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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 27, 2021 0:45:36 GMT -5
The saga of Codecademy continues......
(WARNING: some pottymouth NSFW language from an ex-heel manager)
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 27, 2021 21:19:32 GMT -5
Sinclair Broadcasting has announced that Ring of Honor will be on hiatus, after their December event, until April. The Wrestling Observer has confirmed that they have given their talent their releases.
I haven't watched, but, as I understand it, they are the only sizeable promotion that hadn't returned to some form of limited live audience. Sinclair has been losing money badly on their regional sports network and I saw some conjecture that this may be tied to it.
Not officially dead; but, their future, in the spring, looks iffy.
This might benefit others, like the NWA and MLW, in terms of available talent, though no idea how they are doing financially. NWA lost a lot of talent with their 2020 hiatus, though they have continued to have quality shows.
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 29, 2021 22:48:43 GMT -5
Dark Side of the Ring aired their season finale, about the WWF Steroid Trial, back in the mid-90s. They had quite a coup in getting Jerry McDevitt, the WWF's attorney, to speak about the case and their strategy. Also interviewed were Terry Szopinksi, aka The Warlord, B Brian Blair (of the killer Bees), Dave Meltzer (Wrestling Observer publisher, who covered the trial), Wade Keller (Pro Wrestling Torch publisher, ditto), John Arezzi (radio host who covered wrestling, in the 90s and who followed the trial), and Phil Mushnick, writer for the New York Post who wrote pieces on the WWF scandals and the trial (and earned McMahon's wrath on the WWF tv).
The background to all of this lies in Dr Geogre Zahorian, a physician who was appointed as the ringside doctor, by the Pennsylvania Athletic commission, who did regular duty at the WWF's tv tapings, in Allentown, PA. Athletic commission doctors were required to measure the blood pressure of boxers and wrestlers, before bouts and matches, and give the a cursory check-up. In most states, it was pretty much check the BP and that was it. If a wrestler complained about an ailment, the doc might give him a script for a pharmacy. Zahorian went a bit further and carried large quantities of anabolic steroids and provided them to wrestlers. He personally provided steroids to Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan. When anabolic steroids were put on the controlled substance lists, it became illegal to obtain steroids without a prescription and for doctors to provide them for non-injury or therapy reasons. Zahorian continued providing them, to various sports outlets. he was targeted by a Federal investigation, which caught him offering to sell to a weightlifting coach, for school-age athletes and he was indicted, tried and convicted. During the trial, the connection to Hogan, McMahon and the WWF came out. Hulk Hogan was subpoenaed, but Jerry McDevitt got him out of testifying. Brian Blair was not so lucky, nor were other wrestlers. The Feds traced shipments of steroids to the Titan HQ and started an investigation into the WWF distributing steroids to its wrestlers. They eventually brought an indictment against Vince McMahon, in the Eastern District of New York. Hulk Hogan was called as a witness, for the prosecution. Jerry Mcdevitt and his team cross-examined the prosecution witnesses, but didn't call a single defense witness. of the charges brought, half were thrown out, and venue became an issue for the major one. Eventually, the jury returned a not guilty verdict for McMahon and the WWF. Vince walked free.
The episode covers the background well and McDevitt gives the WWF side of things, though, he is basically the corporate equivalent of a mob lawyer, as he has represented the WWF in multiple situations where they have been negligent or at least shady, including the death of Owen Hart and a few other lawsuits. The wrestlers denied direct orders to get on steroids; but, for fear of reprisals, have been reluctant to talk about the obvious pressure to look a certain way, to move up the card. It wasn't just the WWF, though McMahon was heavy into the bodybuilder look and pushed jacked up guys to the moon, including Lex Lugar (though that isn't the best example)Ted Arcidi, Hercules Hernandez, Hulk Hogan, Rick Rude, the Road Warriors, the Power of Pain, and The Ultimate Warrior. Guys who had athletic but trim bodies and knew how to work started turning up heavier, with more musculature, in the WWF, like Rick Martel and even Roddy Piper, when he came back after a hiatus, in Hollywood. Even underneath guys, like Lanny Poffo, went on the juice and got rewarded, like Poffo's bout against Hulk Hogan, on Saturday Night Main Event.
Mushnick talks about his pieces go after the WWF for Hogan not testifying in the Zahorian trial, and lying about steroids on the Arsenio Hall Show. he also talks about getting a phone call from someone claiming to be a 60 Minutes producer, wanting more info about the case, who Mushnick knew wasn't with 60 Minutes and discovered that it was the husband of one of the defense lawyers, who had also been pumping Dave meltzer for info, which was being fed to the WWF team.
They show clips of a Phil Donahue show, during or just after the Zahorian trial, with Vince, as well as Dave Meltzer and John Arezzi. The subject of Hogan on Arsenio came up and Arezzi asked Vince about him saying he was frustrated that Hogan lied, and he claimed not to have said that, which Meltzer immediately speaks up, confirming that he did, to him. Arezzi then speaks of a mysterious visit to his home, by two large guys, who spoke to his mother, who was living with him, who asked if he was there. When told he was not, said to pass on the message that he lives in a dangerous neighborhood. McDevitt dismisses it as fantasy and any claims of witness tampering; but, there is plenty of evidence that shady things happened and were too pointed to be coincidental.
In the end, it is a story of Federal prosecutors not being prepared well enough and hoping to intimidate McMahon into a plea bargain. That isn't Vince's style or McDevitt's. The Feds went after the wrong end of things. if they really wanted to take McMahon down, there were a host of things to target, such as the independent contractor status of the wrestlers, who are held to contracts and are not free to take outside offers, like a real independent, or the ring boy scandals, financial dealings, rape allegations against Vince, possible unlawful contributions to prominent politicians that got wrestling de-regulated in new Jersey (including Christie Todd Whitman) and their liability in several accidents/injuries and similar situations, not to mention cover up of Jimmy Snuka's murder of his girlfriend Nancy Argento. They wanted a high profile steroid bust to use against other sports and they were out of their league.
McDevitt has an emotional moment where he talks about young Stephanie McMahon leaving the courtroom, in tears and McDevitt following, her and she talked about being scared that Vince was going to jail, even though, in her mind, he was innocent. I burst into tears when I try to make sense of her writers' angles, but that is a different matter.
The episode doesn't break new ground, if you were a fan back then (especially if you read the observer or the Torch). The fallout was that the distanced themselves from the worst abusers and instituted real testing, which is part of why Warrior went bye-bye, and focus got shifted to Michaels and Hart, though both had used steroids a bit, to refine their physiques. However, it was only in place for a few years, before they dropped it, because it was "too expensive" (meaning the heat was off and baseball was under a microscope).
One element that was not explored was Vince's contingencies to run the company, if the case went against him. he tapped Memphis promoter Jerry Jarrett, one of the longest running existing promotions and the most successful, still going, to run things on a tight budget. Memphis was notorious for being tight fisted, which was part of how they survived the WWF expansion for so long. McMahon respected Jarrett's mind for both promotion and managing his company and wrestlers, as well as creative booking. Jarrett went to Connecticut, in an advisory capacity, to learn the WWF day-to-day. However, he hated the area and it became a moot point when Vince was cleared of the charges. Jarret finally stopped taking Vince's money, after going home. they also didn't talk about how bad business was in this era, as live gates had fallen drastically and overseas tours were the only profitable areas for them.
An interesting episode, without getting very dark, though you can't help feeling that Vince was guilty of so many other things (many criminal) that he was like a mafia don, with McDevitt as his shyster.
So, in all, a pretty good season and the filmmaking was really good this season, even if some episodes fell flat or were relentlessly dark. It will be interesting to see where they go for the next season. I doubt they will go far back in history, due to needing interview subjects. So, probably no further than the mid-80s. Some topics that might make for interesting episodes:
Scott Hall's ups and downs with substance abuse and career rise and fall (ESPN had a good piece on him, that covered his shooting of a man, when he was a bouncer)
The history of WCW, from the Turner buyout, to the NWO popularity, to the buyout by the WWE.
The Grahams: Florida promoter and wrestler Eddie Graham and son Mike. Graham was one of the top promoters in the business, through the 70s and 80s, then committed suicide. Son Mike worked as a wrestler, promoter, agent and also committed suicide.
The sad tale of the renegade, in WCW, their Ultimate Warrior knock-off.
Art Barr-son of Portland wrestler/referee/promoter Sandy Barr, who was convicted of statutory rape, though plea-bargained down, which ended up costing him a gig with WCW, sending him to Mexico to become THE top heel. His rise had him on the cusp of an American comeback, when he suddenly died. He and Eddie Guerrero were Los Gringos Locos, the most hated men in Mexico and the guys who stole the show at the When Worlds Collide PPV.
Magnum TA's car wreck-He was poised to be the top babyface for Crockett, when the accident derailed the booking and ended his ring career and left him partially disabled. I know people who worked at the bennigans in Charlotte, where Crockett's people hung out and spoke of Magnum being cut off there, because he was drunk, before he got behind the wheel. Even so, the aftermath is interesting and he ended up married to his in-ring rival's ex-wife!
Rise and Fall of ECW
Rise and Fall of Smoky Mountain
WWF expansion and decline of the territories.
Lia Maivia's (the Rock's grandmother) racketeering trial, in Hawaii. Good luck getting the Rock to participate.
Rise and Fall of All-Japan Women-probably too costly for interview subjects.
The When Worlds Collide PPV, with the partnership of AAA Lucha Libre and WCW and how many are now gone.
Mental Health and substance problems in wrestling-lot of ground for the 80s generation, with the number who died by their 40s.
Poffo ICW & Memphis War, including the Knoxville battle between Southeastern and All-Star, who worked with the Poffos.
Jerry Lawler's Statutory rape trial and allegations of witness tampering.
Kensuke Sasaki's alleged killing of a trainee in the New Japan dojo.
The Yakuza's involvement in Japanese wrestling.
Jose Alberto Rodriguez, aka Dos Caras Jr, aka Alberto Del Rio, aka Alberto El Patron-member of a famous lucha libre family, top amateur wrestler, lucha career, WWE, abuse of Paige, firing by the WWE, kidnapping, rape and assault of his girlfriend.
TNA's rise and fall.
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 31, 2021 13:20:36 GMT -5
Cornette on the Ring of Honor announcement and insights on his time there, building it up for the sale to Sinclair and life under Sinclair, before they parted ways. He's not sounding a 10-Bell Salute; but, he has no definite knowledge of where they will go, next year, though he believes, at this point, that they are going to try to come back....
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 7, 2021 11:09:02 GMT -5
More Codecademy fun from Cornette. Jim's looking to be the prime minister of whatever country a listener takes over, after they learn coding.....
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 7, 2021 11:21:16 GMT -5
If you have an interest in wrestling history and the behind-the-scenes mechanics, a couple of interesting segments from Jim Cornette's podcasts.
First, the money that promoters made from the little spot shows...
And, what wrestlers were paid when they were out injured....
The spot show stuff is really interesting, as Cornette really gives a basic class in fundraising and promoting fundraising events. You'd hear about these little towns and wonder why the promoters would run them, if they couldn't draw crowds like in the bigger arenas. Also, as Cornette reminds people, they ran 7 days a week (usually), throughout the entire year, in a geographical area. The idea that the territories were nothing but little "smoke-filled bingo halls" is ridiculous and the idea that no one made big money until the WWF is equally ridiculous. No, not everyone on a roster was making big money; but, the upper card was making proportional money and there were more of them.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 22, 2021 12:24:15 GMT -5
RIP to Lord James Blears, snooty aristocratic wrestler, manager, and figurehead president of the Pacific Wrestling Federation. Blears was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire and learned to wrestle at the YMCA. He was also a champion swimmer and lost out on a chance at swimming in the Olympics, due to WW2. He served in the Merchant Navy, as a radio officer, and was on a Dutch merchant vessel that was torpedoed by the Japanese. The survivors were rounded up and beheaded, but Blears dove over the side and managed to make it to a lifeboat, which was eventually picked up by a US ship. After the war, he came to the US and began wrestling professionally, at one time sharing an apartment, in New York, with Stu Hart, patriarch of the Hart wrestling family. He started out wrestling as Jan Blears, then the snooty aristocrat Lord James Blears. Under that name, he formed a tag-team with similar British wrestler Lord Athol Layton, working Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. Blears gained a fondness for Hawaii and settled there, becoming a regular fixture of Ed Francis' 50th State Wrestling promotion, as well as wrestling in Australia (where he challenged Lou Thesz for the NWA World title) and Japan. In later years, Blears became figurehead president of the fictional Pacific Wrestling Federation governing body, which sanctioned the titles for All-Japan Pro Wrestling. He would present the proclamations at the start of major matches and tournaments and present the belt and trophies to winners. In the 1980s, he provided color commentary for the AWA tv broadcasts, including on ESPN. Blears children became major fixtures on the professional surfing circuit, especially daughter Laura. Blears did a bit of dabbling in Hollywood and appeared in episodes of Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI, the surfing documentary Endless Summer, and as himself in Verne Gagne's film, The Wrestler, bringing in the young challenger, played by Billy Robinson.
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Post by commond on Nov 22, 2021 20:55:36 GMT -5
No offense meant, but Lord James Blears died in 2016.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 22, 2021 22:16:31 GMT -5
No offense meant, but Lord James Blears died in 2016. That's what happens when you are half awake when you go online. Someone bumped a thread about his passing on Wrestling Classics and I didn't note the date/timestamp of the original entry. Still, RIP & Tally Ho to Lord James. He helped make the not-so-great AWA announcing more palatable. Also RIP to Lou Thesz, who has been gone for nearly 20 years and Frank Gotch, who passed away over 100 years ago. Better late than never!
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Post by commond on Nov 23, 2021 6:27:35 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of Lord James Blears' ringwork, for what it's worth. He reminds me of a proto-Lord Steven Regal in WCW.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 23, 2021 16:47:46 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of Lord James Blears' ringwork, for what it's worth. He reminds me of a proto-Lord Steven Regal in WCW. In general, most of the British who came to the US, Canada and Japan were terrific. Blears was retired by the time I started watching wrestling, but his announcing was good. He and Lord Athol Layton defined the snooty aristocrat Brit character within US wrestling. Lord Alfred Hayes did more of that as a manager than a wrestler, over here. he had been "Judo" Al Hayes, in the UK, but did the aristocrat bit, after he was here a bit. The WWF version of Lord Alfred was a pale imitation of the manager in the AWA. Blears demonstrated how little Americans knew about British aristocrats, since hew as from Lancashire, complete with the accent. That was a traditional wrestling area; but also symbolic of the Northern lower classes. Billy Robinson's Manchester accent prevented him from doing that gimmick, though his technical skill really meant he didn't need it (though he wasn't great on the mic). Regal was always great to watch and was fun doing the snooty bit, but was hilarious when he'd get more "Northern" and throw in lower class expressions, like calling people "sunshine." There again, the Blackpool accent should have been a giveaway but not as many WCW fans were watching Masterpiece Theater or Mystery, like I did. Les Thornton was another who never really did the "British heel" bit. he was more of a "tweener", in Georgia, where I saw him. It's funny, but Adrian Street was probably one of the best shooters to come over from the UK (aside from Robinson and Karl Gotch); but he rarely got to show it, because of his gimmick. He ended up the most successful, though, until Regal. Ended up making more money from creating wrestling gear than actual wrestling, though. Chris Adams was the one I thought who had the most wasted talent. He adapted well to the US style, could work heel or babyface with little change in style, had good promos and the charisma; but, was his own worst enemy from the drugs and booze. He was also superkicking people while Shawn Michaels was a prelim guy in Southwest Championship Wrestling (which is where Michaels stole the move).
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 8, 2021 20:55:40 GMT -5
For sure, this time.... RIP to Blackjack Lanza.... John "Jack" Lanza was a sociology teacher who left the world of academics behind to train for wrestling, with Verne Gagne. He debuted in late 1961/early 1962, working for Nick Gulas in Birmingham, AL before returning home to Minnesota to start a long association with the AWA. Lanza was 6ft 5 in, 250 lbs and made a perfect cowboy, good or evil, despite being from Minnesota. In 1972, he started another long associated, as he came to work in Indianapolis, for the WWA, with "pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan as his manager. he was paired up with another 6ft 5 in @#$-kicker, named Bob Windham, aka Blackjack Mulligan. The pair became the Blackjacks and were the hottest heels in the territory and the top tag team. These guys whooped the tar our of everyone, while Heenan drew heat that was off the chart (and enticed someone to take a shot at him, in Chicago, during a match). The Blackjacks became a legendary tag-team in the Midwest, working for both the AWA and WWA (who co-promoted in Chicago) and then in New York, for Vince McMahon Sr's WWWF. Mulligan went solo and went off to the Carolinas, where he made a name for himself as a single. Lanza worked solo in Georgia, St Louis and back in the AWA, again aligned with Bobby Heenan. While working the AWA, he bought into the promotion in Winnipeg and became the AWA's promoter there, but dictated his own programs and ran his own tv, doing such things as not using Greg Gagne as a top babyface, despite Verne pushing his son (who was a good tag wrestler, with Jim Brunzell, as The High Flyers, just not a main event singles guy). He teamed back up with Blackjack Mulligan for some shots in St Louis, before eventually retiring from the ring. However, he was not done with wrestling. in 1985, Jack Lanza became a road agent for the WWF, during its national expansion. He soon became the top agent, second only to Pat Patterson in the WWF's operations (Chief Jay Strongbow and Tony Garea were also agents there). Lanza became a fixture behind the scenes, laying out cards and finishes for the who's who of wrestling, in the 80s and 90s. he was deeply respected by both the wrestlers and the executives. In 2004, he inducted Bobby Heenan into the WWE Hall of Fame, where Brain gave one of the most memorable (and funny) acceptance speeches, ever. Two years later, Heenan returned the favor, when he inducted the Blackjacks, as a team, into the Hall of Fame. Lanva vs Da Crusher... Crusher Reggie Lisowski was a top draw in the Midwest from the 50s through the mid-80s, particularly in tag matches with partner Dick the Bruiser. Bruiser and Crusher held the AWA and WWA tag titles together and Crusher held the AWA World title, at one point. They were massive draws in Chicago, Minneapolis and St Louis. In the early 70s, Bobby Heenan was the lead heel, in Indianapolis, where he was a favorite of David Letterman. Heenan managed most of Bruiser's opponents and usually ended up in matches, getting covered in his own blood. The combination of Heenan and the Blackjacks was a huge deal all over, for several years, before Lanza and Mulligan went their separate ways.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2021 7:42:17 GMT -5
I also missed the semblance of realism in the shows. we all knew it was worked; but, we were better able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the matches and angles, before they started treating it like it was all fake. You don't go to a magic show to have the magician show you how the illusion is done. You don't stop a movie to show the director discussing the scene with the actors and the make-up people touching up the extras, or see the stuntmen climb off the airbag after a freefall. So true. This is where Russo went wrong in WCW. I remember a backstage segment where Buff Bagwell and, erm, someone else were discussing the finish to a match. That utter garbage between Hogan and Jeff Jarrett at Bash at the Beach 2000 was pathetic. Your quote above is spot on. Didn’t Cowboy Bill Watts say something about how, when you watch a Western, you know it’s acting, but you don’t necessarily end the film with John Wayne walking off to his trailer with the Native Americans? (I am no doubt paraphrasing) Why did Russo need to be world champion for two days? His favourite answer is that the belts were just ‘props’ and it was written that way. Bullshit! With that logic, just because something is written, there has to be logic. Otherwise you’d have a writer working on a DC film, having Robin beat up Superman easily - and then saying, “But they’re just characters. It’s not real. I wrote it that way.” Russo can use that approach as a red herring, but there has to be logic. And if belts are just ‘props’, what’s the point of ANYONE ever winning a match EVER? Why even have belts? I began watching JCP/WCW in 1989 (properly in 1992, when I could get regular access to their TV programming). I’d began watching WWF at the age of 7 in 1987. As a kid, I doubt I understood what the term ‘wrestling psychology’ meant. But I do now. I understood it. One of the first WWF feuds I followed regularly was Hogan/Earthquake. Whatever people feel about Hogan or the WWF’s ‘sports entertainment’, that had a purpose. Quake hurts Hogan. Hogan goes on hiatus, the fear that he may never wrestle again. Hogan returns. Beats ‘Quake at SummerSlam. Eventually pins him on the house show circuit (I don’t recall Hogan pinning ‘Quake on live TV). Build-up and execution worked well. In WCW, I remember thinking about how Stunning Steve Austin brought a lot of prestige to the WCW Television Championship. I remember how they built up opponents like Barry Windham and Flyin’ Brian. Russo would not have had a clue what to do with the Television title. It really irks me how Russo dismisses the belts as ‘props’. Zero understanding of build-up, execution, etc. We need to care about things. We need to be emotionally invested. As I was with Hogan/Quake, or Sting/Vader in WCW. If Russo had been writing a Jurassic Park sequel, he’d have a human character pick up a T-Rex and throw it over a mountain just because it looks good. Nothing but indulgence. And after that, the film would stop as two characters joke about the script, before we resume the film.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2021 10:24:52 GMT -5
I have to say, Day 1 is a peculiar, ordinary and not-at-all-good name for a PPV. Feels meaningless as a title. It’ll take place on January 1st, 2022. Yes, Day 1 of 2022, but a better name should have been created.
The Usos will take on The New Day. It’ll be the 35,462nd match that these duos have had. I really want to see both teams move on. Oh, for the days when two consecutive Survivor Series events (1987 and 1988) held 10-on-10 elimination matches.
Edge will take on The Miz.
Big E will defend the WWF Championship against Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens.
And WWF Universal Champion Roman Reigns will defend against Brock Lesnar. Hard not to envision Brock winning this one, but will the WWF want to end Reign’s championship tenure right now?
(For anyone new to this thread, since 2002, I have refused to use the WWE acronym, I’ve never liked it)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 15:44:22 GMT -5
I was very disappointed in how the WWF made the recent King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments akin to an afterthought. Should have been a PPV, especially given that there are few PPVs now that really stand out, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series aside.
I feel that the 1993-1995 KOTR PPVs did place huge emphasis on the tournaments, however you felt about the results. 1996 was more of a vehicle to get Stone Cold Steve Austin over. And I say to anyone, from 1997-2002, other than the winners, can you really remember any of the tournament matches?
Some of the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring matches were very short, taking place on TV. I think the WWF could and should have built the tournaments up on PPV.
I’m not one of those wrestling journalists who finds it easy to bash the WWF. I think there’s been a lot in 2021 to enjoy, such as Roman Reigns’ tenure, Big E’s feelgood victory, Omos and A.J. Styles, the various women’s matches, Daniel Bryan and Cesaro being as solid as ever, etc, etc. I just feel the WWF dropped the ball with those king and queen tournaments.
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