The Legacy of Sid Vicious, Sid Justice, and Sycho Sid

A man of many names in many places with many faces. Intensity incarnate who enthralled the masses regardless of whether he was friend or foe.

I was shocked, along with many others, to learn that Sid Eudy, famously known as Sid Vicious, Sid Justice, and Sycho Sid, died on August 26. Eudy, who was only 63 years old, will always be remembered as one of the great pro wrestling attractions of the 90s.

Sid’s passing was announced on Monday by his son Gunnar Eudy on Facebook, who stated that Sid had been battling stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for several years. On Tuesday, Gunnar posted more about his father: “He was known as Psycho Sid Vicious to the world, but to our family, he was simply ‘Popper,’ the beloved grandfather.”

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Ten Favorite Movies

Daily writing prompt

What are your top ten favorite movies?

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I decided to have fun with the WordPress daily writing prompt and list my 10 favorite movies. The listings are in no particular order. These are primarily movies that always stop me while channel surfing.

1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980): “Do. Or do not. There is no try”

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994): “Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things and no good thing ever really dies.”

3. The Boondock Saints (1999): “We’re sorta like 7-Eleven. We’re not always doing business, but we’re always open.”

4. Forest Gump (1994): “Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company. So then I got a call from him, saying we don’t have to worry about money no more.”

5. Independence Day (1996): “We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

6. Remember the Titans (2000): “Alice, are you blind? Don’t you see the family resemblance? That’s my brother.”

7. Goodfellas (1990): “Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.”

8. The Usual Suspects (1995): “How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?”

9. Lilo & Stitch (2002): “Oh good. My dog found the chainsaw.”

10. The Truman Show (1998): “Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya: Good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”

Since I primarily cover professional wrestling, here are my favorite films regarding the operatic undertakings of the Squared Circle.

1. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019): “Tyler, I am going to give you all of my wishes for my birthday.“

2. Body Slam (1986): “You don’t need music to wrestle. You need Balls”

3. Vision Quest (1985): “Have you done everything you came to do?”

4. Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998): “There was no choice but to get up and punch Vince one time.

5. The Wrestler (2008): “The only place I get hurt is out there.” As Randy points away from the ring.

6. Man on the Moon (1999): “You don’t know the real me.”

7. The Iron Claw (2023): “It’s okay Dad, we’ll be your brothers.”

8. Beyond the Mat (1999): “I think he could be Denzel’s friend.”

9. Ready to Rumble (2000): “Sal Bandini! Wanna wrestle?”

10. No Holds Barred (1989): “You jock ass.”

All In Texas Is Not a Good Idea

What seemed to be another false wrestling rumor was true after all. AEW will run its first U.S. stadium show next year. All In comes to the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, July 12, 2025. It will be the first pro wrestling show held in the home of MLB’s Texas Rangers. Globe Life Field opened in 2020 and holds 40,300 people at capacity.

Saturday’s episode of Collision will wrap up AEW’s five-week residency at Arlington’s Esports Stadium (it’s not a stadium). Tony Khan denied the rumors of a stadium show in Texas last month, saying it’s an exciting idea, but it’s not something he’d do anytime soon.

All In will return to London in 2026. AEW’s flagship pay-per-view will emanate for the second consecutive time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 25. The headline bouts feature Swerve Strickland defending the AEW World Championship against Bryan Danielson, and MJF puts the American Championship on the line against Will Ospreay.

Can AEW fill a stadium in the United States with 40,000 people? Can they draw a respectable number if the show isn’t a sellout? It was the first question on everyone’s mind when they heard the news. AEW has struggled with TV ratings and at the box office lately. While the shows have improved recently, a long stretch of bad shows has seemingly eroded consumer confidence.

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WWE SummerSlam 2024 Review

Depending on your preferred flavor of professional wrestling, SummerSlam received rave reviews from some and faint praise from others. Those who live or die by five-star ratings won’t find a match on the card to garner such esteem. However, fans who are all about spectacle and storytelling got more than their money’s worth on Saturday night, as Cleveland Browns Stadium hosted “the biggest party of the summer.”

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Stardom’s HANAKO challenges for MLW Title at Summer of the Beasts

Major League Wrestling sent out the following:

Watch MLW Summer of the Beasts live for free on MLW’s YouTube Channel.

MLW announced an MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship bout: Janai Kai (champion) vs. HANAKO at MLW Summer of the Beasts, live for free on YouTube on Thursday, August 29, at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City.

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Thank You, Paul London!

I’m baaaack! Wow, it’s been seven months. Don’t worry—as the kids say, I got the deets. Seriously, though, my personal life is usually persona non grata on the site. However, I want to explain my absence and how wrestling became some much-needed soul soup.

Illness, surgery, post-surgery complications, and COVID put me down for the count. I was in pain, which seemed endless. Desperate for relief, I withdrew from everyday life, only appearing where the obligation trumped expectation. A brave face and a big smile became the mask of an endless front.

Meanwhile, an independent wrestling promotion, Royal Crown Wrestling, announced that former WWE superstar Paul London would appear on an upcoming show in my area. I couldn’t mark the date on my calendar fast enough.

Most people cheer on the titans of their favorite genre while gaining a deep appreciation for the work, talent, and skill of an underrated and, perhaps, unappreciated few. For me, it’s Sam Cassell in basketball, Reggie Wayne in football, Max Rebo in Star Wars, and Paul London in professional wrestling.

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The Iron Claw is Masterful Storytelling

The words tragedy and triumph famously encompass the story of the legendary Von Erich family within pro wrestling circles. Sean Durkin wrote and directed the latest A24 release, The Iron Claw, which chronicles the life and times of the Texas-born and Texas-proud Von Erich brothers and their overbearing father.

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Will Okada Leave New Japan?

Perhaps the greatest Japanese wrestler in history could find himself stateside in 2024. Kazuchika Okada is reportedly “seriously entertaining,” leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and signing with another promotion.

Sports Illustrated broke the news that Okada’s contract expires at the end of January 2024. WWE or AEW are the two likely landing spots for the 36-year-old star. SI’s Justin Barrasso believes AEW would allow Okada to continue living in Japan with occasional matches in NJPW, while WWE is the biggest stage and can offer more opportunities.

For the uninitiated, Okada is the leading man in New Japan, the exact role Roman Reigns occupies in WWE. “The Rainmaker” is a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. His fourth reign as champion is the longest in NJPW history at 720 days.

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CM Punk Signs w/ Raw and Declares for WWE Royal Rumble

After a weeklong trek across WWE’s three brands, CM Punk has officially planted his flag on Monday Night Raw. Punk signed the contract in the ring, presented by general manager Adam Pearce. Punk stated despite reasonable offers from Nick Aldis (SmackDown) and Shawn Micheals (NXT), the offer from RAW was head and shoulders above the rest.

Punk exclusively on Raw could significantly impact the pro wrestling landscape. Many Television deals expire next year, and everyone wants to extend their current deal or find a new network to call home. Punk could be the key for WWE.

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CM Punk Cuts Return Promo on WWE Raw

CM Punk made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw in almost ten years (1/20/14) and cut a highly anticipated promo to close out the show. The first hour of Raw was commercial-free as WWE pushed Punk’s promo hard throughout the show.

Thanks to timing issues in the Randy Orton/Dominick Mysterio match, Punk didn’t appear until two hours and fifty-two minutes into the three-hour broadcast. Depending on who you talk to, some felt his words hit the mark, while others believe the transition to “PG Punk” is complete.

“Looks like hell froze over,” proclaimed Punk, saying he’s felt more like himself since his return at Survivor Series on Saturday and everyone is happy to see him back.

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