Your Midweek Links: Oops, I Think Ric Flair Just Sued Us Again

Flair, lawsuit happy as ever!
Photo Credit: WWE.com

It's hump day, so here are some links to get you through the rest of the week!

Self-Shilling:

- Me, Butch Rosser and Ken Borsuk get silly and fantasy cast a WWE Films remake of Blazing Saddles, among other things, on the podcast this week. [Episode 17: Mellow Goldust]

- Why do we care about ratings? My latest Fair to Flair piece [Why Do We Care About Ratings?]

- Calling Impact to the carpet for their lack of action concerning a true drug policy. Latest Camel Clutch Blog piece. [TNA Impact Needs to Do More than Just Fire Matt Hardy]

Wrestling Links:

- Shane Ryan writes a long history of the decline of Ric Flair. In response to this, Flair is attempting to file a lawsuit. America! [Grantland]

- We Watch Wrestling on why they watch wrestling. [We Watch Wrestling]

- Razor's Super Smackdown running blog [Kick-Out!! Wrestling]

- And hey, his running RAW blog too! [Kick-Out!! Wrestling]

- Best and Worst of RAW for this week, including the best description of a dirtsheet ever. [With Leather]

- Jeff Peck argues it's time to end brand extension permanently [Camel Clutch Blog]

- A return of the New World Order? Editorial note: Jeez, I really fucking hope not. Let it die. [Cageside Seats]

- A treatise on the nWo music. [International Object BONUS PODCAST: Int'l Object, Ep. 30 w/ David Shoemaker]

- Jason Mann discusses his quest to discover the essential WWE matches from 2011 thus far. [Wrestlespective]

- Lioness Asuka, in her own words. [Dirty Dirty Sheets]

- Speaking of fantasy casting movies with wrestlers... [Unreality Mag]

- Tara talks about a bunch of stuff. [Diva Dirt]

- Becky Bayless talks about her departure from Impact [I Want Wrestling]

- Speaking of Impact, why Vince McMahon NEEDS to buy the company. It's not for the reason you might assume someone would urge the man to buy his "competition". [The Smoking Section]

- The newest Sin Cara? [Tom Watches Wrestling]

- Thoughts on the lucha candidates for the WON Hall of Fame [Luchablog]

- Your obligatory Hulk Hogan parody porn post [Kentucky Fried Rasslin]

- Flashing back to 1981 AWA, Nick Bockwinkel being awarded the World Title [South Atlanta Wrestling]

- Wrestling memories of the Hart Foundation [Wrestle Guy Blog]

- ROH Tag Team Turmoil DVD review [The Harrison Analysis]

Jamie Dobson Interviews:

- Kekoa the Flying Hawaiian

Non-Wrestling Links:

- Don Cheadle is CAPTAIN PLANET in this Funny or Die video. It's way better than the crappy cartoon was. [Funny or Die]

- The Phillies produce an "It Gets Better" video. I like that MLB is getting in on this. Diffuse the bullying by setting an example for the stereotypical bullies. [The Fightins]

- What the Phillies and Rays learned about BABIP. Hint, it's a statistic, not a delicious Asian treat served in stone pots. [Crashburn Alley]

- Why do the Angels keep winning? [Grantland BONUS PODCAST: Grantland Network Ep. 1]

- Castro and Plichter eat at the best pizza joint in Philly, Tacconnelli's. I co-sign their review 100000000 percent. It's that good. [Doughboys]

- The annoying things your co-workers do while eating lunch. [Bites]

- The candy of the literary world. Someone alert KSP! [McSweeney's]

- A nice recipe for chicken spring rolls, with pictures! [Cogyddes]

- That new Pioneer Woman show in Food Network is just as awful as it sounds. [Food Network Humor]

- How you can tell the weather from the forecast. Sounds about right. [The Oatmeal]

- Matt Ufford is going to dress up as Tobias Fünke and do a hellish workout for charity. Donate! Donate! And donate some more! [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

- An ode to the most thankless job in fantasy football - commissioner. [The Go Route]

- Like the Dugout? Wish they did one for the NFL? Well, wish granted. Presenting Football Guys. [SB Nation]

- Does it matter if Michael Vick is white or black? [Wide Left]

- Stuck on whom you should root for? Justin Henry's got a primer just for you. [Camel Clutch Blog]

- It's never too early for a mock draft, is it? [Huge Upside]

- The 10 most useless women in video game history. [Ranker]

- In this link, a girl who cosplays as the far-from-useless characters from the Zelda series. [Unreality Mag]

- The Department of Defense actually spends money on something called a "spiritual fitness" test? No, but let's not cut spending anywhere, ever. [Huffington Post]

- It's official, Texas A&M is gone from the Big 12. [Dr. Saturday]

- Some STONE COLD LOCKS for the upcoming college football season. [Your Best 11]

- Hey, football is starting up again. That means SHOVE IT about conference realignment. [Campus Union]

- Having the dog that wouldn't leave the side of the casket of his former owner who was killed in action in Iraq leading the football team onto the field? Someone tell U of Iowa that this needs to happen, like now. [With Leather]

- Hurricane Irene? Stop this college football game? I SAY THEE NAY. [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

- Drew Magary did a live Funbag yesterday. TWB superfan TheRick711 got a question answered for it too! [Deadspin]

- Mad Libs for pro football [Sports Pickle]

- Bruce Dickinson flying people out of NYC stranded by Irene? As if the Iron Maiden frontman couldn't get any cooler... [UPROXX]

- 10 bands who overcame questionable debuts. Sort of the opposite of bands like Creed (fuck you, My Own Prison was pretty good). [Flavor Wire]

- Tupac's entourage smoked his ashes... or did they? BECAUSE TUPAC'S NOT DEAD [NME]

- "Space Oddity" as a children's book... beautifully depressing. [Badass Digest]

- Monta Ellis, the poster child for the misunderstood "scorer" [Court Vision]

- Angels and demons beloved by nerds. Not listed? The Dan Brown novel. [Topless Robot]

- 4 accidental sequels to 80s movies [Badass Digest]">Cracked]

- Lil' Wayne, absurd lyrics? Nah, can't be. [The Smoking Section]

- This week in movie posters. [Film Drunk]

- Perspective: u has none [Buzz Feed]

- Two chatbots arguing with each other. Are both their arguments invalid, or just yours? [Gamma Squad]

- Science... ruining supervillainy since 1543 [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]

- The very definition of "butterface" [Skull Swap]

- Will the NHL ever relocate into Kansas City? [Puck Daddy]

- I told you the dog was going to take over your room [Imgur Gallery]

- Nancy Grace on Dancing with the Stars. So's Ron Artest. Can we take up a collection for Artest's bail so he can elbow the shit out of the shrill young white girl murder exploitation expert? [Warming Glow]

It's Time to Start Paying Attention to Wrestling Revolution

A member of the Revolution
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you haven't been paying attention before, and trust me, while I've been gung ho about this project since my colleague Razor of House Kick-Out!! interviewed Jeff Katz for his podcast, I can understand why, Wrestling Revolution is a new concept in pro wrestling, looking to combine the artform we all love with episodic, three-act storytelling. Okay, all the podcasts in the world and all the hype from one guy who you may or (more likely) may not even know won't mean a thing without the talent involved. Well, over the last week, they've started to reveal the actual cast. So far, it looks pretty impressive:

• Colt Cabana


• MVP


• Kenny Omega


• Kenn "Kenny Dykstra" Doane


• Sami Callihan


• Alex Reynolds


• Dr. Luther

I'm not familiar with the last two names, but the first five have a decent at least pedigree. The fact that Cabana and MVP are involved really excites me. The thing to remember though is that you're not going to see anyone of the above in their known characters. They'll be coming in with new personae, which is something that Katz was adamant about in describing the project. That being said, the pedigree of talent behind those new characters is undeniable.

The concept is good, the players so far are good, and the guy behind the screen is a dyed-in-the-wool wrestling fan who wants something better. If I wasn't fully on board with this before, I'm totally on board with it now.

Quick Hits: Rise of the Planet of the Quick Hits

Photo Credit: ChikaraPro.com

- Chikara announced three more wrestlers for their North Carolina/Tennessee swing in October. Joining KANA will be Jessie McKay, Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada. I think McKay has wrestled for Chikara before, but she hasn't appeared since I started following the fed in 2009. Kotoge and Harada not only have been at the last two King of Trios tournaments, but they also amassed three points at Night Three this year, which means a title defense by the winner of the QuackSaw/Team FIST match in September. Just three more reasons for me to be jealous of you Southerners, well, at least until y'all remind me that I live in Philly and get a lot more than you do on a regular basis in terms of indie wrestling. So yeah, shame on me?

- Shane Helms obviously learned a life lesson from Matt Hardy this past weekend. No silly, it wasn't not to drive impaired, it was that if you end up getting caught driving impaired, make sure you don't crash into a tree first. Helms got popped for DWI Wednesday morning in Johnston County, NC. Honestly, I'm not sure how stupid someone could be, but hey, whatever, he clearly doesn't value his own life. For the people who do value his life, for their sake? I hope he gets help.

- In future endeavored news, Impact and Becky "Cookie" Bayless have parted ways. No details have been discerned yet, but the disgruntled former Knockout and manager of Rob "Robbie E" Eckos left a Twitter message relaying that she was indeed gone from Impact. I may be in the minority, but I really thought they had something with The Shore. They didn't have the charisma of Zack Ryder, but at the same time, I thought they were a good pairing. Of course, they went out and hotshotted a big moment early on by having J-WOWW punk out Cookie in one of the latter's first appearances with the company, but hey, no one has ever accused Impact of being a smart company. She'll be back on (i)PPV for WSU in November.

- In Future Endeavors (the podcast) news, they had Chris Masters on yesterday. Give the interview a listen.

Your Midweek Links: Yes, You Have to Read Bleacher Report Now

Your new fab five
Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

It's hump day, so here are some links to help get you through the rest of the week.

Self-Shilling:

- The Wrestling Podcast is equal parts rasslin and baseball as Jeffrey Paternostro and I talk about Dragon Gate, Alberto del Rio and Sabermetrics. Longest podcast to date. [Episode 16: For Those About to Man Mountain Rock, We Salute You]

- I make my Fair to Flair podcast review, bring up Nitro Parties and elicit a group laugh for my crack against Impact's (lack of a) drug policy [Episode 8: He's Got Great Hair]

- My Fair to Flair article from this past week, why we need to cool it on calling Alberto del Rio one-dimensional and maybe appreciate him for what he is, a WWE rookie whose first year is pretty outstanding. [Alberto del Rio and Taking It Slow]

Wrestling Links:

- Yes, I'm linking to my own site here, but screw you, this is a guest review that I'm quite fond of. Brandon Stroud reviews ACW's latest event. [The Wrestling Blog]

- Another guest blog that I was quite fond of, Jordi Scrubbings compares CM Punk and the onset of the Reality Era to a similar occurrence in horror film making. [The Wrestling Blog]

- My blogging Adrien Bro-dy recaps what went down in his absence as only he can. [PizzaBodySlam]

- Is John Cena a face or a heel? I'd say the answer is, he's a character. [International Object]

- If they don't integrate more wrestlers into the Reality Era, David Shoemaker it may not be so much an era but a footnote as part of the character of CM Punk. [Grantland]

- What is CM Punk's motivation? [Hitting the Mark]

- What's Kevin Nash's deal? He's there to galvanize CM Punk as a good guy, that's what. [Fair to Flair]

- Eric Gargiulo lists five takeaways from the CM Punk/John Cena angle thus far. He's a bit more pessimistic than I am, but hey, it's a good counterweight. [Camel Clutch Blog]

- The Best and Worst of RAW, f/ a shoutout to me. [With Leather]

- Razor's RAW live blog. [Kick-Out!! Wrestling]

- The world's biggest Edge fan gets to meet her idol. [The Muse Manse]

- Tom Warren argues that NXT should morph into the waiting room between FCW and WWE. Not a bad idea, actually. [Tom Watches Wrestling]

- Speaking of NXT, here's Trey Irby waxing romantic about the current eternal season. [Wrestling Theory]

- Justin Henry has a message for Matt Hardy. [Wrestling News Source]

- The XWA Interview [Wrestlegasm]

- Maryse has a hernia. Ouch. [Diva Dirt]

- Nattie Neidhart and Beth Phoenix want booty popping to stop, but they pose for risque pics for the website? Something tells me WWE really doesn't believe in the narrative they're giving the Divas of Doom to sell. [Grapple Kingdom]

- In non-exploitative women's news, there's a big match on the horizon Down Under featuring Madison Eagles, Nicole Matthews and Jessie McKay. DDS has the lowdown on it. [Dirty Dirty Sheets]

- Yeah, The Rock totally sold a sitcom based on '80s wrestling to NBC. [Warming Glow]

- Foley in talks to come back to WWE and possibly wrestle... not sure how good an idea that is, but I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one. [Cageside Seats]

- CMLL recap, featuring a .gif with a guy dressed as a chicken. [Luchablog]

- Mistico's return to TV as Sin Cara is so good they wanted him to do the same match over again. Oh wait, you mean it wasn't because they wanted an encore? [South Atlanta Wrestling]

- New blog! We Watch Wrestling is new and they're good. Here's their profile on Alex Reynolds. [We Watch Wrestling]

- Want to make Wrestlespective Radio better? Let Jason Mann know! [Wrestlespective]

Jamie Dobson Interviews:

No new interviews this week.

Non-Wrestling Links:

- Bleacher Report realized it had terrible content, so it went out and got some of the best writers on the Internet to be their lead writers in a bold new initiative that looks to raise the game in online sports journalism and opinion writing. Put the feeds in your RSS reader, folks. Dan Levy [Wide Left] Josh Zerkle [The Go Route] Bethlehem Shoals [Court Vision] Dan Rubenstein [Your Best 11] Matt Miller [Huge Upside]

- As a counterbalance though, Larry Brown argues that B/R is going to have to do a WHOLE lot more to fix its reputation (Although you can RSS the above five and just get the good content). [Larry Brown Sports]

- Hey, remember that earthquake yesterday? Yeah, while it didn't destroy much of anything, it was good for some high comedy on Twitter. [UPROXX]

- Apparently, Tiger Woods is the worst celebrity tipper in the world right now. At least he can win something! [The Post Game]

- What killed Miami? Money, it's always money. [Seventh Floor Blog]

- Al Golden left Temple for a plum job in Miami. Yeah, about that... [Dr. Saturday]

- Why does this Texas A&M-leaving-the-SEC talk sound so familiar? [TAMU 24/7]

- Even more college football, Drew Magary has your hater's guide to the top 25. In case you had trouble conjuring bile for kids playing football, of course. [Deadspin]

- Nike is not content with just fucking with Oregon's uniforms anymore [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

- Sandra Lee groping herself. Yep. [Food Network Humor]

- Castro and Plichter take a pizza challenge. Do they win? It's a tough one. [Doughboys]

- The most popular restaurants check-ins on Facebook are Starbucks and Buffalo Wild Wings? I FOR ONE AM SHOCKED AND APPALLED!!!exclamationpoint1 [Gawker]

- Just when you think they're getting soft, those [SQUAWK]in' smart Canucks come back with something like Big Mac sausages. Don't be a hater, hater. [Epic Meal Time]

- Fox News may suck, but Andy Levy is full of fucking own right here. [Imgur Gallery]

- Why do most Americans hate economics? Probably because you hate what you don't understand. [First Thoughts]

- "It wasn't gay, it was just wild sex with a male prostitute." [Indy Star]

- Wanna feel old? Read this then. [Buzz Feed]

- Want to win at the casino? Microcameras are the answer. [Boing Boing]

- Pat Summit was diagnosed with early-onset dementia this week. Holly Anderson writes that Summit doesn't want your pity. [SI.com]

- Abby Wambach singlehandedly brings the US Women's National Soccer team to the World Cup finals, and the best advertisement she gets is fucking Magic Jack? STEP UP YOUR GAME, ADVERTISERS, GAWD. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

- Pokemon is NOT supposed to be this sexy. [Unreality Mag]

- Charlie Manuel drops the F-bomb on live radio. [The Fightins]

- Jonah Keri outlines his plan for the Cubs to stop sucking. [Grantland]

- Ten greatest roles of nerd icon Lance Henriksen [Topless Robot]

- New poster for the cult film Swamp Thing [Blast-o-Rama]

- Michael Fassbender as Magneto in drag. It's a deleted scene too. Christ, if I looked that good in a cocktail dress, you bet your sweet ass I'd have petitioned to have that scene in the actual movie. [Film Drunk]

- How adults play online games [The Oatmeal]

- Eight things that stopped suicides, or, if you're a pretty woman and see a dude looking to leap to his death? Make out with him, you might save his life. [Cracked]

- Haha, it's funny because herbal tea isn't tea at all. [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]

- Metal bras, just in case you're going into a war zone and want to look damn stylish. [Gamma Squad]

- The funny thing about that? That number is a Lancaster Co., PA area code. Wait a second, no, that's not the funny part at all. [Skull Swap]

- 49ers owner Jed York blames shootings at a preseason game on the fact that the regular season isn't 18 games long. Sure, and my dog poops diamond encrusted scepters. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

- Ten other thoughts from the weekend in the NFL preseason [With Leather]

- Will his wife's health scare make Matt Cooke stop gooning it up? [Puck Daddy]

- Did Jay-Z and Kanye West illegally sample someone on their Watch the Throne album? [The Smoking Section]

- Dave Letterman to terrorist death threats: "Pfft, NBD" [Warming Glow]

The One Where TH Brings up Nitro Parties

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Fair to Flair Episode 8: He's Got Great Hair

It's my Fair to Flair podcast debut! I join Razor of House Kick-Out!!, Jason Mann and K. Sawyer Paul to discuss SummerSlam, Alberto del Rio, a little bit about Matt Hardy and somehow, Nitro Parties and Kevin Nash's hair. It's a quick jaunt comparatively speaking to the other FtF podcasts, but it's got some nice discussion. LISTEN!

Your Favorite Wrestlers Ever: Joe Drilling

Now that my own favorites list is out of the way, I posed the question to some of my colleagues in the fan/writer community. Who are your favorite five wrestlers?

In addition to having the best last name to make into a sex joke, Joe Drilling is a huge wrestling fan (and trained wrestler) and the next to have his favorite wrestlers listed. You may know him as a contributor to the first Fair to Flair Quarterly, but he also has two podcasts he's a part of, one called On the Stick, a gaming podcast, and the other called the Action Cast, a podcast dedicated to action movies (duh). Here are his five favorite wrestlers ever.

---

#1 and #2
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Let me start by saying I agonized over this list. Tom asked me about writing it at least a week ago, and what I initially figured would be fifteen minutes at the computer turned into agonizing about who would make the list for a week or more. To that point; this is not a “Greatest Wrestlers of All-Time” list. A list like that, as Tom has pointed out in his entries, espouses some kind of objectivity or at least a consensus amongst “experts” or whatever. A list like that would certainly contain Ric Flair, which this one does not.

No, this is a totally subjective list of MINE. If you don’t agree, it’s not on my list of things to do to give a fuck. The criteria I used, if you’re interested, is what five wrestlers could I watch any of their matches with anyone, including people who would be on my list of least favorite wrestlers, and still find it enjoyable. These are the five I came up with.

5. C.M. Punk - I first saw Punk perform at a Knights of Columbus in West Allis, Wisconsin on June 3rd, 2001. I was 18 and I was about to start training to become a pro wrestler. I was (and still am) also straightedge. And here was this straightedge, punk rock wrestler. Needless to say, I was captivated. I have followed this man’s career for a decade now. I knew even then that he was good enough to be where he is now. I knew when he had a red hot feud with Ian Rotten that summer (which still includes one of the best Texas Death Matches I’ve ever seen), I knew when he cut his “My name is C.M. Punk, and I’m straightedge. What that means is I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs and I am better than each and every one of you here tonight.” promos. And he has never failed to entertain me, no matter who he’s working with.

4. Ted DiBiase - “The Million Dollar Man” captivates me because there is never a wasted movement in any of his matches. Every step, every look, every punch means something. He wouldn’t waste it if it didn’t. Everything builds to the finish of the match or the end of the angle. He even manages to make Ed Leslie look good at Wrestlemania V, no small feat. If I was to point to a match that really cements my love for this man, though, it’s his match with Jake “The Snake” Roberts at Wrestlemania VI. When two storytellers that good get in the ring together, you can only expect a brilliant match, which is what you get. “The Snake” narrowly missed this list, but he’s still one of the best, and that match proves it.

3. Mr. Perfect - Curt Hennig was someone I loved to boo as a kid. I hated him (and the Genius) so much when he smashed the Hulkster’s title belt. And as a good guy, he made me get up and cheer years later. I even loved him in WCW, and when he came back to WWE shortly before his death, I was very excited. This is a man who simply had a fundamental understanding for how to tell a story in wrestling. Brilliant promos, brilliant work in the ring. He made everyone he worked with look like a million bucks. And like DiBiase, never a wasted movement. Everything served the story. He was absolutely perfect.

2. Chris Jericho - Is it wrong to say that my love for Jericho may well spring from the notion that he’s a latter-day Mr. Perfect? Maybe that’s just me looking for a link, but regardless, Chris Jericho has been a favorite of mine since I was first exposed to him in WCW. His legendary promos there (“Hold #1: Arm bar.”) coupled with his fantastic matches with the likes of Dean Malenko and Rey Mysterio, Jr. put me behind his work right away. And when he finally came to the WWF, interrupting the Rock in one of the greatest debuts ever, I went full-blown Jerichoholic. Sure, he had silly moments (co-IC Champ?), but Vince and Co. recognized his talent in a way WCW never did, and he was finally allowed to be the performer his fans knew he could be. He was the first man to ever hold the WWF and WCW Championships at the same time, an accolade that I think may be lost on younger fans who weren’t around or aware of what was going on in the late ‘90s.

From there, he had amazing feuds with nearly everyone on the roster, including my #1 pick, and left on a high note, putting John Cena over in a big way (not like he needed it). When he came back, he was just as entertaining as ever, but a quick heel turn completely re-invented his character and he was even MORE successful, having what I consider the greatest ladder match of all time with Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship. A consummate performer on the mic and in the ring, I really question the sanity of wrestling fans who say they don’t like Chris Jericho.

1. Shawn Michaels - The Showstopper. The Icon. The Main Event. He is truly second-to-none in my mind. When he disappeared after Wrestlemania XIV, I lamented that one of the best had retired too soon. Quite naturally, when he had a match at Summerslam 2002, I was ecstatic. What I didn’t know is that he would have a run of nearly seven more years that would include some of the best matches of an already amazing career. The man who defined the ladder match with Scott Hall managed to redefine it with Chris Jericho over fourteen years later. This is a noteworthy thing.

Ultimately, I can’t say I’ve consistently enjoyed the work of any professional wrestler, regardless of opponent, of face/heel alignment, of era, as much as Shawn Michaels.

Your Midweek Links: A Massive Missive

NOMNOMNOMNOM

It's hump day, so here are some links to get you through the rest of the week!

Self-Shilling:

- The Wrestling Podcast with Spencer Hall, where he describes CM Punk as antisocial, Les Miles as unaffected and college football in the South as a "blood cult". [Episode 14: Tiny Luchas: Songs from the Mexican Gift Shop]

- My Camel Clutch Blog post last week, in praise of Mike Quackenbush's international approach with Chikara. [Chikara: An Education in International Wrestling]

- More podcasty goodness, this time with Jason Mann discussing Booker T vs. The Rock at SummerSlam, and a not-so-heated debate on the merits of Shane McMahon [Wrestlespective Radio]

Wrestling Links:

- "Punk wrestles so some day so that one day, he won't have to." [Fair to Flair]

- Justin Henry writes a paean to the most unsung bad guy in WWE today, Super Dave Osbourne. Wait, what? [Wrestling News Source]

- NWA Fanfest recap [South Atlanta Wrestling]

- DDS' Leslie interviews Marti Belle [Dirty Dirty Sheets]

- ...and Sidekick Andrew talks up SHIMMER with Dave Prazak. [Wrestlegasm]

- Five good things about Hardcore Justice... even Stephen T. Stone admits this was a hard hurdle to jump [Grapple Kingdom]

- A more fleshed-out look at the show. [The Harrison Analysis]

- Impact is so bad, even hip-hop/music blogs call them out on how bad they are [The Smoking Section]

- A lamentation on the treatment of the Impact TV Title [Camel Clutch Blog]

- Ken Patera no-selling the piledriver... a big deal back then. [Kentucky Fried Rasslin]

- Spear through a flaming table? Spear through a flaming table. [Musings of a Mark]

- Technically, this isn't a wrestling post, but it's a post by an honest-to-God wrestler in Dolph Ziggler about his hockey guilty pleasures. [Puck Daddy]

- A reasoned post about why the low rating Monday isn't exactly the end of the world. [International Object]

- Pictures from the Teen Choice Awards, here because John Cena, The Miz, Maryse and most importantly, Maryse's breasts showed up. Again, I'm all for gender equity and women being treated as equals and such, but I'm a guy, and I like breasts. Don't kill me for this. Please. [With Leather]

- The Best and Worst of RAW, 8/8... you know the drill [With Leather]

- Razor's RAW Live Blog [Kick-Out!! Wrestling]

- More thoughts on RAW [Hitting the Mark]

- Lucha libre beer pong set? Lucha libre beer pong set. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

- Steve Austin fanning the flames of speculation on a possible match with CM Punk at WrestleMania [Cageside Seats]

- Melina butthurt over a line Beth Phoenix said in character Monday. In other news... water is wet, but not nearly as "wet" as other liquids. Sorry, had to work in SOME engineering/science humor here. [Diva Dirt]

- #IWantIrby [Wrestling Theory]

- Michelle Beadle is cute, loves sports and is a wrestling fan. Okay, why is it she's not getting more and more love from the wrestling nerd community? [I Want Wrestling]

- Lucha .gifs of amazement! [Luchablog]

Jamie Dobson Interviews:

- Dom "The Bomb" Vitelli

- Magical Jarek 1:20

- "The Joverine" Joey Knight

Non-Wrestling Links:

- Patton Oswalt's latest 5 second film. I love these. [5 Second Films]

- House of PUNTE's "Best of" podcast. A must listen for people who don't listen to it but want to get into it. [House of PUNTE]

- Rioting in London... I think the reaction of natives over there calling these rioters the pejorative term for the female genitalia is the appropriate response. I mean, really, you're against police brutality so you loot small businesses? [Uproxx]

- Ron Artest going to play in England. I'd make a joke about the riots, but it'd probably really bad that it'd come off as tasteless, so I'll pass. [The Smoking Section]

- A review of America's first pizzeria, Lombardi's in New York [Doughboys]

- The origin of General Tso's chicken. Stoners everywhere should try to read this origin of one of their staple foods until they get distracted by Nyan Cat in their other tab. [Mental Floss]

- What was omitted? The 78 comment follow-up where everyone flames everyone. [Imgur Gallery]

- This is my reason to wake up and look forward to Monday mornings. Drew Magary's weekly FJMing of Peter King is soul satisfying. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

- Best of the Conde Elevator Twitter account... yes, people are REALLY that self absorbed. [Buzz Feed]

- A sabermetric argument for why a guy like Ben Zobrist is more valuable to a team than Prince Fielder, even though the latter's counting/average stats are better. [Fan Graphs]

- An open letter to the makers of Cracker Jack [The Oatmeal]

- Texas A&M to stay where they are because buildings are heavy and hard to move, dammit [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

- How to spot authentic Cohibas from fakes [30nothings]

- 16 drinks named for authors and books. Not included is the Alan Moore Watchmen shot, which oddly enough is just a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. [Slosh Spot]

- More alcoholic goodness, only constructive! Why the beer can is making a comeback. [Philadelphia Craft Beer Examiner]

- Jason Momoa writes Conan the Barbarian fan fiction? Well, he's still Khal Drogo to me, so it's all good. [Film Drunk]

- Best fictional workplaces. Not listed: The Isengard Uruk-Hai foundry. [Pajiba]

- Gollum as a ring bearer. Best. Wedding. Ever. [Topless Robot]

- Nothing is written in stone, says the placard written in stone. [Skull Swap]

- Frances Bean Cobain all grow'd up. All of a sudden, Nevermind is only the second best thing Kurt Cobain ever produced. [Jezebel]

- Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle for the first time. Nice. [Blast-o-Rama]

- Making it rain while driving is a bad idea. [Gawker]

- The JAWS/Peanuts mash-up you weren't expecting but will probably love anyway. [NYMag - Vulture]

- Ralph Wiggum .gifs for the whole family! [Mmmm... Simpsons]

- Dana White gives out bounties for guys who take out guys in speedos. Part of me finds this dumb because of all the dick-punching, but part of me wants Dana White to patrol the beaches to take out banana hammocks there too. [Cagewriter]

- Cliff Lee does it all. [The Fightins]

- Portal etiquette [Pants Are Overrated]

- Shipping cars in the King Solomon-approved way [Carpe Diem]

- Things are so bad in Somalia that even the Prime Minister has to work two jobs! [NYMag - Daily Intel]

- Haha, they're making a Gen. Patton cologne. [Holy Taco]

- What if the NBA went tits up? [Deadspin]

- The Canadian Stampede was a rodeo before it was a WWF PPV, and it's still a big Calgary tradition today. [Grantland]

- If Ocarina of Time were a children's book... [Unreality Mag]

- Zune HD review [Aggressive Art]

- Barney Frank ripped one on the air. It's funny because he's old. [Warming Glow]

- Rex Grossman says the Redskins will win the NFC East. In other news... y'know what, I'm not going to tempt fate here, because the last thing I need are mouthy Skins fans throwing this back in my face in December if Grossman turns out to be right. [The 700 Level]

- Movie cliches, in graph form! [Graph Jam]

- The password? brettfavreBOOMtinactin [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

- Five more secrets that only two living people know [Cracked]

- I want to go to The Sharper Image with Ruben Amaro [I Want to Go to the Zoo with Roy Halladay]

- Looking at the most infamous trade in hockey history 23 years later [Puck Daddy]

- Star Wars porn parody... I dunno, I think I'd rather see the one that they were going to do in Zack and Miri Make a Porno than this one. [Gamma Squad]

- Your guide to fantasy football wide receivers, as compared to hot sitcom daughters from the '80s. Not compared to: Kimmy Gibler [With Leather]

- Why you shouldn't get your opinion from pundits [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]

The Goofy Bad-ass: Reflecting on What Kurt Angle Was and What He Could Have Been

Pictured: Unrealized potential
Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com

Jason Mann and Joe Drilling were discussing the 2000 SummerSlam main event on last Wednesday's installment of the Wrestlespective Radio SummerSlam main event series. Towards the end, they got to talking about Kurt Angle, one of the participants in the match, and how his class clown character never really resonated with them until he eventually dropped the har-har part and got more serious, saying that it made him more of like a Honky Tonk Man quality to his first title reign in the fall of 2000, that he was always getting by by the skin of his teeth. While that was good for the Intercontinental Championship, they said it wasn't good for the World Title. I disagree with that to a point; I think a Honky Tonk World Champion would work, but it has limited shelf-life, if you smell what TH is cookin'.

But onto a greater point, I was then given a shoutout by Mann about how I was a fan of Angle's goofy badass character. Certainly, that iteration of Angle was my favorite, mainly because he made me laugh, but also because of the unique synergy that he had as being a wholly comedic character with the potential to tangle with the best of the lot due to his amazing wrestling ability and his legit amateur background. He hit both my wheelhouses, funny guys and great wrestlers. How could I not enjoy the hell out of him? I will admit to people not buying him until he stopped being funny and started using drugs in a super hardcore fashion to be ZOMG INTENZ!!!1

Honestly though, that's not a fault with Angle per se. You see, in WWF/E, people have roles, and those roles sometimes are so narrowly defined that if you put someone outside of the archetype just a little bit, Kevin Dunn's head may just explode and then Johnny Ace has to clean up the brain matter, or at least find Winston Wolf to do the job for him. And Vince hates when Johnny Ace has to clean up brain matter.

The funnier a wrestler you are, the more comically inept you are in the ring. Think about it. Santino Marella, despite having legit judo/wrestling chops, is relegated to the Superstars Zone despite being one of the most naturally talented guys at getting people to like him. Chris Jericho never fully broke through until he came back from hiatus and started calling the fans gelatinous tapeworms. The Rock made people laugh, but was there really anything comedic about his demeanor? The only exception here is Triple H, but at the same time, if all his attributes aren't maxed out to 99 at all times, he turns into a pumpkin. Or so I have read.

Honestly, that's why I feel like Angle was Honky Tonk Man, only basically impersonating himself circa 1996 rather than Elvis. WWE never felt comfortable taking the reins off him and letting him be a full on badass in the ring while being a jokester out of it. It would have made for a very interesting paradox in character, one that would have had so many different storytelling options without staying in the same stale boxes that WWF/E would keep guys in.

So basically, while Angle's credibility rose, at least my enjoyment of him declined as the years went on. It's to the point where yeah, the majority thinks he has great matches in Impact (For me, he's lost too much of his flair for psychology for me to say he always has good matches), but his character has been wholly drained of the panache that attracted me to him as a fan in the first place almost 12 years ago.

I get why pro wrestling, and sometimes, mainstream media on the whole, puts characters into archetypal boxes. For the most part, those archetypes are there because they're tried and true. However, Kurt Angle, the jokey ass-kicker, was a moldbreaker that had legs. It wasn't contrarian for the sake of being on the contrary. It was fresh and people latched onto it, whether it was the smarks like me who gravitated to him or the regular fans who wanted to see him get his ass kicked because of it. Sometimes you have to take a chance.

WWF/E could have taken a chance with Angle all those years ago, but instead, they didn't. You can argue over whether or not it was successful or not, and I'd say aside from the drug use that got him booted out of WWE, it was. But I can't help but wonder what could have been if Angle was allowed to develop as more than just an inept clown evolving into a more and more humorless legit wrestler.

Future Endeavors Comin' up Big... with the Best in the World

Future Endeavors Podcast

As bloggers and podcasters, we're always trying to get the best guests possible. Sometimes, those guests are regular joes like you and me. Sometimes, they're other bloggers like Spencer Hall and Josh Zerkle. Sometimes, they are the greatest wrestling referee who ever lived.

However, I think all of us aspire to get actual, guys who are in the field of what we cover on our shows. The aforementioned Zerkle has done a great job getting current and former NFL guys on his podcast. The Future Endeavors gang has gotten into interviewing folks in the field we cover, and their guest this week is a big one. Depending whom you ask, Davey Richards is the best in the world at what he does. Give it a listen.

They also announced another big name coming on the show in a couple of weeks. Scott Steiner will be their August 28th guest, and hopefully, he'll be coherent enough to give them a great talk.

The One Where Jason Doesn't Know I'm Quoting Zack Ryder

Wrestlespective Radio: SummerSlam 2001's Main Event

Jason Mann and I discuss SummerSlam 2001's final match in his series of podcasts dedicated to the main events of each of WWE's summer classic events. The match is The Rock vs. Booker T for the WCW World Championship... yep, the WCW World Championship. Wrestling sure was wacky in 2001. Anyway, we go over Booker T's wild eyes and facial expressions, the efficacy of Shane McMahon as a manager, the Invasion and a whole bunch of other things. Come for the match discussion, stay for Jason awkwardly not knowing that I'm trying to riff off the end of Zack Ryder's Z! True Long Island Stories with my outro. Good times!

Looking Forward to the English Johnnies in Chikara This Month? Thank Chris Hero

Looking forward to Saint? Thank Chris Hero!

If you don't listen to Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast, then good God man, what the hell is wrong with you? Anyway, if you're one of those forlorn souls who isn't in on the goodness, this week's guest was Chris Hero. Even if you're against podcasters, listen to this for the stories. One of the stories has everything to do with Johnny Saint and by proxy, Johnny Kidd, showing up to Chikara this month at the duo of Chikarasaurus Rex shows.

As it turns out, Saint was a bit of a recluse after his final "retirement" match in 2000. He didn't go to reunions, conventions, cards or anything. He just went about his life, looking after his parents, enjoying retirement. Little did he know that his work was being viewed and viewed again and viewed multiple times by the guys on the independent wrestling scene in America. Apparently, the English style of chain wrestling had become HUGE among guys like UltraMantis Black, Mike Quackenbush, Cabana and Hero among others. The last of those guys wondered aloud why Saint wasn't really around, and he pretty much tracked the English icon down. I won't go into how Hero did it - listen to the fuckin' podcast, you n00b - but he did, and in 2006, Saint made his return to the ring.

If Saint doesn't return to the ring because of Hero inspiring him, do we get him joining Quack and Jorge "Skayde" Rivera in the Masters of 1000 Holds team at King of Trios 2009? Do we get him and Quack hitting it off at that event to the point where Saint is coming back in at C-Rex and bringing Johnny Kidd with him? It could be possible, but at the same time, it seems highly unlikely to me. Because Chris Hero took mad initiative, we get cool-ass English chain wrestling and two catch-as-catch-can legends coming over to blow our minds for two nights in Southeast PA. I don't know about you, but that's a big deal.

So if you didn't think Hero was awesome enough already for his wrestling character and verily the millions of feds he is participating or has participated in in his 10+ year career, this is another reason why he's a pretty cool dude.

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

Follow Friday: Future Endeavors Crew!

This week's Follow Friday goes out to the Future Endeavors crew. This troupe of live podcasters - Don Owens, Corey Santiago and the former Fat Man After Dark, Nick Gator - broadcast every Sunday night. It's a highly-regarded, engaging and usually raucous. You can find them on Twitter via their respective handles - @DXDONMEGA @CoreySantiago @nacgator.

Outside of the FE show, their reach on the Web is pretty good. They host the Power Poll each week, taking over for Jason Mann when he couldn't keep up with it anymore. Speaking of Mann, Owens can be found each month discussing the latest WWE PPV on Wrestlespective Radio. Also, Nick has his own podcast where he discusses things other than wrestling. Check these guys out on Twitter for all the things they have to say as well as to keep abreast with their media production.

Your Midweek Links: I'M IN TERRIBLE PAIN RIGHT NOW

Sexiest mask ever... well after Mankind, of course
Photo Credit: Padje Mescall

It's hump day, so here are some links to get you through the rest of the week.

Self-Shilling

- The Wrestling Podcast! Last week's show featured Josh "PUNTE" Zerkle, who was an awesome guest and has a podcast of his own (which I pimp in the non-wrestling links). Check this one out though, because there's some great talk about Bret Hart, the "good ol' days" and of course, his work on blogs like With Leather and Kissing Suzy Kolber. [Episode 8: Yankem Hotel Foxtrot]

- My Fair to Flair piece on botching and why it ain't that bad. [Why Botching Isn't the End of the World]

- In case you were wondering, yes, that was a donkey punch by Alberto del Rio on Rey Mysterio last week. [Your Match of the Week, 6/19-6/25, Fair to Flair]

- A piece that I could have run on Fair to Flair but chose to submit to the Camel Clutch Blog for my own reasons. It's about whether to call pro wrestling a sport or theater. [The Case for the Classification of Pro Wrestling]

Wrestling Links

- Kick-Out!! Radio with Jeff Katz. I'm pimping this for three days straight because, despite what some commenters are saying, I really feel like this is an awesome idea. [Kick-Out!! Wrestling]

- A1-Wrestling poster "Handsome" Padje Mescall went to a lucha show in England featuring Skayde and Cassandro and posted tons of pics. [A1-Wrestling]

- A comprehensive look at ROH's Best in the World [The Harrison Analysis]

- Good ol' JR is prescient about CM Punk's comments and talks about filming the sitdown interview between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels for their upcoming DVD. [JR's BBQ Sauce Blog]

- Another take on Queen of Queens from friend of TWB John Hyperion. [Dirty Dirty Sheets]

- The Wheelhouse looks at Kevin Steen. [Camel Clutch Blog]

- Looking at the worked shoot via the CM Punk promo at the end of RAW [Grapple Kingdom]

- A look at Stan Hansen, aka THE MAN [South Atlanta Wrestling]

- I'm not the only one who refuses to pay tribute to Chris Benoit. [Wrestling Theory]

- The best satire is the kind that you have to do a spit take after reading because you think it's real. This is the best satire, Fake Vince going off on Punk for his promo on RAW. [Fair to Flair]

- Speaking of Fair to Flair, the podcast's sixth episode discusses more about why Kevin Kelly sucks. [Fair to Flair]

- Of course Jay Briscoe makes homophobic comments on Twitter AFTER I tell you to follow him. WAY TO MAKE ME LOOK LIKE AN ASS, REDNECK WRESTLER GAWD. [Cageside Seats]

- The Masked Man on Punk. [Grantland]

- More Punk, as he's straight up trollin' on Twitter. [PizzaBodySlam Tumblr]

- Nicole Matthews to do the reverse-SHIMMER migration. [Diva Dirt]

- KSP FJMs MM... err, I mean Mark Madden [Aggressive Art]

- And if that wasn't enough calling out bad journalism, Jason Mann gets in on the action too, only on a much bigger fish. [Wrestlespective]

- Obligatory Best and Worst of RAW column, because seriously, you need to read this every week. [With Leather]

Jamie Dobson Interviews

- Tim Arson

Non-Wrestling Links

- Lindy West fills in for Drew Magary on the Funbag this week. Holy shit, it's awesome. [Deadspin]

- Episode 80 of the House of PUNTE podcast, where I'm more than likely going to hell for losing my shit at Brian Stow jokes. Also, more talk about feces than you might be able to handle. And Brad Jackson talks Longhorn football. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

- I'm pretty sure that there's no jury in the entire province of Quebec (or is it Ontario?) that would convict Muscles Glasses for snapping haters' necks after they stole burgers from fine-ass ladies. [Epic Meal Time]

- This year's Hockey Hall of Fame class has a distinct Maple flavor. [Puck Daddy]

- Warning: BEAR [Cracked]

- Quentin Tarantino is a foot fetishist? Color me not surprised. [Uproxx]

- Why the Royals may be the next AL team to make the leap from laughingstock to contender. [Grantland]

- How Ian Lapierre won the Masterson Trophy. [Flyers Goal Scored By]

- Mission: Impossible 4 - The Ghost Protocol teaser trailer... featuring Sawyer from LOST. [Buzz Feed]

- Commissioner of the Bush League gets called to Congress [Sports Pickle]

- Captain Kirk vs. Captain Kirk... although I thought they were in Star Trek, not Over the Top... [Unreality Mag]

- Review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Marty Day is a brave soul. [Blast-o-Rama]

- Yes, this is for a series that's been over since Sunday. No, I don't particularly care. [The Fightins]

- Self diagnosis becomes self-aware [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]

- The summer doldrums are here for sports. Unless you're B-Stroud and are a huge baseball nerd. Then this is the point where you tell Shanoff to shove it. [Dan Shanoff]

- Adam Savage of Mythbusters sings "I Will Survive" as Gollum. Your argument is invalid. [Topless Robot]

- Commentary on the state of the Wisconsin Badgers by a real live badger. [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

- Danger Guerrero FJMs the shit out of someone who got butthurt over Go the Fuck to Sleep. [Danger Guerrero Tumblr]

- Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are good pitchers. Baaaaht... chu already knew that. [Crashburn Alley]

- Poor Eeyore. [Skull Swap]

- John Ratzenberger is the best actor in America, and other fun uses of the Rotten Tomatoes graph feature. [Film Drunk]

- Maybe the greatest ceremonial first pitch ever? [Bro Bible]

- T-Mobile girl to play Retro Girl in the Powers series. Spoiler alert: she's dead before the series even starts. [Gamma Squad]

- Funniest epic headline ever. [With Leather]

- Sports hipster clothing alert! 1990-91 Golden State Warriors tee available. Given that I was always a huge Tim Hardaway fan, I am intrigued by this. [The Smoking Section]

- The Tasmanian devil's genome has been mapped. What about Taz the Tazmanian Devil? Or Taz, the shitty Impact announcer? Not sure about those yet. [Wired UK]

- RIP Lorenzo Charles. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

- No more "interim" tag for Luke Fickell at Ohio State. Does that put those Urban Meyer rumors to rest? Fuck no! [Dr. Saturday]

- Tennessee's legislature debates serious business [The Onion]

- How's this for funny? Michael Jackson voiced the crazy white guy claiming to be him on The Simpsons, but he didn't sing the "Happy Birthday Lisa" song. [Warming Glow]

- Rant about that awful-looking new Terra Nova show. [Comic Books and Whatever]

- Some hockey nuggets from TWB superfan Dave Cunning [The SDC Blogs]

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!

Wrestling Revolution Sounds Mighty Interesting to Me

I dig it

I'm going to do something that I did yesterday on here. I'm going to pimp to you the podcast that my Fair to Flair colleague and this week's guest on The Wrestling Podcast, Razor of Kick-Out Blog!! did with Jeff Katz, the Hollywood producer and rabid wrestling fan behind the new concept promotion Wrestling Revolution. It really does give a look inside the mind of a guy who made it in life and now is going to attempt to create something different in the world of pro wrestling.

For those of you who are podcast-a-phobic or who have an axe to grind against Razor and KO or who won't listen for whatever reason, Wrestling Revolution is basically turning wrestling into seasonal format. Before you start cringing at the idea of having a wrestling show working like an icky TV show, realize that Katz isn't here to bastardize the product. At least that's what I got from the podcast. It'll still be wrestling. There'll be matches, promos, everything else that makes wrestling wrestling, but there'll be major differences:

1. The wrestlers will be playing a character ideated and developed by Katz and his producers, not playing their "regular" characters
2. In fact, there won't be any "names", just guys being invented or in the case of folks who have WWE/etc. history, reinvented
3. Like I wrote yesterday, storytelling will reflect scripted drama and the "three act" format
4. It will be in seasonal format, meaning there'll be an offseason

So right off the bat, this is something that is striving to be what Impact should have been all along - an alternative.

Katz is saying all the right things, and unlike some other people hawking things that he is promising now, I'm inclined to believe him. For one, he's got a lot of friends in the wrestling business. He's also got Hollywood connections, and that's a huge incentive for guys who may not want to kill themselves in the ring for their whole careers.

I think what's most appealing about this project to me is Katz's candor and realism about it. In the podcast, he claims that he's not really getting his hopes up, and if he can do one season of good TV, then he'll be happy with it. The biggest mistake an auteur in any medium can make is to get too greedy and think his or her project is going to own. I think it's that perspective that gives me the most hope. Katz isn't going to try and reinvent the wheel through some grandiose science experiment using the most dangerous form of energy to fuel it; he'll try to start something grassroots but real, and hopefully that will leave an impression on the industry to go along with (and maybe even influence) WWE.

I know that hope always springs eternal in the wrestling industry, and the perception is that it's rarely ever paid off. While I think there has been more than enough in terms of good resolutions, I'm not going to say that a majority of the stuff that has started out good in wrestling has ended well either. That being said, I still think this has a much better than normal chance of providing good content at the very least. I'll be sad if it doesn't succeed, but if Katz gives me one good year with Wrestling Revolution? Then you're damn right I'll be happy about it. That's the thing, finding quality wrestling rather than trying to latch onto something because you think it'll be successful.

So with that in mind, I'm really looking forward to this, and I hope that Katz at least creates a cult classic if anything. Honestly, there needs to be more people with his mindset rather than the one that has poisoned the industry for as long as I've been following it. Trying to recreate the past to a tee doesn't work₁. Trying new things doesn't always work either, but that track record has a way, way, WAY better percentage of success than blatant and blow-for-blow rehashing. With all that in mind, I hope you're as jazzed for this as I am.

1 - There's a big difference between trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice and using tried and true tropes that have worked in wrestling for over 100 years to help get new stories and people over. The former sucks. The latter should be a part of any wrestling promotion, whether old or new, traditional or innovative, if that makes any sense to you.

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!

The Wrestling Podcast, Episode 8: Josh "PUNTE" Zerkle

Episode 8: Yankem Hotel Foxtrot

PUNTE IS GOJIRA
Photo Credit: @PUNTE

Episode 8 welcomes Josh "PUNTE" Zerkle onto the show. Josh was the man who got me started in podcasting by having me on his House of PUNTE show, and he has presence on the web at Kissing Suzy Kolber and With Leather. We talk about blogging, free speech, Ryan Dunn, football and of course, wrestling, mainly through the eyes of a casual fan. Wrestling topics include why Bret Hart, the differences between then and now and why Randy Orton is boring and terrible.

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!

Your Midweek Links: BUY THE QUARTERLY

2/3s of the ultimate Fire Pro Trio, according to Brandon Stroud
Photo Credit: WWE.com

It's hump day, so here are some links to get you through the rest of the week.

Self-Shilling:

- Me and my blogging Bro-bert Plant Mitch from PizzaBodySlam did a podcast that had our fellow Fair to Flair cohort K. Sawyer Paul run in and cause outside interference. [Episode 6: Darkness on the Edge and Christian of Town]

- My Camel Clutch Blog column this week, all about my begrudging acceptance of Christian's new role as Smackdown's top heel. [Learning to Live with Christian's Heel Turn]

- My latest for Fair to Flair, on whether the WWE needs CM Punk or not... now with DISQUS comments! [Does WWE Need CM Punk?]

- Fair to Flair Quarterly! Have you ordered your copy yet? I keep telling you the best deal is $10 for the e-reader copy. It's cheaper and greener! PLUS you support about a dozen websites doing good work in the field of wrestling journalism. [A Beautiful Neighborhood]

Wrestling Links:

- 10 Questions with Kellie Skater [Dirty Dirty Sheets]

- You Can't See the Dallas Mavericks [South Atlanta Wrestling]

- Randy Orton gets propositioned for sodomy on Twitter. Hilarity ensues. [PizzaBodySlam Tumblr]

- Jerome Willen argues that R-Truth should be WWE Champion... [Camel Clutch Blog]

- ...but Trey Irby thinks that Truth should really be nowhere near the title for the time being (ditto Cody Rhodes) [Wrestling Theory]

- Razor flashes back to a year ago, when the Nexus changed the WWE landscape [Kick-Out Wrestling]

- Andre Harrison, meanwhile, takes the opportunity on the anniversary of its beginning to look at where the angle ultimately went wrong. [The Harrison Analysis]

- Beth Phoenix says the Divas aren't this close-knit sorority that is sometimes alluded to on screen. I AM SO SHOCKED. [Diva Dirt]

- Stephen T. Stone looks at Slammiversary. [Grapple Kingdom]

- The most compelling argument for wrestling as theater you'll ever read. [Fair to Flair]

- Does Mick Foley regret leaving Impact Wrestling? [Cageside Seats]

- 24 Biggest Wrestling Conspiracies Ever [TruTV]

- Dave Lagana podcasts with the barrister of the Embassy, Robert Evans [I Want Wrestling]

- The Best and Worst of RAW, 6/13, or how Big Zeke, Sin Cara and AmDrag are the best Fire Pro tag team in WWE history [With Leather]

Jamie Dobson Interviews:

- Super Tiger II

- Mike Dennis

Non-Wrestling Links:

- Charity alert! Kisses for Kyle Phillies block party is June 23rd! If you're in the area, go and help support childhood cancer research! [I Want to Go to the Zoo with Roy Halladay]

- Von Miller is... FOOTBALL HIPSTER [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

- Gwyneth Paltrow - Fat Shamer (Click through to see a .gif of Harley Morenstein from Epic Meal Time saying FUCK SALAD) [Uproxx]

- Speaking of EMT... bacon weave manicotti, for the haters. Smart. [Epic Meal Time]

- Cole Hamels is probably the best non-Roy Halladay pitcher on the Phillies staff right now. The only bad news to that? He's gonna want to get paid, and soon. [Phillies Nation]

- Is it bad for you to hold farts in? Yes, Drew Magary got that exact question at Deadspin. [Deadspin]

- The pros and cons of owning a smartphone [The Oatmeal]

- Still reeling from Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones? Read this! [Unreality Mag]

- Still reeling even after reading that recap? Here's some catharsis in the form of Tyrion slapping the shit out of Joffrey on loop set to Led Zeppelin. [Topless Robot]

- Bill Simmons' Game 6 NBA Finals retro diary [Grantland]

- If only LeBron played hockey... [Sports Pickle]

- Review of X-Men: Overnight Mail [Comic Books and Whatever]

- Did you want to see a collection of pictures of celebrities holding vinyl records? Of course you did! Plus, Joan Collins used to be smoking hot. [Buzz Feed]

- Terry Pratchett and the case for dying with dignity [Gamma Squad]

- Wear sunscreen, and by sunscreen, I mean human blood [The Onion]

- Schwetty Balls: The Ice Cream [Warming Glow]

- Absolutely brilliant. [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]

- A Knicks fan reflects on the NBA season [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

- Super cool retro poster for The First Avenger: Captain America [Blast-o-Rama]

- Hey, you a gamer? Well, prepare to get fucked by the industry. [Cracked]

- Dan Shanoff with a thoughtful response to the NBA Finals [Quickish]

- Terrelle Pryor leaves Ohio State to go to... Ohio State? [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

- Move over Chuck Norris, Sean Bean, aka Alec Trevalyan, Boromir and Ned Stark, is the new most badass mofo ever. [Film Drunk]

- Why dead kids make bad laws [Reason]

- Is the Heisman Andrew Luck's to lose? [Dr. Saturday]

- A look at new head coaches for three NHL teams [Puck Daddy]

- iTunes Store costs Apple $1.3 billion a year to maintain. [Cult of Mac]

- And if you weren't sick of the basketball links here already, Burnsy tells LeBron James how he can deal with his haters in a way that isn't "Haha, you have crappy lives and I don't" [With Leather]

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!