Sunday, February 9, 2025

The Kurgan's Theme: The Disgruntled Wrestling Fan(s) and Their Prize(s)

*This blog post started on September 5, 2024.

Well, at least trying to get myself some legitimate online credentials allowed me to use one of my favorite Queen song's title as a nomenclature for this post.

This means that I am not going to get too far inside my own head. I am going to try and focus on the just writing about who should be called the best professional wrestlers in the world. The best, at least in the West. To my credit, New Japan Pro-Wrestling World is a service that I subscribe to. Hence, a clue is something that I possess when it comes to the puroresu scene.

Let me up front, I am not a sports entertainment fan. WWE is trying to distance themselves from the term that the former owner coined (along side the former owner). I consider myself an under-employed professional wrestler, and I decided to pursue a career in the business based off of products like Extreme Championship Wrestling around the turn of the 21st century. What inspired me was the bell-to-bell drama, not Dwayne Johnson's catchphrases or the chance that Brian Pillman might possibly pull a gun on Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Yes, ECW had plenty of shock television (It was usually done better than WWF. If not better, than at least fearlessly.), but they had performers who wanted to give everything that they had (body and soul) in the ring to provide their fans the best show they could possibly ask for. When the cameras are not there to document the soap opera drama, the in ring product is all that there is.

And that is why I created the "Disgruntled's Real Championship Wrestling" series of blogs. It is a means to honor those who know what is truly important to the business. Not the likes of online influencers like Logan Paul, who are athletic, but are performing only to further sell their brand to those who will not follow their YouTube videos.

The Disgruntled's Real World Champions of Pro-Wrestling:

Title Histories from June 25, 2024 to September 26, 2024.

The 106th and Current Disgruntled's Real World Champion:
AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson (5).

His fifth reign began when he defeated DRCW Real World Champion/AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland on August 25.

Strickland won this title from Samoa Joe. The other champions at the time were/are:

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito who had traded that championship with Jon Moxley.
(WWE) World Heavyweight Champion Gunther who won it from Money in the Bank Winner Damian Priest (A man who cashed in his anytime title shot on a worn down Drew McIntyre)
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Cody Rhodes, a man who can never challenge for the AEW World Championship.

Rhodes is a bitter soul who was not good enough to win the championship of a promotion he started. Naito's reign should have been uninterrupted, but New Japan Pro-Wrestling decided to pull some shock booking. Gunther defeated an unworthy champion, one who needed to be a scavenger to claim his championship. AEW President Tony Khan knows how to book his championship. The only person who could ruin his booking was CM Punk, and that is a man whom he fired.

The 49th and Current Modern Poser Champion:
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion: Cody Rhodes

His reign began when he defeated Roman Reigns on April 7.

Roman Reigns is the epitome of a sports entertainer. Cody Rhodes was trained to be a sports entertainer. A sports entertainer will always be second to a pro-wrestler.

The 54th and Current Disgruntled's Real Women's World Champion:
AEW Women's World Champion: "The Glamour" Mariah May

Her reign began when she defeated DRCW Real World Women's Champion/AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm on August 25.

Toni Storm became champion when Rhea Ripley vacated her (WWE) Women's World Championship due to injury. DRCW championships were designed to not have vacancies, so Becky Lynch's Battle Royal win to fill Ripley's title was not needed.

WWE Women's Champion Bayley's title win at WrestleMania was over a Iyo Sky, a champion who cashed in Money in the Bank to become "the best". Storm won her championship by defeating the first three-time, and longest reigning AEW Women's World Champion, Hikaru Shida. Again, AEW has the strongest title lineages.

The 159th and Current Disgruntled's Real World Tag Team Champions:
AEW World Tag Team Champions: Nicholas & Matthew Jackson: The Young Bucks (4)

Their reign began when the Awesome Truth were defeated for the World Tag Team Championship on June 24.

I don't like that the AEW titles were claimed after Sting & Darby Allin vacated them, but you cannot support the Judgement Day B-Team (Finn Balor and JD McDonaugh) as the best tag team in the world. Perchance, they will be the men's duos champions.

If only DIY could have beaten A-Town Down before JD Mc "Don't Google Me" and the former Prince Devitt won their titles.

The 175th and Current Disgruntled's Unified Gnarly Men's Doubles Champions:
World Tag Team Champions (WWE): JD McDonagh & Finn Balor (3)

Their reign began when The System lost the TNA World Tag Team Championship on July 20.

ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) have established themselves as the new Beer Money of TNA. They are too strong to be a Duo.

The 163rd and Current OCHO: The Disgruntled's Secondary Champion:
(Intercontinental, United States, Global, Television, TNT, North American, X-Division, National Champion)
WWE Intercontinental Champion: Jey Uso

His reign began when he defeated Sami Zayn for the championship on September 23, 2024.

The 162nd OCHO: The Disgruntled's Secondary Champion: WWE Intercontinental Champion: Bronn Breaker

His reign began when he defeated Sami Zayn for the championship on August 3, 2024.

Who has a fun title for ninth** title being added to the OCHO lineage? AEW's International Championship is looking like a secondary title.

I suppose when I comeback to this blog to report on my success or lack there of, I have to finally investigate the tertiary championship. Maybe I can determine the secondary championship in Western Women's Wrestling. A chance to further bury the WWE, how can I resist.

**The OCHO is comprised of the:

WWF/WWE Intercontinental Championship (1)
WCW/WWE United States Championship (2)
ECW World Television Championship (3)
TNA/Impact X-Division Championship (4)
ROH World Television Championship
IWGP United States/Global Championship (5)
NXT North American Championship (6)
NWA National Championship (7)
AEW TNT Championship (8)

Podcasts at Fan Expo New Orleans & Clerks from Chambana

Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss

Episode 202: Ninety For Chill X NOLA Film Scene: Fan Expo New Orleans 2025

CatBusRuss⁠ ventures to ⁠Fan Expo New Orleans 2025⁠ to host his first podcast panel of the new year, and he could not have asked for better guests than local podcasters ⁠TJ & Plaideau from NOLA Film Scene⁠. This was the first panel these hometown actors have starred in and this was the first in person roundtable discussion Russ has been able to post on this podcast. It was a learning experience for all, but more importantly, a fun conversation about why 100 minutes is the ideal maximum movie runtime. But the NOLA boys do help our host figure out how you can grab for a few extra minutes.

TJ and Brian were gracious in providing their Southern Hospitality to a shy Yankee. And fortunately both their wives approved their efforts (despite birthdays) or attended (and helped produce). It shows that there were witnesses to that this moment in history happened. The cast of "Back to the Future" cannot take that away from them.

Episode 204 - Clerks on "Clerks" with CouchManBakes

The host of ⁠"Baking While Baked", Andrew "Couchman" Tiede⁠, returns to the show to discuss the feature that put ⁠Kevin Smith⁠ on the map, "⁠Clerks⁠". ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ and his guest determine this is a feature about trying to find one's own identity. And, since these two make a living as customer agents, how this film serves to remind them not to take life too seriously, and always have a true hustle too focus on. Unless slacking is something you find comfort in. Thus, this podcast may have been better titled, "The Book of Randle".

The conversation the two have serves as a chance to share their own war stories about customers and expectations set on them. It is interesting because Smith's film only seems crazy to those who have not been employed in the retail space. Every scene triggers trauma our two podcasters have endured, and they love the story for that. Smith made a film that shows the clerk is not alone, despite what the customers want us to think. Damn, more people need to see this movie so they know what kind of douches they choose to be.

And since craziness was brought up, Couchman and CatBus review how "⁠Ninety For Chill⁠" has evolved into "⁠I Dig Crazy Flicks⁠". They look back on some of the films they have discussed, and which ones are truly bonkers. An argument can be made for all of them after they stopped and determined that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday from "⁠Tombstone⁠" are parallels to Joliet Jake and Elwood from "⁠The Blues Brothers⁠".

Follow me on Twitter @catbusruss. If you want to be on the show, contact me on Twitter or send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com. All we need is a theme, movie, director, or actor and a focus on sub 100-minute material. As long as the credits start before the 1:39:59 mark on the runtime bar, the movie qualifies.

The Undrafted and Wrongfully Drafted

"Bull Durham" was not drafted on the Baseball Draft (A film that can only be drafted at #1)
"No Fear of a Black Hat" on the Fictional Band Mini-Mega Draft
The entire George Lucas Draft
"The Birdcage" instead of "La Cage Aux Folles" on the Drag Draft
"Road Trip" was not even mentioned during the Road Trip Draft
"Major League" instead of "Drop Zone" on the Wesley Snipes Draft
"Black Swan" instead of "Mermaids" on the Wynona Ryder Draft
"Akira" instead of "Ghost World" on the Comic Book Movie (Non-Super Hero) Draft. Tetsuo is a Supe.
"Now You See Me" instead of "Diggstown" on the Con Artist Movie Draft
"The Onion Movie" instead of "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask" on the Sketch Comedy Anthologies Draft
"The Big Lebowski" not being marked eight on the Coen Bros. Draft
"Labrynth" or "Dark Crystal" not receiving the number 1 or 2 spot in the Jim Henson Draft
"Stage Fright" on the Giallo Draft. It is a slasher despite the presentation.
"Assault of Precinct 13" and "Prince of Darkness" Instead of "Escape from New York" and "The Thing" on the John Carpenter Draft
"Con Air" instead of "US Marshalls" and "Universal Soldier" instead of "Time Cop " on the 90's Action Draft
"WarGames" instead of "Spies Like Us" on the Cold War Draft
"Traffic" instead of "Side Effects" on the Steven Soderbergh Draft
"Fight Club" instead of "The Virgin Suicides" on the 1999 Draft ("Suicides" made the Actor Directorial Debut Draft)
Any Kirk Douglass instead of "The Shining" being on the Kubrick Draft
"Return of the Jedi" instead of "Tokyo Drift" on the Threequels Draft (there's only one "Return," okay, and it ain't "of the King," it's "of the Jedi.")

Deserves a Second Chance

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).

I find the DC movies, or at least Zack Snyder, was trying to bring comic books to the big screen as opposed to adapting comic books for the big screen. If you read, (or watch the excellent animated adaptation of) "The Dark Knight Returns", it is a very slow build to the battle between the Bat and Supe. This is regarded as one of the best threads in comics.

As a guy who fell in love with wrestling in the 1980's, the very methodical showdown is what I loved. It's a love letter to comic book fans who read and note every detail and want to try figuring out the plot before the character do. Come at the flick this way, and I think you will get something out of it.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

This is a feature that dares you to be offended. When director Ben Stiller is that forthcoming like Robert Downey Sr. was with 1969's "Putney Swope", an audience saying that something is in poor taste, hence not funny, means they are afraid to make a mockery of a concept.

My own experience with junkies bankrupting me allows me to thoroughly enjoy Jack Black's making addiction seem ridiculous. Robert Downey Jr. nails his taboo performance and I would say helps the call for actors from a demographic to be the first people called on for the roles representing them. As for the "Forest Gump" knock off jokes, they serve as a way to ridicule us for what we accepted (and encouraged) as fine a decade prior. The narrative that controls the pace in the second act can drag, but the content that is delivered cannot be cut.