Review-a-Wai [Weekly Podcast]

The Good

Born out of the success of the LAW (Live Audio Wrestling), John Pollock and Wai Ting (yes, that is his real name), developed this show as an add-on to the weekly LAW show.  Decidedly more low-key then the LAW, John and Wai do simple reviews of all sorts of pro-wrestling content.  Primarily they review old WWF and WCW pay-per-views, but they've branched off into documentaries, movies, music and even pornography with ties to pro-wrestling.  As two twenty-somethings with slightly different backgrounds to their fandom, this show presents views very much in-line with online smart mark commentary.  John pulls in some great sound clips, inserts (or conducts) some relevant interviews and as media production types, they're always concerned with their quality.  The reviews vary greatly, largely based on their interest in the event, circumstances around watching the event and often their health.  I think the greatest strength of this show is their attempt to be objective about pro-wrestling that folks are often nostalgic about.  They have no qualms with cutting down the Attitude Era for nonsensical booking, offensive content and bad wrestling.  Conversely, they will put over things that are entertaining (even if they might be campy or "bad") and they attempt to provide some context for things.  As someone who could listen to shoot interviews day-after-day, I can appreciate that not everyone enjoys that medium because they tend to rely heavily on prior knowledge, refer to all sorts of disjointed rumors and are often ripe with over-the-top storytelling, bullshitting or straight-up lying.  That sort of stuff can be exhausting to listen to, but this is more light and entertaining.  I have a brother who is a devoted fan of this podcast, but will put off my other suggestions of shoots, matches and other podcasts because they're hard to fit into a busy schedule.  Review-a-Wai, however, is always easy to catch.

The Bad

As a huge fan of the DVDVR in its heyday, I find Review-a-Wai to be a slightly less informed, slightly easier to take in version.  The show has some regular banter about their lives at the Fight Network, John's beverage choices, their illnesses and so forth.  As with any podcast, you have to expect some unrelated conversational content and these two certainly do that.  As I stated earlier, the quality varies widely.  Sick and tired guys laboring through a god-awful show can make for some lackluster shows.  Getting feedback from the people is a common theme from the LAW and I rarely think it adds to that show and reading through feedback on hear is not much different.  The show has its regulars, but those comments almost never include extra insight or worthwhile anecdotes.  I can accept Review-a-Wai for what it is and I can understand why people love it, but it is not without flaws.

The Rating: ****1/4

Bill Apter [Highspots Shoot Interview]

The Good
For those who did not grow up with the "Apter Mags," it is hard to put in perspective how influential they really were. I have my own memories of waiting anxiously for the latest to come in and I still have dozens and dozens in storage. These magazines, even though they held up kayfabe, were huge in getting talent national recognition. Bill Apter, while not the first and maybe not even the best, became synonymous with pro-wrestling magazines. While a magazine writer might not have the most interesting tale, Apter is a great storyteller, does great impressions and traveled widely after being a fan as a youngster in the 1960s. His explanations of the changes in the magazine industry, its role in the business and how it impacted his own life and career are really fascinating. It seems funny because there were obviously innumerable people who were pro-wrestling photographers, journalists, sheet writers and such, but none seem to have been as involved as Apter. His tales of encounters with transvestites in Japan with Terry Funk, being puked on by Road Warrior Hawk and being chewed out by Vince McMahon Sr. for putting Mil Mascaras on the cover of magazines were just a few glimpses into the unique life he's lived. Apter has a great sense of humor and does not let himself get pinned down to much with chronology, politics or bad feelings.

The Bad
I feel like Bill Apter is the type that could probably do a dozen interviews and never run out of funny stories or interesting insight into the industry. I've heard him a handful of times and he never seems to tell the same anecdotes. So, I almost feel a little cheated here because it just was not long enough. Seriously though, this is as good of an interview as I'd expect with someone who never worked in the business (per say). There are always going to people who have their taste in shoot interviews and this might not be salacious or angry enough for some. Apter is largely positive about everything and delivers a great light-hearted interview.

The Rating: ****3/4

The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect

Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 9/08

Featured Talent
Arn Anderson, Eric Bischoff, Nick Bockwinkel, Wade Boggs [friend/baseball legend], Edge, Gerald Brisco, Ric Flair, Greg Gagne, Tony Garea, Bret Hart, Michael Hayes, Bobby Heenan, Larry Hennig, Leonisse Hennig (widow), Joe Hennig (son), Hulk Hogan, Chris Jericho, Jerry Lawler, Brock Lesnar, Steve Lombardi, Shawn Michaels, Gene Okerland, Bruce Pritchard, Harley Race, William Regal, Brad Rheingans, Dusty Rhodes, Kerwin Slifies (WWF Director), Joey Styles, Triple H

The Good
Curt Hennig was one of the most respected pro-wrestlers amongst his peers and for the WWE to release a DVD with a documentary dedicated to him was a bit of a surprise. Like the excellent Brian Pillman DVD, Hennig's life story and his pro-wrestling career have fascinating twists and turns for a story. His legacy as a great athlete and technical workhorse in the ring and a fun-loving ribber outside of the ring is highlighted wonderfully here. It has a light-heartedness to the story that is fitting his personality. The commentary by Greg Gagne, Larry Hennig and Wade Boggs brings this alive and add a dimension to this that makes this similar to the Pillman DVD. The matches on this are also excellent and it is a fair look at a great career that peaked with the unforgettable Mr. Perfect character.

The Bad
As a WWE production, this has the typical WWE slant to it. It makes WWF history look like Mr. Perfect was a given this huge push and was a top guy. He was pushed, he was given a great gimmick and he had some tremendous matches, but other than a house show run with Hulk Hogan, Curt Hennig was always a upper midcarder. The WWF gave the big pushes to the Ultimate Warrior, Sid Justice and other roided up monsters and it was people like Hennig who had to put them over and make them look good. His WCW run mirrored that legacy and then he came back. When Curt Hennig returned in the Royal Rumble, he looked poised to be a top guy. He could have been and probably should have been, but he was not and this fact is not exactly discussed. The drug issues are mentioned briefly, but Hennig was a notorious for his partying. It is not surprising all these factors are omitted. Some of the minor faults are the absence of Bobby Heenan, Lanny Poffo and some of Hennig's AWA peers and the reoccurring presence of Jerry Brisco, Steve Lombardi and even “Mr. Kayfabe” Arn Anderson, which seems to detract more than it adds. If you expect more than a light piece, then look elsewhere because the WWE does not really do heavy material.
The Rating: ****1/2

King Kong Bundy [Pro-Wrestling Diaries Shoot Interview]



The Good
I have largely enjoyed Pro-Wrestling Diaries shoots and you could definitely make a case that this one was their best. King Kong Bundy, who worked on top in the WWF in their glory days of the 1980s, crossed paths with many legendary and not-so-legendary personalities. He is an extremely honest person, has a great sense of humor and excellent delivery (he has done some stand-up after all). While some might think he comes across as bitter, I think he comes across as pretty down-to-earth and straightforward. He has his pet peeves (poor tippers, stooges, bullies and selfish types) and he is willing to fling mud at anyone and everyone. However, he does not out and out bury many people. He admits if he had a personality clash with someone like Randy Savage or Andre the Giant, but typically he can give people credit if they were talented. While a lot of this is negative, it almost seems like a comedy act as he plays a nasty old Don Rickles. Bret Hart became very conceited, Honky Tonk Man ran out on bills, Ernie Ladd manipulated youngsters for his own benefit, Andre the Giant was petty and selfish, Bam Bam Bigelow had delusions of grandeur and so on. Many opinions are widely held - Nikolai Volkoff and Tony Garea were cheap to a fault; the Dynamite Kid, Bill Watts and Adrian Adnois were bullies; and Hulk Hogan's boys (Honky, Brutus, etc.) grew big egos and never sold the fact that Hogan brought them to the dance. This seemed to provide some unique perspectives as well as much of the same old stuff.

The Bad
I feel like overly negative shoot interviews are not necessarily everyone's preference, but many people who invest in them want some real meat to their shoots. King Kong Bundy provides that here. Of course, he has a number of guys who were "good guys" and even some them he points out their personality flaws. Many were "pricks" or "assholes" who abused their peers, fans or just everyday folks. Bundy seems to be a man of some moral fiber and he was bothered by some of the negative things he saw in the business whether it was drug abuse, attitude problems or some of things that rubbed him the wrong way that I previously mentioned. This was enjoyable, but realize that it is not all pats on the back and putting people over.

The Rating: ****1/2

Wrestlecrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: R.D. Reynolds, Randy Baer
Publisher: ECW Press
Released: 11/03

The Good
I always thought Mick Foley's book would be the funniest in terms of poking fun at pro-wrestling, unless maybe Bryan Alvarez wrote a book. I was wrong. Wrestlecrap, for those who know the website, was a really fun place to relive some of the most stupid gimmicks, angles and characters that pro-wrestling has cooked up. Here, Reynolds gives us the modern history of WWF and WCW and all the foolish things they've done since the mid-80s boom. Excellent phrasing that really makes this funny, rather than bizarre. A good example being the description of WWF's T.L. Hopper, which ends, "[Hopper] would carry Betsy, his filthy plunger, to the ring, and shove her in his defeated opponent's face. For, you see, he wasn't just a wrestling plumber, he was an evil wrestling plumber." (Pg. 170). Wrestlecrap is a really fun read, especially if you and a friend, or a bunch of friends, are making a road trip because if read properly, this is gold.

The Bad
Obviously this a limited focus, covering only the mid-80s through recent times and limiting it to WWF and WCW. And for serious fans it has to be sad. Wrestlecrap basically showing us all just how immature and regularly stupid the wrestling world is and in some way it makes you ashamed to be a fan. Reynolds points out just how bad it has been and will obviously be in the future. If you don't find this funny, you'll find it depressing, but those people are probably few and far between.

The Rating: ***3/4

Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Bobby Heenan, Steve Anderson
Publisher: Triumph Publishing
Released: 9/02

The Good
Hilarious in parts, kind of funny in others, dull in other areas. Heenan's career is condensed greatly and he mostly delivers humourous little stories and puts them in some sort of order it seems. There are some great ones about ribs, wrestlers being dumb, wrestlers being funny and so on. The more serious parts are nice and his humor makes them more interesting than the typical rambling childhood/parenthood/family stories.

The Bad
This is light read and a fun one...that's all. Anyone can do this in an afternoon and not get much out of it other than a few laughs. Heenan doesn't give much insight aside from how he thinks things are flawed nowerdays, which is more being out-of-touch than being insightful. Everything is so here and there that it's hard to say any number of things add up to equal a sound argument. The WCW stuff could've been better as he'll say they did this and that and it's so stupid, but doesn't always provide an alternative. This guy KNOWS wrestling, he knows how to work a match and even better how to work the crowd, but you'd not get all that from this all too short story.

The Rating: ***

Have a Nice Day (audiobook)

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Mick Foley
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Released: 10/00 

The Good
Audiobooks are fun, especially with the right narrator and omissions. This had Mick Foley telling his book and it added to some of the stories a great deal. It was brief and a worthwhile listen. I think the anecdotes had a lot of personality and the impressions of Dominic Denucci and Terry Funk were really funny. This really can't be fairly compared to the book, which an opus, but perhaps to shoot interviews. It was enjoyable.


The Bad
"How do you really condense it all into this?" I kept wondering. One of the best pro-wrestling books and inarguably the most trendsetting, Have a Nice Day! being retold in such an abridged way takes a lot of the heart out of it, but thankfully leaves some of the humor. You must read the book.

The Rating: **1/4