Hall of Fame Weekend Controversy Brewing?

Interesting.

Seems as though the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame is running a show the same Friday as In Your Face Wrestling, in a different location. I (and many others) had assumed that the IYFW event was being run in conjunction with the Hall, although none of IYFW's releases or messages claimed as such. I had even spent some time discussing the show and Induction Weekend on the most recent BLOGCAST, wondering if there might be a higher ticket cost (still unannounced) due to the association with the PWHF.

On their Facebook page, PWHF supporters have taken to slandering the intent of IYF officials and the event in general (sentiments that gained a "like" from the PWHF's official page in a blatant show of classlessness.) Look... If you know me you know I'm an IYFW fan. I'm going to support them when I think they're doing the right thing...

...and I honestly don't think they're doing anything wrong. For one, they announced their show on May 18th at least two weeks before the PWHF announced theirs. Is it really their fault that PWHF's promoter chose the same day? Independent promotions and companies run events in towns that other, sometimes "larger" federations run shows all the night -- some time on the same night. Certainly some wrestling shows going down Wrestlemania Weekend in the Miami area that aren't WWE sponsored. Take it as a compliment. APPRECIATE the added draw, goons! I'm an IYFW fan who had never spent a moment thinking about that Hall of Fame... But, guess what? Their being there makes the weekend INTERESTING to me!

It's smart business and excellent fan service.

The same people whining about it and decrying it are the same people that clearly hate capitalism, freedom, French fries, and apple pie.

The America's Best Inn in Amsterdam, NY (where the IYFW show is taking place, by the way) is completely booked May 18-20 with rabid fans coming from all over the country. Absolutely, a great deal of those fans are sure to go see whatever Allegedly-TNA-associated (is that a GOOD thing to promote?) event that the PWHF sponsors and sells tickets to... But if IYFW is really shrewd (and I am beginning to realize more and more that they are) they will price their tickets smartly. Not lowballed... But make it attractive to the fan who maybe isn't interested in the Dixie Carter scented offering at the High School.

Ick.

If they promote it well on March 17th, you have to hope that the majority of IYFW faithful will make the short drive to Amsterdam (and they've run shows there before) so they HAVE to expect to at least draw their usual and THEN some. I think it's brilliant.

I'm really not trying to add any fuel to any growing fire here with this post... Just sharing my opinion. IYFW has remained professional through this and I'm hoping that the PWHF supporters remain professional as well.

(don't expect the same from me. And, Christ, wait till Will wraps his loud, opinionated brain around this on the BLOGCAST.)

There are still some thoughts I have on this left uncollected... Let me get those together and I have a feeling I'll be back on this soon.

Wrestlefudge BLOGCAST S1E3

On the program!

-- more on the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the May 17th show!
-- on the heels of Fronz Roddy's appearance, is anyone calling in to this broadcast?
-- recapping our OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL TOP TEN RANKINGS for January 2012!



Thanks for listening!

This Just In Several Days Ago... with analysis.

-- it was touched upon in the Second Episode of the Wrestlefudge BLOGCAST (as well as, obviously, IYFWrestling.com) but, hey! In Your Face Wrestling has announced their triumphant return to the Ballston Area Community Center on March 17th for the St.Patrick Day's Massacre. You have to believe the drunken riff-raff will be on hand for THIS one! If you have not already, be sure to pre-order your tickets! I was told that there was a "fat stack" of pre-orders for the "Seize the Moment" show (normally, I am one of the very, very few owners of the pre-order envelopes, it seems) and CAN'T believe that was entirely Tony-Driven. The front row was nearly completely sold out for the last show, so get in early! Totally worth the extra 3 bucks!

-- guess what? IYFW wasn't done announcing shows! In yet ANOTHER move that I absolutely love, they announced that they would be running a show to basically kick start the PWHF Induction weekend! Fucking awesome, for lack of better phrasing. This will undoubtedly improve In Your Face Wrestling's imprint in New York and beyond and, hell... As a fan of IYFW, it certainly increases my interest in the PWHF and who they are inducting, to look into their festivities, etc. I'd say this is a brilliant win-win for all parties involved. Will we see full coverage from wrestlefudge all induction weekend? That, my friends, is likely up to more important people than me...

That's likely up to my girlfriend.

-- in other news, Fronz Roddy confirmed with us that he WILL be at the BACC for March's event. Will he put his IYFW New Breed Championship on the line against Shiloh Robinson? Let the speculation continue.

-- by the way, inductee's in that PWHF this year include Jimmy Snuka, Jim Cornette, Junkyard Dog, Fritz Von Erich, Wendy Richter and MORE! They have piqued my interest, for sure!

OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL TOP TEN RANKINGS for JANUARY 2012

1.) Pierre "The Beast" Vachon -- IYFW Champion (2)
Back at the top again, it is impossible to discount the dominance that Pierre Vachon has displayed since winning the promotions top prize from Vigo. Crafty, oppressive, and unrelenting, Vachon seems teflon at this point. I had expected him to drop the belt at StM, but was way wrong, instead seeing him dominate the match and win via a Dominguezian distraction.

2.) "The Pillar" Roman Dominguez (5)
The Master of the FaceEraser makes an impressive jump up the rankings by virtue of his performance with, and eventual victory over, Nocturne and by the impact he made on the finish of StM's main event. Dominguez has hovered just outside of the title picture since last Summer and, it appears, has made a move to truly make himself a factor in the IYFW Championship title picture. Will be interesting to learn more on Dominguez's motivation's and to see where things go from here...

3.) Drake Evans (1)
Which brings us to "Born to Sometimes Win" Drake Evans, the proverbial and literal "heart and soul" of In Your Face Wrestling. I believe I had first written this early last summer, but it's true that Evans plays that "victory-just-out-of-reach" role incredibly well. My concern now is that it's kind of becoming harder to root for the guy that you know will somehow come up short every time. Which is why I was so adamant in my prediction he would leave this months show with the gold. I haven't given up on Evans, but feel like he needs a big win. And soon.

4.) Vigo (3)
This is an interesting case. Vigo lost the IYFW after a ref bump and a fireball to the grill. I expected him to be CRAZED about that injustice, to be fuming and ready for revenge at all costs. They billed his match with Vachon as the grudge match of the year, the hatred was visceral... Right? Vigo, despite a GREAT outing at StM teaming with Sgt.Fury against the Savage Wolves, doesn't have the fire I expected towards Vachon. Yes, he came out at the end of the show and chased off Dominguez and Vachon in honor of Evans, but... I dunno. Am I making any sense?

5.) Jamar "Magic" Justice -- IYFW Tag Team Champion (6)
Justice was served on January 14th! The Uprisings victory over The Enemy for the IYFW Tag Straps was MORE about Jamar Justice over Adam Badger for ultimate bragging rights. Badger's injury is extremely unfortunate... But leaves me REALLY anticipating his eventual return. You KNOW that will be awesome. Anyhow... Jamar and Ricky are the new champs... And they already have formidable challengers lined up. This is going to be fun.

6.) Liam McFerrin (9)
Big Fucking Irish. On a fucking roll. He is another guy who jumped up the list. He had a DQ win over Etanna at StM, which may not be all TOO impressive on paper, but he has a TON of momentum behind him and is heading into an event custom built for a star making mini-push! I know I predicted a different match on the Second Episode of the Wrestlefudge BLOGCAST, but how about this... Liam vs Vachon for St.Patrick's Day Massacre! I'm going to start a petition!

7.) Fronz Roddy -- IYFW New Breed Champion (4)
He may not have been at StM a week ago, but he was certainly looming large on this weeks Wrestlefudge BLOGCAST. Dropping quite a bit in the rankings due to his inactivity in the ring, I can only imagine that all the extra gym time he has logged this month will lead to not only a resurgence up the rankings, but also a mighty strong showing at the St.Patrick's Day event.

8.) Shiloh Robinson (--)
Shiloh turned in a truly memorable performance in the four-way opener, besting the extremely fun Michael Anthony, the repackaged and refocused Real Coleman, and a vicious Foxx Vinyer in a contest where Robinson took the brunt of the punishment and rallied for a strong finish. Considered by IYFW management (and my Wrestlefudge BLOGCAST partner, Will Sena) to be the IYFW New Breed Title's number one contender, it seems he still has something to prove to current champion, Fronz Roddy. Will March 17th be his day?

9.) Ian Daniels (8)
I've written (and spoken) at length about the resolution of the Ballston Spa Screw Job and Daniels' carrying of Good Lord Willing to a watchable, fun contest at StM. He takes a small dip in this cycle's ranking due much more to the rising stars of Shiloh, Liam, and Jamar than to his own performances. If anything, Daniels seems more confident and at ease in the ring than I have ever seen him. Would like to see him given some time perhaps in a singles program with a Rocco Perelli or Michael Anthony.

10.) WAR (--)
The Submission Slayer finally busts into the Top Ten due to his recent win in the six man tag where he choked the butter out of "Bombshell" Bert Williams, teaming with de Sade and Scarsdale. IYFWrestling.com has called this trio "Blood Money" and with WAR as their imposing as enforcer, I'd say they are a force to be reckoned with.

On the Bubble:
Foxx Vinyer
Nocturne
Sgt.Fury
Real Coleman

Wrestlefudge BLOGCAST S1E2 parts 1-4

On the program!

-- highlights of Seize the Moment!
-- the Tony Effect!
-- fantasy booking St.Patrick Day's Massacre!
-- special guest: The Mighty Fronz Roddy!
-- oh my!

What I Won. This time.

IYFW Presents: Seize the Moment RECAP/REVIEW

Another full, varied, and interactive experience in Ballston Spa, NY on Saturday, January 14, 2012. In Your Face Wrestling's first show of the new year. Their first January event since 2008. The event had been built around the pursuit of championship gold, the depths men would delve to hold ON to that gold, and the quest to bring it home. It was built around Vachon/Evans, the appearance of WWE Hall of Famer, Tony Atlas, and the turmoil and turbulence of the tag team title scene. In recent weeks, attentive IYFW fans were treated to a series of wrestler promo's, hyping the show (some better executed than others) and really fleshing put the performers personalities and viewpoint. As usual, there was a lot riding on the event; in that with the appearance of Atlas, and all of the creative energy put into the promos, a good crowd would certainly be gratifying to IYFW management. And they DID draw a good crowd. Certainly the largest I have seen at the BACC.

If Tony's presence alone was the cause of the attendance jump (which I'm not sure it is) then IYFW was banking on a solid show to hopefully get those "casual" fans to come back and see the show next time. They delivered.

Speaking personally? I had a blast. I think I started a good 70% of the chants all night, which is always fun. Had a cool handshake, two second convo, and picture with Tony Atlas. Had my chair stolen by a future two-time tag champion. Won another raffle (which improves my lifetime record to 4 for 6). Saw belts change hands and cheered for a dude with a shake weight for a ring prop.

Like I said. A blast.

This was what greeted IYFW fans for the New Year! Mikey Mudd exploded through the curtain, the first introduced for the show-opening 4-Way match. He brandished a shake weight with confidence and sported snakeskin tights. Was that a Hugh Jackman As Wolverine haircut he was going for?

Is that question even appropriate in the face of the presence of the aforementioned shake weight?

Mudd got in the ring and corrected the ring announcer, wanting to be known as "Michael Anthony" from now on. Okay. Whatever. This guy was awesome! Totally into his role and a lot of fun to watch. I am not generally a guy into "comedy" wrestlers (seriously) but this guy was great. His opponents were equally impressive. The Real Rob Coleman was next out, sporting a new (to me, anyway) gimmick. Wearing a blazer and tie, carrying signs like "Occupy Wrestling" and "The Real Mr.USA", he came out asking fans to "Vote for (him) for Champion!" I dig it! You know that if Coleman is in the match, Foxx Vinyer isn't far behind.

And he wasn't.

Nor was the last entrant in the match, Shiloh Robinson.

This was a great match that entertained from the start to the finish. All four men busted their asses, to be sure. Shiloh took the brunt of the offense from all three opponents, each of them showcasing their best. Ballston Spa enjoyed a few minutes of Vinyer/Coleman; which I have been personally pitching to whoever is within earshot in any situation that seems reasonable... And they didn't disappoint. Michael Anthony had the Heel Section of the BACC rolling with some of his facial expressions and odd exclamations through out the match, yet it would be Anthony who would catch a quick pinfall at the hands of an exhausted Shiloh Robinson.

Then he took ANOTHER beating... Pierre "The Beast" Vachon slid into the ring and caught Robinson by surprise, beating him down. Grabbing a hot mic, Vachon called out Drake as he pounded on one of Evans' students from the Academy. Drake would make the save, checking on Shiloh as Vachon slinked to the back -- clearly trying to get in his challengers head.

Great 4-Way opener. Decent enough angle coming out of it. It did what it had to do. I have to believe that Shiloh is HURTING today. He took a beating in that match.

Up next was the rematch from August 13th's "Ballston Spa ScrewJob"! Willing came out first and played up to the crowd. The Heel Section went from praising him one moment, to telling him to "Shut Yo' Mouth!" the next. Too funny.

Ian Daniels made his entrance with his usual energy and the usual surge of support from the local fans. Talk about a lot on the line. Daniels had more than a win on the line, or even his standing in the UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL TOP TEN RANKINGS... His very PRIDE was on the line on this night. The young man had something to prove. On August 13, 2011, Ian Daniels tapped out to a headlock.

On January 14, 2012... He set things RIGHT.

Before getting too specific on the match, I have to say... Good Lord Willing is an interesting case. He certainly isn't the most polished and primed guy on the roster - by any means - but he certainly knows how to illicit a reaction from the crowd. And a reaction was what he got on this night. The man in the powdered wig fed off of it and eventually nailed a punishing move on Daniels: a stiff shoulder cutter. That shoulder would become the focus of GLW's offense, until Daniels reversed a Claw attempt that he clamped on Willing himself, then reinforced with his OWN claw on top of it... Forcing The Good Lord to submit.

And all was right with the world.

The Enemy's music played next and out they came -- Monroe with a smug grin and Badger with an arm in a sling and the mask on his mug. They did a cute, thankfully brief, bit where Badger wasn't able to be heard with his "CENSORED" mask on before Badger exploded on the mic -- basically reiterating that he was injured and that they wouldn't be defending their belts against The Uprising tonight. Maxx Burton didn't like that... And he called Jamar "Magic" Justice and "Loverboy" Ricky Williams down to the ring.

Maxx told the champs that because they signed a contract... And because Badger couldn't produce PROOF of his injury... That The Minister would award Justice and Williams the Tag Belts by forfeit. The Enemy exploded and, in doing so, Badger revealed in his exuberance that he was NOT, in fact, injured. And thus, I began the "MAKE THE MATCH!" chant.

And he did. And it was good.

But that's later on.

Burton announced The Enemy WOULD defend their belts against The Uprising further into the show.

Up next, Liam McFerrin would take on Etanna. This was a fun, typical big man match. Etanna is solid in his role but I can't help thinking its just a touch TOO textbook. The giant savage that sorta worships a cow skull. Or, this show, a bootlace-wrapped staff. I dunno... Am I alone in thinking he is lacking that one thing to make him unique? Hmm...

This was a good enough match with the action meeting expectation. McFerrin would eventually go for his signature Irish Lariat... But the Shabazz Warrior wouldn't go down. It took THREE of them to take him off of his feet and, even then, Etanna's manager, Good Lord Willing, was quick to get in the ring and intervene on his clients behalf... Which got his client promptly disqualified.

So Big Irish picks up another win, albeit a DQ one.

Next was a six man tag bout, featuring The Northern Studd teaming with Mini-Ninja, Vyper, and Bert Williams to take on Guillaume de Sade, WAR, and Scott Scarsdale. A lot of quick tags on all sides kept this match very fluid and moving. All six guys got a bit of showcase time, with the crowd shockingly getting behind the unique Vyper the most, it seemed. WAR, in particular, was pretty intense throughout this match and, in the end...

The intense WAR made young Bert Williams pass out while his wily partners distracted the Bombshell's buddies.

This was a kind of short match that certainly served its purpose. To be honest, it's kind of a blur. By now, the Heel Section was rolling and the camaraderie was kicking in. I just remember laughing and cheering and booing like a loon during this match. Yeah. We were having fun.

And it was around this point that I realized I hadn't tweeted at all since the show started... Which was only embarrassing because I had publicly stated I'd be all over it; live-tweeting the show with results and pictures. That sure didn't happen, did it? I'd say that speaks more to the fast-paced nature of this event than it does my own rampant irresponsibility.

Naturally.

Time for intermission!

Always a unique experience to say the least. A good portion of the roster milled with the fans and Tony Atlas took to the ring to take pictures with fans. Ten bucks bought you a photo with Mr.USA, with proceeds going to the Schenectedy Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. A good enough cause, I'd say! Tony was especially friendly, approachable, and generous with his time. Came across to me, in my brief interaction with him, as a cool dude with a real sense of humor. He clearly was an attraction.

I should also mention that, during intermission, while I was busy hob-knobbing with legends and winning MORE prizes... Jamar Justice, literally, made my ringside seat disappear. How did he do it?

MAGIC.

Intermission came to a close -- with a howl. The Savage Wolves made their vocal entrance through the doors and marched to the ring. Maxx Burton was right behind them. Rattles off the list of their recent transgressions and suggests that he makes the match tonight a tag team affair. Sgt.Fury's partner would be a face from CJ's recent past, Maxx said. An old partner.

For a split second I thought it might have been Burton himself, setting up a turn on Fury and Burton joining the Wolves... ...nope. But, hey... It's VIGO! And this match was SERIOUS!

...until I politely asked The Wolves Personal Cameraman to take a picture of me taking a picture of him.

Fury was worn out by the Wolves in the early going, with the heels controlling the ring. Nice spot at the end with Fury PLANTING Scott with a slam... And Vigo BRUTALLY driving Damon Ravage through his own brother. Sgt.Fury would pick up the surprise pin... And the crowd exploded. Really good moment. The crowd took to the former (?) referee's "gimmick" and ate up the babyface victory.

Post-Match, Burton returns and calls out Ian Daniels and Drake Evans who, along with Referee Adam Brunton, drag CJ Scott and Damon Ravage out of the Ballston Area Community Center kicking and screaming. Feel-good moment. Koombaya.

Hold on to your FACES.

That's right. Out next was former IYFW New Breed Champion, "The Pillar" Roman Dominguez, who made his way to ringside with his usual air of superiority. He would have an uphill battle PROVING that superiority to the In Your Face Faithful while up against the equally deadly Nocturne.

I went ahead and called this the "Match of the Night" in my preview/predictions post.

I was pumped for this match and was proud to kick start a "LET'S GO, ROMAN!" chant that the Heel Section could get behind. They felt eachother out and gathered the kindling for a nice slow burn. Before too long, the fight spilled outside and Dominguez hurled Nocturne into the front row of the Heel Section. After that? Well...nthe kicks were furiously flying - as were the teeth.

At one point, Nocturne delivered 3 consecutive blistering kicks to the back of The Pillar's dome and it appeared as though this night belonged to darkness...

Until Dominguez caught and DRILLED Nocturne with the Krushifix for a three count. Good match!

But was it match of the night? Stay tuned.

Our next contest was the In Your Face Wrestling Tag Team Championship match and the showdown between The Enemy and The Uprising. This is REALLY the story of the rivalry between Jamar "Magic" Justice and "The Spectacle" Adam Badger ... And as awesome as that is, you do kind of walk away from it feeling like "Loverboy" Ricky Williams and "Megastar" Michael Monroe are bit players in a sweeping overarching story which is unfortunate given their talent. This was another great outing from both teams and another great interactive experience for the fans.

Take THIS young man at ringside for example...

Adam Badger, in the midst of a war, took the time to STEAL this youngsters shirt and hang it on the turnbuckle while awaiting a tag. This young man took matters into his own hands, jumped the chain-rail, and snatched up Badger's trademark mask...

...with minimal prompting from myself, I assure you.

TELL me that kid didn't have a great time. In a nutshell, and if I may briefly diverge from the topic for a moment, THAT is why I love going to these shows. That kind of experience. THAT level of interaction. This isn't the WWE where maybe the wrestlers will make eye contact or slap a kids hand... They bring the little kids (and yes, the big kids) INTO the action for just a moment.

I could ramble on about the moves exchanged, the missed 450 splash by Monroe, or the impressive tiltawhirl backbreaker into ANOTHER backbreaker by Justice... By why not just marvel at the photos themselves. Here are a few nice ones that I feel tell the story fairly well...

SPOILER ALERT...

Excellent match... The crowd popped hard for the hot tag to Justice that led to his eventual pinfall over Badger and ever harder for the pinfall itself. The Uprising celebrated around the arena with the fans before heading to the back--

But Guillaume de Sade, Scott Scarsdale, and WAR burst through the curtain and LEVELED them. IYFWrestling.com is calling this trio "Blood Money" and I LIKE it.

Guessing they will serve as The Uprisings new antagonists? Also guessing that Badger IS going under the knife and will be out for a while, but anywho...

Yup! Time for the Main Event! Pierre Vachon put his IYFW Championship on the line against Drake Evans. Vachon dominated the early goings, just grinding away at Evans' defenses, using his size advantage to his... advantage. He also dominated through the middle... And the end of the match.

Until Drake fought his way OUT of that Mandible Claw you see up there. He hit a STIFF looking flying dropkick off of the top rope that seemed to land on Vachon's hip and NEARLY had the match won. Might we see ANOTHER belt change hands tonight?

Not if Roman Dominguez had anything to say about it! He came out and distracted Evans (and Referee Vinnie Lawrence) long enough for Vachon to GRAB a handful of steel chain and BASH Evans in the dome with it. He disposed of the evidence and quickly scooped up the pin and the win.

Vigo came out, chased both Dominguez and Vachon away, and raises Evans' arm for a nice pop from the crowd.

Honestly? Not the BEST IYFW Main Event ever... I felt as though both guys were holding back in some odd way. Subdued, is how I would describe the overall match. Did Vachon control things for too long? I dunno... But there was certainly something missing. I had expected Evans to win... So maybe that's why I was taken aback? Who knows. Not a BAD match by any means... But it wasn't what I expected, I suppose.

Overall? Great show. The atmosphere was hot. The wrestlers worked their asses off and turned in an excellent performance. I just hope my words and passion properly convey how much fun is to be had at an In Your Face Wrestling show.

A lot.

A lot of fun is to be had.

ANYHOW! Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment; either below, or on the wrestlefudge FaceBook page.("like" that, btw).

So... MATCH OF THE NIGHT?
Tie: Dominguez/Nocturne, Uprising/Enemy
(a cop-out? Nah. Both matches were drastically different and served different purposes. Loved them both separately but equally.)

Hoping to record another w'fudge b'cast this weekend! So keep an eye (and an EAR!) out for that. Also, another show has gone in the record books, so you know what THAT means: the UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL TOP TEN RANKINGS can't be too far behind, right?

Thanks again!

When Moments Are Seized

Solid show! Some great performances by some good dudes, a Hall of Famer shines with the fans, new tag champs, faces were kicked off, and I won at the raffle.

Again.

Expect a full recap and review with a handful of fun pictures in the next few days!

Tonight!

Be sure to follow me @wrestlefudge on twitter for updates and photos as tonight's IYFW Presents: Seize the Moment goes down in Ballston Spa, NY!

World Premiere: The WRESTLEFUDGE BLOGCAST; S1E1 - Parts 1 and 2

Rejoice, readers! It is TIME! After weeks of anticipation, at least on my part, I am actually pretty proud to introduce the first episode of what I hope will be many. Broken up into two segments, the links are below!

On the show:
-- Spotlight rundown of this Saturday's IYFW show in Ballston Spa.
-- Major Guest Announcement
-- Our Thoughts on a Few Legends
-- and more!

Hope you enjoy!

PART ONE:

PART TWO:

Audio levels weren't perfect and the format is still very much in flex. But as you can tell... We had a blast doing it. Hopefully you'll keep an eye on this page for more installments!

Thanks for listening!

IYFW Seize the Moment PREVIEW/PREDICTIONS

Just a few brief days out from In Your Face Wrestling's January event in Ballston Spa, NY and we have five solid matches already announced and a few other things to speculate on. IYFW Presents: "Seize the Moment" is upon us and has me fairly intrigued, as it should you!

Before we get to the announced matches, let's talk subplots!

IYFW New Breed Champion, Fronz Roddy, had initially been scheduled to defend that belt against Wrestlefudge Breakout Star of 2011, Shiloh Robinson this Saturday. This match was quickly and quietly pulled from the lineup before it was revealed that Fronz had opted NOT to sign the contract. Fronz told us that "Shiloh Robinson hasn't quite earned a shot yet" and reiterated that in a later promo:

Robinson earned a title shot in the eyes of IYFW Management when The Uprising came out of "The Brass Ring" with a victory over Roddy and The Enemy. That clearly is not enough in Fronz's eyes and is actually leaving me wondering if Fronz will be there on Saturday at all? I expect Maxx Burton to flex a little muscle in this area, likely by forcing Roddy's hand and a title match at the following show.

(is it an IYFW show without The Mighty One? I shudder at the thought.)

Another area I might expect Burton to get involved is the tag title situation. One half of the IYFW Tag Team Champions, Adam Badger, is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery in a week... Yet their tag title match against Jamar Justice and Ricky Williams is another that was quickly pulled from the lineup. I can't imagine that The Enemy will be allowed to carry those belts while Badger sits on the shelf and am expecting to see the once-announced tag title match still happen with Justice and Robinson coming out the victors and new champions.

Another unique draw to this show is the scheduled appearance by WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE World Tag Team Champion and professional bodybuilding legend, Tony Atlas! Mr.USA will be signing autographs and such. I am ALMOST expecting him to get physically involved in the finish of the Main Event... But I'll get to that later. Hoping to shake the mans hand and maybe get a photo with him. Always cool to meet a guy who has some form of historical significance to the business, if you ask me.

Let's talk about the announced matches:

Sgt.Fury vs. "The Wolf" CJ Scott
Referee Dan Roberts has had enough and he's not gonna take it any more! After the Savage Wolves laid a brutal beating on him and left with his actual and factual dog tags, Roberts is dropping the stripes for this one and is in full wrestler-mode. His opponent is a veteran with an axe to grind. I think we will see Damon Ravage's presence in this match and that the Savage Wolves will live to pillage and rape another day.
PAUL's PREDICTION: CJ Scott

"Ballston Spa Screwjob" Rematch
Ian Daniels vs. Good Lord Willing
On August 13, 2011, a young man named Ian Daniels took a dive. He wasn't happy about it and he wasn't proud of it, but he did it. He gave Good Lord Willing a side headlock submission victory. Willing thanked him, told him "good job", and would later go on to be revealed to be moonlighting as then-IYFW Management Representative, Harold Touch'ole. The implication was that GLW felt powerful enough to do what he wanted and when... Maxx Burton gave him the boot and now Willing has something to prove. But certainly no more than Daniels, who will no doubt be determined to show that Ballston Spa crowd that he is BETTER than the kid who "followed orders" on August 13th. An anarchist that follows orders? Don't expect Daniels to be quite as cooperative this Saturday night!
PAUL's PREDICTION: Ian Daniels

WAR, Scott Scarsdale and Guillaume de Sade vs. "Bombshell" Bert Williams, The Northern Studd and Vyper
This could be a fun match. You have a nice mix of talents and styles here that might lend itself to a very fun match. The speed and fluidity of Vyper balanced against the plodding ground and pound of WAR. The sly cunning of a Scott Scarsdale against an equally crafty Northern Studd. De Sade and Wilkiams strike me as a pair that might mesh well, also. Fantasy booking? Plant the seeds to some WAR/Scarsdale dissention.
PAUL's PREDICTION: Babyfaces. Studd gets the win.

"The Pillar" Roman Dominguez vs. Nocturne
Match of the night. Match of the year? I am going to tentatively place those honors on this contest well before it goes down. I'll keep you updated on whether that changes, but I think there's a ton of potential here. Nocturne puts on a great show and is known for stiff kicks. Roman Dominguez is the High King of Facekicking and ALSO is known to steal the show. Yeah. This match is going to kick ass. And faces.
PAUL's PREDICTION: Roman Dominguez

IYFW Championship
Pierre "The Beast" Vachon (C) vs. "Born to Win" Drake Evans
I think I have been pretty clear on how I think this match is going to go. Vachon is a solid champion and plays his role masterfully, but all of 2011 was about Evans' quest to regain that belt. Now just feels like the time. Expect Vachon to be brutal and relentless and for arcane to be combative and explosive. *I* expect Tony Atlas to tip the scales in Evans' favor (following an in-ring face to face squabble between Mr.USA and The Beast earlier in the show?) which should certainly send the fans home happy and a strong, fun end to the first show of the New Year!
PAUL's PREDICTION: Drake Evans

UNANNOUNCED PERFORMERS I'D LIKE TO SEE:
Foxx Vinyer
The Real Rob Coleman
Ricky Rockett
Liam McFerrin
Walter Ball
Superbeast
Vigo
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Should be a very fun and unique show and I am looking forward to it!

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