Saturday, August 31, 2013

iChart 100: 2013 Mid-Q2 - Year 7

#1 [1571] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (--)
#2 [1542] William Ørbit - In A Landscape (--)
#3 [1523] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (--)
#4 [1467] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (--)
#5 [1430] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings (+4)
#6 [1423] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (-1)
#7 [1422] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (--)
#8 [1402] William Ørbit - Xerxes (--)
#9 [1380] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style 3 (-3)
#10 [1314] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style I (--)
#11 [1303] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (--)
#12 [828] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (--)
#13 [730] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion (+2)
#14 [697] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors (--)
#15 [682] Way Out West - Pulse of Life (-2)
#16 [593] Moby - My Weakness (+4)
#17 [589] Thom Yorke - Analyse (-1)
#18 [576] Vangelis - Love Theme from Bladerunner (--)
#19 [569] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+3)
#20 [566] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (-1)
#21 [559] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (--)
#22 [552] Björk - Mouths Cradle (-5)
#23 [549] Björk - Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) (--)
#24 [530] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (--)
#25 [522] PNAU - Journey Agent (--)
#26 [520] The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (+4)
#27 [496] Intermix - Mantra (+10)
#28 [493] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (+2)
#29 [491] Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit) (-3)
#30 [476] 808 State - Pacific (808:98) (+3)
#31 [472] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (+4)
#32 [469] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (+6)
#33 [468] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (-1)
#34 [466] Björk - Joga (+25)
#35 [463] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (+1)
#36 [463] Pendulum - Coma (-5)
#37 [454] Faithless - We Come 1 (+3)
#38 [447] Björk - Submarine (-10)
#39 [446] The Wolfpak - Gangsta Bounce (+37)
#40 {441] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit) (-13)
#41 [439] Enya - Boadicea (+41)
#42 [437] Daft Punk - Veridis Quo (+30)
#43 [437] Gerling - Enter, Space Capsule (Radio Disko Edit) (+2)
#44 [436] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (-1)
#45 [433] Björk - Desired Constellation (+2)
#46 [428] Moby - Memory Gospel (+4)
#47 [422] Gustav - Genua (-8)
#48 [421] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (+1)
#49 [421] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (-7)
#50 [420] Joy Division - Atmosphere (+11)
#51 [419] William Ørbit - Water From a Vine Leaf (+2)
#52 [413] Madonna - Frozen (-18)
#53 [412] Radiohead - Videotape (-1)
#54 [411] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death Version by Rob Dougan) (-10)
#55 [407] Björk - Oceania (+7)
#56 [406] Bjork - Pleasure is all Mine (+1)
#57 [401] Underworld - Born Slippy (Nuxx) (+12)
#58 [398] Sash! - Chill Out No. 1 (-4)
#59 [396] Bjork - Vokuro (-3)
#60 [395] Orbital - Halcyon (7" Version) (+4)
#61 [392] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (-15)
#62 [388] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (-7)
#63 [386] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (+7)
#64 [385] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (+4)
#65 [384] Sash! - Mysterious Times (+18)
#66 [384] Console - 14 Zero Zero (-3)
#67 [383] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (-19)
#68 [382] The KLF - Last Train to Trancentral (+19)
#69 [381] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (+2)
#70 [380] Rui Da Silva feat. Cassandra - Touch Me (Radio Edit) (-3)
#71 [379] Enya - Pax Deorum (new)
#72 [379] Cassius - Toop Toop (-21)
#73 [379] Hot Chip - Over and Over (-32)
#74 [377] Moby - Flying Foxes (--)
#75 [371] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda-Rósu (-17)
#76 [365] Underworld - Scribble (Radio Edit) (new)
#77 [365] The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (-12)
#78 [365] Groove Armada - Inside My Mind (Blue Skies) (+15)
#79 [362] Todd Terry - Let it Ride (new)
#80 [362] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (-20)
#81 [360] Joanna Newsom - Sprout and the Bean (+15)
#82 [359] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (-7)
#83 [354] Moby - Go (new)
#84 [352] The Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix) (+15)
#85 [350] Faithless - Drifting Away [Paradiso Mix] (-8)
#86 [347] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (-20)
#87 [345] The KLF - Stand by the Jams (new)
#88 [345] Orbital - Petrol (-10)
#89 [345] Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Lets Make Lots of Money) (+5)
#90 [344] The KLF - 3AM Eternal (-5)
#91 [344] Pet Shop Boys - I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give it Anymore (-11)
#92 [340] Groove Armada - At the River (RE)
#93 [337] Chicane feat. Bryan Adams - Don't Give Up (+7)
#94 [336] The KLF - What Time is Love? (+3)
#95 [336] Moby - ARP (-9)
#96 [335] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (-18)
#97 [334] Eric B. & Rakim - Don't Sweat the Technique (new)
#98 [334] Rob Dougan - Nothing At All (+1)
#99 [333] Womack & Womack - Teardrops (new)
#100 [333] Sly & Robbie - Superthruster (new)

Song Book: Human Behaviour



Björk - Human Behaviour (1993) [Original Post (Day 61)]

Friday, August 30, 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Songbook: Everything in its Right Place



Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place (2000) [Original Post (Day 59)]

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Songbook: Crash



Mephisto Odyssey feat. Static-X - Crash (2000) [Original Post (Day 55)]

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 08/25

#1 Randy Orton [--] (45-18-4)
[WWE Champion]
It seems like cooler heads prevailed, but for a while there - before he was shunted to the less watched Smackdown brand - a certain segment of fandom was convinced Randy Orton was equitable to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. It's probably come as a shock, to those people, that "The Viper" is now walking a path much more like The Rock's early heel work! Worlds apart from the one-man anti-authority rebellion that was the Texas Rattlesnake!

Of course, for anyone with a memory, it's tough to ignore the deep, bitter, unresolved personal animosity that was the foundation of several Triple H/Orton rivalries. If you can juggle planes of reality to focus on the history that favourably associates Orton with Triple H, you'll get a lot more out of his appointment as "face of the company". Lord knows they've already ignored that no-turning-back bastardry a dozen times over, in the years that followed.

The comparison with Rock is by no means 1:1. As chosen 'corporate champion', Orton plays it much less overtly. He lacks the volume of persona to match Rock's glitzy arrogance. He is, however, a bigger piece in a puzzle that's unfolding around him. It was disappointing to see Bryan Danielson denied his moment in the sun at Summerslam -- but like Mankind, or Stone Cold before him, here's hoping Danielson has his day in good time. He's #3 on the countdown, with Sheamus out of action and Orton just as likely to avoid stacking up the wins now that he has nothing to prove as WWE Champion.

#2 [--] Alberto Del Rio (40-13-5) [World Champion]
#3 [+1] Bryan Danielson (37-24-1)
#4 [-1] Sheamus (36-14-2)
#5 [--] Kane (27-21-0)
#6 [+1] Roman Reigns (24-7-2) [Tag Team Champion]
#7 [+1] Seth Rollins (24-11-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#8 [RE] Dean Ambrose (23-13-0) [United States Champion]
#9 [--] Mark Henry (22-10-0)
#10 [-4] Ryback (22-14-1)

#1 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (23-7-1) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [+1] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (18-6-0)
#3 [+1] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (18-6-0)
#2 [-2] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (17-10-1)
#5 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (14-9-0)
#6 [--] Sheamus & Randy Orton (11-3-0)
#7 [--] Brodus Clay & Sweet Tea Tensai (9-9-1)
#8 [RE] Naomi & Cameron (5-3-0)
#9 [-1] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (5-11-1)
#10 [-1] Randy Orton & Bryan Danielson (4-2-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
#61 Triple H (1-3-0)
Sometimes it's hard to tell where the character of Triple H ends and the man "Paul Levesque" begins. At times I think there's a mad genius to what Triple H does - other times I'm not so sure.

His years of dominance as a wrestler earned him a special kind of ire from fans who weren't buying his particular brand of heel (or is that fans who were buying it?). Speculation about how he maintained that dominance - and whether or not it was responsible for diminishing other talent in a "real life" capacity -- took the outrage to a new level. It was a self-perpetuating kind of loathing, built with just enough truth to connect disparate dots to a mutual source. It's difficult to think there weren't times when the man petitioned to put himself above others. It's just as difficult to figure out how often that was out of self interest, and how often it was well meant intentions that fit within the constructs of this cultural phenomenon, this fictionalized sport, this entertainment medium we call pro wrestling.

Triple H has parlayed his reputation for domineering into a new role. As a capable, but aging talent, he's step aside (for the most part) to allow the next generation to flourish. As with many before him, this side-step means donning a suit and tie and becoming a different type of character. The lines of reality and fiction blur as he reflects what is widely reported to be a real-life grooming for a vital position within the inner workings of the promotion - a role once held in a vice grip by Vince McMahon (Jr).

Taking cues from Vince; Triple H appears to be establishing his own version of The Corporation stable that propelled The Rock to main event stardom in the late nineties. Because of his reputation and the realization of this through the suppression of up-and-coming fan-favourite Bryan Danielson - this creation hasn't been met with immediate grace. I do, however, find myself interested in seeing just how literally the concept will come to fruition.

The Shield have finally found relevance in their association with Triple H as enforcers. The black flak jackets finally get bonus points for recalling the likes of the late Big Bossman, conjuring meta-textual images of the former McMahon/Corporate enforcer realized as a three-man assault squad. Reminiscent of moments with the original Corporation -- Big Show is the reluctant muscle. He's spending much more time crying, but the belittling by his boss is there. I'd like to see him finally turn on his oppressors, but the thought that he might embrace them in a sinister turn is tasty, too. I do quite like the thought of this Corporation [COOperation?] growing -- even if it isn't in direct comparison to the original. If they can make it work, everyone will be better for it. Of course, an idea working in WWE in 2013 is easier imagined than received.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Friday, August 23, 2013

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Songbook: Walls Come Tumbling Down



The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbling Down (1985) [Original Post (Day 52)]

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Songbook: I Still Believe



Tim Capello - I Still Believe (1987) [Original Post (Day 51)]

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Monday, August 19, 2013

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Songbook: What Time is Love?



The KLF - What Time is Love? (1991) [Original Post (Day 48)]

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 08/18

#1 Randy Orton [--] (45-18-4)
[WWE Champion]
Although the WWE brand split was officially ended some time ago, remnants of it remain, particularly for the Smackdown side. The blue brand, for various reasons, is the less watched show. As a stalwart of Smackdown through the final year of the split, Randy Orton has been allowed to be obscured by these discrepancies in ratings, at least to a certain degree. His program has rarely been as featured as any RAW talents, which may or may not have helped make a surprise of his Money in the Bank WWE Championship cash-in.

Bryan Danielson can count himself among the prestigious college of WWE Championship holders -- but he also joins those who've had the smallest of reigns. The curse of minute-long reigns installed by the Hardcore 24/7 styled philosophy of MITB continues. At least Alberto Del Rio finally registered the necessary wins to surpass an out of action Sheamus at the top of a growing Kayfabe Countdown disparity.

#2 [+1] Alberto Del Rio (38-13-5) [World Champion]
#3 [-1] Sheamus (36-14-2)
#4 [--] Bryan Danielson (36-24-1)
#5 [--] Kane (27-21-0)
#6 [--] Ryback (22-14-1)
#7 [--] Roman Reigns (21-6-2) [Tag Team Champion]
#8 [--] Seth Rollins (21-10-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#9 [--] Mark Henry (21-10-0)
#10 [RE] The Miz (20-9-1)

#1 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (20-6-1) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [+2] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (16-9-1)
#3 [-1] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (15-5-0)
#4 [-1] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (15-5-0)
#5 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (14-9-0)
#6 [--] Sheamus & Randy Orton (11-3-0)
#7 [--] Brodus Clay & Sweet Tea Tensai (9-9-1)
#8 [--] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (5-11-1)
#9 [--] Randy Orton & Bryan Danielson (4-2-0)
#10 [--] Brie Bella & Nikki Bella (4-3-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
Summerslam (2013)
I've never been the biggest believer in Summerslam, as an event. It purports to be one of the original "big four" [fondly regarded as the big five, while I lament the loss of King of the Ring], but it lacks the almost infallible appeal of the Royal Rumble, the hit and miss intrigue of Survivor Series, or the sheer spectacle of Wrestlemania. The inclusion of a star like Brock Lesnar alludes to a desire to elevate this summer feature to Wrestlemania-type stature, but the end result undermines it beyond repair.

It's fair to say no WWE Pay Per View is particularly up to par. The presentation is more slick than ever before, but the wrestling showcases all that's missing in today's product. The storylines are meandering, the pay-offs confused and inconsequential, the ring style dependent heavily on the individual and their willingness to create a narrative, or feature the sport. The latter is rare. The former is just not taught enough.

It's disappointing that everything built to Bryan Danielson being screwed.
There's truth to the theory that the thrill is in the chase, but Bryan Danielson's entire career has been the chase. He lacks almost all the qualities associated with a traditional WWE star. He's small, a little on the unusual looking side, and prone to doing more than three or four moves. In keeping with the mood of the summer blockbuster, I think this should have been a celebration. The fulfilment of the underdog and the realization of a wrestling talent as WWE Champion. We don't really need to see Bryan Danielson get screwed. It's what we expect. The thrill is in his success, and for that, it appears we'll have to wait.

The return of the Inferno Match -- or at least something resembling it -- was a thrill in concept, but turned out to be a bit of a dud. Bray Wyatt's debut came with the obligatory win over Kane in a fire-type match, but the bulk of the story was the bumbling attempts of his lackeys. The controlled fire bars are always a little too small to fully live up to the visual concept, but it's never worse than when the purpose is to keep someone in or out of the ring. Kane's off to film a movie, so he follows John Cena onto the omissions list. Here's hoping they make the most of it. Guys like Ryback, Mark Henry, and other absentees from the Summerslam card will hopefully get a chance to shine. We'll see.

Recent returns Christian and Rob Van Dam further appear to be here as jobbers to the stars. It's a big ask to expect them to come back to the fore while other names are developing (Danielson, Del Rio), but it's frustrating to see them be bit players in one unconvincing contest after another. RVD in particular had all the hype in the world behind his return. Watching him bounce around the way he has is depressing. CM Punk can't catch much more of a break, but it'll be worse then Lesnar's limited dates mean there's no follow-up. Here's hoping the last couple of Lesnar wins mean there's a chance he'll face Undertaker at the coming year's Wrestlemania. I'd still like to see that.

All in all, Summerslam felt like another dud. Which is a shame, because at the behest of friends and acquaintances, I have managed to find enjoyment from more Summerslams  than I realised. I'm willing to believe the slam of the Summer can be a big four blockbuster. They just need to back it up. Until then, I'll be pining over the Summerslam '96/'97 DVD pack and wishing I had more disposable cash.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Friday, August 16, 2013

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Monday, August 12, 2013

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 08/11

#1 Randy Orton [--] (43-18-4)
[Money in the Bank Contract]
With Sheamus MIA, the silver medal is ripe for the taking! Alberto Del Rio's complete inability to convert a win since turning heel denies him the opportunity, while Bryan Danielson is a bearded freight train on a collision course with the WWE title! It's nice to see Wade Barrett get a moment in the sun, even if its rays were only briefly reflected off the indomitable Danielson! Shame for Barrett to lose the grittiness of his facial hair, but if he ever learns to throw a punch (RE: Bare Knuckle Brawler), he'll be on his way.

#2 [--] Sheamus (36-14-2)
#3 [--] Alberto Del Rio (35-13-5) [World Champion]
#4 [--] Bryan Danielson (34-22-1)
#5 [--] Kane (26-20-0)
#6 [--] Ryback (22-13-1)
#7 [--] Roman Reigns (21-5-2) [Tag Team Champion]
#8 [--] Seth Rollins (21-9-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#9 [--] Mark Henry (21-9-0)
#10 [new] Dean Ambrose (20-11-0) [United States Champion]

#1 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (20-5-1) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [--] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (15-4-0)
#3 [--] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (15-4-0)
#4 [--] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (14-9-1)
#5 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (14-9-0)
#6 [--] Sheamus & Randy Orton (11-3-0)
#7 [--] Brodus Clay & Sweet Tea Tensai (9-9-1)
#8 [--] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (5-11-1)
#9 [new] Randy Orton & Bryan Danielson (4-2-0)
#10 [-1] Brie Bella & Nikki Bella (4-3-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
#NR Bray Wyatt (0-0-0)
Don't call him Husky! He's Bray Wyatt and he's the destroyer of worlds, the bringer of truths, the spiritual guide of The Wyatt Clan. This character was a staple of NXT programming for quite some time, and like a lot of interested but lazy fans, I'd heard the stories and wondered what it was like. In my mind, I think I'd imagined a smidgen more waltzing Leatherface, but any pre-conceived notions have melted away with the immediate impact of this intriguing new character.

Characters with gimmicks have been in dwindling supply over the past decade. This guy (and his backwater minions) might not be my sweet spot, but it's nice to see most corners of the WWE evolving beyond the blokes in black trunks who dominated just a year or two ago! He's certainly several steps ahead of Curtis Axel [05/26/2013], even if Wyatt's fast tracked significance occupies a less glamorous spot on the card.

The presentation of the three-man clan raises a lot of questions, particularly for The Shield, whose purpose has been evaporating ever since they were revealed to be hired goons for Paul Heyman [last year]. Rumors have it The Shield have been on the outs since injuring The Undertaker on his way out [04/28/2013] and while they continue to storm the ring for attacks, their reason for doing so is all but gone. If they don't find a hook soon, The Wyatt Clan may be the heirs apparent to the three-man group. If only Harper/Rowan could figure out a way to wrestle in the masks!

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Songbook: I'm On Fire



Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire (1986) [Original Post (Day 41)]

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Friday, August 09, 2013

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Songbook: First We Take Manhattan



Leonard Cohen - First We Take Manhattan (1987) [Original Post (Day 38)]

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Monday, August 05, 2013

Songbook: The Giraffe



Vulgargrad - The Giraffe (2005) [Original Post (Day 35)]

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Songbook: Disco Science



Mirwais - Disco Science (1999) [Original Post (Day 34)]

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 08/04

#1 Randy Orton [--] (41-18-4)
[Money in the Bank Contract]
Like Native Americans listening to the dirt to track stampeding buffalo; the WWE Universe is watching every move Randy Orton makes in the hopes of determining just how true his intentions are for the Money in the Bank contract. The Hardcore 24/7 title shot gives him license to take his shot any place, any time, which makes it the perfect device for false starts and false hopes. Only one man has failed to win his title of choice with the MITB: reigning WWE Champion John Cena. Will he be the one to add Randy Orton to that list? Or is it just a matter of time before The Viper strikes -- taking his title?

As support grows for Bryan Danielson, it's difficult to conceive of an undermining of his rise -- especially if Cena is to take a forced side step mere months after winning the title. With Orton jobbing out to Christian in a World Heavyweight Championship contender match (also involving Rob Van Dam - Smackdown; 8/2), the signs are unclear. The thought does occur that if Orton cashed in before Summerslam, it would do wonders to re-pair Orton and Danielson against one another -- continuing the mini-feud they've enjoyed over the past few weeks.

#2 [--] Sheamus (36-14-2)
#3 [--] Alberto Del Rio (35-11-5) [World Champion]
#4 [--] Bryan Danielson (32-22-1)
#5 [--] Kane (26-20-0)
#6 [--] Ryback (22-12-1)
#7 [--] Roman Reigns (20-4-2) [Tag Team Champion]
#8 [+1] Seth Rollins (20-8-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#9 [-1] Mark Henry (20-8-0)
#10 [--] The Miz (19-9-1)

#1 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (19-4-1) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [+1] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (14-3-0)
#3 [+1] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (14-3-0)
#4 [+1] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (14-7-1)
#5 [-3] Kane & Bryan Danielson (14-9-0)
#6 [--] Sheamus & Randy Orton (11-3-0)
#7 [--] Brodus Clay & Sweet Tea Tensai (9-8-1)
#8 [--] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (5-11-1)
#9 [--] Brie Bella & Nikki Bella (4-3-0)
#10 [--] Naomi & Cameron (4-3-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
#4 Bryan Danielson (32-22-1)
As a long time fan of WWE, I question a good many of their choices for the modern product. When it comes to the naming of "Daniel Bryan" -- a man who wrestled extensively under his real name: Bryan Danielson -- it's a level of stupid I just can't abide by. So, if you've come upon The Kayfabe Countdown and been given pause to wonder -- now you know!

His partnership with Kane in Team Hell No started something few could've predicted. Their comedic love/hate relationship did things for the Tag Team Championships, both good and bad. It was a run approaching equivalency to that of CM Punk's 434 day WWE title boost, but grew to proportions that were arguably detrimental to the focus on the other teams necessary to make a serious go of rebuilding tag team wrestling.

While it might not have done much for the duos around them -- Team Hell No kept Bryan Danielson (and Kane) firmly in the spotlight and on a path to greatness. We finally got the long awaited match between the former partners on this week's RAW (7/29). A charitably minded affair that did take care of the construction of a new contender -- Danielson himself. He's on a roll, taking on all comers with a tenacity that eliminates any notion that he's a weak link. Can he beat John Cena? I'm conditioned to doubt, but I want to believe. A Summerslam contest in the spirit of great competitive match-ups is just what I want to see. If it includes the claiming of the WWE Championship -- so be it!

So, why couldn't Damien Sandow effortlessly retrieve the brief case once it was thrown into the ocean? Because he can't swim. He dived into the water any way, but he couldn't swim. Hilarious.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Friday, August 02, 2013

Thursday, August 01, 2013