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Coffee Talk #611: Five Things I Liked From CES 2014

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2014) is wrapping up and tech nerds are still recovering from being inundated by awesome announcements. Looking through the retroscope, I wish I had gone to this year’s show. It had the expected technology and gaming announcements I expected. What surprised me was the amount of vaping goods on display. Gah! Before I plan for CES 2015, let’s take a look back at five announcements I liked from CES 2014…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the fraudulent NY Knicks giving fans false hope with their fluke win over the Miami Heat, the Broadway musical based on the lyrics of Tupac Shakur, or the unfortunate news of Emma Watson dating some fool rugby player, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

WWE Network: I wrote about the CES 2014 WWE Network announcement yesterday and I’m still jazzed about the news. This streaming-video service is a dream come true for marks, smarts, and smarks. For $10 a month you get all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events, some original programming, and on-demand access to classic pro-wrestling matches. Hell, I’d pay $10 a month just to watch Ric Flair’s vast library of five-star matches.
First-Gen Steam Machines: Valve-powered Steam Machines are potentially disruptive for the entire videogame universe. Steam Machines could dratically change things for gamers, game developers, and game publishers. I was thrilled to see that first-gen Steam Machines will be coming from top hardware vendors at a broad range of prices. Steam Machines are on the way from Alienware, CyberPowerPC, Digital Storm, Falcon NW ,GigaByte, iBuyPower, Origin PC, and others.
T-Mobile Pays For ETFs: T-Mobile USA’s John Legere is easily the most entertaining CEO in technology today. I love his bold moves and juvenile antics. Some of the things he does aren’t exactly professional, but damn they’re funny. It was hilarious that he crashed AT&T’s CES 2014 party…and promptly got kicked out. In a serious move, I dig the latest step in T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” initiative: paying early-termination fees (ETFs) for customers moving from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon to T-Mobile. It’s just the latest in a number of aggressive moves from carrier.
Razer Project Christine: Speaking of bold and aggressive, I’m absolutely smitten with Razer’s Project Christine concept design that was unveiled at CES 2014. This modular PC chassis looks amazingly cool and is extremely practical. It makes upgrading and expanding a PC’s capabilities a snap. Even though I’m mostly a Mac guy these days, I’d love to get a Project Christine PC for when I’m working on PC games.
PlayStation Now: The Gaikai streaming-videogame service will be reborn as PlayStation Now. In addition to streaming older PlayStation games to PlayStation consoles, the service will be built into select Bravia televisions. This is a fantastic value-added feature for casual gamers that want to play videogames every now and then, but aren’t into it enough to buy a dedicated machine. It could even serve as a gateway service and create born-again gamers. It’s a very cool and very smart move from Sony.

How about you guys and dolls? What CES 2014 product or service announcements did you enjoy?

WWE Network: 24/7 Streaming and Live Programming

At CES 2014, WWE announced details on the WWE Network, a streaming-video service that offers live and on-demand videos. WWE Network will feature live programming — including all 12 WWE pay-per-view events — and on-demand viewing of classic wrestling. Additionally, it will have a number of original shows that will be exclusive to the service. WWE Network will launch on February 24, 2014 at a cost of $9.99 per month with a six-month commitment required.

WWE Network will be available on a number of popular devices. According to the press release:

WWE Network, the first 24/7 network delivered directly to fans through over-the-top digital distribution, will be available on desktops and laptops via WWE.com. WWE Network will also be available through the WWE App on: Amazon’s Kindle Fire devices; Android devices such as Samsung Galaxy; iOS devices such as Apple iPad and iPhone; Roku streaming devices; Sony PlayStation 3 and Sony PlayStation 4; and Xbox 360. Availability on additional devices, including Xbox One and select Smart TVs, will follow this summer.

Original WWE Network programming includes pre- and post-show commentary on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, NXT Wrestling, WrestleMania Rewind, The Monday Night War, and WWE Legends House. I’m particularly excited about that last show, which features “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Tony Atlas and Hacksaw Jim Duggan living together and doing goofy things.

The press release notes that classic WWE, WCW, and ECW matches and pay-per-view events will be available for on-demand viewing — uncut and uncensored. I hope that WWE’s immense archive of the “territory” days of wrestling will be included as well. There are so many tremendous Mid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, Florida Championship Wrestling, etc. matches that I’d love to see. Hell, it almost makes me wish that I had a son, just so that I could show him how awesome Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, and Harley Race were in their primes.

Assuming that the streaming service works well, WWE Network is a fantastic value. The monthly cost is cheaper than ordering a single pay-per-view event and you get tons of other content to enjoy at your leisure. As a fan of current WWE programming and a huge mark for older wrestling shows, WWE Network is a must-buy for me. On paper, it looks like I would get way more than $10 of entertainment out of the service every month.

I know that several of you RPadholics are (wisely) WWE and pro-wrestling fans. Are you excited for WWE Network? Will you subscribe? What questions or issues do you have about the service? Kindly layeth the smacketh down in the comments section!

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But I’m Chris Jericho! Trailer

WWE Superstar Chris Jericho — the best in the world at what he does — has an upcoming web series called But I’m Chris Jericho! The trailer, embedded below, shows a Curb Your Enthusiasm-type of comedy (but I’m guessing that the show won’t rely so heavily on improv). But I’m Chris Jericho! chronicles the ex-wrestler’s (fictitious) attempt at breaking into the acting world. It debuts on October 29, 2013 with new episodes every Tuesday. Behind-the-scenes footage will run on Mondays, while “bonus” episodes will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Basically, you’re getting four doses of Chris Jericho every week.

Here’s an excerpt from the official description:

But I’m Chris Jericho! is a web series starring WWE superstar and multi-faceted performer Chris Jericho as a fictionalized version of himself. In this tongue-in-cheek portrayal of his life, Chris is a former wrestler struggling to make it big as an actor.

The trailer seems entertaining enough. I have no doubt that Jericho will be funny and I’m definitely going to check out the first episode. It’s really up to the writers and supporting cast to bring me back. As most of you know, being the best in the world at what he does covers multiple disciplines — professional wrestling, music, dancing with stars, etc. I’m confident that Chris Jericho can be the best in the world at episodic Internet television too…if he has quality writers and funny comedians to play off of.

Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think of But I’m Chris Jericho! Are you going to watch the first episode? Do you think it will take off? Will the show be a flash-in-the-pan (like Kane’s WWE title reign)? Or will Jericho ensure that web television will never…ever…be the same…again.

Coffee Talk #601: Your WrestleMania Dream Match

Looking at the current WWE roster, I was wondering what WrestleMania dream match is floating around in your head. It doesn’t necessarily have to be for WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans. Any WrestleMania in the near future works for this fun game. Do you want to see a clash of giants? How about two masters of technical wrestling going at it? Perhaps you fancy a David-and-Goliath showdown. Whatever your WrestleMania dream match is, I’d love to hear about it. As for me, the answer is easy. I want to see…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Miley Cyrus media blitz, spending an hour researching the life and times of Kevin Sorbo, or Scarlett Johansson looking perfect without makeup, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’m a big, big fan of these two guys, going back to their Ring of Honor days as Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli. I’ve seen them have amazing matches together and I’d love to see them have an all-time great match at WrestleMania. They’re both wonderfully talented pro-wrestlers with diverse arsenals. Both are technically proficient, but have skills that complement each other. Danielson has the edge in high-flying maneuvers, while Claudio can pull off some power moves that few others would even think about trying. For a taste of how awesome a WrestleMania dream match between Daniel Bryan and Antonio Cesaro would be, check out this 2008 Ring of Honor clip below.

If you didn’t think that match was fantastic then I hope someone gives you a Ricola Bomb followed by Cattle Mutilation.

Sadly, it looks like this WrestleMania dream match is a few years away. While Danielson has been main-eventing WWE cards for some time, Claudio is being held back by Jack Swagger and Dutch Mantel as part of the “Real Americans” group. Hopefully he gets a chance to break out as a singles wrestler soon. He certainly has the ability. He just needs another opportunity. When that happens, I hope (but doubt) WWE creative brings back the, “Heyyyyyyyy!!!” gimmick. I miss that.

Anyway, what’s your WrestleMania dream match? Be the booker-man in the comments section (please!).

Watch Antonio Cesaro Giant-Swing The Great Khali…Twice!

Claudio Castagnoli, known as Antonio Cesaro in WWE, has been one of my favorite pro-wrestlers of the last decade. He has an incredible combination of power, technical wrestling skills, and dynamic moves. While his “Very” European uppercuts are wicked to watch, WWE fans have been marveling at Antonio Cesaro’s “giant swing” move. Check out the two clips below of Antonio Cesaro executing the maneuver on the gargantuan Great Khali. The first is from the WWE Battleground pay-per-view event on Sunday and the second is from last night’s Monday Night Raw. They’re just amazing displays of strength…and my back hurts just watching Antonio Cesaro do the move on YouTube. After you’ve checked out the clip, let me know who you’d like to see as a future victim of the Cesaro Swing. The Big Show? Mark Henry? Vickie Guerrero?

(On a side note, I love how Michael Cole accidentally called Hornswaggle by his real name, Dylan, in the second clip. Sadly, WWE edited that part out.)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Star in The Fall Guy

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson confirmed via Twitter that he’ll be starring in The Fall Guy. The movie, which will be directed by McG, is an updated version of the popular ’80s action series. For those of you not familiar with The Fall Guy, the show was about a stuntman that moonlighted as a bounty hunter to make ends meet. The “unknown stuntman’s” adventures were filled with stunt-acular action. The original show starred Lee Majors. It will be fun to see if The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment will be able to fill the shoes of the Six-Million Dollar Man.

Another reason for the show’s popularity was its leading lady: Heather Thomas. In the ’80s, she was pretty much the hottest woman alive. The vast majority of my friends had Heather Thomas posters on their walls back in the day and many of them watched The Fall Guy because of her. And yes, The Fall Guy news is a fantastic excuse to post a vintage Heather Thomas photo.

Now back to The Rock. This role is perfect for him. It takes full advantage of his physicality, pro-wrestling training, and comedic timing. McG’s Charlie’s Angels movies were great at blending action and comedy; The Rock is awesome at combining the two, making this a great pairing. It’s easy to see The Rock running, jumping, punching, kicking, and cracking jokes for 90 minutes in The Fall Guy, stylishly directed by McG. Hopefully the script is decent.

On a side note, many of you know that RPad.TV pal Justin Leeper is an actor and stuntman. He’s a pretty cool guy, but he’d even cooler if he pursued a part-time career in bounty hunting. I think you should all join me in encouraging Justin to become a real-life version of The Fall Guy.

Anyway, what do you think of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson starring in The Fall Guy. How many of you are too young to remember the show (don’t answer that, as it will only depress me). Who would you pick to reprise Heather Thomas’ role?

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Coffee Talk #599: When Wrestling Used Real Music

There’s a whole generation of pro-wrestling fans that have no idea that wrestlers made their entrances set to popular music. That used to be one of my favorite aspects of pro-wrestling. There were certain guys that I liked or hated because I liked or hated their entrance music. These days, the vast majority of pro-wrestling entrance themes are in-house creations (with most WWE songs being penned by Jim Johnston). Back in the ’70s and ’80s, wrestlers (and management) picked popular songs that felt appropriate for their characters. Instead of paying for music licenses, the WWF/WWE started writing in-house songs that they could sell. It makes total sense on a business level, but I still miss wrestlers using…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your early NFL picks, Disneyland marriage proposals, or Sloppy Joe vs Manwhich, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Let’s take a look back at some popular songs used as pro-wrestling entrance themes back in the day.

Hulk Hogan “Eye of the Tiger” — Even though I sometimes use “Real American” as my ringtone, Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” is still my favorite Hulk Hogan entrance theme. It’s a high-energy song and it always got the crowd going. Plus, it’s a nice homage to Hogan’s appearance in Rocky III, which helped take his career to a new level.

Junkyard Dog “Another One Bites the Dust” — JYD was awesome. Queen was awesome. Ergo this pairing was awesome.

Kerry Von Erich “Tom Sawyer” — Lyrically, this pairing made total sense. Before he was “The Texas Tornado,” Von Erich was “The Modern Day Warrior.” Musically, it wasn’t the most riveting entrance them, but I love Rush and I was a mark for Kerry in the WCCW days.

The Road Warriors “Iron Man” — Before the WWE neutered them and made them the lovable Legion of Doom, The Road Warriors were — by far — the most bad-ass tag-team in the world. Using a bad-ass Black Sabbath song was an outstanding choice.

The U.S. Express “Born in the USA” — Another appropriate pairing, the tag-team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo was pushed as a couple of all-American boys. Too bad they never turned into cowardly heels and used Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.”

Jimmy Garvin “Sharp Dressed Man” — Something of an ’80s Gorgeous George, “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin was a flamboyant wrestler that wore tacky robes and had an outstanding ’80s perm…that could almost pass as a ZZ Top beard.

Rick Rude “Smooth Operator” — The Ravishing One could do whatever the hell he wanted, which apparently included walking to the ring to a Sade song.

Bruiser Brody “Immigrant Song” — Wrestling marks know that Brody was one of the original “monster” wrestlers that has influenced today’s monsters. It’s a shame that he was murdered by a shady promoter before the big wrestling boom. Still, he’s a legend and using a legendary Led Zepelin song totally works.

Lord Humongous “War Machine” — Before Taz used this Kiss classic as his ECW entrance music, Lord Humongous used it in Mid-South Wrestling. For those of you not familiar with Lord Humongous, it was a masked persona used by several wrestlers, including the man that would become “Psycho” Sid.

Midnight Express “Chase” — Of course the Midnight Express used a track from the movie Midnight Express. It actually worked really well as a pro-wrestling entrance theme.

The Steiner Brothers “Welcome to the Jungle” — There are many wrestling fans that have no idea that Scott Steiner used to be the smaller Steiner brother. They probably didn’t know that they marched to the ring to this Guns n’ Roses song too.

Austin Aries “Personal Jesus” — Yeah, this isn’t from the classic era, but I’m putting it here because he’s a pal and the song fits. He didn’t like the idea of using Depeche Mode for his entrance music, but saw that it made sense for his Ring of Honor character. The crowd loved it too.

Anyway, those are just some of my favorite real songs used as pro-wrestling entrance themes. What are some of your favorites? Kindly list them in the comments section when you have a chance.

What If…Thor Played Hulk Hogan?!?

A Hulk Hogan biopic is inevitable, but who in the world would be able to portray him on the silver screen? What actor has the combination of muscles, mass, and charisma to play the man that changed pro-wrestling forever and for better? If Hulk Hogan had his way, it would be Chris Hemsworth training, saying his prayers, and eating his vitamins in a Hulk Hogan movie. In an interview with the Canadian Press, the Hulkster said:

I think we need a serious, serious actor that knows what he’s doing. You know who I thought would be good? That guy that did that action movie, Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

I love it! Hemsworth has the charm and the physique to pull off Hulk Hogan. However, I wonder if he can mask his Australian accent while doing over-the-top promos in an American voice. I also wonder if comics fans that are wrestling marks will be able to block out memories of Hemsworth’s role as Thor while seeing him play Hulk Hogan. It would certainly be difficult for me. In my head, I see a mashup going something like this:

Wucha going to do, brother?!? When the largest arms in Asgard run wild on you?!?

And also:

Well you know mean Loki, Mjolnir is the mightiest hammer in the world, brother! And there’s no way Andre the Frost Giant can wield it, brother!

So what do you think of the idea of Chris Hemsworth playing Hulk Hogan?

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WWE Make-A-Wish Charity Event

Yesterday afternoon, I received a call to do some red-carpet interviews at WWE’s “Superstars For Hope” charity event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. WWE fans know that the company does a lot of work with this outstanding charity. John Cena makes a lot of appearances for Make-A-Wish and as much as I dislike his character, it’s awesome to see how happy he makes children with life-threatening medical conditions. Most of the talent I spoke with put Cena’s charity work over in a major way, which is completely deserved. While I was mostly stuck with scripted questions, I did have some fun off-camera chats with some WWE Superstars and Divas. Here are some random notes and photos from the event.

Triple H
I’ve interviewed Hunter a few times, with my first interview being at E3 ’98 (I think) when he was European Champion. He’s always been good to chat with, but was usually very serious about his character and the WWE business. This time around I got goofy Hunter — the Triple H from Degeneration-X. While many fans know him for his intense pro-wrestling character or as a serious behind-the-scenes worker, it seems like time and fatherhood has mellowed him out. For example, one of the questions in my script was, “What makes Summer Slam different from other WWE events?” His answer caught me by surprise:

“Well, it’s in August. None of our other pay-per-views are in August. That’s different.”

He did follow up with a more serious answer, equating Summer Slam and WrestleMania to the All-Star Game and World Series, respectively. Still, that deadpan opener made me laugh. It was goofy and I love goofy humor.

Daniel Bryan
This one was a lot of fun for me as a longtime Bryan Danielson fan. He told me a story from his indie days, about sleeping in his car on Wilshire Boulevard in order to save money. He was parked in a restaurant parking lot and the police told him to move. He didn’t want any trouble, so he drove to a residential area and slept in his car’s trunk. Going from that to the main event of Summer Slam has been quite the journey. I’m really thrilled for his success.

That said, it has come at a price. While he’s an amazing wrestler, red-carpet walks and press-conference speeches are relatively new things to him. The jacket-and-tie combo was definitely not his thing. His outfit was put together by his girlfriend, WWE Diva Brie Bella. She was proud of the ensemble she put together. When I asked Danielson if he had to buy all of it or if he had any parts of the outfit already in his closet, he looked at his clothes and said, “Just the cords. I’ve had these cords for a long time.” The cords were, of course, the scraggliest part of the ensemble.

Lastly, we chatted a bit about Austin Aries (the best wrestler in TNA and the greatest man that ever lived). The two worked together for years on the independent circuit. Thanks to going to Aries’ shows, I was exposed to awesome wrestlers that are making it big in the WWE. It was fun watching wrestlers like CM Punk, Claudio Castagnoli (Antonio Cesaro), and Danielson perform in bingo halls and high-school gyms. It’s a testament to their talent, hard work, and perseverance that they are where they are today. Hopefully Danielson wins the WWE Championship at Summer Slam and Aries captures the TNA belt soon. That would make the world a better place.

Stone Cold Steve Austin
It’s always awesome seeing a pro-wrestling legend. For many people, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin represents the pinnacle of the WWE. I’ve been watching this guy for a long time, back from when he was “Stunning” Steve Austin. When he was part of the Hollywood Blonds with Brian Pillman and when he feuded with Ricky Steamboat, I always thought, “This guy should be way better. Why isn’t he a star yet?!?” As you know, he went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history.

Austin seems happy doing movies and television. With his Hollywood experiences, he was easily the smoothest red-carpet interview of the night and it’s clear that this is his world now. I do wonder if working with Sylvester Stallone has influenced him. I don’t know if Austin has had plastic surgery, but it sure looks like it. His skin appears remarkably taught for a man his age and he has the telltale sign of limited mouth movement. I get that it’s part of Hollywood and everyone does it out here, but it kind of takes away from his completely kick-ass character from the WWE Attitude Era. Can you imagine the guy that beat the crap out of his boss with a bedpan getting Botox and collagen injections? Ha!

Then again, Austin has made it clear that he loved his time in the WWE and has moved onto other things. Oh well, at least his (supposed) plastic surgery makes more sense than Garry Shandling’s.

Assorted Notes
The Uso brothers are really chill and fun. Hopefully they get to show this side of their personalities in their characters in the future…. Nattie Neidhart is really charming in real life. I dig her sense of humor. I remember laughing at her use of the phrase, “You better settle your tea kettle,” when I interviewed her in 2010…. Funkadactyl Cameron is super-cute in person…. CM Punk is so polished now. He’s gotten so good at these types of interviews — very different from the guy that posed with my Pokemon toys in 2008…. Interviews I was bummed to miss: Mick Foley, Dolph Ziggler, and Brodus Clay…. I love shaking hands with the Big Show. It’s like sticking your hand in a turkey…. Hornswaggle is one helluva gamer. We had a nice chat about PlayStation 4 vs. Xbox One…. Speaking of which, it seems like most of the WWE gamers are going with Xbox One over PS4…. I was sad that Fandango didn’t correct my pronunciation of his name….

WWE Gene Snitsky is an Alex Rodriguez Bodyguard

Remember WWE wrestler Gene Snitsky? His pro-wrestling achievements include punting a (fake) baby, harassing WWE Divas to satisfy his foot fetish, engaging in homoerotic promos with John Heidenreich, and having yellow teeth. He left all that behind to become one of the bodyguards for New York Yankees ~~team idiot~~ third-baseman Alex Rodriguez. According to The Star-Ledger, Snitsky is part of A-Roid’s five-man security detail.

This makes perfect sense to me. More than any other player in Major League Baseball, Alex Rodriguez has the most in common with a pro-wrestling heel. I’m not talking about a dastardly heel or a menacing heel either. A-Rod is 100-percent chickensh*t heel. Like most wrestling villains of this nature, he needs a monster for backup. Of course he’d employ a former WWE monster as his bodyguard. Of course.

Just for kicks, here are a pair of Snitsky’s greatest hits.

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