This week, there were two primary topics pertaining to the world of wrestling. Of course, it was Halloween season, and it was Hell in a Cell week to boot!
Two gruesome days we look forward to, every year. So what tricks and treats did the podcast world have for us? Let’s round up what each one of them had to say.
Solomonster Sounds Off
Solomonster kicked off his Halloween special by saying that he had no candy for us, but he did have TNA’s balance sheets. While it is impossible to go over every single thing he discussed, during his entertaining and must-listen program, here are some of the highlights.
Jason Solomon kicked off proceedings by introducing FloSlam, a service for independent wrestling, much like the WWE Network. Fans can now enjoy Full Impact Pro, Evolve and Shine, and very soon they may be able to tune in and watch PWG, ROH and NJPW! He went on to the Raw review, which he called Mundane Night Raw.
While he did not enjoy grown men fighting over a lost list, Solomonster was full of praise for the Mick Foley promo, during the Sasha Banks-Charlotte Flair contract signing. He thought that shades of the old Mick Foley came out. However, Solomonster said, the impact fell flat.
Among the other things, Solomonster discussed how the Cruiserweights seem almost the same as everyone else on the main roster, considering that everyone else is performing dives too.
He mentioned how Toronto will be merciless to Goldberg, once he goes to Canada because Brock lives there now. Furthermore, he said that Goldberg did end Bret Hart’s career for good with a mistimed kick. He touched upon NXT, and how Nakamura’s kick has made Austin Aries look like an alien or the greatest man who never lived.
Concerning Smackdown, Solomonster feels that Randy Orton will turn on the Wyatts very soon. For this angle to pay off, he wants to see Randy Orton in Wyatt Family attire. Or even pants. Ultimately, he said that Kevin Dunn isn’t a big fan of Becky Lynch’s accent.
Talk is Jericho
In the spirit of Halloween, Chris Jericho did not discuss wrestling this week but brought in Ouija Board specialist - Robert Murch. While we expected some hokey pokey mumbo jumbo based on spiritualism, Murch turned out to be quite a rational and level headed guest, who answered Jericho's questions on the Ouija board, very eloquently.
He was a special consultant on the Ouija: Origin of Evil, film, the first part of which was a huge success commercially, and offered insight as to how this game has captured the imagination of thousands over time.
In addition to this, Chris Jericho discussed the significant development on The Walking Dead this week, and how it left him feeling uncomfortable, shocked, enthralled and engrossed. Without going into details, Jericho said the appeal of the show is how anyone can die at any time.
In keeping with the theme of the same, he mentioned about Triple H whacking him in the head with a baseball bat.
Murch came on the show and said that his job in the film was to ensure historical accuracy. This is a film which is based in 1967 and had to reflect the era without factual errors. An Ouija nerd, Murch was entranced by the board, when he found ten different variations of the board, and upon investigation, discovered several origin stories for the board.
As there was no definitive history, he's been investigating the board for 25 years.
Robert Murch had some great insights on this contraption, which sold more copies than monopoly during its peak in popularity. The Ouija board first became a sensation in 1886 in Ohio, during a spiritualist movement.
While many names were discussed for the same, the board itself was asked what it wanted to be called, and Ouija was spelt out. And when asked what that means, it spelt out good luck. Apparently in an ancient Egyptian language, which does not exist.
The patent office did not want to approve it because it couldn't be proved that the Ouija board actually worked. The head of the office came down himself and said that he'd patent it if it spelt out his name. Which the board did. And that's why it was patented. There was much opposition from spiritualists who did not need to be contacted anymore.
Of course, some people think it's the spirits which guide you, but scientists say it is just you guiding yourself.
The man discussed much more, like how Ouija boards are more popular during wars and depression, and also Ouija murders. Ultimately, he left us with the message that if you cannot take your own decisions yourself, there's a problem. He will only take the board seriously, only if it spells out the lottery numbers.
Definitely an interesting show, that is a good departure from the usual wrestling fare.
WRESTLING OBSERVER LIVE- 28 October
We joined Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive for the preview to Hell in a Cell on October 28th, where they discussed the state of WWE and also Lucha Underground. With Hell in a Cell approaching, Sempervive felt that Owens and Jericho deserve to go last, as they’re bound to steal the show.
On the other hand, Alvarez disagreed and countered with the fact that the crowd was dead for Rollins vs. Owens vs. Jericho on Raw. They moved on to talk about Smackdown, and how The Headbangers were being brought in.
Both felt this portrayed the brand in a poor light, as it suggested that their current tag team division wasn’t strong enough to take on Raw. Alvarez said he thought Smackdown is making Bryan look like an idiot, when he pit his best wrestler Natalya against Nikki Bella, in a match which will take one of his best talents out of the competition.
But they agreed that it is at least better than Raw, where Stephanie McMahon destroys Mick Foley on screen, on a weekly basis.
They also discussed how TJ Perkins comes across as a geek when he’s seen in backstage segments. While he’s great in the ring with a great entrance, they felt that backstage skits should go to veterans like Kendrick who are good in the ring.
Perkins loses his aura every time he appears in a backstage segment. They were aghast at the thought of what WWE would make Akira Tozawa and Kota Ibushi do when they are brought in.
Before the Lucha Underground updates came in, two other things were discussed. How The Club vs. Cesaro/Sheamus may be a good tag team feud, and how WWE got ‘This is boring’ chants even for Bayley!
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