The Conversion Progress Featuring ESPN Columnist Jemele Hill

It's amazing the things you think about doing when you have a bunch of free time.


One of those things you think about doing is bothering all of your friends on Twitter to watch some wrestling matches, and tell you what they think of them. But that wasn't enough. Rather, I wanted them to watch stuff that wasn't from the WWE. I'm doing this in the same way that Dirty Dirty Sheets is trying to show people good wrestling anywhere that you can find it is just as valuable and important to get the enjoyment you should out of this watching hours upon hours of corporate wrestling where the template for what you see is made in cement. And after some internal debate about who I could convince I went to the one person I know would try this and enjoy it. ESPN columnist Jemele Hill.




It's not that she's written some really acclaimed articles (although she has). It's not that she's been on First Take, the Sports Reporters, Rome is Burning, and Around The Horn (although she has). Truthfully, this is because when she's on twitter I always got the sense that she was open-minded, a sense that was proven right when she agreed to do this.


A pair of quick ground rules because this, Hashimoto willing, is not going to be the last time that I do this:
1: I burned these videos from my own collections before they were give to Ms. Hill. If you want to see everything she saw, go on youtube or find a tape trading site. I'll link the best at the bottom of this post. Ok? Good.


2: I'll be adding my own comments on these matches below Jemele's. Her comments, then, will be in blue to differentiate.

The Best Promo Ever......

Watch this and try and see if you don't get emotionally involved and scared for his opponent. I dare you.

An interview with Pulse Wrestling's Aaron Glazer

When I think of people who know a lot about ROH there are very few people I would speak to before the person I am now, Aaron Glazer from Pulse Wrestling. In fact he’s on the blogroll. This is a live real-time conversation done over IM. Enjoy.


Okori: Ok... here's the easy question I would ask of you. If you had to try and explain ROH to someone who had never seen it before, and in fact hadn't seen much wrestling since the heyday of the NWA, what would you try and sell them on?
AARON GLAZER (7:56:35 PM): That's totally fine
AARON GLAZER (7:58:45 PM): The key things to remember about ROH where it comes off so superior to other products and compares favorably with the past is that the matches are significantly longer and the wrestlers are all treated with respect.
AARON GLAZER (8:00:25 PM): While not everyone is trying to steal the show and ROH will give a complete card, everyone is in the ring long enough to tell a real story with an accurate measure of their skill. The feuds are logical and long term, without necessarily a hundred matches each and as they progress the matches get both longer and more brutal, usually culminating as a gimmick match, rather than a number of gimmicks for gimmicks sake, it all ends up happening for a reason.
AARON GLAZER (8:01:27 PM): With a variety of styles to appeal to all fans, your preference will be highlighted by a number of different wrestlers and while there is comedy, there will not be wrestlers looking like jokes or they don't belong. Even top guys go out of their way to make sure everyone and everything stay credible.
AARON GLAZER (8:01:32 PM): There, that'll do =P
Okori (8:01:39 PM): and what I’ve noticed in my watching of ROH, which goes back to the old remastered versions of Road to the Title and A Night of Appreciation, is that everyone on the roster clearly has something they do that is special... something that they are at the very least quite good at doing. It’s a real good thing to see each wrestler looking like they're all talented and getting some offense in.
AARON GLAZER (8:02:40 PM): Exactly. Squashes are extremely rare. Talent will move on but because of how well everyone fits and is treated finding and just as importantly elevating new stars is made far easier.
Okori (8:07:35 PM): and when I was discussing ROH with a couple of friends of mine it became kind of apparent that the RF-video era ROH was markedly different than the Reborn time and the Reborn time was different than the Summer of Punk, and so on. How much credit for that goes to Gabe Sapolsky, the booker of ROH and how much to the much more fluid top card than there are in the other big 2?
AARON GLAZER (8:15:37 PM): Well, Gabe is generally the best if for nothing else due to adaptability and logic. For ROH every show has to be a ppv caliber to sell DVD’s and doing that with WWE or TNA's limited talent allowed to go to the top of the card, the poor treatment of the midcard would cause the shows to fail. Think of it this way, the mainstream promotions are like movies or television shows, wherein the main characters get all the big plots and cool stuff. If they contact someone below, it’s still inexorably about the main characters. ROH runs more like a sport, where each different team might not be on the same skill, but they're always improving or falling back to the pack. The best teams, like the Yankees, would be like Danielson, usually at the top of the card, but sometimes the Rays, say Tyler and Jacobs, gives him a run for his money and comes out on top. That never happens in the mainstream, because the stars are the commodities. That's just how ROH has to run though. The real brilliance of Gabe is in his adaptability
AARON GLAZER (8:17:49 PM): The main storyline of 2006 was the CZW war. That was originally scheduled as a short feud, but due to outstanding fan reaction, it became the biggest and most memorable feud in ROH history. The same can be said of the huge Briscoes vs. Steen and Generico feud of 2007, based on a breakout performance by the latter duo at a major show, and Danielson vs. Morishima which was all based upon Morishima, quite accidentally, breaking Danielson's orbital bone. In 2005, the Summer of Punk is booking on the fly since there's no way to know Punk gets signed and really, who knows how Aries reign ends besides? All huge successes that make ROH what it is, all due to Gabe's adaptability.
Okori (8:19:30 PM): and to piggyback on that point if anyone had told me that a lanky spiky-haired Brit who was the Euro second banana to John Walters would eventually become the ROH World Champion, a classic jerk heel, and before that the sympathetic babyface.
Okori (8:20:50 PM): I think Nigel, in a lot of ways, is one of the biggest Gabe success stories
AARON GLAZER (8:23:32 PM): Its almost hard to pick just one success story to go with, Nigel's certainly as good as any
Okori (8:26:32 PM): and I think we have achieved our limit of questions in this interview before we go to the stars that moved on. I think while people notice Punk and Joe because of their current stations in their respective companies the first real guy from ROH who people were actually happy to see make it was Paul London. Two-part question: Did you chant "Please Don't Die" at any point during London's ROH run, and have you found yourself missing Paul's babyface work now in ROH?
AARON GLAZER (8:29:04 PM): More?
Okori (8:30:02 PM): more now if he was against a guy like Aries, who despite his current face run still resembles an excellent heel
AARON GLAZER (8:31:14 PM): Oh there's a lot more lol 2 seconds.
Okori (8:31:42 PM): sure
AARON GLAZER (8:35:13 PM): Paul is the ex-ROH guy I'd most want back and, sadly I was a poor grad student back then so I wasn't live for "please don't die." Paul is a special worker. He connects with the fans innately through selling and desire. He had nothing fancy making him stand out; he got over and got to WWE based on pure skill and connecting with the crowd. Shame that's going to waste as the Epic Encounter 2/3 falls match with Danielson is my second favorite ever ROH match. I would kill to see him against current heel Nigel, as well as a long match with Aries and rematch with Danielson. Hero and Strong also strike me as guys who had look amazing against London’s awesome selling.
Okori (8:36:57 PM): you know what? I agree with you. I think I find myself having trouble figuring out who would give London an actively BAD match. And, and this might just be me, but I think that is Danielson's best ROH match pre his return from England
Okori (8:41:05 PM): and that includes my personal favorite ROH match which is Testing The Limit which is Danielson v. Aries
AARON GLAZER (8:41:15 PM): Agreed there, though I enjoy it more than even Unified by a hair. More than anything but that first KENTA match, my favorite in company history.
AARON GLAZER (8:42:15 PM): It took me awhile to really get "Testing the Limit" but its a special match that, sadly, due to its extreme length, is really only for the hardcore
Okori (8:42:57 PM): and strangely enough Testing the Limit is an excellent concept although no one else could do it but Danielson and Aries I think
AARON GLAZER (8:44:24 PM): London could likely and Punk has done similar stuff with Hero (though not as good), but that might be it.
Okori (8:45:13 PM): although for what it is worth Punk v. Hero is an entirely different baby because it's so slow.
AARON GLAZER (8:47:12 PM): Right. That's Hero for you, though. Oh, I really want to plug Danielson vs. Hero from WxW's 16-Carat Gold Tourney this year. The heat is off the charts and Danielson is an amazing heel, while Hero is the conquering face. I can't believe how well it comes together and it’d be MOTY if enough people saw it.
Okori (8:47:38 PM): I own that DVD. A Quack-Saint match on there is epic.
Okori (8:48:31 PM): I actually interviewed him and while it wasn't as good as this one is turning out to be he seemed really enthused about the idea of British wrestling.
Okori (8:50:05 PM): which, funnily, brings us to your favorite wrestler and mine: Bryan Danielson. While you and I both dealt with Glen "I badmouth Puro even though I worked for Toryumon X with Magnum Tokyo and Latin Lover" Gilbertti's idiotic statement that Bryan couldn't wrestle I wonder if you share my opinion that Bryan's run in England made him the really good wrestler he is now
AARON GLAZER (8:50:31 PM): I'm really starting to get into it myself. Someone needs to explain why Quack can't be used as a special attraction in ROH. He changes the dynamics of everything wonderfully.
Okori (8:51:19 PM): I never got an answer from him on it, but I guess he's too busy
Okori (8:52:08 PM): although I agree.... In addition, I’d even like to see him defend his NWA JR. Heavyweight Title against like Aries or Tyler Black
AARON GLAZER (8:55:28 PM): Quack would be great against literally every single person in ROH. And Bryan was going to be good no matter what, he had the desire. It was learning the ins and outs in England that made it happen so quickly and had him a competitor for the best.
Okori (8:56:03 PM): I agree. and you and I both agree: Glen Gilbertti could be considered a moron
AARON GLAZER (8:59:03 PM): Hah, actually, he just wanted attention.
AARON GLAZER (8:59:15 PM): I don't think he meant or cared about a word of it.
Okori (9:01:46 PM): and here's my last question for you, because as someone who lives AND works near a target (Atlantic Center for work, and the new one in the Junction for living) that it can be a transfixing place.
how long do you think it will be before we see more of a Lucha influence in ROH? and if so.... can we beseech Gabe for Cibernetico v. Nigel for the title
AARON GLAZER (9:05:00 PM): Brb
Okori (9:05:06 PM): k
AARON GLAZER (9:20:55 PM): I doubt lucha will influence ROH since he's said it doesn't interest him. Quack was the best hope for lucha influence and that didn't happen. Big Andy Mac sees Claudio taking the belt and getting the face run that was desired for Nigel. Personally, I hope Tyler takes it at the Hammerstein.
Okori (9:21:55 PM): personally.... I agree with you. I think Tyler is going to take it in NYC
Okori (9:25:29 PM): and thank you again for giving me this interview
AARON GLAZER (9:27:05 PM): If you have any more questions I'd be more than happy to answer them tomorrow. This was fun, thank you.
Okori (9:27:27 PM): you're welcome.

My First Interview ever.... With "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush

When i started this blog there were a few people I wanted to get in touch with, and pick their brains on what they thought was good wrestling. And chief amongst those was the subject of my first interview... "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush. The current NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, Mike is one of the most erudite guys on the scene today and is also a solid businessman considering that he runs his own successful promotion called Chikara Pro which is a mix of the best of lucha libre and puroresu. My questions are coded in blue, and his answers follow below. (Ed.Note: There can be no doubt that Quack is one of the nicest guys on the scene. Support Chikara and wherever else he is at.)

Q: If you had the chance to make a mix tape of your favorite matches to watch that DON’T include you what would they be?

Here's some easy ones:
1) Michinoku Pro 10-man tag from October 10, 1996 (Delfin/Naniwa/Hamada/Tiger IV/Yakushiji vs. Togo/Shiryu/TAKA/Teioh/Funaki)
2) Ken Joyce vs. Tony Costas (World of Sport...circa 1979?)
3) New Foundation vs. Orient Express (1992 WWF Royal Rumble)
4) Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero (ECW Farewell match)
5) Johnny Saint vs. Mike "Flash" Jordan (World of Sport)
6) Rey Misterio/Juventud vs. Psicosis/La Parka (WCW Monday Nitro 12/15/97)
7) Owen Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid (King of the Ring 1994)
8) Jushin Liger vs. Dick Togo (Skydiving J 1997)
9) A crapload of 2005 & 2006 Mistico matches from CMLL
10) Jorge Rivera vs. TARUcito (T2P 1/23/2002)

Q: Based on the relative success of the World X-Cup concept for TNA if you could book your own Super Juniors World Cup with the same basic idea (Team USA, Team Canada, Team Mexico, Team Japan) who would they be?
I don't really follow TNA, but if I could pick a team to represent each of those groups, and budget was no object:Team USA would be Claudio Castagnoli (he is a citizen, after all) & Christopher Daniels
Team Canada would be the Super Smash Bros. (I love those guys! And they're from Canada!)Team Mexico would be Mistico & Incognito
Team Japan would be Naomichi Marufuji & Stalker Ichikawa

Q: And in what will be our last non-CHIKARA question of these proceedings….. Where do you get your ring gear? I ask because all of it looks fantastic. ---

Coco Verde in Mexico has made the lion's share of it in the last 4 years. Some bits and pieces come courtesy Daizee Haze and Dustin Rayz as well.

Q: Now to the CHIKARA questions. When was the last time you saw Gran Akuma busting out laughing?---

Is this a trick question?

Q: How often do you watch the Colony stuffing Vin Gerard in the garbage can at King of Trios and bust out laughing? ---

Not as often as you might think. I stay rather busy. My favorite moments from King of Trios, in no exact order, are the Team IWS vs. F1rst Wrestling tournament match, the random selection of Glacier as Los Ice Creams' partner, the wonderful moment when Hydra and Crossbones think they've won the tag team gauntlet only for the lights to dim and Demolition's music to come blaring over the sound system, and the inevitable meeting of Dr. Cube and UltraMantis Black.

Q: Which one of the alumni of CHIKARA would you most like to have back in your rings? ---
I'd love to have either Milano Collection A.T. or El Oriental pay us another visit. A lot has changed since we saw them last.

Q: Did you watch with your hands over your eyes, horror-movie style, when Eddie Kingston beat the stuffing out of Tim Donst? And did you stare at Chikarason like he shot your dog in the stomach when he booked the rematch?---

Luckily, I didn't see it until the DVD came to my house, so I could watch it in bite-sized chunks so as not to upset my stomach. But any time you get a crowd response like that, for reasons good or bad, there is almost always a rematch coming.

Q: What is the official relationship between Chikara and the NWA? Or is there even one, and you just defend the title in Chikara with a nod of understanding from the NWA?---

There is no exact relationship. When a title defense comes to CHIKARA we have to go through the same channels to get approval that anyone else would. We get no preferential treatment whatsoever.

Q: Do you speak Delirish? Does anyone, with the exception of Cheech and Cloudy, actually speak the language? ---I suspect Hallowicked does. Every once and again, I think I understand it a little, but you can never be sure.

Q: Here is the space that you have to plug all of your various and sundry projects upcoming?---

Come see CHIKARA live on Sunday, July 13 if you are in the Philadelphia area, or wait for us to come to the Midwest in September. If for some reason you do not live in those areas, you simply must watch our free, weekly podcast entitled CHIKARA Podcast-A-Go-Go via iTunes, YouTube, etc