Loading
Think of this as a parting gift to you all for the year that was. With time running out on 2011, my thoughts and the thoughts of the roundtable turn to 2012. Yes we go over things and issues that took place in 2011, but also have so much relevancy to the fortunes of their respective promotions in 20 »»
Fall is here and with it the countdown to the end of the year has begun. As the wrestling world enters the final quarter of the year, that end of the year marks major shows for several major promotions the world over, as well as the beginning to the build to major shows for others. With that in mind »»
The month of August as well as The E's second biggest pay-per-view of the year both bring with them the reality that summer is beginning to come to an end. The sun is starting to set sooner and the temperatures will hopefully be dropping soon enough. This month thus became a mixed bag of the present »»
What could be and what might have been can be a very common theme amongst conversation of pro wrestling. Hindsight provides people with the ability to say what should've happened or how something should've been booked. This hindsight can provide fans and the IWC with rage or a sense of great regret »»
It seemed to me that along with last month's theme of change in the roundtable, an extension of that theme could be used this month. This isn't about change so much as the prospect or possibility of change. Each of the four major Japanese wrestling promotions' world champions have held the belt for »»
The year is under way as month one is in the books and all major promotions worldwide have had their first tours or T.V. tapings. On the horizon are a couple of major shows in Japan, one for a promotion whose “major shows†have been at Korakuen Hall for the past seven years and one for a »»
With the awards season just getting under way, looking towards the future seemed an ideal idea for the last month of the year. This month for the roundtable we are going that route and looking towards 2011. Thankfully I don't have to worry about assistance as I was lucky enough to get the whole gang »»
Fall is in full swing and the end of the year is fast approaching. Mike Campbell and Kevin Wilson return for another roundtable as we look towards the future. While there are a few current event items this time, the bulk of the load this time around is on more long-term questions for a few promotion »»
Sadly I didn't get to my Misawa piece this weekend, so that will go on the back-burner with the roundtable coming next week. Luckily I was watching RAW last night and saw something that I figured I would've seen a lot sooner: Bryan Danielson, I mean Daniel Bryan, getting squashed by Sheamus in under »»
Some very good news for Indy wrestling. This past Saturday night, Davey Richards made it official that he intends to continue with his pro wrestling career. Earlier in the year, Davey stated that he was done after 2010; thankfully that appears to not be the case. Glory by Honor IX marked Ring »»
Wrestling's second longest running singles tourney turns twenty What is arguably the biggest tournament in all of wrestling, New Japan's G-1 Climax tournament, finished its twentieth installment last Sunday. This year's installment lived up to the hype and prestige surrounding such an anniversary »»
The latest edition to The E's global empire One claim that Vince McMahon can make about his wrestling promotion that is 100% accurate would be that he has a global wrestling promotion. The E is the only wrestling promotion on the planet that is well known the world over and tours internationally »»
Either this promotion is going to find a way to become competition for Vince or they're already dead and they just don't know it yet. For a man with no pro wrestling background in his own life or in his family's lineage, there is something to be said about how much of an impact Vince Russo has ha »»
I’m back and I brought Dave Ditch & Kevin Wilson with me It’s been a little over a month since the death of Mitsuharu Misawa and I took that month off as a way to reflect and at least see where NOAH was immediately heading in the wake of this tragedy. However, there is a lot mor »»
This one is weird and it barely involves pro wrestling One of the least talked about, but oddest stories of the month of May was the canceling of HD-Net from all Time Warner Cable providers. The story itself was mainly seen on MMA news websites because this cancellation also eliminated the only w »»
One last look at 2008 To start the next 100 for this column, I’m finally wrapping up 2008, with the awards for last year going first. The best matches will follow later in the week. Enjoy NOTE: These awards are based on things I’ve SEEN. Also, the voting period was December 1, 20 »»
My centennial of sorts For the 100th installment of The Reality of Wrestling, I figured I’d share the moment with two of my biggest proponents during these first 100, Kevin Wilson & David Ditch, as well as go back to something I tried out last summer and will likely repeat: the roundta »»
Mickey Rourke not yet included With the Royal Rumble having come and gone, the road to Wrestlemania officially began last week, and it began with Randy Orton as the Rumble winner. I only say Rumble winner because the fine print for the Rumble winner apparently means main-event of Wrestlemania alo »»
TNA large and in charge in one continent at least The new year doesn’t officially begin in pro wrestling until New Japan runs their yearly January 4 show at the Tokyo Dome. The year’s show, Wrestling Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome, appears to be the promotion’s biggest success in »»
A desperate move made by a desperate booker of a desperate promotion NOTE: My name for the TNA originals is one TNA should think about using and can if they so please. It sounds a lot better than originals—since most of the originals weren’t in the promotion at its inception— »»
The end of the year is approaching and as a change of pace, the present will be the theme this month. Don't get me wrong, it's more of a subtle theme as we do make our usual predictions/wants for the future, but we do it while looking at the present situations of titles in certain promotions and cer »»
With September comes the passage of summer into fall, the temperatures back down to something more liveable, and all the familiar signs of this passage (color of leaves, clothing, football season, etc.). This month also serves as something pivotal in that same passage of the seasons for wrestling pr »»
With so much recent emphasis on the future and the hypothetical, it was a nice change of pace to go back to the present and what is happening today. As it turns out there's a lot going on right now with Muto stepping down as president of All Japan in the wake of Nobukazu Hizai suffering a stroke aft »»
As summer approaches it always seems that wrestling in general begins to heat up in the same way. The end of April and beginning of May are a very busy couple of weeks in Japan as every major promotion has a major show while virtually every major Indy promotion in the country runs Korakuen Hall dur »»
“The show must go on†is a phrase not often said, but always used within the world of pro wrestling. No matter how big a wrestler or promotion is, there is no certainty that the same will hold true tomorrow or next month or next year. New people, new shows, new changes are all the norm i »»
With New Japan being the only promotion in the history of Japanese pro wrestling to regularly run the Tokyo Dome for more than ten years, their annual January 4th show has long been referred to as the “Wrestlemania of Japanese pro wrestling.†New Japan has always embraced that notion, ev »»
This past Sunday, NOAH entered Budokan Hall one final time in 2010 with what became the Joe Higuchi Memorial Show. While the memorial aspect of the show came after the show was announced, the show could act more as a memorial for the past of Pro Wrestling NOAH as this was the first Budokan Hall show »»
The leaves are beginning to change color and while the temperatures don’t reflect it yet, fall is here. With the changing of the seasons have come some potential changes—just as good as actual changes in the wrestling world—amongst several wrestling promotions and one we’ »»
Despite a work agreement that has seen one of the better feuds in all of wrestling over the past two years, New Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH were competitors this past Sunday. Both were holding big, tour-ending shows with New Japan's acting as more of a setup for their Sumo Hall show in two weeks. F »»
School is back in session, football has returned, and the days are getting shorter. A lot of things can describe the changing of August to September, but in the world of pro wrestling, nothing is seasonal. This is a world built on unpredictability as being, or attempting to be, one step ahead of you »»
Ditch helps me start August in a fitting way Quick announcement: I will be starting a radio show, Phil Clark's World of Wrestling, on blogtalkradio.com. First show is this Wednesday at 5PM. I'm looking for every Wednesday for tapings. August has arrived and with it possibly the busiest month o »»
I'm back and have Ditch and Kevin Wilson to help welcome me back In the wrestling world, summer is really the best time of year on a global scale. In Mexico, Triplemania—Mexico's Wrestlemania—was this past Sunday, every major promotion in Japan has at least one tournament taking pla »»
Called the winner, but not much else The biggest singles tournament in wrestling—New Japan’s G-1 Climax tournament—concluded this past weekend in one of the more eventful tournaments in recent memory. Long suffering mid-card wrestler Togi Makabe won his first G-1 tourney afte »»
And I thought Abismo Negro would be the big wrestling death this year Potentially the story of the year in wrestling took place this weekend as Japanese wrestling legend Mitsuharu Misawa died in the ring five days shy of his 47th birthday during the main-event of a Pro Wrestling NOAH show in Hiro »»
As if I needed another reason to hate the Nuggets right now The big story in the wrestling world this week was a scheduling snafu of the highest caliber. With the NBA’s Western Conference finals underway, the Denver Nuggets will host game four against the Lakers this coming Monday; the pro »»
There was a lot of other stuff going on Sunday This past Sunday was truly a day to behold. At the top of the proverbial food chain was Wrestlemania XXV, the event that could outshine all of the other shows that day even if it was shitty. The 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania won’t rank in t »»
Another big show in Japan with TNA wrestlers going unbeaten New Japan’s first tour of 2009 was a successful one as house show ticket sales have gone up nicely for the promotion, as has the overall quality of the house shows. The tour ended February 15 at Sumo Hall with another stacked card »»
I guess The E can still shock us all Despite the numerous and rampant arguments amongst wrestling insiders, supposed insiders, and just people who watch wrestling, one thing we all could agree on through almost all of 2008 was that Jeff Hardy wasn’t ever going to win a world title. All of »»
Black Tiger returns as we look at the year that was in the green ring Going back to the Puro World, I felt that a look at the promotion that has been #1 in Japan for the last six years was worth a look because they have never taken a hit to their #1 status as they have this year. NOAH has seeming »»
Heading back to the Puro World On Monday, All Japan presented their third show of the year at the famous Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall). The show was headlined by The Great MUTA retaining the Triple Crown titles against Minoru Suzuki resulting in Suzuki’s longtime partner Yoshihiro Takayama »»
