut the door entirely, instead trying to have his cake and eat it too. The idea that she is still running around out there doesn’t allow the viewer to properly get the closure the episode went back to give her. You almost feel that she could cross paths with him again down the line should Jenna ever wish to return, during this undisclosed period of time while she keeps running. <br />
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It is a small quibble on a brilliant episode though, and doesn’t dampen the enjoyment any - at least on an initial watch. It is just a shame that what could have gone down as an all time classic is let down slightly by its very final act, without which (i.e with the bittersweet ending it should probably have had) the episode would jump from good to great in an instant. <br />
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All of that said, roll on Christmas and Twelve’s first meeting with River. That should be a true sight to behold.</span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-22391205615187248222015-09-07T16:33:00.000-07:002015-09-07T16:33:25.054-07:00Gig Review - The Libertines @ Rock City NottinghamA decade ago - among a mess of drugs, arrests and one of music's greatest fallings out - one of the finest British bands in a generation, The Libertines went their separate ways. What a difference time can make, as following on from their triumphant Reading and Leeds headline sets, the likely lads are well and truly back and better than ever.<br />
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Kicking off their intimate pre-album show with a rollicking rendition of Horrorshow, Pete, Carl, Gary and John look like they've never been apart, marching on stage before the lights even go out, as the crowd go mental.<br />
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Given that the tour was only announced a week ago today, it is a testament to the band that they have completely sold out every venue they're visiting this week, but I don't think it would be possible to match the energy that was felt running through the veins of everyone in attendance at Rock City.<br />
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By the time they reach Can't Stand Me Now four tracks in you've barely taken a breath, bouncing so hard your feet feel like they might fall off, and your voice already becoming hoarse.<br />
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Every last minute is worth it though, as the sheer ground swell of support brings forth the feeling that this moment is something special. This band, which has been through so much to come out the other side, have found a peace that they can now share with everyone in the building.<br />
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"Everyone I spoke to outside told me the last time they saw me I was totally fucked up." muses Pete Doherty, "I don't remember what happened Rock City, but this time lets have fun and play beautiful music together" he continues, before running into one of the nights biggest sing alongs Music When the Lights Go Out. After the hardcore moshing going on, this is a welcome change of pace, as the crowd sway their arms back and forth, continuing into the bewitching and beautiful What Katie Did.<br />
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Never a band to exactly stick to the rules, both Pete and Carl light up cigarettes during the set to ovation from the crowd who at this point I'm pretty sure would explode if they just sat and read the phone book.<br />
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The sold out crowd didn't just know every word of every song, but they knew every song by its first chord. It would not be unfair to say that this was a party - nay a celebration even - of everything that made the band great to begin with all those years ago. Their sound is raw, and not completely polished, but its all the better for it.<br />
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You can hear the meaning in every word Pete and Carl sing, and as the band explode into their grand finale - Don't Look Back Into The Sun - the crowd become totally unglued. This was a crowd who have waited years for this tour, unsure if it was ever coming, or if the rare festival appearances would be their only chance to see the boys in all their glory.<br />
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Thankfully with new album Anthems for Doomed Youth out later this week, and this intimate tour selling out in seconds we can only hope that there will be more to come from the Boys in the Band.<br />
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Until then we will have the memories of one of the most raucous, exhilarating gigs to grace the Rock City stage in many years. And what memories they are. What Became of the Likely Lads you might ask? Well they're back! Thats what!James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598473843238233860.post-86708112667779152952015-08-23T14:36:00.000-07:002016-08-24T12:12:54.362-07:00The Four Horsewomen - The Future of Women's Wrestling is Now<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In July of 2015, Stephanie McMahon, one of the name owners of WWE, announced that she would try and ignite a revolution in the long suffering Divas division, breathing new talent into the roster, and giving the women a chance to run with the ball. For too long the WWE has concentrated on looks for its women over in ring ability, and this was finally going to begin to change for the better, as three young upstarts - Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Sasha Banks joined the main roster.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The so called Divas Revolution didn’t actually start here though, but almost 16 months earlier, and it is this year and a half long piece of story telling that would climax in Rich Brennan proudly proclaiming last night that women’s wrestling is back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On May 29th 2014, Charlotte faced off against Natalya at the very first NXT Takeover, and only the second live special NXT had done at this point. The match was lauded by many in the online community, and it got Charlotte’s name out there as one to watch. Her connection to Ric Flair was the initial grain of interest to get fans watching, but it was her undeniable talent that would have them talking by the time the match was over and the NXT Women’s Title (not Divas Title - an important distinction) was being lifted above her head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the first time in years fans were talking about a women’s wrestling match in WWE as not simply a cool down match, or time to grab a snack at the concession stand, but as a bone-fide Can’t Miss attraction that any wrestling fan worth their salt should be searching out if they hadn't seen it live.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This could have been a flash in the pan one off experience, were it not for three other women - Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch. These four women - under the tutelage of NXT trainer Sara Del Ray - made it their mission to be seen as more than simple models. These were wrestlers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sasha Banks has spoken about how when she first arrived at FCW (WWE’s old development system before NXT was formed), she had been told to “act and wrestle like a Diva”, pulling hair and the like. Let us be glad that she - and her compatriots - did not heed this advice, and instead set out to prove that not only were they on a par with the men, they could be more important. They want to headline shows, they want to headline Wrestlemania some day. They just needed the opportunity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Paul “Triple H” Levesque, head of WWE Talent Development, and de facto show runner for NXT clearly agreed they deserved it, because their booking was getting stronger and stronger as time would go by. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Across the next several Takeover events - as well as on NXT television - the Four Horsewomen as they call themselves appeared in a series of matches - some one on one, some tag, as well as a huge Fatal Four Way earlier this year. The chemistry between every combination of the girls was a sight to behold. They were gaining respect from the live crowds, and to say their stock was rising with the smart fans online would be an understatement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These women were achieving their goals - NXT live events and television tapings were headlined by women’s matches for the first time, each being rated better by the viewers than the last. Still though they had not been given the honour of headlining a Takeover special. Could the WWE universe really get behind a women’s main event? Well with Sasha making her jump to the main roster before dropping her NXT Women’s title, it was time to finally find out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Skip ahead to August 22nd 2015, wrestling fans the world over witnessed the final piece of the puzzle, in this momentum shifting saga for sports entertainment. Bayley and Sasha Banks, went out to co-headline the NXT Takeover Brooklyn PPV, and would steal the show in a match that is sure to have wrestling fans talking for months and will be on everyones lips come Match of the Year discussions in December. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These two wrestlers gave it everything they had, telling a story in the ring, working a match that felt like it had been constructed by two wily ring veterans, much less two wrestlers so early in their two careers. Every near fall had the crowd on its feet, every big spot brought out the reaction, and when the final Bayley-to-Belly suplex hit, the largest crowd in NXT history came unglued. It didn't matter that they were women, it mattered that these two had gone through a war and put on the best possible show for the crowd that night, and the crowd gave them the standing ovation they so richly deserved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It would be impossible for anyone who has seen just how far these girls have come to not get choked up as the four of them stood in the ring at the end of the match, taking their curtain call. This was more than just a match, it was the end of a 16month struggle for respect. We must not forget though that the battle goes on. They have conquered NXT. Now they must take it to WWE proper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Three of them might be moving on to the main roster (with Bayley hopefully not too far behind), but we have seen that to their very last breath these girls are going to keep fighting the good fight. They will not stop until once and for all we can say women’s wrestlers, not Divas, are back. They will headline Wrestlemania, or they will die trying to get there. So to Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn, and anyone else in a position to have an affect on these girls careers: just get out of the way and let them run with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These four girls, these so dubbed Four Horsewomen, are about to set the world - and the whole WWE Universe - on fire. </span></div>
James (JRG1990)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00390852381746618525noreply@blogger.com0