Telling a Story in Wrestling 

Very true.. I like all that as well

And Bulldog did it all with a RAGING post-bender hangover

Jenna Leigh's Beauty Slam As for storytelling, don't think it is. Good storytelling on the other hand, that could be more debatable.

I think it depends. I have noticed it's beginning to fade just a bit in New Japan. Some of the longer matches that are popular aren't as telling as I prefer. But again, how much narrative can you really tell in a 50 minute long fight sequence? However, while not always, I think in the WWE, especially NXT, it's evolving. This is one area where I feel WWE still has an advantage

Dave Knows Wrestling if you're referring to the okada/omega matches. The length of the match tells a lot of story itself considering that a big part of the story of omega and okada was a battle of endurance

Jenna Leigh's Beauty Slam Hi Jenna! How r u? I personally think it depends on the promotion & it's divisions. Examples: WWE. Main roster wise, I feel it sucks especially the undercard & tragically, the women's on both shows, yet, NXT, is outstanding with TakeOver being the best shows, & it consistently outshines the main PPV's. ROH is again, IMO, the most balanced in all cases, undercard & Main Event. Lucha Underground has outstanding storytelling since day 1, & Impact, after a long struggle under Dixie, is finally making sense in all areas. I'll tell u what I've told Dave. Vince once said that his greatest goal was 2 become "The Walt Disney Of Wrestling." & in doing so, has sold out his product, which is true wrestling storylines, 4 the nonsensical crap we r tortured with 2day which is called "Entertainment.". I could say more but, I don't want 2 take up more of your time. I hope it somewhat made sense. Thank u very much 4 your time. Have a great day! 😉

Right on

if done right, not over thunk, and the people involved don't overestimate themselves a complex story can be great but a lot do fall flat

I am so upset about this. I will always be a Big Van Fan

Did he die? Man, god damn it. Now i am sad.

Wow he was a good man and a great wrestler.

I respectfully disagree, I think NJPW is beginning to lose its a bit of its storytelling. Some of the longer matches seem to have momentum shifts happening more randomly towards the end. Sure, wrestling for an hour takes a toll, but I think that's the price you pay for putting on a marathon

Dave Knows Wrestling I think you really need to stop sucking off the wwe, and living off nostalgia dude lol. For example The naito vs okada Match at wk 12 told such a great story, but you need the proper background to understand. Such as naito playing to the crowd, and devolving back to his stardust genius gimmick which had failed him previously when he first won the g1, and ultimately cost him the match at wk12 . To me it just seems like you are a hesitant outsider who just attacks things due to being out what you usually watch 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Dave Knows Wrestling wut Maybe it doesn't translate to people who don't watch new japan a lot, but there's no other company doing better stories than New Japan both in the ring and outside it Okada vs naito, okada vs tanahashi, okada vs omega told better stories than any WWE match in the last decade And of course the momentum changes a lot in those longer matches, it's done to portray the wrestlers as equals hence getting the crowd more invested It is also a fitting climax to a long match The same thing happens in NXT

Simple, straightforward storytelling is how to do it, and NJPW is the best at it. I'll grudgingly agree that the WWE has good storytelling, at least sometimes. The WWE just has too many bad storylines. NJPW is prone to bad storylines occasionally, not as much.

He will be very missed

c122 h122 So Sad...Vader was easily The Nicest Wrestler I ever met! A true Legend!

I think they are much better than Okada/Omega matches because Okada/Tanahashi tell better stories together. I am with you

True, a great saga indeed. But I doubt Dave was referring to that when he talked about the lack of storytelling. Personally I'd say the infamous Ricochet VS Ospreay was the best example of guys flipping around doing nothing to each other. It was a different kind of circus act, they were doing acrobatics like those in the "Cirque du Soleil", but not really wrestling.

@@anxofernandez3344 I would argue that match was about two of the best high flyers in the world trying to prove the best. That's why there's a lot of posturing and taunting throughout. It's also why when both they did the fake suicide dive to superhero landing they didn't try to attack the other but just keeping looking each other in their eyes. I'll admit the lack of selling hurt the storytelling but an argument could maybe made by that it was done in service of the story cause their drive to be the best was allowing them to push past the pain. Just another way to look at it.

@@mikecabral2420 Ricochet himself has said that before he started in NXT he had never worried about storytelling, he knew that he could go and he was a good wrestler but he never thought about the story or how selling a certain way, taking time before doing something, choosing the best move at the right moment of the match...those things weren't in his mind and they clearly aren't on Osprey's now either. It's a different thing, it's more "entertaining" in a short period of time, but worse on the long run because there's no story.

That's impossible! It's not from the 80s! It's not 7 foot tall muscular men!!! Or so the boomer wrestling fans tell me

Will always be a fan

He was one of my favorites and so underrated in the WWF

Dave Knows Wrestling it's almost criminal how he was treated in WWE.

Big Van Vader forever

Cainyoyo and the call backs too. Such as okada and the fabled wrestle control or omega with the styles clashes. I just feel wwe marks like Dave don’t ever give new japan or indies a shot so they fail to understand proper story telling, and just boil It down to “it’s just flips and shit “

I loved this story too.. made me wish the crowd was a lil more into because I thought they were telling a great tale. Also, it's another reason why I like Baszler over Ronda

Baszler and Rousey is basically night and day in terms of how to handle an MMA star's introduction vs how to mishandle an MMA star's introduction. I am probably among the least inclined to give Ronda praise (being someone who finds neither spousal abuse nor transphobia funny or acceptable), but credit where it's due, it takes something special to weather that kind of monumental bodge job and still remain popular. Though absolutely no question about it, Shayna's leagues ahead. Such an effective heel, both in ring and out. What is it with everyone renaming the rear naked choke the "something clutch", though? Now that that's happened twice, I think it's allowed to count as a trend. Is Baszler paying tribute to Joe with that? Neither of them modify it whatsoever, and it already starts off with the best generic move name ever.

I think PG WWE thinks Rear Naked is too racy. I'm still trying to figure out why everyone is calling the school boy a roll up.. is it because of the Joey Stylez comment on Big Dick Dudley that one time?

Isn't a roll up just any type of pinfall involving a roll? So the school boy would count, then... just being more vague about it. So I hadn't noticed that happening, because it hadn't registered in my brain as an alteration. But that is curious. It could be that, I guess? I don't remember what the joke was (I'm assuming it was a racy joke) but I can make a safe guess I think. They call it "school boy" in the video games... video games that still get a lot of other move names totally wrong. If they think "rear naked choke" is too racy then first, they need to distance themselves from MMA because that's a damn insult when that sport doesn't give a damn about it and second, someone seriously needs to have a talk with them about the "five knuckle shuffle". HOW have they not figured that out yet. What next, they gonna rename the irish whip because a whip could refer to BDSM? Is the Rock gonna return for a one-off and do his famous finisher, the Rock Slam onto someone? Is some cheating heel gonna use the attire, rather than grabbing the tights, because grabbing the tights sounds rude, and using the attire doesn't? Is a clothesline gonna almost take someone's hair off now, rather than head? Are belly to belly suplexes now cuddleplexes? Actually that last one I do kinda like, that's hilarious. :) All this while they routinely have half their matches involve outside dives and buckle/rope suplexes, it just doesn't make a lick of sense that you'd be so oversensitive about something actually-harmless like not-even-very-harsh language, whilst not giving a shit about something actually-dangerous like the standards of risk taking you're forcing up by overdiluting. Uh. What a messed up set of priorities. I think if there is one thing I'd wish back from the attitude era (very much not my favourite era, involving a lot of elements I'm glad to see the back of), it'd be them not giving a shit about move names. Just... the sheer absurdity of having someone choke someone else out, and thinking "that's not palatable to children... change the name of it, okay it's fine now". Either they're sensitive souls who wouldn't be drawn toward watching theatrical violence in the first place, or they're not. So if any of your audience is watching, none of your audience cares. Stop it, WWE. And please, stop having everyone throw everyone into the turnbuckle or ropes. So risky. Why is this a trend? Goodness me, I'm in a ranty mood tonight. Sorry. lol

The Roll-Up was originally one of three terms designated exclusively for the O'Connor Roll. Also I was just kidding about the term being too racy.. I have no idea why. And I totally agree on all your points about safety and wonder why they have become trends as well

Thank you and you take care as well

Thank you.. you get it

Miz/Dolph was a real good story

Thank you.. I've been waiting for someone to acknowledge the cartoon

Thank you

Thanks for sharing

That was a really good story match

Well I do understand your overall point

Agreed.. it's what makes something compelling and captivating

Dave Knows Wrestling I remember telling people that I prefer a good storyline to go with my fights.

Very nice.. if that match couldn't get ya.. I don't know what will

First off thank you for all your support. Second, since I'm not 100% sure what counts as obvious, I will just go with some that I really like off the top of my head that I don't think were very high profile. Aleister Black/Velveteen Dream, HHH/Shelton Benjamin (the first time), Undertaker/Shane WM 32, Dolph Ziggler/Del Rio and surprisingly Daniel Bryan/Lesnar. These may not be my favorite matches or even great all round. I just think these are standout examples of different kinds of stories that I got sucked into. I wanted Dream to get Aleister's respect. I believed Shelton was a rookie that could beat HHH. I saw how Shane wouldn't quit until Undertaker put him out of his misery (I was there live and it read even without commentary) I felt bad for Ziggler coming off of injury getting kicked by Del Rio. And I totally thought it was more of Lesnar's garbage squashes until D Bry turned it around and he began to give me hope that he could win.. even though I never fully bought into it, there was a glimmer of hope.. and with as sour on Lesnar as I am, I'm surprised that they were able to get that. As I write this, I thought of a whole bunch more, but that'll do for now.

Yeah I actually agree with you Arthur.. I can already tell that this is a can of worms that will lead to a geek rage fire... it's already starting, but I am on your side

Dave Knows Wrestling What we agree on something Dave????😲😲😲😲 lol

Arthur Prior I strongly disagree.

Arthur Prior I've made a comment on the Okada Omega match since I think that's one of the series of matches you're talking about is.

Arthur Prior Arthur, this is by far & wide, 1 of the greatest comments I've ever read. U truly due understand this great sport, in the complete sense. U sir, have my utmost respect. I normally reserve these words strictly 4 Dave, but 4 u sir, I make the great exception. U the man Arthur! 👍 👌 ✊

I really like your name

@@DaveKnowsWrestling I can't believe you actually replied haha 😆

Thanks

Umm I don't know

But my hair color doesn't come from a box unlike Easy E

I thought so.. but if you read some of the comments... Thanks anyway though

Yes.. but inaccurate commentary is something Michael Cole has conditioned me to expect from the WWE

Well enjoy it while you can

@@DaveKnowsWrestling while I can?

WWE Network in the US is not gonna be around much longer. WWE content is going to the Peacock. What changes will that mean.. we can only guess

Hahah. I have taken note of him too... I never thought to do an episode on him.. but that's interesting

I never noticed him...but I have noticed KidBehindACamera...& The old ECW Regs like Sign guy & Hat guy! LOL 🤣🤣🤣

Mike Mirch he sits like right in the center on the side facing the hard camera

Dave Knows Wrestling please do

I think there's a better example of someone he should have beaten for the title

Shawn Michaels right?

Yup

Figures

Not at all. I think guys like me (who are of a certain age) want storytelling. Younger fans think storying telling is something totally different.. as I found out from the comment section on here