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.

Technical Wrestling Master Class: The USA

I have a massive library of wrestling on my computer. It's not anything to be ashamed of to my way of thinking. Rather, I'm proud of it. And in the course of one day reviewing what I have I came to a sort of conclusion about the sort of wrestling i like. It's not the mindless WWF Main Event Style, and it's not the head-droppy OMG MOVEZ~! stuff that passes for main event work in Ring of Honor currently. What do I enjoy at its core? Technical wrestling. and the high-end stuff. Curious as to what I like and how you could find some of it for yourself? Follow me.

A love letter to my favorite style of wrestling, and my favorite promotion.

In this age of "pop" wrestling, where all anyone knows or cares to know is the WWE, finding and promoting really legitimately good indie wrestling is a bit more impossible than you might imagine it to be on first blush.

Wherever you might be reading this blog from, there's a realistic chance that there's an indy fed running shows sometime this weekend. Sure, you might not know all the names on the card, or even any of them, but that isn't the point of this. The point is that when you go out there to that armory, or highschool gym, or wherever else, you're going to get the chance to see stuff you won't see on TV.

But where is the best place to go? Where's the best place for your money?  The answer to this question is easy. Chikara Pro.

Why I Have Stopped Watching The WWE, And A New Mission Statement.

Here's the thing. I started this blog wanting to talk about all kinds of wrestling, and i correctly assumed that the WWE was going to be a huge part of it. I mean, after all, this is the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, despite their protestations to the contrary that they are an "entertainment" company or whatever such nonsense. And initially, this blog was exactly that. It's not a smart-marky blog really. It's more of a remembrance and tribute to all of the various things that I love about wrestling, and that I sincerely hope my readership loves as well.

But something happened recently to make me change my mind. And while part of it was Randy Savage, the rest of it had almost nothing to do with him. It had to do with Vince McMahon, and his idea of what professional wrestling should be. And I could take no more.

The Majesty Of Wrestling Interview with "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush

Since this blog went on hiatus because I write for The Starting Five, It felt sometimes like there was no interview that I could do which would bring me back to where it was that this blog had intended to be. And then, bam, like a bolt from the blue, here came my chance. Chikara Pro's apparently new press outfit offered people the chance to do publicity with any member of their roster that I chose. And of course, like a good boy, i chose someone I follow on Twitter. So with that said, and in the interest of doing business, here is the first in a new feature I'm calling Way Too Brief Interviews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quack, do you think it is possible for you to explain exactly how the procurement of the Chikara special guests actually work? Is there a guy in the office who literally pores over every single copy of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Box y Lucha magazine, and Fighting Spirit magazine, and then makes a series of phone calls?

---We are quite fortunate in that, not only does our magazine research/telemarketing department work a lot of hours, but that we have cultivated great relationships with so many international wrestling offices. When you ask these groups to send you the best representatives, you have to trust that they know their own core strengths well enough to make the right decision.

 

As someone who went to the King of Trios weekend and enjoyed all 3 nights of it, do you think that this is a sign of what independent pro wrestling has to do in order to succeed in 2011?

---I do not think the success of independent wrestling in 2011 hinges on your enjoyment. That's a very strange thing to ask me, Okori. How could groups located far away from you gauge your enjoyment?  That's very egocentric of you.  

 

Do you think that the way CHIKARA presents the Osirian Portal is proof that African-American wrestlers can be presented as much more than caricatures? I submit Saba Simba, Kamala, Mark Henry, and several others for emphasis.

---I think a lot of the age old wrestling stereotypes need to be put to sleep like a disease-ridden pet. Women can fight men. Smaller guys can fight bigger guys. The old rules only matter to the old.

 

While I am thinking of it, is there any tag team past or present that you would like to defend your World Tag Team Titles against alongside your partner Jigsaw?

---Now that they have three points, it's just a matter of time before Osaka Pro's Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada return to CHIKARA, and I for one hope we're holding those belts when they come calling. I'd also like to take on the likes of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi, title defense or not.

 

Finally, Are there any upcoming events that you would like to promote?

---You can keep up to date with everything I do through chikarapro.com, like live events where I appear and that sort of thing. I also host a variety of podcasts about all manner of topics, and you can find them all here:

http://grizzlybearcafe.com/

 

Boy is this ever weird.....

I kind of forgot that I had this blog. But no more. I'm going to write a lot of stuff here, about the kind of wrestling that I enjoy seeing.

Hey, I might even do some more interviews. Follow me on twitter at @okoriwadsworth and ask me to interview someone, and I'll try to make it happen.

The TMW J-Cup

A tradition as old as time: (http://themajestyofwrestling.blogspot.com/2008/09/super-j-cup-2008-dream-version.html) gets redone here. A slight modification: no countries represented. Instead, 4 brackets of 6.

The first bracket is named for Tiger Mask 1, and will be known as the Sayama Bracket This bracket will consist of the following men:

Tyler BlackTurbo
Taiji Ishimori

El Generico
Dragon Kid
Brian Kendrick

Bracket 2 is the Guerrero bracket.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Minoru Tanaka
Kota Ibushi
Katsuhiko Nakajima

Kenny Omega
Scott Lost


Bracket 3 s the Billington Bracket.


Davey Richards
Jushin Liger
Roderick Strong
Kaz Hayashi
El Pantera
Masato Yoshino

Bracket 4 is the Thatcher bracket

Mike Quackenbush
Negro Navarro
CIMA
Johnny Saint
Prince Devitt
Takeshi Suguira.

The first-ever TMW Awards. First up: Most Improved Wrestler of the Decade

Has there been a wrestler over the past decade who has improved himself more than Chris Hero? No I mean really think about it.

At his first breakout..... he was chubby, wore indytastic wrestling gear, and did half-speed Johnny Saint stuff mixed with American Strong Style. Then you sort of forgot about him for a while. Before you knew it... he was back. This time as a cocky heel with a penchant for mind games and much more of a strike-based offense. But then..... he disappeared again, at least to the point where he was a huge deal.

And now look at him. He's become a tremendous deal. He's in great shape. wears real gear now, not the long cargo pants. And has been in the ring with elite guys and not embarrassed himself. c

Just think about it. If I had told you that 2003 Chris Hero would be in the ring with KENTA you would have thought I was drunk. Clearly insane at a bare minimum.  But he was, and it was damned good.

Chris Hero: The TMW Pick for Most Improved Wrestler of the Decade.

Ok.....

I do not ask for a lot from you honestly. But if it's not too much trouble would you mind clicking on the ads on this page. It gives me some money. And I need some money.

And while I'm posting here.....

I'd love to have some of you submit your dream matches.

My List:

1: Bryan Danielson (2007)\Davey Richards(2009) v. Bret(1994)\Owen Hart(1991).

2: Shinya Hashimoto (1996) v. Samoa Joe (2005).

3: CM Punk (2005) v. Roddy Piper (1986)

4: Mitsuharu Misawa (1994) v. Ric Flair (1989) v. Ricky Steamboat (1989)

5: Dynamite Kid (1982) v. Jushin Liger (1996)

Join The Majesty of Wrestling on a Bus Trip

CHIKARAFans NYC Bus Trips

The CHIKARA NYC Bus Trip Initative is proud to announce two exciting excursions over the next three months…

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ANIVERSARIO YIN @ The Palmer Community Center (aka "The FunPlex") in Easton, PA

SATURDAY – May 23rd, 2009

Bus departs NYC at 3:00 pm (please arrive by 2:30).
**Meeting for pick-up on 9th Avenue between 42nd & 43rd, a block away from Port Authority.**
Bus arrives back in New York City by 1:00 am that same evening.

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DRAGON GATE USA @ The Arena in Philadelphia, PA

featuring a special CHIKARA Atomico (8-Man Tag) showcase!!!

SATURDAY – July 25th, 2009

Bus departs NYC at 2:30 pm (please arrive by 2:00).
**Meeting for pick-up on 9th Avenue between 42nd & 43rd, a block away from Port Authority.**
Bus arrives back in New York City by 2:00 am that same evening.

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Each trip includes luxurious charter bus service to the arena door. Why drive and waste money on gas and tolls, when you can relax, congregate with other wrestling fans, and take part in on of our CHIKARA Q&A's (guests pending)?

Estimated arena arrival times leave a little over an hour for pre-show dining, stretching, what have you.

Tickets for each show, including transportation, driver gratuity, and one general admission seat to the matches are only $50.

Fans who pre-purchased their DGUSA tickets in advance can buy JUST a round trip bus ticket for $30.

Bus reservations will be confirmed on a first come, first paid, first served basis.

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SPECIAL COMBINATION PACKAGE & DISCOUNT!!!

Want to save $10? Were planning on going to BOTH events? The CHIKARA NYC Bus Trip Initiative, in celebrating the just-announced partnering up of both promotions, is offering a special discount for passengers who reserve tickets to both show. For just $90, you can experience the best of both worlds at CHIKARA celebrates their 7th anniversary in May and Dragon Gate USA presents its stateside debut. Reservations for both must be made and paid for by 5/23/2009 (the date of Aniversario Yin) to qualify.

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Don't be left off the bus! Dragon Gate alone sold out its first three rows in a short afternoon!!! We have pre-ordered a limited number of General Admission tickets specifically for NYC fans interested in riding down with us. There are no guarantees for he who hesitates…

The CHIKARA NYC Bus Trip Initiative currently accepts PayPal, checks, or money orders. Please contact Richard J. Parker – (347) 531-7947 or parkersbighead@yahoo.com – to arrange your reservation and payment, or to inquire about more information.

To sign up for our mailing list and receive constant Bus Trip updates, either e-mail parkersbighead@yahoo.com or join our Facebook group.