universe

Post Secret Wars Marvel Universe

5th July 2015 by Scott Keith

So for those who haven’t seen it, apparently preview cover art of all the new #1s coming out in October are floating around the Internet that shows us what the post Secret Wars Marvel Universe will look like.

Probably of the most interest to the Blog as whole is that CM Punk will be co-writing a Drax the Destroyer (ergo Batista’s character in Guardians) ongoing with Cullen Bunn

To me the one that looks most interesting is Ultimates with both Spectrum and Captain Marvel as members. That and Thing is now a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the post FF marvel universe.

Also of note Nick Spencer, who wrote the stellar Superior Foes of Spiderman, is getting the new Captain America title (with Sam Wilson in the lead) along with Ant Man. And Spider-Man legend Gerry Conway is writing a Carnage ongoing.

Anyway you can see all the cover art here:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/06/30/retailer-posts-every-page-from-marvel-preview-book-out-tomorrow-marveloctober/

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Wrestlemania 14 alternate universe

5th May 2015 by Scott Keith

Don't know why this popped into my head today, and I'm sure it's been addressed by Its bugging me:

Let's pretend Bret doesn't decide to leave WWE in 97. All logic throughout from late 96 through 97 seemed to build towards an Austin/Bret rematch at WM 14 where Austin gets his big clean win over Bret to finally become WWE Champion. Was that the long term plan? If so, with the Kane angle going, what was Michaels' role supposed to be there? A feud with HHH over DX? Owen?

Yes, Bret putting over Austin was absolutely the long term plan until Montreal fucked it up. Owen was TOLD that plans were for him to work with Shawn Michaels at that show after Montreal went down, but that's clearly a lie, so I have no idea what the real plan for Shawn was going to be. Shawn's probably done a shoot interview somewhere where he clarifies.

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Question for the Blog ‘O’ Doom Universe.

14th March 2015 by Scott Keith

> Every since I installed the 1.42 update for the WWE Network on my PS3 the Network will play for roughly a minute or so. After that minute the video skips a tad, freezes five seconds later, but the audio continues to play. After about 10 more seconds or so the audio stops and my PS3 completely freezes and I have to reboot it.
>
> My question for anyone out there is: IS there ANY way to fix this? I'm forced to install the update so that's not really an option. I've deleted, and re-installed the WWE Network App 3 times now. It's very disheartening because I've literally been subscribed since the Day 1 Launch.
>
> I really miss my NXTs, old WCW PPVs, and the occasional new content. Any help, remedies, or just general empathy would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> PS. Roman Reigns isn't THAT bad. Sez you. As I've mentioned recently, the Network has been getting nearly unwatchable on Roku, XBone and PS3 for me too. It buffers FOREVER especially during archival content. I don't know what's up with the Network but the problem is on their end. I can't even watch Nitro!

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Zanatopic: The Vince Is Dead Universe

5th December 2014 by Scott Keith

It seems that my attempt to make a Friday column dedicated to the most spectacular injuries in wrestling didn’t take off like I hoped, so here’s another try.

Let’s take one aspect of the past, change it, and attempt to extrapolate what the future might have looked like in this alternate universe. The bookworm term for this is “counterfactual”. One insane person has spent an entire lifetime rebooking WWE history from the perspective of Vince McMahon having a hard on for Ricky Steamboat instead of Hulk Hogan:

http://whatifwrestling.blogspot.com

Let’s not be that insane, but let’s see if this is something that we could have fun with.

Zanatopic 1 (out of a likely total of 1): Imagine that somebody takes Daniel Bryan’s time machine, goes back to 1981, and assassinates Vince McMahon Jr. What happens to the wrestling industry?

Vince McMahon Sr. was against national expansion from the start, and was not long for this world anyway. Linda probably would have wanted nothing to do with running the World Wrestling Federation, and an 11 year old Shane McMahon wouldn’t be able to do so either. So the industry would go on to be directed by other forces.

Does some other organization that gains national exposure through cable, such as Jim Crockett Promotions, World Class Championship Wrestling, or the American Wrestling Alliance, make a play to become the dominant force of wrestling? Does Paul Heyman or Eric Bischoff come along in the 90’s to take over in a Vinceless world? Does the territorial system live on to this day? Does it morph with MMA to become some type of hybrid?

Or, as I believe, does professional wrestling just fade into obscurity like roller derby?

What say you, Blog of Doom?

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WWE Creative vs. WWE Universe

7th January 2014 by Scott Keith

Is it just me or is the most interesting feud right now taking place between Creative & the fans over Daniel Bryan?

The WWE has basically gone out of its way since the moment Bryan beat Cena to bury the guy. Orton, Triple H, The Authority, a B+ player, Big Show stealing his catchphrase, screwjobs and now joining the Wyatt family. Yet fans keep chanting for Bryan and he remains the most over guy in the company.

So what's the payoff? I'd book Undertaker vs. Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania.

Interesting you should ask, because I was just reading this:

http://the-w.com/threadx.php/id=48886

It's really becoming a battle of attrition between Creative and the fans, with the fanbase actively rejecting everything non-Bryan in the main events. I think what he really needs is someone like Undertaker to step up and champion him once and for all. If Taker came forward and told Vince that he wanted Bryan to end the streak, Vince would know it's time to stop fucking around. Not that ending the streak would be a good idea, but it would certainly send a message.

My favorite comparison for bad storylines is always Steve Austin. Do you think Steve Austin would put up with someone booking him to join the Wyatt Family as a garbageman? He'd rip the script up and tell the writers to go fuck themselves. Granted Bryan isn't in the position to do that, but there are people around who ARE in that position, and someone needs to say it.

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Bizarro Benoit Universe

27th February 2013 by Scott Keith

Topic for Blog: Assuming Benoit *doesn't* go batshit crazy… what was in his future? 1 yr, 5 yrs, ..10 years? HOF?

Immediate plans were winning the ECW title at that PPV, and then he was going to be phased into a role as a trainer and agent. Obviously with the years of surgeries and injuries, WWE and Benoit himself had to know that his time was coming to an end one way or another. You could make a pretty strong argument, and I recall doing so at the time, that he should have been moved into that part-timer role long before that even for his own good. That being said, given what we know about his personality, I don't feel like he'd make that kind of transition as gracefully as someone like William Regal has done, because he was such a hyper-competitive guy. But especially with the Wellness Policy weeding out medical problems like it was, I think his in-ring WWE career would have come to an end, whether or not by his own choice, very soon after that last title win. I don't know whether they would have put him in the Hall, but he would have been as good a choice as anyone.

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Parallel Universe

30th September 2012 by Scott Keith

Scott,
With all the talk of guys who "should have been champ" or "could have been more", I wondered: Who would have benefited the most from coming up in the "other company?" You mentioned Curt Hennig likely seeing his peak in the WWF, but I think he could have been a World Champion in the NWA/WCW had he been down south during his prime. Nikita Koloff has been mentioned as another guy who would have been on top had he been in the opposite company (WWF). Sting is a guy who comes to mind: if he comes up in the WWF, do you think he gets higher than an Intercontinental title contendor type (without roiding up like Warrior)? Maybe BamBam Bigelow would have been a World Champ in late 80s NWA or early WCW?
Conversely, I think Sid, Luger, Vader are examples of guys who would have been up top regardless of which company they came up with.

Honestly, I don't know how or why Vince missed the boat on Lex Luger in 1986. If he had better talent scouting in Florida he would have been ALL OVER that shit. But given what a gigantic contract that Crockett gave him, maybe Vince just didn't want to match it, I dunno.

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