Dear Wrestling Promoters,
Want some free plugs? Want some love? Want us to tickle your ass with a feather? We want to plug you, love you, tickle you AND MORE! Email us at Paul@Wrestlefudge.com and give us all the gory details:
- when is your event?
- where is your event?
- how can fans follow your promotion?
- all of that fun stuff!
If you do your part, keep us in the loop, and aren't total dicks, we will do OUR part and spread the word! After all... Isn't that what it's all about?
They tried to shut us down.
They hoped we'd go away.
However, much like the independent wrestling that we cover... Our movement can't be stopped.
Earlier this month, Justin.tv -- the web service we currently use to broadcast our weekly Internet TV show -- shut us down and informed us we can't air any actual wrestling matches. Suddenly.
We have grudgingly agreed to honor their Community Guidelines, as silly and one-sided as they may in fact be. That being said, and to reiterate a point made in an earlier post, we will not go quietly into that good night. While we know that we are going to have to use jTV for the immediate future, the budget for 2013 is under review and we are looking into other options as well as looking forward to what the New Year will bring!
You read that right above. Season 2 of WrestlefudgeTV LIVE kicks off 1/11/13 and we have 24 episodes on the slate, with over 100 hours of planned content including 10, count 'em, 10 live remotes from indie wrestling shows, conventions, etc in the proposed budget. Judging by what we were able to accomplish on less than a weeks notice back at November's WOHW Whitehall show, and the overwhelmingly positive feedback on that presentation that we have received, we are understandably excited about these prospects!
I'd like to thank everyone, once again, for their support and on behalf of 68 Caroline Productions and my broadcast colleague, Will Cena, I have to say that we can't WAIT to help bring you all of the news, opinion, recaps and reviews of all our local indie wrestling companies in the new year! Happy holidays everyone!
And stay tuned! More news on January 11's Season Premiere in the coming weeks!
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COMING SOON on Wrestlefudge.com:
- more on the 2012 Fudgy Awards!
- updates on 787 Pro Wrestling's debut... News on WOHW's next event... The big IYFW-run convention coming in March... Fallout from CTWE's latest holiday-themed event...
- and MORE!
December 7, 2012... A day that will live in infamy.
Ok. Maybe we are exaggerating a little. Yet, undoubtedly, our way of doing business - our way of LIFE - was completely disrupted and thrown into total disarray less than 20 minutes before we were scheduled to go live on this very website Friday night. It has been brought to our attention that someone took it upon themselves to report us to Justin.tv admins. Those same admins felt as though we were in violation of their terms of service and community guidelines and they quickly BANNED us from using their service. Although they have no qualms with allowing their users to broadcast streaming video games (including graphic first person shooters such as "Dishonored" or "FarCry 3"), it seems as though professional wrestling is too violent for their delicate sensibilities and is outright banned from broadcast - no matter how violent it may or may not be.
First... The good news. We have been in contact with jTV's Lead Administrator and have come to an agreement wherein our IP ban would be lifted if we agree to follow these questionable terms of service and use. So, hey... If they stick to their word, we will be back on justin.tv soon! That's the good news!
The bad news is that the content of our programming is being dictated to us by a nebulous outside force. We don't like that. No more wrestling matches on our show. Which makes us VERY angry. We pride ourselves on spreading the joy of Indy wrestling across the Internet -- we KNOW that our airing of matches from promotions such as CTWE, WrestleJam, WOHW, IYFW on our shows have improved their profile and created new fans. We know this because we have talked to fans who have learned of these promotions, these wrestlers, this business, from our show. So we are saddened to say that FOR NOW... We will not be airing any wrestling action on any future editions of WrestlefudgeTV LIVE. FOR NOW. For now, we will have to simply post links to quality indie wrestling matches on our FB and this here blog.
Back to the good news... The events and fallout of the past 24 hours has forced Will and I, along with the generous people at 68 Caroline Productions, to review our options, look outward for more advantageous opportunities to do WHAT we want to do HOW we want to do it. We have discovered new, different broadcast technology. We are becoming familiar with, and are feeling out, more impressive live streaming possibilities. While we were absolutely angry and beside ourselves with rage last night when some goon tried to silence us, to pull our plug... We find ourselves renewed and rejuvenated.
This is not the end of WrestlefudgeTV LIVE. This is simply a new beginning.
That being said... We know who tipped the "authorities" off to us and the day will come when the truth will be known. It will be on our terms. They won't like the outcome.
I'd like to thank everyone who emailed us, texted us, messages us, facebooked, tweeted us, etc, with their concern and support. It honestly meant a lot. Your support means everything.
Before all of this went down, Will and I had intended on taking several weeks off - a hiatus to allow us to spend some much needed quality time with friends and family during the holidays, work on upcoming Fudgy Awards content, etc. We intends on still taking that hiatus. Stay tuned and look for us to return around the New Year.
Finally, I'd like to publically apologize to Dalton Castle, Pierre Vachon, and Matty McDervish for last nights debacle. We hate stiffing our guests almost as much as we hate stiffing our viewers and supporters. Thank you for understanding. It was so painfully out of our control.
The day WILL come when the "control" is ALL ours.
Thank you.
Paul
Wrestlefudge.com
Tomorrow Night on W'fudgeTV - 7PM on Wrestlefudge.com:
- Dalton Castle makes his second call in to our show to update us on his career(s) and appearances!
- Pierre Vachon has a stranglehold on wrestling in this area and he wants to verbally choke us BOTH out when he calls in!
- we get the ground-floor exclusive on Sensory Overload Lucha-libre with point man, Matty McDervish: Who are they? Is this all real? What town in New England do they plan on impregnating first? Tune in Friday night to find out!
- ALSO: a look at 787 Pro's debut show, news coming out of In Your Face Wrestling, a last look at CTWE's Season's Beatings, and of course a look back at last Friday nights WOHW show in Whitehall with Matt Hardy.
- and MORE, somehow!
-- holy shit, In Your Face Wrestling is for real with this "Memories, Moments, and Mayhem" convention they are putting on March 16th in Ballston Spa, NY. They just announced TOMMY DREAMER and AL SNOW. Pretty awesome. I imagine Will and I will get to speculating on just WHO they might face at the show that evening. Which IYFW talent will get the rub? Interesting question. And holier shit! Maxx Burton is stepping down as IYFW Authority Figure?!? I never thought I'd be sad to type that. Maxx is fun in this role. I am personally bummed. Is it possible?!? Do I suddenly... TRUST you, Maxx Burton?!? You fiend. Apparently, the new "boss" will be revealed at their January show. My vote is for Tino. What? There's no (official) vote? Let your voice be heard in our Facebook poll!
-- 787 Pro Wrestling is still set to debut January 13th, despite some confusion regarding pseudo-cancelled Facebook "events" on the ole social media that had some people scratching their heads. But guess what... Their advertised card has changed! It has also leaked and we have it. Check it out:
- they are still planning on a 30-man battle royale, winner faces Giant Pharoah. Presumably for the 787 Championship.
- Viper the American Ninja and Este Tipo vs The Joint Task Force: Sgt.Fury and Corporal Saint
- "Royalty" William King will take on Eric Alden
- Chris Envy vs. "Buttery" Bert Williams
- Vince Beach vs. JP Black
- Foxx Vinyer vs. Coconut Jones
- The Purists vs. Adam Badger and Shiloh
- CJ Scott against "The Party Peacock" Dalton Castle
- battle royale winner vs Pharoah
- and probably one other match
Guess what? Card subject to change. This is just what we received quite anonymously. Looks to be a really interesting show worth checking out!
I will offer this promotion the same advice I give every new federation... Whatever you do... please guys... Don't put the belt on the booker on the first show. Yeah. I said it. I get worried. Nothing but love.
-- this Friday night starting at 7pm on Wrestlefudge.com it's WrestlefudgeTV LIVE - back home in Studio 68 - our guests this week will explode your brain. Remember a few weeks ago when we unexpectedly cancelled our show and you were all real sad? We want to give those scheduled guests their god damned due and such! That's right... This Friday we will ask IYFW Heavyweight Champion PIERRE "The Beast" VACHON how it feels to prove EVERY critic wrong and still maintain a stranglehold at the top of In Your Face Wrestling... We will finally hear from the tippy-top of new promotion, Sensory Overload Lucha-libre, and we expect that to be COMPLETELY ridiculous! More guest announcements to come! (Note: we wanted to get "Royalty" William King on our show, but he has a prior engagement! We hope to have him on soon and really look forward to hearing from him!)
-- did you miss World of Hurt last Friday? Do you want to see it from the ONLY bad seat* in the house with some fun commentary? Did you also miss our 5-hour coverage of the event? Be sure to check it out and scratch BOTH of those aforementioned itches. We talked to fans as well as Pure Dynamite, Michael Anthony, 2Rad Kyle Brad, Jim Tanner, Danger and Jeff Starr, JP Black, Adam Badger, Fronz Roddy, The Joint Task Force, Shiloh, Swinger Sidusky, Famed Photographer Gary Braham, the lovely Reby Sky and probably MANY MORE! What a great night! We have been told that we are more than welcome at the NEXT WOHW show so STAY TUNED! We can't wait!
-- our thoughts are with friend of the 'fudge, Jay Simola, host of "Passing the Torch Radio" on blogtalkradio, who is dealing with some health issues right now. Get well soon, Jay!
(*there is no bad seat at the Whitehall Armory. It just doesn't translate well to our weak camera. Be sure to look for the ippv when it is released!)
Don't ask why (or "how", because I have no clue) but blogger doesn't want you guys to see anything more than the last two minutes of the show. Took almost an hour to hand crank that HTML and it is still rejecting it and replicating the same file 11 times.
For now go HERE to scope all the right pieces in one place.
So irritating. Hoping to have this issue resolved within the coming days. If not, F you, blogspot.
We've been pretty active on our official Facebook page as of late. You should check it out, if you haven't already. Be sure to click "like" for more nonsense!
Let's take a look around the circuit:
- Thinking forward to checking out 787 Pro Wrestling's debut in Troy, NY on January 13th? I'm hearing that we can expect to see a different set of matches than those promoted on their current event poster. Look for a few of the multi-man matches to get broken into singles/tag variants. I'll go ahead and speculate that we will see the advertised battle royal either waaaaaaay scaled down from 30 to maybe 15 competitors or scrapped entirely. Don't look at this as all "doom and gloom" for this newborn promotion. I'm still expecting a VERY solid show! It says "Card Subject to Change" for a reason.
- if you missed WrestlefudgeTV LIVE last Friday night then you missed World of Hurt Wrestling's Shane Alden announce a few more matches for their November 30th return to Whitehall, NY! Not only will Matt Hardy appear in a WOHW Heavyweight Championship 4-Way Match, taking on the champ, Sidusky, Punk, and Shane Alden Himself... But Matt's quite sexy girlfriend, Reby Sky, will be in action taking on Barbie! That, dear reader, will be a sight to behold! Also on the card, you will see a 4 on 4 Survival Rules Match featuring Team Danger Inc. (Starr, Danger, and 2 Mystery Wrestlers) going to war against Team Dynamite (Deep, Wesley, and 2 Mystery Wrestlers [one of whom may be this "Al" character we've heard so much about]). Alden also confirmed that we would also witness Adam Badger's return from shoulder surgery locking up with none other than Shiloh Robinson (Badger's actual and factual brother. Shhh.) Having seen Badger and Robinson lock up in tag matches through late 2011, and knowing just how hungry Adam Badger is, I am expecting these guys to absolutely steal the show. Looking at the card advertised already, I feel that is a bold statement but will stick to it.
- Slam All-Star Wrestling returns to St.Albans, VT on December 1st! Pierre "The Beast" Vachon is billed to team up with Wrestlefudge-favorite, The Rickety Rocket, to take on the tandem of Fronz Roddy and the Northern Studd for their tag belts... HUGE match for the Rocket! Should be a fun match in general! Syanide will challenge Michael Monroe for Monroe's SAW Cruiserweight Championship and SAW Heavyweight Champion, VIGO, is expected to be in action as well! These guys always put on a fun show that's worth the trip. If it weren't so close to the holidays, I'd consider making the long drive north myself!
- in "In Your Face" news... Look for the tag team scene to heat up very quickly. The Savage Wolves are likely reunited and back to causing mayhem together (even more alarming than the damage they do apart) and all indications are that Sgt.Fury and Vigo are on the cusp of a tag run as "Northern Fury". This could be a lot of fun as we get to watch current champs, Pure Dynamite, try to fend off teams like Team RPG, de Sade and Ricky Williams, and now the Wolves and Fury/Vigo.
- on THIS Friday nights WrestlefudgeTV LIVE we give IYFW's EndGame it's full due, talk to In Your Face Superstar, "Mighty" FRONZ RODDY about his Championship aspirations as well as reconnect with old friend of the 'fudge, SLYK WAGNER BROWN, to talk 2CW, CTWE, WrestleJam and MORE! All this AND we speak with World of Hurt Legend, "The White Lion" JIM TANNER! Oh yeah... This is going to be a good one! Be there! 7pm start time!
Crazy show back at the Ballston Area Community Center last Saturday night for In Your Face Wrestling. Having just moved to downtown Ballston Spa I have to admit it was kind of nice to walk back to my apartment and grab a cold brew during intermission! Lets take a quick look at the show!
- Sgt.Fury signs a contract!
Show kicked off with Senior Referee Dan Roberts appearing in street clothes to address his injury and the expiration of his referees contract with In Your Face Wrestling. Guess what? Maxx Burton has offered Dan, er... Sgt.Fury a contract... And he SIGNS it. I actually missed this segment, as Will and I were sequestered in a distant corner of the BACC filming mini-interviews. I am a fan of what Sgt. Dan brings to In Your Face and am glad to see he is bringing his boots to Ballston Spa for every show. 2013 could be a fun year for Sgt.Fury AND for In Your Face Wrestling fans.
- Chip Stetson def. Good Lord Willing
Say what you want about the Good Lord, but the fans in Ballston Spa always respond to him! Tonight was no different. I think everyone in the building was surprised when GLW extended a handshake to Stetson post-match. Is this the beginning of a long-awaited babyface run for Good Lord Willing?
- Scott Scarsdale def. Viper the Ninja after hitting The Jackpot
Viper is one of those guys that you always want to see more from but something about his pairing almost always detracts from what he can do. Scarsdale never seemed to get out of first gear here until awkwardly finding his finisher against the Ninja. I dunno... Not a "match of the night" contender.
- "Loverboy" Ricky Williams def. "Big Irish" Liam McFerrin for the IYFW New Breed Championship
This was a fun, decent match between two solid competitors until Scarsdale returned to ringside. I wouldn't have minded it so much if I hadn't JUST come to terms to having seen him in action in the previous match. Scott would distract Liam long enough for Ricky to steal the win and be announced as Blood Money's newest member. Ricky turns heel and the crowd turns on him. I suppose it was effective. Liam had a nice, strong title reign and I'm kind of surprised it came to an end this abruptly. Not that I expect him to move away from that belt immediately, of course.
- "The Wolf" CJ Scott def. "Savage" Damon Ravage in a 3 Stages of Hell Match
I don't know about Will, but this is my pick for match of the night. From the first bell to the last, this was a hard hitting, dramatic, fun and varied contest that kept you guessing. These guys delivered on all fronts. Damon stole the first win with a somewhat early roll-up and pin. CJ Scott forced Damon to submit in the second, leaving things to be decided in a last man standing match. Crazy back and forth action led to Ravage being driven through a handful of set up chairs... No way he could answer such a devastating finish. Post-match, the two actually hugged and raised eachothers arms. Wow. I know this was meant to be the end of this story but I didn't expect it to end with an emotional hug in the ring. But, hey, it worked so what the hell am I bitching about?
- No Contest between IYFW Tag Team Champions, Pure Dynamite, and Team RPG when Blood Money interfere
This was a fun, mostly fast paced tag match between two completely different tag teams with two completely different styles and approaches... Until Scott Scarsdale reappeared along with Ricky Williams (who is now overtly Canadian, because clearly we should hate all Canadians) and Guillaume de Sade to end the match with a miserable non finish. I know that getting heat is important and that there are some heels out there that feel that ANY heat is good heat... that was not "good" heat. Ugh. An unfortunate finish to a match that seemed to be just finding its proverbial groove.
- Fronz Roddy wins the Right to Fight Contract
Fun gauntlet match featuring Jamar "Magic" Justice, Guillaume de Sade, the Northern Studd, Shiloh Robinson and Vince Beach. This was a nice way to get a lot of great performers on the show and just let them loose. Roddy came through the curtain sporting a "Wrestlefudge" t-shirt, which naturally prompted a pop from The Heel Section. De Sade and Beach were fun to watch and Shiloh had a lot of fire, but this match was all about returning Fronz Roddy to the main title scene. A welcome addition to the top of the card! I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the next step here.
- Pierre "The Beast" Vachon def. Drake Evans, Roman Dominguez, and Vigo in a bloody Final 4-Way, retaining the IYFW Heavyweight Championship
Absolutely the most brutal match I have seen at an In Your Face show. Someone called it "twenty minutes of weapons" and I suppose they weren't wrong. I was struck by just how badly Roman Dominguez seemed to be bludgeoned by the plunder at ringside... Seeing as how this was his first "hardcore" style match, it seemed evident to us at ringside that the boys were giving him a friendly welcome to hardcore wrestling. Chaos, blood, kendo sticks, and insanity ensued. Everyone bled, but Vachon was the gusher for sure... And he would be the victor as well. Definitely a war! JP Black's run as a referee in this match and eventual heel (?) turn was interesting... Mainly because the crowd LOVED it! I'm almost thinking they should put Drake in the heel role and let Black run as the babyface! But I digress... A fun match to cap off the show. We all left the building SHOCKED that Vachon was still the IYFW Champion.
Other Notes:
- no Maxx Burton? At all? Interesting.
- GLW starting a face turn? Ricky Williams turns heel? Fronz is now a full fledged face? And JP is now a bad guy? A lot going on... Not that I'm complaining! As long as its followed up smartly, I think pretty much everything worked. The show was called "EndGame" but it was just as clearly a new beginning as well...
- IYFW returns January 26th to the BACC... And also announced a Wrestling Convention and Show on March 16th also at the BACC. More on that soon!
Tune in to WrestlefudgeTV LIVE right here at wrestlefudge.com this Friday at 7PM to hear in depth recap, analysis and -- as always -- our picks for MATCH, WRESTLER, MOMENT, and FLOP of the Night!
Let's catch ourselves up on the latest, eh? It's been too long:
- 787 Pro Wrestling announced (themselves and) their first event today on their new Facebook page. Their debut event will take place at the Troy Boys and Girls Club on the early afternoon of January 13th and will feature some talent we have grown accustomed to seeing in this area as well as some guys we don't usually see in these parts. Kinda exciting. I really enjoy acts like "Royalty" William King and "Party Peacock" Dalton Castle and look forward to seeing them local!
- Will Cena's proverbial (and literal) pants exploded at the announcement of The Bella Twins impending appearance at the Bethany Town Hall on December 15th for CTWE's Season's Beatings. Will is still wringing out his PJ's. On this card, the most interesting match to me is the Arion/Bricco confrontation. This would be Joey's first match in years and a street fight at that! The added stipulation of "ownership on the line" may lead some to roll their eyes - I get that - but these guys are really that close. They are going to really try and make an impression with this one. Could be a match to see, people. We are talking with CTWE Owner JOEY BRICCO tomorrow night on WrestlefudgeTV LIVE. Yup.
- on the most recent edition of IYFWrestling.com's INTERFACE, intrepid correspondent Joey LaRocque intimated that disgruntled wrestler JP Black might be appeased by IYF "Upper Management" by being named one of the referees in this Saturday nights HUGE 4-Way for the IYFW Heavyweight Championship. So let me get this straight... JP Black takes to YouTube and expresses his dissatisfaction with In Your Face Wrestling management, saying he hasn't been shown respect... And they show him respect by putting him in stripes to officiate an IYF Title match that he probably feels he should be participating in? Hmmm. I can't see JP being all about that. Interested to see how this plays out on Saturday in Ballston Spa, NY. We will have Minister of Wrestling Operations for IYFW, MAXX BURTON, on the air with us this Friday night on WrestlefudgeTV LIVE to hopefully give some more answers. Or not.
- World of Hurt Wrestling returns to the Whitehall Armory on November 30th. These guys had another successful show last month, following up on Hacksaw with Raven and Beefcake. They showed that wrestling fans would make the trip to Whitehall for a wrestling show - a feat in and of itself. The "big name draw" of the month is Matt Hardy. Personally, I'm not a Matt Hardy guy. He really, really lost me at the faux suicide note-like YouTube video. The guy is a tool. With a sexy girlfriend. I really don't think who they promote as the ex-WWF star makes a difference. The real WOHW roster is a lot of fun to watch; the REAL appeal of World of Hurt.
- WrestleJam 10 is coming. I'm digging for details on just what to expect, but all signs point to some sort of big cage match. (Actually that was hopeful speculation.) Michael Banks is determined to make this the biggest event he has ever had a hand in and I can't see why it wouldn't live up to -- or exceed -- all expectations. We look forward to covering the buildup for one of New England's biggest shows.
- the phone lines will be open this Friday night here at wrestlefudge.com! 7PM EST. After a 3 week hiatus, WrestlefudgeTV LIVE is back with Paul, Will, the First Lady of Wrestlefudge and our guests: JOEY BRICCO, MAXX BURTON and YOU! Don't miss it! We want your voice to be heard!
Sources tell wrestlefudge.com that a new independent wrestling promotion in New York's Capitol Region is about to be unveiled in the coming hours/days. This is wrestling so you could imagine that details are sketchy, however it is said that this promotion will be announcing their first show date soon as well (this source points to a January date as likely). A location for this could-be show hasn't been 100% confirmed as of yet and we are still awaiting that confirmation.
This part of New York has seen promotions pop up and fade out just as quickly, with only a few companies really making an imprint and showing some staying power. It will certainly be interesting to watch, as a fan, to see what this new group has to offer, who is behind the scenes, what variety of performers are involved, and how other local feds respond; creatively or otherwise.
Word is that we can expect the unveiling of this aforementioned new promotions Facebook page -- and many more details -- in the coming days. More information here as we confirm it.
Finally, the blockbuster event that went down at Glens Falls High School several months ago is available for viewing on Go Fight Live!
Check it out RIGHT HERE!
In addition to featuring the hometown return of "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, a kick ass 3 on 3 cage match featuring WOH Legends vs WOH New Generation, and an off the charts tag title match, this event also features the Internet pay per view debut of none other than the Rickety Rocket!
For just $10, this is a no brainer!
World of Hurt Wrestling runs their next event October 19th in Whitehall, NY and will feature appearances by Hardcore Icon, RAVEN, and WWF name, BRUTUS "The Barber" BEEFCAKE! In the meantime, swing by GFL.tv and check out Hacksaw's big homecoming!!!
"FudgeFanapaWHAT?"
That's likely what you're wondering right now. And rightfully so!
Well as you probably know, since it's creation in the spring of 2011 this site has been all about fan service; trying to spread the word and incite interesting conversation about local - and even not quite as local - independent professional wrestling.
This Thursday night from
8pm to 10pm Will and Paul are going LIVE from Studio 68 to take that mission to the next level. We are opening the phone lines up to EVERYONE and ANYONE. We want to hear from IYFW super fans, CTWE super fans, WOHW super fans, and so on and so on, etc etc! We want to know what feuds you want to see, what wrestlers you LOVE and who you HATE! See a quality match on YouTube that you think the rest of the world should see? Tell us about it! We will hunt it down on the fly and put it out there! Are you ANGRY or disgruntled? We are going to give your rage a platform like no other!
Are you a wrestler that hasn't held a mic in too long and wants to rant about the state of affairs in the biz? Shit, give us a call!
That's right... The phone lines will be open and we want to hear from you! Join us in the chat room! Follow us on twitter - @wrestlefudge. Be sure to tune in RIGHT HERE this Thursday at 8pm!
It's a funny thing. As WrestleJam 9 neared, I knew that it would be a heavy night. Between the tribute to their fallen friend in their home town, the implication that one of these hometown heroes could never go home again, and the general atmosphere that I expected to fill the venue ... I knew it would be emotional. Yet I honestly had no idea just how powerful and gripping the build up, match itself, and aftermath would be.
I've only really been aware of Dave Cole, Nocturne, and the Connecticut wrestling scene for a year and a half. Maybe more, maybe less. Certainly much less than probably just about everyone else in attendance that night, yet certainly enough to have been swept up in that moment when they both entered the ring in Shelton, CT; lights dimmed, surrounded by their friends, peers, colleagues at ringside, their closest friends visibly in tears, clearly affected.
In the days leading up to the show, I had made peace with the idea that Nocturne might lose. The guy who I had found to be one of the most consistent, steady and fun guys to watch might be leaving Connecticut and -- as he intimated on a phone call into our old audio BLOGCAST -- the loser just might be done with wrestling entirely. The man who claimed he couldn't be killed, that he'd keep on coming, might DIE on this night. Something about the air in the room that night, the tears in everyone's eyes, the intensity in Noc's, told me that this might be his last match in CT. Maybe even beyond.
But I was wrong. It would be Dave Cole that would eat that monstrous drop from the top of the ladder, onto another ladder, chairs and table to the floor. It would be Dave Cole that would scrape himself from the floor, into the ring, and say a heartfelt goodbye. That crazy belief in the back of my head that said "maybe it'll be a draw and everyone goes home happy and no one leaves Connecticut except US in the morning" was no more and in its place... Was pure emotion.
No, I didn't cry. But I felt it. If you were at the Shelton Boys and Girls Club on September 8th for WrestleJam 9 then you did too.
Dave Cole said goodbye to Connecticut, to his best friends, and to the fans that had watched him grow for so long. It was special. And I was honored to be there to bear witness.
Good luck, Dave Cole, and thank you.
World of Hurt Wrestling returns this Friday night in Glens Falls, NY with a LOADED show. Along with matches featuring their healthy batch of local talent, the event is headlined by the return of hometown wrestling hero, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan! As it turns out, Glens Falls Mayor is reportedly naming Friday "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan Day in good ole GF! Nice write up in the local paper as well and WOH officials are expecting a VERY strong turnout. So strong, in fact, that ringside AND floor seats have been sold out and bleacher seats are all that remain. This could be a pretty impressive indy crowd!
Other interesting stories going into this show include the appointment of Michael Anthony as Acting World of Hurt Commissioner. Anthony has proven to be an entertaining figure between bells, yet his career-ending injury at May's WOH show has forced him into more of a support role. In IYFW, he has shined as the manager of Pure Dynamite and it will be pretty intriguing to see how he fares as the local, obligatory authority figure. Nice hat tip from WOH officials, rewarding his charisma and appeal with an important spot on the show, despite his retirement.
Let's get to the good stuff; the card itself!
MAIN EVENT
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Vince Beach
Let's be honest, the result of this match is not at ALL in doubt. Why even wait for the end of the paragraph to announce my pick. Hacksaw wins! His opponent LOST in the opener of the big WOH REUNION event in May to Shockwave the Breakdancing Robot but was no less entertaining. Beach is honestly almost the PERFECT opponent for Duggan given his excellent work as a heel. His most recent performance was a (surprising) victory over Jamar "Magic" Justice last weekend at IYFW's HeatStrike in Whitehall. This Owen Wilson Impersonator will likely dominate the match before Jim is able to "Hooooo!"-Up and secure the huge hometown win. This will be a lot of fun and I expect the hometown crowd to eat it up.
Paul's Pick: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Six-Man Steel Cage Tag Team Wargames-Style Match
Shane Alden, Eric Alden, and Swinger Sidusky vs. Jeff Starr, Danger, and Jim Tanner
Wow. A cage match? Wait... A six man cage match? Waaaait... Did I read that right?!? Wargames style? This match is being billed as World of Hurts PAST (Tanner/Starr/Danger) vs World of Hurts FUTURE (The Aldens/Swinger) and should be a magnificent clusterfuck of action. Shane and Swinger had a great match in May and team together now along with Shanes creepier, darker brother Eric. The other story here is the announcement that this will be the LAST match of the "White Lion" Jim Tanner. Expect a lot of mayhem and a handful of CRAZY spots.
Paul's Pick: Team FUTURE
WOH Heavyweight Championship
Punk (c) vs. Hoss
Back in May, these were the last two men in the impromptu WOH Championship Battle Royale. But they weren't in there together too long before Punk dumped Big Hoss over and out of the ring. Hoss would backpedal through the curtain flipping the new champ the bird, setting the table for this title match. This will be brutal. Hoss looked preeeeetty stiff back in May and Punk proved to be hungry.
Paul's Pick: Punk retains.
WOH Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals
Pure Dynamite vs. "Retro" Kyle Bradley and "Buttery" Bert Williams
Oh snap. This is going to kick ass. If you read my stuff or watch our show, you know how we feel about Pure Dynamite. K-B was THE saving grace in his May bout against WWE Tough Enough Runner-Up and all around snore, Luke Robinson. I really enjoyed his stuff. His tag partner was ALSO memorable back in May, both for his inspiring butter-chug AND his efforts against Steve Kruz. The story here is that there has been a huge mythical tournament across the glove, leading to THIS final confrontation for WOH Tag Team gold. Whatever, that's fine. Just give me this match. :)
Paul's Pick: Pure Dynamite
First Time Ever
"Dark Pony" JP Black vs. "Mr. One Night Stand" Steve Kruz
JP Black has she'd his retirement(s) and left them behind. Here he will face a man who was trained by someone HE himself trained. You follow that? I just know this will be a good match. Kruz is fun to watch whether in his "Killer Steve" or "one night stand" persona and Black is just plain FUN. I expect a fast, hard hitting match! My gut tells me these guys might steal the show.
Paul's Pick: JP Black
Also Thought to Be In Action:
Timmy Aiight
Foxx Vinyer
Good Lord Willing
Bathory
"The Wolf" CJ Scott
Ash Maybrook
And more!
(names above have not been confirmed by WOH officials. Honestly just going off what I have gleaned from some sources and off of some level of instinct. Don't hate if they don't show.)
Don't miss this show! Bleacher seats are just ten bucks and are likely to still be good seats! This could be the last time we see Hacksaw in action in our area so DON'T miss out! Tickets available at the door, or until suddenly they're NOT! Like I said, don't miss out!
Submitted by wrestlefudge reader Nicko Alexakis:
2cw Squared Circle Wrestling at the Kennedy Arena in Rome, NY Saturday 8/4/12
Doors were scheduled at 5:30 and the show at 7:00 but doors were pushed back to 6:00. I think they opened around 6:15 which is pretty good for a 2cw show. DDP was doing meet and greets for ten dollars and had a huge line. They didn't start the show until the line was gone, which was about 7:30. It seemed that 2/3rds of the crowd went for the meet a greet, DDP had a pretty good pay day tonight.
There were seven rows of chairs around the ring. There were eight at the first show, and about twelve at the last. Second row seats were still available at the front door, which I usually don't see. They had bleacher seating alongside one side of the ring/rink, as opposed to two side as they've done in the past. The building was hot as hell, it may have been as low as 85 degrees but plenty humid.
The first match was The Killer Steves and Loca Vida (electric dream machine) versus Supercop Dick Justice, Pete D Order and some guy whos initals are EMT. I think it might've been superbeast but I'm not too sure. This was a pretty standard opening match, everyone hit their basic spots without anyone getting too risky. Dick Justice is hilarious inside the ring but he always wrestles a little soft, as in cautiously. Loca Vida always brings the energy and the Steves are solid, they hit a flurry of Tatanka chops that were pretty ridiculous/entertaining. The Steves and Loca Vida pick up the win. Decent match but the opener style wrestling coupled with the muggy arena made for a sluggish crowd, which kind of set the tone for the night. 8/10 on an opener scale.
Next up was Isys Ephex versus Cheech. Cheech is fantastic really. His in ring persona and personality are better than most of the guys on TV. Every one of his moves and mannerisms are deliberate and he's also a fantastic technical and pro wrestler. I've only ever seen him live in mid card or opener type matches with about 1/4th comedy and 3/4th wrestling matches. I've seen him do a lot of risky stuff with Cloudy back in the day, I would like to see him on the uppercard in some competitive singles matches, but he's such a good heal that he's good anywhere on the card. Isys was wearing his ridiculous hat, he's a 2cw fixture and he's constantly over, I'm not sure that he's ever played the bad guy but he would probably be good at it...This was a solid match with a lot of playing the crowd. Cheech tried to start a fight with several toddlers during his way to the ring. The crowd was heating up a little for this match and I believe both wrestlers traded suicide dives or topes to the floor. Isys defeated Cheech with a version of the vertebreaker. A sick spot that gave the match a nice exclamation point and ending, a little risky for match #2 though. 7/10 for what it was.
Zachary Springate the Third against Matt Milan and Bin Hamin in a 2 on 1 streetfight. ZS3 is another 2cw staple, wearing his street clothes for a street fight that stayed in the ring mostly. Milan is a young guy trained by Brodie Lee I understand, He's good. I'm sure he wasn't happy about joining Bin Hamins group but as the new guy I guess he doesn't have much of a choice. Speaking of Bin Hamin, he is terrible. Firstly, it's not the 70s anymore, people are going to notice that he's just a white guy with a beard. Even his accent is terrible. I know the foreigner thing is a good way to get cheap heat, and it worked when he wrestled Hacksaw, but he's just terrible. But I guess cheap heat is better than no heat. He's terrible in the ring and hardly did anything during this match, which was probably for the better. Billed as a streetfight this match was a total letdown. That was a mistake. ZS3 laid out Milan with a few belt assisted punches and they traded some hard hitting moves. A half dozen people in the crowd were very anti Milan. Milan and Bin Hamin pick up the win after Hamin hits Springate from the outside with a flag followed by a roleup, or something. The crowd lost steam for this match but it was still a solid performance by both guys, especially for Milan as a relative greenhorn. Couldn't have hurt adding a few trash can shots or some chairs or something, there weren't any weapons on the show so it wouldn't have taken away from anything. 4/10 because it was billed as a streetfight and didn't deliver.
There was no intermission and I think it was a good idea. I think there was 9 matches and a long DDP segment, a half hour intermission would've drained the crowd further alongside the heat. The lobby was well air conditioned and the food was good as always. The chicken fingers and mozzerella sticks are always good, they also had all sorts of ice cream, four flavors of slush puppy etc. The prices are decent but the service is very slow, still the food gets a 10/10 as far as snackstands go. Would've gotten a 15/10 though if they served some beers.
Next up was the Super Smash Brothers Player Uno and Player Dos defending the Tag Team Titles against Punisher Van Slyke and Kevin Graham. The Super Smash Brothers are great, originally from the West Coast I think. The unmasked Smash Brother sells hard and wrestles intensely. Graham and Van Slyke are pretty good as a tag team, if only for their differing styles. I was hoping to see the Smash Brothers against a different tag team but Slyke and Graham kept pace with the Brothers. The match started with First Class beating on Player Uno for a good five minutes. They threw him around pretty good and he sold beautifully. The crowd was in to this match considering the heat and the fact that 2/3rds of the audience were sitting behind ice rink glass. Player Dos got the hot tag and cleaned house. The Smash Bros hit an awesome double team move, a top rope 450 and a running cannonball corner senton at the same time. I've never seen that one before and it was quite awesome. Next, Punisher hit Player Uno with a monster top rope belly to belly release suplex, followed by a top rope splash 2/3rds across the ring bu Kevin the Man. The Smash Brothers retained their titles, hitting their incredible finisher on the big man Punisher. You would have to see this move to believe is, the best I could describe it would be a standing backslide/blockbuster combo but that doesn't do it justice. I was very happy to see the Smash Brothers win. I prefer them to First Class and am happy to see that they'll be back.
I enjoyed seeing the Briscoes twice in 2cw but they brought their B game instead of their A game. They wrestled as if it was a house show and didn't get over with the crowd as much as they could. Turmoil between Graham and Van Slyke after the match as Kevin the Man slaps Punisher in the mouth pretty damn hard. Van Slyke stalked Graham to the back, almost catching up with Player Uno who was still selling his way to the locker room. I saw Punisher in a singles match recently at In Your Face Wrestling in Whitehall NY and I'm almost looking forward to seeing him in singles matches, after what I hope will be a grudge match stlye feud with Graham.
Up Next was Masada against Jason Axe. Axe is a 2cw staple and always gives 100%. I saw him in a Chikara Young Lions Cup qualifier in Syracuse, the crowd loved him and delivered as usual. If memory serves correctly he and Portia Perez still deserve a tag titles rematch. I noticed Portia is off of the roster page, and that sucks. I'm a huge fan of Masada. He is the current CZW Heavyweight champion as well as (I think) the CZW Ultraviolent Underground title. 2011 and 2012 CZW King of the Death match etc. An international wrestler well traveled in Japan, Masada is a fearless deathmatch wrestler as well as an excellent worker.
This match started off with three solid minutes of catch as catch can technical wrestling. The pace was fast and the action was awesome but the crowd wasn't as into the fundamentals as you would like to see. The match got a good reaction but as always the crowds sluggishness was apparent. They traded about 15 forearms to the jaw, which Masada smiled about and seemed to enjoy quite a bit. At one point Masada tore away the ringside mats, only to be suplexed on the floor. Axe hit his trademark running somersault off the apron to the floor, he nearly missed Masada and hit the ground hard. Masada busted out some pretty awesome power moves including a couple hard powerbombs. Jason Axe picked up the win in a clinic. Awesome amateur/pro wrestling start with a hard hitting "strong style" middle and a powermove style ending. The crowd was in to this but not as much as they should've been. I love seeing Masada get "hardcore" but he's so good in traditional matches that I don't mind. He was added to the weekend doubleheader the day of the first event, maybe he caught a ride up with Swann and or Sammi. He's wrestled for 2cw before and I loved seeing him live again. As CZW champ and a very hard worker I would've liked to see him defeat Axe, but I suppose you can't blame 2cw for putting their guy over in what was almost bad politics. I really hope Masada comes back.
Next up was Kevin Steen defending his world title against Diehard Eddie Edwards. I thought this would've been the main even. I believe both of these guys are booked for XPW the next day, which they are quite often. ROH is a bigger payday than 2cw so you can't blame them for not going as hard as they can. They didn't phone it in by any means but they were shooting for a 7.5 star match at best. Both of these guys are great, Steen being a triple champion holding the PWG and ROH titles as well. Steen got some slack from a teenage kid as soon as he came out from behind the curtain. They had an exchange and the fan seemed to get the better of Steen with a DX crotch chop, getting a respectable and amusing pop. After feeling eachother out they started competitively trading shoulderblocks. Things escalated and both men exchanged over 15 running shoulderblocks, literally bouncing off of eachother. Pretty awesome. Steen set up what what I thought would be a corner cannonball senton but instead hit the bronco buster. I've never been a big fan of that move but he did it to spite the kid who did the DX chop earlier, which was quite funny. Another exchange and Edwards nails Steen with X Pacs X Factor. Another Exchange and Steen nails Billy Gunns Fameasser, asking the crowd what other moves DX does. I suggested a superkick. Edwards hit Road Doggs shaky knee drop, Steen responded with a pedigree, yelling to the crotch chop kid "This is all because of you!"
The DX spot was about five minutes of the match, and although they weren't giving 100% it was fun to see them improvise on the fly. They picked up the pace a little bit and Steen hit his package piledriver on the apron. Wow. They tried to have a house show style match but couldn't resist pulling out a crazy spot, awesome. Steen picks up the win. It would've been nice to see these guys in the main event giving it all, but they're both so good technically and Steen plays the crowd so well that it didn't matter. I like Steen but I'm not sure about him being champ. I guess it's a good idea because it gives the 2cw title a lot of publicity, but after Steen loses one of those other titles I'd like to see a new champion. 8.5 out of 10 as far as mid card matches go.
I assumed intermission was next and went to my car to party for a little bit. Came back in and the entire arena was dark, with corny music playing and DDPs inspirational yoga video playing on the screen. The lights came on and DDP cut a promo, mentioning that he was 56 years old but he can still go. He said that he has one good match left in him and he would like to wrestle Randy Orton for using his finisher. A random comment, it sounds like DDP is fishing for one last hurrah on WWE TV wrestling Orton. From where I'm sitting, DDP is what, 25 or 30 years older than Orton? I haven't seen DDP Diamond cutting people regularly on TV in the last ten years, I think his finisher is public domain by now.
My Brother told me that DDP and Muscle Marcos exchanged slaps before DDP hit him with the Diamond Cutter.You can't blame DDP for not wrestling at his age, really. He certainly made out like a bandit. I assume he sold 200 meet and greets at ten dollars a piece...he was probably selling books or yoga DVDs....whatever 2cw paid him, along with what was basically a live infomercial. He came across as a salesmen/motivational speaker, which I guess is a persona he picked up while pushing his yoga. At one point he told the crowd something along the lines of "you can do whatever you set your mind to" which got an amusing pop. DDP made some bank and 2cw boosted ticket sales, I doubt they got a percentage of the meet and greet profits but that would've been nice.
Next up was All Money is Legal against Team CK Carr and Cage. The crowd slipped a little bit during this match. Kage is a legitimate international superstar and an obvious veteran. He's a powerhouse and always brings his A game. He was part of a couple blown spots in this match and if you looked closely he only showed the slightest bit of frustration. A total pro. Carr always seems to have a strong if not small part of the local crowd behind him. I'm not very familiar with him buts hes also a pro, always a solid performance. I get him confused with Graham a lot. AMIL is a solid comedy act and they can pull out the highspots when they need to. Their right attire is hilarious. At one point Kage knocked the beads right out of one of their goatees. AMIL were pretty over the top ridiculous and pretty funny/entertaining. Kage hit his standard double clothesline, K Pusha and K Murda hit Carr with their impressive running double brainbuster. AMIL picked up the win. This was a decent match but I think it dragged a little and the crowd was getting weary. It's good to see AMIL is back but I wish they would use a table every match, or something. I was also hoping that Carr and Kage would've turned on eachother like First Class did earlier. I think they would both (especially Kage) have some excellent singles matches. I'd like to see Kage play the heel as well, as he claims to be very versatile. 5.5/10, shouldn't have been so high on the card or should've been shorter.
Up next was a four way between Slyck Wagner Brown, Rich Swann, Jay Freddie and Colin Delaney. Slyck is another Indy veteran, a true pro inside and out of the ring, always entertaining. Swann is a natural good guy as well. He is hilarious and very over the top, pure entertainment and an incredible spot guy. Jay Freddie is a 2cw mainstay, a top notch wrestler who I've enjoyed seeing fluctuate between face and heel for the last few months. Delaney is always excellent, great in ring talent as well as a great "persona". This was a two man in, two man out type match. The pace was set fast quickly as all four men took turns knocking eachother out of the ring only to have the favor returned. Freddie and Swan engaged in what looked to be a legitimately impromptu dance off, complete with music on the PA for Freddie. Freddie did a standard shuffle followed by what was almost passable dancing. The music unfortunately didn't play for Swan, who got just got warmed up and pearl harbored Freddie.
Everyone traded highspots to the floor, with cross bodies, suicide dives and a beautiful twisting somersault type move by Swan. They all traded finishers, Slyck hitting his running reverse fameasser. These guys delivered a lot of fast paced hard hitting action in a short amount of time. They set up for a tower of doom type move, an electric chair drop/superplex with Delaney taking the fall. I think Swan was supposed to be in on the move too but they started early on accident. Luckily they fell forward as opposed to backwards which would've been a dangerous drop for Delaney. Swan hit Freddie with a Cactus Jack clothesline to the floor and Slyck made Delaney tap in an awkward submission in a blown finish. Swan was ushered to the back with what appeared to be a legit neck injury, but you never know. It did seem the match was cut short but the action was pretty non stop and fast paced while it lasted. Great booking/talent, 8 out of ten not counting the dance number.
Main Event time, Sami Callihan versus Tomas Ciampa for the first time ever. These two have been trash talking eachother for months on Twitter and I imagine got the match booked themselves. I've only seen Ciampa wrestle twice Live, once on ROH TV. I haven't been able to cheer for him yet, as the last time I saw him wrestle was against Rhino. I like Ciampa though, he's intense and really comes across as the "Sicilian Psychopath" that he claims to be. This was the first time that I've seen Callihan wrestle in 5 months and thats far too long.
The crowd was as hot as they could be considering the conditions. Sammi started the match off with a running big boot as the bell rang, followed by a few running bootscrapes to the face, Nick Gage style. I've seen Sammi start matches like this on youtube but it was awesome to see in person. Ciampa countered with a lariat that send Callihan into a backflip, hitting a couple running knees to the face in the corner. These guys were stiff as hell this entire match and it was excellent. Even if the crowd wasn't exactly on fire, these two still beat the hell out of eachother, and that's what you want to see. It's the first time they've wrestled, they're both at the top of their games and they're both highly competitive. They'll give 100% for that reason alone. Also, it's the main event, and also, it's being recorded for DVD.
They exchanged some ridiculously hard chops, fighting on the outside of the ring. Sammi hit a running chop an then missed one, blasting hit hand on the turnbuckle. They exchanged headbutts and took turns tossing eachother into the guardrails. Sammi hit a kick to Ciampas leg, knocking him off the top head first and setting him up for the Stretch Muffler. They exchanged reversals on the apron. Ciampa sets the Death Machine up for an air raid siren and what the fuck- he nails it. A super risky move and a spot worth the price of admission. Exchanging headbutts, clotheslines, these guys really blew it out of the water. Both of these guys are fantastic and I cant wait to see them wrestle in person again. Callihan could make at least as many shows as Steen and I would love to see the belt on him. A great choice for the main event. 9 out of ten, awesome main event.
Overall another awesome show from 2cw. This being the second show in a double header weekend you expected the guys to give 90%. The heat was rough but that's part of what you sign on for. Match of the night was Callihan Ciampa. My least favorite match was All Money is Legal vs. Carr and Kage, but only because I have to choose. It wasn't bad. Highspot of the night was Ciampas air raid siren on the apron to Callihan. Sick.
2cw has an awesome roster of original talent coupled with good taste in outside talent. I was most excited to see Masada and Callihan. DDP was alright but I think they should pay to bring someone in who would actually wrestle, although he sold tickets and you can't argue with that. The line up for the next show is looking good. I would like to see Slyck get a shot at (and win) the the title from Steen in a rematch. A ladder match would be superb. I think the next time Callihan wrestles it should be in a singles match with a road trip partner. Let him wrestle Alex Colon, Swan or Masada. Something like a 2/3 falls or a last man standing would make that even better. I hate to say it but there could've been a little crowd brawling, maybe some weapon shots or something. I don't mind a show without that stuff but you might as well do it once a night, stir the crowd up a little bit.
Very good show despite some of the boys bringing 90%. 8/10 over all, 2cw always puts on an awesome show.
