Dark Side of the Ring - Viceland show

[CaptainCrunch67]

people crave reality in wrestling and he’s definitely real, I’ll say that much

No these fans that follow death matches don't care about real, they literally are hoping that they see someone maimed or killed. Nick Gage will be that guy that we hear about in a few years that either broke and homeless and begging people to donate to his go fund me, or he'll be dead.

I'd argue that in the fake world of wrestling matches, death matches and tournaments are kind of stupid. There's no story telling there, no emotional investment besides blood lust. and fans that follow it will want more and more and more stupidity until someone dies.

 

[Bondurant]

Vice continued the trend of only offering the first episode(s) on YouTube. Garbage wrestling does not move the needle for me but I will probably watch the Gage episode whenever I plop down $25 on Prime for the season. Too much surefire gold coming up.

 

[sabremike]

No these fans that follow death matches don't care about real, they literally are hoping that they see someone maimed or killed. Nick Gage will be that guy that we hear about in a few years that either broke and homeless and begging people to donate to his go fund me, or he'll be dead.

I'd argue that in the fake world of wrestling matches, death matches and tournaments are kind of stupid. There's no story telling there, no emotional investment besides blood lust. and fans that follow it will want more and more and more stupidity until someone dies.

What are your thoughts about Misawa (whose style led to him essentially being decapitated in the middle of the ring)? Seriously, while the death match stuff isn't something that I'd advise is getting hit with a light tube really more dangerous than head dropping and shoot headbutts (which nearly killed Shibatta and ended his career).

And the idea that AEW would avoid the guy because of his death match background should cause anyone who takes a look at the current roster to roar with laughter.

 

[CDJ]

Vice continued the trend of only offering the first episode(s) on YouTube. Garbage wrestling does not move the needle for me but I will probably watch the Gage episode whenever I plop down $25 on Prime for the season. Too much surefire gold coming up.

other people post the full episodes on YouTube, it’s probably illegal on their end but whatever it’s not illegal for you to click it

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

What are your thoughts about Misawa (whose style led to him essentially being decapitated in the middle of the ring)? Seriously, while the death match stuff isn't something that I'd advise is getting hit with a light tube really more dangerous than head dropping and shoot headbutts (which nearly killed Shibatta and ended his career).

And the idea that AEW would avoid the guy because of his death match background should cause anyone who takes a look at the current roster to roar with laughter.

I want to be pretty clear on your second point. Cage cannot work a match, he's garbage in the ring, he's completely unsafe with his opponents and even they admitted it, he takes liberties with their bodies. there are better options for AEW to spend their money on. Leave him wrestling in people's back yards where he belongs.

I don't know how you can equate Misawa's death with death matches. Misawa's death was a tragic accident. Meanwhile Death Matches are actually designed to do grievous bodily harm for absolutely no reason. The fact that its defined as entertainment is a stunning testament to their fans. Mick Foley wasn't fighting death matches every week or every night. They used a death match to maximum effect, like to blow off a feud. Even when you read interviews by Foley and Funk when they talk about these matches, they also talk about respecting their opponents bodies and lives. Death Match wrestlers like Gage don't.

Chances are you bring Gage into AEW and have him pull off that BS, they lose their TV deal in a hurry.

He's not a wrestler, he never professes to be.

 

[sabremike]

I want to be pretty clear on your second point. Cage cannot work a match, he's garbage in the ring, he's completely unsafe with his opponents and even they admitted it, he takes liberties with their bodies. there are better options for AEW to spend their money on. Leave him wrestling in people's back yards where he belongs.

I don't know how you can equate Misawa's death with death matches. Misawa's death was a tragic accident. Meanwhile Death Matches are actually designed to do grievous bodily harm for absolutely no reason. The fact that its defined as entertainment is a stunning testament to their fans. Mick Foley wasn't fighting death matches every week or every night. They used a death match to maximum effect, like to blow off a feud. Even when you read interviews by Foley and Funk when they talk about these matches, they also talk about respecting their opponents bodies and lives. Death Match wrestlers like Gage don't.

Chances are you bring Gage into AEW and have him pull off that BS, they lose their TV deal in a hurry.

He's not a wrestler, he never professes to be.

As somebody who has followed the Northeast indy scene since the 90's and has seen Gage in plenty of non death matches I can tell you for a fact that he is capable of having a match without beating someone with light tubes.

 

[TheShape]

Bit ironic Cornette wanted nothing to do with Gage episode but was all over the New Jack stuff. I don’t see much difference between the pair, two “wrestlers” who get off on hurting people.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Bit ironic Cornette wanted nothing to do with Gage episode but was all over the New Jack stuff. I don’t see much difference between the pair, two “wrestlers” who get off on hurting people.

He worked with and booked New Jack. He knew those Kentucky rednecks would lose their minds when he showed up. That's the diff anyway.

 

[Kaner9]

Bit ironic Cornette wanted nothing to do with Gage episode but was all over the New Jack stuff. I don’t see much difference between the pair, two “wrestlers” who get off on hurting people.

The devil you know vs the devil you don't know.

 

[joestevens29]

With AEW trying to be legit and knowing that they need these TV deals going they will never ever have a guy like Nick Gage working matches, frankly the guy was never trained as a wrestler, the whole death match stuff, while it has its uses once in a blue moon, is basically the worst amateur crap aspect of pro wrestling. At least with ECW among all the garbage wrestlers they had. They also had really strong actual wrestlers.

I came out of that story without an ounce of sympathy for Nick, he's going to be dead in a couple of years, his girlfriend and him still look like they're partaking. Mick Foley has talked about one of his regrets being that he popularized the back yard trash wrestling industries. I respect wrestlers that can work a match and can tell a story with their bodies and offer more then throwing people through lightbulbs. Ironically there's a video of Gage lighting an opponent on fire floating around today, and it was just another stunt gone wrong. Its amazing what this guy does for probably a couple of hundred bucks a night, and honestly it doesn't make him tough, it doesn't make him a story teller, it doesn't make him anything but a moron.

Seems like there would just be too much liability with a guy like Cage. As it is with Arquette he lost his shit. You do one thing slightly wrong to him and you are going to be on the IR for a very long time.

 

[joestevens29]

He worked with and booked New Jack. He knew those Kentucky rednecks would lose their minds when he showed up. That's the diff anyway.

Would it also be that Cornette probably doesn't want to promote the things Cage is still doing?

New Jack was more about his old days where the Cage story is more of an ongoing story.

It's literally like a prequel as in the future they probably could've done a Cage story with an even darker story.

 

[HandsomeHollywood]

New Jack was a trained wrestler when Cornette was working with him. It wasn't until ECW when New Jack was hard into death match stuff and jumping off high things. Cornette used him as an extreme promo less than an extreme exhibitionist.

They also had a falling out over Jack going to ECW so they didn't speak for Jack's entire hardcore run.

 

[CDJ]

Halfway through collision in Korea

Eric Bischoff is a god damn idiot but I’m glad he at least recognizes it lol

can’t believe anybody thought that would be a good idea


Edit: finished it. Fascinating episode on a topic I didn’t know a ton about. 2 Cold Scorpio is an interesting cat lol

 

[JackSlater]

I was hoping for more from the North Korea episode. It's a pretty unique story and involves a lot of colourful characters. I like Norton and all but you'd hope to hear from a few other guys more than from him. At least Bischoff didn't pull his "I don't remember anything" card a ton.

 

[IceColdOx]

Jack actually did try to really wrestle in SMW before the let's throw ourselves off stuff kick.

Bischoff has really become somewhat self-aware. Part of me thinks that's having to deal with Conrad every week, who won't tolerate the "I can't recall" crap.

Thought of some new episode ideas and the Atlanta TV war with Anne Gunkel and George Gulas would be good topics. Still waiting for a Buck Zumhoffe episode.

 

[CHGoalie27]

No these fans that follow death matches don't care about real, they literally are hoping that they see someone maimed or killed. Nick Gage will be that guy that we hear about in a few years that either broke and homeless and begging people to donate to his go fund me, or he'll be dead.

I'd argue that in the fake world of wrestling matches, death matches and tournaments are kind of stupid. There's no story telling there, no emotional investment besides blood lust. and fans that follow it will want more and more and more stupidity until someone dies.

That's not entirely true lol

 

[Transplanted Caper]

Thought Collision in Korea was the best episode of the season. Not sure how the Warrior episode will go, he had lots of heat, which can be compelling (if already well tilled story) but episodes like that can lean to heavy in guests trying to self-promote than talk about the subject at hand.

 

[Bondurant]

Thought Collision in Korea was the best episode of the season. Not sure how the Warrior episode will go, he had lots of heat, which can be compelling (if already well tilled story) but episodes like that can lean to heavy in guests trying to self-promote than talk about the subject at hand.

I imagine a full episode of Scorpio type stories. Put myself over on the guy that cannot defend himself and stroke my own ego. Cornette has already hinted on his show that Vice is going to bury Warrior and saying the A&E Biography will be bullshit.

 

[JackSlater]

I imagine a full episode of Scorpio type stories. Put myself over on the guy that cannot defend himself and stroke my own ego. Cornette has already hinted on his show that Vice is going to bury Warrior and saying the A&E Biography will be bullshit.

I'm definitely looking forward to the contrast between those two. Burying Warrior is easy, but talking him up will take some creativity. I expect that Hogan will have a gem though.

 

[joestevens29]

I'm not sure what the point of the Warrior episode was.

I really don't know that there was anything new that I hadn't heard about before.

I mean I forgot about what Jake Roberts was going to do to him at the Hall of Fame, but really not a lot of new information.

Evan or Jason must've been big warrior fans and were trying to see if they could get anymore information. Should've maybe just let the guy RIP instead of rehashing same crap.

 

[GarbageGoal]

They ignored how when he came back people thought it was an imposter, his (and Davey Boy Smith) getting fired for steroids and his WCW run.

I don't blame them for trying, and I thought they were pretty fair in trying to say he was kayfabing the boys acting like a total ahole but maybe more emotional and open with his wife.

 

[joestevens29]

They ignored how when he came back people thought it was an imposter, his (and Davey Boy Smith) getting fired for steroids and his WCW run.

I don't blame them for trying, and I thought they were pretty fair in trying to say he was kayfabing the boys acting like a total ahole but maybe more emotional and open with his wife.

They pretty much spun all the good things that happened to him in wrestling as negative, so I don't know how much more negative was really needed lol.

I'm trying to think did anyone other than his ex-wife have anything good to say about him? Other than he had the look and physique?

I'm also trying to think who would be next in line behind the Warrior for such a horrible wrestler/person that had as much success as him in wrestling?

 

[GarbageGoal]

They pretty much spun all the good things that happened to him in wrestling as negative, so I don't know how much more negative was really needed lol.

I'm trying to think did anyone other than his ex-wife have anything good to say about him? Other than he had the look and physique?

I'm also trying to think who would be next in line behind the Warrior for such a horrible wrestler/person that had as much success as him in wrestling?

He played the political game wrong not making any allies on the way up. Certainly Hogan screwed over a lot of people (like ratting everyone out over the union) but he was subtle about it.

Full disclosure, I thought Warrior sucked, even as a kid.

 

[eXile3]

I actually preferred the A&E one. I usually hate the puff pieces but I thought A&E actually did a decent job at covering the less than positives parts of this personality. I assume Vice skipped the steroids because they'er covering it later in U.S vs Vince McMahon episode?

I've been pretty disappointed in this season.

 

[Del Preston]

Dana Warrior is pissed off about this week's episode because it pointed out some negative stuff about Warrior.

What was Jake Roberts talking about losing out on a world title run because Warrior got suspended at SummerSlam? Warrior hadn't been champ since the '91 Rumble.