NOW JUST WHERE THE HECK DID I PUT MY SMILE? CAN'T FIND THAT THING ANYWHERE

Yes, it's that time again. I'll be taking another leave of absence. It'll be one month until you see fresh ink (or whatever this stuff is made of) on this blog again (although, there is always that very slim chance that I'll chime in with something if I find the time (and the smile)).

As always, when I return I'll most likely do a Since I've Been Gone post, which I really should add to my Recurring Features section. They're fun to do, and hopefully to read too.

While I'm gone, here are some things to keep your wrestling libido strong and healthy:

FAIR TO FLAIR

First and foremost, be Fair To Flair. There will be tons of new stuff going up while I'm gone, including the Wrestlespective Radio podcast series that covers the final matches of every single WrestleMania, one episode a day. That's 26 podcasts in 26 days, with me featured on three of them (XIV, XX, XXV). So even though I'm gone, you can still hear my voice. You can also hear my voice if you place your ear up against a conch shell.

CHECK OUT: Fair To Flair, Wrestlespective, Kick-Out!! Wrestling, Footnotes of Wrestling

THE WRESTLING BLOG

You can always count on my BroBro Brazil (have we used that one yet? My brain is shrivelling up from thinking of so many) TH of The Wrestling Blog to have all of your pro wrestling needs taken care of. He is an animal when it comes to banging posts out, and he very well may be the most thorough wrestling blogger out there, covering everything from WWE and TNA all the way down to the most obscure indies. He's currently accepting ballots for the A1W 100, which you can read all about here.

CHECK OUT: The Wrestling Blog, Tom Holzerman on Twitter, A1W 100

BRANDON STROUD

Normally this is where I would point you to where I go to read hilarious wrestling recaps and blogs, which would be Brandon Stroud's posts on AOL FanHouse. However, he seems to be done there. Thankfully, I found him on Twitter, but it appears that he doesn't have a wrestling-related thing on the go. I feel like I'm following him around the Internet like a weird kind of stalker who isn't looking for sex, just laughter. I want my laughter.

CHECK OUT: Brandon Stroud on Twitter, his Vintage Promo series on FanHouse, his posts at Progressive Boink (some of which have to do with wrestling, most don't), and finally everything he's done at FanHouse

TAPE MACHINES ARE ROLLING

I recently found this blog, I think, thanks to Jason Mann. It's funny and honest, which I find to be a rare quality in wrestling blogs. Scott and Brent write about wrestling today, and review wrestling from the past. Just read the site description and try and tell me you don't want to go there right now:

Brent and Scott are young midwestern men in their late 20s and they love professional wrestling. Scott leans heavily toward 80s-early 90s Crockett/WCW, as well as World Class. Brent likes everything Bill Watts ever did. They both sided mostly with WCW during the legit years of The Monday Night Wars. They have a fondness for ECW if not a love. There's nothing stopping them from watching Japanese wrestling, but they probably won't. JOIN THEM IN LIFE!

CHECK OUT: Tape Machines Are Rolling, Scott on Twitter

FLAIR CHOP ILLUSTRATED - THE OLD SCHOOL WRESTLING PODCAST

I'm a little late getting on the Flair Chop choo-choo, but listening to the latest podcast (their review of The Main Event from Feb. 5th, 1988) had me hooked. I'd heard a few other episodes before, but the old 80's commercials (with Jason and Justine Bateman) had me busting a gut. Love stuff like that. Their review was also a lot of fun to listen to. I fear that I might get in shit with Jason considering I'm promoting another old-school wrestling podcast other than his (in fact, they're in a very serious podcast war at the moment), but I'll stick my neck out just this once. I'M NOT A GUTLESS INDIVIDUAL.

CHECK OUT: The Old School Wrestling Podcast, and Black Cat (of the podcast) on Twitter

And finally, some of my favourite Tumblr blogs that you should check out:

- We Watch Wrestling

- Drop Toehold

- Turnbuckle Zine

- Fuck Yeah Wrestling

- On Wrestling

- Where's Randy Savage?

- And really, anyone I reblog on my tumblr.

There's too many to mention, I know I've forgot some. That's the great thing about Tumblr though - there's no shortage of great wrestling blogs.

I think that's more than enough. I could say more (Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast, Dave Lagana's I Want Wrestling podcasts - Formerly Creative, 15 Minutes, Press The Press) but I am positive you already know about and listen to them. If you don't, I am very perplexed as to how you could find me but not them.

And I'll also be scheduling some tweets ahead of time, pointing you to some of my favourite older posts and what have you.

So yeah, that's uh... that's a lot of homework I just assigned.

Keep fit and have fun you guys.

Sincerely,

PIZZABODYSLAM

COLT CABANA - A CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE

Mere hours ago, Colt Cabana became the 82nd NWA World Heavyweight Champion (30th man to hold the belt), ending Adam Pearce's 8-days-short of a full year reign. This was Pearce's third and longest reign with the title.

It is CRAZY to see how many people, many of which (probably close to all) weren't at the NWA Hollywood taping, are congratulating Colt on his win. Although, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Colt Cabana is a man, and now a champion, of the people.

When Colt was let go by the WWE, people were pissed. But I totally believe that if this whole Scotty Goldman hire/fire business took place after he started the Art of Wrestling, people would be DOUBLE PISSED. This podcast has done more for Colt than a billion WWE.com Jewish talk shows could do.

The Art of Wrestling podcast was the first of it's kind. It was a everything you loved about shoot interviews, but replace the lifeless voices that usually ask the questions and replace it with Colt Cabana. It's not a podcast done by fans that shout their opinions at you. It's not a podcast that's imitating talk radio (why someone would want to imitate that, I don't know). It's a conversation.

And it's this conversational, casual style that makes you relate to Colt in a way that you never could had he just continued on his way in WWE. He would've been hilarious, especially had he been able to employ some of the ideas he mentions in his shoot, but the realness of AOW is what gets you behind Colt.

He's just about to go live on Sunday Night Stu as the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. So I'm going to listen to that and wonder what Harley Race or Lou Thesz would be like hosting a podcast in a studio... apartment where they talk to Wahoo McDaniel about mutton chops or something.

Credit - Dave Lagana's I Want Wrestling

WOOPACHE - VIA COLT CABANA'S "ART OF WRESTLING" PODCAST

The latest edition of Colt Cabana's podcast (which I link in the sidebar - and right here in these very parenthesis) features the best pro wrestling/Sugarhill Gang mash-up I've ever heard! I was cracking up at this, and thought it'd be a good thing to share. It also opened up a whole new world of wrestling mash-ups that I didn't know existed. Including this Hulk Hogan/Headbangers/Apple Pie mash-up that defies description.

But first, here's Woopache:

Subscribe to Colt Cabana's "Art of Wrestling" podcast at WeLoveColt.com - and you can satisfy all of your Colt Cabana needs at ColtMerch.com

ROH: BADASS HYPE VIDEO FOR GLORY BY HONOR IX + TAG TEAM CHAIN MATCH ANNOUNCED

One more piece to the Glory By Honor IX puzzle has been placed: Kevin Steen & Steve Corino VS. El Generico and Colt Cabana in a brutally violent Tag Team Chain match. This raises the question - can you measure tag matches on the Muta scale?

This match just amps up what is already shaping up to be a memorable night - Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team in Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are already challenging the ROH World Tag Team Champions, the Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli & Chris Hero); Tyler Black's future as ROH World Champion is in peril with his apparent, newly-signed WWE Developmental Deal; Bryan Danielson will be in town for EVOLVE, but will he be at the Manhattan Center?; and Davey Richards and Christopher Daniels need to determine who truly is the best wrestler in the world at some point, right?

All of that, and I haven't even touched on Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, ROH World Television Champion Eddie Edwards, and the fact that Terry Funk will be appearing. HOLY FUNK.

Enough of me and my fanboner. Watch this short but sweet GBH9 hype video - there's quite a bit of footage of the Ultimate Dragon Bryan Danielson in there... makes you think, dunnit?

GLORY BY HONOR IX NEED TO KNOW INFO

Pre-Order the event on GoFightLive.TV

Order tickets from ROHWrestling.com

Order tickets to meet Terry Funk at ROHWrestling.com

Visit the event's official website

ROH 08/03 VIDEOWIRE: TAG WARS 2010 CONTINUES; SHANE HAGADORN SHINES

Believe it or not (and this will be hard to believe), Shane Hagadorn is the star of the latest ROH VideoWire. I'm still rubbing my eyes in disbelief that I just wrote that.

ROH VideoWire & other videos now available via video podcast on iTunes

IN THIS VIDEO

- Austin Aries abducting Daizee Haze in Collinsville in the face of a protesting Paul Turner! Get him Paul!

- Jim Cornette teasing a World Title announcement before being interrupted by Delirious going "ashgdshgdghdsgsd" in search of his damsel in distress.

- Austin Aries saying distasteful things to Delirious and Daizee Haze (who plays the part of a emotionally scarred abductee quite well, actually)

- The All-Night Express and the Greatest Man(ager) Who Ever Lived having a group whiff of Daizee's ring attire (it's as creepy as it sounds).

- A real talk promo from Colt Cabana that feels like he's just your buddy.

- The line of the video might be Erick Stevens' "who cares, bro?!" to Prince Nana. I'm liking Stevens more and more as this douchey bro-saying asshole.

- Shane Hagadorn delivering the kind of promo I never thought he was capable of. Well done, sir. Well done.

- Tyler Black caked in dried blood.

CM PUNK LOVES REPRESENTING HIS FAVOURITE WRESTLERS

As evidenced by this photo recently RT'd by Sara del Rey:

And this famous shot of him repping Colt Cabana:

And that time he revealed how much he likes Jeff Hardy:

Photo - WWE.com

ROH ON HDNET 07/19/10: STEEN/CORINO V. CABANA/ GENERICO - NO RULES

This match, as you would know if you saw it last Monday, had everything a brawl could ever ask for. Fighting in the crowd, chairs, tables, Kevin Steen licking stuff, guardrails used as makeshift tables, chairs used as makeshift tables, tables used as makeshift top turnbuckles, a red-hot crowd, and one of the most precarious top-rope table spots I've ever seen to end a match - did I mention Kevin Steen licking stuff?

If you missed it, check it out right here:

ROH ON HDNET: 07/19/10

KEVIN STEEN & STEVE CORINO V. EL GENERICO & COLT CABANA (NO RULES)

I'm also super excited for two more ROH related things - one being Christopher Daniels vs. Roderick Strong, which aired last night and should be up this Thursday on ROHBrazil's YouTube Channel. The other is an apparent "major announcement" regarding Glory By Honor IX (as mentioned in the latest Newswire). I have no idea what it will be. I can't decide whether they would announce Bryan Danielson as appearing (if they're able to get him to) beforehand, or want to keep it as a surprise for that MASSIVE pop.

With Terry Funk already appearing, rumours of Bryan Danielson returning, and a looming Daniels/Davey or Daniels/Tyler match, GBH9 from New York has the makings of a very special show.

Pre-order Glory By Honor IX from GoFightLive.TV

ROH 4/28 VIDEOWIRE: OUT OF CHICAGO AND INTO NEW YORK

Colt Cabana and Chris Hero are the stars of the latest VideoWire from ROH, which has the fallout from Dayton and Chicago, and the hype for Manassas and New York.

IN THIS VIDEO

- Colt Cabana, caked in blood, looking and sounding a little (completely) crazy, cutting a promo that rivals Kevin Steen's in awesomeness.

- ROH TV Champ Eddie Edwards stands up for fellow wolf Davey Richards.

- Erick Stevens reaches into the past to cut one of his best promos to date. And he gets left hanging by Nana lofl.

- Jay Briscoe def. Mark Briscoe in Killer Instinct. Or Street Fight II Turbo. I can't tell what game that is. Help.

- Jay Briscoe (with Mark as his hype man, echoing his sentiments) does it again, showing that he might be the realest promo in wrestling today. I swear it's just real to him. And now it is to me.

- Kenny King and Rhett Titus (or the ALL Night Express, as amazingly coined by A Double) talk smack about the Briscoe BROTHERRRS BROTHERRRS BROTHERRRS.

- Aries and Rhett discuss the carbonation in Sprite.

- Tyler Black admits he writes poetry. ... WHY TYLER?! It's just fodder for the haterz!

- A brief (and somehow quieter than everything else) promo from Roddy.

- Seven glorious minutes with Chris Hero, who will never be even challenged when it comes to promos.

3/30 ROH VIDEOWIRE: GOING INTO THE BIG BANG

Yet another awesome VideoWire from ROH. Check this out:

IN THIS VIDEO

- A bloodied Necro Butcher cutting a concussed-sounding promo on Erick Stevens.

- Prince Nana telling us to connect our computers to an HD player.

- Steve Corino and Kevin Steen spouting INSANITY, likening El Generico to A WHORE and predicting MURDER for this weekend.

- Colt Cabana firing up El Generico for standing up to Kevin Steen.

- Davey Richards real talk.

- Kenny King on fire, getting me interested in his match with Davey on Saturday (more than I was before).

- A naked Austin Aries promo.

- A clothed Tyler Black promo.

- The NEW ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS.

- Chris Hero is untouchable in a Kings of Wrestling promo that was as good, if not better than his last VideoWire promo. KINGS REIGNS SUPREME.

- And finally, the greatest KoW pose/shadow handshake to close it all off.

ROH IN LA: WHAT YOU DIDN'T (OR WON'T) SEE

Amazing. From the ROH Board:

MOMENTS 2009: JIMMY RAVE, COLT CABANA RETURN TO ROH

If your nipples don't poke right through your shirt after watching this, then you need to get your pulse checked. Or at least your nipples.

The reaction of the crowd is incredible. Being there live must've been fucking awesome.