Loaded week this week, with Thanksgiving in the good ol’ US of A, AEW’s Full Gear (I’ll be doing running commentary on Facebook if you want to join the fun), and yes, a special stuffing filled new INDUCTION from moi hitting the site in just a few days. Plus a gigantic mailbag to answer! So let’s get started…
Mike M kicks us off with…”Which Hulk Hogan do you like best: 80s Good Guy Hogan, late-90s Bad Guy Hogan, mid-00s Nostalgia Hogan, or something else?”
Something else, namely the Hogan of recent years that isn’t in the ring but spinning tall tales of his life and times. I know people go insane when he, shall we say, EMBELLISHES the truth, but I adore it. I only pray that the older he gets the more absurd his stories become. And the easier they are to completely debunk the better. As the old adage goes, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, Hulkster!
Rudy Y hits me with…”Now that we’ve seen Bruno Sanmartino return to the WWE, CM Punk return to wrestling, and the infamous Tom McGee/Bret Hart match, what other wrestling holy grail or lifelong mystery are yet to be revealed/will be revealed next?”
The fact that everything Hulk Hogan is telling us now is true. He lives in the real world, the rest of us in some made up reality.
Simon JL wants to know…”Is the Jillian Hall Christmas album still required listening at Christmas at Reynolds’ HQ?”
Any world in which this isn’t blared come Black Friday is a world in which I want no part.
Kess C asks…”Who is the AEW Devil? Wrong answers only.”
Since I answered with my real answer last week (Kenny Omega with the Elite as his masked goons), I’ll adhere to your request and go with Tony Khan. This would be the stupidest thing they could possibly do. Fortunately, I don’t think Tony is quite off the rails enough to do that. At least I hope not.
Pete S has a pocket full of quarters and is headed to the arcade with…”Favorite EM & Solid State Pinball Machines you’ve ever played?”
I’ve never been a big EM fan, so not sure I could answer that as they all kinda play the same to me. As for ‘solid state’, I am assuming you are referring to alpha numerics (ie, pre-DMD)? If so, it’s Whirlwind and nothing else is really close. I love Funhouse as well, but prefer Whirlwind. In fact, I am just cleaning mine up and getting it running like a champ again after an extended stay at Rupert’s (charity arcade I help with).
Dustin N sticks with the same as he asks…”Ive been waiting to ask this. As an old school Arcade gamer like you are, I am curious if you remember Super Mario Bros. Vs. in the arcades? It was an arcade version of the NES game, but it featured two cabinets so two players could play simultaneously. The weird thing about it, however, is little Mario and Luigi were on skateboards, and when you ate a mushroom to grow bigger, the characters transformed into guys wearing tanktops and board shorts. Also, for whatever reason, the fire flowers in this version resembled erect penises. Do you remember this game? I have yet to find anyone who does, but I have vivid memories of playing it in numerous arcades as a kid, especially in pizza places.”
I mean, I know the game vs. Super Mario Bros. Owned one for several years in fact.
Had it at Rupert’s and SkyCade (my buddy’s drive in movie theater). It is MUCH harder than the NES game. Not like erection hard like your fever dream version, but more difficult nevertheless.
Brendan N would like to take “horrible wrestling appearances on game shows for $200″ with…”Did you catch Becky Lynch’s performance on Celebrity Jeopardy? Do you think it would be accurate to say she has brought shame and disgrace on her family name for generations to come?”
Poor Becky. I love her so much, but wow did she do herself no favors there. It was like a Celebrity Jeopardy SNL skit come to life. I’m sure we’ll induct that next year when it’s eligible as we love doing wrestling game show crossovers.
Arya W jumps ahead a few months (or is it back?) with…”Favorite WrestleCrap April Fools joke?”
I loved the WrestleCrap Radios Blade and I would do for April Fools. The show where we Greg from Global Internet replaced us with old tapes of Mike Check’s days at WTKO may have been the most fun we ever had doing that silly thing. Blade and I both loved those, so much fun.
Andy G ponders…”Is there any induction you wish you could remove from the site, not because it’s poorly written, but because on further review it doesn’t deserve the indignity?”
Not really, no. I’ll stick to my guns that IRS was a terrible gimmick until my final breath!
Meagan N makes me hungry with…”Favorite Thanksgiving side”
It’s funny, as I am not the world’s biggest turkey fan so while I love Thanksgiving, it’s not a main course that I look forward to as much as the sides. Mrs. Deal makes these incredible Parker house rolls, so I’d probably go with those. I’m also more of a dessert guy and her pecan pie is amazing, as are all of her sweets come to think of it. As good a baker as she is it’s amazing I don’t weight 400 pounds.
Chad A bring up a good point with…”Recently saw an article where WWE logos will be on the field for the Big 12 title game, considering how Nick Khan has made WWE more mainstream than Vince ever could, would it be fair to say he might be Vince’s best hire?”
I mean, he made Vince more money than anyone ever has, I don’t think you could argue that. However, as Vince is seemingly now persona non grata in the company, you could also argue he was the worst. I honestly think that Vince was probably at his happiest conquering the world, not when he actually did it. I picture him in the Twilight Zone episode called “Of Late I Think of Cliffordville” where a business tycoon wanted to go back and do it all over as the thrill was in the chase, not the victory.
It features Julie Newmar as a devil girl. If that doesn’t get you Googling to find the ep, I don’t know what will. And when you watch it, picture Vince in that role. I promise you, PROMISE YOU, he’d want to do the exact same thing.
Ain’t nothing I am going say that can top that. So please…say something nice to someone you don’t know this week and keep those questions coming!