Dan Ryan

Why I Love Wrestling: Jake “The Snake” Roberts

September 12, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments jake the snake, ringthebell, roberts, Wrestling, wwe

The creator of the DDT and one of the greatest workers of all time gets some love

Jake Roberts, son of professional wrestler Grizzly Smith, has never worn gold in the WWE. Not one time. Which, on the surface, seems a crime. Here is a guy who is objectively one of the greatest in ring performers of his generation. Wrestlers working today credit Roberts as a major influence on their careers. His promos are legendary. His in ring psychology is second to none. His finisher, the DDT, was his creation and has been absorbed into the repertoire of numerous performers. His feuds with Macho Man, Steamboat, and Andre are some of the best ever. He is without question, a living legend. So why no title?

Why I Love Wrestling

Why I Love Wrestling: Match of the Year contender 3 – Sasha vs Bayley

September 5, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments bayley, brooklyn, finn balor, nxt, ringthebell, sasha banks, takeover, womens wrestling, Wrestling

NXT Takeover set a high bar during Summer Slam weekend. This match however, put that bar out of reach.

Two weeks ago, maybe more depending on when you are reading this, the WWE was in Brooklyn for three nights of shows. They ran back to back to back nights in the Barclays Center, a rather unusual move in the realm of sports and entertainment. I know that I was glued to my TV for all three events, NXT Takeover/Summer Slam/RAW, and even though the time commitment was large, it was overall a very satisfying weekend of pro wrestling. My favorite event, not surprising if you are a follower of these posts, was NXT Takeover.

Why I Love Wrestling

Why I Love Wrestling: Kana

August 29, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 1 Comment cheerleader melissa, finn balor, kana, kanna, nxt, sara del rey, wwe

“Most Dangerous” Kana has officially signed with WWE! I for one welcome our new female overlord…

“Most Dangerous” may be selling her a bit short. Kana, real name Kanako Urai, has officially signed with WWE and should be making her debut on NXT. For those of you who have never heard of Kana I assure you that her signing is a big, BIG deal. It is at the very least equivalent to the influx of Indy superstars that have populated WWE airwaves and is probably more akin to their signing of Hideo Itami.

Kung Fu Fridays

Kung Fu Fridays: Chinese Super Ninjas

August 28, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 1 Comment cult classics, elemental, kung fu, martial arts, Movies, ninjas, shaw bros

We now conclude our summer series with the best Kung Fu flick ever made!

Chinese Super Ninjas aka Chinese Super Ninja aka Five Element Ninjas is, without question, my favorite Kung Fu film of all time. Released in 1982 by the Shaw Bros., it was one of the last big, bloody, fight movies to come out of Hong Kong. Comedy martial arts flicks were gaining traction, thanks especially to Jackie Chan, and the audience’s desire for the over the top, bloody violence of the past was waning. As such, Chinese Super Ninjas did not do well at the box office. It seemed doomed to be forgotten, overshadowed by the absolute gems that had come before and the silly, more family friendly action that rose to prominence during the mid to late 80’s. (proving once again that the 80’s, despite what some would have you believe, were in fact, for the most part, terrible)

Why I Love Wrestling

Why I Love Wrestling: SummerSlam and Takeover Predictions Part 2

August 23, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments brock lesnar, divas, finn balor, john cena, kevin owens, predictions, sasha banks, summerslam, undertaker

The one where I make my predictions for SummerSlam

The four hour spectacular of the summer is finally upon us. Truth be told, I love SummerSlam. It’s always one of the best shows of the year and usually delivers some sort of payoff. If WrestleMania is the show for the mainstream, SummerSlam is the show for the fans. And this year? It’s a big biggie. WWE is running three nights in the same building, Barclay’s in Brooklyn NYC, and will have to pull out the big guns as it were to keep the famed NYC crowd engaged. Looking at the card, I think they’ve got a good chance of making this weekend one of the finest wrestling weekends in recent history.

Why I Love Wrestling

Why I Love Wrestling: SummerSlam & Takeover Predictions Part 1

August 22, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments brooklyn, finn balor, kevin owens, liger, nxt, samoa joe, takeover, wwe

The one where I make my predictions for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

So, this is going to be a long one. This weekend we’ve got both the NXT Takeover special on Saturday night AND SummerSlam on Sunday. (4 Hours long!) All told, that’s about six hours or so of predictions to make. And I know what you’re thinking, “Dan, it’s okay, you don’t have to do ALL of them, we understand, you have a life, a wife, kids, a dog, white picket fence, we get it.” Well, to that I say, “How the hell do you know those things about me?! Are you stalking me? Trailing me? Hiding in my bushes? Don’t do that shit, it’s not cool.” But I digress…

Kung Fu Fridays

Kung Fu Fridays: Five Deadly Venoms

August 21, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments kung fu, martial arts, shaw bros, venoms

The penultimate article in our summer series is about a classic in every sense of the word

I debated including this movie in my Kung Fu Fridays series. Not that it isn’t worthy of inclusion, that should be obvious BY its inclusion I would think, but because it almost seemed too easy. Sure, some of the movies I have covered have been popular to some degree. None of them has been so obscure as to be a complete left field choice. But this, Five Deadly Venoms, you know this movie. You may not have seen it but you know it. It has name recognition above all else and really always has.

Bits & Brews

Bits and Brew 006: Calm Before the Storm & Mega Man Legends

August 20, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments ballast point, calm before the storm, craft beer, finn balor, keiji inafune, legends, Mega Man, retro games, san diego, victory at sea

Flipping the script

Ballast Point Brewing Company is known for producing high-quality craft beers (with really, really good artwork). One of their more popular offerings is Victory at Sea, an Imperial Porter with cold brew coffee and vanilla added. It’s a seasonal release from October to December that many people look forward to. Victory at Sea strikes a truly wonderful balance between the roasty, chocolate flavors of the porter base and the coffee and vanilla additions. No matter where you look, Victory at Sea is very highly rated. So, it was with trepidation that I approached Calm Before the Storm. See, I love Victory at Sea.

Why I Love Wrestling

Why I Love Wrestling: Match of the Year? Option 002

August 15, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments cesaro, finn balor, john cena, kevin owens, moty, raw, us title, wwe

Cesaro is a wrestling god

Due to the nature of next week’s post, a prediction for both Takeover and Summerslam, this week we will take a look at another MOTY contender. As we examine candidates for the best match of the entire year, one thing that may surprise you, it certainly has me, is the inclusion of John Cena in more than a few.

Kung Fu Fridays

Kung Fu Fridays: Shogun Assassin

August 14, 2015September 4, 2022 Dan Ryan 0 Comments badassdads, daigoro, grindhouse, lone wolf and cub, manga, samurai

Stretching the definition of Kung Fu a bit but for this flick, it’s worth it

Shogun Assassin is an interesting beast of a film. Essentially a mashup made specifically for American and European audiences, Shogun Assassin is the first twelve minutes of Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance and most of Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx. Those films, both released in 1972, are the first two in a series of six films based on a Japanese manga series by Kozuo Koike and Goseki Kojima.