Eight's a Charm

Last night was the eighth year in a row I've hosted a cookout in my backyard, and because of all the events that unfolded, it will be forever known as the 8th Annual Bockler Cookout: Escape from Metamora. It was undoubtedly the craziest one to ever take place.

One of my favorite moments that I think gets overlooked is the fact that Rick Ta Life threatened Beau's life. RICK TA LIFE!

Well, Six-Foot-Two, what ARE ya gonna do?

Thanks to everybody who came. Regardless of everything, I had a blast and now have a fun story to tell people.

I just wish we had some pictures :(

Sex Drive

So awesome. Go see it if you like to laugh. Adam had a good time too.

Also today I taught two self-defense classes to high school freshmen girls. The first hour went okay, but the second class was pretty snobby, man. I taught one particular move, and a girl basically told me she thought the class was worthless because I couldn't teach her everything. I wanted to tell her if she didn't like it she could get out. It would be only right - she CHOSE to take that class so I guess she could've CHOSEN to leave. I wasn't forcing anybody to be there today.

Oh well, sometimes you get some good classes and sometimes you don't.

Bound for...Glory?

With Sting's capture of the TNA World title for three years in a row at the same pay-per-view, you really wonder if TNA is bound for glory or doomed to failure. Maybe that's a harsh way to put it, but like I wrote in my last blog, who better than Samoa Joe to lead wrestling today and into the future than somebody who can work a style like the X-Division and just as well with a guy like Sting. Kevin Nash hits Joe with the baseball bat, and Sting turns around and hits the Scorpion Death Drop?

I wish Vince Russo would've stayed at his post near me at the end of the show so I could've yelled at him.

Overall I enjoyed the show, I guess. From my seats it was hard to see a lot of the action going on. Google Maps sucks so I missed a turn, and got parked and to my seat just in time for JB to tell us we're 15 minutes from going live. I feel a little bad for TNA because they didn't even sell out the Sears Centre Arena - the top half was completely empty.

I won't do a play-by-play because you can find results anywhere. A few notes...

-Vince Russo watched most of the action about 10 feet from where I was sitting, along with some of the other backstage crew. At one point towards the end Glenn Gilbertti - the one and only Disco Inferno - said something to him and they both went to the back. Russo had a big smile on his face for the finish of Jarrett vs. Angle.

-Chicago HATED Samoa Joe. The crowd popped big for Joe's sick dive/kick off the balcony, though.

-Team 3D's double chokeslam to Abyss onto the flaming table was the single most gruesome thing I've ever seen at a wrestling event. Not only was he bleeding from a cheesegrater, but he got annihilated off a stage onto straight-up concrete. And after the crew thought he was safe, the fire returned and Abyss freaked - not sure if any of that made it to television. Afterwards the crew helped him out and our section gave him a nice applause for the spot.

-CANADIAN DESTROYER OUT OF NOWHERE! What an awesome move, that is. I can't wait to get the DVD and just keep watching that spotfest.

-I tried getting backstage again, but no luck. As the people who went back came out and walked past us, this dude goes, "Marks!" I got a chuckle out of it.

-Beer Money Inc. held onto the tag titles. I guess I'm digging these guys as a team now. That was a pretty cool way to keep heat and basically steal a win.

-TNA can't handle showing anything to the live audience on the screens. We got a few replays but that was it. We saw Sting and Joe's fight through the crowd live, and besides the Angle/Jarrett interviews, that was it. I didn't know there were other segments until I read Gerweck.net Monday morning.

Overall a good show. With the seats I had I wouldn't want to go again by myself, but definitely if I were ringside or higher up than my seat. I think the Abyss table spot made up for not seeing too much in-ring action, though.

PICTURES

http://www.adambockler.com/see/raster/boundforglory08/index.html

Anticipation

Back in August, I went with some friends to see Lewis Black. Lewis had an all new set, and throughout the night, gave us the theme of anticipation. Amidst jokes and other ramblings, he said the best part about doing anything is the anticipation of actually doing the activity. I knew when I had Lewis and the other hilarious girl he was with sign my ticket and I got a crappy picture on my cell phone with the two of them, anticipating things would have a whole new realm. I think you can think of countless times you've waited for something and anticipated the best, only to be let down.

Tomorrow night, having been to one live TNA event before, the anticipation is at its highest. Three years ago, World Wrestling Entertainment came to Chicago with WrestleMania 22. I knew my parents didn't want to spend a Sunday night driving me back and forth to the Allstate Arena to see some interesting matchups, especially when newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio led the blue crew of SmackDown to the Peoria Civic Center just two days later. While I eventually want to hit up the biggest event in professional wrestling, it's Total Nonstop Action who has come to the save once again in the cartoon world.

I've been thinking over the past few days that in the last 10 years, I've only missed three wrestling shows in the Peoria area. My first being WCW, but most being WWE. I thought I had seen everything that live wrestling had to give. TNA broke down those walls back in June at the US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington. But, despite my dozen wrestling shows, there are still a few firsts to be had...

At the onset of tonight's blog, I believed that I had never seen Sting wrestle. But I have to dig down in the cockles to thinking I actually remember a Sting vs. Bret Hart match from a WCW house show. Distant relatives of mine had tix and couldn't make the show, so we went out on a cold January night in 1999 at the last minute to see the matches. The only thing I think I even remember is, awesomely enough, Sting vs. Bret Hart.

I have never been to a show that was later released on DVD.

I have never seen Abyss wrestle, one of my favorite TNA mainstays I followed before TNA was on cable television and was odd-coupling with "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles (ever wonder where I get my e-mail from?).

I've only traveled outside the Peoria area to see wrestling once, seeing what has probably been top-to-bottom one of the best wrestling cards I've ever seen. With finishes changed, Champaign hosted basically the entire 2001 Vengeance PPV a week beforehand. Austin vs. Angle, Rock vs. Jericho, the Dudleyz vs. Kane/Big Show, etc.

And now, the predictions...

TNA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Champion Samoa Joe vs. "The Icon" Sting

The veterans vs. the future of the business. I don't think out of the talent pool available that TNA could've picked better guys to represent both sides. I've been making a point to watch Impact for the last few months and this is quite the feud, and could only be better if it lasted beyond tomorrow's show and Sting stopped saying "Joe" so much in promos. If we were talking on a strictly statistic level, the NWA/TNA title has changed at previous three Bound for Glory events, with Sting winning them the last two years in a row. But Samoa Joe IS the future of professional wrestling.

Adam's Pick: Samoa Joe retains the TNA title.

TNA GRUDGE MATCH
"King Of The Mountain" Jeff Jarrett vs. Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle
Special Enforcer: Mick Foley

It's no secret the best programs always add an element of real life. Jeff Jarrett founded TNA and when he needed to step away from the ring, Kurt Angle was one hell of a workhorse. I think this feud really got good, oddly enough, when Angle referenced Jeff's wife's loss with cancer. I wonder who's idea it was to say that because it didn't seem like Angle felt comfortable saying it. Regardless, both are excellent workers. To make it a happy homecoming, I've got my money on Jeff Jarrett getting the win, but this feud is far from over.

TNA's recent acquisition of MICK FOLEY just made this match bigger, even though I think he could've also fit in the TNA title match. When I met Mick Foley over two years ago after he announced he had resigned with WWE, I asked him what he thought of TNA, and he put them over and mentioned Samoa Joe by name.

Adam's Pick: Jeff Jarrett

THREE WAY MATCH
Booker T (w/ Sharmell) vs. "The Instant Classic" Christian Cage vs. "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles

The veteran vs. the undecided vs. the future. Once again, this theme comes up. Booker is an established vet, and AJ is a legit shoe-in for a possible TNA Hall of Fame, being the only TNA wrestler to win all three of the company's titles. Will Christian side with Booker and the vets, or with the future like AJ and Joe? That's been the big question leading into this. I'm expecting this to take Match of the Night honors because of the workrate of all these guys.

I hope Bound for Glory ends the question of vets vs. future because TNA's been pushing that they are the future of wrestling since they debuted four years ago on Fox Sports. TNA is not the future of wrestling...it IS pro wrestling.

Adam's Pick: Christian Cage

MONSTER'S BALL WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH:
Champions Beer Money Inc. vs. Team 3D vs. The Latin American Xchange vs. Abyss & Matt Morgan
Special Referee: Steve "Mongo" McMichael

How do you even predict this match? You don't. This match will be ridiculous, with the biggest likelihood the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates will bust out in a unanimous "HOLY SHIT" chant. Lots of carnage by far. Abyss/Morgan have gotten a huge push, but I still wish Abyss was a heel. I have the feeling that the titles will change, but all three are good candidates.

Adam's Pick: LAX

TNA X DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Champion Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed

Of course this wouldn't be a TNA show without a match thrown together with a moment's notice. I've never seen Bashir (aka Daivari in WWE) in person, and I didn't really know he was with TNA until I found out he won the X title (wait, was he in the X Cup?). I really liked Creed when I saw him in Bloomington despite having never seen him at all. Underneath (perhaps overshadowing?) the X title in this match is Arab vs. American. I think this feud has some life in it beyond tomorrow.

Adam's Pick: Sheik Abdul Bashir

TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Champion Taylor Wilde vs. Awesome Kong vs. Roxxi

Again, Taylor Wilde...who? I didn't watch Impact much over the summer so I guess that's why I don't know her. Regardless, props to TNA for giving somebody like her a chance. Roxxi's been getting a decent push since her split with VKM. Kong...hm. Always a good fallback TNA has if they want to move the title around. My prediction here is that Wilde retains and gets the win over Roxxi. Maybe after acting all buddy-buddy with Roxxi, she turns?

Adam's Pick: Taylor Wilde retains

THE RETURN OF THE STEEL ASYLUM MATCH
The X Division superstars battle inside the steel dome to try to escape

God knows who's involved in this match. I like praising TNA, I do, but I'm guessing this is the match all the rest of the TNA stars get lumped together in this god-awful red cage. Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, Motor City Machine Guns, the Prince Justice Brotherhood...I'm guessing we'll also see a few surprises in this one.

Adam's Pick: Sonjay Dutt

KNOCKOUTS BIMBO BRAWL
Rhino, ODB & Rhaka Khan vs. The Beautiful People & Cute Kip

Not really looking forward to this. Hopefully it's the snoozer after an opening match, which is hopefully the cage match. If it is the opening match, Rhino fo sho.

Adam's Pick: Rhino, ODB & Rhaka Khan

30 Beautifully Blue Web Designs

Blue is one of the most used colors in web design, therefore it’s hard to stand out from the sea of competition out there. This collection showcases some of the best, unique, creative designs that utilize shades of blue as a primary color and theme.

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Woman Dressed As A Cow Arrested For Harassing Children

SEPTEMBER 30--Meet Michele Allen. The Ohio woman, 30, was arrested Saturday night after she got liquored up and began chasing kids and blocking traffic in her Middletown neighborhood.

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I'm Bound for Glory!

In eleven days' time, I'm Bound For Glory when I head to Hoffman Estates to check out the best pay-per-view Total Nonstop Action has to offer. Samoa Joe vs. Sting, Angle vs. Jarrett with MICK FOLEY as the special guest enforcer, and a big Monster's Ball match. Up until June, I thought I had seen the best live action a wrestling company could produce. For a decade, WCW and WWE brought me matches in Peoria and Champaign that I'll remember for a long time. But TNA crossed the line in June with a spectacle in Bloomington - top to bottom the best wrestling I'd ever seen live. I can't wait for Bound for Glory.

Unfortunately, I won't be attending the autograph fest the day before for a variety of reasons. I was really looking forward to that too, but when it came to picking, I chose the actual event.

In other news, I've been offered an interview with Caterpillar on Monday. I had debated submitting an application before figuring I had nothing to lose and only experience (and money) to be gained, so we'll see how that goes. I won't be heartbroken if I don't get the internship, but would definitely put my best foot forward if accepted.

That's all I got for tonight. Onto more studying for two exams tomorrow and a group project on Tuesday I haven't done much research for yet.