Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Aug 11, 2013 9:11:15 GMT -6
PRO WRESTLING NEWS:
---According to WWE, the claim in Variety that their programming reached a milestone 20 million unique viewers this week was a legitimate number cited by Nielsen, the company which monitors television ratings.
WWE noted that the numbers cited in the daily update today (4.18 million viewers for Raw, 0.9 million for Main Event, 1.53 million for Total Divas, 2.75 million for Smackdown and 1.92 million for the NBC WrestleMania special for a total of 11.28 million) were all accurate, but those were average viewership numbers for any given one minute period of a show. In other words, on average at any given time during Raw Monday, 4.18 million people were watching the show. However, on Wednesday Nielsen provides WWE with the total number of unique viewers for the program. Anyone who watched Raw for as little as six minutes on Monday night is counted in this number. This past Monday (and the Raw number includes Monday's Raw plus AM Raw, although the AM Raw number doesn't add much to total uniques, which actually is a pretty interesting stat), the total number of unique viewers for Raw was 8 million. Smackdown's reported 2.75 million viewers was the average number of viewers at any moment during the show, but according to Nielsen the total number of unique viewers for Smackdown last Friday was 4.3 million.
It was noted that all of the Total Divas replays (there were 15 airings total) were counted, so anyone who tuned in for as little as six minutes during any of those 15 airings counted as a unique viewer as well.
WWE also noted that they didn't take the total unique viewers for each show and just add them all together because that would presume every show had its own completely unique audience with no overlap. Instead, the company asked Nielsen to provide the total number of unique viewers for all the shows listed, and the number they were given was 20 million. It was noted that if they had simply added all the uniques together presuming no overlap, that the number would have been significantly higher than 20 million.
---In her new YouShoot with Kayfabe Commentaries, former WWE Diva Kharma refers to Matt Hardy's fiancee Reby Sky as a "ho" and places her name in the "Ho Bag." Reby responded on her Ask.fm account:
"Not aware of this, if it is true. Doesn't make much sense, as I don't know her on a really personal level & we have been nothing but nice to each other in passing at shows. We've actually texted back & forth a few times, so if she now has a problem with me, I can only attribute it to one thing/person. Fake as f--k to be nice to my face & talk s--t to a camera if its true, but no shocker there. That's 99% of the women in this business anyway. Next."
She also responded to a fan and commented on wrestlers doing shoot interviews:
"Broke wrestlers doing "shoot" interviews for a couple hundred bucks to support their drug habits can KEEP mentioning me. Everyone knows I'm in an AMAZING committed relationship & love a good name drop "
Another fan later asked if she was calling Kharma a drug addict. Reby replied:
"And for the record, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, and for you know what good reason. No use in continuing to play nice or protect anyone who is sweet to my face & a c--t to me & my close friends behind my back."
---Fifteen year old wrestling fan Jonathon O'Malley, who suffers from dermatomyositis, recently got to spend the weekend with former WWE Superstar Tyler Reks in California. O'Malley is Reks' biggest fan and the visit was made possibly by The Dream Factory of Kansas City. The Community Voice has published an article about their new friendship.
---Ring Of Honor will be running shows on November 15th in Dearborn, MI and the 16th in Columbus, OH. Tickets start at $20 for general admission.
---Q and A-
There's been a lot of rumors about Tammy Sytch since the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest? I know Mike Johnson was there, so what exactly went down with her that led to Tom Prichard and Tully Blanchard cutting promos on her in front of fans?
There were a few incidents over the course of the weekend, although I don't think anyone outside of the immediate area truly knew about them.
Sytch came to the Fanfest with her latest boyfriend/indy wrestler, who I won't name because I don't believe he was the cause of any of this. As some exposition, her boyfriend came down to the weekend training seminar with Tully, Prichard and several other trainers. During the Hall of Heroes banquet on Friday, Sytch got him some unwanted attention as she "broke from the script" and gave him a long introduction and asked him to stand - only the introduction was longer than some of the legends that were in attendance received. At least two of them intimated to me that by doing so, she probably kept him out of the running for the Reid Flair Scholarship, as the second she put him over so big, it would have made it look like the entire thing was a work if he had won it.
Over the course of the weekend, her boyfriend was in the ring with another, female trainee and he tossed her to the outside. She ended up getting busted open hardway. Later on, during one of the live events, Sytch tried to talk to the female trainee, the other female didn't want to hear what Sytch was saying and instead wanted to watch the show. Sytch was offended that the female didn't want to listen to her and was offended a rookie would do such a thing to a veteran. This was all going on behind the hard camera and next to the announcers. Prichard finally left his position announcing, during the broadcast, and told Sytch to knock it off and let it go. He demanded she go stand somewhere else.
After a few minutes, Sytch returned to where the trainee was standing and started again, which led to Tully Blanchard coming from across the room to browbeat Sytch in a way that well, would have made some men wince, before Sytch finally stopped.
There may have been other instances, but those were the only ones that I was witness to in Charlotte.
Hey guys... I noticed that since RVD has been back with WWE he has wrestled alot of talent. Would it be a case where he signed a short term contract and he would like wrestle alot guys while under contract or will he stay long enough to start a feud ? Thanks again.
Van Dam signed a long term deal, although we are told that the terms dictated that he would work for 90 days, then take an unspecified hiatus before returning to action. So, that could be why he's just bouncing around as opposed to being in a major program.
I really like the X-Division Title angle (Option C) that Aries and Sabin have been able to apply to not only win the world title, but also help to elevate the X-Division title. That said, I believe they don’t do it well enough and WWE could do better. What do you think of the idea that the past 6-7 IC/US Title Holders are the combatants in one Money in the Bank while the other is the All-Stars concept of this year. They could even do the All-Stars as a fan vote in much like professional sports leagues. I see this as a win-win for WWE. One, they can elevate their US and IC titles potentially to the degree it was in the late 80’s early 90’s in terms of next step progression. This would also elevate talent in the eyes of fans. WWE doesn’t have to over think the push/depush of the secondary titles as it has an end-game built in. It also pushes their social media concepts that have been driven home over the last 2 years. Thoughts?
It's an interesting idea and one that would fit into the way WWE tried to build a synergy with their social media, I wouldn't be shocked to see if someone stole it.
For some reason, this popped into my head the other day: Why has there never been a Jerry Lawler DVD set? Was there one and I missed it? Or has there never been one due to unavailability/non-existence of old tapes, especially from the Memphis era?
WWE considered doing one a few years ago but the decision was made not to go forward with it. I'd personally love to see a documentary on his life and career as his autobiography was an excellent read and it would be a lot of fun to see what they could come up with.
Why is it we don't get to see much of Pedro Morales when WWE trots out the older Hall of Famers? Even when the Hall of Fame was in the Garden, no sign of Morales. What's up?
In asking around, I am told that has more to do with Morales' health and his decision not to leave home than anything related to issues between the two sides.
I know this is silly considering the first DVD isn't out yet, but are there plans to do more with the Mid-South Library?
Yes, WWE has every intention of monetizing it for their Network, VOD channel and DVDs.
---TNA Knockout SoCal Val revealed on Twitter that she will be playing a role in a film called "That Which Falls Apart."
---Japan Results-
New Japan, 11.08.2013 (by Sternness on the 11.08.2013)
NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 23", 11.08.2013 (WPW/iPPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
11,500 Fans - Super No. vacancy full House
0 G1 climax - block A: Tomohiro Ishii [6] defeated Hirooki goto [8] by forfeit.
0 G1 climax - block B: Kota Richard [8] defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] by forfeit.
1 G1 climax - block B: Yuji Nagata [10] defeated Yujiro Takahashi [8] with the exploder of Justice (9:06).
2. G1 climax - block B: Toru Yano [8] defeated Minoru Suzuki [10] by Pinfall (9:26).
3. G1 climax - block B: [10] Shelton Benjamin defeated Shinsuke Nakamura [10] (10:34) with the Paydirt.
4. G1 climax - block B: Tetsuya Naito [10] with the Brahma Blanca defeated Karl Anderson [10] (13:11).
5. G1 climax - block A: Lance Archer [8] (14:37) defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10] with the blackout.
6 G1 climax - block A: Prince Devitt [10] defeated Togi Makabe [10] with the bloody Sunday (8:43).
7 G1 climax - block A: Satoshi Kojima [8] (11:56) defeated Kazuchika Okada [9] with a Lariat.
8 G1 climax - block A: [11] Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Katsuyori Shibata [10] (10:56) with a small package hold.
9 Special six man tag match: Kazushi Sakuraba, Akebono & Kota Richard defeated Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (13:25) after the Sakuraba lock by Sakuraba against YOSHI HASHI.
10 G1 climax - final: Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (26:44) with a Stardust Press to win the G1CLIMAX tournament.
-G1 climax group stage final standings:
Block A:
1 Hiroshi Tanahashi [11]
2. Katsuyori Shibata [10]
3 Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10]
4. Prince Devitt [10]
5. Togi Makabe [10]
6 Kazuchika Okada [9]
7 Hirooki goto [8]
8 Lance Archer [8]
9 Satoshi Kojima [8]
10 Tomohiro Ishii [6]
Block B:
1 Tetsuya Naito [10]
2. Minoru Suzuki [10]
3. Karl Anderson [10]
4. Shelton Benjamin [10]
5. Shinsuke Nakamura [10]
6 Yuji Nagata [10]
7 Kota Richard [8]
8 Yujiro Takahashi [8]
9 Toru Yano [8]
10 Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
[Results] All Japan, 11.08.2013 (by Sternness on the 11.08.2013)
AJPW "SUMMER IMPACT 2013 ~ THE BEGINNING OF EVOLUTION ~", 11.08.2013 (GAORA TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1 With a cradle cutback, Masao Inoue defeated Kazushi Miyamoto (10:38).
2. Kotaro Suzuki & Atushi Aoki defeated Osamu Nishimura & Masanobu Fuchi (22:25) to a cross Armbreaker Aoki against Fuchi.
3. Dara & Argenis defeat p & SUSHI (10:49) in a triple-step Moonsault press by Argenis against SUSHI.
4. AJPW World Tag Team Championship & Jr. heavyweight title AJPW World skirmish: Jun Akiyama & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeating Takao Omori & Hikaru Sato (24:19) to a cross Armbreaker cutback by Kanemaru against Sato.
5. Triple Crown skirmish: Suwama & Joe Doering defeat Akebono & go Shiozaki (21:47) after a death Valley bomb Doering against Akebono.
[Results] NOAH, 10.08.2013 (by Sternness on the 11.08.2013)
NOAH "SUMMER NAVIGATION 2013", 10.08.2013
Narita city high school
1,000 Fans
1 Yoshinari Ogawa defeated Hitoshi Kumano (12:02) with a backdrop Suplex.
2. Daisuke Harada defeated Gaston Mateo with a diving elbow drop (7:31).
3. 3 Way match: taiji Ishimori defeated Emperor & Pesadilla (4:46) with an Aussie suplex hold against Pesadilla.
4. Maybach Taniguchi defeated Masao Inoue (13:40) with the Maybach Press.
5. 9 Man Battle Royal: Masao Inoue defeated Hitoshi Kumano with a front cradle cutback (5:39). Order of leaving: Maybach Taniguchi, Emperor, Pesadilla, Yoshinari Ogawa, Daisuke Harada, taiji Ishimori, Gaston Mateo & Hitoshi Kumano.
6 TMDK vs. Little Galaxy: Shane haste & Mikey Nicholls defeat Shiori Asahi (K-DOJO) & Hiro Wilson (K-DOJO) (9:01) after a sliding Lariat by Nicholls against Asahi.
7 NO MERCY vs. Diamond Ring: Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima defeat in a Vertical drop Brainbuster Nakajima against SUWA Takashi Sugiura & Maybach SUWA Jr. (15:32).
8 NO MERCY vs. BRAVE: KENTA, Yoshihiro Takayama & Genba Hirayanagi defeat after the Shoryu Genba from Hirayanagi against Kotoge Mohammed Yone, Naomichi Marufuji & Atsushi Kotoge (18:37).
NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 23", 10.08.2013 (TV Asahi ch. 2/iPPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
8.200 Fans - no vacancy
0 G1 climax - block B: [8] Yuji Nagata defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] by forfeit.
0 G1 climax - block A: Katsuyori Shibata [10] defeated Hirooki goto [8] by forfeit.
1 After the Tenchu II by YOSHI HASHI against Captain, Takashi Iizuka & YOSHI HASHI defeat Captain new Japan & KUSHIDA (8:04).
2. G1 climax - block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10] defeated Prince Devitt [8] (7:26) bomb with a Bulldog.
3. G1 climax - block B: Karl Anderson [10] with the gun stun defeated Yujiro Takahashi [8] (7:00).
4. G1 climax - block A: Lance Archer [6] defeated Satoshi Kojima [6] (12:38) with the blackout.
5. G1 climax - block B: Shelton Benjamin [8] defeated Toru Yano [6] (7:35) with an ankle hold.
6 G1 climax - block A: Togi Makabe [10] defeated Tomohiro Ishii [4] (14:00) with a King Kong kneedrop.
7 G1 climax - block B: Minoru Suzuki [10] with a Gotch-style pile driver defeated Kota Richard [6] (13:37).
8 G1 climax - block B: Tetsuya Naito [8] defeated Shinsuke Nakamura [10] (14:50) with a Stardust Press.
9 Kazuchika Okada [9] block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [9] G1 climax - vs. - time limit draw (30:00).
---Big Time Wrestling results
August 10, 2013
Altoona, Pa.
The matches changed a bit from the show in West Virginia on Friday night, which is good sign that they just don't run carbon copies from show to show.
I didn't make the meet and greet like last time and pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes after the show was about to start. My friend and I could hear audible "whoooos" from inside the building while still a long distance away. Upon entering some people passed us covered in sweat and warned us about the incredible heat and lack of air conditioning and that the show was running late. They weren't lying.
Let's get into a few complaints first (one in particular) that should have been fixed after the last time through. The heat was unbearable and sucked the life out of the crowd from time to time. I would estimate there were around 600-700 at the Jaffa Shrine, which is a great venue that really harkens back to the days of beer halls and VFW wrestling shows. Now, I don't think BTW has anything to due with the comfort of the hall's temperature, but they do have control over their biggest problem. The sound system is horrible. The music is too loud for the building and the ring announcer simply CAN'T be heard when he's making the ring entrance announcements over the music. If you don't know the wrestlers, there's no way you can hear the names. So, be warned, when I give the results, there is definitely some names that I couldn't make out and am just putting the best version of what I could decipher. Now, with that said...on to the show, which wasn't that bad except for a few things I'll get into later.
First out, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair received a several-minute standing ovation. He began by apologizing for missing the last show he was scheduled for and talked about how it was only the third time that he ever missed an appearance he was scheduled for. The other two times were for wrestling tournaments that his son Reid was involved with and the third was due to the death of Reid. Flair had tears rolling down his face and quite a few members of the audience were right there with him. After getting that out of his system, Ric told a few stories about being in Altoona before and even went a bit heelish when it seemed like he was getting on our beloved on Pittsburgh Steelers a bit and started talking about Michael Vick playing for the cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Eagles the night before. Anyways, he thanked us, told us to enjoy our evening, walked out to another standing ovation, and wasn't seen again the rest of the night.
On to the matches...and keep in mind, the names of some of the unknowns and lesser knows aren't exactly correct because there was no way to make them out.
(1) Slyck Wagner Brown beat John Sampson. Sampson has a redneck gimmick and gives off a bit of a Dick Slater vibe. He's pretty entertaining, but lost the match to Brown due to a school boy roll up. Fun opener.
2) Tag team match between the Russian Hammer & Ben Junx (?) vs. The Patriot & Lone Star. Both teams had managers in their corners who interfered from time to time. The Patriot got the pin on Junx. Both teams tried hard, but the crowd wasn't really into it. Later in the evening, I passed a man who was talking to The Patriot, who was still in his mask and the man called him Rich. So, I have no clue who was portraying the character on this night.
(3) TNA KO champion Mickie James beat Reby Sky and Jessie Belle in a three-way women's match. Reby and Jessie came out as a team at first and then kept interrupting pinfalls the other had on Mickie to try to win the match. Not a bad match at all with only a few missed spots. Mickie pinned Belle after a chick kick. I can see Belle moving up in the business. She's very attractive and does seem to have some talent.
Up next was an appearance by Virgil, who spet a few minutes talking about past times in Altoona and how the fans were the best in the world. It was nice to see him.
(4) Matt Hardy beat The Arizona Patriot R.J. Brewer. Turned into the match of the night so far. Both guys worked hard to get the crowd into the match and put on a very good 12-15 match with Matt winning with the Twist Of Fate. TNA or ROH wouldn't do themselves any harm by giving R.J. Brewer a decent try-out. The guy has something about him that works.
[ Intermission. Mickie James and Terry Funk showed up in the ring to take pictures. It was 20 dollars for a photo with just one of them or 30 dollars with both of them. The line was incredible and stretched out the intermission in that sort of heat to over a half-an-hour, probably closer to 45 minutes. It was way, way, way too long, but I know that's how they make their money. I felt a bit bad for Terry because it seemed like Mickie was getting most of the photo action, but he did get his fair share.
(5) The New England Patriot Bam Bam Delfanzo beat Todo Loco, who I'm guessing was pretending to be Lucha Libre. Ten minutes of nothing special and Delfanzo won with a powerslam.
(6) The most frustrating match of the night because not a single name could be heard of the Quiet Riot entrance music. It was three bad guys versus three good guys. One of the bad guys (Shorty Smalls) did have his name on the back of his shirt. Well, after ten minutes of a mess of a match, Shorty got the pin with a frog splash off the top rope on one of the good guys.
(7) Carlito (who didn't use his last name) pinned Chris Masters (yes, they used the name Masters). This was a very fun match which started out with some sportsmanship and then turned into Carlito working as the heel after some questionable tactics. A nice chant of "We Want Apple" broke out a few times. It seemed as if both guys were having fun and created an enjoyable match that went pretty close to 15 minutes. At the end, Carlito got his apple, spit it at Masters, missed, and nailed the referee. With the ref blinded, Masters locked in the Masterlock, but received a back kick to the groin. Carlito then caught Masters with the Backstabber for the pin. Not a very logical finish since the ref saw him spit the apple into his face...but hey...it was what it was. A decent match and both men hugged and took in some of the crowd adoration together before they left the ring.
Next up...the steel cage match between BTW Heavyweight Champion Flex Armstrong and Shane Douglas with Terry Funk as the special guest ring enforcer.
However, before that match, one more intermission with Matt Hardy coming out to sign autographs while the cage was being constructed by what looked to be like a middle school shop class. At first it seemed as if not very many people was coming down for the photo opportunity after the steep price of the one during the first intermission. Matt took the mic and said, "These people have spent enough money tonight. Let's give them a break and cut it from $20 to $10." That's all it took and the line grew and grew. So, what should have been a brief break to build the cage turned into another half-hour intermission and the crowd was grumbling pretty good by this point. The signing was a good idea, but not right before the main event with the crowd already tired from a long show in an incredibly hot building.
Main Event Time with BTW champion Flex Armstrong defending against Shane Douglas. Douglas tried to play the heel in this one despite being from a reasonable distance from Altoona. He called Terry Funk out the ring and laid some pretty good insults into him. Funk and the ref took their places outside of the cage with the only way to win by climbing through the door or over the cage. It was after 11:00 when the main event was ready to go.
(8) BTW Heavyweight champion Flex Armstrong beat Shane Douglas in a steel cage to retain the BTW Title. The match started out with the typical stalling, and built up steam the longer it went. Shane bled a few minutes into the match after what appeared to be from Terry Funk slamming the door on his head while trying to get out of the cage door. Another wrestler came to ringside and threw a steel chair into the ring to help out Shane. Armstrong took advantage of the situation and tried to walk out the door. Funk wouldn't let him in what appeared to be some sort of heel turn, but all he wanted Armstrong to do was climb to the top of the cage, which he did. Instead of climbing down to the floor, Flex turned around and did the Superfly Snuka cage leap onto Shane. After a few minutes of both men crawling around in 20 on the mat, Armstrong crawled out the door to retain the championship in approximately twenty minutes or so. Not a bad match at all.
Most of the arena had cleared out when Shane got on the mic and gave props to Terry Funk for being the toughest S.O.B. he ever met and then gave a speech about some of his late ECW buddies like Bam Bam Bigelow and Chris Candido. Shane was really into the moment and then called Flex Armstrong back into the ring and gave him some excellent compliments and finally left the ring to let Flex say a few words to the 100 or so people left in the building who had all gathered around the cage. Flex was at a loss for words and didn't say much, but people were invited into the cage with him for photo opportunities. It was nearly midnight when we left the building and the pictures were still going on. You had to have your own camera person with you to get a pic taken, and neither my lady friend nor I thought it was a smart idea to try to get into the cage because we're both over 50 and probably couldn't make it through the ropes. Oh, well, another life opportunity lost.
Overall, the wrestling was entertaining and BTW puts on a good show. On the down side, the autograph signings were both WAY too long and they have to do something about fixing the sound system problems between the loud music and the ring announcer's mic. But, I highly recommend checking out their show if they make it to your area. The package deals are a bit steep, but the general admission and seats further back on the floor are well worth the price. 15 dollars each for where we were sitting is a fantastic deal. I wish I had somebody to go with to the show in Belle Vernon, Pa. on Sunday with Shane Douglas vs. Matt Hardy in a re-match from their Extreme Reunion match from last year when Matt took his nasty tumble from the top-rope to the floor and the crowd had to be evacuated.
Finally, the next return date is March 2014.
---Big Time Wrestling results
August 9, 2013
Keyser, W. Va.
This event was held at Keyser High School on Friday night. There was supposed to be a "meet and greet" from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and we were there just before 5:00 to find that the line was huge! The doors didn't open until around 5:45 p.m. and then it took quite a while to get inside, so right away, that didn't set well with a lot of people. I did manage to get a lot of autographs, though.
Once inside, there was no air conditioning, so it was extremely hot, and a lot of people left at intermission. I stayed for the whole event. The show was slated to start at 7:30 p.m., but didn't get going until about 7:45 p.m.
The following is a list of the matches:
Ric Flair opened the show. He came out in a suit, talked about the show, did a little stylin' and profilin', and interacted with some of the people in attendance. His time in the ring was around 5-to-10 minutes, and that was it for him for the night.
(1) For the opening match, I unfortunately could not hear the names of these two guys on the P.A. system. It was a short warm-up match.
(2) Shorty Smalls & Travis Tarvin & Elite Pro Cruiserweight champion Mr. Xcellence beat O.G.B. & High Tide Bodie Williams & a third partner. Lots of interference from the winning team's manager, Dr. Crane.
(3) TNA Knockouts champion Mickie James beat Reby Sky. A very good women's match. At one point during the match, Mickie (accidentally?) pulled out one of Reby Sky's hair extensions. Funny! By the way, Mickie had the TNA KO Title belt with her tonight. Nice.
(4) Griffin & The Patriot beat the BTW Tag champions After the match, one of the members of the BTW tag champs became upset that they had lost, and started tossing stuff around, including the announcers table, ring bell, chairs, etc.
(5) Matt Hardy beat R.J. Brewer. Matt got the loudest pop of the night, other than Flair. He played up to the crowd, and had everybody on their feet. Once again, another great match.
After this match, there was a long intermission. Mickie James, Terry Funk and Matt Hardy were in the ring for anyone who would like to have their pics taken with them. I got a pic with Mickie James, who had the TNA KO Title belt with her. I had gotten a pic with Matt Hardy earlier at the shortened "meet and greet."
(6) Sonjay Dutt & Wildman Robbie Paige (Elite Pro Tag Champions) defended their tag titles against The Judo Master & Slick Underground.
(7) BTW Heavyweight champion Flex Armstrong defended his title against Elite Pro star Vince Vega. Elite Pro tag team The Wildcards accompanied Vega to the ring. After much interference from the Wildcards, the ref sent them to the back, and Armstrong made a big comeback to retain his title. Armstrong was very impressive. This is the first time I have seen him in action, and he was amazing.
(8) Chris Masters submitted Carlito Colon. Carlito came to the ring with two apples, which he sat on the ring announcer's table. Both guys shook hands to begin the match. Nice. A very good match. Eventually, Carlito did the "apple' thing, and Masters applied the Masterlock for the win. Both guys got a lot of cheers from the crowd.
(9) Jake Davis beat Luke Gallows in a number one contender's match for the Elite Pro Heavyweight Title; Davis will face Tommy Dreamer in a steel cage match on Friday, Sept. 13. This was a no DQ Hardcore match, and it didn't disappoint. After a little in ring action, it spilled out to the floor and went all over the auditorium. When they finally came back to the ring, Davis got a roll of barbed wire from under the ring, and wound it around the top rope. He tried to throw Gallows into the wire, but Gallows reversed and Davis ended up entangled in the barbed wire. Somewhere along the line, a kendo stick appeared in the ring, and a lot of hard hits were exchanged.
Eventually, Gallows got under the ring and pulled out a bag of thumbtacks, which he emptied onto the ring floor. It got really brutal here. A lot of bodyslams into the thumbtacks. Davis brought a steel chair into the ring, but before he could hit Gallows, Elite Pro President Leslie Leatherman entered the ring and got the chair away from Davis. Leatherman swung the chair at Davis, who ducked, and Leatherman accidentally hit Gallows, knocking him out. Davis covered him for the win. Leatherman sat in the corner in shock and disbelief. He tried to apologize to Gallows, but he just shoved him aside.
The show ended around 11:15 p.m. Overall, a really good show. The only drawbacks, (and they were big ones), were the extremely hot auditorium and the late start. This was definitely a sell-out, and I'm hoping they come back again. It was worth the wait.
---Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling Results
"Brawl in Blakely"
August 10, 2013
Blakely, Ga.
I arrived at the Early County High School Gymnasium 30 minutes before bell time to scout the merchandise tables and was able to meet and get my photograph taken with Ron Simmons, Robert Gibson, and The Patriot. The last time I saw Gibson was back in 2000 when he challenged “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan for the WCW Television Title. He looked noticeably healthier and svelter than he did 13 years ago.
Before the bell, the Early County High School dance team came out and performed for the audience. Then the crowd was told to stand for the “Star Spangled Banner,” before the announcer came out to hype the program. The announcer was interrupted by a rather rotund-looking wrestler named Thomas Shock who took the microphone and said that he was replacing Steve Armstrong, who couldn’t make it, but that he would kick the butt of anyone he faced. Ron Simmons made his way to the ring and Thomas Shock fled in terror.
Ron Simmons entered the ring, took the mic, and made fun of Thomas Shock for a bit before thanking the fans for all the support they had given him throughout his football and professional wrestling career. He said he wished that he had a word to sum up his feelings, and the crowd then cheered him on hoping he would say, “you know what.” Simmons played around the ring for a bit, but then shouted, “you know what,” and the crowd roared. Simmons then left the ring, and the announcer introduced the opening match.
(1) Dirty Dog Bower beat “Wildman” Krash the Bull via DQ. Krash the Bull was accompanied to the ring by Don Fargo, who was a NWA Tag Team Champion back in the late ‘50s. This match was the most athletic on the card with all the moves that you would expect from a WWE or TNA match. There was solid back and forth action for ten minutes until Krash the Bull rolled up and pinned Dirty Dog Bower by holding on to Bower’s tights. Bower complained to the referee after the match, and the children in the audience jumped up and down screaming that Krash the Bull had held onto Bower’s tights. The referee then reversed the decision and declared Bower the winner via DQ. Not wanting to win that way, Bower asked for five more minutes, and the crowd shamed Krash the Bull into getting back into the ring. The referee restarted the match and pretty soon Bower pinned Krash the Bull.
It’s worth noting that when Dirty Dog Bower’s music played a young man with Down syndrome who was sitting in the front row got up and danced and the entire gymnasium cheered him on. This individual, in many ways, became an integral part of the show.
(2) “Golden Boy” Chick Donovan submitted Thomas Shock. Chick Donovan is probably most famous for being one of the original First Family members back in ’81. He was obviously well known in the area as the entire crowd knew who he was. When he came to the ring he pulled teenage girls who were sitting in the front row out of their seats and danced with them. This match had a weird angle because a second referee came out to replace the first referee. The announcer quizzed the second referee on why he was coming out, and asked if the second referee had a license. The announcer asked Chick Donovan and Thomas Shock if they knew why a replacement referee came out, and both wrestlers claimed ignorance. After some action, Chick Donovan put Thomas Shock in the figure-four leg lock and won without the second referee involving himself in any way, which was the opposite of what the crowd was expecting.
After the match, Chick Donovan tried to circle the ring to high-five the audience, but the young man with Down syndrome held onto Donovan’s hand and insisted he dance with him. The two danced to the roar of the crowd.
(3) Lord Humungus beat Billy the Kid & “Rough Rider” T.J. Lord Humungus, a true behemoth, came to ring wearing the same outfit his character wore in the movie, The Road Warrior. Humungus walked around the ring clotheslining his two opponents until “Rough Rider” T.J. got sick of it, and left his partner alone in the ring. Humungus then clotheslined Billy the Kid and pinned him with one knee.
(4) “Bullet” Bob Armstrong beat Assassin #2 via count-out. I have no idea who was under the Assassin mask. The person looked far too young to be the original Assassin #2, and was announced as being from “parts unknown.” Armstrong made his way to the ring dancing to “Bad to the Bone.” I was the first person to shake Armstrong’s hand as he made his way to the ring, which sort of made up for me not being able to get my picture taken with him or getting a personalized autograph from him the way I was able to do with Simmons and Gibson. After Armstrong bested Assassin #2 in a test of strength, Assassin #2 played the role of the chicken heel and kept ducking out of the ring to escape Armstrong. This angered the young man with Down syndrome to the point he had to be restrained by what looked to be his grandfather as well as a security guard. Eventually Armstrong ripped the mask off Assassin #2, but Assassin #2 grabbed a towel from the announcer’s table and covered his face. Assassin #2 then fled the ring and was counted out.
Next was Steve Lawler, The Black Assassin, and “Cowboy” Dennis Gale (with C.J. “Candy” Moye) vs. The Patriot, Terry Lawler, and Robert Gibson. Stevel Lawler has trained Buff Bagwell and Disco Inferno. The Black Assassin came to the ring holding the Sudanese flag and wearing tights that read “Sudan” although he was announced as being from the U.S. “Cowboy” Dennis Gale is a Deep South wrestler who has been wrestling for 36 years in front of the crowd who knew him very well. I have no idea who was under The Patriot’s mask. He looked older and during intermission was signing WCW photographs as if he was the same Patriot. Terry Lawler was using the Honky Tonk Man gimmick.
Before the match, Steve Lawler claimed to be a legend killer and called out Don Fargo, who slowly made his way to ringside. Fargo sucker-punched Steve Lawler before doing the Fargo Strut to the cheers of the crowd. Fargo then left the area claiming that he couldn’t punch like he used to.
(5) The Patriot & Terry Lawler & Robert Gibson beat Steve Lawler & Black Assasin & "Cowboy" Dennis Gale via DQ in a six-man tag. After a bit of back and forth action, the heels kept The Patriot in the ring, taking turns beating him up while the faces tried to get in the ring to help their fallen comrade. Eventually they were able to help, but the match dissolved into a clustermess, resulting in the referee disqualifying the heels. The match continued long afterwards with the wrestlers brawling around the arena, before the three faces made their way back into the ring to raise their hands as the victors.
Overall, attendance seemed pretty good. I am guessing that there were at least a couple hundred people in attendance. The crowd was very familiar with the wrestlers at the show, and they were extremely enthusiastic. I greatly enjoyed the "Brawl in Blakely," not for the athleticism, but for the atmosphere and being able to see some of the wrestlers, perhaps for the final time. This was a family-friendly PG show, and some of the wrestlers had clearly been entertaining the various families in attendance for multiple generations.
--- WWE officials are looking at getting NXT on TV in the United States some time in September.
--- While Rob Van Dam has signed a long term deal with WWE, word is that the terms of the contract have him working for 90 days and then taking an unspecified hiatus before returning to action.
---ILLINOIS
Villa Park-GALLI Lucha Libre at the GALLI Arena: Mike Anthony pinned Deron Bank$...KO Kendra pinned Sensational Shay…Chico Suave, Kuni Silenccio, & Golden Dragon defeated El Rosario, Will Moah, & Matt Creed…The Cursed (Punisher 747, Ovirload, Mojo McQueen) defeated Marshe Rockett, Atomico, & Bryce Benjamin…Pentagono, El Trigre, El Talentoso, GPA, & Destructor Jr. defeated La COrporacion (El Funebre, El Traidor, Dark Scorpion, & Destructor)…The Syndicate (Barry Ryte, Marcus, & Mason Conrad) defeated Calvin Beckham, Matt Knicks, & El Rebelde Noriega. (8/4/13)
INDIANA
Plymouth-Universal Pro Wrestling at the Tae Kwon Do Center: Jack Thriller pinned Jun Hado…Steven Drochner defeated Big Daddy Dean by Countout…Mark Vandy & Tripp Cassidy defeated Adam Bueller & Dale Patricks…Scotty Young pinned Ryan Epic…Melanie Cruise pinned December…SuperDiva pinned Mr. Fitness…Louis Lyndon defeated Denzel Bishop & Jynx in a Triple Threat Match…Russ Jones pinned Ruff Crossing…Jake Omen pinned Kharn Alexander…Osyris defeated Shane Douglas in an Extreme Rules Match. (8/3/13)
PEO WRESTLING EVENTS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 12,2013:
WWE @ Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California
AZW @ Filipino Community Center in Waipahu, Hawaii
PPW @ Everett A. Cummings Center in Mount Morris, Michigan
AAA @ Stars Track in San Lorenzo Tepaltitlan, Mexico
CMLL @ Arena Puebla in Puebla, Mexico
PC @ 4 Caminos Arena in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Osaka Pro @ Umeda Nasci Hall in Osaka, Japan
WW @ Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Porthcawl, Wales
---According to WWE, the claim in Variety that their programming reached a milestone 20 million unique viewers this week was a legitimate number cited by Nielsen, the company which monitors television ratings.
WWE noted that the numbers cited in the daily update today (4.18 million viewers for Raw, 0.9 million for Main Event, 1.53 million for Total Divas, 2.75 million for Smackdown and 1.92 million for the NBC WrestleMania special for a total of 11.28 million) were all accurate, but those were average viewership numbers for any given one minute period of a show. In other words, on average at any given time during Raw Monday, 4.18 million people were watching the show. However, on Wednesday Nielsen provides WWE with the total number of unique viewers for the program. Anyone who watched Raw for as little as six minutes on Monday night is counted in this number. This past Monday (and the Raw number includes Monday's Raw plus AM Raw, although the AM Raw number doesn't add much to total uniques, which actually is a pretty interesting stat), the total number of unique viewers for Raw was 8 million. Smackdown's reported 2.75 million viewers was the average number of viewers at any moment during the show, but according to Nielsen the total number of unique viewers for Smackdown last Friday was 4.3 million.
It was noted that all of the Total Divas replays (there were 15 airings total) were counted, so anyone who tuned in for as little as six minutes during any of those 15 airings counted as a unique viewer as well.
WWE also noted that they didn't take the total unique viewers for each show and just add them all together because that would presume every show had its own completely unique audience with no overlap. Instead, the company asked Nielsen to provide the total number of unique viewers for all the shows listed, and the number they were given was 20 million. It was noted that if they had simply added all the uniques together presuming no overlap, that the number would have been significantly higher than 20 million.
---In her new YouShoot with Kayfabe Commentaries, former WWE Diva Kharma refers to Matt Hardy's fiancee Reby Sky as a "ho" and places her name in the "Ho Bag." Reby responded on her Ask.fm account:
"Not aware of this, if it is true. Doesn't make much sense, as I don't know her on a really personal level & we have been nothing but nice to each other in passing at shows. We've actually texted back & forth a few times, so if she now has a problem with me, I can only attribute it to one thing/person. Fake as f--k to be nice to my face & talk s--t to a camera if its true, but no shocker there. That's 99% of the women in this business anyway. Next."
She also responded to a fan and commented on wrestlers doing shoot interviews:
"Broke wrestlers doing "shoot" interviews for a couple hundred bucks to support their drug habits can KEEP mentioning me. Everyone knows I'm in an AMAZING committed relationship & love a good name drop "
Another fan later asked if she was calling Kharma a drug addict. Reby replied:
"And for the record, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, and for you know what good reason. No use in continuing to play nice or protect anyone who is sweet to my face & a c--t to me & my close friends behind my back."
---Fifteen year old wrestling fan Jonathon O'Malley, who suffers from dermatomyositis, recently got to spend the weekend with former WWE Superstar Tyler Reks in California. O'Malley is Reks' biggest fan and the visit was made possibly by The Dream Factory of Kansas City. The Community Voice has published an article about their new friendship.
---Ring Of Honor will be running shows on November 15th in Dearborn, MI and the 16th in Columbus, OH. Tickets start at $20 for general admission.
---Q and A-
There's been a lot of rumors about Tammy Sytch since the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest? I know Mike Johnson was there, so what exactly went down with her that led to Tom Prichard and Tully Blanchard cutting promos on her in front of fans?
There were a few incidents over the course of the weekend, although I don't think anyone outside of the immediate area truly knew about them.
Sytch came to the Fanfest with her latest boyfriend/indy wrestler, who I won't name because I don't believe he was the cause of any of this. As some exposition, her boyfriend came down to the weekend training seminar with Tully, Prichard and several other trainers. During the Hall of Heroes banquet on Friday, Sytch got him some unwanted attention as she "broke from the script" and gave him a long introduction and asked him to stand - only the introduction was longer than some of the legends that were in attendance received. At least two of them intimated to me that by doing so, she probably kept him out of the running for the Reid Flair Scholarship, as the second she put him over so big, it would have made it look like the entire thing was a work if he had won it.
Over the course of the weekend, her boyfriend was in the ring with another, female trainee and he tossed her to the outside. She ended up getting busted open hardway. Later on, during one of the live events, Sytch tried to talk to the female trainee, the other female didn't want to hear what Sytch was saying and instead wanted to watch the show. Sytch was offended that the female didn't want to listen to her and was offended a rookie would do such a thing to a veteran. This was all going on behind the hard camera and next to the announcers. Prichard finally left his position announcing, during the broadcast, and told Sytch to knock it off and let it go. He demanded she go stand somewhere else.
After a few minutes, Sytch returned to where the trainee was standing and started again, which led to Tully Blanchard coming from across the room to browbeat Sytch in a way that well, would have made some men wince, before Sytch finally stopped.
There may have been other instances, but those were the only ones that I was witness to in Charlotte.
Hey guys... I noticed that since RVD has been back with WWE he has wrestled alot of talent. Would it be a case where he signed a short term contract and he would like wrestle alot guys while under contract or will he stay long enough to start a feud ? Thanks again.
Van Dam signed a long term deal, although we are told that the terms dictated that he would work for 90 days, then take an unspecified hiatus before returning to action. So, that could be why he's just bouncing around as opposed to being in a major program.
I really like the X-Division Title angle (Option C) that Aries and Sabin have been able to apply to not only win the world title, but also help to elevate the X-Division title. That said, I believe they don’t do it well enough and WWE could do better. What do you think of the idea that the past 6-7 IC/US Title Holders are the combatants in one Money in the Bank while the other is the All-Stars concept of this year. They could even do the All-Stars as a fan vote in much like professional sports leagues. I see this as a win-win for WWE. One, they can elevate their US and IC titles potentially to the degree it was in the late 80’s early 90’s in terms of next step progression. This would also elevate talent in the eyes of fans. WWE doesn’t have to over think the push/depush of the secondary titles as it has an end-game built in. It also pushes their social media concepts that have been driven home over the last 2 years. Thoughts?
It's an interesting idea and one that would fit into the way WWE tried to build a synergy with their social media, I wouldn't be shocked to see if someone stole it.
For some reason, this popped into my head the other day: Why has there never been a Jerry Lawler DVD set? Was there one and I missed it? Or has there never been one due to unavailability/non-existence of old tapes, especially from the Memphis era?
WWE considered doing one a few years ago but the decision was made not to go forward with it. I'd personally love to see a documentary on his life and career as his autobiography was an excellent read and it would be a lot of fun to see what they could come up with.
Why is it we don't get to see much of Pedro Morales when WWE trots out the older Hall of Famers? Even when the Hall of Fame was in the Garden, no sign of Morales. What's up?
In asking around, I am told that has more to do with Morales' health and his decision not to leave home than anything related to issues between the two sides.
I know this is silly considering the first DVD isn't out yet, but are there plans to do more with the Mid-South Library?
Yes, WWE has every intention of monetizing it for their Network, VOD channel and DVDs.
---TNA Knockout SoCal Val revealed on Twitter that she will be playing a role in a film called "That Which Falls Apart."
---Japan Results-
New Japan, 11.08.2013 (by Sternness on the 11.08.2013)
NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 23", 11.08.2013 (WPW/iPPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
11,500 Fans - Super No. vacancy full House
0 G1 climax - block A: Tomohiro Ishii [6] defeated Hirooki goto [8] by forfeit.
0 G1 climax - block B: Kota Richard [8] defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] by forfeit.
1 G1 climax - block B: Yuji Nagata [10] defeated Yujiro Takahashi [8] with the exploder of Justice (9:06).
2. G1 climax - block B: Toru Yano [8] defeated Minoru Suzuki [10] by Pinfall (9:26).
3. G1 climax - block B: [10] Shelton Benjamin defeated Shinsuke Nakamura [10] (10:34) with the Paydirt.
4. G1 climax - block B: Tetsuya Naito [10] with the Brahma Blanca defeated Karl Anderson [10] (13:11).
5. G1 climax - block A: Lance Archer [8] (14:37) defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10] with the blackout.
6 G1 climax - block A: Prince Devitt [10] defeated Togi Makabe [10] with the bloody Sunday (8:43).
7 G1 climax - block A: Satoshi Kojima [8] (11:56) defeated Kazuchika Okada [9] with a Lariat.
8 G1 climax - block A: [11] Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Katsuyori Shibata [10] (10:56) with a small package hold.
9 Special six man tag match: Kazushi Sakuraba, Akebono & Kota Richard defeated Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (13:25) after the Sakuraba lock by Sakuraba against YOSHI HASHI.
10 G1 climax - final: Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (26:44) with a Stardust Press to win the G1CLIMAX tournament.
-G1 climax group stage final standings:
Block A:
1 Hiroshi Tanahashi [11]
2. Katsuyori Shibata [10]
3 Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10]
4. Prince Devitt [10]
5. Togi Makabe [10]
6 Kazuchika Okada [9]
7 Hirooki goto [8]
8 Lance Archer [8]
9 Satoshi Kojima [8]
10 Tomohiro Ishii [6]
Block B:
1 Tetsuya Naito [10]
2. Minoru Suzuki [10]
3. Karl Anderson [10]
4. Shelton Benjamin [10]
5. Shinsuke Nakamura [10]
6 Yuji Nagata [10]
7 Kota Richard [8]
8 Yujiro Takahashi [8]
9 Toru Yano [8]
10 Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
[Results] All Japan, 11.08.2013 (by Sternness on the 11.08.2013)
AJPW "SUMMER IMPACT 2013 ~ THE BEGINNING OF EVOLUTION ~", 11.08.2013 (GAORA TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1 With a cradle cutback, Masao Inoue defeated Kazushi Miyamoto (10:38).
2. Kotaro Suzuki & Atushi Aoki defeated Osamu Nishimura & Masanobu Fuchi (22:25) to a cross Armbreaker Aoki against Fuchi.
3. Dara & Argenis defeat p & SUSHI (10:49) in a triple-step Moonsault press by Argenis against SUSHI.
4. AJPW World Tag Team Championship & Jr. heavyweight title AJPW World skirmish: Jun Akiyama & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeating Takao Omori & Hikaru Sato (24:19) to a cross Armbreaker cutback by Kanemaru against Sato.
5. Triple Crown skirmish: Suwama & Joe Doering defeat Akebono & go Shiozaki (21:47) after a death Valley bomb Doering against Akebono.
[Results] NOAH, 10.08.2013 (by Sternness on the 11.08.2013)
NOAH "SUMMER NAVIGATION 2013", 10.08.2013
Narita city high school
1,000 Fans
1 Yoshinari Ogawa defeated Hitoshi Kumano (12:02) with a backdrop Suplex.
2. Daisuke Harada defeated Gaston Mateo with a diving elbow drop (7:31).
3. 3 Way match: taiji Ishimori defeated Emperor & Pesadilla (4:46) with an Aussie suplex hold against Pesadilla.
4. Maybach Taniguchi defeated Masao Inoue (13:40) with the Maybach Press.
5. 9 Man Battle Royal: Masao Inoue defeated Hitoshi Kumano with a front cradle cutback (5:39). Order of leaving: Maybach Taniguchi, Emperor, Pesadilla, Yoshinari Ogawa, Daisuke Harada, taiji Ishimori, Gaston Mateo & Hitoshi Kumano.
6 TMDK vs. Little Galaxy: Shane haste & Mikey Nicholls defeat Shiori Asahi (K-DOJO) & Hiro Wilson (K-DOJO) (9:01) after a sliding Lariat by Nicholls against Asahi.
7 NO MERCY vs. Diamond Ring: Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima defeat in a Vertical drop Brainbuster Nakajima against SUWA Takashi Sugiura & Maybach SUWA Jr. (15:32).
8 NO MERCY vs. BRAVE: KENTA, Yoshihiro Takayama & Genba Hirayanagi defeat after the Shoryu Genba from Hirayanagi against Kotoge Mohammed Yone, Naomichi Marufuji & Atsushi Kotoge (18:37).
NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 23", 10.08.2013 (TV Asahi ch. 2/iPPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
8.200 Fans - no vacancy
0 G1 climax - block B: [8] Yuji Nagata defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] by forfeit.
0 G1 climax - block A: Katsuyori Shibata [10] defeated Hirooki goto [8] by forfeit.
1 After the Tenchu II by YOSHI HASHI against Captain, Takashi Iizuka & YOSHI HASHI defeat Captain new Japan & KUSHIDA (8:04).
2. G1 climax - block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10] defeated Prince Devitt [8] (7:26) bomb with a Bulldog.
3. G1 climax - block B: Karl Anderson [10] with the gun stun defeated Yujiro Takahashi [8] (7:00).
4. G1 climax - block A: Lance Archer [6] defeated Satoshi Kojima [6] (12:38) with the blackout.
5. G1 climax - block B: Shelton Benjamin [8] defeated Toru Yano [6] (7:35) with an ankle hold.
6 G1 climax - block A: Togi Makabe [10] defeated Tomohiro Ishii [4] (14:00) with a King Kong kneedrop.
7 G1 climax - block B: Minoru Suzuki [10] with a Gotch-style pile driver defeated Kota Richard [6] (13:37).
8 G1 climax - block B: Tetsuya Naito [8] defeated Shinsuke Nakamura [10] (14:50) with a Stardust Press.
9 Kazuchika Okada [9] block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [9] G1 climax - vs. - time limit draw (30:00).
---Big Time Wrestling results
August 10, 2013
Altoona, Pa.
The matches changed a bit from the show in West Virginia on Friday night, which is good sign that they just don't run carbon copies from show to show.
I didn't make the meet and greet like last time and pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes after the show was about to start. My friend and I could hear audible "whoooos" from inside the building while still a long distance away. Upon entering some people passed us covered in sweat and warned us about the incredible heat and lack of air conditioning and that the show was running late. They weren't lying.
Let's get into a few complaints first (one in particular) that should have been fixed after the last time through. The heat was unbearable and sucked the life out of the crowd from time to time. I would estimate there were around 600-700 at the Jaffa Shrine, which is a great venue that really harkens back to the days of beer halls and VFW wrestling shows. Now, I don't think BTW has anything to due with the comfort of the hall's temperature, but they do have control over their biggest problem. The sound system is horrible. The music is too loud for the building and the ring announcer simply CAN'T be heard when he's making the ring entrance announcements over the music. If you don't know the wrestlers, there's no way you can hear the names. So, be warned, when I give the results, there is definitely some names that I couldn't make out and am just putting the best version of what I could decipher. Now, with that said...on to the show, which wasn't that bad except for a few things I'll get into later.
First out, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair received a several-minute standing ovation. He began by apologizing for missing the last show he was scheduled for and talked about how it was only the third time that he ever missed an appearance he was scheduled for. The other two times were for wrestling tournaments that his son Reid was involved with and the third was due to the death of Reid. Flair had tears rolling down his face and quite a few members of the audience were right there with him. After getting that out of his system, Ric told a few stories about being in Altoona before and even went a bit heelish when it seemed like he was getting on our beloved on Pittsburgh Steelers a bit and started talking about Michael Vick playing for the cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Eagles the night before. Anyways, he thanked us, told us to enjoy our evening, walked out to another standing ovation, and wasn't seen again the rest of the night.
On to the matches...and keep in mind, the names of some of the unknowns and lesser knows aren't exactly correct because there was no way to make them out.
(1) Slyck Wagner Brown beat John Sampson. Sampson has a redneck gimmick and gives off a bit of a Dick Slater vibe. He's pretty entertaining, but lost the match to Brown due to a school boy roll up. Fun opener.
2) Tag team match between the Russian Hammer & Ben Junx (?) vs. The Patriot & Lone Star. Both teams had managers in their corners who interfered from time to time. The Patriot got the pin on Junx. Both teams tried hard, but the crowd wasn't really into it. Later in the evening, I passed a man who was talking to The Patriot, who was still in his mask and the man called him Rich. So, I have no clue who was portraying the character on this night.
(3) TNA KO champion Mickie James beat Reby Sky and Jessie Belle in a three-way women's match. Reby and Jessie came out as a team at first and then kept interrupting pinfalls the other had on Mickie to try to win the match. Not a bad match at all with only a few missed spots. Mickie pinned Belle after a chick kick. I can see Belle moving up in the business. She's very attractive and does seem to have some talent.
Up next was an appearance by Virgil, who spet a few minutes talking about past times in Altoona and how the fans were the best in the world. It was nice to see him.
(4) Matt Hardy beat The Arizona Patriot R.J. Brewer. Turned into the match of the night so far. Both guys worked hard to get the crowd into the match and put on a very good 12-15 match with Matt winning with the Twist Of Fate. TNA or ROH wouldn't do themselves any harm by giving R.J. Brewer a decent try-out. The guy has something about him that works.
[ Intermission. Mickie James and Terry Funk showed up in the ring to take pictures. It was 20 dollars for a photo with just one of them or 30 dollars with both of them. The line was incredible and stretched out the intermission in that sort of heat to over a half-an-hour, probably closer to 45 minutes. It was way, way, way too long, but I know that's how they make their money. I felt a bit bad for Terry because it seemed like Mickie was getting most of the photo action, but he did get his fair share.
(5) The New England Patriot Bam Bam Delfanzo beat Todo Loco, who I'm guessing was pretending to be Lucha Libre. Ten minutes of nothing special and Delfanzo won with a powerslam.
(6) The most frustrating match of the night because not a single name could be heard of the Quiet Riot entrance music. It was three bad guys versus three good guys. One of the bad guys (Shorty Smalls) did have his name on the back of his shirt. Well, after ten minutes of a mess of a match, Shorty got the pin with a frog splash off the top rope on one of the good guys.
(7) Carlito (who didn't use his last name) pinned Chris Masters (yes, they used the name Masters). This was a very fun match which started out with some sportsmanship and then turned into Carlito working as the heel after some questionable tactics. A nice chant of "We Want Apple" broke out a few times. It seemed as if both guys were having fun and created an enjoyable match that went pretty close to 15 minutes. At the end, Carlito got his apple, spit it at Masters, missed, and nailed the referee. With the ref blinded, Masters locked in the Masterlock, but received a back kick to the groin. Carlito then caught Masters with the Backstabber for the pin. Not a very logical finish since the ref saw him spit the apple into his face...but hey...it was what it was. A decent match and both men hugged and took in some of the crowd adoration together before they left the ring.
Next up...the steel cage match between BTW Heavyweight Champion Flex Armstrong and Shane Douglas with Terry Funk as the special guest ring enforcer.
However, before that match, one more intermission with Matt Hardy coming out to sign autographs while the cage was being constructed by what looked to be like a middle school shop class. At first it seemed as if not very many people was coming down for the photo opportunity after the steep price of the one during the first intermission. Matt took the mic and said, "These people have spent enough money tonight. Let's give them a break and cut it from $20 to $10." That's all it took and the line grew and grew. So, what should have been a brief break to build the cage turned into another half-hour intermission and the crowd was grumbling pretty good by this point. The signing was a good idea, but not right before the main event with the crowd already tired from a long show in an incredibly hot building.
Main Event Time with BTW champion Flex Armstrong defending against Shane Douglas. Douglas tried to play the heel in this one despite being from a reasonable distance from Altoona. He called Terry Funk out the ring and laid some pretty good insults into him. Funk and the ref took their places outside of the cage with the only way to win by climbing through the door or over the cage. It was after 11:00 when the main event was ready to go.
(8) BTW Heavyweight champion Flex Armstrong beat Shane Douglas in a steel cage to retain the BTW Title. The match started out with the typical stalling, and built up steam the longer it went. Shane bled a few minutes into the match after what appeared to be from Terry Funk slamming the door on his head while trying to get out of the cage door. Another wrestler came to ringside and threw a steel chair into the ring to help out Shane. Armstrong took advantage of the situation and tried to walk out the door. Funk wouldn't let him in what appeared to be some sort of heel turn, but all he wanted Armstrong to do was climb to the top of the cage, which he did. Instead of climbing down to the floor, Flex turned around and did the Superfly Snuka cage leap onto Shane. After a few minutes of both men crawling around in 20 on the mat, Armstrong crawled out the door to retain the championship in approximately twenty minutes or so. Not a bad match at all.
Most of the arena had cleared out when Shane got on the mic and gave props to Terry Funk for being the toughest S.O.B. he ever met and then gave a speech about some of his late ECW buddies like Bam Bam Bigelow and Chris Candido. Shane was really into the moment and then called Flex Armstrong back into the ring and gave him some excellent compliments and finally left the ring to let Flex say a few words to the 100 or so people left in the building who had all gathered around the cage. Flex was at a loss for words and didn't say much, but people were invited into the cage with him for photo opportunities. It was nearly midnight when we left the building and the pictures were still going on. You had to have your own camera person with you to get a pic taken, and neither my lady friend nor I thought it was a smart idea to try to get into the cage because we're both over 50 and probably couldn't make it through the ropes. Oh, well, another life opportunity lost.
Overall, the wrestling was entertaining and BTW puts on a good show. On the down side, the autograph signings were both WAY too long and they have to do something about fixing the sound system problems between the loud music and the ring announcer's mic. But, I highly recommend checking out their show if they make it to your area. The package deals are a bit steep, but the general admission and seats further back on the floor are well worth the price. 15 dollars each for where we were sitting is a fantastic deal. I wish I had somebody to go with to the show in Belle Vernon, Pa. on Sunday with Shane Douglas vs. Matt Hardy in a re-match from their Extreme Reunion match from last year when Matt took his nasty tumble from the top-rope to the floor and the crowd had to be evacuated.
Finally, the next return date is March 2014.
---Big Time Wrestling results
August 9, 2013
Keyser, W. Va.
This event was held at Keyser High School on Friday night. There was supposed to be a "meet and greet" from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and we were there just before 5:00 to find that the line was huge! The doors didn't open until around 5:45 p.m. and then it took quite a while to get inside, so right away, that didn't set well with a lot of people. I did manage to get a lot of autographs, though.
Once inside, there was no air conditioning, so it was extremely hot, and a lot of people left at intermission. I stayed for the whole event. The show was slated to start at 7:30 p.m., but didn't get going until about 7:45 p.m.
The following is a list of the matches:
Ric Flair opened the show. He came out in a suit, talked about the show, did a little stylin' and profilin', and interacted with some of the people in attendance. His time in the ring was around 5-to-10 minutes, and that was it for him for the night.
(1) For the opening match, I unfortunately could not hear the names of these two guys on the P.A. system. It was a short warm-up match.
(2) Shorty Smalls & Travis Tarvin & Elite Pro Cruiserweight champion Mr. Xcellence beat O.G.B. & High Tide Bodie Williams & a third partner. Lots of interference from the winning team's manager, Dr. Crane.
(3) TNA Knockouts champion Mickie James beat Reby Sky. A very good women's match. At one point during the match, Mickie (accidentally?) pulled out one of Reby Sky's hair extensions. Funny! By the way, Mickie had the TNA KO Title belt with her tonight. Nice.
(4) Griffin & The Patriot beat the BTW Tag champions After the match, one of the members of the BTW tag champs became upset that they had lost, and started tossing stuff around, including the announcers table, ring bell, chairs, etc.
(5) Matt Hardy beat R.J. Brewer. Matt got the loudest pop of the night, other than Flair. He played up to the crowd, and had everybody on their feet. Once again, another great match.
After this match, there was a long intermission. Mickie James, Terry Funk and Matt Hardy were in the ring for anyone who would like to have their pics taken with them. I got a pic with Mickie James, who had the TNA KO Title belt with her. I had gotten a pic with Matt Hardy earlier at the shortened "meet and greet."
(6) Sonjay Dutt & Wildman Robbie Paige (Elite Pro Tag Champions) defended their tag titles against The Judo Master & Slick Underground.
(7) BTW Heavyweight champion Flex Armstrong defended his title against Elite Pro star Vince Vega. Elite Pro tag team The Wildcards accompanied Vega to the ring. After much interference from the Wildcards, the ref sent them to the back, and Armstrong made a big comeback to retain his title. Armstrong was very impressive. This is the first time I have seen him in action, and he was amazing.
(8) Chris Masters submitted Carlito Colon. Carlito came to the ring with two apples, which he sat on the ring announcer's table. Both guys shook hands to begin the match. Nice. A very good match. Eventually, Carlito did the "apple' thing, and Masters applied the Masterlock for the win. Both guys got a lot of cheers from the crowd.
(9) Jake Davis beat Luke Gallows in a number one contender's match for the Elite Pro Heavyweight Title; Davis will face Tommy Dreamer in a steel cage match on Friday, Sept. 13. This was a no DQ Hardcore match, and it didn't disappoint. After a little in ring action, it spilled out to the floor and went all over the auditorium. When they finally came back to the ring, Davis got a roll of barbed wire from under the ring, and wound it around the top rope. He tried to throw Gallows into the wire, but Gallows reversed and Davis ended up entangled in the barbed wire. Somewhere along the line, a kendo stick appeared in the ring, and a lot of hard hits were exchanged.
Eventually, Gallows got under the ring and pulled out a bag of thumbtacks, which he emptied onto the ring floor. It got really brutal here. A lot of bodyslams into the thumbtacks. Davis brought a steel chair into the ring, but before he could hit Gallows, Elite Pro President Leslie Leatherman entered the ring and got the chair away from Davis. Leatherman swung the chair at Davis, who ducked, and Leatherman accidentally hit Gallows, knocking him out. Davis covered him for the win. Leatherman sat in the corner in shock and disbelief. He tried to apologize to Gallows, but he just shoved him aside.
The show ended around 11:15 p.m. Overall, a really good show. The only drawbacks, (and they were big ones), were the extremely hot auditorium and the late start. This was definitely a sell-out, and I'm hoping they come back again. It was worth the wait.
---Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling Results
"Brawl in Blakely"
August 10, 2013
Blakely, Ga.
I arrived at the Early County High School Gymnasium 30 minutes before bell time to scout the merchandise tables and was able to meet and get my photograph taken with Ron Simmons, Robert Gibson, and The Patriot. The last time I saw Gibson was back in 2000 when he challenged “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan for the WCW Television Title. He looked noticeably healthier and svelter than he did 13 years ago.
Before the bell, the Early County High School dance team came out and performed for the audience. Then the crowd was told to stand for the “Star Spangled Banner,” before the announcer came out to hype the program. The announcer was interrupted by a rather rotund-looking wrestler named Thomas Shock who took the microphone and said that he was replacing Steve Armstrong, who couldn’t make it, but that he would kick the butt of anyone he faced. Ron Simmons made his way to the ring and Thomas Shock fled in terror.
Ron Simmons entered the ring, took the mic, and made fun of Thomas Shock for a bit before thanking the fans for all the support they had given him throughout his football and professional wrestling career. He said he wished that he had a word to sum up his feelings, and the crowd then cheered him on hoping he would say, “you know what.” Simmons played around the ring for a bit, but then shouted, “you know what,” and the crowd roared. Simmons then left the ring, and the announcer introduced the opening match.
(1) Dirty Dog Bower beat “Wildman” Krash the Bull via DQ. Krash the Bull was accompanied to the ring by Don Fargo, who was a NWA Tag Team Champion back in the late ‘50s. This match was the most athletic on the card with all the moves that you would expect from a WWE or TNA match. There was solid back and forth action for ten minutes until Krash the Bull rolled up and pinned Dirty Dog Bower by holding on to Bower’s tights. Bower complained to the referee after the match, and the children in the audience jumped up and down screaming that Krash the Bull had held onto Bower’s tights. The referee then reversed the decision and declared Bower the winner via DQ. Not wanting to win that way, Bower asked for five more minutes, and the crowd shamed Krash the Bull into getting back into the ring. The referee restarted the match and pretty soon Bower pinned Krash the Bull.
It’s worth noting that when Dirty Dog Bower’s music played a young man with Down syndrome who was sitting in the front row got up and danced and the entire gymnasium cheered him on. This individual, in many ways, became an integral part of the show.
(2) “Golden Boy” Chick Donovan submitted Thomas Shock. Chick Donovan is probably most famous for being one of the original First Family members back in ’81. He was obviously well known in the area as the entire crowd knew who he was. When he came to the ring he pulled teenage girls who were sitting in the front row out of their seats and danced with them. This match had a weird angle because a second referee came out to replace the first referee. The announcer quizzed the second referee on why he was coming out, and asked if the second referee had a license. The announcer asked Chick Donovan and Thomas Shock if they knew why a replacement referee came out, and both wrestlers claimed ignorance. After some action, Chick Donovan put Thomas Shock in the figure-four leg lock and won without the second referee involving himself in any way, which was the opposite of what the crowd was expecting.
After the match, Chick Donovan tried to circle the ring to high-five the audience, but the young man with Down syndrome held onto Donovan’s hand and insisted he dance with him. The two danced to the roar of the crowd.
(3) Lord Humungus beat Billy the Kid & “Rough Rider” T.J. Lord Humungus, a true behemoth, came to ring wearing the same outfit his character wore in the movie, The Road Warrior. Humungus walked around the ring clotheslining his two opponents until “Rough Rider” T.J. got sick of it, and left his partner alone in the ring. Humungus then clotheslined Billy the Kid and pinned him with one knee.
(4) “Bullet” Bob Armstrong beat Assassin #2 via count-out. I have no idea who was under the Assassin mask. The person looked far too young to be the original Assassin #2, and was announced as being from “parts unknown.” Armstrong made his way to the ring dancing to “Bad to the Bone.” I was the first person to shake Armstrong’s hand as he made his way to the ring, which sort of made up for me not being able to get my picture taken with him or getting a personalized autograph from him the way I was able to do with Simmons and Gibson. After Armstrong bested Assassin #2 in a test of strength, Assassin #2 played the role of the chicken heel and kept ducking out of the ring to escape Armstrong. This angered the young man with Down syndrome to the point he had to be restrained by what looked to be his grandfather as well as a security guard. Eventually Armstrong ripped the mask off Assassin #2, but Assassin #2 grabbed a towel from the announcer’s table and covered his face. Assassin #2 then fled the ring and was counted out.
Next was Steve Lawler, The Black Assassin, and “Cowboy” Dennis Gale (with C.J. “Candy” Moye) vs. The Patriot, Terry Lawler, and Robert Gibson. Stevel Lawler has trained Buff Bagwell and Disco Inferno. The Black Assassin came to the ring holding the Sudanese flag and wearing tights that read “Sudan” although he was announced as being from the U.S. “Cowboy” Dennis Gale is a Deep South wrestler who has been wrestling for 36 years in front of the crowd who knew him very well. I have no idea who was under The Patriot’s mask. He looked older and during intermission was signing WCW photographs as if he was the same Patriot. Terry Lawler was using the Honky Tonk Man gimmick.
Before the match, Steve Lawler claimed to be a legend killer and called out Don Fargo, who slowly made his way to ringside. Fargo sucker-punched Steve Lawler before doing the Fargo Strut to the cheers of the crowd. Fargo then left the area claiming that he couldn’t punch like he used to.
(5) The Patriot & Terry Lawler & Robert Gibson beat Steve Lawler & Black Assasin & "Cowboy" Dennis Gale via DQ in a six-man tag. After a bit of back and forth action, the heels kept The Patriot in the ring, taking turns beating him up while the faces tried to get in the ring to help their fallen comrade. Eventually they were able to help, but the match dissolved into a clustermess, resulting in the referee disqualifying the heels. The match continued long afterwards with the wrestlers brawling around the arena, before the three faces made their way back into the ring to raise their hands as the victors.
Overall, attendance seemed pretty good. I am guessing that there were at least a couple hundred people in attendance. The crowd was very familiar with the wrestlers at the show, and they were extremely enthusiastic. I greatly enjoyed the "Brawl in Blakely," not for the athleticism, but for the atmosphere and being able to see some of the wrestlers, perhaps for the final time. This was a family-friendly PG show, and some of the wrestlers had clearly been entertaining the various families in attendance for multiple generations.
--- WWE officials are looking at getting NXT on TV in the United States some time in September.
--- While Rob Van Dam has signed a long term deal with WWE, word is that the terms of the contract have him working for 90 days and then taking an unspecified hiatus before returning to action.
---ILLINOIS
Villa Park-GALLI Lucha Libre at the GALLI Arena: Mike Anthony pinned Deron Bank$...KO Kendra pinned Sensational Shay…Chico Suave, Kuni Silenccio, & Golden Dragon defeated El Rosario, Will Moah, & Matt Creed…The Cursed (Punisher 747, Ovirload, Mojo McQueen) defeated Marshe Rockett, Atomico, & Bryce Benjamin…Pentagono, El Trigre, El Talentoso, GPA, & Destructor Jr. defeated La COrporacion (El Funebre, El Traidor, Dark Scorpion, & Destructor)…The Syndicate (Barry Ryte, Marcus, & Mason Conrad) defeated Calvin Beckham, Matt Knicks, & El Rebelde Noriega. (8/4/13)
INDIANA
Plymouth-Universal Pro Wrestling at the Tae Kwon Do Center: Jack Thriller pinned Jun Hado…Steven Drochner defeated Big Daddy Dean by Countout…Mark Vandy & Tripp Cassidy defeated Adam Bueller & Dale Patricks…Scotty Young pinned Ryan Epic…Melanie Cruise pinned December…SuperDiva pinned Mr. Fitness…Louis Lyndon defeated Denzel Bishop & Jynx in a Triple Threat Match…Russ Jones pinned Ruff Crossing…Jake Omen pinned Kharn Alexander…Osyris defeated Shane Douglas in an Extreme Rules Match. (8/3/13)
PEO WRESTLING EVENTS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 12,2013:
WWE @ Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California
AZW @ Filipino Community Center in Waipahu, Hawaii
PPW @ Everett A. Cummings Center in Mount Morris, Michigan
AAA @ Stars Track in San Lorenzo Tepaltitlan, Mexico
CMLL @ Arena Puebla in Puebla, Mexico
PC @ 4 Caminos Arena in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Osaka Pro @ Umeda Nasci Hall in Osaka, Japan
WW @ Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Porthcawl, Wales