IGN's 2013 Wrestling Year in Review

Thank you, everyone, for your long-suffering loyalty. And for another year of non-relevent GIFs, Phteven wrangling, recycled jokes, and mismanaged dreams. It's been a big year for wrestling, but perhaps not as massive as 2014 is going to be with the official launch of the WWE Network. Because that's sure to make headlines!

Yes, the wrestling giant, that's held a triangle choke on the industry for the past decade plus, has decided that, like our own ever-expanding universe, too much is never enough. That eight hours of WWE a week, counting NXT and Superstars (but not counting the monthly three hour PPV), is a paltry offering at best. Why not live and breathe the over-saturation 24/7 with a non-stop channel devoted to grinding your passion into the dirt?

I understand that a business' main objective is to grow, lest it dissolve. But akin to our own cosmos, a "big crunch" might be inevitable. Running counterpoint to the Big Bang, the Crunch is when the metric expansion of space eventually reverses and the universe recollapses. Could this be what's in store for the WWE, who will need 800,000 to 1 million network subscribers (at around $14.95 a month) to break even on the deal? A Titan-sized gravitational implosion?

Well, what if I told you that part of the plan might be to air all their PPVs, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, on the WWE Network? Would that be the best for your business? Either way, this is an uphill climb. A mountain worthy of a JBL-manned expedition. "Well, why don't you go tell Vince that, Mr. War Correspondent? Huh? Why don't you walk over there and tell him to his face?"

For this Year in Wrestling Review, I'm going to take you on a journey of sight and sound. Of smells and textures. Of vomit and fungus. From reality TV, to greasy swamp psychos, to B+ trolls, to a new Unified WWE Champion, to, um, Dixieland. Things looked awfully bright back in the months leading up to SummerSlam, when Daniel Bryan was being given (half the) ball. And from a selfishly morbid standpoint, Cena getting injured, leading to (what we expected to be) his longest time away from the ring ever, was just what Bryan needed to thrive. A clean win over Cena at SummerSlam felt like a torch being passed, but then… things went careening off a cliff. Instead of running with Bryan, the WWE ran with Triple H. Or should I say "Triple H ran with Triple H." Who, as a half-villain, wouldn't allow himself to be booed. Wouldn't allow anyone to get over on him. And months of soul-crushing non-finishes and predictable swerves followed.

At face value, the Slammys are a joke. But they still should mirror most aspects of kayfabe "in-show" reality. The nominees should all have legitimate reasons to be nominated. It's not always the case, but anything too random and arbitrary runs the risk of shunning the audience. Oh, who am I kidding? The WWE's going to get their 1.6 million App votes no matter what. El Torito could win Diva of the Year. Who gives a s***? But from an IWC internet-paranoia standpoint, the Slammys, and the fallout, speaks volumes about the current product.

Punk vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam was one of the best (if not the best) matches of the year. But it wasn't nominated for a Match of the Year Slammy. Because Triple H also had a PPV match with Brock Lesnar in 2013. In fact, he had two. And the story went that, on paper, Punk was not allowed to have a better match with Brock than Hunter. So Hunter's match with Lesnar at Extreme Rules was nominated. It didn't win, mind you. In fact, a worse match - in Rock vs. Cena II - won. But the omission of Punk vs. Lesnar reeked of backstage pettiness. Something that's been seeping out onto WWE TV more now than ever before.

What makes this story so perfect for this intro is the outcome. WWE.com recently ran their own Top 25 Matches of 2013. The matches were picked by the dot com editors and…*drumroll*…Punk vs. Lesnar was #1. Guess what match wasn't even on the list. Out of all 25 entries. Triple H vs. Lesnar at Extreme Rules.

Guess what other match wasn't on it. Rock vs. Cena. Aside from the terrifying prospect that the dot-commers might be on our side, this encapsulates so much. Wrestling's always tried to protect itself from outsiders, but the WWE is now a police state with no wiggle room. And its rigidity will only get worse with the upcoming WWE Network.

Steve Austin, who's got his own podcast, recently appeared on Chris Jericho's podcast as Y2J's first guest. And he basically explained that returning to the WWE for one more match - say, at WrestleMania - wasn't worth it. Because he couldn't be assured that he'd have the control he needed. Not creative control per se, as in Austin needing to micro-manage everything. But control in the ring. The freedom to improvise and adapt. The assurance that he could run with something if he felt it was right, or change the tone and pace of a match depending on the crowd. Within the world of the new WWE assembly line, the belt hook is already on the last notch. To him, the WWE is no longer a place worth three months of his time.

Yes or no? Will you be Major Bludd in GI Joe: Boots to Hiss Tanks?

2013 kicked things off with a dream feud between then WWE Champion CM Punk and The Rock. The Rock could finally face someone other than Cena, someone who was a true heel, and we could all see how a snarkass like Punk reacted to someone as charitably over as Rocky. It was a win-win. That is, until Rock won...

Even Old Man Jenkins down at the taffy shop was super-pissed...

No, The Rock was no longer the IWC's friend. People thought, with two PPVs leading up to 'Mania, that Punk might retain in the first round, with Rock taking the second. But Rock won both. And us older, bitter fans had to realize that while we were cool with Rock beating Cena, he was not to touch our darlings. Especially when one of them had been champion for 434 days. And Rock was the one who ended it. Rock almost immediately taking off for two weeks after winning the championship to film The Hero down in Panama didn't help matters either. We came to the realization that we would always, always, always have to share Dwayne Johnson with the rest of the globe. And while that didn't matter the previous year, because we salivated for a Cena loss, it didn't work when Punk was on the chopping block.

After losing two PPVs in a row, the question then became "How to protect Punk when he's due another loss to The Undertaker at 'Mania?" Well, if you ask me, losing to Taker at 'Mania isn't a loss. It's expected. And it's always a great match and an honorable defeat. But Punk wasn't excited about facing Taker. Because he's, you know, moody and s***. Even in my own brief interview with him, he didn't seem stoked. To be facing Undertaker or to be talking to press.

But he and Heyman did seem to have fun running a gauntlet of tastelessness with the urn - a storyline unexpectedly, and tragically, prompted by the real life death of William Moody - aka "Paul Bearer." Whether you think it all went too far or not, you have to agree that "Urn Anderson" is a gift.

Why Wrestling + Internet = Bonerspurts

God bless you, whoever made this...

See, kids. When the internet's used for good, it can enhance the viewing experience.

Daniel Bryan, Triple H, and flagrant booby abuse on Page 2...

IGN's 2013 Wrestling Year in Review

Thank you, everyone, for your long-suffering loyalty. And for another year of non-relevent GIFs, Phteven wrangling, recycled jokes, and mismanaged dreams. It's been a big year for wrestling, but perhaps not as massive as 2014 is going to be with the official launch of the WWE Network. Because that's sure to make headlines!

Yes, the wrestling giant, that's held a triangle choke on the industry for the past decade plus, has decided that, like our own ever-expanding universe, too much is never enough. That eight hours of WWE a week, counting NXT and Superstars (but not counting the monthly three hour PPV), is a paltry offering at best. Why not live and breathe the over-saturation 24/7 with a non-stop channel devoted to grinding your passion into the dirt?

I understand that a business' main objective is to grow, lest it dissolve. But akin to our own cosmos, a "big crunch" might be inevitable. Running counterpoint to the Big Bang, the Crunch is when the metric expansion of space eventually reverses and the universe recollapses. Could this be what's in store for the WWE, who will need 800,000 to 1 million network subscribers (at around $14.95 a month) to break even on the deal? A Titan-sized gravitational implosion?

Well, what if I told you that part of the plan might be to air all their PPVs, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, on the WWE Network? Would that be the best for your business? Either way, this is an uphill climb. A mountain worthy of a JBL-manned expedition. "Well, why don't you go tell Vince that, Mr. War Correspondent? Huh? Why don't you walk over there and tell him to his face?"

For this Year in Wrestling Review, I'm going to take you on a journey of sight and sound. Of smells and textures. Of vomit and fungus. From reality TV, to greasy swamp psychos, to B+ trolls, to a new Unified WWE Champion, to, um, Dixieland. Things looked awfully bright back in the months leading up to SummerSlam, when Daniel Bryan was being given (half the) ball. And from a selfishly morbid standpoint, Cena getting injured, leading to (what we expected to be) his longest time away from the ring ever, was just what Bryan needed to thrive. A clean win over Cena at SummerSlam felt like a torch being passed, but then… things went careening off a cliff. Instead of running with Bryan, the WWE ran with Triple H. Or should I say "Triple H ran with Triple H." Who, as a half-villain, wouldn't allow himself to be booed. Wouldn't allow anyone to get over on him. And months of soul-crushing non-finishes and predictable swerves followed.

At face value, the Slammys are a joke. But they still should mirror most aspects of kayfabe "in-show" reality. The nominees should all have legitimate reasons to be nominated. It's not always the case, but anything too random and arbitrary runs the risk of shunning the audience. Oh, who am I kidding? The WWE's going to get their 1.6 million App votes no matter what. El Torito could win Diva of the Year. Who gives a s***? But from an IWC internet-paranoia standpoint, the Slammys, and the fallout, speaks volumes about the current product.

Punk vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam was one of the best (if not the best) matches of the year. But it wasn't nominated for a Match of the Year Slammy. Because Triple H also had a PPV match with Brock Lesnar in 2013. In fact, he had two. And the story went that, on paper, Punk was not allowed to have a better match with Brock than Hunter. So Hunter's match with Lesnar at Extreme Rules was nominated. It didn't win, mind you. In fact, a worse match - in Rock vs. Cena II - won. But the omission of Punk vs. Lesnar reeked of backstage pettiness. Something that's been seeping out onto WWE TV more now than ever before.

What makes this story so perfect for this intro is the outcome. WWE.com recently ran their own Top 25 Matches of 2013. The matches were picked by the dot com editors and…*drumroll*…Punk vs. Lesnar was #1. Guess what match wasn't even on the list. Out of all 25 entries. Triple H vs. Lesnar at Extreme Rules.

Guess what other match wasn't on it. Rock vs. Cena. Aside from the terrifying prospect that the dot-commers might be on our side, this encapsulates so much. Wrestling's always tried to protect itself from outsiders, but the WWE is now a police state with no wiggle room. And its rigidity will only get worse with the upcoming WWE Network.

Steve Austin, who's got his own podcast, recently appeared on Chris Jericho's podcast as Y2J's first guest. And he basically explained that returning to the WWE for one more match - say, at WrestleMania - wasn't worth it. Because he couldn't be assured that he'd have the control he needed. Not creative control per se, as in Austin needing to micro-manage everything. But control in the ring. The freedom to improvise and adapt. The assurance that he could run with something if he felt it was right, or change the tone and pace of a match depending on the crowd. Within the world of the new WWE assembly line, the belt hook is already on the last notch. To him, the WWE is no longer a place worth three months of his time.

Yes or no? Will you be Major Bludd in GI Joe: Boots to Hiss Tanks?

2013 kicked things off with a dream feud between then WWE Champion CM Punk and The Rock. The Rock could finally face someone other than Cena, someone who was a true heel, and we could all see how a snarkass like Punk reacted to someone as charitably over as Rocky. It was a win-win. That is, until Rock won...

Even Old Man Jenkins down at the taffy shop was super-pissed...

No, The Rock was no longer the IWC's friend. People thought, with two PPVs leading up to 'Mania, that Punk might retain in the first round, with Rock taking the second. But Rock won both. And us older, bitter fans had to realize that while we were cool with Rock beating Cena, he was not to touch our darlings. Especially when one of them had been champion for 434 days. And Rock was the one who ended it. Rock almost immediately taking off for two weeks after winning the championship to film The Hero down in Panama didn't help matters either. We came to the realization that we would always, always, always have to share Dwayne Johnson with the rest of the globe. And while that didn't matter the previous year, because we salivated for a Cena loss, it didn't work when Punk was on the chopping block.

After losing two PPVs in a row, the question then became "How to protect Punk when he's due another loss to The Undertaker at 'Mania?" Well, if you ask me, losing to Taker at 'Mania isn't a loss. It's expected. And it's always a great match and an honorable defeat. But Punk wasn't excited about facing Taker. Because he's, you know, moody and s***. Even in my own brief interview with him, he didn't seem stoked. To be facing Undertaker or to be talking to press.

But he and Heyman did seem to have fun running a gauntlet of tastelessness with the urn - a storyline unexpectedly, and tragically, prompted by the real life death of William Moody - aka "Paul Bearer." Whether you think it all went too far or not, you have to agree that "Urn Anderson" is a gift.

Why Wrestling + Internet = Bonerspurts

God bless you, whoever made this...

See, kids. When the internet's used for good, it can enhance the viewing experience.

Daniel Bryan, Triple H, and flagrant booby abuse on Page 2...

You're the Boss Blog: B&B Owner Responds to Web Site Review

Criticism can be hard to take, especially when your business is your home. Last week, however, Nancy Galloway and Andre Laporte welcomed our comments and suggestions as to how to improve their inn’s Web site. “It is like having a great editor,” Ms. Galloway said. “You need someone who is looking at your work with a fresh perspective. I am too close to our site and the comments were quite helpful and we are taking many to heart.”

In a recent conversation that has been condensed and edited, Ms. Galloway and I discussed the various opinions — including the 17-minute video that one commenter posted.

Many people focused on the need for new photos. Do you agree they need to be improved?

Yes, we agree with the emphasis on bigger pictures. We checked out the Four Seasons Nevis site, and that was very instructive. Actually it wowed us — that site will be our guide.

There was a push for more information on local activities.

We definitely need to sell the area, as well as ourselves. We will add more on the local artisans, including links to their sites. Those artisans actually sell themselves; we have the broom maker who supplied brooms for Harry Potter, glass blowers, blacksmiths, hand weavers and a phenomenal sculptor — all within a five-minute drive.

How did you react to some of the uneasiness commenters expressed with the social element of a B&B?

I was surprised that so many thought it would be too social. No one is forced to hang out together. There is plenty of space, including separate tables for breakfast and lounging. We will look into that and make it more clear in the description. Also, we do allow kids, as long as they’re babies or 5 and up. Our place is simply not childproof.

It makes sense that reserving a room online would be a core part of a redesign. One reader said people want to be able to book a room at 1 a.m. in their pajamas. Where do you stand on adding that functionality?

We’re working on getting the online reservation system up and running. Not being techies, it’s a bit difficult for us, but we’re getting there. We initially thought we would use Easy InnKeeping because we already use their offline system. But the cost is very hard to digest — the setup is $365, then $65 per month, and $15 per reservation. One reader recommended Rezovation, and they run $649 for the initial start-up, $250 per year, $99 per month and $15.50 per reservation. We are looking into other options.

How do you attract reviews and how have you worked with TripAdvisor?

For the past year we have given each guest a postcard to take home and sent an e-mail a week after their stay asking them to review us. It works, especially the e-mail, because asking people to remember a URL is just too much work. We currently don’t pay TripAdvisor for the extras they can provide to attract viewers but are taking a close look at putting marketing budget toward TripAdvisor. The other key site for us to work with is Iloveinns.com.

There were a few design-oriented comments. Were they helpful?

Someone pointed it out, and we have been wondering about the wasted space on our site. Many sites we see have huge color blocks on either side of a center panel of text. I actually thought ours looked rather cluttered. Another tough one to act on is the recommendation to include people in photographs. I have received the opposite advice over the years — to leave the pictures without people, so people can envision themselves in the photo. I am not sure what to do with those two points but will discuss both with our new designer.

Are you open to a redesign of the inn?

One or two mentioned that we needed an interior decorator. Sorry, that’s not happening. But I am decluttering!

Would you like to have your business’s Web site or mobile app reviewed? This is an opportunity for companies looking for an honest (and free) appraisal of their online presence and marketing efforts.

To be considered, please tell us about your experiences — why you started your site, what works, what doesn’t and why you would like to have the site reviewed — in an e-mail to youretheboss@abesmarket.com.

Richard Demb is co-founder of Abe’s Market, an online marketplace for natural products that is based in Chicago.