Nakisisa George’s Post

WrestleMania is quite possibly the biggest event in professional wrestling. It’s the “Showcase of the Immortals,” “The Granddaddy of Them All,” “The Super Bowl of Sports Entertainment” – you get the point. This is a big deal for professional wrestling fans across the world, but even if you’ve never heard of WrestleMania, or watched a WWE event, this is a great time to start, as many of the programming’s biggest storylines will culminate this weekend. And during the event itself, new feuds and stories will also begin for the rest of the year ahead. If you’ve found yourself forced by a friend or loved one to watch this weekend’s proceeding — live on Peacock for just $4.99 — below you’ll find a guide to WrestleMania 40’s 13 matches — explained so you don’t have to watch years’ worth of WWE programming to “get it.” Yes, we know, pro wrestling is “fake,” but if you allow yourself to be immersed in the experience and art, you’ll find that can be just as good as your favorite season of Grey’s Anatomy or Succession. What is WrestleMania? WrestleMania is WWE’s biggest, longest-running, and most successful pay-per-view/live-streaming event since its conception by the now-ousted executive chairman Vince McMahon in 1985. Like we mentioned, it’s basically the Super Bowl for many fans and wrestlers. It’s March Madness, the Masters, the NBA Championship, and the World Series. It’s the be-all, end-all of professional wrestling. As such, WWE puts a lot of investment and spectacle into making each WrestleMania more memorable than the last. Every year, WrestleMania’s card gets bigger and bigger, and since 2020, the biggest pro wrestling event of the year has become a two-night event. With 13 matches split between the two nights, there’s plenty to get you emotionally invested. Below, you’ll find our best attempt at giving you a sense of the marquee matchups that will dominate social media in the days to come. Read on for an idea of what’s happening, so you’re not clueless in front of your wrestling friends. The story so far… The Main Event: Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns If you read last year’s non-fans guide, then rest assured, you’re not having déjà vu. For the second year in a row, the blonde-haired, good guy wrestler “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes will face the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship “Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns, the WWE’s top heel or bad guy, once again, in the main event for the title. This is the big one, the final match of the weekend on WrestleMania’s second night this Sunday. When these two battled it out last year, Rhodes came within reach of winning the title before interference from Reigns’ group, The Bloodline, gave Reigns the win. Rhodes has struggled throughout the year to get back to the top, earning himself a rematch for the title. He finally did so in January, when he won the WWE Royal Rumble, a 30-man event where the winner is

The best story is one that shows a protagonist overcome adversity. I figured this out a long time ago, and pro wrestling showcases this as well as any storytelling platform. It starts with the general narrative that is being used for the arc of each character. Also, overcoming adversity is the main crux of a pro wrestling match. Each match is a struggle against an opponent. Rarely, if ever, is a match a “squash” match, one that is completely one-sided. Read more... https://lnkd.in/gGEtjaG4

🌟 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 🌟 TL:DR - This YouTube screenshot BLOWS MY MIND🤯 So, I had a "pinch me moment" this weekend. In short, an idol, a hero of mine, included me in one of his popular YouTube videos all about the inner workings of pro-wrestling. For extra context, the man in this image pointing to an image of me is none other than "Mike Quackenbush" (genius name), and he has worked within professional wrestling for the past 25+ years. Now, a quick speed story as to why 2024 is absolutely mad to me: When I went to uni at Canterbury Christ Church University, I’d watch Mike Quackenbush and his team produce a unique wrestling show called "CHIKARA," which I would download weekly onto my iPod Video (yeah, 2006 baby!). Anyway, I watched this man build his team, his company, and himself into one of the most influential wrestling peeps on the planet. ANY modern wrestling you watch right now, you WILL find a Mike Quackenbush fingerprint. Fast forward to today, it absolutely boggles my mind that I can call Mike Quackenbush my idol and mentor. For context, I am 37 years old now, but if 18.5-year-old me knew that in "double your lifetime" this'll happen, it would blow my tiny (wrestling-obsessed) mind. Side note: Although Mike's work is pro-wrestling focused, many of the lessons taught can be applied to "the real world." This comment is more for those who have directly worked with me: If you've ever thought anything nice about me or my work, I guarantee Mr. Mike Quackenbush is the genesis of that idea. Without Mike Quackenbush, not only his coaching but his life story, I certainly wouldn't be part promoting UKPW live events. Actually, I probably wouldn't have done half as much as I have/did in UK British Wrestling. Quick story: CHIKARA would run the largest (non-WWE/big-time player) wrestling tournament in the world, called "The King Of Trios," where wrestlers from around the world would be invited to participate. My "ultimate (realistic) goal" was to take part in a "King Of Trios" and represent UKPW—I really thought in 2019 going into 2020 I had a solid chance of that. (We all know what global "thingy" happened.) Since then, Mike started his YouTube channel "Til We Make It" to accompany his four "insider" pro-wrestling books. When Mike started the channel, I reached out to say how much I enjoyed his videos. His incredibly fast and polite response led to Mike coaching me from afar for the past four years. I've got to do some pretty cool things, and whether directly or indirectly, Mike has been my long-distance trainer. Bonus Point: I'd love to hear (or tag) people who have made a difference in your working life. Share your stories and let’s celebrate those who have inspired us! #Wrestling #ProWrestling #UKPW #CareerGrowth #Inspiration #Networking #CHIKARA #TilWeMakeIt #MikeQuackenbush #Heroes #Mentor

As some of you may know I was a wrestler Wrestling is hard, it requires alot of dedication to train, to make weight, to never give up. six minutes is an eternity when you are on the matt, it drains you more than anything I have ever done. I love the olympics because it is one of the rare times that you can actual watch a match. Last night the cuban Mijaín López won for the 5th time in a row the over 130Kg Greco-Roman gold Medal. 5 times in row an individual gold Medal. This one at 41 years old... I can't even immagine trying to wrestle at that age much less being the best in the world. This has NEVER been done before in ANY sport. There are a few 4 straight gold medal winners, Katie Ledecky for example won her fourth straight 800M Gold this year, but no one until yesterday had 5 straight. The amazing thing is that it has flown completly under the radar. Very few news articles, it was not mentioned on the news here in italy, no headline on ESPN .. Is it because He is Cuban ? that wrestling is a sport that few care about? or the media pushing the "star" athletes to the front while relegating  one of the greatest athletes doing something no one else has ever done to the back? we shall never know... I want to congradulate Lopez for his amazing feat, to recognize his talent, his greatness and let you all know that history was made without you even knowing it. Talent recogntition is key in talent mangement and helps build well being in a company so make sure that you recognize your Mijains. Keep them on your team and they will do things no one else has ever done. Relegate them to the back and they will flee to greener pastures.

I am super excited to present this workshop. Commentary is probably one of the most requested classes after in-ring training and isn't usually available in most areas. I am looking forward to sharing everything I've learned about voicing and telling stories based on the in ring product of professional wrestling. ---------------------- Our workshop for July 2024 will focus on commentary in a professional wrestling capacity. Coach Josh Gerry will be leading the instruction for this workshop. Coach Josh has been the voice of several AML Wrestling, Future Stars of AML Wrestling, and Wrestlecade Weekend events for the last 5+ years. Topics discussed will include: Commentary 101, how to best present a pro wrestling event to a stream/VoD format, how to "drive the bus," and more. This workshop is open to anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of presenting pro wrestling as an entertainment media for live events, streaming products, or television consumption. No prior training is required. This workshop will be conducted in a classroom-type setting with no in-ring instruction. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide live commentary to a pre-recorded match for critiques and feedback after the initial instruction. This workshop is only $20. Pre-Register by emailing: [email protected] Pre-Pay accepted via CashApp: $CoachJoshGerry or via Venmo: @CoachJoshGerry. Cash will be accepted day of the workshop. Sunday, July 14th, 2024 From 1pm to 4pm. AML Pro Wrestling Training Center 4421 North Cherry Street Winston-Salem, NC *Answers to Frequently Asked Questions* - Yes, there is plenty of free parking but arrive early. - Arrive early for best seats. - Use of any video recording devices and live streaming is not permitted. However, photographs are encouraged. - Cash, Venmo, and Cashh App are accepted.

https://lnkd.in/eFSKjDhD This is awesome -- clap, clap, clap-clap, clap. I don't know how I feel on the influence of professional wrestling in politics. I mean, Trump referenced his WWE time throughout his first campaign and first term, but you can also cite Jesse Ventura's gubernatorial win, Glenn Jacobs' mayoral win, Antonio Inoki and Atsushi Onita's wins in the Japanese House of Councilors, and even the dozens of failed political campaigns from wrestlers. I know that mainstream audiences know *of* professional wrestling to know that it is *something* on these candidates' CVs, but I don't know if I like this influence. It doesn't politicize pro wrestling to any greater extent, but it also inspires more dysfunction in Congress with right-wingers such as Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Matt Gaetz who prioritize loud catchphrases over pragmatic policies. However, I *am* a fan of professional wrestling -- maybe more so than I am a fan of politics -- and so, seeing ECW fans mock JD Vance for a poor crowd turnout really warms the cockles of one's heart. Maybe Trump *should've* picked Justin Credible instead.

Problem: Write a constraint for below scenario :- A Wrestler is participating in a wrestling tournament, where their weight category is critical to their progress. The tournament structure is as follows: Weight Categories: The Wrestler can choose between three weight categories: 50 Kg, 53 Kg, and 57 Kg. They opt to compete in the 50 Kg category. Day 1 - Opening Round: o On the first day of the competition, before the Quarter-final, there is an Opening Round. o If the Wrestler’s weight is less than 50 Kg, they qualify to participate in the Opening Round. o If they win the Opening Round, they progress to the Quarter-final. Day 1 - Quarter-final: o After winning the Opening Round, the Wrestler competes in the Quarter-final. o If they win the Quarter-final, they progress to the Semi-final. Day 1 - Semi-final: o If the Wrestler wins the Quarter-final, they compete in the Semi-final on the same day. Day 2 - Final with Weight Allowance: o On the second day of the competition, the Wrestler has a 1 Kg weight allowance. o If their weight is less than or equal to 51 Kg (50 Kg + 1 Kg allowance), they qualify to participate in the Final. o If their weight exceeds 51 Kg, they are disqualified from the Final. o If the Wrestler wins the Final match, they will take the gold medal home. I have done that now it's your turn. #olympics2024 #Systemverilog

This is...really interesting. Joe Tessitore on his own is a great sportscaster. I think he has a really impressive grasp on in-game storytelling. However, we've seen time after time people with no pro wrestling play-by-play experience or limited product knowledge struggle to make the transition into that industry. Why's that? Well... Calling pro wrestling play-by-play is *totally* different than traditional sports play-by-playing. Having to hit essential story beats that line up perfectly with the in-ring action, suspending disbelief, and losing yourself within the context of character motivation is really difficult. While traditional sports play-by-play requires impeccable ability to anticipate what is to come and and relay it to the audience, pro wrestling play-by-play necessitates all of that while simultaneously putting over the "why" of the story. It's entirely possible Joe has an extremely knowledgable pro wrestling background (and if he doesn't, I have no doubt he will prepare extensively). But it is a very, very tough world to transition into from a broadcaster's perspective. Almost every time it has happened, it has been unsuccessful. Wishing him the best nonetheless! What do you think? https://lnkd.in/eDscWnmv #Sportscasting #WWE #ESPN #Journalism #PlayByPlay

The best story is one that shows a protagonist overcome adversity. I figured this out a long time ago, and pro wrestling showcases this as well as any storytelling platform. It starts with the general narrative that is being used for the arc of each character. In addition, overcoming adversity is the main crux of a pro wrestling match. Each match is a struggle against an opponent. Rarely, if ever, is a match a "squash" match, one that is completely one-sided. Therefore, you have an opponent, and your opponent has you in a bad spot, and you have your opponent in a bad spot, and someone has to win. There are exceptions to the win rule, but there has to be a winner most of the time. In a match, you have two opponents. One is the face, or Babyface (the good guy) and the heel (villain, bad guy). On rare occasions there will be two faces or two heels, but most of the time it is a face versus a heel. Now, the face is the protagonist and most fans identify with that person. He or she has to overcome his or her adversary to win. It's pretty simple, really. It is a lesson in overcoming adversity. Each match has sequences and move sets that the performers as the story goes back and forth before one picks up the win. ==================================== Another sneak peek into the article I'm writing "5 Things I learned about Storytelling from Professional Wrestling." Do you like overcomers stories?

Friday night, I got together with a bunch of friends from my high school wrestling team, including one of our coaches, Phil Anzalone. We shared some great memories, but all these years later, I remember a few things this man taught us. He worked us harder than we believed was humanly possible. I’ll never forget how hard his practices were. We were by far the best conditioned team out there. But, he was also very thoughtful in how he ran the team. Before every season, we needed to write our goals for that year. After every match, we needed to hand in a written paragraph of what we learned and what we could improve on for the next match. One story that stands out the most was when I was a freshman, I was able to compete in a big tournament and was matched up against the #1 ranked wrestler at the time. He was a senior, and I was a lanky 14-year-old boy. I went to talk to Coach Anzalone before the match, and he asked what I wanted to get out of this match. And in my immature mind, I said I am going to upset him, then upset the next 4 matches and win the tournament in historic fashion. And he said, "Don't be an idiot." He told me, you're wrestling one of the top guys not only at this tournament but probably in the state; you would need an absolute miracle to win. Let's focus on what a win looks like to you. And I was stumped. I thought the only way I could win was to beat this kid. We concluded that if I lost, getting pinned quickly was the worst case, and losing by points at the end of the third period was probably the best case. For anyone who knows wrestling, it is embarrassing to get pinned quickly in the first period, but if you are wrestling someone who is exceptional, the longer you "survive," the better you did. We set a goal that I would make it to the second period of the match, AKA I would survive for two minutes out of the six minutes; anything after that was extra. I ended up getting pinned in the third period, and walked out of the match exceeding my goal. Without this man giving me such honest advice, I probably would have gotten beaten much quicker. This lesson stuck with me my entire life; it’s important to always push yourself but know what a reasonable goal is versus a pipe dream. I am a better person today because this man was in my life when I was a boy. Thanks for organizing Evan Martel.