[Content warning for discussions of suicidal ideation.] In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker arrives on Dagobah to begin his Jedi training. We see him meet Yoda, see him lifting objects and being lectured by his teacher, see him confront the apparition of Darth Vader. It’s implied that he’s on the planet for a month, maybe two. All this goes by in about 30 minutes on the screen; two months of Luke’s life compressed into…
Tag: Dean Ambrose
I noticed last night on Smackdown that at the end of the James Ellsworth/AJ Styles comedy match, Dean Ambrose was pointing menacingly at his package as a threat to AJ Styles. You can see it at the end of the clip in this here tweet: THAT'S RIGHT! @realellsworth has DEFEATED the @WWE World Champion @AJStylesOrg on #SDLive! @TheDeanAmbrose pic.twitter.com/46GCT7Mziv — WWE (@WWE) October 12, 2016 Their feud has been focused on the exchange of low blows,…
Pro wrestling will give you trust issues. The language of pro wrestling is the language of deception. Mark, work, selling, and kayfabe are little strands of carny DNA that show us wrestling’s origins — a callback to when strongmen traveled with carnivals across the United States, bilking gullible Dust Bowl Alpha Bros out of money by goading them into rigged matches. Even if one of the local hayseeds looked like he might actually win a match with the strongman, another carny (hidden…
The wrestlers, bless them, continue to grace us lately with memorable promos for me to transcribe for posterity! It’s as though they know I’m working on some more difficult, thinky posts and need to refrain from my usual rate of commentary so I can focus on getting the deep thoughts about art and wrestling all worked out and organized. Now it’s my beloved Dean Ambrose who busted out with a “Hard Times” promo (likely an…
It strikes me as a bizarre turn of events that people are rioting on Twitter over a Roman Reigns victory at Royal Rumble and making mean gifs at the expense of our old world knight of justice. Look, I am totally over Roman Reigns, even when I was swooning over him a year ago. But you know what? I’m also over Bray Wyatt. And Dean Ambrose. Oh come on, admit it, those guys have really…
I contend that we may be witnessing an era of missed opportunity. In these post-Authority times, there is a chance for the WWE to turn a corner – start a new chapter, head down a new storyline. The Authority’s departure is an opportunity for the WWE to experience a true period of lawlessness. Oh, we’re told things are lawless right now by Seth Rollins because he for one has been a marked man. But they’re…
Sometimes I find it enlightening to simply transcribe a Bray Wyatt promo, one that ascends to the level of theatrical monologue. When he feuded with John Cena he sounded very Shakespearean (further reading here and here), a sort of deep south Iago, but now that he’s going after Dean Ambrose his style is much more Tennessee Williams. I’m reminded of the reverend losing his faith and his shit in Night of the Iguana. Check it…
RAW Notes are back! The way Cena approached Ryback for Team Cena recruitment totally came off as soap opera. But what he said to convince him was absolutely Best of Cena material: “It’s amazing that the guy who always wants to get fed more finally gets a chance to eat at the big table and suddenly he’s not hungry.” Cena is really working the populist hero angle while Triple H is nailing the corporate tyrant.…