Impromptu Mailbag!

My top tag team today, but who are their dream opponents?

I'm bored, so I took to social media to solicit questions. Here they are!

Tom Warren of Tom Watches Wrestling asked...

Which tag team from the 80's would you want to see have a match with a current tag team that's going now? Both teams in their prime, of course.

Good question. Tag teams are on the verge of becoming the new hotness in WWE, but we have yet to see where they can go. The Ghan-Am Connection, The Awesome Truth and the Usos are all good (and the New Nexus isn't as bad as you think), but the real established teams are in the indies and in Impact. Among those teams, I'm going to go with the Kings of Wrestling because I'm an unabashed superfan of Claudio Castagnoli. Chris Hero's pretty damn good in his own right.

So, who matches up with them? There are a few teams that stand out, but only one that seems perfect. Rick. Scott. The Steiner Brothers. I think you have two teams in the same milieu, only in different eras. They're both big teams that have really good wrestling chops. The Steiners obviously bring the amateur style, and the Kings go with the indie strong-style (although the Steiners in Japan certainly hung with the puro legends). Tell me you wouldn't love to see a pre-blown up Scott and a pre-insanity Rick go up against Claudio and Hero right now? That's the biggest dream match for me.

Next up, Tommy Siegel wanted to know...

Where do you see Punk going angle-wise after he's done with Nash?

The thing about WWE right now is that it's so unpredictable. No one knew that Nash would even show up, so maybe they're proving that they have aces up their sleeves. Here's the overarching point. This is leading up to the reveal of the person behind the text. That's where the angle will go next probably. Now, who'll end up behind the text? It could be Triple H, which might lead to a match between him and the Straight Edge Savior at Survivor Series or WrestleMania. It could be Stephanie McMahon, Larry Middleman or even Vince McMahon.

I talked about it on the podcast, and it's doubtful because he has hepatitis C. However, if they're bringing people from Triple H's past back, Sean Waltman would be the best option from a match quality standpoint. However, if I'm going to put my fantasy booker hat on, I'm going to guess that there'll be some kind of resolution in time for Punk to win the Rumble and claim his first really long hero's title reign at WrestleMania.

Andre Harrison of The Harrison Analysis up next, and he asked...

Do you think Night of Champions is going to fall flat after the big hypes for MITB and Summerslam?

Depends on falling flat. I mean, if you think they're going to do huge buys or have as much buzz for this event as the last two, well, then no, it's not going to measure up. Punk was the new hotness, just breaking through. Him being away from the title and having a distraction may or may not be necessary from where you sit. Personally, the chase is better than the catch, and having a big momentous title win would be way better for Punk at WM than at, say, Night of Champions, ESPECIALLY when it's the culmination of an 8-month story where Punk finally sticks it to the man and gets back what was wrongfully taken from him.

If you're talking match quality? I wouldn't say it's a lock to be worse. That being said, it's not as much of a slam dunk as Money in the Bank was. Cena/del Rio could be great because they're both great workers. That being said, Cena was a lock to have a great match with Punk because the narrative was that the two had so much respect for each other. With Cena blatantly showing disrespect to del Rio in character, there's the fear that we get a SuperCena title win, or some screwy finish where SuperCena is thwarted by MASSIVE interference. Orton/Henry could be alright, but then again, it might fall flat. There'll be some kind of tag team thing, whether it's a straight up tag match or a gauntlet like what is being rumored. I don't know, but generally, WWE has delivered on PPVs from a quality standpoint. So I'll say, if you order it, there's a good chance you'll be happy with it. And that's all that matters.

Jeff Paternostro of Amazin' Avenue chimed in with...

Who's the wrestler on the indy scene right now that you think has the best chance of being successful in the WWE?

This is hard because of all the rumors swirling about the Kings of Wrestling coming to WWE. Obviously, Claudio and Hero are super ready for WWE, so if they're not coming to WWE soon, they're my answer. But for the sake of expediency, let's assume they're coming. Also, Austin Aries is a valid answer, but he's in Impact, and depending on what you think of Impact, well, they have national television on a grander scale than limited syndication.

So, with those guys disqualified, I'm going to have to go with Chuck Taylor. The Kentucky Gentleman is one of the most gifted people at getting fans to hate him that I've ever seen. He's a natural at making children cry, and WWE is keying in on kids. He'd pretty much get boos from the skirts-'n-tykes crowd, although his antics might make him a hit with the CM Punk crowd. His facial expressions too, especially when he's scrunching his face up to look like he's reacting to a smelly fart, are just primo. He's a solid worker as well, and about the only knock he has against him is his bulk. He's 6'1" though, so adding muscle or mass is an easy task.

Plus, I'd totally pay money to see him shank Alex Riley for stealing the idea of working a grenade into his moveset...

Jamey "FATSEXY" Litton came up with this one...

Do you feel sorry for Ric Flair?

He's referring to this article at Grantland today. Anyway, no, I don't feel sorry for him, because he made his own bed and had to lie in it. That being said, while I don't feel sorry, I do feel sad. I mean, it's pathetic to see a guy who is a legend dodder around because he needs cash. I feel for him, and I wish he could just hit the lottery or something, but there's no denying that it is his fault.

Finally, bookending with a question from Twitter user @OkoriWadsworth...

Dream Campeonatos de Parejas match for Chikara?

An a propos finish for the first question. If we're talking about the current Campeones, Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw, then I'm going to have to say the Young Bucks are a dream match for them. Much in the same way that the Steiners and Kings would be great matches for each other in that first question, the Bucks are very much a similar team to QuackSaw, except that the Campeones are a bit more grounded in terms of the basics. I think you'd get a lot of really cool fireworks in this match, and the Bucks have proven that they can totally go rudo to give the affair an added measure of heat.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Wrestling Six Packs: The Top Tag Teams in Wrestling Today

Roode and Storm, the cream of the tag team crop
Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com

I was going to do a SummerSlam topic, but the well's dry on that end. Meanwhile, on the A1 Podcast last week, the crew was discussing their favorite tag teams on the heels of the A1 Tag Cup, a tournament where the best tag teams in history competed in a poll-based scrum. Right now, the Finals pit the Steiner Brothers against the Miracle Violence Connection of Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. But anyway, while tag wrestling seems like a lost art today, there are still more than a few teams that uphold its tradition. Here are the best active teams in my estimation.

1. Beer Money, Inc. (Bobby Roode and James Storm)

How is Impact going to have the best tag team in wrestling? It's crazy, and yet they have these two that they probably don't even deserve. Ah well, but it's amazing how well these two guys work together as a team, both in the ring and as characters. For two castoffs from other teams/stables, they hit the jackpot.

2. The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero)

A case where two best friends get together and perform excellently is a case where everyone wins. You wouldn't think that Claudio and Hero go together, but they have amazing rapport, able to annoy crowds and frustrate opponents. If the rumors are true, they'll be headed to WWE, which is good or bad news depending on whether you want them to stick as a team. Then again, you never know, maybe they'll be to the tag division what Kharma was going to mean to the Divas before she became with child.

3. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark)

The Briscoes are a team that you'd think should have gotten a shot, but then again, look at them. They have half a set of teeth between them and are about as refined as crude oil. So they'd be perfect fits for the wrestling industry, right? Haha, yeah. I have my suspicions as to why they've never gotten or taken contracts, but I think the brothers from Slower Lower are very much made for the indies and vice versa. Their timing is impeccable, but c'mon, they're brothers. You expect that.

4. The RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma and Johnny Goodtime)

A new team from Southern California, the Monsters have grown on me very quickly. Goodtime is definitely better at this point than Yuma, but they compliment each other so well that it works. They get to have better showcase matches in PWG, but NWA Hollywood is where you get to see their chops in a weekly sort of serial.

5. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)

The Usos aren't here to be a token WWE tag team. WWE hates tag teams, we know, but in spite of that, the Un-Samoans who turned out to start acting like Samoans have turned out to be a fine tag team. Their matches have improved exponentially, and they actually show some panache when they're allowed to be more than just guys who have matches.

6. The Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews)

How could I forget perhaps my favorite part of SHIMMER, the deviously evil sirens from the North. Their harassment of Allison Danger last year was the best part of the DVDs I ordered and they definitely have spread their treachery across the land, mostly Perez. As a team, they have really good chemistry, even if Matthews is still learning and growing.

Know Your Indie Wrestlers: Claudio Castagnoli

Very European

Who: Claudio Castagnoli
Also Known As: Very European, the Swiss Stalwart
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 222 lbs.
Hometown: The United Banks of Switzerland

Promotions: ROH, PWG, Chikara, NWA Hollywood (alumnus), EVOLVE (alumnus), CZW (alumnus), Pro Wrestling NOAH, IWA-MS (alumnus), JCW

Affiliations: His most famous and classic affiliation is with Chris Hero. As the Kings of Wrestling, they've made the indie tag team scene their bitches on two separate occasions. They're often seconded by Sara del Rey, and in ROH, regrettably by Shane Hagadorn. In Chikara, Claudio is one of the most prominent figures in the BDK.

Twitter: @ccastagnoli
Youtube: Claudio's Cafe Found Here

Signature Moves:
Ricola Bomb


Giant Swing


Swiss Death


Bicycle Kick


Les Artess Driver


KRS-ONE (with Chris Hero)


Ragnarok (with Ares and Tursas)


Accolades:
PWG World Heavyweight Championship (current)
Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas (2x, Chris Hero 1x and Ares 1x)
2010 Chikara King of Trios Champions (with Ares and Tursas)
Chikara Tag World Gran Prix Champions (2x, 2005 with Arik Cannon, 2006 with Chris Hero)
2007 Chikara Torneo Cibernetico winner
ROH World Tag Team Championships (2x, with Chris Hero)
CZW World Tag Team Championships (2x, with Chris Hero)
JCW World Tag Team Championships (with Chris Hero)
2010 Wrestling Observer Tag Team of the Year (with Chris Hero)

Promos:

CZW Promo


Promo on Chuck Taylor
rt

Responding to Chris Hero's challenge


Clutch of Doom promo on The Colony


Dead Men Don't Laugh promo on Team Frightning


All About Claudio Castagnoli:

His Matches - In the indies, Claudio is a giant among men. Yes, there are other guys, including Hero, who have the height, but Claudio actually looks like he shouldn't be there. This isn't a bad thing, as it totally creates some unique style contrasts the smaller guys around the independent scene. Wrestling Claudio is almost like a litmus test. See, many of the smaller guys in the indies do good flips or have an impressive workrate or they look good against each other. But when they wrestle Claudio, if they can't bump huge for his offense, then they're not worthy of your praise.

But Claudio is not to be a man defined by other people. No, the reason why he's more than just a canvas for guys to bump off is because he looks so natural in the ring. He can do the big power stuff and look really aggressive, but he has a sense of fun, almost whimsical nature to his offense at times. I love his "no hands" approach to his UFO, and the giant spin, especially done on guys like Grizzly Redwood, is an amazing, crowd-involving move. He makes everything look easy and fun.

His Character - It's funny, he's such a mild-mannered-seeming guy from his Tweets or when he's a face, but he can turn the menace on and it works. He's extremely versatile, and honestly, despite his size, you don't expect that from him because he's so charismatic and personable that it can be hard to picture him terrorizing small children and being evil. That's why he needs to be seen to be believed.

And for a guy whose third language might be English, let alone first or second, his promos are surprisingly smooth. He's definitely the immigrant wrestler success story, and over the last decade, he's become one of the most well-rounded character wrestlers in the indies right now.

Why You Should Know Him - It's not a secret. Claudio is one of my favorite wrestlers on any level right now. A lot of people agree with me here. HE always gets a reaction, no matter what side of the alignment chart he's on. He's also made people in higher places notice. Once before, he had a WWE contract. If you believe the scuttlebutt, he and Hero have one on the table now. Again, it's a rumor. Believe me, the only people who know whether there is one there or not are the Kings and the HR people in WWE. I'm fine with that. But, if those rumors are true, I can say that there aren't two guys in the indies right now who aren't signed to a major company (especially since Austin Aries just won an Impact contract as we speak) who deserve to get paid more.

But if they don't have a contract offer or if they choose ROH over WWE? Well, it might be selfish of us, but at the same time, we'll get to see more of Claudio in the indies. That's a good thing for us indie devotees. No matter where he's at though, he's definitely a guy to seek out. He's very much one of the most well-rounded, best wrestlers going today.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Know Your Indie Wrestlers: Chris Hero

That Young Knockout Kid

Who: Chris Hero
Also Known As: That Young Knockout Kid, Your Hero
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 240 lbs.
Hometown: Metropolis

Promotions: ROH, PWG, Chikara (alumnus), CZW (alumnus), JCW, EVOLVE (alumnus), various foreign promotions

Affiliations: He forms one-half of the Kings of Wrestling with Claudio Castagnoli in ROH and in other promotions. He can also be found managed by Shane Hagadorn and seconded by Sara del Rey. He also is known from time-to-time to enter the broadcast booth with Excalibur in PWG.

Twitter: @TheChrisHero

Signature Moves:
Death Blow


Hero's Welcome


Elbow montage


Death Is Welcome


Hangman's Clutch


Accolades:
PWG World Heavyweight Champion
ROH World Tag Team Champion (2x, with Claudio Castagnoli)
ROH Survival of the Fittest, 2007
ROH Tag Wars Champion, 2010 (with Claudio Castagnoli)
ROH Undisputed World Intergender Tag Team Champion (with Sara del Rey)
Chikara Campeon de Parejas (with Claudio Castagnoli)
Chikara World Tag Grand Prix Winner, 2006 (with Claudio Castagnoli)
JCW World Tag Team Champion (with Claudio Castagnoli)
IWA-MS Heavyweight Champion (4x)
CZW World Heavyweight Champion
CZW World Tag Team Champion (2x, with Claudio Castagnoli)
CZW Iron Man Championship
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Tag Team of the Year, 2010 (with Claudio Castagnoli)

Promos:













All About Chris Hero:

His Matches - Hero has gone through a few phases in his career. First, he was all about the cravate. Then, he morphed into "That Young Knockout Kid", using his elbows at every chance he could. He still loves him some elbows, but he's rounded out his style. What you get with a Hero match depends on the setting. He loves his strikes no matter what setting, but the level of storytelling differs with where he's at. In Japan, he blends in with the style. In PWG, he's arguably their ace performer and will go balls-out to have the best matches on the card. In ROH, his style is mixed more with the classic, North American main event style with emphasis on selling and pacing. He's become also one of the preeminent tag team wrestlers in the land, as he and Claudio Castagnoli have established themselves as an elite team twice during the last decade.

His Character - Hero has the cocksure, supremely talented heel character down to a tee. It's evolved a lot over the years with different levels of refinement. Right now, it's about as polished as you'll find it. He speaks with a certain confidence, a bravado that an elder indie statesman should be expected to promo with. The best is his chemistry with Castagnoli. They really are the perfect tag team, even though both of them are also stellar on their own as singles wrestlers.

Why You Should Know Him - He's too good for TNA and shockingly and disappointingly ignored and rebuffed by WWE. You need to get to know Hero because as long as he'll be wrestling in America, he'll belong to the indie scene. That's not necessarily a bad thing for us the fans. Hero is a hard worker, a talented character and someone who wrestles in as many feds as he can while Stateside, honing his craft and becoming one of the best in the world at what he does. He can wrestle in any style, against any kind of opponent, and still be excellent. He's also one of the best pure heel wrestlers in the land, and is able to make whomever he feuds against, be it an underdog, a fan-favorite elite level worker or even a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior like Eddie Kingston, feel like someone you can get behind.

Hopefully, the WWE does see the light on him, because he deserves to get to the next level without having to fly across the Pacific every couple of months. Until then though, he remains one of the biggest reasons to follow ROH and PWG and one of the only reasons why you'd want to associate with the Insane Clown Posse (who, for all their flaws, do get big names for their wrestling promotion). Chris Hero is one of the best wrestlers in the world today, and he's a big reason why you should dig deeper than what you find on cable TV.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!