WOW - EP199 - NXT TakeOver Portland Review
The Work Of Wrestling
Work Of Wrestling host Tim Kail reviews NXT Takeover Portland! Topics include: Merging the TV-viewing experience with the live-audience experience. The spectacle of Keith Lee vs Dominic Dijokovic wearing off. The arrival of Dakota Kai, and why she's found her perfect attire. Finn Balor delivering his best WWE/NXT performance to date. Bianca and Rhea delivering, Charlotte accepting Rhea's challenge. The chemistry of the Broserweights. What tag team wrestling symbolizes. How Ciampa/Cole exceeded expectations, and delivered an excellent match. The parallelism of Gargano/Balor & Ciampa/Cole. ...
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WOW - EP198 - The Road
The Work Of Wrestling
The Road to WrestleMania has felt especially bumpy in recent years. Work Of Wrestling host Tim Kail wonders why that is, and endeavors to find an answer. His search takes him into the past, beginning at the 1993 Royal Rumble and ending at WrestleMania 17.
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WOW - EP197 - Favorite Things
The Work Of Wrestling
Work Of Wrestling host Tim Kail returns to discuss a few of his favorite things about wrestling . Topics include: What does he genuinely enjoy about WWE today that has very little to do with the actual content they produce? Despite all his constructive criticisms of AEW, what does he love about Dynamite and what keeps him tuning in every week? What's his favorite thing about NXT at the moment? Who is his favorite wrestler and why? The importance of escapism; the purpose it serves and why it's okay for kids to play video games. Follow on Twitter and Thanks for listening!
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WOW - EP196 - Royal Rumble Review (2020)
The Work Of Wrestling
Work Of Wrestling host Tim Kail is joined once again by friend, fellow pro-wrestling fan, and filmmaker Al Monelli to review WWE's latest Royal Rumble! Topics include: The good cinematography of the Roman Reigns vs Baron Corbin Match Bianca Belaire's superbly told Royal Rumble story Al's new arrival!!! What's wrong with Bayley's heel turn? The Fiend's pants Daniel Bryan's greatness Why Asuka vs Becky Lynch, for Tim, was a major disappointment Al loving Brock murdering wrestlers and why he could have watched him toss everyone over the top rope all night Why Tim is cautiously optimistic about...
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The New Drew McIntyre Reminds Us To Have Fun
The Work Of Wrestling
Drew McIntyre On Monday Night Raw Seemingly overnight, Drew McIntyre became a guy you'd like to get a pint with. For the past month on RAW, he's been sauntering to the ring as a big, surly, sexy bastard, perpetually grinning, cutting funny promos, counting down Claymore kicks, and connecting with the crowd. If you're a WWE-fan his energy, at long last, is in alignment with your perception of his potential. If you had the good fortune to watch Drew's work as Galloway on the indies from 2014-2017, then you've likely already had this experience. His excellence, for you, isn't merely...
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WOW - EP195 - Royal Rumble Preview
The Work Of Wrestling
Work Of Wrestling host Tim Kail previews the 2020 Royal Rumble. Topics include: Why Brock Lesnar's inclusion is a good thing Who should win the men's rumble Who should win the women's rumble Fantasy booking to WrestleMania Daniel Bryan vs The Fiend Becky Lynch vs Asuka How WWE can use The Rumble to get NXT over And more! Follow on Twitter @WorkOfWrestling and
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WOW - EP194 - Never Ashes
The Work Of Wrestling
This week Work Of Wrestling host, Tim Kail, unleashes his pent up response to CM Punk's "Return". Other topics include: David Starr vs Jordan Devlin for the OTT Championship Effective modern symbolism in pro-wrestling WWE Backstage and how it won't exist a year from now How pro-wrestling (and Tim) have moved on from CM Punk Tim's renewed desire to live "the art life" and find purpose through writing & podcasting And much more! Click here to watch Starr vs Devlin: Follow on Twitter @WorkOfWrestling and Thanks for listening! Return next week for a Royal Rumble preview!
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Here's How AEW Can Change Wrestling (If It Really Wants To)
The Work Of Wrestling
Kenny Omega, Matt & Nick Jackson, Brandi & Cody of AEW AEW's second Dynamite of the year featured back-to-back-to-back segments with The Nightmare Collective, The Dark Order, and The Butcher, The Bunny, & The Blade. Short The Librarians joining in to shush an already silent crowd, it watched like a parade of wrestling's worst instincts. Bad timing, awkward delivery, flubbed reveals, cheap attire, hokey gimmicks, authority figures, unclear motivations, and labored narrative reasoning. As this played out, a word slowly came into focus in my consciousness, floating in...
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AEW Can Do Better Than The Dark Order
The Work Of Wrestling
The Dark Order Of AEW "We're going to offer a sports-centric product that focuses on the athletes and work." With this , in May of 2019, Tony Khan set my expectations of All Elite Wrestling. I wish I had interpreted that statement as broadly as possible rather than immediately invest in the deeper implications of "sports-centric". It set an impossible-to-meet expectation, ensuring dissatisfaction. So frustrated with WWE and so excited by the prospect of a new promotion destined to be its antidote, it wasn't hard to imagine Dynamite would be everything I ever wanted it to be....
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WOW - EP193 - Wrestle Kingdom 14 (Night Two) Review
The Work Of Wrestling
Work Of Wrestling starts The New Year with New Japan! In part two of the 5th anniversary episode of WOW, host Tim Kail critiques the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 14. Topics include: Jushin Thunder Liger and the bond all wrestling fans share A plot hole in a tag match featuring "illegal cups" New Japan's camera work The tangly genius of Zach Saber Jr. and Sanada The unexpected outcome of Juice Robinson vs John Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship What was missing from Kenta vs Goto (if anything) The brilliance of Kota Ibushi's performance The ever-reliable vile charm of Chris...
info_outlineIn this epic Work Of Wrestling podcast, host Tim Kail reviews the premiere episode of AEW Dynamite!
He begins at the end, sharing his thoughts on the "surprise" appearance of Jack Hager, Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega crashing through a glass table, and the three basic reactions he imagines a fan could have after watching the entire show.
Other topics include:
- The signature at the start of the show, along with its generic "Dynamite" theme song - how to make an intro video that's modern and inviting
- How the addition of Tony Shivani gave commentary greater focus and purpose throughout the night
- The subliminal implications of Cody diving into Brandi
- The decision-making behind the reveal of the tag division
- The positive function of familiarity
- How Riho & Nyla Rose delivered the match of the night
- Why AEW needs to be more aware of the optics of some of their choices (i.e. why was Kenny Omega involved in the post-match beatdown of the first ever women's championship match?
And much more, along with a closing monologue that represents the culmination of years-worth of podcasting and pro-wrestling analysis - where Tim arrives at a deeper understanding of and appreciation for professional wrestling.
Follow on Twitter @WorkOfWrestling and www.facebook.com/theworkofwrestling