Wednesdaymania 219

Let's talk wrestling, folks!

Now, I'm a big ol' fan of older WWE & territory stuff. I love me some WCW, WCCW, NWA, AWA, etc wrestling, but I'm a bit of a work-rate snob, and we can lay the blame solely on Z having been watching some darn good Dean Malenko matches when I came over one day. I love a good worker. Specifically, I love a good technical worker.

I also love high fliers. Why?

Because I am obsessed with skill.

I love to see skilled people do the things they're skilled at. I watch videos of seamstresses/tailors making clothes I'd never want to make or wear. I watch videos of chefs preparing foods I would never eat. I watch actors perform roles I would never be willing or able to pull off (Brian Cox in Manhunter, anyone?). I watch blacksmiths at work, and I watch technical or high-flying wrestlers.

It's all about the craft for me, whether it's in the ring or on the microphone.

Yeah, I love me a good promo, too. That's why I love Macho Man. That's why I'm a big fan of Dusty Rhodes. That's why I love Loki (though his in-ring work is pretty darn awesome, too).

But why am I babbling about all of this?

Because it's why I am obsessed with the potential in AEW.

They're snapping up people with mat talent, promo talent, and aerial talent. They're hiring announcers & commentators with ability and experience. They're making some awesome moves.

But what I'm very interested in is who's on their way.

Recently released from WWE are two talented men whose work I've loved since I learned about wrestling: Arn Anderson (who, admittedly, earned his release through a potentially deadly error in judgment) and Dean freaking Malenko.

I cannot help but hope that both men start chatting with Cody Rhodes about a potential partnership. It would be amazing to see their talents being put to work with making sure things run smoothly behind the scenes. Arn is a brilliant ring tactician. He knows how to lay out a match, and between himself and Dean Malenko (who is an equal genius when it comes to making a match work and telling a story in the ring), they could really bring something heavy and grounded into this fledgling promotion.

But enough of my salivary maundering. You want to hear about news this week in wrestling that you've probably already read about elsewhere.

Well, here you go:

WWE-wise, the less said about Vince McMahon's inability to speak his own lines that he wrote in his own ring on his own show, the better, I feel. I don't like to see him in public. With his wide eyes and broad gestures, he reminds me of relatives I've lost or am losing to dementia and Alzheimer's. It's hard to watch, and it's unsettling to see such a brilliant (if ruthless and possibly evil) mind being slowly ground to dust by age and alleged steroid abuse during the Attitude Era. Especially knowing that he is still the leading power behind such a potent corporate entity which controls so many lives.

Somehow, he & his lawyers still appear to be able to (and comfortable with) semi-artificially extending contracts beyond their natural lives just to screw over talent (as is rumored to have happened to Rey Mysterio, among others...)

I've mentioned a bit of what's happened recently on the AEW Front, but I think one of the biggest things I've learned (today!) is that Double or Nothing will be available in the UK via ITV! Then we add to that the fact that they've recently acquired the services of Mr. Darby Allin from EVOLVE, and things get mightily interesting. Why? Because EVOLVE has strong ties to WWE. Which means they've basically snatched a star who might have otherwise gone to WWE/NXT.

Look at this man.
He looks like a million bucks.
And he moves like a spider.
It's truly unsettling and I love it.

What else can I talk about with AEW...

I've heard rumors that, while Cody Rhodes & co would like to provide health insurance to all of their wrestlers, it's unlikely that this will be possible. This is almost certainly not the fault of AEW or the Khans. This is just a symptom of the American approach to medicine, health, and insurance. It's why Jackie Chan cannot insure his stunt men - they are accident-prone (because they push themselves to the limits of human capability and beyond) and any insurance company would view the prospect of insuring a group of people who are as likely to be injured as professional wrestlers and/or stunt-men (which Christopher Daniels is, in fact, both) to be a dubious prospect at best and a full liability at worst.

So if you hear later on that Cody or Brandi has had to officially back away from the idea of insuring all AEW in-ring talent, this is likely why. It's not the fault of AEW (or WWE, for that matter), it's the fault of our terrible system of healthcare, which is run like any other business - for the purpose of profiting those in charge, regardless of the effect on their customers.

Welcome to Modern Capitalism.

I've gotten vastly off-topic.

But let's move on to a nation known for having better healthcare and cheaper drugs than the USA:

Canada.

On a drive through Ontario, trying to get to a venue, CWE promoter Danny Duggan was riding with a couple of guys. They were stuck behind a semi on an unsafe highway and tried to pass (from the sounds of things, this was done in the safest manner possible at the time). Unfortunately, being springtime in Ontario, the weather and conditions seem to have caused a horrible car accident which resulted in the Monte Carlo spinning out and ending upside-down in a watery ditch. Duggan's account is horrifying to read.

In this car with Duggan were a man named Robin Lekime and a luchador who I have been a fan of for years - Psicosis.

Duggan credits Psicosis with keeping his head above water until help could arrive.

Psicosis is a hero.

Seriously - without Psicosis pressing on Duggan's seat, the man would have drowned.
This man is a goddamn hero.

Psicosis also somehow got out of the crash with "only" cuts & bruises. Unfortunately, Duggan has not been so lucky, and from what I've read, has been pretty mangled by the accident. It's a miracle anyone survived, to be honest.

Accidents involving semis, even where the semi never makes contact with the affected vehicle, are almost always horrific.

On the other hand, I know which wrestler I'd want to be in a car with while on the road. Not many people would have the presence of mind to do what Psicosis did, and that is freaking incredible.

Gracias, Psicosis.

I think that'll about do it for me, this week!

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

ps: michael nakazawa