#please at LEAST make it a November or early December comeback | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jojosbizarreadventur · 4 years

Text

Time’s Crusade: Chapter 05

also available on AO3 (under emih)

This chapter: They weren’t supposed to be eating breakfast at a table right across from you.

Summary: Yesterday in 2011, your husband Noriaki and close friend Jotaro were both murdered together just months before your university graduations. The day before yesterday, you discovered that your nerve-wracking IUI procedure was successful. Two months before that day, said close friend made a proposition to the both of you due to your husband’s recently-discovered infertility.

Today in 1988, you’re over 20 years into the past of an alternate universe, suddenly tasked with trailing after different versions of your late husband and close friend as they travel with unfamiliar faces to Egypt, determined to confront the man you now work for.

And in the following days, you discover how easy it was for your sentiments to change.

——

Singapore Dreaming

November 29 to December 2, 1988 || Singapore

Under normal circumstances, you’d enjoy a flight to this location.

In fact, Singapore was on a list of possible honeymoon destinations that you and your husband made months ago. Though it did not end up being the final choice, you both shelved the idea of flying there at a later date. Now, the idea of you two being a full-fledged married couple traveling the world together when possible made your heart simultaneously flutter and hurt a little— if such a feeling even existed to a normal person.

But that isn’t your main focus right now. Currently, your main focus is to serve Lord Dio… which is why this flight to Singapore is giving you mixed feelings.

Singapore wasn’t anywhere close to Egypt, obviously, but the soonest flight from Japan was there and you made the decision to travel. Similar to Tokyo, Singapore was a different place compared to what you knew in the present as well. There’s no telling if the events leading up to 2011 would be same as it was in the universe that you left—

You buried your face into the plush bed sheets of the queen-sized bed. There’s suddenly an onset of pain that swims around in your head— your forehead, to be exact— and the mere thought of it makes it throb even more. Your clenched fist bangs against the bed, creating muffled thud after thud.

These spells of pain have been happening since you boarded the plane an hour before midnight in Japan, and by then was it too late to have any sort of pain medication on you to ease the intermittent headaches.

But what were you thinking about when it happened the first time? Your thoughts muddled into a cloudy mess that you couldn’t remember anymore, and your already-poor memory didn’t do you any favors. Obviously, you were on the plane, and it was mostly the early hours of the morning. The seat you got was beside a window. Did you open it or not? You hadn’t a clue. What were you thinking about?

…probably about your forehead and how you wanted the pain to stop. That seemed like a reasonable assumption, though you’d be mildly surprised if that wasn’t the case after all.

Pushing yourself up from the bed with a groan, you brought a hand to your forehead as your other arm supported your upper body. The pangs of pain were a lot duller than they were a minute ago, but you felt that any major movement would result in its comeback. You slowly crawled off the bed on all fours, relieved to be able to feel your feet hit the lavender-hued carpet.

You were staying at the Grand Hyatt, about twenty minutes from the coast. The larger capacity of tourists and locals in the lobby reminded you that it was the holiday season, but you managed to snag a room on the eighth floor without a prior reservation. Going on last-minute trips out of Tokyo and quickly booking a room was a topic that you joked about with your husband in the past, and it now felt… off… to do something of the sort without him.

You ran a hand through your hair.

This was an obligation set by Lord Dio, though, so you had a reason. How could you refuse, anyway?

November 27, 1988 || Cairo, Egypt

The butler Telence had already left your side by the time you reached the tall archway to the dining hall. You arrived without company, which was apparently ideal for Lord Dio’s expectations this evening. And, as promised by Telence, he did not have much care for your garb and merely gestured for you to sit at the far end of the long table. He himself sat at the other end.

By then, it was completely silent. Maybe if you’d listen closely, you’d be able to hear every slow, calm breath Lord Dio took through his nostrils.

After situating yourself, you felt your leg bouncing under the table. You didn’t know why you were so nervous all of a sudden— maybe it was being in your boss’s presence? Since the early morning, there wasn’t much need for you to be near Lord Dio anymore, except the first time you had met him. Arguably, that meeting was necessary in order for you to awaken/receive your Stand— did the Arrow personally give you a Stand, or did the inflicted injury cause a Stand to awaken from within? You still had no idea, to be honest.

Nevertheless, this current meeting with Lord Dio could travel in two directions.

Maybe you unintentionally wronged him or someone else, and you were going to be punished for it. Either you’d get… you don’t know, a solid no or stop and a slap on the wrist, or you’d be added onto the top of his hit list for whatever you did. And then he’d… start going down said hit list.

Or… he wanted you to complete a task for him. Between your colleagues, there always seems to be tasks that they were assigned to do— whether it may be simply around the mansion or somewhere out of the country. Now that you were here in Lord Dio’s mansion, you were subject to that expectation as well. That wasn’t too bothersome for you, considering how you pledged to help him in any form earlier. Also, the context leading up to that promise was irrelevant, you find. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been serving him, or… why, but all you care about is ensuring that he sees you in a good light.

“If you seek to please me and to gain a strong sense of self, then there is something of the utmost importance that you will have to do for me, Dio.”

His words echoed off the stone walls, and its resonating timbre could be fully heard by you despite your far distance. Only now was your heartbeat starting to slow down back to a reasonable tempo. There wasn’t any need to be nervous; you were definitely here for a task.

“There is a man that has been after me for many years— a shrewd one at that, so I ask that you do not underestimate him, even if he physically appears to teeter on the side of senility. Joseph Joestar has been rather persistent to trail after me, and he is not intending to stop anytime soon. He will be accompanied by others to find me.”

There’s that name again: Joestar.

You’ve heard it thrown around between Lord Dio and Piper earlier today, though you didn’t dwell on it too much. This morning, however, didn’t Lord Dio mention the woman with the Joestar child? He was referring to you, wasn’t he? You’re not going to question how he knew you were expecting, because it’s Lord Dio— maybe he has ways to tell as a divine being and all. But why… Joestar?

…Jotaro’s last name wasn’t Joestar last time you checked, so what… what gives?

Maybe you were going to find out in the midst of doing the task, you don’t know. Not minding your confusion any longer, you continue to listen to Lord Dio with an intent expression.

“As we have discovered that your Stand ability and circumstances are quite… special, the task you are assigned to reflects that. You will go after Joestar and his group from Tokyo, as they are all currently located there.”

“How long will this take… Lord Dio?”

Admittedly, the sound of his name being uttered from your mouth was something he found pleasing to the ears. Then again, he felt such emotions when he heard anyone refer to him in that manner, even if a title was a title. Whatever measures he took to ensure peace of mind for his subjects and, ultimately, himself was a better testament of his power rather than a simple mention of his lordship.

“However long it happens to take,” he answers with much ease. “Perhaps that may take less than a day— if they perish en route— or several weeks if they are all too hard-headed to die. Regardless of the length of their journey, you must stand your ground all throughout. This is especially true if one or all encounters you personally. You, and everyone else you serve with, are partially crucial to my survival. After all, the remainder of my livelihood is also dependent on my own actions.”

You nodded in agreement. Points were being made here; it was impossible to ignore.

“I will have Vanilla Ice drive you to the International Airport. Once you arrive in Japan, either he or D’Arby— the butler— will inform you,” he informed before smirking— an action you can’t really see from the other side, “I will be able to find you for either of them, so no need to worry about your location.”

Again, another nod from you. You don’t question how they’ll tell you, or how Lord Dio would manage to find your whereabouts in the first place. In fact, there seems to be some tacit agreement to not question his words at all.

With his elbows on the armrests, Dio’s fingers intertwined with one another as he stared you down. “You must not take what I ask of you lightly. After all, you want vengeance for the death of your husband, do you not?”

There’s barely any time that you take to comprehend his words, as you say with haste, “My priority is to serve you, Lord Dio.”

As of right now, that was the truth.

Due to your distance, it’s hard for you to tell how he emotes afterwards, but you’re sure that he’s not anywhere disapproving of your answer.

There’s a pleasant throbbing in your forehead. Yes, Noriaki was dead— you still didn’t figure out how he died, and whether you’d find out or not was beyond you— but… Lord Dio is here. Right in front of you… at least three meters away. There were more pressing matters than your dead husband. And what’s done is done; you couldn’t have prevented it. You weren’t even in the damn apartment that day, much less Tokyo. And even if you made the effort to return as quickly as possible, it would’ve been too late.

Too late.

Now, just… ever-so-slightly… that pleasant throbbing went away, and your eyebrows knitted together from distress. You sharply inhaled.

But that feeling was quickly suppressed, and no longer were you feeling anything remotely related to grief or mourning. Maybe an outsider would describe you like your suit Stand or even the walls and floors of this mansion: cold. But you’d deny that. No, no, surely serving Lord Dio would represent you in a better light. You were… considerate.

That sounded apt, yes.

Suddenly, the slam of double doors. You could tell based on the simultaneous, thunderous bangs against the stone walls.

Muffled click after clicks resonated from the corridor. Shuffle after shuffle seemed to race after the click-click-clicks.

And to top it all off, yelling had erupted. It was Telence… and someone else whose voice you didn’t recognize. Frankly, he sounded rather wimpy.

“Nukesaku! What other possible reason could you be in the quarters of—!”

“—D’Arby, Kenny G ordered me to clean the guest rooms— I… I wasn't aware that she was staying here…”

“Step away from her bed, her belongings, and if she reports anything gone then you will suffer the same fate. You must know that I and the others take offenses like this very seriously…”

She?

Her?

Was there another woman— besides Enya— staying in the mansion right now?

Your gaze returned to the corridor where you had heard the myriad of noises. Funnily enough, you just remembered entering the dining hall from that aisle, since the double doors to your room were there—

…you dumbass.

Seriously— it was your room they’re talking about. By the way, who the hell got into your room… and what the fuck did they find, if anything?!

Stiffening in the upholstered chair, you knew the intrusion in your room did not sit well with you. Just how much did the wimpy-sounding person see? Did he take note of your backpack sitting on the desk? Did he happen to unzip it to peek at its contents, or even steal them? Even though the mansion was the property of the divine man sitting before you, every other inhabitant (besides Telence) wasn't seen as fully trustworthy by you yet. You definitely didn’t find this person— who you didn’t even know— reliable enough to go near your room and your possessions.

Lord Dio’s brows creased ever-so-slightly.

From where you sat, he almost seemed to look more disapproving this time— a clear contrast to his expressions earlier.

“Forgive me, it appears that my efforts in spring cleaning are… less than satisfactory.”

You nodded, oblivious to his… underplaying. “Hm… well, next month, I was supposed to do ōsōji— if you don’t know, it’s this little end-of-the-year ritual we do in Japan to clean our surroundings of anything unwanted or useless, kind of like spring cleaning—”

“—yes, I’ll be ridding my mansion of him by the end of winter.”

…oh.

So that’s not what he meant.

Sending your wishes anyway, you say, “You enjoy that, then.”

A low hum of approval from him resonated, like every other sound emitted from both of your mouths.

“Currently, you have not failed to make my nights,” he wryly compliments, acknowledging your relatively short stay in the mansion. “Safe travels.”

You’ll try to heed that.

November 29, 1988

You studied the poster-sized map of Singapore whilst sitting on the carpet, legs crossed. This was a time where you really wished that your phone could connect to the Internet, having taken for granted the usage of the Maps app. Regardless, with the cracked screen (you hadn’t bothered to care until now) and the lack of charger, you decided to preserve the one possession that even remotely survived mid-travel.

Some places were circled with red markers provided by housekeeping. With the help of these ‘old’ travel brochures, you were able to figure out what to do to pass the time. Later on today, you planned to visit another travel agency to take another connecting flight to who knows where— hopefully Egypt this time, for God’s sake. You couldn’t just miss another day… and probably still have those dumb episodes of pain rushing through your head.

While you didn’t have anything to ease your headaches, you had a fair amount of prenatal vitamins on you… which may or may not help you. The two bottles— one you purchased at the convenience store and one that Tomoko had given you three nights ago in 2011— both unexpectedly opened and spilled inside your previous backpack when you first arrived, and you didn’t think it’d be rational to eat folic acid mixed with broken computer parts and mechanical pencils. Fortunately, the fertility clinic in Tokyo here had provided you with one new, slightly larger bottle, along with a list of instructions.

While shifting to rest your elbows on your knees, the map was left beside you on the floor. Your head lolled to face the sliding glass door in front of you, which led to the provided balcony. Being situated rather high up in the hotel, issues such as traffic commotion didn’t bother you. You briefly wondered what the sight of the roads below would look like at nighttime, with the lights shining and all.

When your head turned to the side, you noticed the television set placed beside the office desk and chair. The map of Singapore was left on the floor as you jumped up and sauntered over to it. Kneeling down in front of the set, you had to fiddle with its controls for a bit. Televisions from your childhood no longer had dials— buttons, instead— so attempting to set this up was quickly proving to be a pain in the ass. After a few moments of staring at the set and turning the controls, you managed to turn it on to a random channel.

“Fucking TV,” you grumbled under your breath as you leaned back to stare at its… low-definition picture.

…it would’ve been revolutionary for someone genuinely from 1988, but as someone who was almost spoiled by large flat-screens in 2011, it can seem pretty primitive—

Your face scrunched up at the sudden pang of pain that came back.

Anyway, the frank but informative tone of voice from the man on television indicated that this was the news channel. The broadcast was in English, but you gently massaged your temples with both hands as you continued to watch with mild interest.

“…In the early hours of the morning near the coast of the Lamma Island in Hong Kong, an airplane owned by Japan Airlines that was en route to Cairo, Egypt crashed,” the reporter said with a stern look. Slowly, your intrigued expression turned into a horrified one as he continued to speak. “Seventeen of the passengers were Singaporean citizens, who all managed to survive in this horrific incident. Both the pilot and copilot were left incapacitated— a rare case, here—”

You purse your lips, body completely frozen on the carpet.

Abruptly turning down the dial for the volume, you sat in silence as your eyes awkwardly averted away from the television screen. Aerial photos of the plane in the water along with rescue crew heading towards them appeared.

Some morbid sense of relief washed over you.

This was… really unsettling. And to think that you could’ve been on that plane— you were cursing yourself all through the night for not getting that flight from Tokyo to Cairo, and yet…

On the other hand, this was still a terrible incident. Even if you were on that flight, what could you have done? You barely took a laptop apart from memory yesterday; what made you think you could fix a fucking airplane?

Glancing back at the television screen, it was (silently) announced that besides the pilot and copilot themselves, only one passenger— an old man— had died. Mysteriously enough, what he suffered didn’t really line up with the effects of the plane crash itself, as the flight attendants and other passengers survived with only minor injuries. There’s speculation that foul play was a factor in this event, as both pilots suffered the same fate as the old man. According to one of the flight attendants interviewed, she mentioned that a passenger with previous flying experience stepped up to man the plane in order to ‘land’ it as safely as possible… which to that passenger was crashing it near the coast of an island.

You couldn’t really blame that person; after all, as long as the largest number of people came out safely, that’s all that matters, right?

Still, the very thought that you could’ve been on that flight, and… and see what exactly transpired before the emergency landing near Hong Kong. Most likely would you have survived, but you’d be pushed back even further on your task. Or hell, maybe there would’ve been flights from Hong Kong to Egypt— and you’re not there for that! Oh, what a shame, what a terrible, terrible, fucking shame to experience this… you could’ve gotten to Egypt sooner!

All of this anguish was ready to bring out another headache.

“What the hell,” you breathed aloud.

Distress was written all over your face, which would quickly become the norm.

November 30, 1988

Here’s one thing you’re confident about: there’s nothing inherently wrong with what you’re wearing.

You were perfectly comfortable with your outfit right now, even if the style of boots and coat were drastically different from what you’ve been seeing on other women your age in 1988-Singapore. The angular shoulder pads velcroed into coats and jackets, sweater dresses over pants, leg warmers… needless to say, you were relieved that the only fashion trends that got revived years later were the ones that didn’t make you look like a walking highlighter with froufrou.

Displayed at your family home back in Iwami-chō were various photos of you and your family, many of them clearly dated by their clothing and hairstyles. Though most of those photos were not taken in Japan and, in fact, had only been part of your luggage when immigrating, the styles your family had once partaken in was ubiquitous here. You swear you’ve seen each of the locals’ outfits worn by particular family members in photos that you could remember off the top of your head.

And now, it was time to emulate that.

What was added to your map of circled prospective destinations was a nearby shopping center, where you planned to buy new clothing. Its architecture was of little concern to you— yes, it’s… older-looking… to you, which wasn’t a big deal at all. What was a bigger deal was not sticking out like a sore thumb in the crowd of tourists and Singaporean locals, no matter how comfortable you were with what you had on already. If anything, it sounded better to keep a low profile and not make anyone suspect otherwise with you. You were out to find some old guy named Joseph Joestar and his group; you didn’t have time for distractions.

Once you arrive there by public transport, you take the time to buy maternity clothing. Not much of it, of course.

…alright, sure. You’re not showing at all yet and won’t be for a long while, but it’s best to be prepared, right?

The ‘vintage’ overalls that you purchased weren’t terribly loose— save for the abdominal area, obviously— so you could grow into them while you’re on the road for however long. Its versatility in this decade saves a lot of luggage space and time, anyway. Instead of wasting time deciding what to wear, you could spend more time figuring out what Joestar is doing or where he and his group are traveling next. After all, you’re not really sure how long this expedition’s going to take. Lord Dio himself hadn’t even given an estimate.

Emulating the Aqua Net-sprayed hairstyles and the ‘bling’ of… everything was also out of the question, so it was necessary to resort to more subtle styles. Speaking of Aqua Net, it also became a challenge to stop your coughing fits from the wafting, invading clouds of the hairspray every time you passed an open salon. Damn those purple cans.

To prepare for potentially long travel by foot, you swapped your current shoes for a pair of black Doc Martens boots— these had just started getting back into style in 2011-Tokyo, so the plain but cyclical fashion piece mildly surprised you. Adding the overalls, you probably just looked like the bastard of an economic depression-era railroad worker and 1960s counterculture. Subsequently, your old clothes and boots were donated without much question (why bin perfectly fine clothing, after all). One of your hands resorted to absentmindedly massaging a temple on your head.

You continued to sight-see around Singapore as you painfully broke the Docs in.

These sons of bitches didn’t hinder you from visiting a hawker center some minutes away, even when you ate away the local cuisine in such a voracious manner. Why the hell were you eating like you haven’t eaten in weeks? Was any of this food even good for you, in your physical state of being? Were there any foods not allowed for you to consume during this time of precious vulnerability, where the currently tiny but growing bundle of cells rests upon your hands? Even while not expecting, was it really a good idea to eat everything in one go?

The list of safe and unsafe foods were in a jumble in your mind as you continued to consume and consume, but eventually slowed down when the lingering smell of cigarette smoke floated towards you, infiltrating your nostrils and violating your peace. Setting down the piece of food with your disposable chopsticks, you resist the urge to gag. You’re hoping no one around you misinterpreted the action being directed towards the food itself.

Smoking was still a normal practice in Japan and in other parts of Asia, with designated areas at workplaces, restaurants, bars, and the like. Unfortunately for yours and everyone else’s lungs, it was something that had to be reluctantly accepted despite the modern movements to ban it. However, considering that this was the 1988, where there were less but still people practically smoking for all three meals a day, it wasn’t sitting right with you.

You sighed, albeit briefly. Gotta resist that secondhand smoke, you know. And clearly were these perfect conditions for someone who’s expectant.

Out of everything you’ve experienced— ahem, not getting to Egypt on time— it was smoking that was now pushing your buttons. You were ready to claim the title of most useless servant, in fully-fleshed feelings of self-hatred.

A pang of guilt started to consume you, more than the combination of cigarette smoke and food drunkenness.

December 1, 1988

To dispel your anger from not getting a flight to Egypt yet again, you went down to the connected pool area afterwards. Beforehand, you did take another trip to the same shopping center as yesterday, purely to buy undergarments/socks and swimwear. Of all styles, it had to be a bikini, as you voluntarily stayed away from tighter-fitting or more restrictive garments as a precautionary measure. It seemed silly— everything did, really.

There weren’t many people at the pool at this time of day anymore, so you were able to relax without rude eyes or anything funny coming your way. A pair of sunglasses would’ve been a nice addition to your purchase, but the sun was starting to set to a warm, rich blend of red, orange, and yellow and would soon darken to the night sky, faintly speckled with stars like glittering dust.

Anyway, you almost fell asleep on the lounge chair.

Yes, this was all important; you needed something to lower your stress that wasn’t anywhere related to alcohol. No— as you would find out weeks later— the bikini would never be used again. But you’ll get to that.

December 2, 1988

Now has it been a whole week since Noriaki died. And Jotaro.

November 25 seemed like a millennium ago with everything happening.

Deep down, there had to be an explanation why, but you couldn’t articulate it. It felt as if there was something invading your psyche, but simultaneously you couldn’t reject it either. The intrusion was just… present. And yet you cooperated with it. Maybe it shouldn’t even be called an invader or variations thereof. It was slowly combining with you, and surely it would be for the better, would it not?

You still felt a little numb, though. These feelings were all shoved down when you visited the closest travel agency office again— the only place you went out for on this day.

On the other hand, the hotel room just seemed… really appealing.

December 3, 1988

It’s the fourth day you’ve been here in Singapore.

No amount of sightseeing or traversing by foot (you were determined to save the rest of your money and still needed to break the boots in) could cheer you up and pull you out of this pit of… lost hopes and dreams, apparently.

Did it seem so soon for you to be down in the dumps? Or was the quickness of it appropriate? Goddamnit, you didn’t know anymore. Since the 29th of November, there had been no flights from Singapore to Egypt, leaving you despondent.

You continued to stay here, however, because you had an odd feeling: it wasn’t right for you to leave so soon. Sure, you could’ve quickly hopped on the next flight to the nearest country to Egypt, but you were restraining yourself for… unknown reasons. It was an unexplained phenomenon; you felt almost cemented to Singapore, to the very hotel room you were staying in. There wasn’t a voice you could hear, or thoughts to ponder over, but there was something telling you to stay exactly where you were.

Which was really fucking annoying.

After practically pleading to the travel agent you were appointed to yesterday, you left without anything resembling a plane ticket yet again. Your daily inquiries caused the agency office to recognize you the second you walked in, to tell you the exact same information, to apologize in the exact same manner. That’s a feat you’re not exactly proud of.

Just when you reached the street the hotel was located at, you stopped in front of a quaint restaurant with handwritten entrance signs in English. One of the tempered glass doors was open to let you fully inhale the aroma of the food being prepared, and you were tempted to go inside out of curiosity. Though, you refrained from doing so, having eaten dinner earlier. However, on the glass windows, a breakfast menu was displayed, which you earnestly studied. Their morning hours were quite early, so ultimately you made the decision to go there the next day.

So… fast-forward to today. There you are, sitting at a table all by yourself, closest to the window, where everyone can see everything. If anyone recognized you— like the travel agents— they’d notice that you’re wearing the exact same outfit again. It wasn’t as oversized as your last one.

A few minutes had already passed by the time your set of complimentary jasmine tea was placed before you, and only a number of minutes more before the tea spills.

——

“Why don’t we check in before we eat breakfast?” Jean Pierre Polnareff inquired with a frown. Slung over his shoulder was the tied, tattered sack filled with his belongings. “I don’t want to be carrying my luggage around all day, you know.”

As if fate intended for the group to meet the Frenchman, he voluntarily joined the group on the 29th of November back in Hong Kong.

Even when subjected to control from Dio’s flesh bud, he did not find it morally right to attack an unsuspecting opponent— even if said opponent, Avdol, had placed a dagger directly in front of him and dryly suggested he end it while he could as he was slowly engulfed by Magician’s Red’s flames in the Tiger Balm Garden.

Essentially, he proved to be a swell addition to the travel group, helping to balance out the collective Stand abilities with Silver Chariot’s speed.

“You mean your garbage?” Joseph retorted, playing off of the Singaporean police officer’s mistake from earlier. It was amusing to witness the event, after all; even Polnareff didn’t find any offence from having his bag mistaken for a pile of trash. “Just kidding, y’know.”

Polnareff sent a jokingly dirty glare in Joseph’s direction before he responded to him.

“But I figured it’d be good for us to actually sit down and have a full meal. Even though we’ve only been on the lifeboat for almost two days and were fortunate to have some rations, you start to miss the little things, like eating on land.”

Jotaro huffed. He shoved his hands in his front pockets, immediately noticing the absence of his cigarettes.

Sure, he would’ve left them out to air-dry after the fight with Dark Blue Moon and its user (imposter) Captain Tennille, but the succeeding fight with the ship/Stand Strength’s user— the… orangutan or whatever that damn monkey was— caused everyone and everything to get soaked. As the Stand disintegrated, the six of them resorted to the lifeboat that they previously used when getting on said ship/Stand. Jotaro’s usual fix for nicotine hasn’t been tended to since he smoked the last one on the boat.

Though, he could go for some real food right now.

“I wouldn’t mind eating first, especially considering our group’s… er, demographics,” Avdol cautiously commented, eyes averting to the preteen girl accompanying them. Likewise, the two teens and the two other adults glanced down at Anne, considering how they all towered over her.

They didn’t intend to shoot down her pride, but as she’s currently under their supervision, it was best to ensure that she at least had the bare minimum: sustenance and shelter. After all, what eleven/twelve/thirteen-year-old (honestly, they had no clue) had the money to continuously have a roof over their head and have their stomach filled while hitchhiking? She, too, joined back in Hong Kong— only after sneaking onto the ship/Stand.

Anne didn’t respond with anything else besides a defeated sigh. Luckily, she didn’t have to be talked into justifying herself when Kakyoin spoke up.

“I’ve heard good things about that place’s food,” he announced, briefly gesturing to the establishment behind the planted palm trees and the shrubs of Carphalea kirondron above the bricked pavement. Apparently, he seemed to recognize the restaurant with the tempered glass doors— one propped open to let the aromas waft out. “We should have breakfast there.”

Joseph peered at the restaurant’s large logo displayed above, noting its proximity to the hotel they were going to check in.

The Grand Hyatt.

“Have you been to Singapore before, Kakyoin?” Avdol asked, seemingly intrigued. “This has always been a location I’ve been meaning to visit, but never had the time to.”

The redhead nodded with a hint of pride rushing through him. “Last year I did, yes. I hadn’t transferred to Jotaro’s school yet, and I was with my parents. We found out about that restaurant right when we were going to head back to the airport, and never had the chance to eat there.”

Avdol hummed in interest before turning to speak to Joseph.

“Cool! Oh, and that also explains why your school uniforms are different colors,” Polnareff suddenly pointed out to Kakyoin, gesturing between his and Jotaro’s gakuran. “I thought you two have always been classmates.”

Realizing that Jotaro wasn’t going to respond (he was leaning against the nearest palm tree with his arms crossed over his broad chest), Kakyoin shook his head. “No. We, ah… we met on Sunday.”

“At juku,” Jotaro clarified bluntly.

Kakyoin further elaborated, “Cram school.”

The taller teen tsked, having forgotten the English translation. He did not, however, forget the second Stand fight he ever had but with his fellow classmate.

Polnareff raised a brow at the absurdity of their circumstance— they hadn’t even known one another for a whole week? And yet… they’re cooperating on a dangerous trip to confront the manipulative, sadistic Stand user Dio? In Egypt, far, far away from their homes? As damn teenagers?

He seems to have disregarded… everything… when he responds, “I see, I see. Back in France, we have something similar called classes prépas…”

Seeing Joseph, Avdol, and Anne head towards the open restaurant prompted the other three to swiftly follow after them, continuing to discuss life back home. It was comforting, to say the least, but none of them would admit that aloud, in all attempts to maintain ‘conventional manliness’— which may or may not include strong emotional control.

——

Inside was cozy-looking, though the morning sun shone throughout the wall of windows. Compared to the surrounding venues, the place seemed to be a relatively new addition to the area, considering its modernity. The hues were pleasing to the eye and not at all of poor taste.

Sitting at the largest table, which was placed across from a smaller round table next to the window, the group of six studied their provided menus and engaged in small talk.

Anne, who sat with her back to the shining sun, was busy observing the whole place when she noticed the lack of occupants at the small table behind her. Oddly enough, there was a tea tray placed there with a cup still steaming.

“Do you think someone’s sitting there?” she suddenly asked out of curiosity, jerking a thumb behind her. Polnareff, who sat on her right, whipped his head over to where she pointed.

He, too, noticed how the tea tray was pulled closer to one of the chairs, but no one was sitting there.

“Don’t mind that,” Polnareff brushed off with furrowed brows. “The person probably just left. Maybe they didn’t like the tea. It’s not a huge deal.”

Joseph blinked at him. “But why would they leave so soon? There aren’t even any plates on their table, meaning they didn’t even eat yet. I highly doubt that a person would have one sip of tea and then leave.”

“Perhaps there was a previously-made appointment that they forgot until today,” Avdol calmly suggested, setting his now-closed menu down. “Polnareff is right, though. That doesn’t seem to be like something that should concern us.”

While Joseph scooted his chair back to make room for his long, muscular legs— bumping into a potted plant in the process— Kakyoin glanced over at Jotaro. For the last few minutes was he just flipping back and forth between the pages of the menu; apparently, he hasn’t made a decision about what to order yet.

“/What are you getting?\” the redhead asked, smoothly switching to Japanese. At the sound of the familiar language, Jotaro immediately averted his eyes from the page on fry-ups to him.

Jotaro shrugged lazily, fixing his cap. “/I don’t know\,” he grumbled.

Kakyoin gestured to the menu in his classmate’s hand. “/Full English breakfasts are pretty tasty.\”

Grunting in response, Jotaro didn’t really sound that interested in having something he’s already tried before (Holly had tried her hand at the dish one weekend morning).

However, what did catch his interest was the person that walked past their table, and his eyes followed to where she headed to— at the smaller table directly across from them, right next to the window with the tea tray. But it wasn’t her specifically that he paid attention to; instead, it was the large black duffle-bag that she strangely carried on her back.

The young woman arrived from the other end of the room, not the entrance. Turning around, Jotaro noticed a little hallway in the back corner. It must’ve led to a restroom. The creak of her chair being pulled from the table ended up catching the rest of their attentions, and Avdol noticed her brows furrow at the loud, briefly rumbling sound against hardwood.

Joseph crossed his arms over his chest, feeling proud of his earlier (correct) assumption. Although, the smirk that was plastered on his face slightly faltered when he noticed the large bag sitting on her left.

Well, Polnareff brought his luggage with him too, so a tourist lugging her own belongings around wasn’t a foreign sight or anything. And if she went to the restroom— Joseph also noticed the hallway in the back— then it was a good idea to not leave her things unattended. The woman overall seemed at peace, softly blowing on her cup of tea before sipping it. There wasn’t any reason to be suspicious of someone who’s simply minding her own business.

That is, until she lightly combs and moves her hair to the side, and Joseph swears he sees metal flash briefly on her fingers.

What?

Is that—?!

The old man nearly slams his gloved hand on the table, but refrains from actually doing so when he sees everyone else staring at him in confusion— waiter included, who abruptly appeared behind him in subtle shock.

Polnareff sighed, briefly apologizing— on Joseph’s behalf— to the waiter before telling him his order. As he ordered (a lot), Joseph fished for the Polaroid photos he had shoved in his front pocket and handed them to Avdol on his right.

“That woman sitting across from us, I swear she— she had metal…” Joseph hissed to the Egyptian man as the waiter suddenly turned to him. “There— check these… yes, sorry, hello, I’ll be getting the…”

Following his abrupt demand, Avdol shuffled through the countless, semi-wrinkled photos of shirtless Dio before he found the obvious outlier of the pile. With this pile of Dio otherwise, it suddenly occurred to Avdol that it looked really strange for him, a man almost 30-years-old, to be holding photos of a semi-nude, obscenely muscular, 121-year-old blond man with his back to the camera, flaunting a star-shaped birthmark that wasn’t his. And one photo of a woman with the metal shoulder. Which, by the way, were all taken by the 68-year-old man beside him, currently wearing a striped sailor shirt that showed off his own burliness.

If it wasn’t already obvious, they were verifiably bizarre.

Kakyoin briefly glanced to his left to find Avdol holding the photo he recognized as the one of the faceless woman, before looking around. He noticed how the diner sitting at the table across from them was now giving her order to another waitress as she held her menu; it must’ve been given to her when they weren’t noticing—

—wait.

His eyes darted back to the Polaroid photo in Avdol’s hand.

Lighting aside, the skintone of the faceless woman’s neck looked eerily identical to that woman’s. And, though they couldn’t see her face in the photo, they could definitely see her hair.

That too was the same color and style.

Could…

Could it be…?

Avdol, having not noticed Kakyoin’s shock due to his own preoccupation with the photo, merely gives Joseph a harsh nod and returns it before sternly speaking to the waiter with the notepad. Furrowing his brows at Avdol’s wordless response, Joseph grabs a hold of it. Up-and-down, up-and-down do his eyes go, darting from the woman with the duffle-bag to the faceless woman in the photo. He sees her neck too— it looks uncanny to the faceless woman’s, but the hair… it’s— it’s… exactly the—

—how… how could it not be her?!

“Oh my God,” Joseph muttered to himself in pure disbelief.

Polnareff looked over at the old man, who was tightly gripping a Polaroid photo— he could tell just by how taut his arm muscles were. “What? What ‘oh my God’?” he asked quietly, oblivious to his discovery.

Across from Joseph at the table was Jotaro. He had just finished telling his order (in the end, a fry-up) when he noticed the distraught expression on his grandfather’s face. On Joseph’s left was Polnareff, now holding the somewhat-wrinkled Polaroid photo in his hands. His eyes inconspicuously darted from photo, to the woman sitting behind him, back to the photo, back to the woman. Eyes widening, he hisses a response to Joseph, but Jotaro can’t make out what they’re discussing.

Once the waiter left (Anne had gotten her order written down by him), Joseph deeply sighed.

Yet again were they going to get trapped into something unavoidable.

Silently, he holds the Polaroid photo up with two fingers, displaying the vignetted photo to the other occupants of the table. With his head, he gestured to his left, as if he meant look over there, but don’t make it obvious.

The woman was sitting alone with no intention to wait for anyone. Calmly sipping the complimentary hot jasmine tea, she continues to face forward, giving the group a good look at her side profile. To them, she doesn’t seem to notice how they, the six diners across from her, intermittently take the time to look at her.

It was, indeed, the exact same woman.

For God’s sake…!

“Who are you all staring at?” Anne suddenly asked quietly, after peering at the table behind her. She notices how their eyes all continued to be fixated on the woman with the overalls and long-sleeved sweater, holding her teacup with both hands. “…who’s that lady, exactly?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about, Anne.”

…was it?

For the rest of them, especially?

——

So… hm, how should you put this…

There’s an old, shredded man with widened eyes and gritted teeth who’s staring at you. Oh, and so was everyone else at his table, but they didn’t turn their heads or crane their necks all at once. It was an intermittent process. You didn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to realize that you captured their attention for… whatever reason.

On the left of the old man was a younger, robust man— though, not as strapping as the old man himself. His hair rose tall and was of a silver hue, and he wore red halved-heart earrings. To the right of the old man was another young, muscular man with scarred cheeks, his black-colored hair styled into Bantu knots and a long ponytail. Actually, compared to the horrified (?) old man, he was younger, but maybe a few years older than you and the silver-haired man, who looked about your age. Beside the man with the tall hair was a really young girl with dark hair, coincidentally dressed in overalls like you were. Why she was at a table with grown men baffled you.

Then, the two men on her left.

“I’m not going to fall for whatever shit she gives us,” you heard the black-haired and apparently-uniformed person hiss. Because his back was to you as he spoke to the redhead, you weren’t able to see his face; however, you could see the threads from his… apparently-ripped black cap. “She definitely knows we’re here. She’s just waiting for the right time to attack us.”

“This is a hotspot, after all,” the redhead with the green uniform responded quietly. He was fixing the sock in his shoe, so he was leaned forward to the floor and you couldn’t see his face either— save for his hair. “There’s a lot of tourists here for the holiday season. She may or may not have mercy for the people who don’t have anything to do with this.”

Hm.

…what?

Were they… were they talking about you?

She may or may not have mercy for the people who don’t have anything to do with this.

What the actual fuck?

Rather boldly, you set down your half-filled teacup on the table. You practically felt the old man’s eyes avert to you again.

Who did they think you were? Some… some kind of murderer? As if! You were here, minding your own business in Singapore, drinking your tea, acting as a piss-poor servant for the greatest man in this goddamn universe that wasn’t your own to begin with (ow, you thought), having to leave to the restroom and hope that no one spiked said tea—

Just when you decide to take a glance at the table, the red-haired man— teen sits up again and sighs… right before locking eyes with you.

…

You blink.

Rapidly.

Your heart— it’s… it’s pounding against your chest.

The sight before you practically short-circuits your brain.

In fact, you don’t even notice that your teacup had been knocked over, the remaining tea staining the white tablecloth.

At this point, you probably stopped breathing but who gives a fuck right now—

—you remember the earlier visits to your husband’s— then-boyfriend’s— house.

The first time you visited, his mother showed you a photo album of what he perceived to be his most embarrassing moments as a child. From his first swimming lesson, to helping his bespectacled father plant in the quaint garden in the back, to the first (and last) time he cut the voluminous wavy bang of hair that he happened to share with his mother. He was smiling in each photo, yes, but the action seemed to be reluctant like he understood the need for taking photos of someone at a young age but never fully respected it.

“Actually, regarding that last photo of me without my great hair— I started crying right after.”

“Aww, you didn’t like it?”

“I didn’t end up liking it, apparently! It’s really funny now…”

As such, the smiles declined as he aged throughout the album. Even during the times that seemed to be entertaining— such as their first trip to England when he was in middle school— his lips were pressed into a flat line as he and/or his parents stood and posed in front of landmarks and other places of interest. By his high school graduation, which was the subject of the last photo in the album, his expression radiated complete disinterest. Of course, by the time you started dating, he started to look more content and joyful, despite the lack of photo evidence in this house.

Right now, a carbon copy of the subject of your husband’s high school graduation photo sat at the table next to you, expression substantially more negative.

He was absolutely not thrilled to be staring at you.

…Noriaki Kakyoin and the male on his right were clad in gakuran— he wearing green, the hatted one wearing an embellished black one. Considering their different-colored uniforms, they probably went to different schools. As to how they even knew one another, maybe they met at cram school, or one of them just moved to the other’s high school.

The one wearing a hat turned his head to follow Noriaki’s line of sight.

Okay.

What the fuck.

You were probably going to have an aneurysm at this point, because that… is clearly teenaged Jotaro Kujo.

While you continued to have a staring contest with Noriaki— not Noriaki, there’s no fucking way it’s him— the same waitress who took your order earlier arrived with the plate. You temporarily broke away from his gaze to say a quick thank you to the waitress, before returning to stare at him again. His hand was tightly clenching a provided tissue, wrinkling it in the process. Strangely, you knew exactly how he was feeling. He knew something was wrong, and desperately felt the need to address the grievance.

Instead of happily consuming the meal in front of you, you awkwardly speak up first in an attempt to diffuse the obvious tension.

“[Uh— heh, sorry],” you briskly apologize to Not Noriaki, nervously moving a lock of hair behind your ear. Everyone at his table now turned to face you, making you shift in your chair. “[Didn’t mean to… stare you. You, um… you looked a lot like… a friend of mine.]”

He nodded in understanding, but the action seemed hesitant; he was suspicious.

“[A friend? If you don’t mind me asking, what’s his name?]”

His voice was exactly the same, but his tone— it reeked of unfamiliarity, of distance. Frankly, it made you uncomfortable. But this verified that you weren’t communicating with your husband.

…okay, but you’re not really sure why you didn’t expect him to ask that. Naturally, he’d get curious about this ‘friend’ of yours. Who was him, technically.

For fuck’s sake.

You blurted the first name you thought of starting with an N, “N— N… Natsuya.”

Oh, good job. Great.

“Natsuya,” Not Noriaki repeated, his face showing absolutely no emotion. “As far as I know, that’s… not a common name where I’m from. You might know that it’s Japanese.”

Shit, he’s right. Within the nearly-seven-years of living in Japan, you’ve probably come across someone with that name only once… in a commercial…? Great— this is just what you needed, to be talking about a fictional man in a commercial that doesn’t even exist yet.

That is not the point, though! You might know— gah, you do know! Even he knows that you know!

“I do, but it just so happens that he isn’t a common person. His personality is a bit… out there,” you counter cautiously, giving him a small smile.

Your thoughts were in a shambles at the moment; they were a clear antithesis to your tone of voice.

There’s a part of you that doesn’t want to lie because your eyes see your husband and your brain triggers an honesty switch of some sort, but… for heaven’s sake, he’s not your husband. He’s just someone who… looks exactly like your husband but younger, which isn’t helping your guise, and you’re trying really hard not to have a breakdown in front of him and everyone else at that damn table, because then they’ll really know that something’s up, and…

Halting your own thoughts and taking a deep breath, you flash him another smile. Your eyes avert to Not Jotaro, who was giving you a familiar glare, and your smile falters a bit.

“Oi, Miss,” the silver-haired man suddenly spoke up, allowing you to stop speaking to Not Noriaki and/or Not Jotaro. Whether he was just as suspicious as the two teens or not was beyond you, but it wouldn’t be so farfetched. “So… what are you here in Singapore for? Staying for the holidays, heh?”

“Uh, yeah,” you respond without thinking. “Just needed to… get away and have some time for myself, you know? To de-stress and all.”

“Hm, hm, okay…”

Of course, you either don’t go into specifics, or you flat-out lie in response to the next few questions. You were from your native country, not Japan (Japan wasn’t mentioned once by you). You were in your last year of university, but where you went wasn’t important because… you don’t know, you want to stay humble (or some bullshit like that). You liked animals, so maybe they’d come to the conclusion that you were studying within that field (this wasn’t exactly a lie, but you blatantly used the abstracts from Doppio’s essays that you remembered to justify your liking).

Lying proved to be a little more difficult, but it seemed like they all bought everything that spewed out of your mouth. Well, except Not Jotaro, but you didn't let that concern you too much.

And for the remainder of the time that you were all there, Not Noriaki refused to take his eyes off you.

——

Unintentionally, you’re walking at a distance behind them in the hotel lobby.

Coincidentally, they’re going to be staying at the exact same hotel as you.

You didn’t know whether to celebrate or cry, considering how the old, muscular man was, in-fact, Joseph Joestar. And the five that accompanied him was his group.

This was something you realized back in the restaurant. While you were eating and talking to the silver-haired man (he didn’t tell you his name, which was odd but made sense), you overheard the man with the Bantu knots referred to the old man as Mr. Joestar, prompting you to nearly choke on your food. You mentally cursed, knowing that you could’ve blown everything right there and then.

But… Joestar and his group were here in Singapore. You managed to get in their proximity. Being stuck here for four fucking days was a blessing in disguise, apparently, but you start to wonder what exactly transpired for them to not be in Egypt. If you remembered correctly, Lord Dio (Telence, really) had informed you via fax that they were going to fly to Egypt back in November, on the 28th…

Oh, that’s right. That plane crashed near Lamma Island.

Hm.

Anyway, Not Noriaki was intermittently turning his head left and right, absentmindedly playing with a cherry in his mouth from breakfast. Occasionally, he’d have his tongue stick out a bit to swirl it around back and forth, which was how you found out about it in the first place. Though the rest of the group did not take heed of that vaguely-familiar quirk of his, the little girl that accompanied them donned a mixed expression of fascination and disgust. How he didn’t end up choking or dropping on the floor on accident was a mystery to you.

After parting ways at the restaurant on decent terms, you purposely went the opposite direction so they wouldn’t be suspicious any longer. Once you’d traveled far enough from the restaurant and out of their sight, you quickly turned around and headed back into the direction of the hotel. Now you’re thinking that you walked too quickly, considering how you managed to catch up to them here. Maybe they stopped somewhere en route or something.

You tsked before turning your head at the suddenly-appearing loud music. Through black and orange lightweight headphones, some tall tourist nearby with a curly-haired mullet and dark pants was listening to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album at a ridiculously high volume.

…or should I say, she once had me?

The fact that you could identify what they were listening to from their cassette Walkman was enough. And for the technological standards that you were accustomed to (goddamn does that sound presumptuous), it must’ve taken a great deal for those early-80s headphones to blare out. Even then— now do people have no decency in public.

As John Lennon’s main vocals and George Harrison’s sitar blared through the man’s headphones, you couldn’t help but keep your focus on him. He wasn’t familiar; you didn’t see him at the restaurant or anything. But there was definitely something… off about him— heh, as if there wasn’t anything off about you. Regardless, his own line of sight wouldn’t leave Joseph Joestar and his group; he seemed to be just as focused on them as you now were with him.

But why?

Did he know them, as well?

Or— you start to wonder…

Were you not the only person assigned to go after Joseph Joestar and his group?

——

--> To Be Continued -->

Up Next: Silver vs. Nitinol.

Link to the Table of Contents

1 note · View note

ftzone · 6 years

Photo

SCHEDULE 04, 12.11.18 - 03.12.18

every week idols and trainees are busy preparing for something: debuts, comebacks, concerts, performances, televised appearances, and more! read under the cut for what your muse is doing this week. please note: threads & solos for this week’s schedule are due 03/12/18 by 09:59 AM in order to be eligible for points (+5 sp, +5 popularity, +5 karma)! in order to obtain points, a thread must reach 3/3 (3 replies per person); for every 3 replies after the initial 3, one may add +5 sp, +5 popularity and +5 karma.

DINGBAT ARTISTS

Siren — the members have their days absolutely packed, fitting as many activities as possible into a short period of time. Siren’s two week faux-vacation is coming to an end but they need more content, something a little juicier to catch the attention of non-fans as well as fans. busking like their trainee days? a proper dinner party where they get wine-drunk? and how about a game of truth or dare, where they reveal all their secrets – that is, all their harmless secrets, their managers remind.

MYSTERY — nerves are at an all time high, this week bringing MYSTERY’s comeback trailer to the public. it’s different than anything they’ve ever done before and fans are in a frenzy, theories being thrown everywhere. the members can feel the buzz of their group growing, it’s a surreal experience, and it’s hard to stay focused on preparations when they just want to refresh comments.

MELODY — finally done with promotions, MELODY may have thought they would be getting a week off to refresh, but dbg is determined to keep them in the limelight. they somehow landed a spot on running man, appearing alongside other special guests for a fun-filled episode.

trainee group, neXus — it’s a week full of vocal lessons! everything neXus’s future members are doing revolves around singing. even karaoke becomes work. but it’s worth it in the hopes of getting good scores on their evaluations at the end of the week.

JACKRABBIT ARTISTS

STRINGS — as the time gets closer towards the group’s japanese debut showcase set for the end of november, last minute modifications are being made to each song. members are back to stricter diet schedules, intense japanese lessons and daily song run-throughs. the group as a whole is expected to lay low the next few weeks until their trip to japan.

libra — while joonyoung is trying to ramp up hype for the boys in japan, the girls continue to make themselves stand out on the homefront. grab your workout shoes because the ladies of libra will be singing “chase me!” this week on their first ever appearance on sbs’ running man!

KILLJOY ARTISTS

LURE — SOLO 2 will debut this week and perform on music shows as soon as the music video for “Fantasy” is released! the rest of the girls will begin the slow, tired preparation for not only a full-group comeback (that has been said to happen in february 2019) but also their 10 year anniversary fan event/concert! all of the girls, besides SOLO 2, are able to take a break from any and all activities this week before the preparations for the comeback and fan event happening early next year.

Corpse Party — Corpse Party will be filming their music video for “Sorry” this week as their comeback in december is slowly, but quickly approaching. company officials have stated that the boys will comeback around mid-december, just in time to not be able to win any awards for the song during the year-end shows. at least their extended play “dangerous” is still eligible!

V!BE — this is the first week of V!BE’s world tour “V!BRANT TOUR: FEEL THE V!BE WORLDWIDE”; the girls will be performing in los angeles, são paulo, and paris this week. members of V!BE will be leaving seoul midday monday to fly to LA for their tuesday concert, fly to são paulo on wednesday for their thursday concert, fly to paris on friday for their saturday concert. they will be staying in paris until monday! the setlist for each concert includes every title song, b-sides from their new album “perfect velvet”, and individual solo stages.

trainee group: BLISS — this is it! the final week before episodes of “SEEKING: SERENITY” begin airing! to prep for the show, the girls are rushed to hair and makeup for last-minute promotional pictures that will be used on the official website. the girls are also instructed to pack their suitcases with all of their necessities before the show, as they will be moving to a new dorm for filming!

trainee group: 5YNC — instead of the typical training schedule, the boys will be taking the same classes as BLISS did two weeks ago: how to manage yourself on live broadcasts (or on broadcast in general). this is to gear up for any special appearances the boys might have on “SEEKING: SERENITY.”

MOBIUS ARTISTS

ORION — the boys are given a free week this week -- enjoy the short-lived vacation while it lasts, who knows when you’ll get another!

NEO — and so begins the thick and thin of “take me higher” preparations for NEO:BLACK. the boys can expect to see teasers and promotions for their comeback up and around the internet very soon! in the meantime, they should focus on keeping their skills sharp and beautiful - as expected of vocal princes NEO:BLACK. amidst the preparations, the boys will also be doing a tour of popular radio shows to get their names out there for anyone who lives under a rock.

SOLAR — tensions are high with the promise of promotions coming up for gleam - this week the girls can look forward to a concept shoot for “a girl like me” following a brief meeting with the ceo to remind the girls of the expectations they’re upholding, especially since they’ll be promoting at the same time as their brother group NEO:BLACK. at least they’ve got the luxury of coming back first? don’t expect to get much sleep on set - a camera crew will be filming some behind the scenes extras. avoid any public missteps, in the meantime. exciting news for the eclipse girls! their time is finally coming, with their subunit debut set for mid-december, the thick of awards show season, it’s up to them to bring the anticipation up from a solid 5 to a hearty 10, if they want to compete with the masses of fans fighting for recognition for their faves! there’s something sweet and crazy about the kind of love mobius fans give.

VERVE ARTISTS

SiLVER — the teasers for SiLVER’s latest comeback “you’re pitiful” will be dropped later this week in advance of the song and mini-album’s release. to help drum up hype for their comeback, not that much help is really needed, SiLVER will be going over to kbs cool fm’s kiss the radio! magic(g)al — hopefully the girls are ready to dust the cobwebs off of their variety show skills, because this week, along with the regular music show recordings, magic(g)al are being sent off to film an episode of “knowing bros”!

STATIC — things are slow for the STATIC members this week. think of it as the calm before the storm that’s sure to hit them in the form of preparations for their december comeback, which, as has been decided by the powers that be, will be “shine”. but, in the interim, the boys are being provided some much needed downtime before they’re thrown in the deep end.

trainee group: STRAWBERRiE — STRAWBERRiE’s pre-debut single was met to mixed reviews, with most people thinking the song was funnier than anything else. at least they’ve caught some of the public’s attention, right? however, there isn’t any time to dwell on it. this week, STRAWBERRiE are taking the teaser photos for their debut “knock knock”!

SUBPLOTS *for every episode of a subplot there will be either a writing prompt or a creative mission, regardless if your muse is only on a few! for doing subplot missions, one can receive the same amount of points as doing a normal schedule.

Hyena on the Keyboard ( 3 / 8 ) — creative mission: create a playlist of songs that have inspired your muse or songs with a sound and/or vibe they would like to emulate! this playlist must contain at least 10 songs and have a 200 word explanation as to why these songs were chosen.

note: songs will be released the second episode your muse appears! this show airs every saturday in-verse

#ft. schedule

5 notes · View notes

vaampz · 6 years

Text

want to stan vav? pls do! ❤

VAV currently consists of 7 members: St. Van, Baron, ACE, Ayno, Jacob, Lou and Ziu. VAV debuted on October 31, 2015, under A Team Entertainment -- formerly AQ Entertainment.

For what I can tell, it’s a pretty nice company. A Team handled all the exits of the old members with a a lot of class, never blaming the guys in any moment and wishing them the best of lucks in their new paths (Xiao and Gyeoul are still under their management for example and doing well). Their marketing team has been on point lately promoting the group and CEO Ryan S Jhun not only produces bops for them but he is always so caring toward the boys ?? like being with them in some of their vlives and other stuff, even his little puppy Simba is around for schedules lol. Plus, us fans are so well fed with daily updates and everything has subs.

VAV are seven adorable, tall and hard working guys that have been trough a lot since debut and the path has definitely not been an easy one, but they’ve always make sure to give fans a lot of love and the relationship they have with Vampz is so good and pure, they really give us so much and ask for so little in return. They deserve more recognition.

Anyways! The fandom name is VAMPZ and here are their official accounts:

Twitter: @VAV_official

Instagram: @vav_official

Members IGs: St.Van | BaRon | Ace | Ayno | Jacob | Lou | Ziu

VApp: E6A311

Youtube: A Team channel

Tumblr: vav-official

Fan Cafe: VAVofficial + English Tutorial to sign up | they really appreciate all the letters even if it’s not in korean so if you can sign up and send them lots of love! They always try to answer, and Ayno has been pretty active there lately.

VAV App: You can download the .apk here | it’s also in English so it’s easy to understand and the boys do weekly chats there with the fans wich are subbed in the moment. Sometimes they also do giveaways there and you can chat with other Vampz, It’s worth downloading it.

Bonus: little member introduction/profile ♡

The current line-up officialy comeback for the first time with the digital single Venus (Dance With Me) on February 18th, 2017, showing a fresh image along with a new sound. This was the debut for Lou, Ayno and Ziu --- also when they finally got a stable line-up.

Official MV

MV Performance ver.

Jacket Making

Dance 2x speed

Dance random speed

Visual Video

Fanchant

Stages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Other performances: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

On May 5th, they made a flowery comeback with the second digital single Flower (You), this time they showed a more cute and soft image. As a little fun fact, Ayno wrote the rap part !

Official MV

Jacket Making

Dance Practice

Performances: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (they focused on busking and festivals for the promotion and didn’t perform on any music show)

On July 4th, they made a summer comeback with the third digital single ABC (Middle of the Night). This time around, both Lou and Ayno wrote their rap parts !

Official MV

MV Making

Dance Practice

Fanchant

Stages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

On November 2th, they made their fourth comeback of the year with the digital single She’s Mine, showing a more classy and sexy image. The song was produced by Coach & Sendo and the choreography made in collaboration with 1Million Dance Studio !

Official MV

MV Making

Jacket Making

Concept Film

Performance Version

Dance Practice (Malaysian ver.)

Dance Practice (X-Mas ver.)

1MILLION Dance (w/ Ayno & Baron)

2x speed dance

Change Parts Challenge

Dance Practice (Self Cam Version)

Fanchant

Stages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Now they are working extra hard for a comeback in early 2018 that will carry a similar manly concept to She's Mine (at least according to the members haha), so please wait for them! ♡ It’s rumored to be on January 29th because of a picture that Ryan S Jhun posted with the hashtag 29/1 on it but it’s not confirmed or anything untill the date (December 30th).

COVERS:

Downpour -- I.O.I, by Ace and Ziu

White Night & Wake me Up -- Taeyang, by St.Van and Lou

Fools -- Troye Sivan, by Ace

Fool -- WINNER, by Ace

CHOREOS:

Shape of You -- Ed Sheeran, by BaRon (vocals and choreography)

How I Want Ya -- Hudson Thames, by Ayno (choreography) + Close-Up Version

Better -- Attom ft Justin Stein, by BaRon (choreography)

OTHER:

Zero Coke -- Noh Yoonho Mixtape (Zero ver.) + (Coke ver.) ( also the video was filmed/directed by BaRon )

Bite My Nails -- Noh Yoonho Mixtape (Audio) ( both Ayno’s mixtapes are self-written and self-produced )

Trouble -- Xiao feat Jacob (MV)

Interviews, shows and other stuff:

note: this’ll be only the videos with the current line-up! for older content i’ll probably make a different list~

[ENG Sub] VAV Surprise Letter (aka the only time I want to see them crying but at least it was for the sweetest motive, they are so precious) --- Part 1 (with Lou and Ayno) + Part 2 (with Baron, St. Van and ACE) + Part 3 (with Ziu and Jacob)

[ENG Sub] VAV’s Apartment (2D1N) --- Ep. 1 + Ep. 2 + Ep 3

[ENG Sub] VAV’s Apartment (The Return of Superman Version)

[ENG Sub] VAV VCAM Series (playlist with ALL the episodes to date -- it’s the best to get to know their personalities in my opinion)

V’LOGS (playlist with all the logs)

[ENG Sub] The Immigration

[ENG Sub] Soompi Interview

[Portuguese Sub] Revista KoreaIN Interview

[ENG Sub + Portuguese] Revista KoreaIN Interview (pt2)

[ENG Sub] Pops in Seoul Q&A

[ENG Sub] Pops in Seoul Pick & Talk

[ENG Sub] TOUR AVATAR 2 with Ayno & Lou --- Part 1 + Part 2

[ENG Sub] Fact in Star Interview

[ENG Sub] TongTongTV Interview + Performance

[ENG Sub + Portuguese] Radio K-Pop Brasil Interview

[ENG Sub] HypnoticAsia Interview

[ENG Sub] KoreanUpdates Interview

[ENG Sub] MEET YOUR IDOL: VAV

[ENG Sub] MEET YOUR IDOL: VAV (DELETED SCENES & BLOOPERS & FUNNY MOMENTS)

[ENG Sub] VAV - Game Life Bar Ep. 5

[ENG Sub] VAV - Game Life Bar Ep. 6

[ENG Sub] VAV x VSLive

[ENG Sub] VAV on Star Interview

[ENG Sub] VAV at PeekAVoo&Voom Rookie Stage (Full)

[ENG Sub] What Did VAV Buy With 10,000 Won?

A letter to Sound K from VAV

Show Champion Curtain Talk

VAV Fact In Star (Self-Cam)

VAV Preview Show! She’s Mine

KStation TV --- VAV Busking Hongdae (this is pretty fun to watch)

VAV TV1 pt 1 + pt 2

VAV Backstage Chat

GSGM 2017 Summer Making film (with Ayno)

Beautiful Smile YT Channel (it has clips of ther vlives with english subs)

MyLovelyBaron YT Channel

VAV Thailand YT Channel (it posts a lot of the content that is only available for VAV App users so it has subs)

Seoulmates Vlogs --- 1, 2

Kaelyn Tee Vlog - VAV in Sunway University

VAV Individual Broadcasts

BaRon’s ASMR

171 notes · View notes

underratedgroups · 7 years

Text

VAV Profile

Debut date: 31 October 2015 Number of members: 7 (originally), 7 (currently) Agency: A Team Entertainment Fandom name: Vampz

Members:

세인트반 – St. Van

Name: 이금혁 (Lee Geumhyuk) Position: Leader, Main Vocalist Birthday: 22 December 1991 Nationality: Korean

Facts about St. Van:

He has three tattoos - two on his right arm and one on the left.

St. Van is left handed.

He lived in China for 13 years and speaks Chinese. The other members of the group sometimes act like he is Chinese and speaks good Korean.

He drinks a lot of water, to the point where Baron calls him ‘hippopotamus.’

St. Van loves watching reality and variety shows, his favorites being ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ and ‘Infinite Challenge.’

He often falls asleep while watching TV.

He likes cars a lot, and would like to try racing in Formula 1 one day.

St. Van gets a little camera shy if there are a lot of cameras filming at once.

바론 - Baron

Name: 최충협 (Choi Chunghyeop) Position: Main Dancer, Vocalist Birthday: 19 April 1992 Nationality: Korean

Facts about Baron:

Before debuting as a singer, Baron was in a dance group.

Baron is the ‘mom’ of VAV.

He is good at imitating voices.

Although he is happy with how he looks, a member who he would want to switch bodies with would be St. Van because St. Van has very broad shoulders.

He would like to be a director or a photographer, as he likes filming people.

He is friends with actor Kim Min Suk.

Baron can speak English.

He is St. Van’s roommate.

One day, Baron would like to found a music school.

에이스 - ACE

Name: 장우영 (Jang Wooyoung) Position: Lead Vocalist, Lead Dancer Birthday: 28 August 1992 Nationality: Korean

Facts about ACE:

He is the smallest member.

According to his roommate Ziu, ACE talks in his sleep, but not like most people. He usually yells out “Are you guys ready?” His members confirmed this, saying that they can sometimes hear it through the walls of their dorm.

Both he and the other members agree that he has the best body in VAV.

He really likes to exercise, and his ideal type is someone who would be up for exercising with him.

ACE has made several song covers of both K-Pop and Western songs that have been posted on the official A Team YouTube channel.

에이노 - Ayno

Name: 노윤호 (No Yoonho) Position: Rapper, Visual Birthday: 1 May 1996 Nationality: Korean

Facts about Ayno:

Ayno was a child star and acted in several commercials. He was also a model.

Ayno was previously a trainee at Starship Entertainment, where he trained for 6 years. He also spent some time under Happy Face Entertainment.

He was originally supposed to debut in the boy group Boyfriend but was deemed too young to debut.

Before debuting in VAV, Ayno was a contestant on No.Mercy - the survival show that resulted in the formation of the popular boy group Monsta X. He was eliminated in episode 9 (out of a total of 10 episodes).

When Ayno was in No.Mercy, he decided to focus more on the show than on his studies, as he considered debuting to be more important than high school.

He is one of the three members most recently added to the group, as he joined VAV in early 2017 along with Ziu and Lou, shortly before the group had their comeback with Venus (Dance With Me).

Ayno is the cutest member according to the group.

One day, Ayno wants to produce and train an idol group.

He is close with SF9′s Dawon.

제이콥 - Jacob

Name: 張鵬 (Zhang Peng) Position: Main Rapper Birthday: 7 September 1996 Nationality: Chinese

Facts about Jacob:

Jacob is currently the only foreign member of VAV.

He loves to eat, to the point where he will sometimes get up in the middle of the night to eat ramen.

His special talent is break dancing.

He can do an impression of Donald Duck.

Jacob is the most attractive member according to St. Van, because he looks very good in pictures.

Ayno’s nickname for him is ‘Cob.’

He is the most childish member according to former member Gyeoul because he won’t share his snacks. However, Gyeoul says this also makes him the cutest member, as he still respects his hyungs a lot.

로우 - Lou

Name: 김호성 (Kim Hosung) Position: Rapper Birthday: 21 September 1996 Nationality: Korean

Facts about Lou:

Lou is the tallest member of VAV.

He is one of the three members most recently added to the group, as he joined VAV in early 2017 along with Ayno and Ziu, shortly before the group had their comeback with Venus (Dance With Me).

He can speak English.

According to Ayno and Baron, Lou is the most attractive member.

He really likes listening to OSTs and watching dramas.

Lou would like to become an actor as well as being a singer, as he majors in acting.

지우 - Ziu

Name: 박희준 (Park Heejun) Position: Vocalist, Maknae Birthday: 16 June 1997 Nationality: Korean

He is one of the three members most recently added to the group, as he joined VAV in early 2017 along with Lou and Ayno, shortly before the group had their comeback with Venus (Dance With Me).

Ziu likes to kiss his hyungs’ cheeks, despite them protesting it.

He is the most attractive member of the group according to ACE because he has the feeling of a real man and a good jaw.

He also considers himself to be the most attractive member because ‘his mom says so.’

Ziu tends to raid the refrigerator at 5-6am. He will then forget about eating, even when the members ask him about it.

He and Buffy from the group MADTOWN are friends.

Past members

샤오 - Xiao

Name: 陳驍 (Chen Xiao) Position: Lead Dancer, Rapper, Visual Birthday: 27 August 1989 Nationality: Chinese

Facts about Xiao:

Before debuting with VAV, Xiao was a former member of the groups MIX and 8090. He was also Top 10 on an audition program.

Xiao’s favorite gifts from fans are snacks.

He is not completely fluent in Korean.

He is famous in China (especially in Shanghai) to the point that when he went there with VAV, all the fans crowded almost exclusively around him.

Xiao is still making music, primarily in Chinese. His music videos can be found on the official A Team YouTube channel.

Note: It is not completely confirmed whether or not Xiao has permanently left the group, but on 26 June 2016 A Team Entertainment announced that he would go on hiatus due to his grandfather’s health. Xiao is still signed under A Team Entertainment and is currently promoting as a solo artist.

제한 - Zehan

Name: 이성민 (Lee Sungmin) Position: Vocalist, Rapper Birthday: 29 March 1994 Nationality: Korean

Facts about Zehan:

Zehan was the first member to be added to the group after debut, but as he had trained with the VAV members, both he and the members expressed that the addition of him felt very natural.

He is very playful, talkative and has a lot of energy, to the point where he sometimes makes his members tired.

He has claustrophobia, and had a hard time during the filming VAV’s Brotherhood MV where he had to stand inside a fogged-up glass capsule.

Zehan loves dogs, and once a fan gave him a plushie of a dog that looks like his dog. He keeps the plushie on his bed.

Zehan left VAV on 6 December 2016 to pursue an acting career.

겨울 - Gyeoul

Name: 김정언 (Kim Jungeon) Position: Lead Vocalist Birthday: 22 November 1995 Nationality: Korean

Facts about Gyeoul:

His hobby is to compose music, and has expressed his fondness for producing.

He loves acting cute, but doesn’t like being called cute.

Gyeoul buys at least 30 pieces of clothing every month.

Gyeoul officially left the group on 25 January 2017 to become a producer.

Although he has expressed that he will continue to support VAV, he has no intention of working as a producer for the group.

List last updated 7 November 2017. If you know of any VAV information missing on this list or if we got some facts wrong, please let us know and we will fix it.

#vav #vav profile #vav st van #vav baron #vav ace #vav ayno #vav jacob #vav lou #vav ziu #vav xiao #vav zehan #vav gyeoul

133 notes · View notes

egg-sunyoulk · 7 years

Text

up10tion sunyoul’s high notes & best singing: a compilation (2015-2017)

hey! new to up10tion? heard of them before but haven’t gotten the chance to get into them? long-time fan? no matter who you are, you might enjoy listening to our main vocalist’s pretty voice :) if you’re not a fan of up10tion, please do me a favour and listen to at least one of the performances on this list. you won’t regret it, i promise! anyways, happy birthday to our sweet bun sunyoul~

disclaimer: not here to argue about technique, or compare to other singers! i know that sunyoul isn’t the best in terms of technique, but his voice is lovely and unique and honey10s would love to share it :)

1. sunyoul on king of masked singer: so chanwhee’s “tears” highest note hit: G5 (at 1:48) date: january 2016

this is the one that most people know- i mean, tricking an entire audience into thinking that you’re female isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do yknow this performance is what got a lot of people into up10tion (including me) so it’s a pretty important + precious performance. (also those high notes like damn)

2. come back to me - up10tion highest note: F#5 (falsetto) date: october 2017 starting from 2:51. wow. going from that emotional heavy line to that soft pretty falsetto WOW this saved my grades (i legitimately have 2:51 to 3:05 recorded on loop and i play it daily it’s that beautiful)

3. because - up10tion highest note: D5 when harmonizing with kogyeol date: november 2016

o fuck o fuck his lil melisma thing at 2:14 is so good u gotta listen and it’s LIVE starting at 2:03 sunyoul slays the song have i mentioned that this is like my fave live performance by up10tion ever o fuck help

4. up10tion - just like that highest note: C5 date: may 2017 PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS ONE !! here’s the performance, though it was so damn good i had to make a compilation of his voice in the performance. u gotta listen. u gotta. (if ur looking at the full performance, sunyoul’s best parts start at 1:12 and 2:02.) (he wasn’t even supposed to do the little trill at 2:15 lmao so extra i love it) alsdk

5. up10tion on immortal song: baek zyoung’s “dash” highest note: D5 (falsetto) date: november 2015

i have to admit, i only included this one for the C#5 to D5 starting at 4:24, bc like... the band behind them coming to a full halt... sunyoul’s voice alone ringing through the venue... that’s some good shit

6. white night - up10tion highest note: E5 date: november 2016 damn, this must have been a hard era for sunyoul considering that the climax of the title track is him just him and his high notes (D#5 at 2:43, and going up to E5 at 3:08). anyways they’re high notes so there you go. rest in peace white night-era sunyoul. rest in peace his vocal cords.

7. once again - up10tion highest note: B4 fave performance: august 10, 2017 in osaka that A4 at 4:04... wow. skin cleared. crops fed. prob the least strained (i think? idk man) and clearest high note i’ve heard from him

8. up10tion for onstyle: hong jinyoung’s love battery (a capella) highest note: C5 date: may 2016 i mean when wei’s making this face you know it’s good:

9. sara bareilles’ “gravity” highest note: A4 date: september 2017 wow his pronounciation is so heckin good !! also his voice is so soothing man a perfect lullaby

10. sunyoul’s a capella cover of orion highest note: D5 date: may 2017 listen to the hush that falls over the fans when he sings that fifth to the D5 at 1:01... o boi my ears are swooning

11. duet with hwanhee: urban zakapa’s painting spring highest note: D#5 date: may 2016 best parts: - the C5s + climb to the D#5 starting at 2:45 - the C5 starting at 3:09 - 3:50 to 3:53 wow - sunyoul’s excessive hand movements ??? they did well considering it was like really late and their voices weren’t in good condition and they were cute nervous baby rookies :)

12. sunyoul + sul undo on duet song festival: so risae’s “you and i” highest note: D5 date: september 2016 the performance starts at around 1:36:22 if you click the link. u can listen to his low range in the beginning and then the high-ass harmonies with sul undo... wow the fact that he practiced and performed with such an esteemed senior vocalist in the music industry makes it sound so polished

13. up10tion’s a capella cover of sechskies’ “couple” highest note: A4 date: december 2015

the “hamkke” (around 1:17) is beautiful. i’ve never replayed a part so much (also he cute !! cutest boy)

14. dream you - up10tion highest note: B4ish? SUNYOUL SLAYING THAT CHORUS the first time i heard that part i was so surprised and i hope u will be surprised too

15. UP’s “Puyo Puyo” highest note: D5 (falsetto) date: august 2016 we don’t talk about this one. (but if you’re willing... sunyoul’s parts are at 0:44 and 0:58.) (you have been warned.)

16. MAMAMOO’s “Decalcomanie” highest note: C#5 date: late 2016 - early 2017 shit i love this one starts around 0:49 and the real high note starts 0:59 what a cute mamamoo fanboy

17. duet with kuhn: akdong musician’s “don’t cross your legs” highest note: D5 date: july 2017

(wow look im great at screencaps) anyways this is cute and sunyoul raps so it’s great the lil thing in sunyoul’s voice when he comes in at 0:34... you can see hongki’s eyebrows rise up to his hairline

18. let it go from frozen highest note: D#5 date: june 2017 not a fan of the high notes but when he sings “the wind is howling like the swirling storm inside” or whatever the whole world stops to listen, angels descend from heaven, elsa herself steps out of the screen to bless him with magical ice powers

19. park hyoshin’s wild flower highest note: C#5 date: may 2016

this high note... powerful as HECK... the whole thing is 13 seconds between breaths... that vibrato throughout the song is honey to my ears he sounds sort of like he’s trying to deepen his voice near the start/middle but then it gets more relaxed and normal at the end

20. national anthem, a capella, at the nexen vs. hanhwa sports game highest note: C5 at 0:42 date: may 2016 the one i think of every time an mc describes sunyoul’s voice as pretty. i mean. it’s the national anthem. a capella. with lovely-sounding reverb and echo and all that jazz. it sounds real pretty from like 0:44 on. enjoy yourself. rock out to the korean national anthem. idk

21. cheeze’s “mood indigo” (here, or here if u want to skip to timestamps) highest note: C5 date: october 2017 yo 0:25... <3 and the sweet-sounding falsetto... when 0:47 happened i was like “aww that’s pretty” but i was sobbing by the end what a precious bun

22. everything - up10tion highest note: C5 fave performance: comeback showcase, june 2017 just the way he sings his solo part... something abt it is so sweet and soft and cute and gentle

honorable mentions:

twice’s cheer up (oh god he’s so cute)

a thousand years (wow his pronounciation... stunning)

abba’s honey honey, probably recorded in a hotel bathroom (that high note... and the lil thing he does with his voice when he sings “movie star”)

王力宏’s 春雨裡洗過的太陽

naul’s memory of the wind (mmm yess my pretty)

that one time he saw a dog and his voice went from F4 to F5

obligatory high notes:

so dangerous - up10tion (making him scream an E5 in up10tion’s debut song? @ top media + their vocal trainers: wtf are you doing to his voice regardless it’s a high note so here it is, at 3:57. pls stop damaging his voice top media)

reblog/reply with the number of your favourite performance! (only if you want to ofc)

#up10tion #kpop #sunyoul #seon yein #kuhn #hwanhee #happy sunyoul day #happy birthday sweet bun !!!#whew #22 songs !!!#this has been in the works for about half a year #i'm pretty happy with it heh #i don't really want to say this but #i'd super-extra-really appreciate if you reblogged/responded to this one #hehe #:)#just cuz it's so near and dear to my heart

70 notes · View notes

dinafbrownil · 5 years

Text

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

The Friday Breeze

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes, who reads everything on health care to compile our daily Morning Briefing, offers the best and most provocative stories for the weekend.

Happy Friday! A quick programming note: We are closing up shop for Thanksgiving, so I will be leaving you to your turkey and pumpkin pie next week. But never fear, I’ll be back in your inboxes Dec. 6, as we barrel out an outrageous pace toward the end of the year.

Speaking of outrageous pace, is everyone doing OK after this news-filled week? If you’re feeling stressed you missed something health-related while distracted by the approximately 13 billion big stories going on simultaneously, relax, I’ve got you covered.

One of those 13 billion big stories was, of course, the latest Democratic debate. But the candidates might be feeling some health care fatigue like the rest of us because, although they hit their talking points, they moved quickly on to subjects beyond “Medicare for All.” That came as a slight surprise, since earlier in the week Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a plan on how to move more gradually into such a system than she’d previously discussed. Warren’s new blueprint would start by offering a more generous, subsidized government plan for some Americans and pass MFA by the end of her third year.

The Associated Press: Democrats Spar at Debate Over Health Care, How to Beat Trump

The New York Times: Elizabeth Warren Vows to Expand Health Coverage in First 100 Days

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has already walked the fine line that the progressive 2020 candidates are attempting when it comes to universal health care. He also ran on the idea of a single-payer system and has been navigating what happens when political slogan meets reality ever since he was elected. Could his experience offer insight to the Warrens of the world?

Politico: Does Gavin Newsom Have the Answer to Democrats’ Health Care Fights?

The Friday Breeze

Want a roundup of the must-read stories this week chosen by KHN Newsletter Editor Brianna Labuskes? Sign up for The Friday Breeze today.

Please confirm your email address below:

The White House was left scrambling this week after President Donald Trump made an unscheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last Saturday. The speculation over Trump’s health spread like wildfire, and the White House’s attempts to frame the trip as Part One of the president’s annual physical were widely mocked by late-night hosts. Officials later shifted the story, saying it was just a routine checkup, but the damage had been done.

Side note (because I was curious, and you might be, too): During his tenure, then-President Barack Obama in 2014 made an unscheduled Saturday trip to Walter Reed, as well. The reason? A sore throat. (h/t WSJ.)

Politico: Trump Says Media Panicked Melania Into Thinking He Had a Heart Attack

CMS Administrator Seema Verma has said that the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on outside communications contractors was meant to spread awareness of CMS’ policies. But emails obtained by Politico show that some of the discussions between those contractors and federal officials focused on getting Verma high-profile features in magazines like Glamour, winning recognition for her on “Power Women” lists and getting her invited to attend prestigious events.

Politico: Contractor Proposed Glamour Magazine Profile for Medicaid Chief

In other news, this heartbreaking story takes a look at families of developmentally disabled beneficiaries who are stranded on waitlists because the state slashed its Medicaid funding.

St. Louis Post Dispatch: In Missouri, People Who Can’t Speak and See Wait in Line for Help

A new Trump administration rule would force hospitals to reveal the prices they negotiate with insurers for all their procedures, as part of a larger strategy to increase transparency in health care. As you might imagine, hospitals and insurers were very much not pleased and have already promised a legal fight. The negotiations have always been shrouded in mystery, and revealing them would be tantamount to exposing trade secrets, they say.

The New York Times: To Lower Costs, Trump to Force Hospitals to Reveal Price of Care

A Wall Street Journal investigation has revealed that 1 in 4 of the doctors involved in the 163 malpractice claims against the Indian Health Service that the government settled or lost since 2006 had a history of medial mistakes and regulatory sanctions that should have raised red flags in the hiring process. At least 66 of the patients died as a result of the alleged malpractice.

The Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Gave Troubled Doctors a Second Chance. Patients Paid the Price.

The Department of Justice planned to announce a plan Friday to combat chronic and underreported violence against Native American women. The DOJ has faced criticism after past investigations found that thousands of missing-persons cases are missing from the agency’s logs. The proposal includes a plan to hire coordinators across the country who would be responsible for developing protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing-persons cases.

The Associated Press: AG Barr to Unveil Plan on Missing, Murdered Native Americans

If you want to get a look at drugmakers’ behavior during the start of the opioid epidemic, look no further than what’s going on in China, apparently. An Associated Press investigation reveals that the tactics being employed there by a Sackler-owned company mirror the ones that spawned a crisis — as well as thousands upon thousands of lawsuits. That includes things like telling doctors that OxyContin is less addictive than other opioids and representing the drug as safe for chronic pain.

The Associated Press: Oxy Sales in China Driven by Misleading Addiction Claims

Meanwhile, county officials in Ohio struggle with incredibly tough decisions when it comes to reuniting children who were taken away because of a parent’s addiction. If the wrong choice is made it can — and has — ended in the death of a child.

The New York Times: The Parents Passed a Drug Test. Should They Get Their Children Back?

In more lighthearted news: You think your mistakes at work are put on blast? This poor dude’s decimal error made national news.

The New York Times: Whoops. Judge Reduces J&J Opioid Fine After Mistaking Thousands for Millions

A big, federal study showed that drugs are just as effective at saving lives as surgeries for blocked arteries. But here’s the thing, other studies have already shown this, and yet doctors still perform them. Why? Hint, hint: It just might have something to do with the fact that those procedures pull in the big bucks (though doctors say it’s because past studies were poorly designed).

The New York Times: Surgery for Blocked Arteries Is Often Unwarranted, Researchers Find

In the miscellaneous file for the week:

• South Dakota’s new slogan to combat drug use in the state was thoroughly dragged through the social media wringer this week. “Meth. We’re on it,” was lambasted as both tone-deaf and ridiculous. But, the governor pointed out, it got your attention, didn’t it?

(Sioux Falls, S.D.) Argus News Leader: ‘Meth. We’re On It.’: South Dakota Spends $449K on New Anti-Meth Ad Campaign

• Who better to take notes from on addiction than Big Tobacco? In the early days, Juul executives were bragging about the “leg up” they got from cigarette research.

Los Angeles Times: Juul Took a Page From Big Tobacco to Revolutionize Vaping

• They’re billed as “quiet rooms,” but the isolated timeout spaces found in schools across Illinois seem far more troubling than the name suggests. Children are being kept in these rooms, locked up, alone and terrified — and the practice of doing so is often under-monitored by state officials.

ProPublica/Chicago Tribune: The Quiet Rooms

• And so the pendulum swings: As more is discovered about CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and the neurological damage done by playing football, many youth leagues have been banished. But the cultural roots of the sport run deep, especially in Texas where the game is making a comeback.

The New York Times: A Small Town Gave Up Tackle Football. It Came Storming Back.

Hope everyone has a restful holiday. See you in December!

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/friday-breeze-health-care-policy-must-reads-of-the-week-from-brianna-labuskes-november-22-2019/

0 notes

celticnoise · 5 years

Link

FORMER Celtic midfielder Kris Commons believes Neil Lennon will inspire Leigh Griffiths in his comeback bid.

The former Scotland international also reckons Celtic’s interim manager has spoken more to the striker during his brief time in charge than outgoing gaffer Brendan Rodgers did in the past two months.

Griffiths has not been seen since early December as he strives to overcome personal problems, but Commons thinks his ex-Hoops team-mate could return to first-team action in the coming weeks.

Rodgers, who abruptly quit the Hoops last week to become manager at mid-table Leicester City, backed Griffiths when it emerged he was taking time away from the game.

At the time, he insisted: “What’s most important is Leigh’s welfare. Football is irrelevant if he is struggling in other areas.”

Lennon, who paid £1.2million to sign the 28-year-old striker from Wolves in January 2014 following his two impressive loans spells at Hibs, has returned to lead the team to the end of the season, at least, with an unprecedented treble treble within touching distance.

Griffiths appeared to be pleased about Lennon’s arrival back at the club, posting a picture on Instragram of the two together from the Iirishman’s first spell in charge.

Commons, writing in his Daily Mail column, insisted: “It’s my understanding that Leigh Griffiths is close to making his return following some off-field personal difficulties.

“He feels like he’s in a much better place mentally and is looking forward to getting back on the pitch and contributing.

“Neil Lennon certainly won’t rush him back – and nor should he.

“He’ll put an arm round him and give him all the time he needs.

“From what I’m hearing, Lennon has spoken more to Griffiths over the past week than Brendan Rodgers did during the past two months.”

Griffiths became a ton-up Bhoy when he scored his 100th Celtic goal with a trademark free-kick in the 3-0 win over FK Suduva in the Europa League qualifier at Parkhead on August 30.

His last goal for the team came with another deadball effort in the 3-0 victory over Hamilton Accies at the Hope Stadium on November 24.

https://ift.tt/2tOIows

#CelticNoise #Celtic #CelticFC #CelticQuickNews

0 notes

nycrunning · 5 years

Text

November was something… I ended up with the most mileage and tons of great runs… It started with the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a hilly 5K through many NYC touristic attractions like the United Nations, Grand Central Station, the NY Public library, Central Park, etc, all the way to the NYC Marathon finish line. I made a little video if you want to see what it looks like. It’s quite fun.

The next day, of course, was the marathon… I started the day early with a 12 mile run before spectating. It was a gorgeous day.

The Argentinian flag by the finish line!

We started the cheering around 10:30, when some of the wheelchair athletes were still going through First Avenue. We saw the pros and a LOT of friends, a LOT.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We then moved the cheering party to Fifth Avenue for a few hours. I had little voice left but we managed to yell and cheer for a few more hours.

After a quick lunch and regroup we headed to the finish line to cheer on the last finishers. That is the biggest party!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

November has a lot of races and amazing runs… because the leaves change, it’s just magical out. Here is one example:

I run a bit of the 60K to keep Michael company, that was fun:

The next day, I was signed up for two races. I know people who have done this but I never had. First, a 4 Miler in Central Park, at 8 am:

That went fine. Then some caffeine and up on the 1 train to Van Cortland Park for a trail 5K at 11:30 am.

That was intense… Legs were stiff right at the start of the 2nd race (it was a bit cold) but once we got moving it was fine. Happy it was a short race or I would have gotten hungry.. it was noon and all!

A few days later was Thanksgiving and spent it with family!

I am also lucky that I have a friend who lives close to my family and took me out for a 7-mile trail run, post-Turkey.

Looks sunny but don’t be fooled: it was freezing!!

That weekend we also did an exploratory long run into Queens and the neighborhoods that would be affected by Amazon’s takeover of the area. The LIC QNS waterfront has been evolving a lot in the last few years and it looks amazing. For now at least.

Told you it was a LOT!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 173, that IS GOOOOOD!

Downs: Not one.

Ups: All the fun fall folliage runs… Running can be quite epic in November, when there is daylight to see it! Also, finally caught up with my yearly mileage!

Balance: ALL so good. Hey December, TOP THIS!

October

Don’t call it a comeback, but I wish it was! In October, my legs finally felt good to go again, after about 3-4 months of some twinge, strain or whatever it was. I should have stopped running and I would have been fine in a month or two, BUT I was not going to miss Summer Streets… that really messed it all up. And I was managing it properly so I didn’t have to stop running but it took waaay too long because I didn’t really take the time to fix it. Anyway, I did the Bronx 10 miler (here is the report and here is a short video of the race),

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

and a week later I did the Divas Half Marathon in Long Island -a tough race for me as I was all alone after mile 4 (how do the elites do it??). Here is a video of the race.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Then, I took a last-minute flash trip to Argentina to see the family, especially my pregnant sister and I had some amazing runs. I did a long run from Palermo to Vicente Lopez and back, and a few more runs around Palermo and inside El Rosedal. It was epic. Here is a little video I put together.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

When I came back home, there were many great runs, as it was the few weeks before the TCS New York City Marathon and there are really waaaay too many events. Which is a great thing if you can clone yourself. Otherwise, it’s FOMO all day long as it’s impossible to go to everything. Take your picks and don’t look back!

The last weekend of the month, and the week before the marathon, I do the Polland Spring 5 Miler. It was a great run with Michael, we chatted the whole way and it was my 21st race this year, a PR. Not a really a PR but I’ll take it! I am behind on mileage and still really really slow so that’s all I have these days…! Good enough for me!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Closing up the month with a visit to the marathon expo to pick up my bib for the Abbott Dash 5K, will report on that soon!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 140, oh well. SO behind my goals this year

Downs: NONE

Ups: running in Buenos Aires was literally epic. I can’t get over how fun that was!

Balance: ALL thumbs up!

September

hello Friends!

September was more work and socials and running… Is that a good thing? emmmm. You can decide (and keep it to yourself, as I like to say). There were some epic runs and some crappy runs. Mileage was pathetic not impressive. Some runs made it all worth it. We did a run to the Little Red Lighthouse, which was awesome.

I had no pain and I felt strong. The next long run was awful. The day after was AWESOME. Get the jist? A run to the Bronx and back last week was great. I was a bit all over the place (meaning: not just in Central Park) but I really like that. Had a few long runs with Kettia and Khris (as you can see I have a favorite pair of Oakleys).

The run to the Bronx was awesome but I got no pictures. I get distracted sometimes, I AM truly sorry!

Ah the sad part: Juan was ready and all packed to leave to China for his half Ironman and the RACE GOT CANCELLED…

Sad. Now we’re BOTH going to another one in November… in China also. It’s about 33 hours door to door, exciting! Gotta learn some Mandarin, help please!

and then I started feeling better. It was instantaneous. The little itch I had in the back of my leg went away last Thursday and voila… there goes 4 months of what the hell is this? but I am back!

And Sunday was the New Balance Bronx 10 Miler, ohoooo. I’ll refer you to the official post, but it was fun. Slow as F but fun. Oh well, here comes the time to pick back up the speed. yeeeeeey.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 116, ooops, went from the biggest month to a very small one. OK.

Downs: my knee had a weird twitch and I was getting very tired of it. Had to skip the Newport Half to make sure I was giving it the rest and time it needed.

Ups: I finally felt ok in the last week: strong and ready to push back.

Balance: Good now. I feel I am back to normal. Slow but normal.

August

is always a good month because of SUMMER STREETS, literally, I should be hired by the Summer Streets People because I feel like a community evangelizer. That is all I talk about to anyone all year long. You know it. Anyway, to recap: I like Summer Streets. A bit. If you just met me or this is the first time you read this blog, Summer Streets happens 3 weekends in August, on Saturdays: they close traffic on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge, for 5 hours. It’s MAGIC.

If you missed it, shame on you (and, how are we friends???). If you never heard of it, pen it in for next year and don’t make vacation plans or don’t say yes to weddings. If you don’t live in NYC, get tickets now.

So, Summer Streets was awesome, even though it RAINED ALL THREE SATURDAYS as you can see in the pictures (ugh) and we have to chop one run short because there was lightning, thunderstorm and flash flooding (but mostly because with all that water I couldn’t keep my contacts inside my eyes…!). It was still awesome.

The day after the first Summer Streets, July something, a Sunday, I run the NYRR Manhattan Mile, a new race and a distance I’ve never run. So, automatic PR you say? Meh I don’t count those, but I WILL COUNT THE NEXT TIME I RUN THIS DISTANCE because I run it as slow AF. So, here we go: I have a bum knee. It’s not chondromalacia patellae, it’s not ITBS, I’ve ruled out a lot of things but it’s just weird because it hurts VERY randomly. AND, if I take time off, it hurts more. Go figure that one out. Good luck. Anyway, that day my knee was hurting so I struggled to finish. It was also like one hundred million degrees celsius/fahrenheit.

Luckily I had Jackie, Michael and Brian to not only keep me company but throw power boosts at me during the last mile where they all decided to pick it up and I was just not into it. Aw, friends that throw stuff at you while you want to curl and cry are the BEST! ❤ I guess.

HA.

The next weekend was another combo of Summer Streets and a race. This time I attempted to do two races on Sunday and it didn’t work out AT ALL. I wanted to do the France Run, a 5 miler in Central Park at 8, and then scoot out to Williamsburg (in Brooklyn, for all my international readers! This Wsburg is in BK, not Colonial Pennsylvania, as I had to be told a few times in my first years in NYC coming from Philly!!!) (where was I?) then scoot out to Williamsburg to race the Brooklyn Mile. My heat was at 9:30 am. Possible?? Not really. What was I thinking? Not only David and I run France Run as slow as we possibly could without bursting into a walk spider-crawl, BUT we then proceeded to be extra stooopid fun after we finished and pretend talk in French and rename everything. We then also decided, while it rained, to taste and eat all the French things they had… chocolate, financiers, it was good… oooops, it’s 9:30! CRAP. And the truth is, I wasn’t in any shape to race a mile. My knee agreed (probably).

The last weekend of August (am I missing one???) it was a doubleheader. I did the Percy Sutton 5K in Harlem on Saturday and the Henry Isola 4 Mile XC in Van Cortlandt, Bronx, on Sunday. Who knew I could handle it? The knee was stoopid all week so I run to the 5K with Kettia and David SUPER slow, like 11 pace and was thinking to maybe cheer. I felt 100% pain-free so I decided to race. It was slow (23:06 It think, 7:24 pace) well, yes, I haven’t done anything hard in 2 months so I couldn’t expect much more but I felt good and that is all I cared about. Plus it was fun. We met lots of people, Frankie run me in, we had an hour-long stop on the run back… it was all shit and giggles, the way a race morning should be (to me, don’t judge!).

We run back. I ended up with like 10 miles… then… the next day, cause I felt ok… (who feels ok the day after a 5k?) I decided to run to the Bronx to run the Henry Isola 4 miler. It’s in the trails and it’s cross country. Ummmmmmm I was an XC virgin and had NO IDEA what I was doing. I didn’t even know why my age and gender was on my bib! Or how we all run on the grass and not the path…? it was all so weird. So, I’ve done trail races, like ultras, or like Bear Mountain 50K, or stuff like that. But this was SOOO DIFFERENT. Fast but also trails, crazy. Anyway, I run to the Bronx, got there at 8 am, race was starting at 9 and it was SO BURNING HOT already… I started feeling all the heatnessticity before we even started. It’s a smaller race than the typical NYRR race, like a LOT smaller. 40% of it were we out of the trails and in THE SUN. The last loop was hard and I won’t admit this to myself but there’s a chance I didn’t negative split this race. It was still great though (if can call walking up Cemetery Hill twice because your legs can’t run up, then yes it was great).

I think you can tell how HOT it was. Maybe by the sun situation, or my sweat situation, or maybe becase my hair is fried. I didn’t run back home. At all. I tried. But no.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 157, biggest mileage month so far this year. Just checked and my biggest month was 187 miles in October 2016.

Races: Four. Two were miserable/slow. One was ok, one was awesome.

Ups: UM, HELLO, SUMMER STREETS. Did you forget already??? Also, that’s the most miles I run in a month this year. Catching up.

Downs: THIS STOOOOPID KNEE. Sorry, sorry, I still need love you knee, please don’t hurt me, anymore, prettyplease?

Balance: I wanna feel un-pain again and run hard, and do speedwork and I hate this crap.

July

I barely remember July already and it was just now. My parents were still visiting so we kept touristing around and we had an amazing Fourth of July with all the official NYC fireworks on the East River. Epic. I did two races, with meh performances. The first one was the NYRR

hair working hard for the picture, post-Retro 4 Miler

Retro 4 Miler, and I was really lame to not dress up, or back? I seriously will wear any costume but just like happens every single Thanksgiving Halloween, I don’t care enough to remember more than 1 minute ahead of time. Every year I tell myself I am totally going to dress up next year and then I forget. Then every year, when the costumey event happens, I tell myself I am gonna set a reminder in the calendar for a month BEFORE Halloween/race/etc so I can plan ahead… but I am a snooze-hitter with things I don’t really want to bother with (NOT the alarm, you KNOW I wake up before the alarm even goes off!), and I use my go-to motto: if I didn’t bother doing it so far, no chance in hell this is gonna get done ever. Just like with the emails at the bottom of my inbox. If it’s been 2-3 days, there’s a high chance they won’t get opened/read/replied to… AAAANYWAY, I didn’t wear a costume for the Retro Run because I am lame. But people do, and it’s SUPER fun and I really really really always wish I did. mooooving on. Ah, so, the race. Wasn’t feeling it. I met with Courtney to do about 4 or 5 miles before and I kept wanting to go home. I was THIS close. Does that ever happen to you?

Then, I also did the NYRR R U N 5K in Central Park last week. Also wasn’t fast or anything special. It was a bit like hell hot so I decided to hold it in a bit. I managed to not kill myself. It was meh, but I love that course, it’s pretty fast with just one hill. Saw like a million people I knew, which was fun as always to catch up and chit chat and all those things with lots of chs in them. cha cha cha.

If anything else exciting, fun, amazing happened, I either don’t remember or it’s totally private or NSFW! HAAA, got you thinking!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

exciting huh? I am behind on my mileage… been behind since,… January??? I am lazy or having too much fun, you decide.

Total Miles: 152, not bad, not bad… not amazing but the most this year. July is a good month to run!

Races: 2. LAME!!!! Last month I had 6… so… AH THAT’S WHY MY MILEAGE IS UP!!!

Ups: I heart running in the summer. LOVE IT. JULY NEEDS TO BE 325 DAYS PLEASE.

Downs: omg my hair in the weather. HELP. Send the firemen or the paramedics or Paolo Puttanesca asap.

Balance: I have no idea. ALL I CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS SUMMER STREETS. SUMMER STREETS STARTS IN TWO DAYS. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. SUMMER STREETS HERE I COME. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. DID I TELL YOU I LOVE SUMMER STREETS?

can you tell I am melting?

June

was a great month. Let me break it down before I forget it all (photos and a super organized calendar really do help!). I often wondered if I should do these weekly… there is so much to say but then I forget. Anyway, JUNE was BUSY, My parents came to visit from Argentina, which is awesome, they come every other year, for about a month and it was amazing. We did everything, we went everywhere, I got myself them so tired every single day…. it was awesome and rough at the same time. We literally did it all in a month. We even went to Miami for a few days of untamable hair and sticky skin. I forgot how insanely hot Miami is in the summer. #protip, don’t effing go to Miami in the summer, ever. or really, at any other time but definitely NO in the summer.

Anyway, the month started with the Italy Run NYC, a 5-mile race in Central Park, sponsored by Ferrero where I proceeded to smear Nutella all over me post-race, best celebration possible, correct? Before you ask, there are no pictures of that because it’s a LIE. Race was good; my performance… meh (actually, I don’t remember anymore!).

Literally 3 days later, I did another race, the Summer Series 5K in Prospect Park. It’s on Wednesdays at 7 pm, which REALLY messes up my sleep AND my Thursday morning run with my Flyers friends, BUT…I kinda love showing up because:

I see lots of friends I don’t see every day in Central Park

I cherish (and also hate) racing in a different course than the ones I did one million times in CP (though it’s also harder)

Love the small race ambiance

Also, don’t remember much I think (given there is a picture of my holding a medal, duh) that I placed and I got a medal. Oh, and I totally remember I got something like 71% AG. YEAH, nbd.

And… 3 days right after this one, I had the 3rd race in 6 days… can you imagine how that one is gonna go???? So, Saturday morning was a Mini10K, which is a mega party, so I wasn’t going to miss it. BUT, I also wasn’t going to miss the other mega party Friday night… So come Saturday morning I was a MESS… my feet hurt (from the heels or dancing, who knows!) and I was sleeeeeeepy, SO SLEEEEEPY. I have no idea why, NOT ONLY I SHOWED UP TO THE RACE, BUT I also met Elizabeth (she is real, I promise) to do 4 miles before the race. MENTAL.

But, it was all worth it. I run it, EASY, with 3 friends, and it was a frigging BLAST. I regret nothing. #noregerts.

Told you it was FUN! Yeah, I was physically miserable but no one remembers that… smh. So then my parents arrived and we started the daily tour of all the food and all the things we don’t tell the tourists about. AND the World Cup. June was literally mental. Somehow I managed to get to Queens the next weekend, early, to run the Queens 10K. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make the trek because Argentina was playing at 9 am against Iceland and I’d miss the first half, but so happy I went… Not only I had tons of fun at the race, I SOMEHOW (…miraculously) managed to do OK. Noooo, not a PR or even close but I got up to 69% AG, I was just one minute off from my PR, which is from frigggggging 2013! Does that even count anymore? I say NO.

I am a sucker for high-fives!

Then, wait for this because the madness doesn’t stop there…. I did TWO races the next weekend!!!! YEAH, again, NBD! Crazy, right? I agree. It’s good that I am a biomechanics coach and I know what I am doing because otherwise my leggies would have fallen off by then… Saturday was the Pride Run and OMG I WAS NOT GONNA MISS THAT. I always race the Achilles Hope and Possibility race (which was going to the next day), so I decided to take the Pride Run easy and save my legs for Sunday. Only… I didn’t quite do that. I ended up with a lot of fun AND 12 miles… oooops. #mischiefmanaged (for you all PotterHeads!)

Jackie, Mary, Michael and I run the whole thing chatting from start to end. And the outfits were ON POINT.

Sunday I woke up to do a few miles before the Achilles Hope and Possibility race and I was wishing I had raced the day before… It was muggy, humid, gross and I was tired. You do what you can.

David and Patricia (and corrals B,C,D,E and F) smoked me but I was happy. My parents had come to spectate and it was AWESOME. They came both days. They LOVED IT. Those two races and really something. REALLY REALLY something.

The next weekend was a wash because I was out of town, and back just on July 1st to watch the husband race the NYC TRI, with the parents and my cheering crew along. TRIATHLETES ARE CRAZY, just saying. But he’s so cute, it evens out.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 139, eeeeeek. too much racing makes the mileage go puff!

Races: SIX. 6 races in month. That’s probably maybe a PR, at least this year… ha, I have 12 races this year, 6 in ONE MONTH.

Ups: All the fun things I did with the parents…!!! The Nutella at the Italy Run was HEAVEN. The Mini10K was SO FUN. Queens was a MEGA REVELATION. Pride and Achilles get me teary every time…

Downs: Mileage was yuk and I am behind my yearly goal. Tapering before races and how sore I am sometimes after…

Balance: ALL AWESOME!!!! I can’t believe I did all those races with all the other stuff I had going on…!

May

May was a whirlwind!! So much happened, and so many races also! I remember I started the month with something we had planned since September last year: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!

Call me a Potterhead, That was awesome! Twelve hours later, I was up early for the Newport 10K, just over the Hudson, one of my favourite 10Ks, because 1, it’s flat, 2, the finish line bagels (and I don’t really like bagels!). The race was a blast as usual: I’ve run it a few times and it always delivers! It’s usually hot but I love the vibe and the views!

Of course, as usual, there were many runs and stairs workouts sprinkled through the month:

And then there was the Japan Run. I remembered being tired from something but then, at the start, I met with Brian and Nick and Jackie, and we all decided to run together and pace Jackie. Those are my favorite types of races!

Way too much fun was had!! The next weekend, just so I wouldn’t fall off the wagon, I run the NYPD Memorial Run 5K. It was HOT and humid but I rallied and for the first time in months, I did OK. I measure my race performances by AG and I feel I do ok when I get close or over the 70% AG mark. Lately, I had been around 64% to 69%, and in this race I went back up to 70% wohoooo. Also, it was super fun to run on the West Side Highway. I really like how wide it is there.

Then, three days later, after a brutal stairs workout and speedwork, we raced the Prospect Park Summer Series 5K: no biggie. The course was slower (as there is a hill in Prospect Park) but I managed very similar results! Just like 10 or 20 seconds off. I find it so weird to race at night (well, 7 pm), that I find it quite amusing to try to figure out what to eat, how much, when, etc. Of course, then I slept like crap after because I was so wired!

That was a lot of racing…!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 147, coming back up, but it’s hard with those short races because I feel like I need a good taper before and then my legs are thrashed for a few days…

Races: FOUR, here we go. Racing season is upon us!

Ups: the NYPD and the Summer Series 5K were definitely a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to do so well (NOT IN PR SHAPE YET THOUGH, ok?) and even though I don’t feel as strong as I used to, feeling in control of the situation really helps! One more thing: Central Park blossoming is the BEST!

Downs: how tired my legs feel two days after any short race! YUK

Balance: VERY HAPPY

So, I need to race more. Even if I am not in fighting shape or without any kind of expectations, I really enjoy it. The fewer expectations I have, the more fun I have, and so I go out there controlled and just let the race happen. I’ve actually started measuring races and performance by the amount of time it takes me to get back home, aka “how much fun I have”. For example, the NYPD Memorial Run was at 9 am and I got home at 4 pm: THAT is a successful race in my eyes now. The truth is I am not always (or ever again!) be as fast as I used to be or as I would like to be or as I would expect to be, so what should I do? Stay home until I feel I am in shape? HECK NO. To me, races are not a test of my fitness or “what I get from the work I put in” but a chance to enjoy with the community of friends who like to get out and enjoy the park with one foot in front of another trying to stay healthy. Yes, I’ll push hard here and there, but if one day I don’t feel like it or I decide to stick with a friend, it’ll be no different: it just HAS to be fun.

April

We started the month in Argentina, which was great because it was WARM and hey, it was vacations. Got to see the fam and a few touristy things of course, and yeah, a few runs with Juan. Oh and of course I ate my face away. Lots of asado and steaks but also a lot of nikkei, my favourite non-native cuisine while in Argentina (my favourite non-native in the US is Japanese and French, you always gotta know where to get what!). I got back, I did a 4 miler in Central Park, the Run as One… it was so long ago, I can barely remember, or maybe it’s because I’ve been racing a lot the last two months! Oh yeah, I remember I got really hot (I was overdressed) and started way too fast or something, here is one picture!

I obviously spent some time running around, exhibit A:

or working:

or with Juan, usually eating crap:

and/or usually with friends, running or not!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 119. Ooops. That’s low. I really vacationed in Argentina… IT HAPPENS, OKAY?

Races: just one but it was more like a tempo, wasn’t expecting to go all out.

Ups: the fun runs!

Downs: didn’t get a lot done!

Balance: it was good -> lots of blossoming happening all over NYC made it amazingly beautiful!

March

March is always a good month because it is my birthday!!! HA. I started the month with a race, the NYRR Washington Heights Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K (there is a post there), which wasn’t great time wise but it was fun. See proof here:

There was a lot of running, maybe not tons of miles, because it was still cold as hell Alaska? ok Alaska, but it got done.

And the United NYC Half happened. I saw so many of you there. That was an intense week and I was REALLY just a bit jealous of everyone running the new course. I got to run parts of it last year and was on one of the Pro lead trucks on race day and it looked amazing!! and everyone looked SO happy at the finish line… Really jelly So happy for you all!!!

We then went to San Antonio for a few quiet days of pulled pork and warmer weather. For my bday. We ate a LOT. We run a bunch too:

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 151, it’s starting to pick up

Races: one. and I was so not wanting to race!

Ups: I did a lot of really great runs

Downs: still not feeling my best.

Balance: not letting it get to me. Let’s hope the nicer weather brings better running!

Also, one more thing I forgot to report on this whole year. A few friends and I have been doing monthly challenges. January was squats, February was pushups, March was planks. We usually just grab one from popsugar.com. Basically it tells you how many to do every day and each day is a bit more. It’s interesting. Maybe you’d want to try it with a few friends? we all text each other to make sure we’re all doing them EVERY DAY… Protip: it works better with a reward at the end of the month!!!!!!!!!!

February

was weird. I happened so quick I barely noticed. Instead of ice-fest, we had a few meltdowns (all kinds of meltdowns!) and even one day in the 70s… OH OH what are people going to use now to discredit “””global warming“””? I feel so bad for those polar bears, and hey, we won’t be moving to Venice anytime soon. Glad I live in a 2nd floor too, but I digress… Anyway, my body decided also to have a meltdown and I had a couple of stooopid issues (my hormones have decided they need more attention than any Kardashian!) and even some very very easy runs where my heart rate was about 50 over the usual… anyway, I was signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, and I was literally too tired to get up. Of course, I ended up running 11 miles in Central Park instead but my pace was 10:00 and my heart rate was at 82%. Insane. You just can’t win them all, can you? About two weeks ago, I spent the husband and I spent two hours shopping for half marathons for me… I came up with not a lot. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, my running is so up and down I’ve started questioning if I should try to take some weeks/months off so my body doesn’t feel pressured and maybe that would help?

ha, I was just kidding! I’d be super hyper and way too annoying after just two days and waaaaay unhappy. So, let me just slow down, do it when my body is ok with it, and just enjoy it with no pressure. Deal?

So, I had a few awesome runs, still.

Plus it was Valentine’s Day and who thinks we’d let any reason to celebrate pass by? any excuse works!

Also, I got to spend some quality time at work (at NYRR) with some people you might know… Meb and Jenny. Do you even need last names? Don’t think so! Meb is now a Team for Kids Ambassador and Jenny is a Rising NYRR Ambassador and both were in town to run the Virtual For the Kids 5K race. If you haven’t check NYRR’s Virtual Races, you should.

Anyway, it all went waaay too fast!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 124, emmm, got lazy a bit!

Races: big old zero for the year

Ups: weather got surprisingly “hot”. 40s and some 50s even.

Downs: not feeling my best.

Balance: i am getting a bit frustrated. cause, wtf.

January

was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

Total Miles: 140

Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!

Ups: the runs in Mexico!

Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!

Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

November 2018 - the year is almost over! November was something... I ended up with the most mileage and tons of great runs... It started with the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a hilly 5K through many NYC touristic attractions like the United Nations, Grand Central Station, the NY Public library, Central Park, etc, all the way to the NYC Marathon finish line.

0 notes

trendingnewsb · 6 years

Text

29 Trends from the Turn of the Millennium That Seem so Ridiculous Now

The early 2000s were a transformational time for fashion, hair styles, and technology. Not a lot of what we did and wore made sense, but hey, if Lizzie McGuire was wearing it, I was most likely going to wear it.

Get ready for a few ridiculous and laughable trends that will remind of you some awesome and some awful memories.

Plastic Chokers.

These stretchy chokers could be found on the necks of every girl and could be worn with any outfit.

Sometimes, with enough tickets, you could get them at Chuck E. Cheese.

Tiny Sunglasses.

Every time I see a blogger wearing those tiny sunglasses I keep thinking it’s from an old Delia’s catalog pic.twitter.com/sksACaKqG6

— Samantha Raisher (@sraish) April 23, 2018

The smaller the glasses, the more stylish they were.

Tiny sunglasses were all the rage for girls. This is one of those trends that is actually coming back and I don’t know if I’m ready for yet.

Clear Framed Sunglasses.

A post shared by ９０’ｓＣＨＩＣＡＳ (@90s.chicas) on Apr 27, 2018 at 1:53pm PDT

Every fashion icon was sporting these clear framed sunglasses. Usually they were pink or blue and had little rhinestones on the corner.

Asymmetric Hair Cuts.

. @maryjblige can rock an asymmetric bob like no other, hunty! #kimbleized #throwbackthursday pic.twitter.com/NsdUzRhCNL

— Kim Kimble (@KimbleHairCare) August 18, 2016

Asymmetric haircuts usually were bobs and involved intense highlights or bright colors. It really made quite a statement when you walked into a room.

Frosted Lip Gloss.

Remember when we thought frosted lip gloss was a good look? https://t.co/c4IzgWZYlM pic.twitter.com/iKLo9pU3Xu

— Iris (@heyiris) December 13, 2016

Frosted lip gloss was in the back of every girls pocket as they strolled around the mall waiting for their mom to pick them up. You had to layer it on for at least five minutes and then reapply maybe five minutes later.

The next trend will be a serious throwback and might make you cringe a bit.

Pants That Unzipped Into Shorts.

@BarstoolBigCat @PFTCommenter @hen_ease Pants that can be unzipped into shorts incase it gets too hot or cold. pic.twitter.com/oH7NM6s315

— Justin Pelazza (@justin_pelazza) August 16, 2017

This might have been one of the most advanced fashion trend ever. Is it too hot? Unzip. BAM. Shorts. There’s a breeze picking up? Zip. BAM. Pants. Truly incredible.

Trucker Hats.

Trends we're happy haven't come back: #VonDutch trucker hats! via @nicolerichie and @ParisHilton // #TBT pic.twitter.com/czTgJoOAJh

— Kari Cruziiie Cruz (@Cruziiie) December 3, 2015

Von Dutch hats, anyone? A lot of lady celebs rocked these as they strolled downtown with smoothies in hand and maybe their pet pooch in their purse.

Flip Phones.

I miss flip phones. So simple, but so dramatic.

Nothing like giving that thing a good snap close and rolling your eyes to make it feel like you were in a movie.

Lace Up Jeans.

A post shared by YM Bombshell Boutique (@ymbombshellboutique) on Jan 18, 2018 at 1:48pm PST

These sexy jeans dressed up any outfit. Thankfully, you never actually had to untie them but they gave a really cool impression.

Neon Colors.

I mean, I don't think I mentioned it in my review, but if you need something on hypervisibility, I grew up in the '90s…I can handle this. Everything was neon and, like, HELLA-visible!! pic.twitter.com/sUKr7Z7e7J

— Jeremiah Graves (@jeremiahgraves) April 26, 2018

Bright colors, bright attitudes, bright future. Neon was so in. Mostly found in tee shirts and sunglasses, neon was always somewhere on your outfit.

For the next trend, you might need to put on those tiny sunglasses to shield your eyes.

Metallic Silver.

Shiny dresses and shoes was quite a ridiculous trend. Silver clothes felt like a futuristic trend, kind of like a fashionable robot.

Bedazzled Anything.

Hats. Jeans pockets. Jackets. Shoes.

If you didn’t have rhinestones, your outfits were seriously slacking.

Tanning Beds.

Glad we finally got this trend over with. This is just a dark part of our past that made you look ridiculous, no matter how natural you thought it looked.

Popcorn Shirts.

A post shared by Saturn Collection Vintage (@saturncollection) on Dec 19, 2017 at 6:30pm PST

These things were way too cool. It was the definition of one size fits all because this tiny tee could stretch to fit four people if you tried it. They always come in weird patterns and colors, almost too irresistible to pass up.

The Internet.

Yeah. That was pretty freaking groundbreaking and kind of life changing. The next trend goes hand in hand with the internet, ridiculousness and all.

Colorful Technology.

20 years of iMac (who knew early models were fanless?) https://t.co/005mcTbdt6 pic.twitter.com/T5B5tIuSw2

— FanlessTech (@FanlessTech) May 2, 2018

You better believe I ran straight to that purple iMac in the computer lab when I got to school.

Nothing more exciting for kids than seeing blue and orange computers.

Halter Tops.

via: Twitter

If Baby Spice wore halter tops, I was going to wear a halter top.

Gauchos.

gaucho pants are going to make a comeback I can feel it pic.twitter.com/26RghGO0Cw

— ace (@GraceDuddy) March 21, 2018

So much flow, so much stretch, so much style. You knew you were the “it” girl if you stepped out of your moms’ minivan strutting these gauchos.

Nike Shox.

A moment of silence for old Nike Shox please pic.twitter.com/lviMJyVnuN

— Candice (@kick_tha_CAN) December 13, 2015

These shoes were no joke. Probably the coolest shoes to be made and when you saw someone wearing them, you were always a little jealous.

Lava Lamps.

I used this as a nightlight but it wasn’t lame because it was a lava lamp so it was cool to be afraid of the dark. So many colors and lights. Some lava lamps had glitter which was just incredible. Does anyone else remember how hot they used to get though? It felt like it could burn down your house.

The next trend was as risky as it was ridiculous.

Belly Button Piercings.

Remember when camila performed with Britney during the iconic performance of slave for you at the 2001 VMAs pic.twitter.com/XLeTqjtciN

— Julia 💧 (@trumanregui) April 21, 2016

This went great with your halter tops and any crop top really. These weren’t just the regular button piercings, it was the ones with charms on them and dreamcatchers. Parents hated them but all Britney Spears fans loved them.

Air-Brushed Tee-Shirts.

A post shared by Southcoast Airbrush (Frank) (@southcoastairbrush) on Jan 15, 2018 at 5:43am PST

Every mall had a kiosk where they sold these extravagant air-brushed tee-shirts. Amusement parks also had a great selection.

Inflatable Backpacks.

A post shared by Strictly Hot Deals (@strictlyhotdeals) on Apr 18, 2018 at 10:59pm PDT

I can’t believe these ever went out of style. These were so cool and came in a bunch of different colors. They also doubled as a floatation device if you were ever in an emergency situation.

Studded Belts.

A post shared by Christina Cox (@xtinaecox) on Apr 22, 2018 at 6:19pm PDT

The biggest punk rock accessory of them all. Studded belts were bulky but versatile and sometimes even the preppy kids would try to wear them with their Abercrombie & Fitch tops.

Dresses Over Jeans.

okay but who the hell thought that wearing dresses over jeans would be a good idea pic.twitter.com/glXeghMuFn

— deenerys (@cdaenerys) November 13, 2017

This was my biggest fashion faux pas. You can look back on many of my childhood pictures and find a bright dress on top of some of my dirty old jeans. I don’t really know why this ever caught on.

The next trend is an accessory that every girl owned and revolutionized our hair styles.

Butterfly Clips

A post shared by ContraLuz (@contraluzshop) on Apr 6, 2018 at 4:02pm PDT

These were my life. Butterfly clips were found in every girls hair, no matter the age. It was the perfect way to pin back your baby hairs or make a super twisty up-do. Even celebrities found them stylish and trendy.

Colorful Sweat Suits.

#americanproblemsnight back when everyone wore juicy couture sweat suits pic.twitter.com/dWBYZZBBti

— ˗ˏˋmariaˎˊ˗ (@dragmexniall) December 28, 2013

You better believe every girl owned a brightly colored sweatsuit. If it had rhinestones on the back it was even better. I would like to thank The Cheetah Girls for making this a thing. Oh, and Paris Hilton. Such fashion icons.

Denim Everything.

Iconic … if my man not trying to create looks with me like Britney and JT did in '01 that's not my man 😂 pic.twitter.com/aKSkLStOJH

— Youtube: BabsKinks💕 (@babskinks) January 8, 2017

This is one of the most iconic fashion pictures of all time.

The denim on denim choice could only be pulled off if you had total confidence and some chunky highlights really helped tie it all together.

Low-Rise Jeans.

I'm not emotionally prepared for low rise jeans to come back around https://t.co/Q97x9qrG23 pic.twitter.com/kjgvdmfwtZ

— Man Repeller (@ManRepeller) September 9, 2017

These jeans rested just below your hip bones and could almost guarantee a wedgie. Low-rise jeans were seemingly the only option and some girls chose to wear them with crop tops, making their torsos seem extra long.

Let’s Leave It In The Past.

Okay these trends were so fun, right? But let’s leave them where we found them…in the past. Except for the internet. We love that. And the inflatable backpacks. I’m okay with those coming back.

Share this article with your friends who rocked some of these trends back in the day and can have a good laugh at the ridiculousness of them.

Read more: http://twentytwowords.com/trends-from-the-turn-of-the-millennium-that-seem-so-ridiculous-now/

from Viral News HQ https://ift.tt/2kyyWbN via Viral News HQ

#IFTTT #Viral News HQ

0 notes

placetobenation · 6 years

Link

“The revolutionary force for over 50 years in sports entertainment” was a clever tag line used in the mid 90s before every WWF show. For most United States wrestling fans that are still alive, it is a way of life. Greater by the day is the lack of variance in the answer of what wrestling an individual grew up on. For better or worse, WWE has been the standard bearer. Throughout that rich history, performers ranging from Nature Boys to Undertakers have graced the squared circle. Foreign legends have had extended runs and some of the most iconic figures in pro wrestling history have been aces of the promotion reaching unequivocal mainstream pop culture heights in the world of wrestling.

With such a large history to play with, discovering the beauty of Bob Backlund’s charisma or the connection of Bruno Sammartino to the MSG crowd was a new development throughout this project similar to rewatching The Godfather and On the Waterfront to rediscover the genius of Marlon Brando. WWE may not have always been YOUR promotion but for the better part of 50 years, it was THE promotion in the United States and transformed the pro wrestling landscape. This project serves to praise the individuals that best helped shape the vision of Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. Place to be Nation is proud to present to you a ranking of the Greatest WWE Wrestlers Ever.

– Chad Campbell

Note: Results of this list are based on 118 ballots received between May and December 2017. Voters were asked to submit their list of the 100 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of all time and consider only their WWWF/WWF/WWE career. Ties were broken based on 1) number of ballots a wrestler appeared on and 2) high vote.

Every wrestler who received at least one vote will be recognized in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to Place to Be Nation as we reveal all of the honorable mentions right through the cream of the crop. Read the other installments, both written and audio, of this project here.

84. Bob Orton Jr. Total Points: 1,934 Total Ballots: 61 Average Rank: 69.3 High Vote: 23 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: David Carli

Nuance: He was extremely good at what he did but you didn’t get a TON of variety charcater wise from Bob Orton. Always a heel, but really could a man who called himself Cowboy despite never once acting like he cared for the wild west at all become a face? Where were the finger guns? The Rope? The lack of dignity in the form of chaps. Oh. Right he had those. His main run was only about three years so the longevity box is really only half a spur as well. We’d be remiss though if we didn’t mention his bravery in the face of that horrible arm injury. That cost him nearly 20 years of his life. A true hero.

Jump Up Moments: Debuted as Roddy Piper’s… umm… bodyguard; Had many excellent matches with Tito Santana, a great one occurring on the December 1984 MSG show; Fought Jimmy Snuka at The War To Settle The Score; Was in Piper and Orndorff’s corner during the main event of WrestleMania; Was in the first main event in Saturday Night’s Main Event history where he got his ass handed to him by the Hulkster; Fought “Broomstick” Pedro Morales in a solid encounter at the December 1985 MSG show; Is one of three men to have boxed Mr. T and potentially the first to exit the encounter without brain damage, Roddy Piper and Rocky Balboa being the other two; Turned on the suddenly sympathetic Roddy Piper and began to “bodyguard” Adrian Adonis; With Don Muraco opened up WrestleMania III against the Can Am Connection.

Promos/Character: It was all the cast, wasn’t it?

Workrate: Really solid worker for the era. Everything looked crisp and smooth from the guy. At first glance you wouldn’t associate agility with Bob Orton, but given time and the right opponent he was capable of greatness.

Staff Thoughts: Bob Orton was an important part of the early stages of the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling era. Who knows if Piper would have reached the levels he did without his daring, injured bodyguard there to help him out. With more footage with great opponents we would, by today’s standards declare him the best TV worker of his era. Sadly he starred in the house show era which probably helps explain his ranking. Also he fathered a snake.

From the Voters: “So smooth. It’s no wonder Randy is so crisp with his stuff, because his dad was smooth as butter out there, and probably did a better job of making crappy opponents look good. Worked circles around Pedro Morales on a mid-80s house show I watched last year, and created an entertaining match out of it.” – Greg Phillips, May 28, 2017

“Another sentimental favorite. The superplex was a very innovative move when he used it during his 82 run. He was in the mold of Backlund challengers like Valentine, Rose, and Adonis that weren’t your typical monster heels but were on par with Backlund size and skill-wise. All time great run with Piper and Orndorff. His team with Muraco was highly underrated. Orton was the complete package that didn’t need to be the lead guy. He thrived as the “hired muscle” whose actions spoke louder than words” – Tim Tetreault, May 29, 2017

83. Sid Total Points: 1,945 Total Ballots: 63 Average Rank: 70.13 High Vote: 27 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Troy Brostrom; Taylor Keahey

Nuance: SHAAAAAAAADUP! Evil Sid is legit one of the scariest monsters walking God’s green Earth, and yet, was still able to THRIVE as a face in two very different eras. We only saw a handful of tag matches involving the guy but one of them involved rearranging Brutus Beefcake’s face. Sid is all intangibles. HUGELY over during most of his career and just had an aura that lesser men would kill for. He felt like a big deal. He WAS a big deal, he’s at two WrestleManias and DEMANDED to main event BOTH of them! Watch his walk down to the ring at WrestleMania VIII and tell us that guy is not a star. He’s in synch to the music and is there to kill Hulkamania. He gets dinged for longevity, his run totalling about three years, but we’ll take three years of this suicide machine over 20 years of that’s gotta be Kane machines.

Jump Up Moments: Popped his head out of the curtain like a child after the main event of SummerSlam 91; Tossed Hulk Hogan from the 1992 Rumble to a huge pop; The entire build to WrestleMania VIII is nothing short of incredible character work, from the press conference, to the apology video to finally turning on Hogan it’s perfect; Closed down the local Barber Shop, smashing it to bits with a steel chair; Declared Mean Gene Okerlund a “bald headed little oaf”; Main evented WrestleMania VIII with Hulk Hogan, some may say the match stunk but the opening and the closing segments are WONDERFUL; Came back from hiatus as Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard; Turned Michaels face by powerbombing him into jelly the night after WrestleMania XI; Made an amazing comeback in 1996 by barreling his Crown Vic into a bunch of crates; Was mega over at IYH: International Incident; Murdered Davey Boy Smith at SummerSlam 1996; Had a legit great match with Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series 1996, winning the WWF championship to utter glee from the New York crowd; Solid encounter with Bret Hart from IYH: It’s Time; Main evented WrestleMania 13 with The Undertaker, the less said about the match the better; The more said about him beating up Bret Hart pre-match also the better!

Promos/Character: His charcater, with the exception of possibly his run in the Million Dollar Corporation was ALWAYS bang on. Evil Sid Justice is great in 1992. He crumples his papers (acceptance speech) at the post Royal Rumble press conference, he screams at legit reporters, he was just ON POINT. Even as Michaels’ bodyguard he was interesting. You’ve got DiBiase hitting guys with briefcases but Sid goes and pulls out a knife at WrestleMania XI. Sure he gets points deducted as it wasn’t a pair of scissors, but damnit that man shouldn’t have a knife. Finally his 1996 “Sycho” character endeared himself to the fans so quickly that he was given run of the promotion. As for promos, once again Sid may be the master and ruler of the world. Watch the aforementioned “bald headed little oaf” promo during WrestleMania VIII, the fake apology that preceded it or for a more modern perspective his pre match promo from SummerSlam 1996. Was he a screamer? You bet he was but he got his point across and invented the fist bump to boot.

Workrate: Obviously Sid’s weakness. While far from the worst in-ring worker, Sid struggled with the wrong opponent. Look no further than his match with the Undertaker. His punches looked weak, as did his kicks. No complaints about the powerbomb and chokeslam, which were among the better we’d seen to that point. No one killed jobbers like Sid though. The montage of him murdering guys in the buildup to Mania VIII should be in a damn museum somewhere.

Staff Thoughts: Sid is a sentimental favorite to many people for many good reasons. Sid encapsulates almost everything great about pro wrestling. A great promo with a amazing look and an untouchable aura. If you need any more proof that he’s the master and ruler of the world go back and watch the ending of the Barber Shop: as he screams “I LOVE IT” with shaving cream exploded unto his face we’re faced with one of the great wrestling characters of all time. THAT was pro wrestling. Sid is pro wrestling. SHAAAAAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAP

From the Voters: “I absolutely love SID! Watched all the Raws from November 1996-Wrestlemania XII. One of the best promos at the time. Really nailed the tweener role perfectly. His loud-soft dynamics during promos would make Nirvana jealous. His match with Shawn at Survivor Series ’96 is a classic. He had good matches with Bret & Mankind. His punches are goofy but memorable. He came off as a total badass. His interactions with Bret in March of 97 are classic. “You dont know shit, crybaby”. Powerbombing him to Hell at Wrestlemania XII and calling him crybaby as Bret is being helped to the back. Definitely make my list around #70 also. WHO’S DA MAN! FIST BUMP!” – Martin Boulevard, November 14, 2017

“Sid was a beautiful disaster. I really loved him his attack on Shawn after Mania 11, the Shawn feud in late 96/early 97, and just Sid being Sid. The first run kind of sucked. I want to find a case for him, but I doubt I’ll be able to” – Dylan Hales, June 5, 2017

82. Dynamite Kid Total Points: 2,016 Total Ballots: 58 Average Rank: 66.2 High Vote: 25 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Scott Herrin

Nuance: Dynamite Kid debuted in 1984 and his last match with the WWF was Survivor Series 1988, so he was with the company longer than many give him credit for, but did miss some of this time due to injury. Dynamite was almost exclusively a tag team worker for the WWF and never worked heel, so he scores poorly in our flexibility category. He is credited as being a very influential wrestler and the British Bulldogs are one of the more innovative teams of their time and beloved by many fans years later.

Jump Up Moments: The highlight of the British Bulldogs’ run was likely the WrestleMania II title win over The Dream Team in a really good match. The Bulldogs were accompanied by Ozzie Osbourne for the “Nightmare at the Rosemont Horizon,” which was the highlight match of the night and the Bulldogs’ lone WWF Tag Team Title win. They also had a lot of really good matches with the Hart Foundation around the country and had a heated match teaming with Tito Santana to face former crooked referee Danny Davis and the Harts at WrestleMania III. Teamed with Koko B. Ware to take on Bobby Heenan in a dog attack suit and the Islanders at Wrestlemania IV. Dynamite Kid competed as a singles wrestler in the Wrestling Classic defeating Nikolai Volkoff and Adrian Adonis before losing to Randy Savage in the semi-finals.

Promos/Character: Dynamite Kid was not a good promo and that may be kind. The Bulldogs were given Lou Albano as a manager to cut promos for them. His character was… he was British… and a Bulldog in the ring… I guess? Truth is he wasn’t a good promo and the character was pretty one-dimensional as a great wrestler. The Bulldogs did differ from other babyface teams of the time as they were more badasses than fiery underdogs.

Workrate: This is where Dynamite really makes his case. He was an innovative and influential worker, with many wrestlers to come copying his snap suplex and swan dive headbutt among other moves. The Bulldogs were a different kind of tag team, taking more offense as babyfaces than was typical for the time, which made their matches seem unique and made the Bulldogs stand out. It also got them over as a badass babyface team. The Bulldogs had good to great matches with The Dream Team, the Hart Foundation, The Islanders and Demolition.

Staff Thoughts: Dynamite Kid isn’t the most versatile of performers when you break him down by the NJPW system, but there’s no doubt he’s memorable. His unique style and run with the British Bulldogs stayed with voters decades later. Along with Davey Boy, he pioneered cool and hard-hitting tag-team offense, and his diving headbutt and suplexes have been copied extensively over the years. The Bulldogs were featured parts of WrestleManias II, III & IV, and when they were healthy were among the best teams in the WWF. Even with Dynamite’s injuries the Bulldogs had better matches than many teams. And we’ll always have him to thank for bringing in Matilda and forcing The Weasel to wrestle in a dog attack suit.

From the Voters: “Enough on the resume surprised people are nitpicking here when the biggest problem with most candidates outside the top twenty is longevity. Honestly a year is enough to get on my list nevermind the 4 years Dynamite worked. People are sleeping on Bulldogs vs Dream Team. Also there is a great Bulldogs vs Demolition match from MSG 1988 in the summer. He is not a great FIP, but his offense is still crisp as all hell. Makes the cut! Kelly Nelson see I like Dynamite. ” – Martin Boulevard, November 15, 2017

“I think the pendulum swung too far back in some circles. Dynamite was increadible in the ring and would probably make my GWE if I had done one. However, my gut says he just misses a wwe specific list. I may have to go back and look at what all he did in he WWF that was under the radar though.” – Matthew Richards, May 30, 2017

“Terrific wrestler that in my opinion if he didn’t get injured would of had a better career than Davey Boy. But, based on what he did do in the WWF would make my top 100.” – Matt Rotella, May 29, 2017

81. Dolph Ziggler Total Points: 2,057 Total Ballots: 65 Average Rank: 69.4 High Vote: 28 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Michael DeDamos

Nuance: Longevity definitely works in Dolph Ziggler’s favor, as he had nearly a year-long run with the Spirit Squad, and has been active with the company under his current gimmick for nearly a decade. Dolph’s played both a heel and a babyface during his long tenure with the company and has moved up and down the card during this time. Still, many feel there is some intangible missing that keeps Dolph from connecting to the crowd at a deeper level.

Jump Up Moments: Ziggler won the Money in the Bank contract in 2012, leading to his memorable cash-in and World Heavyweight Title win over Alberto Del Rio on the Raw after WrestleMania 29. Faced Del Rio at Payback 2013 where the two executed a beautiful double-turn during the match. Ziggler gave a strong, memorable performance at Survivor Series 2014, becoming the sole survivor in the match that “ousted the Authority from power.” This led to Ziggler winning the IC Title from Luke Harper in a crazy ladder match. Defeated the Miz at No Mercy 2016 with his career on the line.

Promos/Character: He suffers a bit from a character that hasn’t evolved much and talks too much about showing off and entertaining the fans and not enough about winning matches. While we all know the name of the game is entertainment, it seems a bit off for wrestlers to talk about it in those terms. Dolph’s character has certainly reached the point of being stale in recent years. He’s been the perennial good hand in the midcard for so long, it’s synonymous with him, and he’s been hurt by too many stop and start pushes (not his fault, but does him no favors).

Workrate: Dolph’s got a list of good to great matches a mile long and can usually be counted to deliver a solid match. The ladder match with Harper at Payback 2013, his work in the Survivor Series 2014 match and a good opener with Rey Mysterio at SummerSlam 2009 stand out as matches to check out. Even in workrate, voter opinions are somewhat split with some believing Ziggler’s selling to be too over the top, while others feel it helps draw them into the match.

Staff Thoughts: Dolph Ziggler is a strong candidate for most divisive wrestler on our list, with some voters touting his impressive string of good to great matches, while others cite his stale character and insist he’s not a good wrestler at all. No doubt his character has grown stale over the years, and certainly the company has never gotten behind him during the periods Ziggler has been hot (after the Survivor Series 2014 match for instance). Still, his list of good to great matches matches up well with most anyone. He’s a former World Tag Team champion, a two-time US champion, a five-time IC champion and a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, so he certainly has the resume. Voters seem to either love or hate The Showoff, but he garnered enough love to make the cut. You can listen to what the guys think on this FYC podcast (warning: if you are a big Ziggler fan you may want to skip this one.)

From the Voters: “His MITB cash in was one of the biggest pops I ever heard. He was the star and played amazing face in peril in the Survivor Series 2014 match. Great Summerslam opener with Rey in 09. Many other great matches to cite. I agree he was never quite able to reach that next tier, and he’s been stale for a while, but I don’t think it disqualifies him from being a top 100. The guys a work horse.” – Michael Schoen, May 29, 2017

“No chance. Awful wrestler. I liked him early in the decade but started to lose interest after he turned heel. Has completely overstayed his welcome. The Shawn Michaels cosplay is out of control. Bad mannerisms, bad offense, lame character, lame promo. Awful, awful, awful.” – Devon Motivator Hales, May 31, 2017

“Dolph is great but he is part of a problem I am having with my list. Guys from the 70s until the 90s worked pretty consistently face or heel and on a part of the card for a good portion of their career. Since 2005 or so, everyone pretty much works with everyone at one point or another. And everyone has a good match with Dolph Ziggler. Maybe not literally but where as in the past you could find signature, standout matches from guys, even the most average wrestler can have a pretty decent match with Dolph Ziggler.” – Michael DeDamos, December 14, 2017

80. Don Muraco Total Points: 2,113 Total Ballots: 56 Average Rank: 63.3 High Vote: 14 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Grady Blount

Nuance: Don Muraco could be taken extremely seriously as a heel but when needed could also pull out the comedy chops with Fuji Vice. How could one ever cheer the man who plowed through a jobber while eating a sandwich? Simple, have him save Superstar Billy Graham and start coming out to music insinuating he was Jesus Christ. We didn’t get much tag team work from The Magnificent One but his duo with Bob Orton is some of his best stuff in his later years. It’d be silly to proceed without mentioning how important he was to the promotion in the pre-Hogan era. Always over, always a top flight heel and instrumental in helping build the Intercontinental division throughout his nearly two-year long reign.

Jump Up Moments: On June 21, 1981 (the first day of summer YAY!) defeated Pedro Morales for the Intercontinental Title; Feuded with then-WWWF champion Bob Backlund for the latter part of 81; In 1983 began his epic feud with Superfly Jimmy Snuka; He and Snuka would have one of the more memorable cage matches in history on October 17, 1983 at MSG; Throughout 1985 headlined the house show circuit with Hulk Hogan; Won the first ever King of the Ring Tournament on July 8, 1985, defeating The Iron Sheik in the finals; His majesty would go on to feud with Ricky Steamboat giving us the wonderful image of Steamboat hanging by his own karate belt; Speaking of wonderful, fought Paul Orndorff in the opening match of WrestleMania 2; With partner Bob Orton opened WrestleMania III against the Can-Am Connection; Was chosen by Hulk Hogan to be part of his team at the inaugural Survivor Series; Advanced to the second round of the WWF Championship Tournament at WrestleMania IV; Oh and the skits with Fuji, ALL of them

Promos/Character: In a world of legit athletes and bodybuilders, Muraco’s lazy beach bum character worked marvelously. And he was an all-time promo as well. Whether he’s calling Pat Patterson BORING or laughing at Bob Backlund’s hurt arm, you could always could on Don’s ability to get the ire of the crowd, an ire that would only grow as he strutted around the ring. At the drop of a hat he could also turn around and give a lesson on giving a grounded serious promo. Check out his pre-Jimmy Snuka cage match stuff for further evidence of that. His skit work is also incredible. All the stuff with Mr. Fuji is well worth your time.

Workrate: Do YOU like slow lumbering matches? Then Don Muraco is the man for you! He was a prototypical 70s wrestler for all intents and purposes, however few meshed their in-ring work with their character as seamlessly as Don Muraco. He was slow, but that was the point. As much as we can criticize it from a modern perspective it’s hard to deny that he was effective in the ring. The fans were with him. All. The. Way. That’s the point right? If you judge a wrestler’s workrate by how he affects the crowd then surely Don Muraco should rate high.

Staff Thoughts: The Magnificent Muraco is an incredible important cog in the WWF machine. A premiere heel of the early 1980s he could always be counted on to enrage the crowd or eat a sandwich at the most inappropriate time. His reign as Intercontinental champion and early run make him a great, add the skits and he’s a LEGEND.

From the Voters: “I might be the biggest Muraco fan in this group and proud of it! He and Snuka created magic together. Pairing Don with Fuji later on made for one of the most entertaining wrestler/manager combinations in company history. In addition, he was Steamboatsfirst big feud. The tag team of Don and Bob Orton were an underrated team for the first half of ’87. Now, his babyface run. Yes, it was a disaster, but he helped new guys coming into the company such as Bam Bam and the Warrior. Don taught those guys how to work the WWF style while teaming with them in tags against OMG amd Butch Reed. Overall, an above average worker in the ring, one of the best piledrivers of all time and you never knew what he was going to say on the mic. Welcome to the class of 100!” – Jason Greenhouse, May 29, 2017

“He may be one of the most hotly contested people in the whole process. I really can’t stand the guy even in most of his heralded matches vs Backlund, Steamboat, Snuka and Hogan. He did have some appeal and charisma but I probably will have to rewatch the Backlund MSG match and some of the Hogan series to see if they are serviceable enough to warrant inclusion for him. I refuse to watch the Backlund hour long draw from Philly unless I am need of a deep sleep.” – Chad Campbell, May 29, 2017

79. Earthquake Total Points: 2,181 Total Ballots: 78 Average Rank: 73 High Vote: 30 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Kris Zellner

Nuance: He wore blue sometimes, he wore red sometimes, but he always, ALWAYS made the ring shake. Earthquake was a scary heel who didn’t look like he had an ounce of kindness in him; which is a strange contrast to his good guy character who felt like he had nothing BUT kindness in him. Bad Earthquake would (and could) beat up your dad; good Earthquake would coach soccer with your dad, smiling as you waved at him from the field. What range this man had! Too bad he was only really around for about four years. He killed Hulkamania (for a few weeks), killed a snake and dated a stuffed Cartman doll. If that’s not variety, we don’t know what is.

Jump Up Moments: Debuted on Superstars by repeatedly jumping on and destrucifying the Ultimate Warrior’s back; Replaced Barry Windham at the 1989 Survivor Series and survived his match along with Randy Savage and Dino Bravo, but no word on if he made Mrs. Windham a widow; Was Hercules’ 13th unconquered labor at WrestleMania VI; In the spring and summer of 1990, hit his peak feuding with Hulk Hogan; His attack on the Brother Love Show is the stuff of legend and for a while we thought Hulkamania was truly dead; Co-main evented SummerSlam 1990 against Hulk Hogan; Was the last person eliminated by Hulk Hogan at the 1991 Royal Rumble; In the summer of 1991 killed Jake Roberts’ longtime partner Damien and turned him into snake burgers; Converted a boat into a storm and formed the Natural Disasters; With Typhoon defeated Money Inc to win the WWF Tag Team Titles; Defended Sy Sperling and crushed Adam Bomb all in one night at WrestleMania X; Had a fun sumo match with Yokozuna on an episode of Raw to the delight of Randy Savage and Vince McMahon; Lost weight and had a fun time as Golga, the workhorse of the Oddities

Promos/Character: Was the living embodiment of an Earthquake through and through. A lesser man would have just written Quake on his tights and used the richter scale as a finish but God bless John Tenta for being in perpetual motion whenever he was being interviewed. You CAN’T TAME an Earthquake, Sean Mooney! His promos were a lot of yelling and seemed like he was constantly on the verge of losing his voice, but boy was he intimidating!

Workrate: Fantastic worker for a big man. In particular, his powerslam looked like it could cripple you. Earthquake didn’t need to fly around the ring to get his point across, he was a hoss who would sit on your chest. He did it well, though, and was always convincing regardless of who he was in there with. Also could take a licking, like when Hogan and Boss Man beat the shit out of him with that chair at SummerSlam. Is that why he went crazy and killed that snake? Is that why Jake Roberts in turn went crazy and tried to kill Randy Savage and ruin his wedding? Is Earthquake really only three degrees from the reason Elizabeth got slapped?

Staff Thoughts: Earthquake is a favorite for many and it’s not hard to see why. He’s a big guy that moves around the ring like a guy half his weight and he had a HUGELY memorable feud with Hulk Hogan. Your mileage may vary on what you thought of him as a tag wrestler, but there’s no denying the Natural Disasters were, at the very least one of the top teams in the promotion for a couple of years. Everything you hear about the guy is positive too. He was apparently one of the nicest guys in the business. Except to Jake. WHY DIDN”T HE GO TO JAIL FOR KILLING HIS PET???

From the Voters: “Earthquake was awesome. Main evented Summerslam against the Hulkster and one Half of the biggest tag team I’ve ever seen in WWE. Could move great for a big guy and underrated on the promo skills” – Eric Boyd, May 29, 2017

“Doesn’t have a catalogue of classic matches (that I’m aware of), but he was a solid Hogan opponent and good big man. Found success both as a single and a tag. He’ll likely be on the bubble for me.” – Ben Morse, June 1, 2017

78. Honky Tonk Man Total Points: 2,185 Total Ballots: 71 Average Rank: 70.3 High Vote: 7 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Karl Grant

Nuance: You could make an argument that he was the most hated heel of his era. Annoying as fuck, sang and danced for ten minutes before every match, never won despite being a champion for eighteen months. These are all positives. He absolutely flopped as a face, and for good reason: he was a fucking Elvis impersonator!!! His tag run was completely forgettable with its only contributions to the business coming via Diamond Dallas Page driving the Cadillac and Greg Valentine trying to curl his lip.

Jump Up Moments: Lost a “vote of confidence” and turned to the loving arms of Jimmy Hart; On June 13, 1987 defeated Ricky Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship; Beat up Randy Savage post match on the October 3, 1987 edition of SNME, shoving Elizabeth down in the process, This would eventually lead to the creation of the MEGA POWERS; Got demolished by the Ultimate Warrior after declaring “just get me someone out here to wrestle” at SummerSlam 1988, ending his 18-month Intercontinental Title reign; Lost a fun match to Dusty Rhodes at the 1989 SummerSlam

Promos/Character: He’s got long sideburns. His hair is slicked back. He’s coming to your town in his pink Cadillac. I’m not sure if he was cool or bad, but he sure was cocky. Honky was ALL character. It’s not like he has a huge cache of all-time great promos under his belt, but you can bet that he played that persona full tilt every time he entered the arena. He couldn’t sing but he sang. He couldn’t dance but he wiggled those hips. He was great at what he did, and what he did worked. An underrated aspect of his character game was that he had a pretty sweet mean streak when he needed to break it out.

Workrate: Come on now. Can anyone name a single signature spot outside of the shake rattle and roll or the guitar to the head. Honky was the definition of a soft wrestler. He makes the Miz look like Stu Hart. That said, he had a stretch in mid-1987 where he absolutely kept up with world class wrestlers like Steamboat and Savage, delivering classic matches at Madison Square Garden and on TV.

Staff Thoughts: Honky surely makes the list almost solely for being the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. It’s an eighteen month run, but WHAT a run. He elevated the title to the point where he could main event the “A” shows against Hulk Hogan. Not only did he elicit a sheer loathing from the fans few have been able to emulate, but he will forever be the catalyst for the formation of the Mega Powers as well as having a huge role in that Ultimate Warrior SummerSlam victory. And that is a moment which is among the best in company history. Without him heeling it up for those months, barely winning or escaping, we surely lose that gem, and maybe the Warrior doesn’t get over to the point he does. Honky is a great example of a guy who got way over in spite of some obvious deficiencies in his game. He STILL gets a pop when he shows up. He sang and danced into a well deserved place in our hearts.

From the Voters: “My most hated heel as a kid by a wide margin. Great character, middling wrestler. Jump up moments are there for someone with a short run. I can’t leave him off, but I can’t gave him high. Might throw him at 90” – Dylan Hales, July 12, 2017

“Honky is in my 60s! I absolutely understand if this seems high (he’s been slowly moving up my list this past month or so, after some HTM on the Network time) bit I can’t imagine a list of the Greatest WWE wrestlers without him even being on it. That just seems willfully overlooking the character.” – Eric Vejnovich, November 30, 2017

77. Marty Jannetty Total Points: 2,192 Total Ballots: 73 Average Rank: 71 High Vote: 17 Low Vote: 99 High Voter: David Carli

Nuance: There is a great discussion on the Facebook group about Marty Jannetty and how he fills the NJPW criteria, if you would like some additional reading. Longevity is surprisingly Jannetty’s high point here as he was with the company off and on from 1988 to 1996 and also had a cup of coffee in 2005. However, he did miss substantial stretches during that time. It’s interesting to think about Jannetty’s flexibility as he had success as both a singles and tag team, but the tag team work greatly overshadows his singles work and his best singles work came against former partner Shawn Michaels. Jannetty’s character never really evolved past the “Rocker” and he spent most of his time as a babyface. The heel run with the New Rockers was a flop.

Jump Up Moments: Marty’s IC Title win over Michaels was one of the first great moments on Raw, and that feud featured many people’s WWF Match of the Year for 1993. Other notable moments include Michaels superkicking Jannetty then throwing him through the Barber Shop window, and a string of tremendous matches as the Rockers against numerous opponents. He won the tag team titles with the 1-2-3 Kid as well in another hot Raw moment.

Promos/Character: Jannetty was a pretty lousy promo. His character work never really evolved beyond the Rockers, although tweaking it to be a “stuck in the past New Rocker” could’ve been interesting, but wasn’t. So, both character work and promos would be a weakness for Jannetty.

Workrate: Here’s where Jannetty makes his case. The Rockers are one of, if not the best, in-ring team the WWF ever had. Their series with the Brain Busters was fantastic. Their match against the Orient Express to open Royal Rumble 1991 is an all-time tag team classic, and they had very good matches with all the teams of the day. In addition to his stellar matches during the Michaels fued, Jannetty also had a really good two-out-of-three falls match with Doink and his lone IC Title defense versus Bam Bam Bigelow. He had a really good tag match with 1-2-3 Kid against the Quebecers, and even had a good match with Kurt Angle in 2005 during his feud with Michaels.

Staff Thoughts: Marty makes his case on workrate, but he has a tremendous amount of very good to great matches. The Rockers had the bulk of those matches against virtually any tag team, but Jannetty could flat-out go on his own, as shown by his matches against Michaels, Doink and with Kid against the Quebecers. Add that to the surprising moment where he returned to win the IC title from Michaels during the early days of Raw and it was enough for voters to overlook Marty’s shortcomings. Hear JT and Aaron discuss Marty’s case in this podblast.

From the Voters: “One of the most underrated in-ring performers of his era. An argument could be made (and Shawn has made it himself) that Marty was the better worker when they were tagging together. Had a great 1993, some good tag stuff in 94, the aforementioned Shawn match in 96 and Angle match in 05. He was a dreadful promo, but he’s going to be at least an 8 for me in workrate. When he was on, few were better.” – Greg Phillips, June 1, 2017

“Just watched him team with Shawn against the Powers of Pain from the Jan 1990 MSG show and he put on an incredible performance. He even came back in the 2000s and have a really good match against Angle on Smackdown. Add that up with his feud against Shawn and other Rockers work and he likely makes my list.” – Brian Cullinane, May 31, 2017

“Always a solid in-ring guy. Some of the more memorable matches in the early days of RAW involved Jannetty. If it wasn’t for drugs, the guy could possibly have been a bigger player. I say YES.” – Chris Jordan

76. Ken Patera Total Points: 2,408 Total Ballots: 62 Average Rank: 62.2 High Vote: 13 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Grady Blount

Nuance: Ken Patera was with the WWF for parts of seven years prior to his time in prison and another year in change when he returned in 1987. He was a hated heel for his first run and a babyface for reasons few understood when he returned in 1987. The babyface run was a flop, so Patera can’t get full points for flexibility.

Jump Up Moments: The Texas Death Match against Bob Backlund for the WWF Title in 1980 is an all-time great match. Patera was also involved in “raping Andre of his dignity” angle where the Heenan Family cut Andre’s hair. Patera had a great IC title run in 1980, and also defeated Gorilla Monsoon forcing him to retire. Upon his return he teamed with Hulk Hogan and others against the Heenan Family in the first Survivor Series.

Promos/Character: Patera wasn’t the best promo, which is why he was always paired with Bobby Heenan. Patera played a good heel character despised by fans, but that babyface run in 1987 was trash and has to count against his character work in some way. Why the WWF decided he needed to be a babyface because he went to jail is beyond us.

Workrate: Patera has an impressive list of great matches during his first run. His Texas Death Match vs. Backlund is legendary, and he was one of the top challengers for Backlund. He also was one of the last challengers for Bruno Sammartino during his last reign. Patera won the IC title from Pat Patterson in a good match, leading to his strong IC run.

Staff Thoughts: Ken Patera was a really strong worker with a string of great matches from his first run. As mentioned, the Texas Death Match is must see and anything with Patterson or Backlund is really good. He was involved in the Andre haircut angle and was a key member of the Heenan Family and retired beloved babyface Gorilla Monsoon. The less said about pasty legs babyface jailbird Ken the better.

From the Voters: “Great heel in on and off run between 77-84. 1980 is his peak, as IC champ with several great matches at MSG with Patterson, Morales and the masterpiece Texas Death Match with Backlund. Comeback in 87 started hot but soon sputtered and he didn’t have much left, or no longer cared. Still, heel run is easy top 100 for me, probably top 50.” – Kelly Nelson, May 30, 2017

“Had title shots against all the top guys of his era, including a rare heel v heel match v Billy Graham. Angle with Billy White Wolf is an all timer. Maybe Backlunds best opponent. I-C title run was good. Doesn’t have the depth in the WWE that I’d like but I can’t imagine leaving him off.” – Dylan Hales, June 1, 2017

“How high can one match get you well when that one match is the Texas Death Match against Bob Backlund, pretty damn high? Kelly is right the January 80 match is also an all timer. I need to track down his other stuff from 1980, but he makes it easy based on that. Also a key member of the Heenan Family in cutting Andre’s hair in major angle. Top heel.” – Martin Boulevard, November 19, 2017

75. Sasha Banks Total Points: 2,617 Total Ballots: 64 Average Rank: 60.1 High Vote: 7 Low Vote: 97 High Voter: ElliottPWO

Nuance: The Boss has been with the company since 2012, so has more longevity than you may think, with the bulk of her work being in NXT. She’s played both a heel and face and been part of great mathes as both a single and in tag team matches, usually with other members of the “Four Horsewomen.”

Jump Up Moments: Sasha Banks has been the constant involved in the “Women’s Revolution,” participating in the first women’s NXT Takeover main event, the first Ironwoman match, the first PPV main event, first Hell in a Cell and was one of the architects in the first women’s Royal Rumble match (though the last one occurred outside the voting period). She’s delivered great results when given the ball in these key situations, delivering some classic matches in the process.

Promos/Character: Sasha is not a good promo and that counts against her score here. However, the Boss character was a critical part of the famed Four Horsewomen era of the NXT Women’s division. Her heel work was the counterpoint to ultimate underdog babyface Bayley and laid the groundwork for some classic matches.

Workrate: Opinions vary on Sasha’s consistency, particularly on the main roster, but the classic matches she had in NXT can’t be debated. She had really strong bouts at NXT Takeover Rival where she won the NXT Women’s title in a four-way match and a successful title defense against Becky Lynch at NXT Takeover Unstoppable. She had a classic match in losing the title to Bayley at NXT Takeover Brooklyn, telling a great story of the underdog babyface overcoming the strong but overconfident heel champion. Without Sasha’s heel work (including making Izzy cry) Bayley’s triumphant win wouldn’t have worked as well. Sasha and Bayley may have topped themselves at NXT Takeover Respect in a 30-minute Ironwoman match, main eventing and stealing the show. Both the matches with Bayley were Match of the Year Candidates. Sasha’s work with Charlotte Flair on the main roster has been some of the best women’s wrestling in company history.

Staff Thoughts: Sasha has the classic matches with Bayley and other very strong matches against other members of the NXT Four Horsewomen. Her Boss character was memorable and provided a solid heel foil to Bayley’s underdog babyface. Anytime the company needs to break ground in the women’s division, they call on Sasha: in HIAC, PPV main events, the Ironwoman match, the list goes on and on. Her main roster run hasn’t been the rousing success that NXT was, but her matches with Charlotte are as good as any women’s matches the company has had. With the current renewed focus on the women’s division, undoubtedly they will call Sasha’s number again, and she may climb higher if we revisit this list in the future. You can hear Good Ol’ Will, Glenn and Stacey talk about Sasha on this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Probably the absolute tops of the NXT women in terms of character. As with the other three, there are times when her ringwork gets sloppy as all hell but the highs by far outweigh the lows. One of the last true heel performances vs. Bayley when she MADE A LITTLE GIRL CRY.” – Joseph Monticello, June 2,2017

“The main roster backlash seems like an old talking point given her eventual 2016. Sure she started slow (I think she was actively bad in the Mania 32 match and easily the weak link), and had to overcome some injuries along the way, but the Charlotte stuff was easily the best womens’ stuff in company history. And she’s anchored by the NXT matches, which are all-timers in a lot of cases. I have Charlotte above her, but that’s it for women at this point of the process.” – Brad Warren, June 6, 2017

“Will make my list. I don’t see any argument for any woman over her. The common denominator in all the big angles, feuds, special highlight moments (first ppv main event, first takeover main event, first HITC, first Iron Woman, Raw main events, et). We can argue about if she’s overrated, but she had 3 classics in a year in NXT and the Charlotte feud on Raw was a legit huge deal which had never happened to that degree before. Her overall impact on the business is much stronger than her current push.” – Dylan Hales, June 2, 2017

74. Jerry Lawler Total Points: 2,629 Total Ballots: 70 Average Rank: 63.4 High Vote: 20 Low Vote: 98 High Voter: Good Ol’ Will from Texas

Nuance: It’s tough to gauge Jerry Lawler’s longevity with the company as a wrestler. Clearly he’s been with the company in his announcing role forever, but only sporadically appearing in the ring. The King has shown flexibility going from the slimy heel insulting Stu and Helen Hart to a babyface defending Good Ol’ JR from that bully Tazz and later challenging Miz and (shudder) Michael Cole.

Jump Up Moments: Lawler’s key feud was with Bret Hart, which stretched over two years from Hart winning the inaugural King of the Ring in 1993 through late 1995. The segment at SummerSlam 1993 where Lawler came out on crutches and had Hart fight Doink as a replacement before his miraculous recovery breaking his crutch over Hart is a classic. Lawler was also the driving force in the ECW angle, with his insults of “Extremely Crappy Wrestling” and mic work leading to Lawler working a match at Hardcore Heaven against Tommy Dreamer. Lawler had a strong and memorable feud with Miz, challenging him for the WWE Title on Raw in a TLC match and eventually at Elimination Chamber 2011.

Promos/Character: Lawler’s fantastic on the stick when he’s at his best and that work has helped add a lot of heat to his feuds. His insults of the Hart family during the Bret feud were gold and have stood the test of time. He drove the interactions between ECW and WWF, cutting the promos that drove the rivalry at a time when working together helped both promotions. His commentary work has varied wildly from very good to… well, it depends on your thoughts on puppies… but his commentary work wasn’t considered for this project.

Workrate: Lawler knows how to have a good match and get the crowd into it, getting the most out of everything he does. The SummerSlam 1993 match against Bret is really good and King knows when it’s time to eat crow (or foot in this case) as was evident when he lost the Kiss My Foot Match in 1995. His matches with Miz for the WWE in 2010-11 were incredibly good, particularly when you consider the feud started on Lawler’s 61st birthday (and it was Miz’s best work up to that time).

Staff Thoughts: Lawler’s highs, the Bret and Miz feuds in particular, are certainly high and make great television. No question Lawler’s a wizard on the stick when he’s on. In the interest of fairness, he’s had some dreadful lows as well in feuds with Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper and others. Still the highs outweigh the lows in the viewers minds, and The Kaang has overcome obstacles with Jezebels and found a place nuzzling with puppies on the list of top 100 WWE stars.

From the Voters: “His best feud was with miz and memorable angle with with hart, but also memorable duds with piper, warrior and jake. Don’t see his wwf body of work making 100.” – Shawn Kidd, May 30, 2017

“Hard to judge because he’s been there for so long, but if you just put his periods of being an active in-ring competitor (and all that entails) together, I wonder what you would get. 2 years? The feud with Bret was great, feud with Miz certainly a mark in his favour. A couple of memorable Royal Rumble appearances (hiding under the ring and “it takes a king…”). A few entertaining one-off matches here and there (vs Goldust and vs Mankind are particularly standing out to me). Lots of rubbish too. Bitsa this, bitsa that. Put it all together and what have you got?” – Adam Russell, July 21, 2017

“I love his WWF run…. had some shitty moments but some overlooked awesome ones too. Might not make top 20 for me but easy Top 50.” – Good Ol’ Will, May 30, 2017

73. Dean Ambrose Total Points: 2,650 Total Ballots: 79 Average Rank: 67.5 High Vote: 24 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: James Proffitt

Nuance: Dean Ambrose has gotten over as both a heel and a face, first with the Shield as the Hounds of Justice feuding with top babyfaces and later as a babyface both with the Shield and as a top challenger for Seth Rollins’ title. He’s been with the company about five years, so he has decent longevity. Ambrose’s facial expressions and body language are a distinct benefit to his case, as he uses those types of intangibles to add to his character.

Jump Up Moments: The initial run with The Shield is full of memorable matches and moments, from their six-man with Team Hell No and Ryback at TLC 2012 to their epic encounters with the Wyatt Family at Elimination Chamber 2014 and a reformed Evolution at Payback 2014. Was part of the main event scene feuding with Seth Rollins in 2015, part of a three-way match with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar at Fastlane 2016 and won the World Title cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Formed a tag team with Seth Rollins winning the Raw Tag Team Championship. He’s a two-time IC champion, the longest-reigning US champion under the WWE banner, a World Heavyweight Champion and Tag Team Champion.

Promos/Character: Ambrose is a good talker, which can add to his character during the best of times. At other times he may be stuck with bad comedy routines, but does his best to make it work. The Lunatic Fringe character has resonated with fans, making him one of the most popular babyfaces in 2015.

Workrate: The Shield six-man matches are all tremendous. Opinions vary a bit on some of his singles runs, with some liking his run as Rollins’ top challenger, while others find it less appealing. He had a good feud with Kevin Owens culminating in a very good Last Man Standing Match at Royal Rumble 2016. His tag team with Seth Rollins led to some good matches with The Bar, including winning the titles at SummerSlam 2017.

Staff Thoughts: Ambrose can be hit or miss for a lot of folks, but looking through his resume, he’s done a lot with the company. In his five years, he’s always been involved in one of the featured feuds in the company. His work in The Shield, his US title reign, feuds against Rollins and Owens and recent tag team work all have memorable moments. Of course, things like the awful Asylum Match with Chris Jericho and the ghost feud with Bray Wyatt do weigh him down a bit too. Here’s hoping the Lunatic Fringe returns from his injury to have more memorable moments in the future.

From the Voters: “For me it’s borderline. Held every title but tag, really good promo even when having not the best material, but working against him is the repetitive matches and some real clunkers like the asylum and losing via exploding monitor.” – Jeremy Ray, May 29, 2017

“Between The Shield 6 mans, the AJ Styles series, the Rollins series, the Owens series, and the MITB/IC ladder matches, the guy is in double digits with 4.25-5 star matches (and some would aruge that the Bray TLC match, the HHH match and the Shield triple threat were 3 more). He even had a top-notch storytelling match with Miz just this week.He’s an outstanding worker with a definitive character that has multiple layers. I get that people expected more, but I’d argue back that what people want, they’ll get when he’s heel again. He’s a face right now, so he’s a “goofy with a devil-may-care side” face. I get the displeasure with booking, but he’s one of those guys who gets asked to make the proverbial “chicken salad” a lot more than most, and his batting average for pulling it off is very good.” – James Proffitt, June 8, 2017

“Will make my list, albeit will be on the lower end of the spectrum. He’s one of my favorites now, but his inconsistent ring work and cheesy comedy is what hurts him from ranking highly. Still, the Shield alone is enough to put him on my list. Add some legitimately great promos, a fire feud with Seth (ending aside) and strong babyface and heel work, and his spot is most likely safe.” – Greg Rossbach, July 7, 2017

72. Bobby Heenan Total Points: 2,737 Total Ballots: 53 Average Rank: 49.4 High Vote: 11 Low Vote: 100 High Voter: Dylan Hales

Nuance: Bobby Heenan was a full-time manager and sporadic wrestler for the WWF from 1984 through his stint as Executive Consultant to the Nature Boy in 1992. Following his stint as a manager he became a full-time broadcast journalist where he stayed with the company until 1993. Heenan worked exclusively as a heel. His facial expressions and comic timing are unparalleled in wrestling and he could walk the line between serious threat and comic relief like no one else could.

Jump Up Moments: Heenan was the driving force leading to Andre the Giant turning on Hulk Hogan, leading to one of the biggest angles ever and creating an electric atmosphere at the sold-out Pontiac Silverdome for WrestleMania III. A year earlier he led King Kong Bundy to main event WrestleMania 2. While the “Weasel” was primarily known as a foil for Hogan, he also had memorable moments teaming with the Islanders in a dog attack suit and losing to Ultimate Warrior and wearing a weasel suit. He also lost to the Red Rooster at WrestleMania V. Managed Rick Rude to the IC title in a shocking win over the Ultimate Warrior and the Brain Busters and Colossal Connection to tag team gold and served as Ric Flair’s Executive Consultant when he was the Real World Champion and eventually WWF World Champion.

Promos/Character: Listen humanoids, has there ever been anyone better on the mic than Heenan? He’s got to be on anyone’s short list of the best talkers ever. The Brain is well-known for his comedy, with good reason, but he could drive home an angle with anyone. Hogan/Andre would not have been the same without him and he even added a lot to Ric Flair’s run, from promoting him as the Real World Champion to when he won the belt. Good Ol’ Will called Heenan the Lex Luthor to Hogan’s Superman, the Joker to his Batman in this FYC podcast and I think that’s an accurate way to describe Heenan’s rivalry with the Hulkster.

Workrate: Workrate’s the category that voters struggled with for Heenan. While he wasn’t a full-time wrestler, as Steven Graham noted in the Facebook thread, The Brain wrestled 126 matches in the WWF from 1984 to 1991. In addition, some would argue that working includes taking an active part in a match through interfering and taking bumps as a manager and Heenan did this in spades. His memorable matches always involve him showing ass and looking ridiculous often involving him wearing a silly suit of some kind, either by design or as a stipulation of losing the match.

Staff Thoughts: Heenan is an all-time great character and one of the top heels the WWF has ever had. How you determine whether he is a wrestler or a manager and whether his work as a manager counted toward his workrate likely determined if he made your list and where he fell. The Weasel appeared on fewer ballots with a higher average rank than others finishing in the 70s, meaning that if he met your criteria for inclusion, you likely put him in a high spot. As a character, it’s hard to dismiss his work and it’s impossible to tell the WWF story without him. He was an integral part of one of the hottest times in company history. Hogan/Andre is not the same without him. And I know his announcing doesn’t count, but has there ever been a more fun match call than Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon at Royal Rumble 1992? Even without his broadcast journalist credentials, Heenan did more than enough to score with voters.

From the Voters: “When you’re more over with than the majority of the roster. His matches were sheer entertainment, even though they weren’t technically sound. His promo and mic work can’t be touched. One of the most memorable figures on the companies history. He may not have been a full time wrestler, but he is worthy on being on the top 100.” – Michael Schoen, May 28, 2017

“I don’t think he’s going to make it as a wrestler, though he’s one of the greatest all-around performers in the business. He was always a manager, who sometimes got in the ring just to face his comeuppance. He was entertaining in those moments, but it was mostly comedy stuff.” – Adam Russell, July 21, 2017

“The reality is you can have great workrate outside of the ring. Both Heenan and Sherri fall into this category. They were often the best part of many matches and the reason they will both be on my list. I currently have Heenan in my Top 20.” – Good Ol’ Will From Texas, May 31, 2017

71. Adrian Adonis Total Points: 2,749 Total Ballots: 73 Average Rank: 63.4 High Vote: 7 Low Vote: 96 High Voter: Andrew Lacelle

Nuance: Adrian Adonis worked in the WWF from late 1981 to 1987, so he has moderate longevity. He was part of the East-West Connection with Jesse Ventura, won Tag Team gold with Dick Murdoch as the North-South Connection and competed as a single as well. He only played a heel during his WWF run, BUT he played two distinctly different heel characters between the New York street tough and the flamboyant Adorable One, so he certainly showed flexibility in this run.

Jump Up Moments: His most high-profile feud in the company was with Roddy Piper, after Adonis replaced Piper’s Pit with the Flower Shop and attacked Piper, along with Bob Orton, Jr. and Don Muraco. This led to Piper destroying the Flower Shop with his crutch and their memorable match at WrestleMania III, ending with Adonis getting his hair cut and Piper retiring for a little while. Adonis was also a driving force in Paul Orndorff turning on Hulk Hogan, constantly stirring the pot on the Flower Shop. His pre-Adorable work saw him as a regular challenger to Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship and Pedro Morales for the IC title, as well as a Tag Team Champion with Murdoch.

Promos/Character: Adonis was a good talker, being able to cut an effective promo, and host his own talk show segment, The Flower Shop. The Flower Shop was the backdrop to the Orndorff turn on Hogan and the Piper feud. Adonis played two effective heel characters, both the New York thug and the Adorable gimmick. While certainly not the most enlightened nor PC of gimmicks, Adonis took the Adorable gimmick and ran with it, going all in with the makeup, leg warmers and scarves.

Workrate: Adonis was a great bumper and moved around very well for a man his size, even as that size increased substantially during the Adorable run. He had great matches with Backlund, like this one for example. There are a number of other matches, including tag team work with Murdoch, shared on the Facebook comments section.

Staff Thoughts: Adonis could do it all, from bumping like a madman in title matches with Backlund to pushing Orndorff closer and closer to his epic turn on Hogan. His feud with Piper was one of the top three or four matches of WrestleMania III, which is about as historic of a card as you can get. He could work singles or tag teams and took a gimmick that should’ve been pure crap, and turned it into something. Adonis garnered such interest from voters that they created this article and this podblast to tout his candidacy. His diverse skill set and moments made a believer of many voters and made any doubters say “Goodnight Irene.”

From the Voters: “Makes the cut for me. Always good in the ring who could really go and bump even when got really overweight. Also had the tag title run with Dick Murdoch and one of the bigger matches at WrestleMania 3.” – Wade Ferrari, May 29, 2017

“He will definitely make the top 100 for me. His feud with piper made me a fan as a kid, but through house shows, prime times etc getting to see more. One hell of a bumper and agree with Jt would love to see more of him and Murdoch as a team.” – Shawn Kidd, May 29, 2017

“A bubble guy for me, leaning more in than out. His skills were very obvious during his matches with Backlund. Had versatility, wrestling singles and tagging with Ventura and Murdoch. Also managed to stay relevant by taking on a whole new persona as “Adorable Adrian”, despite how offensive the gimmick was. Even with all the extra weight, he could still bump like crazy and still pull out some decent work. Had 3 separate runs in the WWF, which shows his longevity. And his promos, especially as the tough New Yorker when he came in with Blassie, were solid. Looking at all that, I gotta pop the bubble and put him in.” – Tim Tetreault, May 30, 2017

70. Jimmy Snuka Total Points: 3,034 Total Ballots: 55 Average Rank: 46 High Vote: 5 Low Vote: 92 High Voter: Jesse

Nuance: Jimmy Snuka came into the WWF as a heel under the direction of Lou Albano in 1982 and stayed with the company until 1985. He would later return in 1989, staying with the company until 1993, before leaving and returning sporadically to diminishing returns each time. Snuka played a despised heel before turning and becoming one of the most over babyfaces of the pre-Hulkamania and early Hulkamania eras.

Jump Up Moments: Is there anyone that doesn’t immediately think of Snuka’s dive off the top of the steel cage during his match with Don Muraco at Madison Square Garden? That moment created a generation of fans, including a young Mick Foley and an aging Scott Criscuolo. Your mileage may vary on whether that is a positive or negative. Superfly also had the overlooked cage dive on Bob Backlund and a red-hot feud with Roddy Piper that started when Piper cracked a coconut over Snuka’s head during a famous segment of Piper’s Pit. Snuka was in the corner of Mr. T and Hulk Hogan during the main event of the first WrestleMania as well.

Promos/Character: Snuka was not the best talker, leading to him being paired with Albano and later cutting some of the most nonsensical, but laid back promos you’re likely to hear. But it didn’t matter, because he’d just smile and do the “I love you” hand signal and that was enough. His Polynesian character and look were unique for the time with his leopard print trunks and headband and he had a connection with the crowd like few others. He was also one of Hulk Hogan’s buddies on the popular Rock ‘N’ Wrestling cartoon, even after he left the company.

Workrate: His work was more about moments than matches and those moments usually involved him jumping off something high. His Superfly splash was one of the first highspots to get truly over. He had famous matches with Muraco triggering the aforementioned leap from the top of the cage, and a famous cage match with Bob Backlund that also saw him leap from the cage, though Snuka lost both those matches. The Superfly continued to return to the WWF whenever they needed a surprise entrant or a legend to trot out or job to the latest disrespectful punk, and those matches got progressively worse. But in his prime he was usually exciting if not always the most skilled in-ring technician.

Staff Thoughts: Let’s address the elephant in the room right away: many voters chose to disqualify Jimmy Snuka from consideration due to a moral consideration because he was charged with third-degree homicide and involuntary manslaughter in the case of his girlfriend’s death in 1983. Others chose to ignore the charges (though he was believed to be guilty by many) and evaluate Snuka solely on his wrestling merits. Both approaches are completely understandable. For voters that evaluated Snuka based on his career only, it can’t be argued he was an unforgettable character in the early 1980s. He was even rumored to be on the short-list of potential top-stars for when Vince McMahon, Jr. took the company national, but was thought to be too unreliable. However, his look, his charisma and his memorable moments, matches and dives make him a huge part of WWF history, and one of the top 100 wrestlers on our list.

From the Voters: “Charisma over skill. He was so so in the ring, but had a great connection to the crowd. Strong runs as both a heel and a face. No real classic matches, but such an enduring character. Late career run as a JTTS hurts his score a bit. He squeaks in on the low end for me.” – Ben Morse, May 31, 2017

“The most exciting face from when he left Albano up to when Hogan won the title. The Superfly Splash was THE move everybody talked about at my elementary school. Molten hot feuds with Albano, Muraco, and Piper. When you think of Piper’s Pit, theSnuka incident is always the first to come to mind. Looking back at his promos, they’re such ridiculous, borderline incoherent, gibberish. But that didn’t matter at that time whatsoever. Great matches with Muraco and Piper were based on crowd excitement, certainly not workrate. I’d have to rank him in the 100 based on these factors.”- Tim Tetreault, May 31, 2017

“The original phenom of the WWE, if it wasn’t for him we would be void of the most memorable moments in wrestling history when he jumped off the top of a cage onto Don Muraco. This moment made fans become fans. Just ask Scott Criscuolo if you don’t believe me. I think the makes the top 100.” – Matt Rotella, May 31, 2017

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

0 notes