Top Ten Things: Non-Rumble Rumble Matches

Welcome to a Royal Rumble-themed edition of Top Ten Things, here at Enuffa.com!

Today's TTT is about the long-time WWE event that kicks off the Road to WrestleMania - I'm talking of course about the Royal Rumble!  But this list is gonna be a little different, as I'll be counting down the ten greatest non-Rumble matches in Royal Rumble history!  As you all know, the Rumble itself is only one of the bouts featured on this annual PPV, and the years have brought us some bona fide classics on the show's undercard as well, from WWE Title matches to tag matches to opening contests.  So let's take a closer look....

10. The Rockers vs. Orient Express (1991)

The 1991 Rumble was the first WWF PPV I ever ordered, and while the overall show disappointed me terribly, the night began with an absolutely killer tag match - The Rockers vs. The Orient Express.  I know on paper that doesn't sound mindblowing, but trust me.  This was nineteen minutes of just spectacular action, and I think this was the moment when I really started to appreciate The Rockers, Shawn in particular.  I'd go so far as to call this the 1991 Match of the Year.  I shit you not.

9. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (1998)

The '98 event was mostly about building up Steve Austin for his impending WWF Title run, and reshaping the WWF as the company with Attitude.  But the non-Rumble main event actually stole the show as natural adversaries Shawn and Taker delivered yet another classic brawl, this time in a Casket Match.  Full of ingenious, brutal spots (including a career-halting back bump by Shawn onto the casket), this match easily put all other Casket Matches to shame and culminated in the memorable visual of Taker's evil brother Kane locking Taker inside and setting the box on fire.

8. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (2000)

2000 was the year the WWF began firing on all cylinders, and that year's Royal Rumble really set the tone.  The semi-main of this show was a WWF Title Street Fight between new heel Champion Triple H, whose main event run had thus far been shaky at best, and the deranged, violent Cactus Jack.  Much as he had done to establish The Rock as a main event heel in 1999, Mick Foley went above and beyond to cement Triple H as a new headliner worthy of carrying the company into the next decade.  Triple H himself proved he was more than just a cowardly heel Champion by taking vast sums of punishment over the course of this 27-minute bout.  This match featured one of the more grotesque endings I've seen, as Foley took a Pedigree face-first onto a pile of thumbtacks.  This was the match where I became a full-on Triple H fan (until mid-2002 that is).  Also a Match of the Year candidate (though I think their Hell in a Cell match at No Way Out was even better).

Parents' Night In #52: The Gold Rush (1925)

Happy 2021 everybody!  Justin & Kelly are back to watch and review The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin's 1925 silent classic about a prospector trying to make his way in the frozen Yukon!  We'll discuss Chaplin's genius, his perfectionism, his many romantic liasons, and of course the arduous production of this film.  Oh, and we're starting a dry January, so this episode will be the first PNI ever to not feature booze.  Weird.  So join us for some wintery fun as we marvel at the comedic mastery of Charlie Chaplin!

 

Snippet of The Gold Rush score written by Charles Chaplin. 

Parody lyrics: 

Welcome to Parents' Night In 

Come have a seat 

Our show is Parents' Night In 

And it's a treat 

Our names are Kelly and Justin 

And we are your gracious hosts 

So please join us on YouTube 

And become a subscriber 

To our show which is Parents' Night In: Boozy Movie Reviews 

Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on future episodes, and don't forget to visit Enuffa.com, follow us on Twitter, join us on Facebook! 

You can also listen to a podcast version of this episode at:

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qPxkRJ​

Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

WWE Royal Rumble 2021 - The Most Oldest Rumble of Old Guys Ever

After last night's Royal Rumble one thing has become clear - WWE's youth movement is in full swing.  For the second year in a row, Bianca Belair turned in a starmaking performance (as did Rhea Ripley), and is poised to become a women's division standout for years to come.  And on the men's side, a young up-and-comer from Canada gutted it out for nearly an hour to punch his ticket to the biggest stage of them all, at the tender age of 47.  Oh wait.....

Alright, so I broke down and watched a WWE PPV for the first time in ten months.  It's the Royal Rumble, after all, it's hard to pass up.  My son wanted to watch the show, I hadn't missed a live Rumble since 2008, I thought maybe Daniel Bryan would finally win it.  You know how it is.  Anywho, the show was.....fine.  Both Rumbles were entertaining.  One elevated two very deserving young stars and it felt like the company's priorities were in the right place.  The other didn't elevate anyone and boasted the oldest field in Rumble history, with the average age being 39 years old and OVER HALF the field being over 40.  We got a mostly very good Last Man Standing match with a hilariously botched ending, another psychology-free Goldberg match, and a passable women's singles bout.  So not a bad show, but not one that will stand out in the Royal Rumble annals either.

The show opened, mercifully, with the Goldberg match.  I was glad to see them get this one out of the way.  It was of course the usual two-minute finisher fest; I don't understand why Goldberg can't do anything but spear-jackhammer since he came back.  Remember in 2003 when he actually did five or six different moves?  It makes me laugh when WWE apologists claim AEW matches don't have ring psychology as they defend shit like this.  The two guys started before the bell, with Drew shoving Goldberg and hitting him with a spear.  Both guys rolled out of the ring and Goldberg returned the favor, spearing Drew through the ring barricade.  They teased Drew not being able to continue, but he demanded the match be started officially.  Goldberg went for a spear but Drew hit the Claymore and covered him.  Goldberg kicked out, becoming only the second guy to do so, after Brock.  Goldberg hit a spear and jackhammer, Drew kicked out.  Drew hit another Claymore and pinned him.  Goldberg was visibly winded after roughly three minutes of activity.  Goldberg shook Drew's hand and said he passed the test.  Oh, I'm sure Drew was overwhelmingly flattered that the two-move guy now respects him...  This was fine as a dumbass finisher match, but why does the company keep doing these?  Fucking pointless.  **

Next up was Sasha Banks carrying Carmella through a solid women's match for the second time.  I haven't seen their match from December but it was apparently superior to this one.  Still this wasn't bad.  Carmella has definitely improved over the last few years, and Sasha is one of the best workers in the women's division.  Carmella's valet Reginald interfered a few times, mostly to catch Carmella as she fell out of the ring.  Late in the match Carmella hit a tope and landed on her face, an absolutely brutal-looking landing that she was lucky didn't leave a mark.  She hit a pair of superkicks but immediately fell victim to the Bank Statement and tapped.  That ending was pretty sudden.  But this match was alright.  **1/2

WWE Royal Rumble 2021 Preview & Predictions

It's late January and that means it's time for another WWE Royal Rumble.  And the 2021 edition of the company's second-biggest PPV looks like......a show.

This Sunday is the real test of my WWE boycott.  In years past, even when I've skipped most of the WWE PPV calendar, the Rumble and WrestleMania were the ones I'd come back for.  Still not sure if that will happen in 2021 or not.  My son seems interested in watching, so I might pony up the ten bucks just for his sake.  But on paper this looks like yet another totally skippable show.  Two Rumble matches with only about half the field announced (remember when the company actually planned this stuff out ahead of time?), one solid title match, one that looks like the drizzling shits, and a women's tag match.  That's what we have so far.

Women's Tag Team Championship: Asuka & Charlotte Flair vs. Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

They need to send Nia back to developmental - she keeps hurting or coming dangerously close to hurting her opponents.  This is unsustainable.  She's been on the main roster four years now, she should be a solid pro by this point.  Anyway there's enough strong talent here to make this a good match.  I assume this Asuka/Charlotte thing is temporary and we'll see them fight again.  And hopefully this time Asuka actually gets to win.  But for now I see the heels taking back the belts.

Pick: ShayNia Jaxler

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Goldberg

Fuck this company for trotting the 54-year-old WCW guy out for the thousandth time instead of building up a real WWE Title challenger (Was Keith Lee busy?).  Goldberg beating Bray Wyatt last year was the final straw for me as a WWE fan, and now they're going back to that well again.  Like, there's no way they're feeding Drew to him, right?  I know they built up The Fiend as an unbeatable monster for six months before killing his push dead, but with Drew it's been a full year.  I sincerely hope this is just to give Drew more credibility by decisively beating the old spear/jackhammer guy.  There's also the possibility that The Miz tries to cash in again.  Seriously, get rid of the Money in the Bank gimmick, it's so worn out and tiresome now.  

Pick: Drew retains.  He better fuckin' retain.  I swear to god if he doesn't retain....

NJPW New Beginning 2021 Preview & Predictions UPDATED

Welcome to another round of NJPW PPV Predictions, here at Enuffa.com!

After a pretty fantastic two-night Tokyo Dome extravaganza, New Japan is back with the annual follow-up, the New Beginning tour.  We have some new champions defending their titles for the first time, we have a couple of grudge matches pitting legendary veterans against upstart heels, we have an epic G1 rematch, and then a bunch of multi-man tag bouts.  As always, I'll only be predicting the really important matches on this tour, so let's get started....  

Nagoya

Great O-Khan vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan

After going 0 for 3 at the Dome, The Empire stable is looking to redeem themselves in a pair of matches against Tencozy.  First up we'll see the young monster heel O-Khan facing the veteran bruiser Tenzan, in a match where the loser can never again use the Mongolian Chop.  I assume this rather antiquated stip is meant to serve as a passing of the torch.  Although, O-Khan relies on the Mongolian Chop so heavily he'd probably be better off never using it again.  But he shouldn't lose here.  Give the young guy the win.

Pick: O-Khan

No Disqualification: Will Ospreay vs. Satoshi Kojima

Much more promising is this bout, with the magnificent Will Ospreay facing the scrappy Kojima in a no disqualification fight.  This will be Ospreay's first prominent singles win since his heel turn, and should get him back on track as a rising villain.  I expect he'll have a strong showing in the New Japan Cup, perhaps even win the whole thing.  A decisive win here will get the ball rolling.

Pick: Ospreay

Parents' Night In #52: The Gold Rush (1925), Charlie Chaplin's Masterpiece

Happy 2021 everybody!  Justin & Kelly are back to watch and review The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin's 1925 silent classic about a prospector trying to make his way in the frozen Yukon!  We'll discuss Chaplin's genius, his perfectionism, his many romantic liasons, and of course the arduous production of this film.  Oh, and we're starting a dry January, so this episode will be the first PNI ever to not feature booze.  Weird.  So join us for some wintery fun as we marvel at the comedic mastery of Charlie Chaplin!

 

Snippet of The Gold Rush score written by Charles Chaplin. 

Parody lyrics: 

Welcome to Parents' Night In 

Come have a seat 

Our show is Parents' Night In 

And it's a treat 

Our names are Kelly and Justin 

And we are your gracious hosts 

So please join us on YouTube 

And become a subscriber 

To our show which is Parents' Night In: Boozy Movie Reviews 

Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on future episodes, and don't forget to visit Enuffa.com, follow us on Twitter, join us on Facebook! 

You can also listen to a podcast version of this episode at:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

...

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=

...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qPxkRJ

Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

The 2020 Enuffa.com Pro Wrestling Year-End Awards

Welcome to the 7th Annual Pro Wrestling Year-End Awards, here at Enuffa.com, where I celebrate the highs (and lows) of the year that was, inside the squared circle!

Here's an understatement for you: 2020 was a weird year.  A global pandemic changed a lot of big plans for everyone, and the wrestling industry was most certainly not immune (no pun intended).  For the first time ever, holding wrestling shows without an audience became commonplace, and not only did every company take a major financial hit from the loss of ticket sales, but the wrestlers between the ropes were forced to reckon with the lack of crowd noise.  It really made everyone realize how vital an energized crowd is to the creative success of a wrestling match.  Some companies adjusted better than others.  Some came up with convoluted high-concept technological solutions and passed them off as revolutionary (You know who you are, Vince).  Some companies are located in countries that actually took the pandemic seriously and thus were able to let fans back in much sooner.  Regardless, 2020 threw all sorts of wrenches into everyone's plans.  But that doesn't mean we didn't get some fine wrestling along the way, and that's why we're here talking awards.

Before I hand out pretend trophies though, there's one major change to my wrestling viewing habits I'd like to discuss.  In April of 2020 I walked away from WWE, after 34 years as a fan.  Just take a moment to let that fact sink in.  I've been watching this wrasslin' stuff since 1986.  And while the WWF/WWE, historically my favorite wrestling company for most of that time, has had its numerous highs and lows, I stuck with them through all of it, at least on some level.  During the Monday Night War I was Team WWF through and through; never once did my loyalty to their product waver, even as they were getting their asses kicked in the ratings every week.  Starting in 2004 I fell off watching the weekly shows religiously and ordering every PPV, prompted by JBL's out-of-nowhere main event push.  Starting in 2005 I reduced my PPV orders to the Big Four.  With the advent of Netflix carrying WWE DVDs in 2006 I began waiting a month to rent most of the PPVs on disc rather than shelling out the $50 a pop to watch them live.  But when the WWE Network launched in 2014 I was all in.  I subscribed the first week and never looked back.  No matter how bad or nonsensical the weekly RAWs and Smackdowns became, I still watched every PPV event.  Even as NJPW became my new favorite wrestling promotion, spending $9.99 a month to watch every new WWE PPV (plus tons of nostalgic content) was a no-brainer.  So now consider just how unwatchably horrible the WWE product would have to become for me to decide after seven years as a subscriber that ten bucks a month was too much to spend.  I haven't watched a WWE show in ten months, and based on what I've been reading about them, I haven't regretted missing any of it.  It is a true indictment of Vince's cosmic ineptitude that someone like me, literally WWE's most loyal demographic, has completely lost interest in his product, at a time when he has probably the most talented roster ever assembled.  And now, given how great NJPW is and how much fun I have watching AEW, it would take a major creative and tonal shift for me to revisit WWE on a consistent basis.  I actually considered re-subscribing for one month just to watch the Royal Rumble, as it's always an enjoyable event.  And then they booked Drew vs. Goldberg as the main event.  Wow, Vince.  Way to clearly signal, "No thanks, fan of three-plus decades, I don't want you to resume giving me your money."  Such a business genius.  

Anyway, even despite all this, I've attempted to be impartial with these awards and give WWE their due when I feel they've earned it.  So here goes.....

 

NJPW WrestleKingdom 15 Night 2 Review

WrestleKingdom 15 Night 2 was on par with Night 1 overall, but less even-keel, mostly thanks to the opening match being subpar and the main event being a masterpiece.

Things started off with the King of Pro-Wrestling Championship 4-Way match, with the four winners of the Rumble squaring off.  This match was an inoffensive 7 minutes but could've been so much more had they included Ishii, Sho, Suzuki, or even one or two of the Young Lions.  Who wants to see Chase Owens or Bad Luck Fale in there?  I get Yano being involved since he's last year's champion, but once you add him the match is limited to a comedy spectacle.  Which is exactly what happened.  Owens and Fale ended up hitting the Grenade Launcher on Bushi, incapacitating him, but then couldn't agree on who would pin him.  Enter Yano with a double low blow to knock both heels down, and pin Bushi.  Yano is the new KOPW Champion for the time being.  Like I said, this was inoffensive.  *3/4

Up next was the Jr. Tag Team Title match, with Desperado & Kanemaru defending against new team Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato.  This match exceeded my rather low expectations; it wasn't amazing but it was an entertaining 13-minute match.  It started out pretty fast and furious, almost as a showcase for Wato, but Taguchi dominated the later parts.  The heels worked over Taguchi's leg and he got most of the babyface heat.  Taguchi handled Desperado for a while before Kanemaru distracted the ref, allowing Desperado to land a punch and hit Pinche Loco to retain the belts.  Seems odd to have this new babyface team come up short, but oh well.  The Jr. Tag division needs help.  ***

NJPW WrestleKingdom 15 Night 1 Review

Welcome to the two-part WrestleKingdom 15 review, here at Enuffa.com!

Well, the 2021 Tokyo Dome show is in the books, and like last year's, this was a pretty excellent double album.  In a COVID world, sadly the crowd and time limitations kept WrestleKingdom 15 from fully giving you that epic PPV of the Year-type feeling, but I'll be damned if NJPW didn't work really hard to live up to previous editions.  What we got were two three-hour shows with very little fat on the bone and multiple ****+ matches on each night.  Hard to complain much about that, even if I do miss WrestleKingdom being the single-night blowout of years past.  But let's get to the Night 1 matches.

After the usual forgettable pre-show Rumble to decide the KOPW 4-way on Night 2 (they missed opportunities here to elevate one or two youngins), the PPV got down to business in earnest with Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo to determine the number-one contender for Taiji Ishimori's Jr. Heavyweight Title.  Takahashi won the 2020 Best of the Super Juniors tourney, while ELP won the Super-J Cup.  These two had an excellent high-energy opener that saw ELP go all out to show off his prodigious athleticism, while Takahashi seemed to be conserving a little something for Night 2.  ELP paid homage to Bullet Club leaders of old, hitting a Styles Clash and nearly getting off a One-Winged Angel.  Ultimately though, Takahashi stole this match by countering ELP's finish with a Rey Mysterio hurricanrana trap.  A damn fine opener.  ****

NJPW WrestleKingdom 15 Preview & Predictions

It's almost the end of the year and that means one very important thing: WrestleKingdom is upon us!

We're just five days away from NJPW's WrestleKingdom 15 folks, and as always it looks like a tremendous lineup.  Beginning last year, this annual Tokyo Dome tradition was expanded to two nights, and that's the case once again.  Last year the story was about the IWGP Champion facing the IWGP Intercontinental Champion on Night Two, this year the G1 winner Kota Ibushi lost the briefcase to Jay White but Champion Tetsuya Naito granted Ibushi a title shot anyway.  Thus we'll see the double title defended on two consecutive nights (Alright, it's been a year, can we split these belts up again?).  As with last year's Dome shows, Night One seems on paper to have more MOTY candidates, but we'll see.  Strangely the proper PPV lineups on each night only consist of six bouts.  But of course the benefit of that is that we won't get any filler matches and everything will get adequate time.  Let's get into it.

Night One

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight #1 Contender: Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo

This should be an incredible opener, pitting the former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion and 2020 Best of the Super Juniors winner against the winner of the 2020 Super J Cup.  Hiromu returned in spectacular fashion a year ago to take the title from Will Ospreay, delivering the second-best match of the year in my opinion.  I'm sure these two will do their best to equal or surpass that match.  I think Takahashi is a lock to win here and challenge his nemesis Taiji Ishimori on Night Two.

Pick: Takahashi

IWGP Tag Team Championship: Dangerous Tekkers vs. Guerrillas of Destiny

Tama and Tanga returned to Japan after a months-long COVID-necessitated absence, and climbed right back to the top of the ranks, winning the World Tag League and writing their ticket to the Dome.  One team they didn't beat though, the champions Zack Sabre and Taichi.  This should be a pretty excellent tag title match that sees GOD win back the straps.

Pick: Guerrillas of Destiny

Parents' Night In: Wonder Woman 1984

We're doing things a little differently this episode, with an audio-only review of the new Wonder Woman film, WW84!  Justin and Kelly will give an honest and fair assessment of Patty Jenkins' latest Wonder Woman opus, including our thoughts on the story, the performances by Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal, the 80s tone that brought us back to the innocence and campiness of the iconic Superman movies, the cartoonish CG effects, the poignant social and political themes that are still relevant in 2020, and more!  Join us for a deep dive into Wonder Woman 1984!

 

Subscribe to our podcast to stay updated on future episodes, and don't forget to visit Enuffa.com, follow us on Twitter, join us on Facebook!    

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Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Parents' Night In #51: A Christmas Carol (1984)

Merry Christmas and welcome to another PNI, where we watch and discuss our favorite film version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the 1984 made-for-television film starring George C. Scott, David Warner, Roger Rees, Suzannah York, and Edward Woodward.  This film has been an annual staple in our house for years, and we love Scott's naturalistic, matter-of-fact portrayal of the miserable cheapskate Ebenezer Scrooge, who finds joy and human connection after being visited by various Christmas spirits (we're enjoying a couple Christmas spirits of our own, if you know what I mean..).  So pour yourself something nice and join in the holiday cheer with Justin & Kelly as we watch A Christmas Carol!

 

Snippet of opening theme music composed by Nick Bicat.

Parody lyrics:

It's time for Parents' Night In on YouTube

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With Justin, Kelly and tasty drinks

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WWE Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2020 Preview & Predictions

Hooray, it's the final WWE PPV of the shitshow known as 2020!

This Sunday, five days before Christmas, is the usually superfluous Tables, Ladders & Chairs PPV, where the company more or less treads water before Royal Rumble season starts and The Road to WrestleMania begins.  Yes there have been some good December PPV matches, but they're usually few and far between, and the end-of-year PPVs are generally fairly skippable.  This edition looks that way as well, particulary given how poorly most of these matches have been built up.  Let's take a look...

RAW Tag Team Championship: The New Day vs. The Hurt Business

As successful an act as The New Day has been these last five-and-a-half years, it might be time to fully split them.  They've done all that can be done, with ten Tag Titles in all over the course of their run.  Kofi and Xavier winning these belts at this point doesn't mean a whole lot, especially since Kofi is a former WWE Champion.  With that in Mind, let's give Shelton and Cedric a run with them.

Pick: Hurt Business

Parents' Night In #50: Elf (2003)

Happy Holidays!  Welcome to Christmastime 2020!  Justin and Kelly are back to watch and discuss the Will Ferrell comedy Elf, directed by Jon Favreau and co-starring Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen and Bob Newhart.  Kelly fell in love with Elf when it first came out, but it took the cynical Justin a few viewings to really appreciate its family-friendly innocence.  We'll talk not only about the film itself but also about experiencing Christmas as children vs. as adults, how old we were when we stopped believing in Santa Claus, and we'll answer the question "Which Christmas movie defines you as a person?"

Pour yourself some (spiked) egg nog and join us for some holiday fun as we watch Elf!

 

Parody lyrics of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town":

Oh, get ready to laugh

Get ready to grin

Her name is Kelly

And mine is Justin

Welcome back to Parents' Night In

Come hang out with us

You'll be on Cloud Nine

We're kickin' right back

And drinkin' some wine

Please subscribe to Parents' Night In

Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on future episodes, and don't forget to visit Enuffa.com, follow us on Twitter, join us on Facebook!  

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Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 Preview & Predictions

NXT WarGames is this Sunday and I miss it being the night before Survivor Series so I could enjoy a whole weekend of team gimmick matches.  That was the stuff.  Back when I used to watch WWE....

Anyway, this year's lineup looks solid as usual, and as has been the case basically all year I have no real idea what's going on with NXT so I'm taking a stab in the dark with these predictions.  Let's go.

Tomasso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher

I know these two have been feuding for a while and that this match should be highly technical, and thus good.  I guess I'll pick Ciampa to win.

Pick: Tomasso Ciampa

Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes

Both of these names are terrible; I dunno who in WWE is in charge of picking the names they saddle these poor folks with, but that person should be canned immediately.  Dexter Lumis sounds like the dork in science class whose notes you cheat off of, on your way to a half-assed C-minus.  Cameron Grimes sounds like a spoiled trust fund baby who ties a cardigan around his neck and plays racquetball with his fiancee.  Neither of these names remotely inspire fear, or even curiosity.  Pick better names.

Pick: I'll go with Johnny Country Club over there, Cameron Grimes

Parents' Night In #49: Friends - The Ones About Thanksgiving

Kelly & Justin are doing things a little different for Thanksgiving.  We're on a break.....from movies!  And we're talking about our favorite Thanksgiving-themed episodes of the legendary sitcom FRIENDS!  We'll cover The One Where Underdog Gets Away, The One With All the Football, The One With All the Thanksgivings, The One Where Ross Got High, and our favorite, The One With the Rumor, guest starring Brad Pitt!  We'll talk about the episodes themselves, how and why we well in love with FRIENDS, how some of the show's humor would play in 2020, our favorite FRIEND, Matthew Perry's personal struggles, Elliott Gould's overenunciation, flavored potato chips, how FRIENDS was one of the first sitcoms to introduce flashbacks where the same actors played younger versions of their characters, Kelly's Thanksgiving song, and most importantly our new disgusting invention, The Fart Jar!  Seriously, you gotta hear this.....

Hang out with us, crack open a beverage, and have a bit of turkey and stuffing (and Justin's favorite, mashed potatoes), and let's talk about our FRIENDS!

 

Snippet of The Rembrandts' "I'll Be There for You" used under Fair Use Doctrine.

Parody lyrics:

This is PNI (You should Like and Subscribe)

This is PNI (As we watch and imbibe)

This is PNI (This is Parent' Night In)

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WWE Survivor Series 2020 Preview & Predictions

Well I may have cut the WWE Network cord back in April, but this Sunday is the one PPV of the year that actually tempts me to tune in, WWE Survivor Series!

If you've been reading my stuff at all over the last almost-seven years (Jesus, I need a life), you probably know that I have a soft spot for WWE's second-oldest PPV event.  Ever since the company announced in October of 1987 that their new supercard would feature teams of five going to war in elimination matches, I've been fascinated with the possibilities inherent in this format.  The first two Survivor Series events rank among my all-time favorite PPVs, and while sadly most editions since haven't even come close to being as good (2016 and 2018 got the job done), whenever there's a lineup featuring multiple elimination tag matches my ears perk up.

That said, it's high time WWE loses the Raw vs. Smackdown rivalry, at least for the elimination matches themselves.  While I do enjoy the champion vs. champion concept, which gives us the chance to see big matches we might not otherwise get, assembling teams of heels and faces bound by brand loyalty is and has always been utterly phony.  Does anyone watching actually buy the brand rivalry nonsense?  Why would good guys and bad guys set aside their differences simply because they're on the same show, especially when next year they may not be?  It makes no sense.  Instead how about if the babyfaces from both brands group together to stop their mutual enemies?  Wouldn't that be a much more compelling story?

Anyway, as has been the case the last four years, the 2020 Survivor Series looks plenty strong on paper.  The men's elimination match and the women's champions match in particular have the potential to be pretty great.  We'll see if they deliver.  

This being The Undertaker's 30th anniversary with the company, they'll have some kind of special tribute to him, which will probably take up way too much time and end with someone attacking him and starting a new feud.  It is once again telling that the poster for this event features the 55-year-old semi-retired Undertaker (a pic from ten years ago, mind you) and not any of the current stars.....

US Champion vs. Intercontinental Champion: Bobby Lashley vs. Sami Zayn

One match that has very little potential is this one.  I don't know why they took the belt off Sami months ago only to put it back on him the moment he returned from self-quarantine.  I like Sami a lot but he hasn't been presented strong at all.  There's zero chance he beats Lashley here either.  This will be a short near-squash.

Pick: Lashley

Tag Team Champions: New Day vs. Street Profits

This one actually could be really good, with all the athleticism involved.  I honestly have no idea who wins this, but the smart move at this point would be to give Street Profits a win over the legendary New Day, in order to get them over.  New Day doesn't at all need this win.

Pick: Profits

Midsommar: The Trauma of Passive Horror

Welcome to a special movie review where Justin breaks down what makes Midsommar so traumatic.  Ari Aster's sophomore feature about a group of Americans who visit a strange Swedish commune and experience grisly rituals touched a nerve with audiences in 2019.  With an emphasis on off-putting visuals and ever-escalating dread, Midsommar eschews modern horror tropes and instead takes on the feeling of a bizarre nightmare, sticking with you long after it's over.

But why?  What is it about Midsommar that's so upsetting?  Join Justin as he hypothesizes from a different angle than most analyses to date....

SPOILER WARNING!!!!

 

Excerpts of Bobby Krlic's score included under fair use.

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Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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Parents' Night In #48: Singles (1992), the 90s Grunge Rom-Com

Grab your flannels, Doc Martens and mom jeans, it's time to set the Wayback Machine for 1992 as Justin & Kelly talk Singles!  Directed by Cameron Crowe and starring Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick and a host of Seattle grunge bands, Singles is an ensemble rom-com about finding love against the backdrop of the early 90s' hottest rock n' roll movement.  Join us as we discuss the film, our failed first attempt at watching it together, Justin's teenage love life, some bad dating experiences, our unbridled love for Chris Cornell (Justin does an acoustic Cornell tribute on the side), Where Is Bridget Fonda Now?, and much more!

 

Shoutout to Pearl Jam tribute band Five Against None, whose show that night (which I sat in on) inspired me to select Singles for this episode!  Check 'em out at https://www.facebook.com/fiveagainstnone and FiveAgainstNone.com!

Also check out Justin's Chris Cornell acoustic tribute at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Mm-X3d_Bx99FxuvX3Y2yw

Intro music snippet: "Outshined" by Soundgarden, written by Chris Cornell

Parody lyrics:

This is Parents' Night In

With Kelly and Justin

Talkin' 'bout Seattle

And how much it sucks dating

(So watch our show) Click Like and Subscribe

(So watch our show) And get notified

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Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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AEW Full Gear 2020: FTR vs. The Young Bucks was EPIC

AEW has done it again.  Their sixth PPV offering, Full Gear 2020, was another strong showing for the upstart company, featuring a handful of good-to-excellent singles bouts, another wacky Deletion match, and an all-time tag team classic.

The big news coming out of Full Gear is that we have new Tag Team Champions, a new TNT Champion, and a new number-one contender, and for all the WWE loyalists claiming AEW is only pushing ex-WWE talent, none of the aforementioned came from WWE.  All Elite Wrestling is finally moving past the stage where they feel the need to draw viewers in with established names, and will now begin building around their own, homegrown talent.  If only for this reason, Full Gear was a significant step in AEW's growth, but there's a lot more.

The show opened with a spectacular PPV-quality match, as former partners Kenny Omega and Hangman Page faced off in the finals of the Eliminator tournament to establish a new top contender.  This match would've been right at home on a G1 Climax show; a lean sixteen minutes of furious action.  The story of the match, after the initial flurry, became Omega's knee.  Omega went for You Can't Escape, but failed to stick the landing on his kip-up, and seemed to ad lib a knee injury to cover for it.  If so, this was a bit of genius, as both guys ran with the knee for the rest of the match.  Kenny then had trouble executing some of his signature offense, but eventually fought hard to hit the One Winged Angel for the win.  It will now be Moxley vs. Omega II at Revolution, and I can't freakin' wait.  This was fantastic.  ****1/2

Next up was Orange Cassidy's revenge match against John Silver, who cost him in his second bid for the TNT Title.  I was ready to dismiss this as a throwaway, but this match was a whole lot of fun crammed into nine minutes.  Cassidy did his usual lazy man shtick at the beginning, which Silver sold with great annoyance.  From then it was a full-on sprint, with both guys hitting really crisp offense.  Cassidy is so much fun to watch and I'd love to see him get the TNT Title eventually.  After several reversals and counters, Cassidy hit Orange Punch and Beach Break to win.  Fun stuff.  ***1/4

Cody, now legally sporting his last name Rhodes, defended the TNT Title against Darby Allin in a classic veteran vs. underdog story.  Cody played the heel, bullying, biting, taunting, and at one point threatening to use his weight belt.  Allin fought from underneath, narrowly withstanding a top-rope CrossRhodes when his arm was under the ropes during the pin.  Cody later kicked out after a Coffin Drop and went for another CrossRhodes, but Allin countered with a cradle, leading to a series of traded nearfalls until Allin scored the three-count.  Cody sold frustration after the match, teasing a heel turn, but ultimately raised Allin's hand and gave him his moment in the sun.  This was a very good match and a big step for the company as they crowned the first homegrown male champion in AEW history.  ***3/4

NJPW Power Struggle 2020 Preview & Predictions

This Saturday brings a double-shot of wrestling goodness, as not only is AEW Full Gear happening, but also NJPW Power Struggle!

It's an abbreviated lineup this year, with only six matches on the card, but some of these bouts have the potential to be great.  Moreover we'll get a clearer picture of the impending WrestleKingdom 15 lineup coming out of this show.  So let's get started....

King of Pro Wrestling Trophy No Corner Pads Match: Toru Yano vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

This KOPW trophy is a pretty goofy idea if I'm being honest.  It's like those WWE Championship Scramble matches but stretched out all year.  Whoever ends up with the trophy on December 31st each year is the KOPW Champion for that year.  Given how silly that is, it's fitting then that Toru Yano is the 2020 champion.  But Zack Sabre is challenging for said trophy for some reason, despite being an actual title holder along with Taichi.  This will be the usual Yano stuff, now with no turnbuckle pads.  I guess there isn't much point to have this match if the trophy isn't going to change hands once or twice before year's end, so I'll go with ZSJ.

Pick: ZSJ wins the trophy and loses it back later

Kazuchika Okada vs. Great-O-Khan

Okada's looking for some revenge after being screwed out of the G1 Final spot, and Will Ospreay's sidekick is The Rainmaker's first obstacle on the way to the inevitable Dome showdown.  I know nothing about O-Khan's in-ring ability but as a dojo graduate I'm sure he'll do fine here.  It seems counterintuitive to have him lose his first major bout, but it is against Okada after all, and Okada losing to Ospreay's right-hand man wouldn't be much of a way to build to Okada-Ospreay.  So we'll give Kazuchika the duke.

Pick: Okada

AEW Full Gear 2020 Preview & Predictions

Oh man, AEW has put together a lineup.  This Saturday is the second annual Full Gear PPV event, and on paper it's one of the company's strongest cards to date.

I count four potential show stealers on the Full Gear card, and as it should be with any good wrestling show, they're all going to be very different matches.  

Not that I want to turn this into a "bash WWE" piece, but I realized last week that it's been roughly seven months since I cut the cord on the WWE Network, and I haven't regretted it in the slightest.  Yes there a handful of matches I've missed that I'd like to watch at some point - Balor vs. O'Reilly, Sasha vs. Bayley, etc. - but reading and listening to the reviews of RAW and Smackdown feels like talking to a mutual friend about how badly my ex is doing since the breakup.  Walking away was the right move.  

And that brings me to AEW, which is by no means a perfect product.  But I actually have fun watching Dynamite.  When they have a segment or match that's a miss, it doesn't drag down the whole show because it isn't one awful creative choice after another.  Their booking is logical and clearly designed to get over as many stars as possible.  Even when it doesn't work, at least I can see that they're trying their best, as opposed to an obvious act of sabotage, which is what happens on a regular basis in WWE.  AEW doesn't make me feel like I've wasted my evening.  That's the big difference.

But enough about that, let's pick some winners....

Buy In: Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver

Welp, Mr. Cassidy had a couple disappointing weeks, coming up short in two consecutive TNT Title bids against Cody.  The first was a time limit draw, the second was a Lumberjack Match loss.  So this is just a way for him to get a win back, against one of said lumberjacks who cost him the match with Cody.  Should be fine, if forgettable.

Pick: Cassidy

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: A Parents' Night Mini - The Great Pumpkin is Finally Revealed!

We're back with another Parents' Night mINi-episode movie review, where we discuss the OTHER classic Peanuts cartoon, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!  We'll talk about our history with this TV special, some of our earliest Halloween memories, the awful Halloween costumes we wore as kids,  how disappointed we were that we never got to actually SEE the Great Pumpkin, the origin of the phrase "trick or treat," and more!  Stick around to the end, because THE GREAT PUMPKIN IS REVEALED!

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and click the NOTIFICATION BELL to stay updated on future episodes!

Snippet of the Peanuts theme by Vince Guaraldi.

Parody lyrics:

Parents' Night mINi is back for

Halloween time

Linus and Sally are missing

Tricks or treats

Wait....who says that?

Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on future episodes, and don't forget to visit Enuffa.com, follow us on Twitter, join us on Facebook!  

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Disclaimer- Some contents are used for educational purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.       

Top Ten Things: Scary Movie Moments

Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Things, here at Enuffa.com!

Since it's October I thought I'd do a Halloween-themed list, so today I'll be talking about truly frightening or disturbing moments/scenes in some of my favorite scary films.  I generally don't scare very easy when watching a film; I've seen so many in my lifetime, and coming up with new ways to shock audiences becomes more difficult with each passing year.  But there are some cinematic scares that have endured for me, either because of a visually harrowing moment, or because of the sheer genius of a scene's construction.



10. The Shining: Bear Suit - This first entry isn't terrifying in the traditional sense, but I've included it more because it's such a strange and upsetting image.  In this scene from one of the all-time horror classics, Wendy Torrance is running through the halls of the haunted Overlook Hotel trying to find her son.  She stops in her tracks and the camera abruptly zooms in through the open doorway of one of the rooms, on a ghost dude in a bear suit pleasuring another ghost dude in a tux.  The novel provides an explanation for these supernatural shenanigans, but it's so much more effective as an unexplained cinematic bit.  This visual is so traumatic, so bizarre and disorienting, for both Wendy and the audience, particularly since neither of these men is supposed to be there.  It's like something out of a nightmare that you can barely remember; one of those dreams where you can only recall fragments of out-of-context imagery that stay with you for weeks.

Seriously, what the hell's goin' on?

9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Pointing - The 1978 remake of this sci-fi classic (in my opinion the best version by far) ends with the entire city of San Francisco being taken over by human-impersonating pod people.  The protagonist Matthew Bennell has seemingly escaped without being assimilated and is spotted by his friend Nancy, one of the few humans left in the city.  As she approaches him, he turns and lets out the signature body snatcher screech, revealing to us that he's one of them, and alerting the other pod people to Nancy's presence.  It's a truly terrifying conclusion to the film, and the visual of Donald Sutherland pointing at her accusingly with this inhuman facial expression is an iconic horror moment.

If you ever suspect someone of anything, just point at them like this
and I guarantee they'll own up to every shitty thing they've ever done.

Top Ten Things: Hell in a Cell Matches

Hey there, and welcome to another Top Ten Things, here at Enuffa.com!  

Today's list is all about the most demonic of wrestling gimmick matches, Hell in a Cell.  Introduced by the WWF in 1997, HIAC expanded on the traditional Steel Cage match by surrounding the entire ringside area with the volatile mesh structure.  They also covered the whole thing with a roof, trapping the combatants inside but giving them enough room to utilize the numerous unforgiving surfaces and weapons found outside the ring.  The result was one of the most brutal recurring stipulations in the history of the business, where only the most personal and heated of rivalries would be settled.  2009 saw the creation of a Hell in a Cell-themed PPV, which undermined the severity of such a gimmick match by making it an annual tradition instead of a feud-ender.  Regardless of its recently history though, Hell in a Cell still remains one of the most intriguing special attractions in WWE.

Here are my picks for the ten greatest HIAC matches of all time....

10. Batista vs. Triple H - Vengeance - 6.26.05

After two rather lackluster efforts at WrestleMania 21 and Backlash, Hunter and Big Dave finally delivered a classic inside the hellacious cage.  This was a bloody, grueling fight that ran over 26 minutes and finally solidified Batista as Triple H's conqueror.  These two made innovative use of weapons, as well as the ol' cage walls to create a shockingly good Cell bout.  When it was over, the torch had finally been passed to Batista, who along with John Cena became one of the faces of the company.

9. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose - Hell in a Cell - 10.26.14

After multiple years of underwhelming HIAC matches two young, hungry stars took the gimmick back up a notch at the 2014 event.  Mortal enemies Ambrose and Rollins followed up their unruly SummerSlam Lumberjack match with this brutal, chaotic fight that kicked off atop the structure.  After about ten minutes of crazy brawling leading to both men falling through announce tables (the first spot like that since the Mick Foley years), the match officially resumed inside the cage, and 13 minutes later Rollins took advantage of Bray Wyatt's (hokey) interference to win the bout.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2020 Preview & Predictions

What is it with Hell in a Cell PPVs nowadays?  This is the second year in a row WWE has only announced four matches as of a few days before the show.  And we all know how that went last year, don't we?  What the fuck, with this company....

Anyway, Hell in a Cell 2020 is in four days, so I guess let's pick the winners for the half-card they've been gracious enough to announce.  There's really only one match on this show I'm interested in and that's the three-years-in-the-making Bayley vs. Sasha match.

Jeff Hardy vs. Elias

So as I understand it, Sheamus attacked Elias backstage but framed Jeff Hardy for it, and now Elias wants to fight Jeff.  Even though we know for a fact that it was actually Sheamus.  Is that right?  This has gotta be the stupidest-ever basis for a feud, and I was around in 1995 when Jean-Pierre LaFitte stole Bret Hart's jacket (that his mom supposedly made for him, because moms are good at fashioning leather garments...).  At least that feud yielded two really good matches.  This isn't gonna be that.  Elias stinks and Jeff is beyond irrelevant in 2020.  Who gives a turd?

Pick: Jeff wins I guess?

Universal Championship Hell in a Cell: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

This is one of two Cell matches where the challenger has already lost to the champion.  So therefore let's have a rematch in the most brutal gimmick structure.  Makes sense.  Man do I miss the days when Hell in a Cell was about settling a blood feud and not "Hey, it's October again!"  Anyone who thinks Jey Uso has a snowball's chance in Guatemala, I have several bridges to sell you.  In Guatemala.

Pick: Anyone with brains knows Roman Reigns retains