Articles by Scott Keith — Page 2

94 Luger

30th September 2022 by Scott Keith
Scott,

If Luger had been the one to sell out to Dibiase and gone on a heel run, could he have salvaged his WWF time or was he too far gone at that point?

(I accept the Million Dollar Corporation was epically boring anyway, but just maybe Evil Luger could’ve at least done something different.)

I think Evil Luger would have had some juice, and not only that, it would have given Diesel someone to feud with after winning the World title.  Honestly Luger going the other way with the character and becoming a proto-MAGA nationalist would have been a pretty interesting direction, talking about how he loves the US but foreigners keep ruining the country, sort of like where they were originally going with Slaughter before the Iraq war. 

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AEW – How Not to Book a Women’s Division

29th September 2022 by Scott Keith

This division is just dying in front of us. Where do you start with this mess?


They put the belt on the most heatless babyface they have on the roster currently – oh, nevermind, it's just an interim title to make sure she *really* doesn't get over and feel important.

Jamie Hayter gets some shine and is really getting hot as fans feel AEW is getting ready to finally turn her on Baker. Nope, we can't have that. Let's just keep her in the background as a heater like Britt Baker isn't super stale as a top heel even though fans are literally chanting Hayter's name because they badly wanna see her break out.

How's our “champion” doing? Well, after getting destroyed yet again by the forever pushed Britt Baker and needing to be saved by Saraya (who instantly looks like the real star) she's basically being talked up by Saraya like the champ is her little sister while she has to stand and get booed because this whole angle is just tone-deaf and not what people want to see.

Where is the actual world champion? Don't know. She's hurt. Or not.

Ah well. At least there's always Jade Cargill who gets to redo the exact same angle a hundred times of being called out by a plucky new challenger who she then destroys.

I agree completely.  Just, like, DO SOMETHING with Hayter instead of overthinking this crap with the interim title and Thunder Rosa.  She’s over and people want to see it, just put the damn belt on her and see if it sticks.  Thunder Rosa was a failure as a draw and Toni Storm is clearly not the answer either.  But apparently we HAVE to build to another Rosa-Storm match that no one particularly wants.  Again, TK just needs to let someone else have a go for a while.  
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Too simple?

29th September 2022 by Scott Keith

If Vince was so worried about Bret taking the WWF title to WCW, why not just the take the physical title into his possession while Bret was in the ring during the infamous Survivor Series match?

The “worry” was Bret going on Nitro and declaring himself the WWF champion.  He couldn’t have legally taken the belt to WCW either way because of the legal blowback over the Madusa situation. 
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Omos/Braun, House of Black, Julia and Buddy, and White Rabbits?

29th September 2022 by Scott Keith

1. Why the devil did the WWE bring back Braun Strowman when they have Omos? Omos has NONE of Braun's baggage or history of jobbing in every big match he has had, while having infinite more storyline options than Braun. They could have had Omos come out to save AJ from Judgement Day on Raw and it would have been a big moment, in terms of drawing Omos into the war against Judgement Day and playing up the AJ/Omos friendship to further get Omos over and maybe even give MVP a redemption arc as far as him being dragged into the war against Judgement Day and having to aid AJ and Omos as a counter to Rhea Ripley in their war against the group.

2. Can we PLEASE acknowledge that Malakai Black/Alistair Black was never good and was always the Dollar Tree rip-off version of Bray Wyatt? I'm kind of glad that he's stuck in AEW since he was a horrible waste of space in WWE and more to the point, would bring the WWE down further if he were to return there as far as him being up there with Justin Credible as proof Paul Heyman being a talentless hack promotor who got lucky with Raven and has been riding Raven's work ever since into making people think he actually was smart and brilliant at wrestling booking. 

3. Adding to this, AEW might as well just kill House of Black off all together and retool Julia Hart and Buddy Matthews as double act. Julia gets a soft reboot to trust fund femme fatale type ala Smokey Mountain Wrestling era Tammy Sytch and they can make reset Buddy with a new personality/persona of a dumb Aussie gym bunny who's utter lack of identity and personality is highlighted as far as him being utterly dependent on Julia telling him what to do and him being utterly worthless without Julia barking orders and running his life. 

And with this, you automatically would have a feud for Moxley that isn't the same reheated crap we get when it comes to Moxley as champion. Julia and Buddy mercilessly tormenting and terrorizing John Moxley could work, as far as putting Moxley on the defensive and having him deal with a pair of snobby types who think they are better than John and bring up the fact that he's nothing more than a well scrubbed trailer trash reject who doesn't have Buddy's good looks or Julia's wealthy background (which can be introduced with the plot point that Julia's parents only allowed her to become a pro wrestler on the condition she not reveal that she came from money, a charade she no longer intends to abide by). 

You could easily get several months of fodder of Julia hiding behind Buddy and John not being able to get to the mastermind of his torment. Culminating in the belt going onto Buddy and a Buddy/MJF feud where MJF, a man who fancies himself Satan Incarnate, even being openly horrified and disgusted at the lengths Julia will go to cause pain to Moxley and eventually turning face to stop the two when Buddy gets the world title. 
 

4. Finally, regarding White Rabbit. The obvious answer to the White Rabbit question is that it's an elaborate troll being carried out by Cameron Grimes, who's finally jumping to the main roster. It's canon that he's wealthy from stock market speculation, so you can handwave the idea that Cameron's flashing his wealth by paying the licensing fees for big time songs as his entrance music. That way, you can have him come out to a different song every couple of months as far as continuing the bit that Cameron is the new Million Dollar Champion. Bonus points, when he makes his debut, you can have Cameron gloat about how he fooled everyone into thinking Bray Wyatt was coming back to the company.  


I like how you awarded yourself bonus points there.  

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WWF Superstars

28th September 2022 by Scott Keith


Hey Scott,


I'm going through WWF Superstars on 'da cock and enjoy all your reviews along with them. Looks like you've gone a little cold in mid-1994. Are you going to keep with them? Call me crazy, but the descriptions indicate some wild and fun matches in 1995 and I'm
a sucker for 1996, period. But you know I'm deep in the trenches when I'm enjoying an Earthquake vs. Bam Bam match.


Follow-up question, any insight on why the Summerslam 92 card was changed so dramatically? They are building up all these different matches on Superstars and then one week it's, hey, here's a totally different bunch of matches. 


Thanks as always sir!

I’m basically done with Superstars at this point.  It’s just no fun anymore and no one is particularly reading them anyway.  
As for Summerslam, they originally had Washington DC booked with a Bret vs Shawn ladder match, but then I guess they got a better deal for Wembley and decided to run with that instead at sort of the last minute.  I was never clear on why the change happened so suddenly, to be honest.  
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The Loft of Black

28th September 2022 by Scott Keith
So first everyone said no way Black would requests his release, even though you could clearly tell he wasn't happy mixing it up with jobbers for a year. Then it comes out he did in fact ask, but was denied, only for it then to be said he got a conditional release, but now the update yesterday from Black himself is everyone is lying. Even though Black said on Instagram post he did ask for a release. Black also said he never had a 5 year contract, even though TK himself said himself Black had a 5 year deal. So maybe they shortened it? Why look this disorganized just to keep a couple guys who don't want to be there? 

Poor Black got death threats over all this too. I can tell you it wasnt from WWE fans. Is this the worst tribalism has even been in wrestling, and why is it is AEWs fault? Why keep people who don't want to be there. I don't see AEW fans being forgiving since he was already getting said death threats for wanting to leave. 

Also, it's now being said that Tony won't release anyone and if you signed a contract he would rather make you sit it out then let you go to WWE. Funny, I remember WWE having thid attitude and non wwe fans being on their soap box talking about how inhumane it was to make people honor a contract. I don't see any #FreeBuddy campaigns on twitter, or MachoBeard tweeted Tony's dad like he tweeted the Saudi Prince to have Ali released. Why is it just business when Tony does it but when it's WWE they are worst ever? They don't let them all go but they have let a good bit go, including FTR and Miro. What's up hypocritical viewpoints?

Wait, is your contention that people AREN'T roasting TK alive on Twitter over this stuff?  Because that would be silly to contend.  

Dave was making the point this morning that they signed long term contracts with AEW of their own free will when life was miserable with Vince, and now HHH is back and they apparently want out so they can go back to WWE.  But what if HHH is out again in six months for whatever reason?  Do they just get to escape those new contracts and go back to AEW again, jumping back and forth every time they're not “happy”?  If you want to play the Brock Lesnar game, then you need to sign short-term contracts so you can have leverage in case shit goes south and someone needs a hired gun.  You think Brock is out there signing 5 year deals with WWE?  I think not my friend.  If these guys aren't smart enough to learn how to carny and con their way into a better deal from the older generation, then maybe they need to play less video games and watch more Dark Side of the Ring and pay attention.  

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This confusing/interesting AEW title situation

28th September 2022 by Scott Keith


Now that we got the confusion that was who would be aew champ out of the way since Punk returned and then got stripped, what do you make of this booking of multiple foes coming at Moxleys title?  

-MJF wins the Casino ladder match, its not MITB Cash in, so it will be announced ahead of time in some fashion I imagine.

-Hangman Page wins a battle royal for a shot.  I love me some Hangman but i don't see him winning that title match, so it should have been a dark horse maybe?

-Now there's an eliminator tournament(prob won't see the brackets till a week before the finals), that the champ is even in!?!

Having said that, as over complicated as that all is, I will say one thing I do find intriguing is the champ has Multiple challengers coming at him in some fashion that isn't just guys interrupting interviews and getting title shots because of it. 

Its certainly a change(a complicated one still) then the usual formula of challenger of the month/ppv timeframe. 

Hangman is facing Mox in Cincy next month.  It was stated several times during the battle royale.  

The match on Wednesday isn’t a tournament, it’s an eliminator match, which means if the other guy wins, he’s in line for a title shot.  I wouldn’t put your money on Juice there.  
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Less Is More

28th September 2022 by Scott Keith

Hey Scott,

I’m making my way through ‘99 WWF Raws and PPVs and it occurred to me that one of the coolest entrances ever is Gangrel and the Hardys. It holds up incredibly well. With all the theatrical entrances nowadays, Lucha Bros, live rappers, etc., less can be more. What are the entrances that you remember as being better with a less is more philosophy?

Wait, GANGREL is your example of an understated entrance?  

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Juice Robinson and Bandido on Dynamite

27th September 2022 by Scott Keith
With the recent issues surrounding the AEW locker room, with morale all over the place, loyalty concerns with Triple H's rise to power in WWE, and some guys on a bloated roster not getting proper TV exposure, you'd think the solution is do your best to satisfy guys with stronger, consistent pushes (See: Miro and Andrade, also would've added Black to this, but, you know). Instead, two marquee matches are given to talent not signed to AEW, and this is far from the first time we've gone down this road. You have a roster of 130-140 people, and you're filling your flagship show with guys who aren't under contract? That's certainly a choice.

Counterpoint:  Juice Robinson and Bandido are awesome and having Robinson on the show gets me closer to my dream of a tag team with him and Orange Cassidy.  
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The white rabbit saga

27th September 2022 by Scott Keith
So all the speculation as to who is behind the white rabbit… bray Wyatt, karrion kross, etc.  yet everyone is missing the obvious.  It’s clearly THE BUNNY!  Think about it, white rabbits, rumors of  AEW contract tampering bu WWE,  and the bunny hasn’t been on tv for a bit.  It all checks out!

I think you're missing the big picture.  White Rabbit was a song by Jefferson Airplane, who became Jefferson Starship, and their big song is “Jane”, and we know who uses that for entrance music. “White” is a color, “Orange” is a color, “Rabbit” is an anagram for “Cassidy”…do I have to draw you a QR code here?  

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Top Roster Depth

26th September 2022 by Scott Keith


Hey Scott-


Is it safe to say that, despite everything, AEW still has great depth in their roster, with Hangman, Mox, Danielson, Jericho as all potential world title holders and Sami and Darby as interesting dark horse choices? If WWE Roman and say Drew or Lasley, who do they have at the top of the card to fill in? 

Cody and Seth now.  They’re actually doing not bad for top guys if you discount injuries at the moment.  

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Most Over But Worst Matches

26th September 2022 by Scott Keith


After reading your thoughts on New angel Outlaws in your SS97 rant, had me thinking if they were the most over champions with the least amount of matches I'd care to watch. For me they sit alongside Hollywood Hogan as regularly memorable and heated segments
with almost zero bouts I'd like to revisit.
They’re way up there.  99 Bossman was really entertaining but the matches were horrible too.  
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Hitman/Stone Cold

25th September 2022 by Scott Keith
Hi Scott,

Just finally watched the Austin vs Rock A&E Rivals episode and I started thinking that, to me, the Bret Hart vs Steve Austin fued was much more memorable. I even think the whole Hart vs Austin angle was better than the Hart/Shawn Michaels rivalry.

Am I crazy or does Hart vs Austin get completely brushed aside by WWE, and if so, why?

Thanks!

It absolutely does get brushed aside and I don't know why.  They carried the promotion on their backs for most of 1997 with the Hart Foundation feud, and it's annoying how little attention is paid to that era in between multiple DVD releases about how great D-X was.  It's like Austin's history jumps from “Austin 3:16” to suddenly winning the World title at WM14 sometimes.  I have no good answer as to why that is, either.  

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Lashley

25th September 2022 by Scott Keith

Everyone's focusing on backstage/real life drama, no one seems to care about what happens in the shows. Lashley became a really good hand over the years, his match with Rollins on RAW was a highlight! He seemed pretty shaky in his first WWE run right? Did he get better during his TNA run?


I think the combination of that and his MMA stuff really helped his confidence in the ring and made him a better worker.  He definitely didn't used to be a guy who could carry a World title, and now he could easily be champion again when needed.  

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More Mario Less Luigi

24th September 2022 by Scott Keith

Well that's a wrap for the Pizza guy's 15 min of fame. Doesn't take long for them get all the dirt on you. 


Pizza theme pro wrestler's AMA gets derailed by accusations that they refused to get vaccinated, fired people who disagreed with it, and protected an abuser.

I guess you could say he….failed to deliver.  
YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! 
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Honoring ECW at Wrestlemania 40 in Philly

24th September 2022 by Scott Keith

Surely there should be some sort of tribute to ECW at Wrestlemania 40 in Philadelphia in 2024. How would you do it? 

Oh, good idea!  I'd change every match on the show on the fly via impromptu brawls, have guys cut a bunch of bullshit “shoot” promos about stuff only 2% of the audience understands, bury rival promotions while actually working with them in secret and taking money from them, and then for the big finale, promise all the boys a big payoff and then bounce the cheques.  E-C-Dub!  E-C-Dub!
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Swerve Bro

23rd September 2022 by Scott Keith
So, in a 4-way match for the women's title that involves Athena (coming off a clean loss to the TBS Champion) and Serena Deeb, BRITT BAKER takes the clean loss, even if there's a chance they went home early with her broken nose. Hey, maybe they're getting behind someone else as the top attraction!

Oh, wait… Britt gets her heat back, attacking Toni. HOLD THAT THOUGHT, here's Jamie Hayter, finally fed up with Britt and… oh, wait, it was a swerve and they join up with Deeb to put a beating on Athena and Toni, until the 3-minute entrance and casual approach of Saraya has them running for cover. At the end of the day, Britt's loss is immediately wiped away by treating Toni like a chump, and they keep holding off the split between her and Hayter that should've happened months ago during the Owen Tournament. Smartest lady in the room, now that she's in position to throw shade at Saraya about having a stack-of-dimes neck and made the champion look like a geek.

Breaking news:  Saraya still isn't cleared to wrestle.  Frankly they should just put the belt back on Britt at this point if they're gonna push her as the Queen of the division anyway.  
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Will this ROH crap ever end?

23rd September 2022 by Scott Keith
I feel like I've been very patient, but I'm really getting tired of this bizarre ROH tumor on AEW programming. There isn't even a suggestion of a timeline of ROH splitting off to be its own entity. There's not even a storyline of an invasion. ROH is just there. That's it. As fans, we're supposed to just accept that there's now this dead indy brand that has thrown its ROH world title, TV title, Pure title, and Tag Team titles on AEW TV for no real reason.
It makes every title less meaningful and just screws up the logic of the storytelling. Where is Jericho in the pecking order as ROH World champion compared to the AEW World champion? Where is Samoe Joe as ROH TV champion compared to Wardlow as AEW TNT champion?

This just isn't working. Please end this. Let AEW just be AEW.

It wouldn't be so bad if Tony didn't also add the AEW All Atlantic title and Trios title and secondary women's title on top of recognizing the AAA titles and IWGP titles.  But yes, they need to just make Rampage or Dark into an ROH show and offload the whole thing somewhere else.  Even Meltzer in the new Observer is saying that TK is way overstretched and needs to get someone else to deal with the YouTube shows and Rampage at this point.  

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All Elite Tampering

23rd September 2022 by Scott Keith
With reading more reports of AEW upset that WWE is contacting their contracted performers, I don't understand why one company can't contact the talent. Is there a contract between AEW and WWE that states they won't contact performers? The contracts AEW alleges WWE tampers with are between AEW and the individual performer, so WWE isn't bound by it's terms. Wouldn't the AEW talent be the one who AEW should warn since they're the ones who entered an agreement? And when we're watching AEW pro wrestlers work for every company under the sun, who could blame WWE from seeing if these independent contractors wanted to earn some money with them too?
Contract tampering is a real thing that you can be sued for in a real court for a lot of real money.  I don't even play a lawyer on TV and I even knew that without Googling it.  
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