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Articles by Paul Benson
Every Dave Meltzer 5 Star Rating Of 2025
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has been assigning star ratings to every major match since 1982. For over 40 years, Meltzer’s star ratings are as much a staple of the business as the wrestling matches themselves. 2024 saw Meltzer once more dish out a mammoth amount of five star (or above) match ratings. He rated a joint record 27 matches as worthy of the five snowflake treatment. This feature will record all 2025 bouts that Meltzer deems five star worthy.
Every Dave Meltzer 5 Star Match From AEW
Dave Meltzer and his star ratings have been the topic of heated debate in wrestling for decades. With the first five-star match happening in 1982, over 200 more have attained that status or achieved an additional snowflake (or two). With All Elite Wrestling joining the wrestling world in 2019, we have a look at all the AEW matches to gain five stars or more… so far! Cody vs.
10 Greatest Starrcade Matches Of All Time – TJR Wrestling
By Paul Benson • Published 7th December 2022 Starrcade was the flagship pay-per-view of Jim Crockett Promotions and later WCW from 1983 to 2000. Pre-dating WWE’s WrestleMania by two years, Starrcade played host to many thrilling and incredibly violent collisions. It had a storied history no doubt, with such flops as The Black Scorpion, Battlebowl, the entirety of Starrcade 1999, and the unsatisfactory conclusion to the headliner of Starrcade 1997 between Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Sting.
Keep An Eye On The Georgia Supreme Court's Upcoming Decision On
United States: Keep An Eye On The Georgia Supreme Court's Upcoming Decision On "Apex" Depositions. 17 November 2021 Michael Best & Friedrich To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Every corporate defendant dreads the prospect of having to produce its President or CEO for deposition in a case where they have no unique personal knowledge or involvement and the relevant information is available from other sources.
Maine Approves First
United States: Maine Approves First "right To Food" Amendment. 11 November 2021 Michael Best & Friedrich To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Maine has a “food freedom” history and even passed a “food sovereignty” law in 2007. Mainers now have a new constitutional right -- a "right to food" -- that is the first of its kind in our country.
Make Game Nights Unforgettable with the Origins Game Table
Playing ‘Scythe’ on the Origins Table. Image by BBO. Looking for a table for your game room that’s stylish, sturdy, and affordable? The Origins Game Table may be just what you’re looking for. Background As both a board game enthusiast and reviewer, one of the things at the top of my wishlist for a long time has been a dedicated game table. For too long, I’ve gamed on awkwardly-sized plastic picnic tables, and often struggle to fit some of my larger games onto those tables.
Level Up Your Shelfie with BoxThrone Board Game Shelves
If you like to play board games, odds are you collect them, too. Sure, you may start with just one game here or another there, but pretty soon you’re running out of closet space to put them. And besides, wouldn’t you rather have them out on display, ready to pull off the shelves and onto the table for game night? Enter BoxThrone Originally launched on Kickstarter in 2017, BoxThrone is the creation of Cloud Puncher Games.
Mondo Delivers Dinos From 'Jurassic Park' Into Your Home
Posted on July 18, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Mondo care package contents. Image by Paul Benson. Mondo, that Austin-based company that caters to all your pop-culture needs, just sent me a care package containing a few of their Jurassic Park-licensed offerings. Let’s take a look at what showed up on my doorstep… T-Rex Mega Mondoid Figure This vinyl figure is from Mondo’s “Mondoid” line of vinyl toys and brings to life the T-Rex attack from Jurassic Park in cartoon form.
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: 'Dead Reckoning' Fires a Broadside at Pirate Games
Dead Reckoning. Image by AEG. You’ve got your sailing ship and a green crew, and the High Seas beckon. How will you make your fortune: as a brave explorer, an honest trader, or a cunning pirate? What Is Dead Reckoning? Dead Reckoning is a 4x card crafting game from AEG for 1-4 players, ages 14+, and takes about 90 minutes to play.
Destroy All Monsters in 'King of Tokyo: Dark Edition'
Posted on May 17, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments King of Tokyo Dark Edition box. Image by Iello. If you’ve been playing board games for any length of time, you’ve probably played King of Tokyo, or perhaps own a copy yourself. Originally published in 2011, this family game was created by Richard Garfield, who most notably invented a little game called Magic: The Gathering. GeekDad reviewed the first edition when it was originally released.
Masks and COVID-19: What, Why and Where
Posted on May 14, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments A little background: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we’re required to wear face masks when we’re out in public. I recently took my weekly socially-distanced trip to the grocery store. I grabbed my hand sanitizer, put on my facial mask, and headed to Lucky’s.
'Final Girl': The Final Days on Kickstarter!
Posted on May 14, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments If you read my Kickstarter Quick Pick for Final Girl, then you already know that I’m excited for this solo-only horror-themed board game. And now the Kickstarter is in its final stretch, where creator A.J. Porfirio is hoping to smash the standing record for most-funded solo-only board game in a way that will really reward the backers. Since I wrote up my Quick Pick, Final Girl has been knocking down stretch goal after stretch goal.
Kickstarter Quick Picks: 'Ulaya Chronicles: Raptor Claw Island'
Posted on May 5, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments A chance encounter. Image by Olmec Games. You slowly wake up, your head pressed into the warm sand of the beach. The last thing you remember is your ship smashing against the rocks, and falling into the turbulent water. It’s a miracle you’re alive. As you groggily pull yourself up, you hear a rustling from the treeline. You catch sight of dark, reptilian eyes gazing at you, and sharp dagger teeth set in a scaled muzzle.
The Oracle Dice Box
Posted on April 16, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Oracle Dice Box (prototype shown). Image by Paul Benson. Are you one of those gamers that collects dice? Do you have different sets for each RPG you play, with different colors and materials? Then an Oracle Dice Box may be just what you’re looking for to bring your dice to game nights! What Is The Oracle Dice Box? The Oracle Dice Box is a high-quality, handcrafted wooden box from Master Monk Gaming, designed to transport your dice sets.
Try These Mondo Puzzles Created From Famous Posters
Posted on April 7, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Home Alone by DKNG. Image by Mondo. Mondo has found a way to transform your favorite classic art posters into puzzles. For those of you unfamiliar with the name Mondo, they are an Austin, Texas-based company that collaborates with artists to create posters, games, and other collectibles based on popular intellectual properties.
How did WWF become WWE?
Looking at the circumstances which caused the World Wrestling Federation to become World Wrestling Entertainment. Feature Modified 19 Nov 2018, 16:26 IST The WWE embarked on a promotional campaign to publicise the name change On May 5, 2002, the biggest wrestling company in the world was forced to change their name from WWF to WWE. The World Wrestling Federation had been known as such since 1979 when it was simplified as a company name from the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).
Kickstarter Quick Picks: 'Warcaster: Neo-Mechanika'
Posted on March 9, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Warcaster art and miniatures. Images by Privateer Press. What are Kickstarter Quick Picks? Kickstarter Quick Picks are short looks at projects currently on Kickstarter that are of interest to me, and by extension, many of our GeekDad readers. A Quick Pick is not an endorsement of the Kickstarter campaign, nor have I (as yet) received any product copies to review.
'Marvel United' - Late Pledges Now Available! - GeekDad
Posted on March 5, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments End of the campaign message from CMON and Spin Master. Image by CMON. That’s all for the Marvel United campaign I’ve been covering for GeekDad, folks. It wrapped up on March 5th with 21,290 backers and the tidy sum of $2,866,168. For those that backed the campaign, the next step will be to fill out the pledge manager when it opens. And if you wish that you’d backed the game during the campaign, don’t fret.
'Marvel United'- Less Than 24 Hours to Go!
Posted on March 3, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Punisher bio. Image by CMON. It’s getting down to the wire on the Marvel United Kickstarter campaign…less than 24 hours to go. As of this writing, there are over 17,500 backers and the campaign just topped $2.3 million dollars. What’s been going on in just the one day since my last update? Update 3/2 – 3/3 Not long after the last update went live, Doctor Strange unlocked, with the Kickstarter exclusive Baron Zemo next up for stretch goals.
Kickstarter Quick Picks: 'Marvel United' Updates—Designing Heroes, Venom, and Carnage On Deck - GeekDad
Posted on February 17, 2020 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Hero cards. Image by CMON. What Are Kickstarter Quick Picks? Kickstarter Quick Picks are short looks at projects currently on Kickstarter that are of interest to me, and by extension, many of our GeekDad readers. A Quick Pick is not an endorsement of the Kickstarter campaign, nor have I (as yet) received any product copies to review.
Rub a Dub Dog: Bissell BarkBath Dual Use Review
Posted on December 20, 2019 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments My pup Tor and the BarkBath. Image by Paul Benson. I’ve been happily using Bissell products to clean up after my pet for years, including the Pet Hair Eraser and the SpotBot Pet. So when I had the opportunity to test the new BarkBath Dual Use Portable Dog Bath & Deep Cleaning System, which promises both water-saving pet bathing and spot carpet cleaning, I leaped at the chance.
Bring On the Bad Guys With 'Marvel: Crisis Protocol'
Posted on November 15, 2019 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Assemble your teams and face off in the Marvel Comics universe. What Is Marvel: Crisis Protocol? Marvel: Crisis Protocol is a tactical miniatures game for two players, ages 14+, and takes 90-120 minutes to play. It’s from new game company Atomic Mass Games and published by Asmodee. It’s available directly from Asmodee’s online store or from local or online games stores. The Core Set retails for $99.99.
Gaming as a Service? And a Gaming ETF (HERO) emerges
GARD Pro Not Registered Got Gaas? There’s a lot of buzz in the games industry about “Cloud gaming” and for good reason. With tech giant Google about to launch its Stadia service November 18th, cloud gaming is poised to change the fundamentals of how the game industry works. Meanwhile, back in the world of finance, gaming is being taken seriously, as seen with the October 29th launch of the HERO ETF by GLOBAL X. Twenty years ago, PC gamers would physically go to a store to purchase a box with discs.
Kickstarter Quick Picks: 'Tilt Five: Holographic Tabletop Gaming'
Posted on October 17, 2019 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Reading Time: 3 minutes Playing together on the Tilt Five. Image by Tilt Five. What are Kickstarter Quick Picks? Kickstarter Quick Picks are short looks at projects currently on Kickstarter that are of interest to me, and by extension, many of our GeekDad readers. A Quick Pick is not an endorsement of the Kickstarter campaign, nor have I (as yet) received any product copies to review.
Nuke the Site From Orbit With 'Zombicide: Invader'
Posted on September 12, 2019 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Reading Time: 13 minutes Sadly, there are no tactical nukes awaiting you in a Colonial Marines spaceship above the planet PK-L7. But you’ll be battling hordes of aliens in this take on the classic Zombicide franchise. The xenos swarms the survivors. Image by Paul Benson. What Is Zombicide: Invader? Zombicide: Invader is a cooperative ‘dungeon crawl’-style game for 1-6 players, ages 14 and up.
Late Pledges Available for Fantasy Wargames Terrain Kickstarter
Posted on August 6, 2019 by Paul Benson • 0 Comments Reading Time: 1 minute Fantasy Wargames Terrain in action. Image by Battle Systems LLC. Did you see my earlier Kickstarter alert for Battle Systems’ Fantasy Wargames Terrain, but missed out on backing? Well, the Pledge Manager just opened up, and from now until September 8th, anyone can make a late pledge from their Kickstarter page.
The Texas Experience, Powered by The Texas Tribune
Revel™ The Texas Experience: Lone Star Politics, Policy, and Participation, from Pearson Education, brings the fast-paced, ever-changing world of Texas law, leadership and politics to life in the college classroom.
UFC 45: What happened at UFC's 10th anniversary show?
UFC 45: What happened at UFC's 10th anniversary show? Feature 7 // 03 Dec 2018, 18:23 IST SHARE The 10th-anniversary show underwhelmed On November 21, 2003, the UFC promoted its 10th-anniversary show, UFC 45, live from Uncasville, Connecticut. In a nice touch, UFC introduced it's Hall of Fame at this show and made UFC 1 veterans, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock it's first two members.
UFC 52: What happened when Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell clashed for the Light-Heavyweight Championship?
UFC 52: What happened when Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell clashed for the Light-Heavyweight Championship? Feature 13 // 27 Nov 2018, 20:40 IST SHARE Couture and Liddell clashed for a second time UFC 52 recaptured that "World Cup" feeling as the company, riding a wave of new mainstream popularity earned it's most financially successful gate ever and it's second highest pay per view audience with a colossal 280,000 buys.
UFC 38: What happened when Matt Hughes clashed with Carlos Newton?
UFC 38: What happened when Matt Hughes clashed with Carlos Newton? Feature 26 Nov 2018, 13:50 IST SHARE UFC 38 was the first UFC event hailing from the United Kingdom UFC 38 was the first ever UFC card to take place in the United Kingdom and the first card to take place outside of the United States since UFC 29 back in December 2000. The July 2002 card, hailing from the famed, Royal Albert Hall, featured a Welterweight Championship match between Matt Hughes and number one contender, Carlos Newton.
UFC 19: What happened when Tito Ortiz made an enemy of Ken Shamrock?
UFC 19: What happened when Tito Ortiz made an enemy of Ken Shamrock? Feature 81 // 25 Nov 2018, 20:05 IST SHARE Ken Shamrock angrily confronts Tito Ortiz following the main event UFC 19 took place in March 1999 and is most famous for the post-main event confrontation between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Ortiz was competing against Guy Mezger for the second time. He had lost to Mezger in the final of the Light-Heavyweight tournament at UFC 13 and was looking for vengeance. He got it.
UFC 142: What happened in UFC's first pay per view event of 2012?
UFC 142: What happened in UFC's first pay per view event of 2012? Feature 46 // 24 Nov 2018, 15:00 IST SHARE UFC 142 shocked and thrilled in equal measure The Featherweight Championship was on the line in the headline bout of UFC 142 which hailed from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Defending champion, Jose Aldo took on Chad Mendes in the main event. Mendes landed with a leg kick early but Aldo responded with a much harder one, which was so stiff, one wonders how it didn't shatter Mendes's leg.
UFC 200: What happened when Brock Lesnar returned to the Octagon after a five-year absence?
UFC 200: What happened when Brock Lesnar returned to the Octagon after a five-year absence? Feature 11 // 24 Nov 2018, 00:28 IST SHARE Brock Lesnar won on the night versus Mark Hunt UFC's historic UFC 200 pay per view event went through lots of line-up changes as it attempted to put on a marquee show. The original plan had been for Ronda Rousey to headline the event, but given the devastating nature of her first MMA loss at UFC 193, she declined the offer.
UFC 61: What happened in the big rematch between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz?
UFC 61: What happened in the big rematch between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz? Feature 28 // 22 Nov 2018, 00:43 IST SHARE UFC 61 disappointed inside the Octagon but was a colossal success at the box office Although it wasn't booked in the headline position, everyone knew what the true main event of UFC 61 was; the big re-match, nearly four years in the making between UFC Hall of Famer and former Light-Heavyweight Champion, Tito Ortiz.
UFC 46: What happened when Randy Couture defended the Light-Heavyweight Championship versus Vitor Belfort?
UFC 46: What happened when Randy Couture defended the Light-Heavyweight Championship versus Vitor Belfort? Feature 20 Nov 2018, 18:38 IST SHARE Couture and Belfort clashed for the second time in the headliner The big attraction for UFC 46 was the headliner between Light-Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and challenger, Vitor Belfort. This was the rematch from their memorable bout at UFC 15 in which Couture dominated the younger fighter, against the odds.
UFC 157: What happened when Ronda Rousey debuted for the MMA powerhouse?
UFC 157: What happened when Ronda Rousey debuted for the MMA powerhouse? Feature 22 // 18 Nov 2018, 06:09 IST SHARE Ronda Rousey prepares to battle Liz Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157 UFC 157 was a landmark show for the promotion. It was the first to feature female fighters competing inside the Octagon. Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche were chosen to compete in the inaugural women's bout in UFC history.
10 Best WWE Champions in History
10 Best WWE Champions in History Top 5 / Top 10 5.02K // 15 Nov 2018, 22:50 IST SHARE Daniel Bryan: Won the WWE Championship for a fourth time on Smackdown Live The WWE Championship changed hands for the first time in over 12 months on this past episode of Smackdown Live on November 13, 2018. Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles to win his fourth WWE Championship in an impromptu title match in an electric main event.
UFC 7: What happened when the "Russian Bear" met the "World's Most Dangerous Man?"
UFC 7: What happened when the "Russian Bear" met the "World's Most Dangerous Man?" Feature 32 // 13 Nov 2018, 18:10 IST SHARE UFC 7 saw Ken Shamrock clash with UFC 6 Champion, Oleg Taktarov UFC 7 is infamous for its dull as ditchwater main event which pitted reigning "Superfight" Champion, Ken Shamrock versus the UFC 6 tournament winner, Oleg Taktarov. A mouthwatering proposition on paper was an exercise in feebleness in reality.
Who will be the big winners at UFC Fight Night 138?
So, is everyone recovered from UFC 229 and it's dramatic aftermath? Good. The UFC will hope so too as attention turns to the latest edition of free television's Fight Night. Fight Night 138 is an interesting card too. With a total of six main card bouts, there is lots to break down. The event is scheduled to be headlined by an extremely intriguing main event match between big time strikers, Volkan Oezdemir and Anthony Smith.
Is Memphis Depay the answer to Manchester United's offence problems?
On 19th May 2018, Memphis Depay, Manchester's United's former number seven completed a hat-trick in Lyon's 3-2 victory over Nice. With the win, Lyon secured their place in the 2018-19 Champions League. On the very same day, Manchester United lost the FA Cup Final 1-0 to Chelsea to finish the season without any silverware.
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