Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling
Date: February 10, 2001
Location: Garfield Heights, Ohio

Sure why not. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from an independent show near Cleveland from this date as I certainly wasn’t watching the show (as I was taking the ACT the day of this show). This is going to be a completely blind watch and that can make for quite the random set of results. Let’s get to it.

The ring announcer welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. It’s also going to be a TV taping, though this appears to be a fan cam shoot.

I apologize if I don’t get some of these names right as the audio isn’t exactly great.

Judge Krush vs. G-Force

G-Force takes him down with an armdrag to start and G-Force isn’t happy. A headlock takeover lets G-Force grind away a bit, followed by a running shoulder. G-Force’s DDT gets two and Krush is already needing a breather on the floor. This works a bit better as Krush gets to send him back first into the post, followed by some rather clubbing forearms back inside.

There’s a suplex into a legdrop for two but Krush misses a charge into the corner. That doesn’t seem to slow him down very much though as he’s back up with a clothesline and elbow for tow more. G-Force is back up with a dropkick to the ribs and he counters a powerbomb into an X-Factor for the pin (despite Krush raising his shoulder) at 7:03.

Rating: C. I wasn’t exactly feeling this one, as it never quite got to a level beyond mediocre. They were going for something with power vs. speed and that worked well enough, though G-Force, who at least had a good look, never really did much high flying. It’s a nice match on paper, but nothing exactly thrilling in practice.

Post match Krush jumps him again before leaving.

Blade/Rod Destiny vs. Amish Assassin/Matt Wroth

This is billed as an Australian Rules match, which is an old way of saying “tag match”. Destiny (of the evil teal) backs Assassin into the corner to start and it’s already a clean break. A headlock works a bit better for Destiny and he hiptosses the Assassin to the floor for a meeting with Wroth. It’s off to Wroth, who gets chopped by Destiny and suplexed by Blade.

A back elbow gives Blade two but Wroth is right back with one of his own. Something like a pumphandle powerbomb gives Wroth two more and it’s back to the Assassin for a double backdrop. Assassin covers but the referee won’t count, seemingly saying the shoulders aren’t down. That’s a nice touch as you don’t always see that on the top level shows. It’s back to Blade to take over on Assassin, with Wroth being knocked off the apron as well. Something like an Unprettier flipped into a faceplant finishes Assassin at 7:05.

Rating: C. I liked the finish, though the match itself felt kind of random. Maybe these people have a history together, but without commentary it came off as “here are four random guys having a match together”. No one exactly stood out here, though maybe that picks up a bit as the show keeps going.

Canadian Bad Boy vs. Tracy Smothers

The Canadian is a rather good sized guy who dances a lot and has a blonde woman with him. The bell rings and the Canadian heads outside to grab the mic, though he is booed so much that it’s almost impossible to hear a word he’s saying. It seems he doesn’t think much of the women in this town, though the fans seem to think she has an affinity for certain drugs.

Smothers gets the mic and says it’s great to be alive on a Saturday night in Garfield Heights (how familiar). He also threatens to knock the woman out if she gets in his face again. They take turns backing each other into the corner, with the bigger Canadian taking him down and posing a bit.

Back up and Smothers knocks him to the floor without much trouble but Canadian comes back in with a shoulder. More posing and strutting ensue but Smothers knocks him down and grabs an Oklahoma roll for two. A middle rope crossbody gets the same, only for the Canadian to knock him out to the floor. The woman gets up for a distraction so Smothers’ backslide doesn’t get a count from the referee (who has a Carlito level afro and leather pants).

Canadian knocks him down again and we hit the chinlock to keep things slow. Smothers gets up and hits his crescent kick but the woman offers a distraction. She does it again, but this time Smothers avoids a cheap shot and the Canadian knocks her down, setting up a Downward Spiral to give Smothers the pin at 11:53.

Rating: B-. The thing I’ve learned watching Smothers over the years is he’s someone who just “got it”. He knew what kind of style he was going to wrestle and he did just that, bringing the less experienced Canadian right along with him. The match worked well and they kept things entertaining. Nice stuff here, as you can see that Smothers is a step above everyone else on the show thus far.

North American Junior Heavyweight Title: DBA vs. 8-Pac

8-Pac is defending. They run the ropes to start with Pac taking over and sending DBA outside. That means an Asai moonsault to drop DBA and they head inside, where DBA knocks him down for a change. Pac is knocked outside, with DBA having the referee (the leather pants Carlito cosplayer again) drop down as a launchpad ala ECW.

The big dive connects so they can head back inside, where Pac shrugs it off without much trouble. A Texas Cloverleaf doesn’t work so DBA knocks him down again, setting up the Swan Dive for two. Back up and they go through some standing switches until DBA gets a German suplex, but only Pac lifts his shoulder to retain at 7:05.

Rating: C+. It was fine, but my goodness you could see the early 2000s/late 90s style bleeding through them here. Granted that’s not counting the ending, which was basically straight out of the 80s. It’s not a bad match, but like so many other things on this show thus far, there was absolutely nothing standing out whatsoever.

Post match DBA lays him out and spits on him. DBA would win the title the next day.

The video cuts ahead a bit here, which might be an intermission (which was advertised earlier).

North American TV Title: Brad Vaughn vs. Bobby Blaze

Blaze is defending and Vaughn has the same female manager from the Canadian Bad Boy match. The (appropriately) fired up Blaze backs him into the corner and is falsely accused of a hair pull. They go with some grappling, with Blaze getting the better of things off an armbar. A running shoulder drops sets up a headlock takeover, with Vaughn reversing into a headlock of his own to grind away.

Blaze fights up but the woman offers a distraction, allowing Vaughn to stomp him right back down. The abdominal stretch goes on and of course the woman is right there to cheat. With that broken up, a sunset flip gives Vaughn two and he chokes in the corner while shouting a lot. Blaze is able to catch him on top though and a superkick gets two. A superkick drops Vaughn for the same so the woman comes in, with Blaze throwing her onto Vaughn for the pin to retain at 9:04.

Rating: C. Yeah there’s a reason you don’t hear much from Blaze outside of Smoky Mountain Wrestling and his brief stint in WCW. Much like so many other things here, he was perfectly fine and that’s about all I’ve got for him. He’s a generic good guy wrestler and that’s fine enough, but Vaughn didn’t really add much more.

JT Lightning/Doug Gilbert/The Dog vs. Widowmaker/Brian O/Skull Ganz

Widowmaker and company have a female manager (albeit a different once from earlier) and it’s a brawl to start at the bell. Ligntning gets dropped by Widowmaker, with a backdrop getting two. We settle down to Widowmaker headlocking Lightning and shouldering him to the floor, where Lightning has issues with his nipple ring. Back in and Lightning gets caught in an armbar but gets over to the Dog.

Brian comes in to shoulder Dog down and it’s quickly off to Ganz to slow it back down. Dog messes with the refere’s hair and gets taken down with a belly to belly, drawing in Lightning for the save. Back up and Dog chokes away on the ropes but gets knocked outside rather quickly. They get back in with Gilbert slugging away, only to get dropped by Brian. A moonsault gives Brian two and a double backdrop puts Gilbert down.

Lightning comes back in and Dog cheap shots Widowmaker from the apron to take over again. Dog grabs the neck crank and the villains get to take turns beating on Widowmaker. Lightning mostly drops him on a side slam before grabbing something like a Liontamer from someone who has no idea how to do a Liontamer. Dog comes in and yells/barks, earning a beating from Ganz and Brian.

Unfortunately that leaves Widowmaker to get beaten up on the floor, followed by a Fujiwara armbar back inside. Gilbert comes in for an STF, which goes on long enough that Gilbert should never use an STF again. Everything breaks down, with Lightning hitting a big dive to the floor and Dog is left alone with Widowmaker in the ring. For some reason, Brian and Ganz (who are regular partners) get in an argument with Widowmaker and lay him out with a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination, giving Gilbert the easy pin at 16:21.

Rating: C. Other than having trouble figuring out who the good guys were supposed to be, I’m more astounded that the Dog of all people got another chance after WCW. Maybe he worked cheap or something but…him? The ending was a bit weird and I’m not sure what led to the screwy finish, but at least it felt like something happened for a change.

Extreme World Title: Hido vs. Sabu

Sabu is defending and I think this is his own title rather than something from the promotion. They go tot he mat to start with Sabu working on the leg until Hido realizes he’s three inches from the rope. Sabu works on the arm before grabbing a reverse chinlock. Back up and Hido hits a clothesline and chokes, meaning it’s time to yell at the referee for breaking it up.

A DDT gives Hido two and he slaps on a cobra clutch. With that broken up, Sabu flips him off the top and naturally throws in the first chair. Hido gets knocked throat first into said chair, which the referee throws out before counting two. They fight out into the crowd and a table is set up, with Sabu being laid on top.

Hido takes way too long going up though and gets super hurricanranaed down, naturally landing on Sabu. That’s good for a very delayed two (on Hido, which has to be specified in Sabu matches) and they go outside again. Sabu sets up a chair inside for the triple jump dive and then puts Hido on the table. There’s the slingshot legdrop and they’re both down again. Back in and the camel clutch retains Sabu’s title at 9:38.

Rating: C+. I guess we’ll call this better than a lot of the other things on the show, if nothing else because it had some different stuff. Sabu knows how to do this kind of match over and over and that was certainly the case here. Hido was a bigger deal in Japan, but it was interesting to see him out here to do something around here for a change.

North American Title: Tommy Rich vs. Ricky Morton

Rich is defending and grabs a mic before the match. He yells about…something I can’t understand but the fans don’t like him. They circle each other for a bit to start and lock up to no avail. Rich takes him down by the arm and Morton isn’t pleased, seemingly accusing him of some cheating. A running shoulder drops Morton again and there’s an armdrag to send make it worse.

Morton comes back with a slam to send Rich outside, only to have come come back in for some choking. Rich takes him to the floor and sends Morton into a table, followed by some stomping and choking back inside. A bearhug keeps Morton in trouble, though him selling is always a good idea. Rich elbows him in the back for two and the referee gets bumped. Morton’s DDT doesn’t get a count so here is…I think Doug Gilbert to give Morton a spike piledriver. The referee wakes up and calls the DQ at 7:22.

Rating: C-. Another dull match to wrap things up, as the two of the might have star power but that doesn’t make them worth watching. Morton is kind of this ageless wonder but Rich….not so much. This felt like two old guys out there getting a payday and while they were trying, there was only so much to get out of a match this boring.

Post match Sabu and Bobby Blaze run in for the save. Morton grabs the mic and doesn’t seem pleased, but does seem to issue a challenge for a six man tag. Rich yells a lot and furniture is thrown as the match is set for tomorrow night to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. It wasn’t that the show was bad, but rather just that it wasn’t interesting. There was pretty much nothing on this show that stood out in any way, as it came off more like a show that could have happened for just about any promotion. While this place would wind up getting a better reputation later (Johnny Gargano was a big deal there), this wasn’t a great time and it made for a pretty dull watch.

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Wrestling Gold #2: The Maim Event
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Dave Meltzer

It’s another set of old school wrestling with the commentary being the big drawing card. Rather than listening to the regular commentary on a bunch of random territory stuff, we have Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer offering a variety of insights and humor at the sport’s expense. Let’s get to it.

From Memphis, June 25, 1984.

Rock N Roll Express vs. Lanny Poffo/Randy Savage

Angelo Poffo is here with the non-Express. Poffo and Morton start things off as Cornette says he had already managed against the Express when he had the Galaxians (even Meltzer is impressed). Believe it or not, Cornette takes the lead on commentary here as this is the definition of his bread and butter. The Express takes Poffo down to start, followed by the double leg roll into the right hands to Savage in the corner (the Rockers would later steal that).

Morton works on the leg before trying the double roll again, with Savage dropping down. Savage gets back up…and is quickly knocked right back down in a funny bit. Savage comes in and misses a charge into the corner so Poffo can take over on Gibson. Morton is right back in to clean house but gets sent outside so Savage gets in a right hand (with that leg kick of his).

The middle rope elbow misses but Poffo is right back in to keep Morton in trouble. Morton is sent outside for the top rope ax handle from Savage (a big spot back in the day) but Poffo misses a Swanton (a VERY big spot in the day). The big tag brings Gibson back in and NOW the fans are up…and then they’re right back down as Angelo pulls the top rope down to send Gibson outside for the DQ at 6:02.

Rating: C+. This was getting going but it’s Memphis so the idea is to set it up for a rematch down the line. That’s a fine way to go, as these guys were working hard and the ending had the fans going nuts. The Express had a great underdog style and Savage was an all time star, while Lanny could more than hold his own. Give these guys some more time and this would be even better, but what we got was nice enough.

Post match Savage gives Morton a piledriver through the ringside table, which was the mother of all crazy spots.

From San Antonio, Texas, 1983.

Nick Bockwinkel vs. Manny Fernandez

Bockwinkel’s AWA World Title isn’t on the line. Feeling out process to start with Fernandez grabbing a headlock. Bockwinkel slams his way out of that but Fernandez is right back with a headlock takeover. A small package gives Fernandez two and it’s right back to the headlock. This lets commentary give us a history of Fernandez’s career as Bockwinkel fights up and hits a forearm to the ribs.

A knee to the gut drops Fernandez and a knee to the face puts him down again. Fernandez is already busted open and Bockwinkel grabs a bearhug of all things. That’s broken up and Fernandez knocks him down for two, followed by a suplex for the same. The sleeper goes on and Bockwinkel is in trouble but the time limit expires at 7:50 shown.

Rating: C+. I was interested when I saw this announced and I was curious to see where it went. Odds are the whole match went ten minutes and that was a fine way to build up to a rematch down the line. As usual, Bockwinkel can make anyone look good while Fernandez is a brawler who bled a lot. Good stuff here, and I could absolutely go for a longer version.

From (I believe) Detroit, Michigan, February 14, 1976.

United States Title: Mark Lewin vs. The Sheik

Lewin is defending and this is Loser Leaves Town. Lewin backs him up against the ropes to start and they actually break clean. That lasts all of five seconds before Sheik takes him into the corner for biting and choking. Some stabbing with a pencil has Lewin in more trouble as commentary talks about how many people tried to go after Sheik.

Lewin fights up but gets knocked outside, with the blood making it hard to see. Sheik rakes the cut on the head again but this time Lewin goes after Sheik’s manager to start the tug of war. Back in and Lewin hammers away and you can hear the fans over the commentary track. Lewin stabs away with the pencil and, after we get a random closeup of the manager’s face, Lewin stabs him again for two.

The manager comes in for the cheap shot but Lewin stabs away at the Sheik again. Some Mongolian chops have Sheik in trouble and Lewin grabs a sleeper. The manager comes in and gets sleepered as well, allowing Sheik to come up with the fireball. That’s enough for Lewin to fall outside for the countout at 10:26. Apparently Sheik wins the title as well, with his manager’s eyes getting burned being an acceptable situation.

Rating: C-. Ok you don’t have this kind of a match for the sake of their wrestling ability. This was about having two people go out there and do violent stuff to each other and they did it…well ok not very well but by this point the Sheik was mostly ancient. It’s not a good match but it’s quite the spectacle, which is the entire point.

From Fort Worth, Texas (commentary isn’t sure) in the late 1970s.

David Von Erich/Kerry Von Erich vs. Killer Karl Krupp/Gene Yates

David takes Yates (commentary doesn’t know him either) down and then Kerry does it to Krupp. Kerry and Krupp go to the some grappling on the mat until Krupp rams him face first into the mat. David comes in for a dropkick as Cornette gives us a history of the Von Erich Family and explaining why it went so terribly. Yates comes in and gets taken down by his arm, including an armbar. David adds some dropkicks and Yates is sent into Kerry’s boot, followed by a headlock takeover.

Krupp comes back in to kick away, setting up his own claw. Kerry is back in with an armbar but gets reversed into the stomach claw (and yes it still looks dumb). Kerry’s comeback is clipped off to Yates coming back in but getting caught with a terrible dropkick. David comes back in with a sleeper and everything breaks down, with David rolling Yates up for the pin at 9:49 shown.

Rating: C. You could see some skill from the Von Erichs but at the same time, both of them looked like they needed to be inflated a bit as they were looking rather tiny. At the same time, the fans were reacting to them and having them beat Krupp (an established heel) and…whomever Yates was made sense. The fans were going to go nuts for anything Von Erich related and those cheers would only get louder.

Post match the brawl continues with the Von Erichs clearing the ring without much trouble.

From Memphis, Tennessee, 1984. Also note that there is an error on the graphics, as the match is listed as the PYT Express, which is a different team than the Pretty Young Things.

Fabulous Ones vs. Pretty Young Things

That would be Stan Lane/Steve Keirn vs. Norvell Austin/Koko Ware. Keirn runs Austin over to start and stomps on his head but we’re clipped to Ware coming back in to clean house. Some backdrops have Lane in trouble and Austin comes in for two. Lane is sent outside so Ware can hammer away as Cornette is having a blast going over the Fabs’ history. Ware chokes with a rope on the floor before Austin hits an ax handle to Lane back inside.

Austin gets in a cheap shot on the floor, followed by a top rope forearm from Ware. Austin’s right hand drops Lane again as Cornette explains that he was supposed to manage the Fabs but they were so popular that it couldn’t happen. Ware tries a knee drop but goes a bit too high and falls over, earning a laugh from Meltzer.

Lane fights up and brings in Keirn but the referee doesn’t see it. Instead it’s Lane knocking Austin down and the Fabs switch, which is enough to break up Cornette and Meltzer’s ranting about how moves matter if you train the audience that they matter (preach it brothers). Keirn comes up to clean house as everything breaks down. A double DDT finishes Ware at 8:03 shown.

Rating: C+. The Fabs are a team who could do just about anything and be seen as huge stars, which is not something you see very often. The Pretty Young Things were a heck of a team in their own right but there is a reason the Fabs were such a big deal. No one, especially at this point, were going to top them. The match itself was good enough, but the crowd reactions were rather interesting.

From Memphis, Tennessee, 1984.

Jerry Lawler/Austin Idol vs. Road Warriors

The Warriors are REALLY young here. Animal hits a big press slam on Lawler to start and it’s already time for a breather on the floor. Hawk comes in for a gorilla press of his own and Lawler is outside again. We’re clipped to Hawk getting annoyed at Lawler’s right hand as commentary talks about how the Warriors are really not very good yet. Hawk charges into a raised boot in the corner but stalks Lawler anyway.

We’re clipped and Lawler pulls the strap down and starts hammering away before handing it off to Idol, who gets to make the comeback. Everything breaks down and Animal powerslams Lawler into the corner. Idol drops Animal and a double cover only gets two, with Animal shoving them away. Paul Ellering has the referee so Lawler and Idol’s rollups only get delayed twos. Animal clotheslines Hawk by mistake and Idol beats up Ellering until Hawk throws the referee out for the DQ at 5:35 shown.

Rating: C. Much like the previous tag match, it was more about the fans getting involved, though it didn’t have much time. Lawler and Idol were a dream team to try to fight off the new monsters. It only worked so well, but that was the case for just about anyone who was facing the Warriors at this time. Or just about any time.

From Memphis, Tennessee, December 12, 1983.

Southern Title: Jerry Lawler vs. Randy Savage

Lawler is defending in a cage and hammers away in the corner to start. This allows Cornette to go into a rather detailed history of Memphis vs. ICW, and of course he can rattle this stuff off with ease. Savage bails away but then spits at Lawler, which is enough to start a brawl. Lawler gets pulled down into a chinlock and Savage cranks away but we’re clipped to Lawler sending him into the cage.

Savage drops to the floor (as there is room between the cage and the ring) to pull out a foreign object. The referee doesn’t approve though so Savage goes after the arm instead. Lawler actually uses the rope to escape but the armbar goes on again and we’re clipped to Lawler fighting out. Savage knocks him into the corner again and kicks him down for two as commentary compares the two of them as being great workers. Savage kicks him down and out to the floor for an ax handle as Cornette explains the idea of getting more out of doing less.

Some choking and stomping lets Savage send him into the cage a few times as commentary talks about the cage being really ugly. Savage keeps up the beating on the floor but Lawler manages to whip him into the cage as well. For some reason Savage looks blinded and the comeback is on. Cornette explains the importance of connecting with human emotions but stops as Savage misses the elbow off the top of the cage (OUCH).

Somehow Savage is able to backdrop his way out of a piledriver attempt and the airplane spin takes us to old school. They’re both dizzy and Lawler’s right hand puts both of them down. Savage ax handles him on the floor again and some rams into the cage almost have the wall falling down. The strap comes down and Lawler UNLOADS on him with lefts and rights. Cue Jos LeDuc to break into the cage though and jump Lawler for the DQ (yeah it was a different time) at 13:36 shown.

Rating: B. I had a great time with this and you could tell how big the match really was for everyone. Lawler and Savage are of course two masters and they knew how to make this work very well, even with the cage being a bit less than what we’re used to seeing. Throw in a weird ending and things are a bit downgraded but this was far ahead of everything else on the set thus far.

Post match the big beatdown is on, including Savage dropping the top rope elbow. Some other wrestlers run in for the save.

From Mid-South Wrestling, 1981.

Mid-South Tag Team Titles: Ted DiBiase/Bob Roop vs. The Samoans

DiBiase/Roop are challenging and the Samoans have Ernie Ladd with them. Roop and Sika (spelled Sica in the graphic) start things off with Roop working on the arm. A right hand staggers Afa on the apron and it’s off to DiBiase for a headlock. It works so well that they do it again but Sika is back up to take over, with Afa coming in for the first time.

Commentary praises Ladd and DiBiase’s father Mike as Sika misses a headbutt. Roop comes back in to take over but Sika makes the save. A double headbutt drops Roop again and everything breaks down, with Ladd being dragged in. Roop covers Sika but the referee calls for the DQ at 6:19.

Rating: C-. What is with these finishes? Roop is someone I haven’t seen much of over the years and while he was a former Olympian, he was only the most interesting professional. On the other hand you have DiBiase, who is already showing the skill that would move him into a rather awesome future. The Samoans are…well you know who the Samoans are and they were doing their thing here.

From Indianapolis, Indiana, August 25, 1973.

WWA Tag Team Titles. Bruno Sammartino/Dick The Bruiser vs. Ernie Ladd/Baron Von Raschke

Oh my. Raschke and Ladd are challenging and have a VERY young Bobby Heenan with them. Local announcer Sam Menacker is guest referee. The Bruiser grabs Raschke with a headlock and Ladd comes in for an early save. We seem to be clipped to Sammartino coming in to knock Ladd down to a HUGE reaction. A backdrop gives Sammartino two with Raschke making the save. Sammartino punches Ladd out to the floor, followed by the jumping stomps back inside.

Raschke comes in and takes over on Sammartino, only to miss an elbow. It’s back to Bruiser who sends Raschke over the top before all four go outside. Sammartino almost gets to destroy Heenan but it’s back to Bruiser for a backdrop on Raschke. Bruiser covers so Raschke puts the foot on the ropes, only for Menacker to break it up and count three anyway at 4:54 shown. From what I can tell this was a 2/3 falls match so this was either heavily clipped or we don’t see the other two falls (Sammartino/Bruiser won 2-1).

Rating: C. Yeah you can only get so much with this much stuff cut out, but WOW that is a heck of a lineup. It’s the kind of a match that makes your eyebrows go up as there is almost no way this is boring. I absolutely could have gone for more of this and that’s a very nice feeling as the cutting wrecked what could have been an awesome showcase. Also of note: the fans were going NUTS for Sammartino here, which is at least a bit of proof that he could have been something better outside of just the northeast.

Post match Heenan yells at Menacker but can’t get anywhere.

From San Antonio, Texas, 1982.

Tully Blanchard vs. Manny Fernandez

They fight over a lockup to start and go to the ropes, leaving Blanchard to put a finger in Fernandez’s face. Fernandez wrestles him to the ground and grabs an armbar for some cranking. We’re clipped to Fernandez working on the leg before the crash out to the floor as commentary talks about the rather horrible training methods. Cue Gino Hernandez to jump Fernandez for the DQ at about 4:40 shown.

Rating: C+. This is another case where I could have gone for more of it as Fernandez is someone who could have worked well with just about anyone. On the other side you had Blanchard, who was still putting things together but you could see the skills. Blanchard and Hernandez were a heck of a team together and Fernandez getting a partner to fight against them could have gone rather well.

From Memphis, Tennessee, I believe June 11, 1984.

AWA Southern Title: Rick Rude vs. Jerry Lawler

Lawler is defending. We’re joined in progress to start with Rude hammering him down. This allows commentary to talk about the famous Memphis/Mid-South talent trade where Bill Watts completely outsmarted Jerry Jarrett and got the FAR better end of things. Lawler is knocked down so Rude’s manager Angel can get in some choking, followed by a suplex and neckbreaker to give Rude two.

The slow stomping continues but Lawler starts Hulking Up, with the strap coming down. The referee accidentally gets dumped though and Lawler drops Rude, only for….it looked like Jim Neidhart runs in for the save. Lawler hits the fist drop but Angel comes in, allowing Rude to hit an ax handle for the pin at 5:04 shown.

Rating: C+. This is where things get interesting as you have someone like Rude, who was hardly a big deal yet but the skill was absolutely there. Once he got some more of the details of the Ravishing character down, it was off to the races and a lot of that was due to getting to work with someone like Lawler. This was like a preview for the future, and it was a heck of a tease.

Post match Lawler is livid and goes after the villains, including a right hand to Angel, which sends the fans into absolute delirium (this was on some music videos that aired in Memphis and the reaction almost has to be seen to be believed). Tommy Rich and Doug Gilbert run in to help Lawler but the Pretty Young Things come in as well. Rich and Gilbert make the real save with some chairs.

From Indianapolis, Indiana, September 16, 1972.

Dick The Bruiser/The Crusher/Little Bruiser vs. Blackjacks/Bobby Heenan

Little Bruiser is about 3’7 and dropkicks a kneeling Heenan to start before the villains are all cleared out. Bruiser hammers away at Lanza and it’s off to Little Bruiser to hammer on the ribs. The neck crank goes on, with Little Bruiser coming in for some cheap shots of his own. Mulligan and Crusher come in, allowing Little Bruiser to get in another shot.

The hold is broken up and Crusher is taken into the corner as commentary talks about the Bruiser being a weird guy and a big riot in Madison Square Garden. Heenan comes in and get bitten by Little Bruiser, which doesn’t exactly go well. We settle down to Crusher poking Mulligan in the eye and Bruiser sends him into another eye poke. Lanza comes back in with some big forearms to the chest but for some reason it’s back to Heenan, who is promptly pummeled.

A backdrop gives Heenan a nasty landing and everything breaks down for the brawl on the floor. Back in and Heenan gets beaten up again and we’re clipped to Mulligan getting backdropped. Everything breaks down again and the Blackjacks are sent into each other. Then they’re whipped into Heenan as Cornette tries to remember the referee’s name. Little Bruiser is tossed onto the Blackjacks for two each, followed by a top rope splash to finish Heenan at 11:23.

Rating: B-. I’ve seen this match before and having Little Brutus out there to torment Heenan was great to see again. Heenan really was someone who could do just about anything and make it look good, which is even before you add in everything he could do on the microphone. The other four had a good brawl, but there was only one way this was going to end and that’s exactly what we got.

Post match the brawl stays on with the villains being cleaned out.

Some previews for the last three volumes wrap us up.

Overall Rating: C+. Again, you’re not watching this for the content for the most part (though some of it is good) but rather the commentary, which gives you some amazing stories and a nice background on so many of these people. We’ve heard of so many of them but it’s fascinating to get stories and insights from people who have either studied them for a long time or even worked with them. I’m not sure what the point is in trying to sell you on something like this though, as it’s the kind of thing you know if you’ll like or not right off the bat. I’m having a great time with it though and hopefully that continues.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Wrestling Gold #1: Busted Open
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Dave Meltzer

So this is a set I’ve wanted to do for a VERY long time. The idea here is very simple, as you have a collection of old territory wrestling, but the catch is Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer are doing insider/expert commentary. The matches seem to be in random order so I have no idea what to expect here but it should be fun. Let’s get to it.

Unless I’m missing it, there are no dates or promotions for the matches so unless we’re told something, it’ll be little more than a guess.

Cornette and Meltzer give us some quick on camera introductions, which seems to be the case for every match.

Sherri Martel vs. Judy Martin

This seems to be from 1981/1982. Feeling out process to start with Martel taking her to the mat to little avail. Commentary isn’t sure if Martel started as one of Playboy Buddy Rose’s Playgirls (Cornette doesn’t think so) as Martin is back with a snapmare. A legdrop misses and Martel hits a headknocker, only for the second attempt to be countered with a backdrop. Back up and Martin tries a double chickenwing, which is reversed into a rollup for the pin at 4:33, with commentary being a bit surprised by such an athletic move.

Rating: C. As you can guess here, the wrestling is not the point as this is ALL about the commentary explaining what is going on. At the same time, this is probably going to be a bunch of public domain/easily accessible wrestling, though the set is from 2004 so YouTube wasn’t a thing yet. Either way, not much to see here, with the ending being the only big spot.

Shawn Michaels vs. Ken Johnson

The only record I can find for these two is in a tag match in July 1985 so we can assume it’s near that time. It’s also clearly the same ring and announcer as the first match, but if the commentary is right, it’s a few years apart. Cornette isn’t sure who Michaels’ first opponent would have been (it was Art Crews) but this has to be close to it. Michaels headlocks him down to start and hits a crossbody, followed by another headlock.

A belly to back suplex drops Michaels as Meltzer talks about Michaels’ history, including the rumors of a comeback after his last match in 1998. Cornette has to praise Michaels, despite their personal issues, which is quite the praise. Johnson misses a charge into the post and Michaels hits a backdrop into some dropkicks. A powerslam finishes Johnson at 4:18.

Rating: C+. Definitely a better match, but as commentary pointed out, that’s kind of Michaels’ thing. He could have a good match against anyone and it was awesome to see him do his thing and make it work so well. You could hear commentary loving what they were seeing here and it’s easy to see that Michaels could do the basic stuff so well so soon but the more complicated stuff was coming really fast too.

From Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas, March 21, 1983.

SWCW Tag Team Titles: Gino Hernandez/Tully Blanchard vs. The Grapplers

The Grapplers are defending and have Don Carson with him. Cornette goes on one heck of a history lesson about Carson, with even Meltzer seemingly having never heard a bunch of it. Grappler #1 and Hernandez start things off until #2 comes in to headlock Blanchard down. Some knees to the back set up a chinlock, followed by a hard whip into the corner. That doesn’t go very far and it’s off to Hernandez for some elbows to the head.

#1 elbows him back into the corner though and it’s back to Blanchard as commentary goes on a long rant about how SWCW was pulled off of the USA Network and replaced by the WWF. Blanchard pulls #2 into a chinlock and manages to cut off a tag as they’re all heels so they know what they’re doing. We take a break (I think) and it’s back to Blanchard, even without a tag.

Blanchard gets elbowed back and caught in the wrong corner so a double elbow can get two. A swinging neckbreaker gives #2 two on Blanchard and the Grapplers trade spots behind the referee’s back. Hernandez comes back in for more elbows and a dropkick as commentary goes on a rant about David Arquette winning the WCW World Title. Hernandez accidentally hits Blanchard and then rams #1 into him, setting up an O’Connor roll for the pin and the titles at 8:59 shown.

Rating: B-. I liked this fairly well as there was something to be said about having two heel teams going for the titles. Blanchard and Hernandez were rather good together and you could see that the Grapplers had chemistry of their own. It’s a nice thing to see, if nothing else for the star power involved.

And then Blanchard turns on Hernandez with a belt shot. Cornette: “That’s a surprise even to me!” Hernandez is busted open and the Grapplers beat him down again. Hernandez manages to fight back in what should be one heck of a face turn.

Gino Hernandez vs. Tully Blanchard

We’re in Houston and possibly on May 21, 1983 and boxer Earnie Shavers is guest referee. Blanchard bails straight to the floor to start and decks a photographer. Back in and Blanchard hides in the ropes, setting up the Terry Funk teeter totter spot. Hernandez sends him outside again and does a bit of a dance as commentary talks about how Paul Boesch and Houston Wrestling was crushing all promotions, like this one, coming into the city.

Hernandez sends him into the corner a few times but misses a charge, allowing Blanchard to tie the arm in the ropes. This leaves commentary to explain the split up of the once massive Texas territory into the territories they are best known for being later on. Hernandez gets whipped hard into the corner for a heck of a Flair Flip out to the floor. Back in and the bleeding Hernandez is gyrating on the mat a bit so Blanchard kicks him out to the floor again.

Commentary points out that Lou Thesz is at ringside as Hernandez backdrops his way out of a piledriver attempt. Hernandez fights back and Blanchard is busted open as well, which gets commentary off of the Thesz stories. Blanchard is knocked out onto the announcers’ table, leaving Hernandez to hit a suplex back inside. A top rope (backwards) elbow misses but Blanchard makes the mistake of going after Shavers. That means a big knockout and Hernandez hits a middle rope splash for the pin at 12:17.

Rating: B. Pretty easily the best match of the set thus far as these guys looked like they wanted to beat the fire out of each other. That’s what you want to see out of a match like this and Hernandez was showing some good fire. You can tell when something like that is working and it certainly was here, with Blanchard getting to be his nature heel self.

From Southwest Championship Wrestling, May 21, 1983 in Houston, Texas.

SWCW World Title: Bob Orton Jr. vs. Adrian Adonis

For the inaugural title and Lou Thesz is here to present the winner with the title, along with a 75 year old World Title. Adonis, with a taped up forehead, works on the arm to start and Orton is back with an armbar. They fight over a top wristlock, which isn’t exactly action packed so commentary talks about Adonis’ time in the AWA. A headscissors takes Orton down as Cornette talks about Bob’s son Randy starting to train.

Adonis stays on the arm and Orton bails out to the floor. Back in and Orton works on the arm as well as commentary talks about Adonis’ weight issues killing his career. Adonis pulls him down into a hammerlock again but Orton gets an armbar as this is as riveting as it sounds. Orton continues the cranking, with Adonis tapping about ten years before that meant anything pretty much anywhere. Adonis fights up and hits an atomic drop to pick up the pace a bit but a middle rope splash hits raised knees.

Orton punches him into the post for two as commentary moves on to the title just kind of vanishing when the promotion lost the USA Network. Back up and Adonis sends him into the corner but he gets flipped in the corner for a big crash. Orton can’t superplex him and falls down, with Cornette admitting that the Midnight Express stole some stuff from Orton and Dick Slater. Adonis is back up with a sleeper, which is reversed into the same thing from Orton. That’s reversed as well though, with Adonis getting a small package for the pin and the title at 15:47.

Rating: C-. This got going near the end but the armbars and hammerlocks were more than a bit dull. They were just laying there on the mat without much going on and that’s only going to be so interesting. Adonis winning the title is certainly a way to go, but it’s fairly clear that he’s not quite some major star at this point. Still though, the last five minutes did get a good bit better, but maybe pick up the pace a bit before then.

We get the big title presentation.

Abdullah The Butcher vs. Bruiser Brody

We’re in San Antonio with Southwest Championship Wrestling (possibly July 1, 1984) and joined in progress with Brody chopping him in the head. They go inside and the referee gets punched down, leaving the other two to strike it out. Another referee comes in and gets taken out as well, allowing commentary to talk about the idea and thinking behind booking the match.

They brawl into the crowd (again) and Brody hits him with a piece of wood. More wood shots to the head have Butcher in more trouble but he chokes Brody down. They slug it out even more as commentary talks about Butcher making sure no one steals his wallet. Butcher is knocked off a platform and walks out at 5:12 shown.

Rating: C+. This is one of those things that works because they aren’t trying to do anything out of their comfort zone. A promoter would book this match for the sake of letting them beat the daylights out of each other and that’s exactly what we got here. It made for a fun brawl, though once you’ve seen one of them, you’ve kind of seen them all.

From July 4, 1983 in San Antonio, Texas from a show co-promoted by Southwest Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

Larry Zbyszko vs. Scott Casey

Zbyszko is from Georgia and Casey doesn’t like the invader. Joined in progress as they fight over a top wristlock as commentary tries to figure out the date of the match. Zbyszko snaps off a hiptoss and grabs a chinlock to slow things back down. This lets us talk about the Showdown At Shea show, with Meltzer rattling off the attendance and gate, blowing even Cornette’s mind.

Casey fights up but gets caught in another headlock, which is broken up with a backbreaker. Casey’s gutwrench suplex drops Zbyszko for two and they go outside, with Casey being sent into a table. Back in and Zbyszko hammers away but Casey suplexes his way out of trouble. A butterfly suplex and a neckbreaker drop Zbyszko for two and we hit the sleeper. That’s reversed into a cradle with Zbyszko putting his feet on the ropes for the win at 7:08.

Rating: B-. Zbyszko might not be the most thrilling star in the world but he was able to have a good match just about all of the time. That was the case here as they did some nice stuff here. Casey is someone who was a good hand back in his day and it’s easy to see why he wound up being a successful trainer.

Post match Tully Blanchard comes out to pose with Zbyszko but Eric Embry comes out and it’s a big brawl. Stan Hansen comes in to clear out Blanchard and Zbyszko.

From Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas, August 15, 1982.

Jerry Lawler vs. Bob Sweetan

This is a battle of the piledrivers. Before the match, Lawler requests more respect from the crowd, who doesn’t seem interested. Lawler is wearing tights here rather than the singlet, which is quite the visual. Sweetan steals the crown to start and it’s already time for Lawler to bail to the floor. Back in and Lawler doesn’t like the weapons check so Sweetan chases him outside.

Lawler gets the mic to yell a lot and we finally get the opening bell. Some right hands miss for Sweetan and Lawler punches away, with Sweetan chasing him to the floor. Lawler heads outside and says that his shots were open hand strikes so the referee shouldn’t be yelling at him. Back in and Lawler still isn’t happy but goes with the right hand to get on Sweetan’s nerves.

This lets Cornette explain the psychology behind Lawler’s matches as Lawler gets hit in the face, sending him bailing to the floor, unlike Sweetan, who stood there and took it. Back in and Lawler hides in the ropes as the stalling continues. Sweetan tries a piledriver and of course Lawler bails out to the floor. Naturally he grabs the mic again and says the piledriver is illegal where he comes from.

Lawler gets back in but bails again as the stalling continues. Back in (again) and Lawler goes to the eyes as Cornette points out that Lawler is doing most of the work but isn’t even breathing heavy. The fist drop misses and Lawler has to fight out of a piledriver attempt. Sweetan works on the arm but Lawler pops up and slugs away with left hands, followed by a big right.

The piledriver is broken up and Sweetan makes the comeback, including a belly to back suplex for two. Another belly to back gives Sweetan the pin at 12:55, even if Lawler’s foot was on the rope. Ignore that it was on the rope after the three but the referee says keep it going anyway. Sweetan charges into a knee in the corner and Lawler gets a rollup for the pin at 13:35.

Rating: C+. While Cornette’s praise of Lawler was a bit insane at times, he was right in saying that Lawler carried the whole thing here. There is only so much you can do when Sweetan is pretty much useless and only there for the sake of being able to do the piledriver. Lawler was pestering the fans, winding Sweetan up and doing his thing in the ring, without actually doing much physically. The fans stayed with him though, which is why this stuff works so well.

Post match Sweetan piledrives Lawler.

From Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas, August 15, 1982. This is the same show as the Lawler vs. Sweetan match.

SWCW Tag Team Titles: Terry Funk/Ivan Putski vs. Gino Hernandez/Tully Blanchard

Hernandez and Blanchard are defending. We’re joined in progress with Hernandez hitting a dropkick on Funk and Blanchard comes in for a piledriver. Commentary buries Putski, who hasn’t even come in yet, hoping that Funk gets to do most of the work here. Hernandez drops a top rope elbow for two but Funk sends Blanchard through the ropes for a needed breather.

A slingshot spear hits Funk but the referee gets bumped, with Blanchard then slamming Funk onto the referee for a bonus. Putski comes in anyway to clean house as everything breaks down. Putski counters a suplex and lands on Blanchard…with a young Ricky Morton coming in to count the pin at 3:08.

Rating: C+. We didn’t get much here but what mattered the most was having Funk out there doing his thing with some talented opponents. Blanchard and Hernandez were clearly the hot team but they needed more than one good challenger. I’ll take all of the Funk I can get though and…well Putski was there too.

That seems to count so Hernandez and Blanchard lay Morton out. Ken Lucas (Morton’s partner) runs in for the save. Putski and Funk get back in as well and the villains are cleared out. Oh and Morton’s interference is a DQ, as it should be. Lucas shouts at the heels.

From Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas, August 15, 1982. Third match in a row.

Dick Slater vs. Mongolian Stomper

In a cage with Bob Sweetan as guest referee. We’re joined in progress again with Stomper hammering away and grabbing a claw as Cornette puts over Stomper as an all time legend. The claw keeps Slater down but Slater is back up with an elbow to the head. Slater is sent into the cage though and we’re right back to the claw. That’s finally broken up so Stomper rams him into the cage again. We’re back to the claw as commentary talks about how ugly Stomper and Sweetan both happen to be.

Slater fights up and sends him into the cage a few times. Stomper is busted open again, leaving commentary to mock the age of Stomper’s manager Don Carson. Slater goes up for a top rope stomp, followed by the snap jabs. A low blow gets Stomper out of trouble but the big stomp is actually blocked. Sweetan gets knocked down but comes up to block Stomper from using a boot. Instead Slater takes it away and hits Stomper for the pin at 8:59 shown.

Rating: C. This took some time to get going but once they got away from the claw holds, the match got a lot better. It’s weird to see Slater as the good guy in the whole thing but there is no reason to have Stomper as a hero most of the time. At the same time, Sweetan was barely a factor until the ending, which is often the best thing for a wrestler.

Post match Carson distracts Sweetan so Stomper can get in a cheap shot. Slater fights back but Carson comes in and Stomper chokes Slater out. A loaded glove has Slater in more trouble but Santo Negro comes in off the top of the cage and Coco Samoa helps make the save.

From Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas, August 15, 1982. This has to be the last match from this show right?

AWA World Title: Nick Bockwinkel vs. Bruiser Brody

Bockwinkel is defending and has Bobby Heenan in his corner, with Lou Thesz as guest referee. We’re joined in progress again with Bockwinkel working on a headscissors as commentary buries Thesz’s weird referee shirt. Brody fights out and knocks Bockwinkel back as commentary explains the importance of the AWA World Title. A bearhug has Bockwinkel in trouble but a Heenan distraction breaks it up.

Bockwinkel actually wins a slugout and we’re right back to the headscissors. Some big right hands put Brody on the floor as the brawling is oddly going to Bockwinkel here. Back in and Brody wins a slugout before sending Bockwinkel into the apron. A top rope shot to the head drops Bockwinkel, as Brody is getting fired up. Bockwinkel needs a breather on the floor and a big slam connects, only for Heenan to offer a distraction.

Back in and Brody hits the big knee drop but Heenan offers another distraction, earning himself a pull into the ring. Brody unloads on Heenan, only to throw Bockwinkel over the top (uh oh). Heenan is tossed as well and Brody brings in a chair, which is taken away. Heenan and Bockwinkel walk out at 9:55 shown.

Rating: B-. Yeah this worked, with the format being a bit surprising as Bockwinkel won a lot of the brawling. Once Brody started fighting back though, everything picked up and it was a lot of fun. Brody is someone who could do the fired up comeback while still looking like a monster, while Heenan and Bockwinkel could do…well pretty much anything.

And apparently it’s a DQ instead of a countout.

Overall Rating: B-. These things are really hard to rate overall as it’s a case where the real draw is the commentary rather than the wrestling. There’s some good action to be seen though, with quite a few all time stars. It was a bit much to see so much from the same promotion and even show, but Cornette and Meltzer could talk about just about anything. Either way, fun stuff here and I’m looking forward to see the variety we get on the other discs.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Clash Of The Titans 2
Date: August 22, 2025
Location: Greenwirth Community Centre, Golden Grove, Australia
Commentators: Paul Roberts, Trent JM

This is Pro Wrestling South Australia and I know absolutely nothing about it. The show apparently aired for free in full on YouTube and it can be fun to throw on something random like this every so often. I came coming into this one totally blind so this could go in any kind of direction. Let’s get to it.

Again to be clear: I do not follow this promotion so I apologize for missing any character or storyline details.

Opening sequence.

The arena looks small but it’s a fine camera setup with a mini screen and some nice graphics. Not bad at all.

Commentary is introduced and introduce John E. Radic and, I’m assuming, his son Cody Radic. They want the Tag Team Titles so here is Commissioner Freak, with a referee who is carrying a trophy (apparently Freak’s Hall Of Fame trophy). Freak brags about being in the Hall Of Fame and says it means he can make decisions.

Apparently he recently stripped the Radics of the Tag Team Titles and that isn’t good. Freak hands Cody his own title, which Cody throws over his head. He doesn’t want any of the Radics to hold a title so the family leaves. With them gone, Freak unveils the new PWSA Title belt for the winner of the main event. So was this just to establish that Freak is a jerk and to show off the new belt?

Legacy Title: Rocco Reid vs. Max Kelly

Reid is defending and this is kind of an Iron Man title, with the most “points” in ten minutes winning, though you can win a point off any of the regular kinds of falls, plus knockouts and over the top rope with both feet touching the floor. The announcer said basically any kind of finish in wrestling gets you a point and in the case of a tie after ten minutes, it’s sudden death. Fair enough. The bell rings and Kelly pulls out some beers, which are taken away, allowing Kelly to get in a low blow. Kelly tosses him over the top for the first point at 57 seconds.

Kelly – 1
Reid – 0

Back in and Kelly clotheslines him outside for the point at 1:05.

Kelly – 2
Reid – 0

Reid gets back inside and is knocked down with a dropkick but comes back with a German suplex. The running charge misses in the corner though and Kelly gets in a running slap to the face. A DDT plants Reid again but Kelly stops to yell at the crowd as we have 5:00 left. Reid’s comeback is quickly cut off as Kelly plants him down again. The slow beating ensues and Kelly hits some forearms to the back. A torture rack neckbreaker gets two on Reid and we’re down to 2:00 left. Kelly stops for a beer but the referee takes it away, allowing Reid to get in a low blow (evening the score from earlier). Kelly is tossed over the top to give Reid a point with 1:22 to go.

Kelly – 2
Reid – 1

Kelly kills some time on the floor but misses a charge and gets low bridged to the floor to tie it up with 55 seconds left.

Kelly – 2
Reid – 2

Back in and Reid hits a frog splash for the pin at 7 seconds left.

Kelly – 2
Reid – 3

And time expires for Reid to retain at 10:00.

Rating: C+. The idea is a nice little twist, but the rapid fire over the top eliminations feel like a way to run the scores up in short order. A little tweak like maybe “you can’t win the same way in back to back falls” or something could do a lot of good here, as this was basically two quick tosses over the top each and a quick rollup for the tiebreaker. Fun idea, but maybe adjust it a bit.

Jaxx L. Radic vs. Harper Sky

Intergender match. Radic is related to John and Cody earlier and has Maddie James with him. Radic easily powers the much smaller Sky into the corner and slams her down for two. Back up and Sky sends him into the corner but Radic knocks her off the top. A suplex gives Radic two but Sky rolls him of for some near falls. Sky’s high crossbody connects so James pulls her out at two, which earns some yelling from Radic. For some reason, James breaks it up, allowing Radic to get a rollup for the pin at 5:02.

Rating: C. Not much to see here as Radic powered her around and then won. The stuff with James was a bit confusing and commentary didn’t exactly explain what was going on. Other than that it was Sky trying to get in offense where she could, so this was about as good as it was going to get.

Post match James is not happy with Radic, who stays on Sky in the corner. James jumps Radic and chases him off.

The vacant Tag Team Titles will be crowned in a TLC match later this month.

Bob vs. DJ Lucia

Apparently Bob is short for Beautiful Old Bastard. They fight over wrist control to start until Lucia snaps off a headscissors. Bob takes him down by the arm and sends it into the corner for some cranking around the rope. The armbar goes on for a few moments but Lucia fights up and strikes away. The high crossbody gives Lucia two and it’s some rolling suplexes into a sitout gordbuster for two. Bob is right back with a clothesline into a fisherman’s buster for the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C. Not much to this one, as Bob was just a generic heel and Lucia was flying around well enough to give him an issue. It’s another match that went rather quickly and didn’t get much time so it was only ever going to get very far. The match wasn’t bad, but it felt like a regular TV match rather than something that belonged on a major event.

Post match Bob goes after the arm again

Here is JMC for a chat. He has some things to get off his chest after winning a recent street fight. Now he isn’t sure what is next for him, but apparently someone played a video of him recently and he wants revenge on the tape player. Vengeance is sworn. As he leaves, here is Brett Santarini to interrupt. We get a quick staredown and it’s time to….actually talk a lot.

Santarini is tired of his lack of respect and is ready to prove it. He doesn’t seem to like the fans that much.

Adelaide Open Title: Brett Santarini vs. Corvidae

Corvidae is defending. Apparently they have a history together, with Corvidae having used something like Money In The Bank to take the title from Santarini. The brawl is on to start with Corvidae being sent outside, only to come back in and get German suplexed. Santarini hammers him down and we go back outside, where Corvidae manages to send him into the apron.

That doesn’t do much as Santarini takes him back inside to work on the back. A big forearm gives Corvidae a needed breather but he can’t do it again as his back gives out. Santarini sends him hard into the corner and out to the floor, followed by a cannonball back inside. A Swanton gives Santarini two and he can’t believe the kickout. Someone named Ace Wilson’s music plays but Corvidae rolls Santarini up for the pin to retain at 14:04.

Rating: C. Yeah I wasn’t feeling this one, as it was a long match with Santarini beating Corvidae up but then losing to a distraction rollup. That isn’t the most thrilling way to go and again, it was kind of confusing to figure out what was going on. It makes enough sense on the surface, but an explanation would make some more sense.

Post match someone comes through the crowd to lay Corvidae out (apparently his former partner). Some other wrestlers come in for the save. The wrestler who ran in says he’s coming for the title, and for the hand that broke their promise.

Joey Triton vs. Twisted J

Triton is “the greatest scumbag of all time” and J has Michael Weaver with him. They go straight to the brawling with J taking over for two. J shrugs off a beating in the corner but charges into a side slam for two more. A spinebuster gives J two but Triton gives him a flapjack. The running…something misses in the corner and an RKO gives J the pin at 4:43.

Rating: D+. Again, this felt like a match that belonged on a regular TV show rather than some big special. I’m not sure why they went with something going this short but nothing about it made me want to see either of them again. J seems like someone the fans might get behind, though I have no idea what makes Triton a “scumbag”.

Post match Weaver gets in the ring and talks about his violent history with J. They tease being the Tag Team Champions but J should want to be World Champion. This is a situation that needed a bit better explanation as I was trying to figure out what they were talking about more than once.

Here is Commissioner Freak with the Tag Team Titles. He calls out some teams for a tag match and seems ready to award the titles to the winners but Malykai Slic interrupts, saying he wants in on this by himself. Cue Cazador to be Slic’s partner and it’s time for a triple threat, albeit not for the titles. Freak says Cazador/Slic have to win here to get into the title match.

Kode99 vs. Conflict Axiom vs. Cazador/Malykai Slic

Non-title. That would be EVO/Frankie Grime and Kris Law/Luke Reznor (with James Marshall and Kler Konstantin). Slic knocks Law down to start so Law wants Cazador (the World’s Largest Luchador). Law’s running shoulder doesn’t work and Cazador drops him with a shoulder of his own.

More shoulders are total failures so it’s off to Reznor, who is tossed into the corner for a monkey flip from Slic. Axiom takes over on Slic though and it’s EVO coming in for a snap suplex as the two evil teams (I think) start taking turns, including Law suplexing Slic for two. EVO and Law get in an argument though and slug it out, with Law hitting another suplex for two more.

Reznor’s Sling Blade gets two and it’s off to Grime, who gets caught with a DDT. That’s enough for Slic to come in, only to get kneed in the face to cut him off. A springboard legdrop/side slam combination gets two on Slic but it’s time for the other teams to argue again. Cazador comes in to run people over, including a heck of a clothesline to Law. A double chokeslam puts Grime and Reznor down and Slic is dropped down with a legdrop to give Cazador the pin at 12:58.

Rating: B-. Cazador and Slic are fine enough as a power/speed team and that’s all they needed to be. The other two were little more than generic villains, though they were both fine. There was no reason for anyone but Cazador/Slic to win here so they didn’t do anything nuts and the action was good enough to get by.

PWSA Title: Magni Ragnarsson vs. Colossus

Magni (with Jaxx L. Radic) is defending and is the smaller of the two at about 6’8. Colossus hammers away in the corner to start but can’t suplex the 400lbs Magni. Back up and Colossus hits a Sister Abigail but another attempt is countered into a chokeslam to give Magni two. Magni’s running splash misses and Colossus drops him, which draws Radic up to the apron. That’s good for an ejection, leaving the monsters to slug it out.

Magni gets knocked into the corner and he waves Radic back for some powder to the eyes. The blinded Colossus headbutts the referee before hitting another Sister Abigail to Magni onto the belt. Another referee runs in for the pin to give Colossus the title at 7:27….but the original referee calls it a DQ and Magni retains instead.

Rating: C. The problem with monster vs. monster matches like this is they have a VERY short shelf life. Magni is getting into Viscera size territory so there is only so much he’s able to do. The same is true of Colossus, though he was moving around a bit better. The ending didn’t help, but it did at least feel like an important match.

Post match Michael Weaver and Twisted J come out for the staredown but Magni and Radic leave to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. While I wouldn’t call this a must see show, I’ve seen far, far worse. The production looked good and the graphics team did a rather nice job, as the show certainly looked professional. The problem is the wrestling didn’t really stand out very much and I didn’t quite know why I was supposed to be invested in certain parts. Maybe this would be better if I saw some of the build, but I can’t go much higher than mediocre here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

A Night Of Appreciation For Sabu
Date: December 12, 2004
Location: Diamondback Saloon, Belleville, Michigan
Attendance: 700
Commentators: Doc Martin, Jim Paul

This was uploaded by the Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling Youtube channel in light of Sabu’s recent passing. In short, Sabu had some serious health issues back in 2004 and an independent show was put together to help him out. I’ve heard of this show before but never seen it so we could be in for something fun. Let’s get to it.

Conrad Kennedy III is ready to team with Eddie Venom to beat up D-Ray 3000 and Shark Boy. He’s the man with talent on loan from God. Well that’s quite the line and oh my the flashbacks are strong here.

Opening sequence, which is something close to the opening credits with wrestlers being listed.

A1 is ready to win the BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Title from D’Lo Brown.

D-Ray 3000/Shark Boy vs. Conrad Kennedy III/Eddie Venom

Before the match, Kennedy says this is a night for a great wrestler: himself! He’s not scared of D-Ray 3000’s afro and as for Shark Boy, Kennedy has 99 problems and a fish ain’t one. D-Ray and Kennedy fight over a hiptoss to start until D-Ray hits a crossbody and drops the afro to send Kennedy outside. The rather large Venom comes in to shove Shark around, including driving him into the corner.

Shark gets behind him though and bites the back of Venom’s tights, with the villains both going outside. A slingshot dive drops both of them, leaving D-Ray alone in the ring. Shark loads up a chair and teases a Sabu step up dive…but decided D-Ray can do it instead. D-Ray gets on the chair and falls down, which granted might not have been the best idea when the chair was in the middle of the ring.

That’s enough for Venom to come in and hammer away, including a nice jumping shoulder for two. Kennedy comes back in to stomp on D-Ray and it’s quickly back to Venom for an elbow drop. D-Ray gets back up for a double knockdown though and it’s back to Shark to clean house with some Battering Rams. The Dead Sea Drop (Diamond Dust) finishes Kennedy at 11:09.

Rating: B-. This was exactly what the opening match should have been and it was completely acceptable. You had a loudmouthed heel and his big enforcer against two smaller high fliers. The smaller guys fight back with some fun offense (including the Sabu tribute for a nice touch) and then win to shut the loudmouth up. That’s a great way to open the show and it went well.

BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Title: A1 vs. D’Lo Brown

A1 (a powerhouse who was part of Team Canada in TNA), with Jade, is challenging for the top title in Border City Wrestling. They take their time to start until Brown backs him into the corner for some slaps to the chest. Brown asks the crowd what his name is and after they tell him, he asks who A1 is supposed to be. A1 gets taken down and sent outside but he’s able to move before the big running dive.

Brown goes outside as well and hammers away as it’s been one sided so far. Some forearms and right hands stagger A1 but he comes back with a clothesline. Back in and A1 runs him over again, setting up a chinlock (with a foot on the rope because he’s a villain). That’s broken up and A1 misses a charge, allowing Brown to hit a middle rope moonsault for two.

A1 hits a heck of a clothesline but the piledriver is countered with a backdrop. Brown makes the comeback, including the shaky legdrop and the leg lariat for two each. The Sky High sets up….a Sabu point to the sky and the Low Down connects but Jade has the referee. Brown of course kisses her (in a spot that will never age well) but A1 grabs a neckbreaker for the pin and the title at 13:54.

Rating: C+. This was kind of a weird one, as Brown dominated a good chunk of the match but then lost via a near slip on a banana peel ending. A1 had a good look and it’s easy to see why he was given a shot in TNA. I never thought he was all that bad, but he really didn’t wrestle a power style here, which is weird given his look.

Monty Brown vs. Dallas

Brown was on fire at this point in TNA and Dallas is better known as Lance Archer. Brown slugs away to start but Dallas takes over and chokes on the ropes. To mix it up a bit, Dallas chokes in the middle of the ring but Brown is back with a butterfly suplex for two. Brown gets to hammer away…and here is Abyss to take the referee out. Dallas and Abyss beat Brown down and shake hands, allowing Brown to fight up. A Pounce each drops the villains and Brown gets the pin at 6:46.

Rating: C. I know he had a very, very good reason for retiring, but dang Brown continues to be one of the biggest “what if’s” of this generation. He had so much charisma and was starting to figure it out when he had to retire. At the same time, it’s kind of amazing how similar he feels to Big E. They were both power wrestlers with football backgrounds, but Brown has a lot of mannerisms that Big E. would use and it’s almost jarring to see the similarities.

Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles

Well here’s your guaranteed good match of the show. They fight over a lockup to start and actually go to the mat with it before Styles takes him into the corner for the clean break. Styles starts working on a wristlock before taking him down with a hammerlock. That’s reversed into a headlock, but the Last Rites and Styles Clash are both blocked.

Another headlock is broken up so Styles goes for the drop down dropkick, only for Daniels to grab the ropes. Daniels makes the eternal mistake of pointing to his head to show how smart he is though, and Styles hits the dropkick on the second try. Daniels is sent to the floor and that means the big no hands flip dive, which Styles makes look so awesome every time.

Back in and the big knee drop and a clothesline in the corner get two on Daniels. That’s broken up and Daniels gets in a backbreaker for a needed breather. Daniels’ abdominal stretch is broken up with a hiptoss and they trade forearms until a Downward Spiral drops Styles again. Back up and they fight over a waistlock until Styles gets a pumphandle gutbuster for two. Daniels’ Blue Thunder Bomb gets two more, followed by Styles’ belly to back faceplant for the same. They fight over a hurricanrana until Styles takes him down, setting up the Styles Clash for the pin at 16:51.

Rating: B. This is the definition of a match that is going to work no matter what they do. These two are incapable of having a bad match and there is a reason that so many places wants to run it. Styles was about as good as it got around this point and Daniels was one of the few people who could hang with him. Heck of a match here and the best thing on the show by a mile so far.

BCW Tag Team Titles: Team Canada vs. Gutter/James Storm

Team Canada (Petey Williams/Johnny Devine, with Scott D’Amore) are defending. Gutter grabs a headlock on Williams to start and cranks on the arm. An armdrag sends Williams down and a headscissors before a clothesline does it again. Gutter’s running knee gets two so Williams hands it off to Devine. That doesn’t work well either as Gutter takes him into the corner for the tag off to Storm.

Devine fires off some right hands but they roll around a bit until Storm hits the Eye of the Storm for a big crash. Gutter comes back in and gets punched down by Williams, who chokes on the ropes and sings for a bonus. The double teaming has Gutter in trouble, with Williams sending him into the corner for a double elbow. Something like a Dominator DDT gives Devine two and Williams puts on the (assisted) abdominal stretch.

That’s broken up again so a frustrated Devine plants him down for two. A suplex into a Stunner (ouch) gets two on more Gutter, with Storm having to make the save. It works so well that Devine tries it again, with Gutter escaping this time and hitting a German suplex. The tag brings in Storm to clean house, including with a powerslam and spinebuster for two each.

Devine gets sent into a few buckles but Williams hits Gutter with the spinning Russian legsweep. Storm cuts off the Canadian Destroyer with a superkick but D’Amore pulls the referee out. That earns him a superkick of his own but Devine hits Storm with a foreign object so Williams can get the pin at 12:25.

Rating: C+. Good enough tag match here, though I’m a bit curious about why this wasn’t America’s Most Wanted rather than Storm and Gutter. Other than that, you could see the talent involved, with Gutter being fine enough to be involved. Not a great match or anything, but it’s nice to have the titles on the line to make things feel more important.

Post match Gutter and Storm shake hands.

Insane Clown Posse/Rude Boy vs. Breyer Wellington/Corporal Robinson/Zach Gowen

Boy and Robinson get things going, with Robinson slugging away in the corner but getting knocked down by a double chop. With enough wrestling out of the way, it’s time to stab Robinson in the head and go for some blood with a spike. Gowen and Dope come in, with Dope mocking the one leggedness and then running Gowen over with a clothesline. A brainbuster drops Gowen again and we get a Sabu point.

Dope hits a nasty piledriver and it’s off to J for stereo basement dropkicks. J hammers away in the corner until Gowen manages a quick dropkick. It’s back to Wellington to fight back, with a suplex getting two. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a double arm crank. Robinson comes in to kick away in the corner and it’s back to the chinlock.

That’s not working for Dope, who comes in to clean house but gets put out because stabbing someone in the head is fine, but not tagging isn’t ok. Wellington grabs a Death Valley Driver but J is back up with a Hennig necksnap. Dope comes back in to (legally) clean house and the Posse hits a top rope moonsault and guillotine legdrop for the double pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. The Posse have been around all kinds of wrestling promotions and for the most part, they’re perfectly decent at doing moves but they don’t have much beyond that. The same issue was on full display here, making it a passable enough match but not something that gets much better. Everyone else was about the same, making this little more than some of Sabu’s friends being on the show.

Mick Foley says he’s here because he has to be, even though he’s missing a day of his vacation. However, Sabu is a friend of his and Foley doesn’t let his friends down. Sabu was an innovator who influenced a lot of people. Those people made a lot of money and it’s time for them to show respect to Sabu.

We get the same opening sequence.

AT Hawk (former ECW referee) talks about what Sabu means to him after all of their time together in various places. Hawk watched Sabu’s uncle the Sheik and even accepted an award in Sheik’s honor. Now tonight he is going to present it to Sabu. A few years ago, Hawk was talking to 2 Cold Scorpio, who wanted to know what Sabu was like in the ring. Hawk described him as the Sheik with wings, which is actually pretty accurate.

Michael Shane vs. Jeff Hardy

Shane is Shawn Michaels’ cousin and was a big enough deal in TNA. The bell rings and Shane grabs the mic, saying if you keep taking his picture, he’s leaving and not coming back. They take their time before getting going, with the fans pretty firmly behind Hardy. Shane starts in on the arm, which is reversed into a hammerlock. Hardy grabs the hooking clothesline and the legdrop between the legs, followed by a dropkick through the ropes.

A slingshot dive takes Shane down again but he’s fine enough to post Hardy and cut him off. Back in and a neckbreaker gives Shane two and it’s Hardy being sent outside again. Shane grabs a chair but sits down and puts on a sleeper, which is certainly a unique look. Back up and Hardy fights back with the usual, including another legdrop between the legs.

Now Hardy grabs the chair and hits Poetry In Motion for a VERY delayed two. A belly to back suplex cuts Hardy off but he’s right back with a slam. Shane gets smart though and kicks the referee into the ropes for a crotching. Hardy is right back with a top rope clothesline but the Twist of Fate is countered into a rollup with feet on the ropes to give Shane the big upset at 11:27.

Rating: B-. That’s quite the surprising result, with Shane being little more than a decent hand in TNA and Hardy being Hardy. This was the time when Hardy was away from WWE and not a big star yet, but it was certainly one of the better matches on the show. Hardy might have some issues, but he is more than good enough to have an entertaining match with just about anyone.

Shane Douglas talks about his respect from Sabu and how he helped bring wrestling back from its cartoonish nature. Sabu tore his muscle down to the bone and tape it up to finish the match. People who don’t respect the business will take the night off because their money was guaranteed but they had a sprained ankle. Tonight, he hopes they can help Sabu out a bit.

Here is Jimmy Hart to pay tribute to Sabu…and here is Sabu. Hart really puts him over, talking about how hard Sabu works and how the fans have grown to cheer for him whenever hardcore elements are brought in. Sabu actually says thank you, which is more than you usually hear from him, before doing the point. It’s great to have the entire point of the show there, which was far from guaranteed given his health issues.

Here is Mick Foley to be the guest referee for the main event. Foley says the fans were chanting the right name when they were chanting for Sabu. For the first time ever he came out to a KISS song here because it’s what Steve Williams, who is having a tough time of his own, used to do. Wrestling is a weird family and tonight we are here to honor someone who has given and given to the industry. This is one of those nights where he is glad to be a wrestler and he is glad to be here.

Raven vs. Shane Douglas

Mick Foley is guest referee. Hold on though as Douglas talks about breaking into the business with Foley before taking his usual shot at Vince McMahon. That brings him to ECW and how the company revitalized the industry. Douglas has said that ECW was built on his shoulders, but the reality is that it was built on Sabu’s shoulders. Then there is Raven, who disrespected the Sheik, so now it’s time to give Raven a beating for both Sabu and the Sheik.

Raven’s entrance talks about him being on such C level shows (commentary’s words) such as Win Ben Stein’s Money and he was a member of the Cartel on Global Championship Wrestling with someone he can’t remember (Foley), along with once having Foley tickle his feet while Raven was with a woman, despite Foley and Raven meeting just three hours earlier.

We also get Disco Inferno’s home phone number (because reasons) and Raven gets his entrance, but Raven tells the fans to stop cheering him. Raven hates Sabu, the Sheik, charity shows and Christmas. And these fans suck! Sabu can’t stand up and Foley is a big fat slob. NO he will not sell that stupid sock because it’s stupid. And he’ll come after Jimmy Hart too! Raven wants to put Sabu through a table but if he can’t do that, he won’t wrestle. With Raven leaving, Foley says he has two words for him: “No not ‘suck it’. What is this, 1999? JOHNNY POLO!”

THAT makes Raven snap, with Foley saying THAT was the real embarrassment to the business. The fans chant for Polo and Raven covers his ears in vain. Raven gets back in the ring and Foley says make no mistake about it: if that sock comes out, Raven is selling that son of a b**** like a million bucks.

With all that hilarity (I was in stitches over some of this stuff) out of the way, we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start with Raven bailing out to the apron to glare at the crowd. Douglas runs him over with a shoulder and we stall some more. Raven gets knocked outside and the fans start chanting for JOHNNY. He grabs the mic and demands that the fans do not call him THAT STUPID NAME.

Foley takes the mic and says he did not start calling Raven JOHNNY POLO, but don’t start mentioning Dude Love or anything. Douglas hammers away with the microphone and sends him into a chair in the corner. It works so well that Douglas sends him into the chair again, followed by a crotching against the post. They go to the floor (you knew this was coming) with Raven getting in a few shots before heading tot he bar where Douglas does a different kind of shot. They get back to ringside, with Foley counting to two after about three minutes on the floor.

Raven grabs the mic again and asks why Foley is stealing the show from him in his match. Raven: “Do I come down to Flannel World and steal your t-shirts?” Some jabs and a clothesline put Douglas down and Raven demands that Foley get on his knees and count like Bronco Lubich. That doesn’t happen so Douglas rolls him up for two, with Foley diving down to make the count. Raven yells at Foley for having an ego and Foley tells him to stop stinking up the f****** place.

A running crotch attack against the ropes gives Raven two more and it’s time for the chair. The drop toehold into the chair gives Raven two more and the slow beating is on. Douglas fights up and hits a low blow, followed by the clothesline comeback. Foley gets bumped in the corner so the Even Flow only gets a delayed two. Raven kicks Foley down and hits another Even Flow for no count.

Back up and the argument is on, with Raven accusing Foley of having an ego and being fat. Where was Foley when Raven was getting squashed in WWE??? Raven chokes on the ropes but Foley pulls him away and the brawl is on. The running knee hits Raven in the corner but he’s back with an Even Flow each. Raven gets the mic for about the fifth time and says that NOW it’s about him. He wants a table….and we’re clipped to the match having ended, with Sabu in the ring and Douglas apparently having won. Well we saw about 18:15 of the match if you’re keeping time.

Rating: B. The wrestling was nothing to see here, but this was one of the most entertaining matches I’ve seen in a long time. Raven was hilarious here and they made me buy into he and Foley not exactly liking each other. Douglas was a fine hero to carry the legacy of ECW while Raven was just being his usual goofy self. Hilarious stuff here (Raven’s introduction was outstanding) and I could have gone for seeing how the ending went, just for the sake of completion, but dang what we got was great.

Post match Foley, Sabu and Douglas pose. Jimmy Hart and Foley thank the fans and leave but Raven has the mic again. Raven: “I never liked him anyway. I could have beaten all three of them if I wanted to.” Fans: “RAVEN! RAVEN!” Raven: “ME! ME! ME! I still don’t like you people.” He does however thank Sabu for everything…but Douglas and Foley are still a*******.

We get the opening sequence for the third time.

Raven talks about how talented Sabu is and how sad it is to see someone so talented taken down due to something that wasn’t his fault. Wrestling is a backstabbing business but it’s touching to see something like this. He got to tell Sabu about the show and he’ll always remember the announcement. Unfortunately Fat Guy D’Amore is on the show but anyway, Raven loves Sabu and he admits this is way out of character for him. Raven calls Sabu over and mocks his appearance for tonight, though Sabu won’t talk in front of a camera.

Jimmy Hart talks about what a great night this was and talks about Scott D’Amore calling him up to the show. Then he saw everyone there and it was great. Of course he would set up the ring and park the cars….but he isn’t popping popcorn. He remembers the first time Sabu came to WCW and Goldberg, Hall and Nash were all watching (…….uh……). They gave Sabu a standing ovation after the match….and then the video cuts off. Ok then.

Overall Rating: B. Again, this is a show where you have to consider the point. This was designed to be a bunch of people coming together to support someone who means a lot to them. It’s a stand alone show with some very talented people and some of the matches were rather good. I liked this a good bit and the participants’ love of Sabu was very apparent. Check this out, especially the main event, if you want to see something of a 2004 time capsule.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Wrestling From Maple Leaf Gardens
Date: January 17, 1957
Location: Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentator: Dave Price

I think the title speaks for itself here but the date is what interests me the most. Unless I’m missing something, this is the oldest full show I’ve ever seen by a pretty wide margin. I’m not even going to pretend to have an idea of what to expect here so this is pretty much a blind trip back several decades. Let’s get to it.

Dave Price, our host and commentator, runs down the card and MY GOODNESS that ring is huge. It’s probably a good six or more feet bigger than what we see today. That has to be a boxing ring.

Billie Red Lyons vs. Baron Gattoni

We get the official introductions and Price spells the ring announcer’s name (Jerry Hiff) for some reason. Lyons is a Canadian mainstay and wrestled until the 80s while Gattoni (a rather stocky guy) was mainly a territory wrestler who never became a big star. Gattoni shoves him around to start and easily gets in a slam as Lyons can’t do much with someone his size.

A headlock works a bit better for Lyons until Gattoni runs him over with an elbow to the face. Lyons works on the arm so Gattoni grabs the hair to break it up. Back up and Lyons hammers away on the ropes until a single forearm drops him again. The bearhug goes on and Lyons gives up at 3:50 (Other places list the time at 8:48 so either the other places are incorrect or that’s a heck of an editing job).

Rating: C+. Gattoni was a monster with some size and power and I could easily see him being brought in as someone to wreck various people. That’s what he did here and there is a good chance that he would be moving on to face one of the biggest stars. It’s simple and basic stuff but they sold it well so points for making something work.

Post match Lyons is out and does not move for well over three minutes until a stretcher is brought to the ring. That’s some GREAT selling and makes Gattoni look like an even bigger monster.

Miller Brothers vs. Ken Kenneth/Pat Flanagan

The Miller Brothers are Bill and Ed, with Bill being a future AWA World Champion. Bill and Kenneth get things going and Bill, the smaller of the Brothers at 290lbs, works on the arm to start. That doesn’t work so we pause for a meeting with Ed, who apparently advises a hair pull. Bill works on the arm for a change but Kenneth is quickly in the ropes.

Kenneth seems hesitant about a handshake so Bill grabs a full nelson and Ed gets in a cheap shot from the apron, followed by some rather evil choking. Bill works on the leg but the referee shoves him away, allowing Flanagan and Ed to come in for a change. Flanagan is rather energetic and some mule kicks have Ed bailing out to the floor. A tag on the floor doesn’t count so Ed has to come back in, much to his chagrin.

Flanagan manages to send the Millers into each other before Ed takes him down by the arm to slow the pace. The arm cranking continues and Ed kicks him in the ribs, only to get caught pulling the trunks. That’s good for a break…so Ed is right back on the arm. Makes sense. Flanagan reverses into a headlock but Ed breaks it up with a shot “right in the tummy”.

Bill comes back in to work on the arm again and drags him into the corner, which draws Kenneth in for a failed save attempt. Bill throws Flanagan around and monkey flips him, only to get hiptossed down for two. It’s off to Ed, who takes Flanagan down and starts working on his leg. Some cannonballs down onto the leg set up some generic cranking but Flanagan grabs a quick backslide for two. That’s enough for the tag off to Kenneth…but the referee doesn’t see it. I’ve always loved that spot and there’s something awesome about seeing it so long ago.

Bill is right there to cut the tag off again and he switches to an armbar to keep Flanagan down. Bill’s big right hand misses though and he takes quite the tumble out to the floor so Ed grabs a choke from the apron. The referee GRABS ED BY THE FACE to pull him off but Flanagan fights out on his own and throw Bill. We even get a bit of a strut and a backdrop gets two, with Ed making the save.

A sunset flip (upside down cradle according to commentary) gets the same and they go to some grappling on the mat. It’s FINALLY off to Kenneth but Ed comes in as well as things reset. Ed gets in a bodyscissors and chokes a bit, even staying with the hold as he’s on his back and Kenneth is on his feet. It’s finally broken up so Bill kicks away on the ropes a bit. A torture rack of all things goes on, with Bill passing Kenneth over to Ed for the same hold. They pass him back and Kenneth is finally done at 18:53.

Rating: B-. It was far longer than I was expecting but dang this really kind of worked. It was a simple story and they were working with what would become a pretty standard formula. There was no hot tag in the end or anything like that but it was about the big monster team wearing the good guys down until the finish. The best thing I can say here is that it didn’t feel like a nearly twenty minute match, which is quite the good sign.

Post match the Millers beat on Kenneth and Flanagan a bit more before leaving.

Edouard Carpentier vs. Steve Stanlee

Carpentier was a huge star and an outstanding high flier while Stanlee was a guy who started back in 1947 and has a cool ring jacket. Stanlee isn’t having a handshake to start so Carpentier backs him to the ropes, where Stanlee trips him down. Carpentier trips him down for a change and Stanlee complains about a non-existent hair pull. Some grappling goes to the mat and Carpentier gets two off a rollup, leaving Stanlee frustrated.

Stanlee’s armbar is escaped with a backflip and he can’t figure out how Carpentier is doing this stuff. A headscissors is escaped with a handstand, followed by Carpentier nipping up to escape a reverse front facelock. Stanlee works on the arm a bit, only for Carpentier to do the same (not to his own arm of course). Back up and Stanlee tries his own flip and lands square on his back, with the referee even laughing at him.

Stanlee goes for the arm again and has a bit more success this time, managing to keep Carpentier down for a bit. That’s reversed into an arm crank from Carpentier, who rocks back and forth in quite the motion. Stalnee gets out and hammers away before grabbing a reverse front facelock. Carpentier backflips over him and lands on top in kind of a reverse DDT for the pin at 5:25.

Rating: B-. Carpentier is one of those guys who was WAY ahead of his time and you can absolutely see the star power in there. He could do the flips and impressive looking moves but also had a good physique to back it up. I haven’t seen much of him but everything I have seen is very impressive, which shouldn’t be a surprise given his reputation.

Post match Stanlee jumps him again and gets beaten up again, leaving an angry Stanlee in the ring.

Overall Rating: B-. This is one of those things that is absolutely fascinating to me as it’s almost seventy years old but they’re doing quite a few of the same things that you’ll see in modern times. It’s a completely watchable wrestling show and I had fun with the whole thing. That’s one of the cool things about wrestling, as while it has evolved over the years, so many of the elements are still the same. They were on display here and it was quite the easy watch with a bunch of people you might not have heard of before.

Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Canadian Big Time Wrestling
Date: 1975
Location: London Arena, London, Ontario, Canada
Commentator: Lord Layton

This is something that was released on the Maple Leaf Wrestling Youtube channel and is called Dave McKigney’s unaired pilot for the show. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from this and it could go absolutely anywhere. If nothing else, it’s interesting that the show was not picked up, as it might not bode well for what we’re seeing. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence, featuring a montage of people throwing fireballs for some reason.

Layton runs down the card, which seems to feature a lot of midwestern American talent.

We get O Canada.

Gene Dubois vs. Waldo Von Erich

According to the description on Youtube, Dubois is the McKigney who produced the show. Von Erich jumps him to start and fires off some knees in the corner, with Dubois not even getting his jacket off. A backdrop doesn’t work for Von Erich as Dubois lands on his feet and gets the jacket off to start the comeback (apparently it’s his Kryptonite). Von Erich gets knocked to the floor but the chase lets him hammer Dubois down and choke away.

Dubois fights up and hits him in the “midriff” before stomping Von Erich in the “knee”. The referee holds him back for a bit, with the distraction letting Von Erich fight back. A thumb to the throat has Dubois down but he slugs away and hits a running boot in the corner. The beating goes outside and they both have to beat the count. Von Erich kicks him back out to the floor and then kicks him again, which is enough for a DQ at 6:33. Well that’s enforcing the rules.

Rating: C. The ending left a bit to be desired but then again it’s 1975 so things were more than a bit different. Von Erich is one of the lesser known members of the family but he was good enough for a spot like this. Dubois being the one putting the show together and getting a spot makes sense, though he was nothing special in the ring.

The Patriot vs. Jay York

The Patriot is a masked man (not Del Wilkes of course) and York is an Alaskan. York takes him down by the arm to start and pulls from the mat with Patriot not being able to get out. Patriot finally reverses into the same pulling, setting off a string of counters on the mat. Patriot’s headscissors slows things down but gets reversed into a leg crank as this is more technical than I was expecting.

A hammerlock has Patriot in more trouble and they take turns exchanging leglocks. Patriot pulls away again as Layton explains that any titles are sanctioned by the NWA, including President Sam Muchnick. Back up and…well never mind as York pulls him back down into a chinlock which is described as “unusual”. York is back up with a clothesline for the win at 6:32.

Rating: C+. Very technical match here and it was fairly entertaining, with York being someone who has impressed me enough over the years. It was a good display of talented people getting on the mat and working out there, which is something you can always use on a show. Patriot could have been just about anyone but he was fine enough in the ring.

United States Title: Tiger Jeet Singh vs. The Sheik

The Sheik is defending in a cage and you have to escape through the door, with over the top not counting for some reason. They go right at it to start with Sheik being sent into the cage over and over. Singh goes for the door so Sheik chokes away to cut him off. Sheik isn’t getting out either though and it’s time to stab Singh in the head with something.

Singh fights back up so Sheik goes over the top, which is cut off almost immediately. The now bleeding Sheik can’t get out of the door in a few attempts so Singh pulls him back in. The beating is on but Sheik grabs the foot before he can escape. Singh chokes a lot and throws him down but it’s still not enough to escape. Some right hands rock Sheik…who falls out of the door to retain at 7:47.

Rating: C. Gah I can’t stand that finish but you know the Sheik isn’t going to lose almost any time. The Sheik had a near strangle hold on that title and he wasn’t about to lose it on something like this. Singh was a star in his day so this was a big time match, but it was only going to get so far with the kind of strange rules and the lame ending.

North American Title: Stan Stasiak vs. Ron Doner

Stasiak is defending (apparently the NWF version of the title) and Doner strikes away a few times to start, much to Stasiak’s annoyance. Doner pulls him down with an armdrag into an armbar but Stasiak fights up. A big shot in the corner misses though and Stasiak bangs up his hand, meaning it’s time for a trip to the floor. Back in and Stasiak works on the arm but gets reversed into a top wristlock. That’s broken up so Doner ties him up in the ropes and hammers away again. Stasiak gets out and hits a quick Heart Punch to retain at 4:19.

Rating: C+. Stasiak has never done much for me but he felt like a big deal here. He felt like a monster that Doner was trying to slay but couldn’t get very far. Granted they only had so much time so there was only so much you could get out of the thing. It’s probably the best I’ve seen from Stasiak though and he did well enough as the evil champion.

Tag Team Titles: Mickey Doyle/Billy Red Lyons vs. Lanny Poffo/Angelo Poffo

The Poffos, with Saul Weingroff, are defending the Detroit versions of the titles. Doyle and Angelo start things off with Doyle armdragging him out to the apron. Back in and Angelo works on the arm before hitting him in the face a few times. With Doyle on the floor, Lanny comes in for some flips, followed by a dropkick to put Doyle outside again. Doyle gets back in and knocks Lanny into the ropes, allowing the diving tag off to Lyons.

House is quickly cleaned so Lanny quickly dives (they like doing that in this match) over to Angelo, who begs off rather quickly. Lyons takes over without much trouble and it’s back to Lanny as we take a break. Back with Lyons holding Lanny so Doyle can forearm him in the chest. Doyle dropkicks him down and it’s back to Angelo, who begs off again. Some slams get two on Angelo and Lyons adds some more before getting taken into the wrong corner.

A jumping forearm to the back of the head gives Lanny two but Lyons backdrops him to the floor. The Poffos have a breather on the floor and Lanny is back in with a missile dropkick (that’s a BIG spot for 1975). Doyle’s comeback is quickly cut off but he slams Angelo a few more times.

Everything breaks down and the Poffos are knocked outside again for a meeting with Weingroff. Angelo comes back in and punches Lyons into the corner but Lyons suplexes his way to freedom. Doyle and Lanny come in for a crisscross until they ram heads and Lanny falls on top (with a push from Angelo) for the pin to retain at 15:35 (announced at 8:15, which is nuts even by wrestling timing).

Rating: C+. Well, the Midnights and the Rock N Roll can’t get here soon enough as it’s so bizarre to see tag matches just kind of coming and going without much structure. They were doing a bunch of stuff over and over until a kind of screwy finish. Lanny’s flips felt way ahead of their time and he stood out, while the fans were behind the challengers. Not a particularly great match, but it was nice to see something get that much time.

Post match, Layton says he doesn’t accept that and says Angelo shoved Lanny onto the cover. That’s actually enough for a DQ, with Layton and Weingroff arguing. The Poffos yells at Layton as the show goes off the air.

Overall Rating: C+. This is the definition of something that is of its time. The action was certainly fine enough and you could see some talent involved. At the same time, this really didn’t feel like a pilot, as much as “here’s a bunch of people, they’re having matches, you might like it”. I’ve seen far worse, but I’m not sure if I’d want to watch this on a regular basis. It’s VERY Detroit based (also known as Big Time Wrestling and only about two hours from London, Ontario) so there’s a good chance it was an offshoot or at least connected to the other promotion. This wasn’t bad, but it needed some adjustments to make it better.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Houston’s Wrestling Spectacular
Location: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
Commentator: Paul Boesch

This is a DVD released by Jim Cornette a few years ago and I have very little idea of what to expect. As you can probably guess, this is all from Paul Boesch’s Houston Wrestling and mostly from the late 70s/early 80s. I have no idea what to expect here but there are some very talented names on the lineup. Let’s get to it.

We open with what looks like the opening from Houston’s TV show in a nice touch.

From April 16, 1982. I’m not completely sure on the date as only the year is accurate but that seems to be the most likely option.

AWA World Title: Nick Bockwinkel vs. Dick Slater

Bockwinkel is defending and Slater’s Southwest Title isn’t on the line. Slater takes him down with a hammerlock to start and it’s time for some early cranking. Bockwinkel has to get up and go to the ropes for the escape and we reset things a bit. They go to the test of strength until Slater hits a headbutt, setting up a headscissors on the mat. Back up and Slater plants him down for two, followed by a small package for the same. Slater goes with the Indian Deathlock as Boesch talks about Bockwinkel’s father losing his ear in a match.

Bockwinkel grabs a forearm around the face for the break and hammers away at the chest. That’s fine with Slater, who headbutts his way out of trouble as Bockwinkel can’t get anything going here. We’re back in the front facelock for a bit until Bockwinkel gets up for some shoulders in the corner. One of them misses though and Bockwinkel hits the post to put Slater right back in control. Bockwinkel backdrops out of a piledriver attempt but Slater is right back with an armbar.

They get up but Bockwinkel hits him in the ribs, only for Slater to go back to the hammerlock as the arm cranking continues. The arm is tied up in Slater’s legs but Bockwinkel makes the ropes. Bockwinkel tries to hammer away but gets sent face first into the mat, which is enough to send him backing to the floor. Back in and they ram heads for a double down, giving Bockwinkel a much needed breather.

Slater slams him down but misses a middle rope knee drop to FINALLY give Bockwinkel an opening. The Figure Four goes on and Slater is in trouble but he’s able to roll over to the ropes. Bockwinkel wraps the bad knee around the post before snapping Slater’s throat across the top rope for the first fall at 15:18.

We get a one minute rest period between falls before Bockwinkel goes right after the leg again. Slater kicks him down though and sends Bockwinkel outside, followed by a bunch of kicks on the way back inside. A falling headbutt and a knee drop have Bockwinkel in trouble and Slater puts on his own Figure Four. The rope is reached again so Slater wraps the leg around the post (just as Bockwinkel did to him). A top rope elbow to the back of the head gives Slater the second fall to tie it up at 19:49.

We get another rest period before Slater starts fast with a piledriver to send Bockwinkel outside again. Back in and Slater hits a suplex for two but Bockwinkel slugs his way out of a spinning toehold. The referee gets bumped though and there’s no one to count as Slater gets an O’Connor Roll. The very delayed count gets two but Bockwinkel reverses into a rollup of his own and uses the tights for the pin to retain at 22:09.

Rating: B. This took some time to get going but eventually turned into Slater being good, but not quite good enough to win the whole thing in the end. That’s a nice story to tell and shows just how much better Bockwinkel was here. Bockwinkel absolutely takes some time to get used to, but when he’s showing what he can do, it absolutely works.

Post match Slater gets in a bonus shot to knock Bockwinkel off the apron.

From December 21, 1979.

Jimmy Snuka vs. Ken Patera

2/3 falls again and JJ Dillon is here with Patera. The fans rather approve as Patera gets his warmup pants off and commentary talks about how Snuka got his physique by doing the simple things in life. Such as climbing coconut trees. They lock up to start and Patera shoves him away before they go to a crisscross. Snuka leapfrogs him into a crossbody and Patera already wants a breather.

Back in and Boesch says Snuka has “hit the highspots”. Ok so it’s in a different context entirely (he’s talking about going to big cities) but it sounds so strange anyway. A slam sends Patera bailing to the floor again, followed by a headlock from Snuka back inside. Patera powers out and poses, earning himself a quick dropkick in a funny bit. Snuka grinds away on the headlock again as Dillon is rather anxious on the floor.

Patera finally sends him into the ropes for the break but gets caught in another headlock. Back up again and Patera tries to squeeze the ribs to escape but settles for backing him into the ropes instead. Patera gets up and starts in with the clubbing forearms, plus a knee to the ribs to really stagger Snuka. The chinlock goes on and Patera, like a villain, pulls Snuka down to prevent the escape.

Snuka fights out but gets dropped with another knockdown. A top rope ax handle to the back and an elbow give Patera two, with Boesch sounding rather proud. Snuka gets in a shot to the head and starts the comeback, including a jumping…uh…something to the face. A big chop drops Patera again but he gets in a shot of his own for a breather. Snuka is back with a crossbody but Patera rolls through and his feet land on the rope for the pin and the first fall at 13:23.

We get a longer than usual rest period between the falls, which is at least partially so Dillon can say there was NO cheating. The second fall begins and Snuka is not exactly pleased. Some chops in the corner have Patera in more trouble and a slam makes it worse. The running diving headbutt has Patera rocked and a jumping headbutt gives Snuka two. Another headbutt gives Snuka two, with Patera having to get his foot on the ropes. A quick shot staggers Snuka and Patera gets his full nelson.

Snuka flips Patera forward for the escape (which you don’t see very often) and he makes another comeback with the classic technique of hitting someone in the face. That means it’s time to start doing a comeback dance but Patera gets his knees up on a splash. The rollup cover gets three, which doesn’t count as the referee sees Patera’s feet on the ropes. Instead Snuka gets an O’Connor roll to tie it up at 20:01.

The annoyed Patera forearms away in the corner to start the third fall but Snuka atomic drops him down. Back up and Patera gets a bearhug to slow things back down. That’s broken up as well and they crash out to the floor, where Dillon grabs Snuka. A headbutt cuts that off (the fans approve) and Snuka chases Dillon until it’s a double countout at 24:31 (the fans disapprove).

Rating: B. Again, it was a bit slow at times but I was wanting to see where this went. That’s a good sign as I don’t have any connection to the story or the wrestlers at this point but it worked anyway. If nothing else, it’s always interesting to see the pre-prison version of Patera, as he really was good as a power villain. It’s easy to see how he became such a big star in the WWF not long after this.

From July 27, 1979.

Jack Brisco vs. The Spoiler

2/3 falls again and Gary Hart is here with the Spoiler (a fairly tall masked man who has impressed me before). A headlock doesn’t get Spoiler very far to start so he tries it again to some better success. They fight into a top wristlock but Spoiler pulls him right back into the headlock. Brisco can’t get very far by grabbing the leg and Spoiler keeps grinding away, with Boesch talking about how Spoiler doesn’t like Hart cheating for him.

The referee catches the cheating though and makes Spoiler break it, which he does…with a facebuster in a smart move. We’re right back on the headlock and Brisco is in more trouble, even as he’s on top of Spoiler on the mat. Brisco starts kneeing away at the back to escape and we hit a reverse chinlock. Now it’s Brisco grabbing a headlock of his own, with Spoiler stacking him up to escape.

A big boot sends Brisco outside but Spoiler misses a dive off the top, which is what Boesch said made Brisco World Champion. That’s remarkably specific. Brisco punches him down again and grabs a chinlock, with Spoiler getting a foot into the ropes. Some knee drops have Brisco down again and a rollup with trunks gets two, as Brisco’s feet are in the ropes. The Claw hold goes on and Spoiler grinds away, with Brisco looking all wobbly.

Another comeback has Brisco on his feet and he finally gets out with a shinbreaker. Brisco stays on the leg and puts on a half crab, with Spoiler tapping, albeit about 15 years before that meant anything in wrestling (with a useful graphic before the match reminding us that it doesn’t matter). Spoiler eventually manages to grab the claw again but Brisco goes back to the leg. The Figure Four goes on and Spoiler grabs the referee, who KICKS SPOILER for the break (that has to be cheating).

Hart’s distraction makes Brisco let go and he charges into a boot in the corner. Spoiler rolls him up but Hart gets caught helping on the pin and that’s a DQ for the first fall at 18:11. Hart and Spoiler both hammer away between falls so Brisco decks Hart and rolls Spoiler up for the pin at 19:13.

Rating: B-. They had a nice story here with Boesch telling us that Spoiler was getting sick of Hart’s cheating and then Hart cost him both falls. At the same time, Brisco is still one of the best of all time and can work well with anyone in there. I always get something out of his matches and this was no exception. The Spoiler continues to look like someone who should be just kind of there but does well every chance he gets.

Post match Brisco chases Spoiler off.

From November 30, 1979.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Ken Patera

2/3 falls again and James J. Dillon is with Patera again. Patera grinds away on the headlock to start and hammers away a bit before grabbing it for a second time. A snapmare makes Rhodes get funky like a monkey though and it’s time to work on a wristlock. An armbar has Patera down and Dillon is right there on the apron to accuse Rhodes of pulling the tights.

Dillon’s distraction lets Patera get out so Rhodes starts the flip, flop and fly (as only he could ever really do right). Patera fights back and gets a chinlock to slow Rhodes down a good bit. Rhodes gets up as well and starts firing off the elbows, including the Bionic Elbow for the first fall at 8:27.

After the required rest period, Rhodes wastes no time in knocking him out to the floor for another hard elbow. Back in and a snapmare sets up a missed Bionic Elbow and Patera goes up top, only to be slammed back down. Rhodes puts on a chinlock of his own, with Patera going to the ropes for the break in something you don’t see very often. Patera starts in on the leg and cranks away, with the fans wanting some elbows but commentary pointing out that it won’t make a difference.

Rhodes slips out but gets sent into the buckle to cut him off. The full nelson goes on, with Rhodes immediately running for the ropes in a smart counter. Instead Patera grabs the bearhug and cranks away until they go down for a two count. Rhodes finally gets up and slaps the ears for the escape, only to get bearhugged again, this time for a pin at 18:33. Rhodes gets up after the rest period and chases Patera outside, where he pulls Rhodes outside as well. They slug it out on the floor, where Dillon grabs the leg on the way back in, which is enough for the DQ to give Rhodes the win at 19:56.

Rating: B-. I’ve been overly harsh on Rhodes over the years but you can definitely see the charisma, which was more than enough to make him into such a big star. The action here wasn’t quite as good as the rest of the stuff so far but Rhodes’ charisma was carrying him here. Patera continues to be someone who can be a good villain, with the interference being a nice way to keep him safe in defeat.

From January 9, 1981.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Black Gordman

2/3 falls again and of course this is Chavo Sr. (Classic), whose International Junior Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. They trade standing switches to start until a flying headscissors brings Gordman down. Back up and Gordman gets a full nelson, with Guerrero reversing into one of his own. That’s broken up and Gordman works on the arm for a big before getting taken down by the leg.

Guerrero cranks away before letting up, allowing Gordman to pull him into the same leglock. This one doesn’t last as long so Gordman goes with some shots to the face instead. Guerrero is sent into the corner and seems to slip off what looked to be a crossbody attempt, instead settling for a springboard version and the first fall at 7:04.

After the rest period, Guerrero forearms him into the ropes to start the second fall before winning a slugout. Gordman gets in a cheap shot to take over and grabs what looks to be a nerve hold but is really a choke. The referee holds Gordman back but he manages to get in a shot on Guerrero anyway, as the officiating here leaves something to be desired. A pair of DDTs (Boesch: “That bulldogging headlock.”) and a running backsplash tie it up at 10:48.

The rest period sees the referee yelling at Gordman, who starts the second fall with an STO (that’s a big move for this time). It works so well that Gordman does it again for two before choking with the tape. That wakes Guerrero up and he strikes away in the corner, setting up a monkey flip. Gordman sends him over the top rope though and that’s a DQ to give Guerrero the win at 13:55.

Rating: C+. Weakest match of the set so far and even then it was completely fine. The ending seems to be a way to set up a rematch for the title (which is exactly what happened) but there wasn’t much here that would make me want to see them fight again. Gordman had some stuff that would become more commonplace later, but for 1981, it was insane to see some of this stuff.

From October 24, 1980.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff

This is an interesting match which happened a bunch around the territories. To spice this up a bit, this is a Texas Death Coffin match, meaning it’s a Texas Deathmatch, which means you have regular falls and rest periods after, but apparently you win by regular coffin/casket match rules. Rhodes and Koloff argue over whether the coffin is in the ring or on the floor, with Rhodes (inside) getting his way.

They take their time to start, with Rhodes promising to lay him in the coffin (which sounds like threatening murder). Koloff seems squeamish of the coffin (because, you know, coffin) and keeps yelling about it while Rhodes dances a bit. Some hard shots in the corner have Rhodes in some trouble but he throws Koloff over the coffin instead. Koloff steps away from the coffin and kicks him down to take over. A middle rope knee (the Sputnik Dive) connects but Rhodes gets a small package for the fall at 4:09.

Koloff is perfectly fine so this was little more than a breather for Rhodes, which makes sense. The USA chants start up and Koloff (a proud Canadian) isn’t happy. Rhodes slugs away with elbows but lowers his head and gets kicked in the face for a fall at 6:17. They’re both back up again and the USA chants are on again, because they went so well for Rhodes last time.

They go outside this time and Koloff gets sent into various things to bust him open. Koloff takes off a boot to knock Rhodes silly, followed by a chair to the head. That’s not enough to put Rhodes (also bleeding) in the coffin so he fights up, only to miss the elbow for two. A piledriver gives Rhodes the pin at 11:26 but he can’t get Koloff into the coffin.

That doesn’t count anyway as it’s during the rest period so once that is out of the way, we can start up again. Rhodes goes for the coffin again but Koloff still isn’t having that. Now it’s Rhodes who won’t go in, but Koloff does drop a knee on him for the fall at 12:28. The rest period ends and Koloff rams him into the side of the coffin, only to miss a knee drop. Rhodes knocks him into the coffin and that’s enough for the win at 14:12.

Rating: C+. This was a bit weird as it felt like they were trying to do two different matches at once. The coffin deal was fine enough but the Texas death match and the falls didn’t add anything, as they just served as ways to give the two of them a breather. It wasn’t a bad match, but it was a bit more complicated than it needed to be.

From June 16, 1978.

Dick Slater vs. Alberto Madril

Another 2/3 falls and Madril is usually known as Al (as he’s listed on the DVD case). Slater walks away from some threats of right hands in the corner and kicks Madril down. Madril’s armbar works a bit better, including taking Slater to the mat to crank away even more. Back up and Slater drives him into the corner, earning a rather big shove. An armdrag sets up another armbar, though this one doesn’t go as well for Madril. Back up and Madril gets two off an O’Connor roll, setting up another armbar. This time Slater stands up and climbs over the ropes, which works for a break.

Slater punches him down and grabs a quickly broken front facelock, with Madril reversing into a hammerlock. That’s broken up as well and Slater hammers away, allowing him to use the hair and pull Madril into an armbar of his own. A knee onto the arm has Madril in more trouble and his comeback is cut off by a shot to the throat. Slater’s Russian legsweep gets two but Madril punches him down for two. Slater forearms him in the back for two more but the piledriver is countered with a backdrop. Madril gives him an atomic drop for a hilarious sell, only to get small packaged for the first fall at 11:32.

The second fall starts and Madril immediately chases him outside, with Slater coming back in and bailing right back to the floor. Back in again and Slater elbows him out to the floor so the beating can begin. The sleeper goes on back inside for two arm drops but Madril fights out and slugs away.

Slater gets tied in the ropes and punched a few times for two, with the fans not liking the speed of the count. Back up and Slater sends him to the floor, only for Madril to come back in for a rollup to tie it up at 18:50. We get what feels like an extended rest period as Madril’s shoulder seems to be hurt. It’s so hurt that the referee stops the match and awards it to Slater at 20:45.

Rating: B-. The ending didn’t help things but there is only so much that can be done if Madril is too banged up to continue. Slater continues to be someone who feels like he could be a star in just about any promotion. He works well and comes off like a heel you want to see lose. That’s a valuable thing to have and it worked here, even with a less than optimal ending.

From April 8, 1977.

Bruiser Brody vs. Dusty Rhodes

2/3 falls again and I believe that’s the right date, as it seems like this might be April 1, especially with a pre-match announcement that Brody will face Fritz Von Erich the following week. They circle each other to start, with Rhodes (who is SLIM here) chasing Brody out to the floor. Back in and Rhodes hammers away, which has Brody bailing to the floor again.

After a lengthy stay outside, Brody comes back in and gets his arm cranked. Brody fights out and takes over on the mat, only for Rhodes to take him into the corner. What looks like a low blow takes too long to set up though and Brody knocks him down again. Some running boots to the head and a knee drop finish Rhodes for the first fall at 6:08.

Rhodes rolls to the floor and sneaks back in to hammer Brody from behind. An elbow to the face sets up the big elbow to tie it up at 7:18. We pause for Brody to get up (those were some BIG elbows) as the rest period is far longer than after the first fall. Rhodes is right on him to hammer away as soon as the bell rings and Brody is sent outside. A dancing Rhodes follows him out but then goes back inside to chill in the corner.

Some elbows to the head rock Brody again but the big elbow misses. Brody knocks him down and claws away at Rhodes’ head on the mat, which is enough to fire up the comeback. That’s cut off again and Brody hammers him down in the corner, followed by some big boots for two. Rhodes is back up for a headbutt and they’re both down, with Rhodes calling on the fans to help him up (and that’s a big part of why Rhodes was a star). Rhodes, powered by the fans, gets up and hammers away, only to get backdropped over the top for the DQ to give Rhodes the third fall and the win at 14:34.

Rating: B-. This was starting to get somewhere with the fans getting behind Rhodes, as they’re supposed to do when a hero is fighting a monster like Brody. The thing that caught my attention here was how well Brody could sell. He was a big guy, but he made Rhodes’ offense look like a superhero by staggering around like that. You could see a lot of Brody in Undertaker’s selling later on and that’s because it works very well.

Post match Brody ties him in the ropes and keeps up the beating, including a bunch of kicks, both running and standing. Rhodes escapes and fires off some elbows to send Brody skedaddling.

From September 19, 1980. This is described as “Surviving Footage” so we’re likely not getting close to the full match.

Bruiser Brody vs. Ivan Koloff

2/3 falls again and we’re joined in progress with Koloff begging off in the corner and Brody hammering away. Brody sends him into the corner and starts kicking away as the fans are WAY behind Brody here. A slam plants Koloff again and they go outside where Koloff is posted rather quickly. Back in and the bleeding Koloff gets in a shot of his own for a knockdown, setting up the top rope knee drop for the second fall to tie it up at 3:07 shown. That would mean we missed about the first eight minutes, assuming the times I can find are accurate.

Koloff hammers away to start the third fall but Brody sends him face first into a boot in the corner to start the comeback. Commentary acknowledges that Koloff isn’t going to win a slugout here, which is exactly what happens. Brody blocks a kick to the ribs and spins him around, setting up a one armed slam.

The slow beating continues, including a neck snap to send Koloff sprawling. They head outside where Brody uses a chair (the referee doesn’t mind) and then get back inside for another slam to drop Koloff again. A fist drop gets two on Koloff but he avoids a charge into the buckle for the big crash. With nothing else working, Koloff grabs a shovel and comes off the top to knock Brody silly for the DQ and the third fall at 9:39 shown.

Rating: C. This was a slower paced brawl with the ending seemingly designed to keep the feud going. Koloff had something with the shovel/burying deal and this was about six weeks before the Coffin Match with Dusty Rhodes. It’s nice to see things tie together like this, as we’re waiting to see someone conquer the heel, which is what we got earlier in the set (which is some weird structuring but oh well).

From August 7, 1981.

Tony Atlas/Tiger Conway Jr. vs. Tank Patton/Colonel Buck Robley

2/3 falls again. Atlas signs a bunch of autographs before the match, only stopping for the introductions. That’s not something you see very often but it works rather well. There are also two referees here for a weird but logical visual. Atlas and Patton start things off but don’t do much of anything before it’s off to Robley. Conway ducks a right hand and fires away on Robley, who goes down in a hurry. Patton gets beaten up as well before Conway starts in on Robley’s arm.

Atlas comes in and Robley panics, apparently worried about getting beaten up even worse. A rather grinding headlock has Robley in more trouble and the dropkick has him down again. Patton comes back in and gets taken down by the dancing Atlas. Conway and Atlas take turns working on Patton’s arm until he manages to send Atlas into Robley’s knee in the corner. Atlas easily powers out of a cover so Robley goes with the bearhug to wear him down.

That’s broken up but Patton is there to cut off the tag attempt. Another bearhug goes on for a bit longer before Patton slams Atlas down. It’s back to Robley for another bearhug and Atlas ax handling his way to freedom still isn’t enough for the tag. Some shots out of the corner are enough to bring in Conway to quickly clean house. Everything breaks down and Patton drops Conway with a clothesline for the first fall at 10:53.

The second fall starts with Patton working over Conway before handing it off to Robley for a knockdown of his own. A piledriver attempt is blocked though and it’s back to Atlas to clean house. Headbutts abound and Atlas bearhugs Robley to even things up a bit from earlier. That’s broken up so it’s back to Conway to clean house again. A flying headbutt finishes Patton at 16:03 and we’re tied up.

Tiger Conway Sr. is at ringside cheering for his son, who takes Patton down by the arm. It’s back to Robley, who gets punched down with some big right hands. Robley comes back with a sleeper as Conway Sr. and Patton argue. It’s back to Patton to slug away, including a knee drop for two. Robley kicks him down again for one, with Conway’s foot getting on the rope. Back up and a kick to the face allows the tag to bring Atlas back in.

House is cleaned in a hurry, with some gorilla presses dropping Robley. Atlas misses a headbutt though and it’s back to Conway for a Boston crab. The kickout sends Conway into the referee though and the brawl goes outside. Robley grabs a chair but Conway takes it away and starts swinging. That’s enough for the referee to throw the third fall out and the match is a draw at 24:55.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but it was working well by the end. It was a match that should have been a bit shorter than it went, but the fans were going nuts for Conway and Atlas. You could see the star power in Atlas no matter what he was doing and I could imagine Robley and Patton being an annoying heel team. That makes for a good pairing, but it only worked out so well, mainly due to the match going long.

Conway and Atlas want to keep going but that’s not going to happen.

From 1966.

Johnny Valentine vs. Bull Curry

2/3 falls and no time limit. Valentine was a huge star and Greg’s father. He’s also the United States Champion but the title isn’t on the line here. Assuming the 1966 date is right, this would put the match at some point from June to August, though that’s assuming quite a few things. Valentine goes after the arm to start but Curry (the crowd favorite) slugs away to bang up Valentine’s ear. Commentary mentions Curry wanting revenge about Valentine hurting Curry’s son so there’s something personal here too.

They go with some grappling and Valentine grabs a front facelock, which is switched into a chinlock to keep up the grinding. Curry fights up and slugs away as the crowd gets back into things. Back up and Curry backs him into the corner, where Valentine manages a shot to send Curry out to the floor. They go back to the apron and Curry is knocked right back down again. Curry tries another slugout, earning a third trip to the floor. Yet another slugout actually goes to Curry, who is quickly rolled up for the pin at 9:46.

After the rest period, Curry wastes no time in punching him into the corner and then doing it again for good measure. The slugout is on again and Valentine is in trouble, mainly due to being busted open. More right hands have Valentine rocked, with maybe the best “no one is home” look I’ve ever seen. Valentine is knocked down and collapses, which is enough for a countout at 13:17. Curry is right there to start slugging away after the rest period and Valentine is in BIG trouble. The referee gets knocked down and the fight goes to the floor where it is thrown/counted out at 15:47.

Rating: B. This was a fight rather than a match and that’s a good way to go. The idea of Curry (known as Wild Bull) being someone who can’t be controlled, especially when someone has done something to his family, fits perfectly and it was working here. The beating that Curry gave him made Valentine look like he was dead on his feet and it was quite the sight to behold. I might have enjoyed this as much as anything on the set so far, which is a nice bar to clear.

Post match Curry keeps up the beating and has to be held back. Curry gets back in the ring and the fans go NUTS.

From November 30, 1979.

American Title: Bruiser Brody vs. The Spoiler

Spoiler is defending in another 2/3 falls match. They fight over a lockup to start and Spoiler’s knees in the corner don’t seem to do much. Brody shrugs that off and knocks Spoiler down before ripping at the face in the corner. The brawl heads outside with Brody hammering away and they grab a chair each. One of the chairs is brought in and Brody cracks him, which is fine with the referee. A slam and the big knee drop give Brody the first fall at 3:20.

Brody wastes no time in going right after him (the rest period is cut out here for some reason) but has to block the Claw attempt. Spoiler snapmares him down but still can’t get the Claw. Eventually it goes on, only for Spoiler to let it go and hit an elbow to the head. Another Claw attempt is blocked so Brody kicks his way out of the corner. Brody misses a charge into the corner though and the Claw goes on again and Brody is pinned to tie it up at 7:14.

After another missing rest period, Spoiler knocks him into the corner and goes up top for an elbow. They go outside and Brody gets posted, only to come back with some big microphone shots to the head. Brody tries to rip the mask off but Spoilers gets in a top rope forearm. A Claw attempt misses though and Brody goes simple with straight choking. Back up and Brody hammers away but Spoiler goes to the throat to take him down. Some elbows to the head set up the Claw for two, even with Spoiler grabbing the rope. Brody finally slams his way to freedom and another knee drop is good for the pin and the title at 14:38.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to save the title change for the end and they were beating each other up rather well. Spoiler continues to be someone worth a look, while you can definitely see Brody’s influence on a lot of modern brawling. Good enough stuff here, even with things going a bit slowly at times.

We get what appears to be the TV closing to wrap things up.

Overall Rating: B. I had a really good time with this as you could tell that there was a lot going on with the Houston territory. Boesch was one of the better received promoters of his day and it makes sense given how good some of the stars were around here. There is nothing close to bad and the better action featured some very high quality stars. Pretty awesome set here and I could go for seeing a lot more stuff like this, both from Houston and beyond.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

So this is the latest big screen adaptation of a wrestling story, in this case the wrestling biography of the same name by Jeff Leen (which I have but haven’t read). The film is about the rise of Mildred Burke and is directed by Ash Avildsen, whose father directed Rocky. If you didn’t know that coming in, you will absolutely get the feeling as there is a VERY strong Rocky/Karate Kid style to the film.

I won’t go step by step with the whole thing, but it’s almost a 2/3 falls movie. The first twenty to thirty minutes are a rough sit, as you have stuff like Burke going to a show and having another fan explain the concepts of “heels” and “babyfaces”, which she then uses in a conversation with a wrestler, which the wrestler doesn’t seem to mind. This would be a stretch today but in the 1930s, it would be a one in a billion chance at best and a complete disaster at worst.

After that though, though, settle WAY down and it turns into a much more traditional film, which does get good in a hurry. You see Burke fighting up through the ranks and trying to make women’s wrestling more of a legitimate attraction, plus dealing with her dirtbag husband, who was also her promoter. It feels like a story where you’re seeing Burke trying to become a star and fix her relationships with her husbands/son and bringing in new wrestlers and doing all these other things….and that’s where the problem comes in.

The biggest issue is there is too much going on in the movie and it’s kind of hard to focus on anything. Burke is definitely the centerpiece of the whole thing, but it feels like she’s jumping from one thing to another a lot of the time while still going through the main story. They probably could have done a lot of good by cutting some stuff out, as it basically needs a bit more focus. They throw a lot of information at you and it’s kind of hard to keep track of where things are going, especially if you don’t have a bit of a background in what really happened.

Overall, it is a good movie and you want to see Burke succeed because she’s been through a lot, but the first twenty or so minutes, where a lot of stuff is set up, goes by way too fast. It would have been nice to see things get off to a slower start and build up some more sympathy for her while cutting out some of the things later on. The movie is about two hours and twenty minutes and it flies by, but it gets bogged down at times and that hurts it a bit.

On the wrestling end, there are some things in there that are either flat out wrong or inaccurate, plus some stuff that is WAY out of the timeline (wrestlers tapping out did not become a thing, at least a common thing) until the 90s for example). Some of the stories they tell aren’t accurate in the slightest (someone famous enough to be a name in the movie is shown dying due to the negligence of a promoter but in real life, died at 89), including a cameo which I won’t reveal (but it’s great) where someone says something that is ONLY there as a wink to the audience. Throw in a character saying Scott Hall’s “bad times don’t last but bad guys do” speech and it’s a bit eye roll inducing at times.

There are a lot of cameos, with Naomi, Toni Storm (who plays a fairly important part in the middle), Kamille (who plays a big part) and Britt Baker (who I didn’t actually see), plus Mickie James in a non-speaking (or if she spoke it’s blink and I missed it). Jim Cornette keeps popping up as well and is rather perfect as an old school NWA representative.

If you can find a screening (it’s VERY limited, with only one or two showings a day here), it’s worth a look, though you should also read the book, which goes WAY more in-depth about what happened (the director has said the movie ends with 100 pages left in the book). Definitely cool to see this era though, as Burke is one of the actual pioneers who really did change wrestling forever.

A Tribute To The Extreme 2
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentator; Joe Dombrowski

It’s Wrestlemania Weekend in Philadelphia so you knew something like this was coming. The show is exactly what it sounds like as Battleground Championship Wrestling (local indy) is presenting a special night for ECW. There are various ECW wrestlers on the show and the Dudleys are going into the arena’s Hall Of Fame, which should be special. Let’s get to it.

Here is Team 3D to a hero’s welcome to get things going. The fans thank them but Ray says thank you instead. Ray talks about being in a much worse version of this building in 1997 and hit the first 3D right in here. They went on to become the most successful team in history and it was because of the fans. Thank you for showing up for either Team 3D or the Dudley Boyz. D-Von does the catchphrases and you can tell that they’re both loving this.

Team 3D vs. Atshushi Onita/Tommy Dreamer

Dreamer is a mystery partner but…..it’s the ECW Arena. What was the mystery supposed to be? Believe it or not, Dreamer has something to say before the match. He agrees that this is awesome and this is the point of a place like this. Dreamer is here with Onita because of a talk that Onita, Dreamer and Ray had at WrestleCon in Dallas a few years ago. They talked to Terry Funk on the phone and Onita was given the phone, which left him in tears. Without Funk, there would be no Onita or Dreamer so for that they are bonded forever. With that, Dreamer hits Ray in the head with a microphone and let’s get started.

Believe it or not, it’s a brawl to start with the Dudleyz being knocked down and the referee getting misted by Onita. They fight to the floor to keep up the brawl, with commentary saying Ray and Dreamer are probably fighting about Busted Open Radio. Dreamer’s sends Ray face first into a woman’s chest and then rings the bell on D-Von’s crotch.

A plastic table is brought in and Onita is busted open off something in there. D-Von hits Onita with popcorn as Dreamer hits the Flip, Flop and Fly on Ray for a double knockdown. Back in and the Dudleyz switch places on What’s Up to Onita before it’s time to get the tables. A 3D puts Dreamer through the table for the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C. I don’t think there is any secret to the fact that this wasn’t about having a top level match or really anything close to it. Instead, this was about the Dudleyz getting back in the ring for one more match in the arena where they started. There is nothing wrong with that and while the match was little more than a garbage brawl, that was pretty much entirely the point.

Respect is shown post match. Dreamer grabs the mic (again) and talks about how D-Von and Onita have had health issues but they had to do this one more time. Oh and thank you Paul Heyman for everything. And the fans too. We’re still not done as Onita says….something about ECW.

We pause to clean up the ring, with the ring announcer grabbing a broom as well.

Here is our host for the evening, the Blue Meanie! The fans chant for the BWO, with Meanie talking about how that was supposed to be a one off appearance but the fans made it go on for years. Meanie thanks the fans and Battleground Championship Wrestling and the building which changed wrestling forever.

Shane Douglas vs. CW Anderson

Francine is here with Douglas and seems very happy to be here. Douglas asks the fans to treat them like they did in 1994 and the rather insulting chants almost have Francine crying. Francine hasn’t forgotten everything they’ve sang and chanted at her over the years and she DESERVES RESPECT! They can walk out right now but instead just get Douglas’ opponent out here.

Douglas grabs a headlock to start as commentary talks about how great he was, despite other promotions telling him no over and over. They’re quickly on the floor with Douglas whipping him into the barricade but getting rammed face first into the apron a few times. Francine offers a distraction though, allowing Douglas to get in a low blow on the way back in. Another Francine distraction doesn’t work as Anderson blocks the low blow and hits a basement clothesline. Francine comes in and gets spanked, leaving Anderson to hit a superkick for the pin at 5:39.

Rating: C. As you can probably guess, the wrestling itself isn’t the point of this show. This is about getting people out there in front of the fans one more time and having a quick match to make it a wrestling show rather than a reunion. I’m a bit surprised that a star as big as Douglas lost, but let the fans be happy I guess?

Post match Anderson bows down to Douglas and we get some hugs. Anderson goes to leave but Douglas says hang on. We look at the Hall Of Fame banners as Douglas talks about how this place used to be infested with rats and a terrible place to be, but there was nowhere in the world better for wrestling. Douglas brings up people like Bam Bam Bigelow and Chris Candido, but Anderson showed up closer to the end. Anderson worked hard and got over and, after getting in a quick shot at Vince McMahon, Douglas tells the fans to applaud themselves and give us one heck of an ECW chant.

Crowbar vs. Danny Doring

Crowbar has his lackeys Vanessa and Percival with him. They fight over a lockup to start with Doring hitting a chop, allowing him to strut. A suplex puts Crowbar down and Doring knocks him out to the floor, where Percival cuts off a dive. Vanessa offers a distraction so Doring can get in a cheap shot to take over.

A neckbreaker over the ropes into a slingshot splash gives Crowbar two but Doring drop toeholds him down. The Rings of Saturn is broken up and Crowbar grabs a Sky High into something like a surfboard. We’ll make that a camel clutch, with Doring making the ropes. They head outside with Crowbar hitting a Vader Bomb off the barricade for a big crash.

Back in and they slug it out with Doring no selling some shots to the face. Doring sends Crowbar outside for a flip dive, which takes out Percival as well. Since it’s ECW, we get a chair brought in for some shots to the back, with Vanessa pulling the referee at two. Crowbar clotheslines Vanessa by mistake so Doring plants him, only to have Percival break it up. A northern lights suplex onto the chair gives Crowbar the pin at 13:19.

Rating: C-. Of all the matches on this show to get this much time, they picked a guy who was best known for a comedy tag tam and a guy who is barely remembered in ECW? This was a really weird choice and the match was boring on top of it, making this quite the mess. The other matches at least had some nostalgic charm to them but this one was just mostly dull.

Respect is shown post match. Crowbar says they didn’t spend much time together in ECW but they got to know each other and now they are brothers.

Alvin vs. Jason Knight

Alvin is a rather large Battleground Championship Wrestling guy with no connection to ECW and Missy Hyatt in his corner. Knight on the other hand has been mostly inactive for about nine and a half years and is in rather good shape. Knight grabs a hammerlock into a headlock takeover before firing off forearms to the chest.

Back up and Knight knocks him down a few more times, only for Hyatt to grab the rope. A corner splash gives Alvin two and he sends Knight outside. With that adding nothing, it’s back inside where Alvin hits another splash. The fans don’t like Alvin so he hammers away and goes up, only to miss a middle rope elbow. Hyatt offers a distraction so that Alvin can get in a brass knuckles shot for the pin at 7:23.

Rating: C-. Just like the previous match, this one was lacking the fun or special feeling that made the show fun for the first part. Alvin getting the win over an ECW guy isn’t exactly interesting and it was a slow match to make it worse. I’m not sure what the thinking was here, as it’s fine to push one of your regulars, but doing it at a tribute show is a bit weird.

Post match Alvin gets the mic and is told to shut the f*** up. Alvin: “I HAVEN’T TALKED YET!” Alvin mocks Knight and calls ECW, Knight, the Dudleyz, Shane Douglas and various other ECW legends “myths”. Cue Sandman through the crowd and we get the big Metallica entrance, which is still awesome. Alvin keeps calling him a myth and an f’ing drunk, with Sandman giving a funny “is this guy serious?” look. Sandman whips out a beer and canes Alvin down, then does it again as per the fans’ request. This is the definition of harmless nostalgic fun.

We seem to get an intermission (cut from the recorded version).

Joel Gertner vs. Bill Alfonso

Battleground Championship Wrestling owner Tim Embler (who can’t stand Gertner) is at ringside. Gertner mocks the idea of Alfonso calling it down the middle but says Embler has no idea of how to call it down the middle. Embler wasn’t here for the first half of the show but he’s here now because he’s taking sides. Gertner does his usual limerick about Embler, suggesting that he’s here for Alfonso, with his whistle, due to his fondness of blowing. As a bonus, we have Tod Gordon as guest referee.

We get a weapons check and Gertner has a bottle of ether. And a manicuring set, which is totally not to stab Alfonso. And a pen, which is there to clean his shirt. Alfonso throws the ether at Gertner, who wants a DQ, but the match hasn’t started yet. We’re still not ready to go yet, because Gertner has a note note.

He is unable to wrestle due to a variety of wrestling injuries, such as a broken meniscus in his nasal cavity. The note is from his mother, who apparently knows about Gertner’s swollen groin. Gordon says ring the bell, so Gertner offers money ($1 bills) so Gordon drops down for a trip, with Alfonso getting the win at 32 seconds. Funny stuff here and nothing wrong with that.

Post match Gordon has Embler get in the ring and praises him for what he has done. Embler says he will never allow the flame of the extreme to be extinguished. He hopes Paul Heyman dedicates his Hall Of Fame induction speech to the fans because this doesn’t work without them. Embler and Gordon leave so here is Krisitan Ross (one of Gertner’s goons) to jump Alfonso and bust him open. The fans want Rob Van Dam and Ross mocks the RVD pose but security takes Ross out instead. Well that’s disappointing. Even if you don’t have Van Dam, you don’t have one legend there to make a save?

Rhino vs. Masato Tanaka

This should hurt. Tanaka backs him into the corner to start and we get a clean break. A wristlock sends Rhino into the ropes before he grabs a wristlock of his own. That doesn’t work for them so they head outside, where Rhino’s chop hits the post. Back in and Tanaka slugs away, with Rhino telling him to bring it. Tanaka gets the better of things and grabs a chinlock…but Rhino fights up and hits the Gore for the pin at 9:13.

Rating: C. This was another disappointing match as I was expecting more from two guys who might be a bit older but are still active. I’m not sure I get why they cut this so short, as while I didn’t need some big violent bloody brawl, I could have gone for more of….anything. This could have been worse and Rhino winning is fine, but where was the rest of this one?

Pitbull Revolution vs. Da Baldies/HC Loc

That would be Alec Odin/Gary Wolfe/Traxx vs. Angel/Tony DeVito with Loc. Street fight and it’s a brawl to start, with Wolfe hammering on DeVito as we get the New Jack tradition of having the music playing throughout. They head outside as the fight is all over the place and Traxx FU’s Loc through a chair. It’s time for the box of Legos but Angel saves Loc. Instead it’s Traxx being shoved onto them, with Loc hitting a middle rope elbow for two. Wolfe cleans house with an Anthony Durante (Pitbull #1) flag and it’s time for the ladder around the neck, with a shot to the face finishing DeVito at 6:22.

Rating: C. So that happened. This was supposed to be the big wild, hardcore brawl and it only worked so well with the people involved. I didn’t care for Da Baldies back in the original ECW and watching them almost twenty five years later didn’t make it much better. It was barely a match and rather a bunch of wild spots, which is about all it was ever going to be. You had to have something like this on the show so they might as well get it out of the way.

Samoan Gangsta Party vs. FBI

That would be Samu/Lance Anoa’i (father and son) vs. Little Guido/Tommy Rich. Samu and Rich start things off with the latter working on the wrist as commentary gives us a brief Anoa’i Family Tree history. It’s quickly off to Guido….but Rich would rather have a dance off. Lance busts out a Worm and the FBI does their own version, only to have Lance deck them from behind.

Guido gets knocked to the floor, where he hits Lance in the face with a drink to…well not do much really as Lance takes over back inside. The Samoan drop gives Lance two but the Superfly Splash misses. It’s back to Rich to clean a few of the rooms before going to the floor with Samu. Lance superkicks Guido for the pin at 6:34.

Rating: C. Is it bad that I was wanting more from the dance off? Lance looks like someone who could be something somewhere with some better coaching as he certainly has the look and the lineage. Guido is an older guy who can still do well enough in the ring, while Rich and Samu are the really old guys who are there to make this feel special.

Post match the FBI teases brawling again before hugging, as is their custom.

Juventud Guerrera vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

Before the match, Juventud says this is his last match in the United States. He loves the fans but he is sick of the backstabbing and the politics in this country. On May 18, he’ll have a big show in Mexico and that’s his last show there too, so come check it out. Scorpio grabs the mic and doesn’t buy Juventud saying that he’s going to retire. Eh ok he is lying and drops a bunch of F bombs on the fans.

Scorpio slugs away to start and knocks the mask off before dropping a leg. The slingshot flipping legdrop connects before Scorpio takes him down for a hair pull. Juventud flips out of a sunset flip and hits a basement dropkick. A middle rope crossbody gives Juventud two and a dropkick just annoys Scorpio. Juventud gets knocked down but avoids a moonsault. A running knee finishes Scorpio at 6:02.

Rating: C+. This one at least had a slightly faster pace, but it was still only so good. I’m not sure what the point was in having Juventud lie to the fans, insult them, and then get the win but the people didn’t seem to mind. This was still one of the better matches of the show, mainly due to the talent involved.

Tajiri vs. Super Crazy

The fans rather approve of this as they lock up to start. They fight over wrist control as commentary explains the history between the two, which really was quite nice. Nothing happens on the mat and the fans are rather split. Crazy manages an armdrag out to the floor and Tajiri is happy to take a breather. Hold on though as cue Mikey Whipwreck to ask what the f*** is going on. Forget the chain wrestling because it’s midnight in Philadelphia this needs to be a Mexican Japanese Death Match!

Tajiri takes the hint and they brawl out into the crowd, with Crazy already busted open as they come back to ringside. Some chairs are thrown inside and a piece of a door to the head rocks Crazy again. The ladder is put between Crazy’s legs in the corner for the big chair shot and Tajiri kicks him down for two.

We hit the chinlock for a needed breather (and some near falls) before another kick gets another two on Crazy. They had outside (with Whipwreck very interested) with the beating continuing for a rather delayed near fall. Crazy manages a quick backbreaker and some right hands in the corner but Tajiri is back with the Tarantula. Tajiri misses the Buzzsaw Kick though and Crazy mists him into the rollup for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: B-. This feels like a pairing where they might not have worked together in years (and they hadn’t) and still have a good match because they know each other that well. Of course they weren’t as good as they were twenty plus years ago but this was still the best match of the night and likely would have been with or without the rule change halfway through. Good stuff here, and it did feel like the renewing of a classic rivalry.

Overall Rating: C+. I don’t think there’s any secret to the fact that this show was about the atmosphere and nostalgia rather than the wrestling. In a way that makes sense, as ECW was rarely about the wrestling (with some exceptions) and was mainly about the fans having a good time. That’s what they did here, and while they didn’t have all of the ECW legends (which would have made the show run WAY too long), they had enough to make the whole thing work well enough.

With that being said, this show needed some tweaks, as there is a stretch near the middle that REALLY drags. They might have been better off by closing with the Sandman stuff or the Dudleyz’s match, just for the sake of going out on their biggest notes. In short, the show was good when it focused on ECW and bad when it focused on the non-ECW, which is kind of the point of a show like this one. What we got was good but with another daft of the rundown, this could have been a fair bit better.

However, the important thing here though was to pay tribute to ECW and that is exactly what this felt like. As was said many times on here, it’s hard to believe that a lot of these people are going to be able to get back in the ring again so letting them do this at a pretty well put together show is a nice way to go. The tributes and nice moments were what mattered most, as a lot of the people felt like they were saying goodbye to one of the most important venues in modern wrestling history.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.