Talking Sheet | Pro Wrestling & Wrestling News | WWE | Observer | PWTorch

Anna Bauert of Fightful.com joins Les and Sealia this week to discuss her YouTube series Most Ridiculous, her joining the post-Smackdown show with Sean Ross Sapp and Jeff Hawkins, and talk the week in wrestling coverage. We talk about whether WWE WrestleMania is for hardcore or casual wrestling fans, whether it’s about moments or great matches—and whether it can be about both! The WrestleMania main even is under fire, with criticism of WWE’s over reliance on part-timer, returning Superstars over full-time, regular wrestlers. Plus, Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer argue over AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan teases wrestling again when his contract expires, Bayley is 100% ruined by bad booking, and whether WWE merchandise is female friendly! Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Anna is @annabauert the show is @TalkingSheetPod

The “Broken Universe” is torn asunder, as the Hardys officially depart a newly rebooted TNA! Today on the show a solo Les Moore unpacks the coverage from all angles regarding the huge week in TNA, now officially known as IMPACT. Dave Meltzer, Ryan Satin and Mike Johnson all file in-depth reports on the departures of several performers — Les breaks it down! We examine the influence of Jeff Jarrett as reported by the Wrestling Observer, Prowrestling.net, and PW Torch, PWInsider. Plus we look at the arrivals of some old names called upon to be the new face of the promotion that seems to have 109 lives, including MLW Radio’s Bruce Prichard and former WWE Superstar Alberto El Patron. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

The Rock was on hand this week for WWE Raw in Los Angeles, and caused quite the stir among wrestling news pundits. We look at the coverage, including PWTorch’s Bruce Mitchell comparing the Rock to your spoiled stripper girlfriend. And PWInsider’s Mike Johnson continues to talk about the return to WWE of CM Punk, despite no actual chance of it happening any time soon. Les and Sealia break down the coverage of the Kevin Owens opening segment from Raw, including Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez brushing it off as “good,” before preemptively dissing their subscribers for complaining about their lackadaisical recitations of Raw segments. We look at how the analysis of that same segment played out over at PW Torch on the Wade Keller Hotline and Bruce Mitchell Audio Show, and PWInsiderElite.com’s Mike Johnson Hotline. Plus, John Pollock and Wai Ting offer a better, more well-rounded take on Review A Raw as well. Body Guy Bryan Alvarez takes all UK wrestlers (except Neville) to task for their poor fitness. Finally, Les and Sealia are joined by Fightful.com’s managing editor Sean Ross Sapp to talk the site, its multitude of fantastic contributors, as well as writer pay, working for Whatculture, and wrestling journalism. Then Sealia hosts a game of TRUTH OF FALSEHOODS, Tom Phillips’ dick move, and the upcoming WWE rulebook. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Sean Ross Sapp is @SeanRossSapp the show is @TalkingSheetPod

Les and Sealia return to talk the week in coverage with a look at the latest bad chant rant. This week, on the most universally derided Wrestling Observer Radio podcast in recent memory, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez talked about fans chanting You Deserve It. @MrLARIATO polls his followers on other bad chants. Les calls on Wade Keller, Dave Meltzer and other pundits to devote a portion of their airtime talking about the wrestling they like instead of countless Raw and SmackDown reviews. Also on the show: We look at this week’s HILARIOUS review of the Trent Seven vs Tyler Bate match from NXT by F4Wonline’s Granny. Dave Meltzer ponders why so many teenage girls tuned WWE Raw out this week. Barry Hess from Voices of Wrestling and Garrett Martin at Paste Wrestling look at the Festival of Friendship Ryan Satin reports on why the Emmalina character has been abandoned, with analysis from Rob McCarron and Jeff Hawkins of Shake Them Ropes. A look at Elimination Chamber show ratings from PW Torch, Larry Csonka and Wrestling Observer subscribers. The deaths of WWE Hall of Fam legend George the Animal Steele, Ivan Koloff and Nicole Bass Les launches a contest for a well written article about race & racial quotas in WWE. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

Tonight on the show we have an interview with Wrestling Observer Live’s Mike Sempervive talking his early days at the Pro Wrestling Torch, being one of the pioneers of wrestling podcasting before it even had a name, whether we’ll ever hear he and Dave Meltzer do another Sin Limite show, plus Hugh’s Qs and a whole lot more. But first, Les runs down news coverage notes on the first half of the week, including the latest on whether Seth Rollins is expected to work WrestleMania, and the status of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards issue. Samoa Joe’s Suit from WWE Raw on Monday night also got some coverage. Les looks at what Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer thought of how Joe was dressed compared to John Pollock and Wai Ting from Review-A-Raw this week. The Smackdown spotlight on the women’s division is getting noticed, and Les looks at remarks from Wade Keller on how Elimination Chamber has three women’s matches on the show, plus Kate Foray’s Raw Breakdown Project compares women’s airtime on Raw vs Smackdown. Ryan Satin uses twitter as a lead for another one of his big ELUSIVES, and Dave Scherer throws shade at WWE for not crediting Mike Johnson with breaking the story that the Rock n’ Roll Express are going into the WWE Hall of Fame. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Mike is @Sempervive the show is @TalkingSheetPod

The thrice are back for the 100th episode of the Prime edition of the show! We kick things off with some talk highlighting some of the top content of the week, and then on to the week in news. The big topic is the injury to WWE Superstar Seth Rollings, and the coverage of of the injury from all the top sources. Wade Keller hosted two days of major speculation and what-ifs regarding the Rollins injury and whether he’s out of WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer reports Rollins could be back in eight weeks, and still make Mania. We examine the coverage of, and reactions to, the portrayal of Seth Rollins in his angle with Triple H, where by all accounts Rollins has been made to look like the heel. Wade Keller and Bruce Mitchell discuss how Rollins’ characterization is disrespectful of women, while Dave Meltzer reacts to how strongly Triple H comes off as a babyface. Samoa Joe debuted on Raw, and the hype surrounding his long-awaited appearance on the main roster quickly turned to hand-wringing and questioning regarding why he’s not on Smackdown instead of Raw, and fears that he could lose his first match with Rollins, prior to the news that Rollins was injured. We breakdown the post-Royal Rumble reactions from Dave Meltzer, plus the PW Torch scorecard with analysis from Todd Martin and Sean Radican. The Bella Twins responded to Sealia Bloom’s questions regarding their Birdie Bee “Panties with a Purpose” by posting a YouTube directly addressing what their purpose is. Sealia also looks at podcasts The Last Mark Standing and Clotheslines and Headlines. Finally, Les runs down the week in paid wrestling coverage with Know Your Sheet for the week, including the latest plans for WrestleMania, Kevin Kelly out at Ring of Honor, and more! Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

On this huge edition of Talking Sheet we talk the final coverage heading into this weekend’s WWE Royal Rumble and how it will play into the latest plans for WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez, Bruce Mitchell, Wade Keller, Dave Scherer and Todd Martin JOUST over the effectiveness of the John Cena promo on AJ Styles from this week’s SmackDown. John Pollock and Wai Ting square off against Keller and Martin on whether the Randy Orton and Wyatt Family storyline is hot or not. Plus, we look at the latest Kenny Omega interview on Wrestling Observer Radio, where the New Japan star makes his long-awaited announcement on whether we can expect him in WWE (SPOILER ALERT: Not happening). Sealia gives her thoughts on the week in wrestling, including the new podcasts she’s listened to this week, including shows on Fightful.com, the Lapsed Fan podcast, and Not Your Demographic. And, in the MAIN EVENT of our show, we have a fantastic interview with the Lady J of Facelock Feministas talking her journey in pro wrestling fandom, journalism, Lucha Underground, PROGRESS and so much more—including the return of Hugh’s Qs and a quiz on British slang! TIME STAMPS Main Segments — Rumble, Mania, Omega Interview: 00:00:00–00:51:19 Sealia Sees It: 00:51:20–01:18:41 The Lady J Interview: 01:18:42–02:45 Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Lady J is @TheLadyJSays the show is @TalkingSheetPod

The first shots in the next big wrestling war may have already been fired. We discuss the news everyone is talking about regarding the WWE pulling newly signed U.K. talent from events that were to be streamed on FloSlam, and what this might mean for the future of wrestling in the region. Both Dave Meltzer and PWInsider’s Mike Johnson have major articles this week on the battle for the U.K market. But first, we examine the major coverage on, and reactions to, the death of Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and Bruce Mitchell in the PW Torch. Know Your Sheet has WWE news, plus news from TNA Impact, ROH, New Japan and much more. Sealia gives her take on wrestling for the week, including a listen to Aubrey Sitterson’s podcast, and her plans for the next month in expanding her consumption of wrestling coverage. We talk Kurt Angle in the WWE Hall of Fame, and Hugh’s Views for the week feature indy wrestling coverage, podcasts and spotlights on all the shows, wrestlers and podcasts on his radar. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

Les is joined by Sealia Bloom as we look at Paul Triple H Levesque’s appearance on Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez, including questions asked and reactions it has received online, plus what questions could have been asked given a set-up by Triple H in the interview. We look at Dave Meltzer’s apparent experience with psycho women, and how that ties into the ongoing angle with Alicia Fox, Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander. With a groundswell of criticism over recent angles and storylines perceived as sexist among WWE fans, where is the analysis of this especially when you consider the apparent strong female viewership compared to men. We have countless critiques and takes regarding Roman Reigns should be a heel, and the poorly handled booking of Sami Zayn—but where is the analysis of whether storylines like Fox, Alexander and Dar, or the treatment of Lana turn women viewers off? The WWE U.K. tournament was by all accounts a big success, we talk about the reactions to it, coverage of the tournament, plus a look at a new David Bixenspan article on whether the tournament accomplished its goals. We touch on the coverage of the death of Jimmy Snuka, and look at some of the reactions to WWE’s tribute to the late WWE hall of famer. Plus, Randy Orton gets pissed at a fan who was behaving stupidly, and some third rate local publication wrote about it from the whiner’s perspective. So, naturally, that became news! Plus, the second half of our show features our latest interview with Fightful’s Brandon Howard talking his recent Favorability Study of wrestling promotions, wrestling ratings, WWE strategy and more. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

We look at the topic everyone is talking about — is Kenny Omega WWE bound? And what does John Cena’s Instagram post mean? Dave Meltzer seemed to lend credence to the idea that WWE could be high on Omega, with the promotion interested in sighing the New Japan star. Still, others believe he could be signed to NJPW for another year. Know Your Sheet for the week looks at WrestleMania plans changing again, with the long rumored Undertaker vs John Cena match off the table again this year. Dave Meltzer reports on the next wave of potential NXT call-ups in the “Terry Taylor Class.” Sealia makes recipes from Chris Jericho and the Rock. Hugh’s Views for the week looks at the 4-hour podcast with Dylan Hales and Kris Zellner looking at indies heading into 2017, additions to the wrestling site directory, and a spotlight on Freelance Wrestling and Anthony Henry. The Sheet List for the week looks at articles by Chris Harrington and Kenji Murasame. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

Join us for a look at the coverage and reactions to what has been widely described (and debated) as the greatest match in pro wrestling history, Kenny Omega vs Okada at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 11. We look at Dave Meltzer’s historic 6-star rating and talk about other matches he has described as being more than 5 stars. We also compare Meltzer’s praise of Kenny Omega now to what he was saying about him one year ago at this time, both in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter as well as on the Wrestling Observer Radio podcast. It’s been a turbulent week for Ryan Satin over at Pro Wrestling Sheet where three times over the past several days he was criticized for claiming “exclusives” on stories that had previously been mentioned or reported. We compare the coverage of the latest Alberto Del Rio El Patron kerfuffle between F4Wonline and Pro Wrestling Sheet. Ryan Satin also had a win with the return of Kassius Ohno to NXT after Satin was the lone reporter who made that claim when news broke that Chris Hero would be heading back to WWE. Know Your Sheet segment runs down all the coverage in the paid newsletters and sites for the week including the latest on WrestleMania, Goldberg, independent promotions, Ronda Rousey’s chances in WWE and more. It was recently announced that Ric Flair was ending his MLW podcast. We have the latest rumors and innuendo on the WWE hall of famer’s reasons, and questions as to why he hasn’t returned to WWE as a regular performer after previous reports. Finally, the Sheet List for the week looks at articles from Bruce Mitchell at PW Torch, Scarlett Harris from Paste Wrestling, Brandon Howard at Fightful.com, Joseph Currier’s first lead article as the writer of Figure 4 Weekly, and Justin Barrasso from Sports Illustrated. Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod

Les, Hugh & Sealia return for their final show of 2016 (or first show of 2017, depending on when you listen) to talk about the wrestling coverage and hot topics of the week. We kick things off with the Ronda Rousey loss at UFC 207 and the instant speculation as to whether or not wrestling fans can expect her in WWE now that he career is most likely over. Les runs down the top stories from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and PW Torch. We look at the story regarding Mick Foley’s needed hip surgery getting out, and why both he and Chris Hero appear to have been blindsided by Dave Meltzer reporting their stories. Kenny Omega brought up WWE’s hiring practices, which have caused some to compare their current hiring practices to the predatory talent raids of the WWF in the 80s, and WCW in the 90s. Plus, Hugh’s Views, Sealia Sees It, and Les’ Sheet List for the week. TIMESTAMPS: * 00:00: 00 – 00:15:00 – Rousey to WWE? Speculation on whether she will come in now that her UFC career appears to be over following her second devastating loss. * 00:15:00 – 00:55:00 – Know Your Sheet from Wrestling Observer and PW Torch for this week, including Guess the Dirt and Inspector Ringside * 01:03:00 — 1:23:12 Kenny Omega on WWE Monopoly, and whether it’s predatory hiring practices. * 1:23:12 – 1:40:27 Hugh’s Views & spotlight on indie wrestling scene * 1:40:27 – 2:00:32 – Sealia Sees It / new subscription to Torch & Observer, reactions to Travis Bryant article on women’s wrestling attire. * 2:00:32 – 2:28:32 – Sheet List & 2017 Coverage Outlook Have a Happy New Year and enjoy the show! Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod Inspector Ringside is @f4wonline (no, really… check it out)

It’s the 2016 Sheety Awards Gala Event! Join us as we announce this year’s winners and runners up for the best in wrestling coverage for the year, from news websites, paid sites, free sites, podcasts, writers and major stories of 2016. But first, Know Your Sheet for the Week, as Les, Sealia and Hugh talk over the biggest news stories from the past week in wrestling, including WWE’s aggressive recruiting of independent talent, it’s UK plans, and what Dave Meltzer calls the golden age of indy wrestling. We breakdown the WWE Roadblock ratings from major site coverage, including the Observer reader ratings, and PW Torch analyst ratings. We look at the recent remarks made by Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani, and his thoughts on WWE’s future revenue streams. Have a very Merry Christmas, and enjoy the show! Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod Inspector Ringside is @f4wonline (no, really… check it out)

Les Moore and Sealia Bloom chat this week on the last show before our Gala Event, the Sheety Awards Extravaganza! Sealia has a few things to get off her chest with regards to gender equality in wrestling coverage, and diversity in the Sheetys. Then, we talk about WWE Raw and SmackDown Live ratings being up this week, even though if you listen to the pro punditry, WWE creative is in a dip. Paul Fontaine gets a well-deserved shout out for his work on covering the ratings for F4Wonline. We talk about the booking of Sasha Banks at Roadblock, including Dave Meltzer’s report that Vince McMahon thought it would be GREAT to deflate the crowd with two seconds left in the Ironman Match. We tackle the topic of crying in wrestling—is it too much? Travis Bryant and Wade Keller discuss on a recent Post-PPV Roundtable on PW Torch VIP. Then, Inspector Ringside predicts a New Day heel turn, and we offer out thoughts… including Les’ take that this should be the opportunity to create a NEW DOOM! We also talk the Noam Dar, Alicia Fox and Cedric Alexander storyline, including Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer trying to make sense of it and wondering (rightly) what in the world the outcome could be?! Plus, Renee smacking the Miz, and other “shoot”-like comments on Smackdown this week and more! Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet the show is @TalkingSheetPod Inspector Ringside is @f4wonline (no, really… check it out)

We are joined today by an amazing guest list for our first Digital Bruncheon—a casual conversation among friends talking the latest news in wrestling, the year in review, and a few hopes for 2017. Les, Sealia and Hugh are joined by Mike “Papa” Hales of Talking Graps, Kris Zellner of Between the Sheets, Jeff Hawkins of Shake Them Ropes, Allan Blackstock of Letters From Kayfabe, and Skillcrane of Tap or Snap to discuss SO MUCH! We tackle the recently announced WWE U.K. championship tournament, Chris Hero’s impact on the indie scene, and his apparent return to WWE, the rise of wrestling streaming services, who will win the WWE Wrestler of the Year award. We give our Star Ratings for Wrestling overall in 2016, and talk about the biggest stories of the year and what we believe to be wrestling’s most thoroughly beaten dead horse in 2016! Plus, Sealia and Hugh hand out their Sealys for the year—awards that didn’t quite make it onto the Sheety ballot, but that are just as fun! Follow the gang on twitter: Les is @prowrestling Sea is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Allan Blackstock is @Allan_Cheapshot Papa is @MikeHales9 Kris Zellner is @KrisZellner Jeff Hawkins is @Crapgame13 Skillcrane is @Naturalbornheel the show is @TalkingSheetPod Inspector Ringside is @f4wonline (no, really… check it out)