Why I’m going to TPI

* They booked Skayde vs PUMA! LUCHA LIBRE! Sorta. What an awesome matchup though; I don’t think they could’ve matched those guys up any better, and I’m kinda looking forward to it. * Who knows if we’re getting another chance at 24 person 2 day indy tournament. Actually, I’m taking a pretty estimate and saying … Continue reading “Why I’m going to TPI”

* They booked Skayde vs PUMA! LUCHA LIBRE! Sorta. What an awesome matchup though; I don’t think they could’ve matched those guys up any better, and I’m kinda looking forward to it.

* Who knows if we’re getting another chance at 24 person 2 day indy tournament. Actually, I’m taking a pretty estimate and saying we won’t. I don’t know the finances of MS, but even if Ian didn’t make that announcement of financial problems, you can just look at the cards and notice all the out of territory guys that aren’t being brought in anymore.

I’m thrilled IWA-MS brought in the guys no one else in the area were bringing in when they did, and I’m thankful for the good shows they’ve put together. I hope they’re able to keep it going, not just next year, but for a long time to come. I just don’t think anyone should count on that happening. It’s not just them – the people who run quality US indy wrestling and make money doing it over the long run appear to be rare. Everything comes to an end at some point; you’d be dumb not to enjoy it while it’s around.

This may be your last chance for this sort of event. It certainly feels like the end.

* It’s a weird sorta social gathering. It’s good to put faces to names (and try to remember them) and, you know, actually talk to people (in short incoherent bursts but whatever) who have a similar interest to you face to face.

There was a point in life where if you, fake internet person, thought I was an interesting person, there’s no way I’d want to meet you, because it could only go downhill from there. Not that I’ve gathered any self confidence or anything since then, but I figured out along the way, these posts are so completely insane, nothing I can do will wreck your image of me.

* Last year’s show – or at least the three-fourths of a half I went to – was pretty darn cool. Even if I was sure Samoa Joe was going to run me over and kill me at one point. I paid $20whatever, missed the first three matches, tried to fall asleep during an intermission, and still got my money’s worth. I expect no less this time, even though I’ll be trying to both show up on time and stay awake.

I got to see people I’d never seen (like Quackenbush) and ended up digging a lot, and I got to see people I like to see and don’t see much (Dragon.)

I got to see pretty good matches throughout; they had a great selection of wrestlers last year, obviously better than this year, but I think the desire to live up to last year’s standard is going to push them.

* I don’t know how you got interested in IWA-MS. Maybe a tape? A favorable review on a message board?

I got interested by reading Scott’s recaps.

Following a promotion closely and writing about it, you run a risk of becoming some sort shill. That’s was not and never has been the case with Scott; if something sucked, he told you so, and if he thought something was super, he made sure you knew. He was consistent, he was honest, he made you understand why he thought so, and everything held true.

I wouldn’t even be considering going to these shows if it wasn’t for Scott. I dunno how many indy shows at all I’d be going if it wasn’t for Scott – and others like them – convincing me some were worthy my time and money.

They’re no longer worth Scott’s time or money, because, among all things (all valid and fair and nothing really deserving of a week of mocking) is he really doesn’t care about wrestling anymore.

And this is where we get to the true core reason why Scott sucks. Scott loved – or at least liked greatly, I don’t want to put words in his mouth – this promotion, this is their biggest show, and he doesn’t care. He knows WrestleMania’s coming to Chicago this year, something he was going semicrazy about trying to get to for WrestleMania XX and even last year, and I don’t believe he’s going to bother with that either. He’s done.

In isolation, this isn’t weird. People lose interest in hobbies all the time. People always change. But, at least among my circle of people who were hardcore wrestling fans, he’s far from alone. He might be in the majority – people done with it few years ago, people getting bored with it now. Less and less people caring one bit.

They’ve got their reasons. Wrestling is boring now. Wrestling is stupider now. It’s not worth the money. Wrestling isn’t as good as it was and it won’t be any time soon, so why bother. The guys I like are gone, so I’m not staying.

Sometimes, I think about those points, and I don’t think any of them are wrong. These very reasonable and rational people have made a completely sensible case, and I should have an equally compelling case about why you – or at least I – should keep watching wrestling.

And I don’t. Not a shred, not a clue, not a start, not an end, not a single good reason. Either I’m missing the obvious right in front of me, or…

maybe I’ve got a permanent blind spot about wrestling – and who knows where else
or low and bad standards without the ability to fix them
or I’m dumber than I give myself credit for
or the inability to grow up pass a stage where nothing’s cooler than a well done plancha and what does say about me
or I’ve got some horrible mental deficiency that doesn’t allow me to realize what’s obvious to others
or a 100 horrible other concepts

I’m a person very much in love with logic, and honestly, too often affected by other people’s opinions. This is a puzzle driving me insane: reasonable people making a reasonable argument for which I have no counter argument, and yet I continue on the opposite path. It makes no sense and I reach no answer.

That’s the true reason Scott Sucks. Scott’s a reasonable sort, I’m a reasonable sort, Scott loves wrestling, I love wrestling, Scott no longer loves wrestling because it sucks, I still watch wrestling because – well, I can’t say it doesn’t suck, can I? Instead, Scott much suck for making me think about this.

I’m hoping, just a little bit, some of what I see Friday and Saturday will answer my questions and maybe give me the defense I’m looking for.

(and that’s what you get when I’m on three hours sleep)

Related: IWA-MS index – unfinished because someone never sent recaps they promised (ha!)

3 thoughts on “Why I’m going to TPI”

  1. Scott“““““ I think his early reviews also got me into IWA-MS. He used to be a real man’s man who loved all the manly man things I loved. Wrestling, MMA, catching STDs. Now he just has his gay Orioles blog!

  2. Scott is a lot of things but sucks isn’t one of them. Or maybe it is.

    Hey! I did send those recaps! What the hell. I’ll send them again sometime. I even formatted them all for you by stealing your page source so you wouldn’t have to do it.

    I did love IWA MS, and I still do in many ways, but not enough to pay a lot of money to get there and back for two days. I hope they put on a great show this weekend and make me mad that I didn’t go.

  3. “or the inability to grow up pass a stage where nothing’s cooler than a well done plancha and what does say about me”

    If you like, you like it. If it entertains you, it entertains you. I don’t think growing has anything to do with it when you talk about the finer points of what you enjoy rather than the whole. If they’re still showing Ke Monito doing comedy spots with Hector Garza 50 years from now, I’m still going to watch it , rewind it, watch it again and laugh. I may not be so much into lucha by then, but does the fact that I still like a part of it mean I won’t have “grown” in the interim? No.

    And what’s so crucial about defending your position? Is it criticism from those who have no interest in the subject wondering why you spend so much time and energy on it? All things being equal, why do they have to get an answer that’s satisfactory to them? Give them the answer that’s satisfctory to you. Easier said from another person’s perspective, I know, but still…is someone going to never speak to you again because you keep watching wrestling?

Comments are closed.