Athleticon 2020, What is it?

Let's do something new but familiar for this one. For those who do not know Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson & his business partner Dany Garcia will be presenting their new event called Athleticon from Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday & Sunday of October 10th & 11th, 2020. (I know that the event is actually Friday the 9th to the 11th but the Athleticon website say 10th. For that reason I went with

what the website said.) This will be an new event that will encompass fitness, wellness, lifestyle and entertainment all in one weekend. If it works this maybe the start of a new event that may become an annual event. I do not know if it will be a traveling event but we will get into that. Now lets breakdown what this may or may not mean. I have some insights on this that may influence whether you decide to follow this event or actually attend it.

I actually heard about this event from the Nicks Strength & Power (N.S.P.) Youtube channel. I start with this because Nick pointed out how this related to his channel. This event will be one month after the Mr. Olympia 2020 from Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday to Sunday on September 9th to 13th, 2020. This is relevant because the Olympia weekend is the most important weekend in the fitness and athletic industries every year. The one that comes in second is the Arnold (Schwarzenegger) Classic from Columbus, Ohio. That event takes place in March every year and acts as the second tent pole that carries the fitness industry through it's many categories. The third being the Crossfit Games which usually is the end of July or first weekend of August. There's actually a fourth which is the Worlds Strongest Man but it's lost it's luster over the years.  It's because of broadcasting but I'll get into how that might affect Athleticon.

If this event works it may become a new pillar or possibly replace one of the pillars of the fitness industry. While that maybe years away lets look at what might be done for this first version of what could be an evolving event. Starting with why this event came about I'll do some guessing based of what I know and what I can guess. The first being that this came about because of failure.

A few years back Seven Bucks Productions, the production company founded by The Rock, Ms. Garcia and her younger brother Hiram, were involved in the Mr. Olympia event. The Rock came to the show and was set to make a major announcement at the key program of the event, that being the Mens Open Bodybuilding contest to crown that years Mr. Olympia winner. It was won by the reigning and repeating champion at the time Phil Heath. Before presenting the trophy The Rock made a speech stating that next year he and his company would be producing the Olympia for television. The event had not been on television for years so this seemed like a massive deal.

Well long story short it didn't work out between Seven Bucks and those who run the Olympia. But out of it there was formed a bond of some kind between The Rock with Phil Heath. The following year Phil lost his title. Last year he did not participate in the Olympia. He has not participated in any contest since his lose. That's were N.S.P. comes in because Nick suspects that Athleticon maybe where Phil makes his return to the bodybuilding stage. The reason is a simple one, money. As in more money then what the winner of the Olympia will make.

The idea that the Olympia could have a major competitor one month later is an odd thing. The contest is run by the International Federation of Body Building (I.F.B.B.) of which Phil Heath is a member. So the idea that the I.F.B.B. could be involved in a brand new show one month after it's biggest show is odd. But when you throw lots of money into the mix oddity gets brushed aside. That's not official yet but Phil Heath being involved and Seven Bucks past association with the I.F.B.B. through the Olympia leads to some questions that need answers.

I think this came about because of a few things. First, The Rock mentioned getting the Olympia back on television so a wider audience could see the show. That did not happen. That failure may or may not be the fault of Seven Bucks, the I.F.B.B., or the Olympia itself. Either way there was no show broadcast on a television network as far as I recall. That failure did not get the idea out of the minds of the folks at Seven Bucks Productions. That led down the road to Athleticon as one part. That's just my guessing.

Another part is with Phil Heath. As a 7 time winner of the most prestigious award in mens pro bodybuilding he has a level of clout with the community that very few people do. He's also one of the most polarizing people in that industry. But aligning himself with The Rock is a great business move for him. He lost when he was going for a record tying 8th Olympia win. He skipped last years event because he was recovering from surgery. He's still young enough in bodybuilding terms to possibly win 2 or 3 more Olympias. So, why possibly be involved in a  bodybuilding show at Athleticon? The answer maybe money but that all depends on the I.F.B.B. Those folks aren't saying anything, yet. The whole thing looks odd to outsiders but to those inside I think its a different story.

Now here's an almost real time update. As I was writing this the Icon Classic has been announced as the show the I.F.B.B. will be putting on at Athleticon. Now that just makes Phil Heaths involvement even more thought provoking.

What I guess is that this show may give body builders more chances to make money. It may also force some to choose which event they want to attend. Either the Oylmpia in September or just Athleticon in October. I'm sure the top performers will attend both but for those who don't have enough money they may have to decide to do one or the other. The good news for the Olympia competitors is I'm sure the prize money will now be raised to entice them to be at the Olympia rather then Athleticon. Will they match or exceed the prize money is the real question. Either way it may be good thing for the competitors of both events.

Something that stuck out to me was The Rock mentioning the entertainment aspect of the show. If you've read anything on this blog you know that I keep track of things involving pro wrestling, specifically WWE. Now I wonder will Triple H be able to convince Vince McMahon to let NXT perform at Athleticon. A little history for those that don't know, NXT has performed at the Arnold Classic in Ohio. Triple H has hosted the Olympia and has a bodybuilding background. I would not be surprised if NXT were to have a presence at Athleticon especially following the news of The Rock and Dany Garcias only child Simone signing with NXT. By the way she's been training with them since she was 16 years old so her being 18 now means she can have her official contract be with NXT. Now that might seem like a big deal but if her first match were to take place at her parents new show that might make some headlines.

I will not be surprised if names like Hogan, Cena, Flair, Lawler, Cabana, Hall & Nash have a merch table at the show. You better believe Diamond Dallas Page will make sure that DDP Yoga has a presence in the wellness portion of the show. He does live in Georgia and has a production studio near Atlanta so I'm sure his people will make sure to have some part in the event. You can bet Chris Jericho will try to have his band Fozzy play a set or two at the show. It won't even matter that he works for All Elite Wrestling. I wonder if Steve Austin would attend? At least to get a lot of podcasting done. In that regard Athleticon will be good for the business of the wrestling business. Even the UFC is involved which was a surprise to me. That just means more merch tables if you ask me. Thinking back to November when Rock was the presenter of the BMF belt to the winner of the Masvidal versus Diaz fight I see how that little thing ties into this show.

While this show will not affect any of the Arnold Classic show you have to think that Arnold will take notice of this show. It may even convince Arnold to raise the prize money for his own shows. I won't be surprised if he even attends the show and does a panel with The Rock. This all follows with what The Rock just had with Oprah in Atlanta by the way at her 2020 Vision Tour conference or as I call it Oprah Fest. You have the celebrity friends come to your show, then do a panel with them. Seems straight forward but really I think it was a practice run for The Rock for his own show. Seeing what Oprah did and what Arnold has done gave The Rock insight into how he should run his show. But there is one glaring problem to me that as someone who has gone to many conventions I view as what may be a problem for this event.

If you noticed many of the other events I mentioned are at least three day events. The Olympia is a 5 day event while others are between 3 to 5 days long. Athleticon is currently at only 2 days. Thinking on the number of groups and about the possible number of guests at this convention I don't think you can get all this done over 2 days. I won't be surprised if this gets expanded to a 3 day event. Maybe next year wherever they have it might be a 4 day show.

This event may even influence some channels I follow on Youtube. You may have not heard of Menfulential but that won't matter much because this will be the last year of their conference. Here's the thing it was usually held in Atlanta as a mens lifestyle conference. I think it maybe a good idea if the folks behind the conference consider doing something at Athleticon since it will have a lifestyle component to it.

With all of that said to think that the failure to bring their vision for the Olympia to their own vision has really made people notice that Seven Bucks Productions can do some big things. Now my question is will they be able to bring this to television? I think they may have to go the route of the Olympia and Arnold by going to the internet.

I watch the Olympia, Arnold, and CrossFit games via Youtube so I think Athleticon may go the same route. But if they were able to get a television deal to broadcast the main parts of the show live that would be a game changer. Let's say that NXT gets onto the event, they'll film an episode for their broadcasting for a later date, would that bring lots of attention to Athleticon, no. If they could get a television broadcast partner they would have an edge over everyone else. The likely partner would be NBC through their NBCSN because The Rock already has a sporting event with NBC called the Titan Games. There might even be a mini-Titan games event at Athleticon. That inside track maybe something they could use to negotiate a deal with ESPN or another partner.

I wonder if Youtube personalities like Jeff Cavalier from Athlean-X, CT Fletcher, heck even Nick from N.S.P. would be invited to the show. They have influence in the fitness industry through their Youtube and other social media platforms. Jeff even has his own Athlean Conference that he does in July. CT has Iron Wars that he does and others. Nick has a Mr Golden Era show that he does for bodybuilding. I mentioned Menfluential so Aaron Marino, Alpha M and Antonio Centeno with Real Men, Real Style would certainly be people I would think should be apart of this event. I was surprised by how this all crosses with so many things that I follow so this really piqued my interests.

I'm sure there will be some Hollywood aspects to this. Maybe Oprah might show up as a favor to The Rock. As I'm looking at the website its guest list looks sparse but I think at they get closer to the event date that will change. My only questions on this are time frame, size of the event and will I be able to watch part of it either on Youtube or television. Again, I think 2 days might not be enough. How big is the building holding the event so that it might accommodate more vendors then they think might attend. The broadcasting is the where the real money is. Only the CrossFit games are on television but that's tape delayed and usually on CBS at 3PM Est on a Sunday. Basically unless your a fan you won't watch it unless you catch it by accident. Will they be able to avoid this issue? Do you think they would broadcast on Oprahs television channel? I forgot she even had one.

There might also be a small issue about attendance. Remember that the Olympia is in September and in Las Vegas. There are people who plan their vacation only around going to Vegas because of gambling and the show. The Olympia is also a great extra or as use to be for CES the reason they go to it as a "business trip". Well they might not have money left over to go to Athleticon a month before the start of the Christmas shopping season which starts in November on Black Friday. That's something to consider for Athleticon 2021 but I think it may effect this years version also.

It's interesting to me that's why I wrote this. It's also a giant crossover of so many things I follow on Youtube and social media. Having one of the biggest (literally and figuratively) movie stars in the world put together something like this is audacious. Mind you he's had experience being apart of larger events like this from WWE to going the Olympia and things like the Oscars. But running the show, getting sponsors and a bunch of things I haven't thought of will be interesting to see how it all comes together. I tried dancing around if they will make this a traveling event but I think they have to see how this one works before they consider moving it elsewhere. Though considering how some events I've heard of have issues when they stay in one place too long maybe they might take the show on the road. Either way lets hope the show is a success. Also lets hope we actually get to watch it live.

I encourage you to checkout more videos from the Youtube channels I've posted here. If you find a channel you like then please subscribe to help support that channel. Enjoy.

www.athleticon.com
www.mrolympia.com
www.sevenbucks.com
www.ifbb.com
www.arnoldsportsfestival.com
www.nicksstrengthandpower.com
www.philheath.com
games.crossfit.com
www.wwe.com
www.ddpyoga.com
www.hulkhogan.com
www.ricflairshop.com
www.athleanx.com
www.fozzyrock.com
www.coltcabana.com
www.ctfletcher.com
www.menfluential.com
www.realmenrealstyle.com
www.iamalpham.com
www.bodybuilding.com
www.muscleandstrength.com
www.muscleandfitness.com
www.oprah.com
www.nbcsports.com
www.titangamescasting.com
www.ign.com
www.espn.com
www.pwtorch.com
www.cnet.com

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Pro Wrestling: NJPW, HOG and CM Punk

That was quite a Saturday. These don't happen often but when they do it reminds me of why I spend time watching the things I watch. My Saturday started before the sun was up watching this years New Japan Pro Wrestling: Dominion from Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan. Theres no need to recap the whole show but I will say this the first time I can remember a NJPW feeling like an NXT: TakeOver. What I mean was it was a great show, with the worst match feeling like it would be a great match on another show. The quality was so high on this show that anything less than 4 out of 5 stars would be considered substandard.


I'll stick to the important points. The best match on the show was the Intercontinental Championship match. I know that's not the popular choice but here's why I say that. This was the most complete match on the card. It had the big fight feel but it also felt personal. This was the match that looked and felt like a fight between two guys trying to beat each other. It had the moments of flash but also had the hard hitting moments that a personal conflict should have. It was blood and guts with emotion that grabbed the audience more then I thought it would.


The World Championship was great but it had a few flaws that I don't think people want to admit. My thing was that while the counters and reversals were good the match had poor defense. I saw the first match, I thought it was amazing. The next match was even more amazing with the third match being great. The problem was all of them were offensive spectacles with no defense. I thought that if you are Okada, you know you cannot kick out of the One Winged Angel then maybe you should do something that prevents Omega pulling off the move. This is where the "wrestling" in pro wrestling comes in. I was thinking maybe Okada works on injuring Omegas lower back or his legs. The move requires strength in those areas so why not work on taking that move away. Those V-Trigger knee strikes are brutal why not take that away. On Omegas part work on a knee or shoulder since the Rainmaker Clotheline requires strength from those body parts.


The match psychology for this match was off for me. The bang-bang, back and forth was great but by the third fall the whole thing became performance art instead of a fight for a World Championship. I've seen this style of match plenty of times before. The one that jumps to mind was from E.C.W. back when Rob Van Dam was defending the E.C.W. World Television Championship against Jerry Lynn. The first match was an offensive explosion, the matches after that were all filled with great offense along with counter, after counter, after counter, after counter to the great offense by both men. It was fun to watch but what was better then those matches were the W.C.W. matches between Dean Malenko and Rey Mysterio Jr. for the W.C.W. Cruiserweight Championship.


In those matches you had the great offense and the counters but Dean Malenko would attack a body part, ground the high flying Mysterio to change the pacing of the match. It was a more dramatic presentation because with each match you knew both men had to come up with something different from the last match because they knew each other so well. Offense for the sake of offense was not going to win the match when your on match five. I thought Okada versus Omega 4 lacked that change of pace, grind them down, fight feel that a fourth match could have had. This match felt too similar to the match from Dominion last year only with an additional 10 minutes added to it.


This match is the greatest example of the counter for counter style of match I've ever seen. It's still an amazing match that was at a very high level of athleticism and skill that only a few wrestlers male or female can pull off. But it's not very deep in emotional connectivity. That's why the Naito versus Jericho match was better to me. They covered so much ground emotionally that the audience actually started cheering for the bad guy, which in this match was Jericho. I'm not one of those people who says a match always needs a good guy versus a bad guy. The Okada/Omega match was two popular guys trying to see who was the better wrestler, I'm totally fine with that. I just wanted to see some variety from that match since it was their fourth time facing each other.

That was my Saturday morning while my Saturday evening was watching something of lesser quality. A friend of mine bought tickets to the House of Glory Pro Wrestling: Temperature Rising event in Queens, New York. The show was not bad at all, except for some drunk guy who kept turning around to offer commentary on the last HOG shows he was at. The thing that stuck out to me at this show was a phrase that popped in to my head, "look the part". Most of the performers at this show did not look the part of a pro wrestler. Keep in mind a lot of these guys are teenagers or are in their early twenties so they still have more to grow but a lot of them need to get a gym membership and a clean eating plan.

I've been to a HOG show before so some of these performers were familiar to me. I subscribe to their YouTube channel and have watched some matches online. The best of the bunch that I saw that night was Ken Broadway. He was one of the few who actually looked the part. He still needs some work on his physique because he reminds me of Cedric Alexander back when he was in Ring of Honor. The talent is there, he has good charisma but this was the worst match I've seen him in. I expected more out of him because he's a guy I think could make it to WWE. I think at this point he needs to move on from HOG and try to get into ROH or even Impact. If I had a message for him it would, step out of your comfort zone, your better then you give yourself credit for. My friend and I both agreed that he's got the tools but more experience around the world is what he needs.

Biggest shock was Anthony Gagnone looking like the sloppy drunk version of Tony Neese. If I didn't know better I think he was Tony Neese's twin brother who was the physical opposite of his brother. I thought it it looked sad since Gagnone like Kenny Broadway is good in the ring. I think the character he's playing is like what Eric Young is doing with Sanity in WWE. It just comes off like the drunk, drugged out, cheap version of that gimmick. I was looking at the back of his head for a bald spot like Johnny Hendricks has since he looked like him as well. The worst part was his stable mates. One guy looked like the skinny version of No Way Jose which got the crowd chanting No-Way-Jose (repeat). Some other guy looked like the son of the Boogie Man, check the video and tell me I'm wrong. I don't even want to remember the walk way the performers used to get to the ring but I saw Jessica Havok look at that thing like, "please don't let me twist an ankle walking on this thing."

The other guy who looked like a pro wrestler was a member of the Latin American Xchange, Santana. I remember when he was in HOG in another tag team. Now he's looking more of the part of pro wrestler. Time on Impact Wrestling has helped him improve even though the match he and his partner were in was not good. The events before and after the match were entertaining especially since it was two Puerto Ricans wrestling in Queens, New York on the Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. Things got rowdy and I don't mean Roddy or Ronda. The crowd loved both performers even though their match was bad. The main event featured Sami Callihan in the worst match I've ever seen him in. I don't blame Sami but he's another guy that I have higher expectations for. I know I've been burying this show but bear with me. The best match I saw on the show featured featured a 51 year old Japanese man dressed in a fish costume, trained by Bruce Lee, calls himself Dragon but in Spanish versus someone calling themselves Butter. Along with Sonny Onoo who apparently is the king of the selfie. This reminded me of why what I saw this morning was great and this show was far from it.

Ultimo Dragon was at the show to sign autographs and face another masked caped wrestler named Mantequilla, which in Spanish means Butter. The match was probably the best match Butter will have if he actually studies what happened. The match was not a high flying spot fest, since Dragon is 51 years old. He was in great shape for someone his age whose been wrestling after all these years in the business. His offense was ground the high flyer and force him to either counter out of the holds or overpower the opponent. Here's where going to the gym and looking the part comes in.

Dragon gave up height to Butter but his opponent looked like he either scheduled off or called out his job as the pizza delivery boy just so he could have a match with a legendary wrestler. That's not the worst part see Dragon approached the match like a pro wrestling match. It started off with a few wrestling holds, ground his opponent by working on his legs and lower back. A few strikes a come by the opponent back, a counter back to the mat and reset. The problem was Butter didn't look like he knew how to counter out of any of the holds he was in. It looked like he was waiting for Dragon to let him up for another move and then waiting for his turn to do some flippy flying shit. Dragon ended it with the Dragon Sleeper but it was fully locked in. It looked like if Butter tried he might have gotten out of it or maybe countered into a potential pinfall. In the end he tapped, Dragon raised his hand, Sonny Onoo took some selfies with him and people looked at their phones to see what time is it. It certainly was not Vader time, it was time for someone have this guy watch some Ultimo Dragon from WCW on the WWE Network. Or maybe go back and watch NJPWs G1 Climax from 1996. The point is do more homework so you can improve your work especially against those who have do this longer then he's probably been alive.

                                     There is a playlist for this event on my YouTube channel.

The show finished by 10PM so as I was on my way home the UFC was having its card in Chicago, Illinois. Punks fight was the opener of the card, I think you know that he lost the fight. What got peoples attention before the fight was the end of his lawsuit. What got peoples attention after the fight was Corey Graves taking exception to Punk turning his back anyone related to WWE. That might extend to people related to pro wrestling since apparently he and Colt Cabana aren't on the best terms anymore. What got my attention was if all of this is true why is he still willing to profit off fans of his past work in pro wrestling?

At the upcoming All In show in September in Chicago the day before Punk will take part in autograph signings at the Pro Wrestling Tees store. The PWT store will be selling plenty of his merchandise which I'm sure will make everyone involved lots of money. That brings me to my issue with this situation. Why should anyone support this guy when he wants nothing to do with the business? Except to make a profit off of it.



Punk left WWE because apparently he was living life like a horror movie. They still send him checks for the merchandise they still sell. Now he gets checks from PWT for them selling his merchandise. Even though he doesn't wrestle anymore he's still getting something from the business. Now he's been saying that he's done with the wrestling business and wants nothing to do with it. Add to that he says no one has asked him to wrestle for another promotion besides WWE. Throw in the issue with Corey Graves now I'm looking at this and thinking, this is why you judge people by their actions, never just their words.


There was a rumor that Vince was never sold on Punk being the top guy in the company. It didn't sit well with people since Punk seemed to have many of the qualities that fit a top guy. He lacked a great physique but he had personality, speaking skills and could perform well in the ring. Vince wasn't buying any of it which didn't make sense to those of us outside his circle and apparently those with the circle didn't understand it either. I think now I get it. It came down to actions. Vince could hear everything people said but he couldn't believe Punk because the actions don't fit what he was actually doing. Looking back now I think people should look back at how Vince approached his dealings with Punk and see that he wasn't far off about the guy.


I know some people might want to be apologists for Punk but the should reconsider that. Maybe while the lawsuit against him was going on against him he may have stayed away from people in WWE to not damage his case but that doesn't seem like the character Punk present himself to be. I think now we're seeing the contradictions of character that he come out. After this lose in the UFC people can analyse Punk in a more clearer light. It seems profit is more important that what he's led everyone to believe it was to him.

It's one thing to leave wrestling but to turn your back on the people who respected and admired you in that business is cold. Then to say I'm not in the business anymore one day but later say no ones ever asked me to come back is two faced. Like there's a company in the business that would be against having CM Punk work for them. This is after you say I'm done with the business so don't ask me to come back. After all of that come back with t-shirts and stuffed puppets to sell on a website that sells pro wrestling merchandise. So you don't want anything to do with the business but you'll let someone sell merchandise for you that's wrestling related, got it.

I'm looking at this UFC run and thinking to myself Dave Batista got his MMA fight done for practically no money. It wasn't about the money for him it was just about the experience. Punk could have gone the same route meaning an amateur fight for little to no money, away form the cameras. Instead he let the money Dana White offered put him in the position he's in now. If it really was just about the experience the money could have been in the billions he should have said no.

You might think it's something that can be glossed over in pro wrestling but one of the old ideas that was built into the business was that pro wrestlers could beat up just about anyone. Now we have a wrestler who got beaten so badly he looked like someone who walked from the street right into the cage. That seems unfair but you have to remember that for a long time pro wrestling was consider a tough guy sport. The people that got into the business were able to wrestle, grapple, look tough, and overall fight. In this day some people may look at pro wrestlers as being just entertainers but for those with legitimate amateur wrestling, grappling, or fighting backgrounds this doesn't shine a positive light on their chosen profession. New Japan actually experienced something similar thing in the early 2000s. There were pro wrestlers stepping into the MMA field that got beat down by MMA fighters. For those who remember Don Frye versus Yoshihiro Takayama you remember the aftermath of that fight was Pride FC grew bigger New Japan went into a slump.

I know people will say, Punks not in WWE anymore so it's no big deal. I know people will say he's almost 40 years old, it's no big deal. I remember Cro Cop versus Dos Caras Jr. not stopping Albert Del Rio from making it big in WWE. I know Nakamura versus one of the Gracies was not a good night for him. The difference is none of those events came with someone turning their back on the business that made them worth watching in those fights in the first place. That's just bullshit. I've got two t-shirts hanging in my closet for a guy who wants nothing to do with the business that made me want to buy those shirts in the first place. I'm not a fan of his anymore. I see why Vince didn't buy into him. The words are great for pipebomb promos but the actions behind all of that don't live up to the hype. Now you understand why we never did get those ice cream bars.

The coverage of E3 is why this one was late. And it's long, longer then I thought it would be. I've got to go over E3 next. The World Cup starts this weekend. I have to explain why this North Korea thing is a lie. And do you watch Ancient Aliens, you should, if only for Giorgios hair. I feel the need to do this since AlienCon is this weekend. Yes there is such a thing as Alien Convention, it's in California because of course it is. It's time to expose some of those secrets "they" don't want you to know. I still don't know who "they" is supposed to be but it's time to expose some things. You'll be surprised. You may even buy a plane ticket. Enjoy.

+WWE

+Pro Wrestling Torch
+Wrestlezone.com
+WrestletalkTV
+PodcastOne
+HeymanHustle
+IGN
+CNET
+ESPN
+WhatCulture Wrestling

www.wwe.com
www.cnet.com
www.wrestletalktv.co.uk
www.pwtorch.com
www.ufc.com
www.hogwrestling.net
www.njpw1972.com
www.njpwworld.com
www.jrsbbq.com
www.ign.com
www.espn.com

www.jimcornette.com
www.whatculture.com
www.aliencon.com

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Bullet for my Valentine at the Wellmont

I went to see the band Bullet for my Valentine at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey. This was a mid-week show that had a good crowd of people at the venue. I had never been to a show in New Jersey before so going to the Wellmont was a little leap for me. Since I didn't know the place I did the standard thing and bought the cheapest ticket I could get. This was not a good idea.

It was a rainy afternoon which was not helped by the show being advertised for a 6PM opening time. I didn't get there until after 7PM which turned out to be a good thing for me. If you go to concerts one of the annoying things is the door opening time versus the shows actual start time. The opening band started after 8PM but that wasn't the big problem, that was my seats. I somehow got a corner seat that cut of the stage from my line of sight. I was at the back row hitting the back wall but I couldn't see the stage at all. Thankfully the venue wasn't sold out so I moved. I found a nice spot to see the show and started taking pictures. Remember I got a new camera so my visuals would be great, but it turns out my sound is trash.

As for the show itself I can't tell you anything about the opener, good drummer, the rest not so much. The second band was much better my friends. I didn't know them but apparently some people did. Their lead singer had a fair bit of charisma and my friends became the phrase of the night my friends. That lead to the headliners coming to the stage after 10PM. Now here's a small thing that bugged me. If you've ever listened to Guns N Roses album Appetite for Destruction the song Mr. Brownstone is something your familiar with. The line that keeps playing in my head was "show usually starts around 7, we go on stage around 9, get on the bus about 11 sippin a drink and feelin fine". The band gets on stage around 10 got off stage after 11. I know the venue is  smaller place but I was expecting a 2 hour show, at least a hour forty with drum and guitar solos. I've gone to enough concerts to know how bands stretch time at a show. They have lots of shows to do so they don't want to burn themselves out. I get that but I still had expectations for more of a show.

What I got was still a fun show. I learned of them through a Facebook marketing scheme when people used to do those. I've bought the albums and I'm looking forward to the new album coming out near the end of June. The one problem with the show was not with the band but with the crowd. People started standing from the bleachers for some reason. Some of them stood up for the whole show blocking the view for people in the bleachers behind them. If you paid for seats and then someone is standing up blocking your view that is a big problem. Especially since there was no one blocking their view in front of them. Why were these people standing after paying for bleacher seats meanwhile the view was great if they just sat in their seat? It took away the experience a bit but overall I enjoyed the show. And yes, that is their shirt if you know the Bullet Club.

I don't know if I should stick to naming the concerts I go to after the band. I have some events I'm going to this summer that I hope you folks will enjoy. We knew about my camera issue which was fixed but know the sound issue must be addressed. There is a convention I want to go to that has a mix of video and sound to it so I hope to have these problems fixed by then. I'm trying to stay busy since we're in gaming season. I don't want to only stay inside playing video games all summer. I'll be varying on the posts more often so I hope you like what I make. Enjoy.

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Pro Wrestling: It's WrestleMania week Part 3

Here's curve ball for you. While everyone else was thinking about what show they were going to be at or watch online I went to see Fozzy. I listen to the Talk is Jericho Podcast regularly which is where I learned that his band would be playing in New York at the Gramercy Theatre, which they sold out. It was a fun show and I look forward to them coming back to the area. I only took a few pics so I could enjoy the show. I don't remember the opening bands. I fell asleep during the last bands set (I was very tired and they weren't interesting). If you haven't heard Fozzy before I suggest listening to the last two albums, their a good band. If their coming to a venue near you I recommend you go see them, it's worth the money. And, yes my camera still sucks. Enjoy.

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Pro Wrestling: It's WrestleMania week Part 2

While keeping in mind that "card is subject to change" I'll view the card as it is. I don't think its a weak card but there is no must see match on the show. It's WrestleMania so you would hope for at least one killer must see match. It should be Asuka versus Charlotte but like I said last post, I think Carmella wins the match. That takes away from the one on one match between the Empress and the Queen. It'll be another spectacle WrestleMania but after this show but after this I don't want to see another spectacle WrestleMania next year.

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan go into their match as the walking wounded. Shane just came out of the hospital Bryan just got back form concussion issues. And don't forget that before Bryan was out with concussion problems he had neck problems. Remember he had weakness in his arm and neck problems. On that note can we please get a ban on the diving headbutt. I know I'm not the only person thinking maybe doing that move every match contributed to Bryans neck and concussion problems. I just saw Lars Sullivan giant self do that in a squash match for some insane reason. After the Benoit tragedy that move should have been banned. That needs to happen now.



Back to the match. So their both coming off long layoffs between matches and their broken. The way the story has been layed out they need to win. Plus all the emotions behind Bryan coming back. The hidden fact that WWE is filming the behind the scenes bits of Bryans story for a future WWE Network special. And you know that this will also be on Total Bellas so not having the happy ending to the storyline would be bad for WrestleMania. And I think if Bryan is going to resign a contract with WWE he's going to need some positive vibes coming his way.


On the flip side I think this will be Shanes last WrestleMania match. I doubt that after this health scare Vince will allow his son to wrestle ever again. That powerbomb spot back stage was stupid. To see all the problems that happened because of that spot is a reminder that Shane is not a young man anymore. He had his run but it's over now. Someday he'll have to take over the company when his father gives him the reins. That can't happen if he's from an infection because he took a move that he had no need to take.

If there ever was a time for change it's now. Vince will likely give Triple H more control over Raw and SmackDown as he gets ready to relaunch the XFL. I'll ask the question no one else is asking, mostly because no one cares. What channel will the XFL be on? I'm sure that it will be a summer league like it was last time. It'd be crushed if it tried to compete with the N.F.L. and College Football in Autumn. There's plenty of questions and logistical issues that he'll have to deal with so that means he'll have to pass on some of his work to others.


I'm wondering if Jeff Jarretts return means me may become the next General Manager of SmackDown. You figure since Bryan can wrestle again his role as G.M. should come to an end. I just realized I should b
uy tickets to Backlash now. The first Pay-Per-View singles match for Daniel Bryan in 3 years will be a thirty ride away from me. I just checked TicketMaster and found out that Money in the Bank will be in Chicago in June. Let the CM Punk rumors begin.


Back to my original point. If Double J becomes SmackDown GM does that open the door to a Dixie Carter appearance? I know she was on Kurt Angles special on the network last year so it's not beyond the realm of possibility. The W.W.E. has been more receptive to former T.N.A. talents so that's something to consider. There's also what they've done with Japanese, Mexican and European talents which has been decent so far. Now throw in Jeff Jarrett into the mix as someone who has worked with international talents on a national television stage at a company level for the past 15 plus years. It's a no brainer to me but it's also wishful thinking on my part.




I did something interesting that you may find, well, interesting. I won't breakdown NXT TakeOver because we all know it'll be fine. I have a few things to say on New Japan Pro Wrestling. Someone finally clued All Japan in on having a online streaming service but honestly who cares. The Young Bucks need to win the I.W.G.P. Heavyweight Tag Team titles before they go to W.W.E. I'm already trying to save money for next years WrestleMania week events. My Christmas, Black Friday, birthday, New Years is already done unless I make $1 Million by the start of next year. I should just start gambling because that probably the only legal way I'll make the money I need. With that said support this blog and my videos. If there wasn't already 1,000 pro wrestling podcasts I'd be tempted to start my own. I might need a side job to pay for all this. Argh! Enjoy.

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