http://www.cheap-heat.com/roh-champions-top-13-longest-reigns/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/roh-champions-top-13-longest-reigns/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:30:52 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12692
Welcome back to another exclusive list here at Cheap-Heat.com! In the past I’ve covered title belts in terms of great champions, iconic names in the industry, longest reigning NWA champions, WWE champions, cool designs and so much more! But it struck me–I never did a countdown of the Top 13 Longest Reigning Champions in Ring […]
Welcome back to another exclusive list here at Cheap-Heat.com! In the past I’ve covered title belts in terms of great champions, iconic names in the industry, longest reigning NWA champions, WWE champions, cool designs and so much more! But it struck me–I never did a countdown of the Top 13 Longest Reigning Champions in Ring of Honor History. This is a WHO’S WHO in the wrestling business, featuring some huge names and a couple of surprises that you probably didn’t see coming. Ready? Let’s get to it!
13. Eddie Edwards
Days as Champion: 99
Number of Reigns: 1
Coming in at number thirteen is one half of the American Wolves—Eddie Edwards. Edwards just missed the hundred day mark with 99 days as champion, and successfully defended his title a total of 3 times during his 3-month run. He won the championship on March 19, 2011 in New York City when he defeated the
current
number one contender to the ROH title, Roderick Strong. The end came for Edwards and his reign as champion on June 26, 2011 when he was unseated by his now-tag team partner, Davey Richards.
12. Xavier
Days as Champion: 182
Number of Reigns: 1
The name Xavier might not resonate with many casual fans, but Ring of Honor historians know him as the second man to hold the coveted ROH World title. Xavier defeated Low Ki on September 21, 2002 and held onto the championship through four title defenses. It was the fifth however, that cost Xavier the strap, when he dropped it to Samoa Joe on March 22, 2003.
11. Roderick Strong
Days as Champion: 189
Number of Reigns: 1
He is the current number one contender to Jay Lethal's Ring of Honor championship, and should he be successful in his upcoming effort, Roderick Strong will be just one of three men to hold the title twice. Roddy—as his friends and fans call him—won the ROH World Championship on September 11, 2010 in New York City from the current WWE Champion, Seth Rollins AKA Tyler Black. Roderick maintained his championship for over six months with five successful title defenses to his credit. He was finally defeated on March 19, 2011 by the first "American Wolf" to hold the title, Eddie Edwards.
10. Tyler Black
Days as Champion: 210
Number of Reigns: 1
He is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion and in just three weeks will head into battle against the "Beast" Brock Lesnar. But once upon a time, Seth Rollins was known as Tyler Black—the tenth longest reigning ROH World Champion in history. Black defeated seven challengers during his time as champion, after first conquering the 2-time ROH Champion Austin Aries. Black held the title for the better part of seven months, and finally dropped the title to Roderick Strong on September 11, 2010 in New York.
9. Takeshi Morishima
Days as Champion: 231
Number of Reigns: 1
The only man on our countdown from the "Land of the Rising Sun" is the one and only Takeshi Morishima. Morishima's size and speed made him a formidable force when mixing it up with the smaller-statured American Indy workers, and on February 17, 2007, he defeated Homicide for the coveted ROH championship. Morishima's title defense record blows the previous numbers out of the water by nearly tripling Tyler Black's defense record with a total of 20 vanquished challengers. Morishima's unprecedented 231-days as champion came to a close on October 6, 2007 when Nigel McGuinness took the gold, and held it for nearly 2 years.
8. Adam Cole
Days as Champion: 275
Number of Reigns: 1
If you started watching Ring of Honor when they began airing their pay-per-views on traditional cable systems, then Adam Cole might very well have been champion when you became a fan! Adam Cole is currently the leader of the Kingdom, and is the eighth longest-reigning ROH champion ever. Adam Cole won his first world title on September 20, 2013 when he defeated Michael Elgin in the tournament finals at Death Before Dishonor. He went on to carry the belt with him for an astounding 275 days and thirteen successful title defenses, until he was ultimately defeated by the man he bested in September, "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin.
7. Davey Richards
Days as Champion: 321
Number of Reigns: 1
Joining his tag team partner is the
other
half of the American Wolves, Davey Richards. Richards didn't beat just anyone either, but his beloved friend and confidant Eddie Edwards. That's right, the two men who are currently competing with the Dirty Heels to decide the undisputed TNA Tag Team Championship are both former ROH World Title holders. Richards won the belt on June 26, 2011 and managed to retain his title for just shy of eleven months. During his run, Richards beat ten challengers, but finally succumbed to the eleventh on May 12, 2012. The man who beat him is the current reigning NXT Champion, Kevin Owens AKA Kevin Steen.
6. Kevin Steen
Days as Champion: 328
Number of Reigns: 1
From Davey Richards to Kevin Steen, the next few names are actually listed in chronological order. Kevin Steen outdid Richards' reign by one week, and an additional 8 title defenses. With 18 challengers sent packing, Kevin Steen was among the most active world champions up to that time, with but a few noteworthy exceptions. Kevin Steen eventually dropped his title to Jay Briscoe on April 5, 2013 at Supercard of Honor VII in New York City.
5. Jay Briscoe
Days as Champion: 375
Number of Reigns: 2
And from Kevin Steen to Jay Briscoe! Jay Briscoe beat Kevin Steen after the formers 328-day reign as champion, but Briscoe would eventually outdo Steen over the course of TWO title runs. Only two men have ever held the Ring of Honor Championship twice; combining his first 89 days as champion with his other 286, Jay Briscoe ranks toward the top with 375 days. His first reign was cut short due to "injury," and the title was vacated and put up for grabs in a championship tournament won by Adam Cole. He then won the championship again from Michael Elgin, and carried it for nine months until recently losing it to Jay Lethal at Best in the World.
4. Austin Aries
Days as Champion: 419
Number of Reigns: 2
The only other man besides Jay Briscoe to hold the ROH Championship twice is the guy that likes to go by "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived." Austin Aries first won the championship on December 26, 2004 when he defeated the longest reigning ROH Champion in history, but more on that in a few moments. His first reign lasted for 174 days, and consisted of sixteen successful title defenses. He was eventually bested by CM Punk, but regained his title on June 13, 2009 when he knocked off veteran journeyman Jerry Lynn. His second reign lasted even longer—a total of 245 days—and included an additional 13 successful defenses. Aries second championship reign came to an end on February 13, 2010 when he was beaten by the man who would one day be known as Seth Rollins—Tyler Black.
3. Bryan Danielson
Days as Champion: 462
Number of Reigns: 1
Everyone's favorite underdog wasn't always so cute and cuddly, in fact he was one of the most vicious wrestlers to ever work inside a ROH ring. Bryan Danielson, more commonly known as Daniel Bryan, won the ROH Championship on September 17, 2005 when he defeated another WWE fixture, Jamie Noble AKA James Gibson. Danielson made a name for himself by setting the record for the most successful title defenses at 38, during which time he bested some of the greatest wrestlers on the planet. Danielson carried the ROH strap for 462 days—just over five months—until finally losing to Homicide at Final Battle 2006.
2. Nigel McGuinness
Days as Champion: 545
Number of Reigns: 1
Nigel McGuinness is the current ROH Matchmaker, and with 18+ months as world champion under his belt, is a shoe-in for any future ROH Hall of Fame. Nigel initially won the championship from the monstrous Takeshi Morishima on October 6, 2007 and went on to tie Bryan Danielson's defensive record at 38. Nigel McGuinness was one of the most prolific title holders in company history, as his reign spanned three calendar years from the tail end of 2007 to the spring of 2009. Nigel was the kind of despicable heel champion that could have only been beaten by a returning legend, and on April 3
rd
, 2009, Nigel McGuinness lost the championship to Jerry Lynn.
1. Samoa Joe
Days as Champion: 645
Number of Reigns: 1
Samoa Joe made his WWE debut in 2015 at the age of 36. For many casual "Universe" fans, this was the first time they were afforded the chance to see Joe in action. Sure some of them got to know the "Samoan Submission Machine" thanks to his work in TNA, but not many fans are aware of what an important role Joe played in establishing Ring of Honor as a viable promotion. Samoa Joe is the longest reigning Ring of Honor Champion in history, and unlike Jay Briscoe and Austin Aries, his numbers are the result of a single run with the title. Joe debuted for Ring of Honor not long after the company debuted, and on March 22, 2003, defeated Xavier to become just the third man to hold the gold. During his 21 and a half months as champion, Joe defeated 22 challengers including some of the best and brightest from every corner of the globe. Joe was finally defeated the night after Christmas 2004 at Final Battle, by another fruitful champion and future ex-member of the TNA roster, Austin Aries. With 645 days as champion to his name, it's not hard to see why Samoa Joe's return to ROH this year was heralded as such a momentous occasion.
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/indy-power-rankings-indypowerrankin-for-the-week-of-june-1st-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/indy-power-rankings-indypowerrankin-for-the-week-of-june-1st-2015/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2015 13:41:41 +0000
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12209
Indy Power Rankings for the Week of June 1st, 2015 #1 Drew Galloway (@GallowaySpeaks)-Drew Galloway has arguably been the most dominant wrestler, regardless of location, in 2015. This past weekend at EVOLVE proved to be no different as he defeated Biff Busick on 5/30 to retain the Open the Freedom Gate Title, then beat […]
Indy Power Rankings for the Week of June 1st, 2015
#1 Drew Galloway (@GallowaySpeaks)-
Drew Galloway has arguably been the most dominant wrestler, regardless of location, in 2015. This past weekend at EVOLVE proved to be no different as he defeated Biff Busick on 5/30 to retain the Open the Freedom Gate Title, then beat Roderick Strong to retain the EVOLVE Title on 5/31. Galloway has been absolutely unstoppable this year, proving that he is one guy that even the WWE couldn't hold down as he proved that his release could be a great thing. Is he the king of the indies right now? Tune into the IPR 100 Mid-Year Update on June 30
th
to find out where he ranks so far this year. This is his FIFTH #1 ranking this year, which is more than anyone so far in 2015.
В
#2 Aaron Epic (@RealAaronEpic)-
If you go back and listen to the Indy Power Rankings Reveal from last week, we talked about the importance of the Florida J-Cup for I Believe in Wrestling. The host of the show picked Aaron Epic to win the tournament and those words proved to be prophetic as Epic defeated Josh Hess by DQ in the First Round, then beat Jesus Rodriguez in the Second Round, and then beat Lince Dorado in the Finals to win the tournament for 2015. You can go back and listen to that big hype central for the Florida J-Cup 2015 here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fillingthevoidrn/2015/05/26/indy-power-rankings-weekly-reveal
В
#3 JT Dunn (@TheJuiceee)-
"The Juice" has slipped under the radar this year after being heavily ranked time and time again last year. He returns to the Indy Power Rankings Top 10 after a long hiatus after a very good weekend in the Northeast. On 5/29 he defeated Ken Broadway at HOG, then he beat Andrew Everett at XWA on 5/30, and then wrapped up the weekend when he teamed with Chris Hero to defeat Team Tremendous at Beyond Wrestling on 5/31 to go 3-0 on the week. Can he keep this momentum going? He'll need to pick up some more wins and continue the win streak if he hopes to secure a high spot in the upcoming IPR 100 Mid-Year update.
В
#4 Davey Richards (@RichardsWesley)-
This wolf has been devouring his competition on the indies as of late. EVOLVE weekend was just another opportunity for him to shine as he may have earned himself a future EVOLVE title shot after another great weekend. First, he defeated Caleb Konley on 5/30 and then he followed that up with another win vs. Drew Gulak on 5/31 to go 2-0 for the week. Drew Galloway vs. Davey Richards? Who wouldn't want to see that? TNA work aside, both men have been doing great work on the indies this year.
В
#5 "Bad Bones" John Klinger (@TheGermanPsycho)-
One of Europe's finest returns to the Top 10 this week. The IPW:UK World Champion defeated Demolition Davies, Michael Dante, and Scotty Saxon at wXw in Germany on 5/29, then beat Tommaso Ciampa at SWE in Switzerland on 5/30 to go 2-0 for the week. With 10 wins in his last 11 matches, Bad Bones has been tearing it up in Europe. A couple of years ago he was announced for IWA Mid-South's TPI before it was cancelled…perhaps the time has come again for John Klinger to come to the U.S. to show what he can do?
#6 Will Ospreay (@WillOspreay)-
It was a great 4-1 week for the RPW British Champion. At Progress Wrestling on 5/25 he defeated Mark Haskins in the quarterfinals, then defeated Roderick Strong in the semifinals, and then defeated Zack Sabre Jr in the final to win the tournament. His big loss on the week was when he lost the Speed King Title Match to El Ligero on 5/30 after winning a qualifying match earlier in the day. Great week for Ospreay who has been having an impressive 2015 so far.
В
#7 Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe)-
Three up and three down for Samoa Joe as he makes another stop to the indies to continue his success around the loop. On 5/29 he defeated Chris Dickinson at HOG, then did it again at XWA on 5/30, and then completed the trifecta when he defeated Dickinson again at Beyond Wrestling on 5/31 to go 3-0 on the weekend. Certainly if he would have had some diversity in his opponents he would have been ranked higher this week, but three straight wins against competition like Chris Dickinson is still quite impressive. Expect this type of success to continue if he continues to pick up bookings on the indies.
В
#8 Chris Hero (@TheChrisHero)-
Chris is awesome? No doubt about it as he returns to the Top 10 this week after defeating Trevor Lee in a flat out war at EVOLVE on 5/30 and then teamed with JT Dunn to beat Team Tremendous at Beyond Wrestling on 5/31 to go 2-0 on the week. While Hero may not have a ton of titles to his credit right now, he's still being booked and winning all over the world. This veteran has been putting on high quality performances for years and this past weekend was no different.
В
#9 Hy Zaya-
Had it not been for the loss at Infinity Pro in a 6 Man Tag Team Match over the weekend, Hy Zaya likely would have been contending for the #1 spot this week. That being said, there was perhaps no bigger and surprising victory over the weekend than Hy Zaya's victory over the monstrous Kongo Kong to become the NEW IWA Mid-South Champion on 5/31. This victory came after a big 6 man scramble victory earlier in the night to earn the title shot. Call him "The Hood Ninja" or just "The Ninja" but in 2015, with him holding both the CCW and IWA Mid-South titles, you damn sure better respect him.
В
#10 Brad Kevins (@Hawaiian_Hero)-
The Anarchy Pro Cruiserweight Champion defeated Colin Cambridge & Brendan Conway at Blitz on 5/28, then beat Owen Travers on 5/30 to retain the Anarchy Pro Cruiserweight Title, then beat Lunatic at CSW the same day to go 3-0 on the week. This is his first ranking as he has been picking up matches everywhere he possibly can. With him being new to the Top 10, if he can keep this type of success going, the sky's the limit for this young athlete.
People's Champ. Bryan Skyline (@BryanSkyline)-
For a second straight week, the UPW Champion wins the online voting competition after he defeated Nathan Gust on 5/30 to retain the title. With 176 votes, the voting competition once again belonged to him after rallying from behind. While he didn't crack the Top 10 this week, his 3 straight victories most definitely keep him in the hunt.
Others missing out/receiving votes:
Troy Stevens-#3 in the online voting competition with 45 votes
Big R Shimizu
Santana Garrett
James Anthony-#2 in the online voting competition with 128 votes
Also search "Indy Power Rankings" for our open Facebook group where anyone on the indies can promote their various merchandise, fan pages, and upcoming events
Our Instagram where we SPOIL the Indy Power Rankings/Tag Team Top 5 #1 every Monday and Tuesday Night before you'll see it anywhere else:
@IndyPowerRankings
http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-nonstop-analysis-tna-lockdown-32015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-nonstop-analysis-tna-lockdown-32015/#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2015 03:17:41 +0000
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10580
Total Nonstop Analysis TNA Lockdown 3/20/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in Long Beach, and the sun is just now starting to peak through the hazy daze of Southern California. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm in a fantastic mood this weekend because I'm just a few […]
Total Nonstop Analysis
TNA Lockdown 3/20/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in Long Beach, and the sun is just now starting to peak through the hazy daze of Southern California. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm in a fantastic mood this weekend because I'm just a few hours away from launching the very first episode of my new podcast, "The B+ Players," right here at Cheap-Heat.com. I'm back with you once again to offer the most concise coverage of TNA Impact you're bound to find anywhere on the world wide web. This week's show wasn't as intense as its blood-spattered predecessor, but still kept me on the edge of my seat from the first segment through the main event.
The show opens with a video package describing Bobby Lashley's title defense against Kurt Angle as "the match you've all been waiting for." The action kicks off in the Wembley Arena for the second time in as many weeks with tag team competition. The Wolves make their way to ringside as they prepare to defend their tag team titles in a triple threat Ultimate X match with DJ Z and Jesse Goddard of the Bro Mans as well as Manik and Sanada of the Revolution. The Wolves are in control from the moment the bell sounds, and almost toss the Bro Mans to the side so that they may concentrate on the Revolution. The Great Sanada is on the receiving end of an enormity of offensive attacks via Richards and Edwards, as is Jesse Goddard who hopelessly tries to reenter the equation. The Wolves howl into the air and run off in an attempt to hit their patented double suicide dive, when Angelina Love climbs onto the apron and causes them to stop dead in their tracks. DJ Zema Ion tried to take advantage of the distraction but was launched over the top rope onto his own teammates by the Wolves. The Wolves maintained their edge until a drop kick courtesy of Jesse Goddard grounded Eddie Edwards, and gave both opposing teams the opening for success. Manik and Goddard worked in tandem to take down the tag team champions, until all four heels enjoyed a distinct advantage over Davey Richards. Goddard held Richards with his arms behind his back as Manik climbed the aerial ropes and worked his way to the title belts hanging above the ring. Goddard finally realized the error of his ways and unleashed another high-angle drop kick to Manik who was hanging above. DJ Z joins the action and the Bro Mans try to piggy back off one another to avoid climbing the ropes. DJ Z climbs onto Jesse's shoulders and reaches for the belts, but is soon met by Manik who is sitting on the shoulders of the Great Sanada. The game of chicken commences until the Wolves enter the fray and knock everybody down and out of the ring. The Wolves are back in control again as the audience begins to chant "this is awesome." DJ Z is still trying to climb the ropes but is sent headfirst into the steel structure surrounding the ring. Everybody is down once again, allowing Jesse Goddard and Sanada the opportunity to battle it out above the six-sided ring. They hammer one another into the steel structure in the corner until Sanada is able to blind Goddard with the trademark Muta mist. Sanada is inches away from reaching the belts, but is thwarted by Eddie Edwards who performs a top-rope hurricanrana, sending Sanada flying into the center of the ring. Davey Richards then capitalized with a double foot stomp to seal the deal. The Wolves climbed the cable from opposite ends and met in the middle where they retained their world tag team titles.
Austin Aries enters the arena with a microphone, but without his prestigious "Feast or Fired" briefcase. "For the last two weeks I've been out of commission because our good friends, the BDC, put me through a table." Austin tells the audienceone thing missing from TNA television has been the "world's greatest fans chanting for the world's greatest man that ever lived." He immediately gets down to brass tax: "I'm going to make this real short and simple; I want my property back and I'm not leaving this ring until I get it. So Low-Ki, Samoa Joe—you put me through a table? You stole my briefcase? I'm not going to come and jump you from behind, I'm going to stand in this ring like a man and tell you to come out here and bring me my briefcase back!" Ask and you shall receive, at least according to Taz. The BDC's music plays and Samoa Joe leads the deadly duo comprising both he and the X-Division Champion to the ring. Low-Ki carries the Halliburton briefcase and smiles at the former X-Division title holder who dares address the Beat Down Clan. "Austin," Ki began with a wide smile, "Let me get this straight: you believe that
WE
have something that belongs to you." Low-Ki held the briefcase up in the air, and Austin responded by saying it's not a belief, "it's a fact, jack." Low-Ki falls back on the ol' "possession is nine tenths of the law," excuse. "As long as the BDC has this, Austin Aries can't play his games of �will I, or won't I go after the world title.'" Austin had enough of the games being played and gave the Beat Down Clan two very good reasons why they should return his property. "One—you're not Austin Aries. You're not the man that makes history, you're not the man that cashes in opportunities for world championships." The crowd erupted. "Number two—you're not Austin Aries. Which means that briefcase legally has no value to you, because you can't do a damn thing with it. But I'll tell you what, I've got a way that we can remedy this. You see, I just came out for my briefcase—that I've earned. But you stole something else from me Low-Ki; you stole my X-Division championship. You and the BDC. So I've got a proposition for you, you're a gambling man? I say right here, right now: winner takes all. My briefcase for the world championship—my X Division Championship you
STOLE
? Put your money where your mouth is, winner takes all. Right here, right now." The fans inside Wembley went wild as they waited for Low-Ki's reply. "Fair enough, Austin. But you simply don't deserve a shot at my X-Division title." Before the words could come out of Ki's mouth, Austin Aries was blindsided by the brutal Samoan Submission Machine. "But if you really want it that bad," Low-Ki continued, "You're just gonna have to go through Joe."
Away to commercial and once we return, the action is underway with Senior Official Earl Hebner calling the match. Joe is dominant from the early going as his peripheral attack on the former world champion earned him a decided advantage over Aries, who is unable to stand on his own two feet. Joe chops away at Aries with thunderous right arms, and continues with a corner-based striking frenzy, grounding Aries in the BDC corner. Low-Ki is walking around ring-side, in an attempt to scout the action as best he can. "Austin Aries" resonates throughout the arena, and the 2-time Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion gains his second wind and starts to take the fight to Joe. A leapfrog over the big man in the corner, and Aries is ready to start in on the offensive. He attempts his signature Brainbuster vertical suplex, but is unable to lift the 300+ pounder. Samoa Joe gains the upper hand and tosses Aries out of the ring and down to where Low-Ki can get involved. Ki runs his mouth from a few feet away, careful not to get his BDC bandmate disqualified in the process. Joe joins the two and mounts a diabolical assault on Aries with striking right elbows to the sensitive trapezius muscle of Austin Aries. Back inside the squared—or six-sided—circle, Austin tries to settle the score but is consistently caught off-guard by Samoa Joe. He locks Aries in a cross-face variation to wear him down and follows up with a full body attack and a brisk kick to the back of the head. Despite his heelish tendencies and BDC affiliation, Joe receives a warm reception from the United Kingdom crowd; "Joe is gonna kill you" echoes throughout the arena as the superheavyweight judoka continues with reckless abandon, managing to thwart each of Austin's offensive attempts. When Austin finally gained the upper hand, he mounted Samoa Joe in the corner and proceeded to deliver ten right hands as the crowd counted along. Joe tossed him over the top rope, but Aries landed on the apron. He hit Joe with a neck breaker, using the rope to his advantage, and capitalizing with a big drop kick. Once again, Austin Aries went for his Brainbuster vertical suplex, but was dragged down to the ground by the submission specialist, who proceeded to wrench down on the arm of Aries. In control once again, Samoa Joe lifted Aries onto the top rope and set to deliver his signature Muscle Buster. Austin Aries powered out and finally knocked Joe down to his back with a spear-like suicide dive to the outside. With Joe flat on his back, Austin Aries played to the audience, ready to wrap this up once and for all. But that's when Low-Ki became involved, striking Aries from the back, causing Earl Hebner to call for the bell. Both Beat Down Clan members brought Austin back into the ring and did just as their name would suggest—they beat him down. Samoa Joe held Austin Aries as Low-Ki prepared to strike with the solid steel briefcase. Aries then slipped out of Joe's grasp, causing Ki to hit Joe instead. Austin hit Low-Ki and requisitioned his briefcase, leaving the ring as both BDC members struggled to stand. While one number one contender was on his way out of the arena, another was just making his way down the aisle. Rockstar Spud—who is in possession of the X-Division briefcase—runs down to ringside as Low-Ki is still dazed from the effects of Austin's assault. His head is bandaged from the effects of last week's Hair vs. Hair match, but hands the briefcase to Earl Hebner nonetheless. The bell rings and Spud hits the "underdog" on Low-Ki; after a quick 1-2-3, Rockstar Spud is your NEW X-Division champion in less than 8 seconds.
Before anything else goes down inside the ring, camera's catch up to Bram and Magnus who are halfway into what seems to be a serious street fight in the parking garage. Magnus is in firm control as he beats Bram through a set of double doors asking, "Where you going?" Magnus puts Bram on a rolling equipment cart and sends him careening into a set of red and yellow garbage cans that look like giant ketchup and mustard containers. This is the first time since Bram attacked Magnus in New York City that the former world champion is able to get this much offense without worrying about any defense. Bram struggles to get away from Magnus, who is throwing heavy boxes of who-knows-what while dragging him through the darkened halls of Wembley Arena. Josh Matthews reminds us that Magnus promised to spill Bram's blood on the "hallowed grounds of London," and this could be his last chance as TNA is close to returning to America. Magnus knocks Bram through the curtain and into the arena; Bram trips and stumbles down the aisle toward the ring where Magnus goes absolutely crazy. Magnus leaves Bram between the six sides and grabs a steel chair from the ringside area. He returns to Bram and unleashes a fury of heinous shots to Bram's back. He turns his former best friend over and prepares to drill the business-end of the chair directly into Bram's sternum, but is stopped by referees Brian Stiffler and Brian Hebner. Magnus broke through the line of defense and clotheslined Bram, taking the microphone and warning, "You just took a match and burned your hopes and dreams to the ground!" More officials and members of security hit the ring and separated them further, until Magnus's wife Mickie James appeared and started attacking Bram as well. The referees kept both Mickie and Magnus at bay long enough for Bram to retreat up the ramp-way, but Magnus still wasn't finished. He followed behind Bram, stalking him like an animal, and delivered a crippling snap-power bomb to Bram on the crux of the entryway.
The TNA Knockouts are next with the title on the line. The first to appear under Impact's beautiful big screen "TNA-tron" is the former Knockout Champion Awesome Kong, who saunters to ringside to the beat of her menacing entrance tune. Gail Kim is the second to arrive, running down the aisle slapping hands with the UK crowd, wearing a black cut-off t-shirt that says "London." The TNA Knockouts Champion Taryn Terrell doesn't receive the same ovation as Gail Kim, but is most certainly favored over the depraved Kong. Both babyfaces set to work together and team against the monstrous Kong, who thwarts their advances with little-to-no effort of her own. Gail kicks Kong in the stomach, but Kong is quick enough to send the charging former champion speeding head first into the current title holder. Kong conquers them with an avalanche splash in the corner and capitalizes with a powerful sleeper hold slam. Neither Taryn nor Gail can gain any momentum as Awesome Kong continues to throw them around the ring by their hair, keeping them separated and thus unable to form a lasting alliance. Awesome Kong hits Gail Kim with a hard spike to the back, as Taryn Terrell ascends the ropes behind the Amazon's back. Taryn jumps but is clotheslined in mid-air by Awesome Kong, who then sets her sights on Kim once again. Kong lifted Gail Kim into the air for a powerbomb, but was stopped by Taryn who rolled them both up in a very innovative pin-attempt. Taryn hits the ropes and jumps from the second story onto Awesome Kong with a drop kick, sending Kong reeling back toward the center of the ring. Taryn hits the ropes one more time and jumps from the top with a cross body onto Kong, nearly earning a pinfall then and there. Awesome Kong came back with a quick burst of energy, but Taryn Terrell countered with a devastating Diamond Cutter. Kong vacated the ring in an attempt to regroup, and both Taryn and Gail sought to capitalize from the top rope. The two women tried to climb from the same corner and instead of focusing on Awesome Kong, Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell began mixing it up with one another. Taryn fell to the canvas, and Gail Kim flew to the floor, landing cross body on Kong and earning a raucous reception from the audience. Kim then hit Taryn with a sunset flip into a powerbomb out of the corner, but was unable to achieve victory. She shoved the sole of her shoe into Taryn's throat and attempted the "Eat Defeat," but was rolled up by the champion for a successful 1-2-3 combination. As Taryn stood tall in the ring with her belt in hand, she looked off into the distance at Awesome Kong, almost on the brink of tears and unware of what might await her next week.
The Revolution almost ended the career of Jeff Hardy in an instant when James Storm knocked him out on top of the steel cage at Lockdown, sending him plummeting to the steel steps below. Since then there's been more than bad blood between Jeff's brother Matt and the leader of the Revolution. Two weeks ago Bram went one-on-one with Matt Hardy and was asked by the Cowboy to "take him out." Hardy is still in service however, and about to go head-to-head with James Storm in a no holds barred match. Storm heads down the entryway with every member of the Revolution in tow—the odds will most certainly be in the Cowboy's favor this evening. Matt Hardy is happy to take the challenge and is cheered by the overwhelmingly positive response from the live audience. Storm meets Hardy halfway down the ramp and the match finally begins when Hardy rolls the Cowboy into the ring. Matt gets to work supplying their match by going deep under the ring and tossing an array of chairs and trash cans toward Storm. Manik grabs Hardy by the leg as he tries to enter the ring, which gives the Cowboy an opening to start things off in his favor. Hardy comes back with the trash can and he and Storm trade blows with the can and its lid. Hardy knocks James Storm flat on his back and exits the ring once more, climbing the ropes where he is tripped up by both the Great Sanada and Manik. James Storm readies two chairs in close proximity to one another and delivers a vertical suplex to Matt Hardy from the top rope and through the steel. Abyss is on the outside and raises his scarlet satin sack of thumbtacks—try saying that three times fast—and hands them to his �fearless' leader. The Cowboy litters the canvas with a line of golden tacks and attempts to plant Hardy directly in their path. Matt however has plans of his own and throws the Cowboy into the tacks instead, following up with a big elbow drop for a near-fall. The Revolution drags referee Brian Stiffler out of the ring before he can count three, and the match turns into a 5-on-1 assault. All of the Cowboy's allies equip themselves with weaponry; Khoya lifts a non-folding chair above his head, and Josh Matthews asks, "What kind of chair does Khoya have–?!" Funniest line of the night. Hardy retrieved the mysterious chair that Matthews was unfamiliar with and hit the Indian athlete in the back, leading Taz to exclaim, "Oh! That un-folding chair!" Matt did away with the distractions, finishing off Manik with a Twist of Fate, and reentered the ring hoping to end things with the Cowboy as well. Storm had Matt Hardy well scouted however and used his momentum to send him head-first into a steel chair propped in the corner. With both men reeling, it was anybody's match; Matt Hardy leaned over the top rope and for the second time tonight, the Muta mist came into play thanks to the Great Sanada. Hardy was blinded and tripped directly into Storm's Last Call Superkick. Matt Hardy was on spaghetti legs from the initial shot when the "Cowboy" sent him spilling over with a second—far more devastating superkick. James Storm and Revolution are victorious, but that's not enough as the sadistic Storm seeks to removed
BOTH
Hardy brothers from TNA Impact. They held Hardy by the arms on the lip of the apron, while James Storm berating him from behind: "Matt Hardy! I am the reason your brother is out of professional wrestling! And now you can visit your brother—in the hospital!" Storm swung his cowbell bull rope and struck Hardy in the small of the back in what amounted to a pretty anti-climactic end to an enjoyable match.
The theme of the entire night has been the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between Kurt Angle and the current title holder, Bobby Lashley. The show has been filled with interviews, promos, vignettes, and all sorts of propaganda hyping this as a "dream match" in TNA. I'm not going to argue that because it's certainly going to be an interesting bout for the most prestigious prize on Impact. But a dream match—I'm not sure about that. Kurt Angle's music hits as he walks out of his dressing room in the back, just like Goldberg during the good old days of WCW. He walks briskly down the dark hall and through catering, arriving at the shadowy Gorilla position, where he waited for the beat to drop and the Trademarc lyrics to hit. The challenger makes his way down the ramp as Josh Matthews starts to recite each of Angle's accolades including but not limited to his success as an Olympian, as well as his run with the WWE. The beginning of Bobby Lashley's music begins to play on repeat just as Angle's did, skipping until the Destroyer is ready to enter the arena. He hits himself in the face and jumps in one spot—kind of like the current
WWE
World Champion—and finally makes his way through the curtain. According to Josh Matthews, this is Bobby Lashley's 72nd day as World Champion, which might not sound like much—but it's pretty long considering he won the belt during the reboot of Impact back in January. The bell rings and Jeremy Borash introduces the champion and challenger, and referee Brian Hebner allows both men the chance to check out what they're fighting for. A brief commercial break occurs before the match might get underway, and we return to the action just as the bell sounds. They circle one another and prepare to lock up, but back away for a moment until Lashley is the first to attack. He goes for Angle's leg and is unable to drop the Olympic Gold Medalist to the ground. They slink away from one another again, and Lashley comes back with a more calculated take-down, knocking Kurt off his feet, if only for a moment. The action doesn't truly get underway until either man is done feeling out his opponent. They enter into a mat-based amateur style that allows for Kurt to hit Bobby Lashley with four consecutive Suplexes. Lashley finds himself on the wrong side of the Ankle Lock, but gains leverage when he makes it to the ropes, forcing a break by Brian Hebner. Lashley begins retreating from the match, dropping in and out of the ring to catch his breath. Angle chases the champion and reaches him just in time to drop head first on the steel barricade. Lashley is in control now, and uses his power advantage over the venerable ring general. Lashley seems to be losing support from the crowd, and was even booed during his cowardly escape from Angle just a moment ago. He punishes Angle in the center of the ring with both a powerful Suplex and an unnerving bow and arrow submission, while the audience chants in favor of the challenger. Kurt starts to mount a comeback beginning with a leap from the middle rope, and this match turns into a donnybrook where left and right hands reign supreme. Another German suplex by the "Wrestling Machine"—and then another, and another. Kurt Angle is laying into Bobby Lashley the same as Brock Lesnar did to John Cena at Summerslam 2014. The straps come down and Kurt Angle means business when he prepares to apply the Ankle Lock. Lashley kicks him away and capitalizes with a running powerslam, but is unable to achieve victory. Another commercial break and once we return, Kurt Angle is in command and turning Bobby Lashley over by his ankle. They're separated by another rope break, and Lashley comes back with an attempted Spear. Kurt Angle hits Lashley in the face with a big boot and follows up with an Olympic Slam for a near three count on the champion. "This is awesome," is all anyone can hear as this match winds down to the final few moments. Bobby Lashley hits Kurt Angle with a sadistic Spear, and is shocked when the former champion answers the call before the three count. Bobby is out of ideas and resorts to the top rope—a place that he's considerably unfamiliar with. He jumps across the ring where nobody is home; Kurt Angle ascends the same ropes and hits the Destroyer with a cross body. Lashley used Angle's momentum to flip them both over and applied an Ankle Lock of his own, directly in the center of the ring. Angle screamed in pain, unable to reach the ropes as he struggled to find a way out. Finally he made it to the edge of the ring where Lashley was forced to relinquish the hold. Kurt hit Bobby with a surprising Olympic Slam for a 2-and-three quarters count. The Destroyer took advantage of the noticeably exhausted veteran Angle by applying a cross arm bar, using his legs for leverage. Angle summoned nothing but sheer power and determination to remove himself from hold, and once again locked the champion in his signature Ankle submission. The crowd went crazy, stomping the floor and shaking the camera as Kurt dropped to the ground and grapevined the champion's leg. Bobby cried in agony as he reached for the ropes, but was unable to find the same strength that Kurt did just a moment ago. Perhaps thinking of his MMA career, the Destroyer Bobby Lashley had no choice but to slap the mat in submission. Your winner and TNA World Heavyweight Champion for the sixth time—the only Olympic Gold Medalist in Professional Wrestling, Kurt Angle.
This was the second in a series of two very strong weeks for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Last week I stated—following the BLOODBATH between Carter and Spud—that I only hope Impact might be able to keep up its forward momentum. I'm not keen on Kurt Angle winning the world title, as I think there are far more deserving wrestlers on the roster that aren't 46-years old. But who can argue with Kurt's one-of-a-kind career? Next week's episode of Impact returns stateside and features the return of Jeff Hardy in a "revenge" match inside the six sides of steel with the Cowboy James Storm. Until then, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat, follow me on Facebook by LIKING "The B+ Players," and be sure to look for my upcoming podcast by the same name.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-all-american-wrestling-aaw-the-art-of-war-22815-berwyn-illinois/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-all-american-wrestling-aaw-the-art-of-war-22815-berwyn-illinois/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2015 18:47:52 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
AAW
All American Wrestling
Allysin Kay
Angelus Layne
Benjamin Boone
Brett Gakiya
Christian Faith
CJ Esparza
Dan Lawrence
Dave Crist
Davey Richards
Davey Vega
Devin Cutter
Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page
Irish Airborne
Jake Crist
Jimmy Jacobs
Josh Alexander
Justice Jones
Knight Wagner
Marion Fontaine
Markus Crane
Mason Cutter
Mat Fitchett
Matt Cage
Nevaeh
Paco Gonzales
Ricochet
Silas Young
The Art of War
The Hooligans
Tony Kozina
Zero Gravity
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10060
The following results are from a recent All American Wrestling live event. В The event took place on February 28th, 2015 from theВ Berwyn Eagles Club, in Berwyn, Illinois: AAW Tag Team Title Match Irish Airborne (Dave Crist & Jake Crist) defeat Dan Lawrence & Markus Crane (c) – TITLE CHANGE !!! Singles Match Allysin Kay defeats […]
The following results are from a recent All American Wrestling live event. В The event took place on February 28th, 2015 from theВ Berwyn Eagles Club, in Berwyn, Illinois:
AAW Tag Team Title Match
Irish Airborne (Dave Crist & Jake Crist) defeat Dan Lawrence & Markus Crane (c) – TITLE CHANGE !!!
Singles Match
Allysin Kay defeats Nevaeh
Singles Match
Silas Young defeats Matt Cage
AAW Heritage Title Six Way Match
Christian Faith (c) defeats Benjamin Boone and Davey Vega and Marion Fontaine and Mat Fitchett and Tony Kozina
Tag Team Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match
Zero Gravity (Brett Gakiya & CJ Esparza) defeat The Hooligans (Devin Cutter & Mason Cutter)
Singles Match
Ethan Page defeats Jimmy Jacobs
Singles Match
Justice Jones (w/Angelus Layne & Knight Wagner) defeats Paco Gonzales
Singles Match
Josh Alexander defeats Ricochet
AAW Heavyweight Title Match
Eddie Kingston (c) defeats Davey Richards
http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-nonstop-analysis-tna-lockdown-21315/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-nonstop-analysis-tna-lockdown-21315/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2015 17:53:24 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Blogs
Other Blogs
Other Reviews
Reviews
Al Snow
Austin Aries
Awesome Kong
BDC
Beat Down Clan
Bobby Lashley
Bobby Roode
Bram
Crazy Steve
Davey Richards
Dixie Carter
EC3
Eddie Edwards
Eric Young
Ethan Carter III
Grado
Gunner
Impact
James Storm
Jeff Hardy
Josh Mathews
Ken Anderson
Kenny King
Kurt Angle
Low Ki
Madison Rayne
Magnus
Mark Andrews
Matt Hardy
Mr. Anderson
MVP
Rockstar Spud
Taz
Team Angle
The American Wolves
The Revolution
The Wolves
TNA
Total Nonstop Action
Tyrus
wrestling
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9720
Total Nonstop Analysis TNA Lockdown 2/13/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Welcome to another exciting column chronicling the carnage taking place on a weekly basis inside the six-sided ring. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, with you as always to discuss what went down on this week’s episode of TNA Impact. The events of Lockdown […]
Total Nonstop Analysis
TNA Lockdown 2/13/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Welcome to another exciting column chronicling the carnage taking place on a weekly basis inside the six-sided ring. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, with you as always to discuss what went down on this week’s episode of TNA Impact. The events of Lockdown are still fresh in the minds of the fans, as well as the Beat Down Clan who suffered a momentous loss at the hands of Team Angle and the TNA world heavyweight champion Bobby Lashley. Impact has been running the Manhattan Center since its reboot earlier this year but this week the men and women of TNA have sold out the Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. What might we expect out of a highly volatile locker room and what is in store for the current champion as a number one contender is soon to be named? Another awesome two-hours of action courtesy of Impact Wrestling and Destination America, but don’t take my word for it. Let’s break down the good and bad in this week’s edition of “Total Nonstop Analysis.”
The show opens on MVP and the members of the Beat Down Clan exiting a chauffeured minivan outside of the arena. They stand in a circle, wearing identical black and red tracksuits, and MVP explains that they're going to forget about last week because it didn't matter. Samoa Joe chimes in by telling his comrades that "those cats" on Team Angle took out a debt that the BDC is ready to collect. The Hydro is sold out with hundreds—if not THOUSANDS of fans on their feet as Impact is ready to go live—well, as live as Impact ever is. The entrance way is much more elaborate than the past month's set of shows at the Manhattan Center, complete with an enormous video screen belonging to the arena, the size of which would rival the Titantron. Kurt Angle's music is the first to play and the first-ever TNA champion is met with a standing ovation from the Scottish fans. He tells them that the Beat Down Clan wants to control the world title belt, but as far as Kurt is concerned, the best wrestler in the world should be the man to control the TNA championship. The 13-time world heavyweight champion asks Bobby Lashley to join him inside the ring so that they can debrief after last week's battle with the BDC.
Bobby Lashley is happy to enter the six-sided ring across from Kurt, and proceeds to shake hands with the man who helped him defeat Montel Vontavious Porter at Lockdown. Lashley is proud to work alongside an athlete as renowned as Kurt Angle but warned the former champion that he didn't join his team to help him, he did it to protect his title and get his hands on "that dirty piece of trash MVP." Kurt laughs because just the same as Bobby, he too had an ulterior motive behind forming an alliance. "You think I really invited you down here so that I could thank you," Kurt asks arrogantly? "No. It is now time for Kurt Angle to be the TNA champion again.” As Angle prepared to issue his challenge, the familiar music of the BDC played and the entire group appeared on the stage. MVP argued that since Lashley was not sanctioned in last week's match, he never actually earned the pinfall, therefore the match didn't count and Team Angle didn't win. He goes on to spout the same rhetoric as weeks past, arguing that the TNA title belongs to the BDC, and asks whom of Angle or Lashley would like to have his ass kicked first. Lashley is of course in no way afraid of MVP and tells the BDC that he'll fight any
two
of them in a tag team match tonight with Kurt Angle as his partner. Angle accepts, and the BDC retreats to form a strategy going in to tonight's main event.
Back from the break and Bobby Roode is in the backstage area getting ready for his matchup with Austin Aries. "A-Double" turns the corner with his "Feast of Fired" briefcase and the two babyfaces set-to-square-off exchange pleasantries and words of respect. Bobby Roode mentions the history between he and Aries, specifically in the United Kingdom, where more than once they've stood side by side as team mates. "But tonight's not about being on the same side," said Roode, "Good luck." Austin stood back as Roode walked off into the Gorilla position, held his briefcase high and said, "Right back at you."
Ethan Carter III and Tyrus are also on hand to challenge the threesome of Rockstar Spud, Mark Andrews, and announcer Jeremy Borash to a 3-on-2 handicap tag match later in the night. EC3 says that patience is not a virtue which he possesses and wants to shave someone's head TONIGHT. “I get what I want and what I want," he said, "What I want? What I
WANT
is to shave Rockstar Spud’s head! I want to scalp him! I want to scalp him good.” Carter's plans were thwarted last week when Jeremy Borash unplugged the electric clippers as Carter prepared to "scalp" Mark Andrews, which is why EC3 wants Borash inside the ring tonight on Impact.
Austin Aries and Bobby Roode are set to go one-on-one in what will become the match of the night. Both individuals respect one another and begin their altercation on the best of terms. For most of the first half of the match, the action is akin to a see-saw with a series of string wrestling maneuvers, arm drags and innovative submissions. Both former champions attempt to utilize their signature holds as early on as two minutes into the bout, but are oftentimes thwarted by an opponent who knows the other all too well. Back and forth until the action spills onto the outside, where instead of capitalizing on an obvious advantage, Austin Aries tossed Roode back into the ring where the match would continue. An aerial offensive move gone wrong resulted in Bobby Roode dropkicking an air-bound Aries, evening the odds for the "It Factor." The contest slowed by this point, and each wrestler was afforded a moment of breathing time amidst a chain of rest holds. Roode set Aries up for his patented Roode Bomb but was countered into the corner where Roode again reversed the situation into an attempted suplex. Aries reversed Roode's offense and sent him flying into the center of the ring, capitalizing with a picture-perfect Missile Dropkick. Each competitor could feel the pace of the match quicken, as could the audience in Glasgow and around the world. Bobby Roode made one last ditch effort and locked Austin Aries into a textbook Cross-face submission hold. Within a matter of seconds, Aries tapped and Bobby Roode had his hand raised. After the bell rang Bobby acquired a microphone and told the fans inside the Hydro, "Now that is pro wrestling. And you Austin Aries, are one of the greatest professional wrestlers I've ever had the chance to share this ring with." After Aries left the ringside area, Roode once again addressed the current title situation. He spoke into the camera but was talking directly to Bobby Lashley: "You know that Roode/Lashley III never happened and I deserve a rematch." That's when Eric Young appeared out of the audience and attacked Bobby Roode, drilling him hard into the canvas with a spike piledriver, and spitting on his fallen body. Security and referees helped the "It Factor" back to the locker room, but not before EY could once again interrupt, delivering another piledriver, this time on the concrete floor.
Back from the commercial and who do we see in the ring but Al Snow! While Americans might get a kick out of this living legend appearing on our TV screens, the fans on the "other side of the pond," know Al Snow as the relentless trainer on "British Bootcamp" who belittles their national wrestling heroes on a weekly basis. He reminds me of Terry Funk back in the mid-to-late 90s when he was past his prime but certainly still capable of providing one hell of a show. He talks about working in the ring, and about how proud he is to be a trainer. "You can't do what I do," he tells the fans. "You know how I know that? Because you're sitting out there and I'm standing in here." He explains his recent run in with Scotland's own independent sensation Grado, telling us that he doesn't think the young man has what it takes to be a professional wrestler and insists that he gives it up. Al Snow tells Grado and the audience in Glasgow that he'll be happy to let him off the hook if he just quits the business, otherwise Snow is set to teach him a lesson next week on Impact. Grado comes out and I'm not sure if it's a cultural barrier I'm stuck behind, but I can't see the upside to this pudgy, blonde butterball. He's got the dumbest tattoos and wears a run-of-the-mill singlet that might as well say "Generic" across the back. Al Snow continued to berate the young independent wrestler until he had enough. “Shut your mouth," he said with an accent I could barely understand but loved nonetheless. "I don’t think you understand just where you are! You’re right here in Glasgow! And we don’t take any crap!” Snow forcefully took the mic away and said he doesn’t care what they
take
. “Your family’s here aren’t they?" Snow hopped through the ropes and strolled over to a fiery middle aged bird wearing a black t-shirt that said, "Am Grados Maw!" Snow gets in her face and tells her that she should be embarrassed for having a son such as Grado—and that she needs to tell him to walk away. Not another word out of his mouth and "Maw Grado" slapped Snow several times, leading him to get defensive which sent Grado spiraling into a protective rage in honor of his mother. Al Snow escaped Grado's wrath, and stumbled up to the stage screaming, “You want me? You got me! You beat me and I’ll shake your hand!” Regardless of what I might think of Grado and his mom
appearance-wise
, the UK fans are some of the brightest on the planet and if they believe in this guy, I'm ready to give him a chance.
Two weeks ago Bram and Magnus met in a New York City pub where they discussed the results of "Feast or Fired." Before they had their brawl in the bowels of the building, Magnus joked, "You're my partner, who else am I going to pick? Crazy Steve?" Well—this week it's Bram versus Crazy Steve! Before the match can get underway, we get a ton of exposition courtesy of Taz and Josh Matthews, inside their "safe-room" far away in TNA's world headquarters. I wouldn't usually reference this, except to say they need to be at ringside, or at least
pretend
they're at ringside. But this week I brought it up because as the cameras switched over to their studio, Taz was standing behind his chair instead of sitting next to Josh. It was just very strange; I'd like the cameras to switch over once and have them eating Chinese food. Or playing cards. The match between Bram and Crazy Steve is in no way meant to help elevate the "Modern-Day Doink." Instead, Bram uses this exhibition as a platform to challenge his former best friend Magnus to a fight. He starts to squash Steve early on but descends the steel steps to acquire a microphone. He beckons his fellow Brit to show his face, all the while continuing to kick Crazy Steve down into the mat. He did this for a few moments until putting the clown away with an Impaler DDT. He left the ring by once again challenging Magnus, saying, "Find me, Magnus!" What's sad is that this was most likely recorded before Bray Wyatt asked the Undertaker to find
him
, but the current TV schedule once again keeps TNA from getting the upper hand on progressive storytelling.
Mark Andrews and Rockstar Spud are both backstage talking Jeremy Borash into the handicap tag match with EC3 and Tyrus. "I'm not so sure I want to get beat up again," Borash says, to which Spud insists he has some sort of back up. "Back up?" "Yes back up. It's a British thing, Mark gets it."
In another corner of the locker room Kurt Angle is sitting by himself getting ready for his main match against the BDC. Gunner, who was a member of Team Angle at Lockdown, sits down with the Gold Medalist and thanks him for what he did last week. He appreciates Kurt for waking him up and believing in him even though he wasn’t at 100%. "We both want the same thing," said Gunner, "We both want the world title. But Kurt, do you think teaming with Lashley is really such a good idea?" Kurt thanked Gunner for his support, but said, “Lashley and I? We’re gonna fight one day. It’s gonna be sooner than later and I want him at his best. Because I’m going to beat him for that world title.”
It's time for the handicap tag match and Ethan Carter is on his way to the ring, flanked by his personal security guard Tyrus. Carter disrobes to reveal a protective sleeve on his left arm. Josh Matthews tells the audience at home that Carter explicitly instructed him
not
to acknowledge the sleeve during commentary. The match is incredibly one-sided and follows the same basic pattern from bell-to-bell. Tyrus demolished both Mandrews and Spud, allowing EC3 the opportunity to tag in and take advantage. Once the action got heavy, Carter would tag out and wait for Tyrus to get things under control once more. When Jeremy Borash tagged in however, Carter wasted no time in entering the match against the everyday ring announcer. Back and forth, Carter and Tyrus traded places in the match against an exhausted trio of undersized competitors. But just as hope seemed all but lost, the most unlikely candidate volunteered to take to the skies—Jeremy Borash flew from the top rope to the outside, achieving incredibly hang time as he crash landed down onto Tyrus. It was at this moment though that Carter was able capitalize on the understandable distraction, turning it into a "One Percenter" inverted DDT on Spud. Learning from his mistakes, Ethan Carter and Tyrus are now in possession of
wireless
clippers, ready to shave the lovely locks of Rockstar Spud. Carter trapped Spud in a camel clutch and slowly edged the vibrating blade closer to Spud's hair—when the lights went out! They returned and Ken Anderson stood between Carter and Tyrus, jokingly pretending to be on their team and then blindsiding them with a combination of low-blows and eye-gauges.
Gunner is speaking with a camera man about how close he was to winning the TNA world title this time last year, but predicts victory going into next week's 20-man gauntlet to decide the number one contender. He says he's not worried about the BDC, but if they get in his way he'll deal with them. Kenny King walks into camera-view with a smirk. "The BDC—everyone is saying our names," exclaimed Kenny. "You know we're like Candy Man, right? You keep saying our name and we're going to show up." With that, Gunner was under attack, the victim of a double team assault thanks to Kenny King and the X Division Champion Low-Ki. They stomped him into the cold, hard floor and walked away gloating: "Come on Gunner! No bullets soldier! No bullets!"
I really hate Madison Rayne's music, but being that I've spent more than enough time on that in previous articles, I'll instead move along to discuss why she's making her way to the ring. Madison says that she's only there to make one thing abundantly clear: "I am one title win away from being the most decorated TNA Knockout—EVER." As she spoke, a glitch in the audio equipment sent a dose of unwanted reverb across the Hydro Arena. "Okay that was kind of rude," Madison said, continuing to boast her personal value until once again being interrupted by a "musical mishap." She yelled at referee Earl Hebner, and insisted that the audio engineer do something. Once again the building was rocked with an unknown sound, this time evolving into the full score of Awesome Kong's theme music. The former TNA Knockout champion strutted with swag as she stared daggers through Madison Rayne, standing in the ring almost shaking with fear. Outside of the cage match between Havok and Kong at Lockdown, this might be the first singles match the Knockouts have had since TNA rebooted in January. I anticipated this match being far less one-sided than it was and hoped to see more rule-breaking out of Rayne. But within two minutes the bout had concluded as Kong conquered Madison Rayne with her dreaded finishing maneuver, the Implant Buster.
Backstage Austin Aries is relaxing until Kurt Angle informs him that he’s in his seat. Although Aries says he doesn’t see his name on it, he decides to get up instead of engaging in a fight over a chair. Kurt attempted to provoke Aries after his loss earlier in the evening: “I heard you tapped out to Bobby Roode.” But A-Double wasn't going to let the words of a 46-year old man get the better of him, as he quickly responded, “Yeah I tapped out to Bobby Roode, it’s called live to fight another day.” He stood up from his new seat, "And I can't do that with one arm."
The fans are again out of control for one-half of one of the most decorated teams in wrestling history; Matt Hardy is on hand to give the world an update as to the condition of his brother, Jeff. “Man it is great to be back in Scotland. I missed you guys!" Matt was clearly excited to see so many screaming fans but his demeanor soon shifted to one of sadness. "But I really wish my brother Jeff could be here to share this extraordinary evening with me.” For fans that aren't aware, Jeff's long history of substance abuse and trouble with the law has hindered his ability to travel abroad, therefore he is unable to appear before some of the most-lively wrestling crowds in the world. Matt tells the audience that no matter what Jeff has been through before, he's always managed to give a "thumbs-up" to let Matt know that he's okay. "But last week I didn't get a thumbs up. That's the first time I ever saw a broken Jeff Hardy," Matt continued, "Congratulations James Storm! You were able to do what no other wrestler on this Earth has been able to do!” As emotion ran wild inside of Matt Hardy, the familiar whistle of the "Cowboy's" music echoed across the arena, and the Revolution arrived in the Hydro. James Storm led his stable to ringside, wearing a really stylish vest featuring a woman
salivating
on the back. Storm then gave what was undoubtedly the promo of the evening, agreeing with Matt that he did the impossible: "I did what Edge and Christian couldn't do! I did what Team 3D couldn't do! I did what Bobby Lashley couldn't do," Storm named a handful of industry icons, "Hell, even the
UNDERTAKER
couldn't do what I did. I cut down Jeff Hardy!" James Storm leaned in to Matt Hardy, and gave him the option of ending this peacefully. But the "Cowboy" warned the Carolina-native that if he should engage the Revolution, they wouldn't hesitate to put him in a bed next to his brother in the hospital. It didn't take long before "Version 1.0" chose the "road less-traveled," sarcastically telling Storm that his brother has a nice hospital bed, before letting off a series of rights and lefts. Hardy's offense would be short lived however as the entire Revolution teamed up to save their leader, with Manik subduing Hardy on the canvas with a Fujiwara Arm Bar. The punishment wasn't through, but before the Revolution could take it to the next level, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards arrived to save the day. The American Wolves—or �Wolves as they're known in TNA, showed up just in time to chase the heelish tag team champions and the rest of the Revolution away.
Just before the main event, a producer asked Austin Aries if he had a time table established for when he wanted to cash-in on his contract. Aries had no intention of sharing such private information, and instead told him it’s going to be "somewhere in between half past a monkey’s ass and a quarter to his little monkey balls." The smile soon faded and Austin Aries was done playing games relating to the TNA world title: “The only timeframe I’m concerned with is my timeframe.” Once again Kenny King appeared to distract Aries as Low Ki advanced from behind. Unlike Gunner however, Austin had no trouble in fighting the duo until the numbers increased and all four members of the Beat Down Clan kicked Aries and his briefcase out of the building.
The main event pitting Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley against the Beat Down Clan begins as the Olympian Kurt Angle makes his way to ringside, joined by the "Destroyer" and TNA world heavyweight champion Bobby Lashley. The �Clan comes out as a group per usual, but it becomes clear that MVP and Samoa Joe will be doing the heavy lifting during tonight's contest. Both Low-Ki and Kenny King stand at ringside, once again shifting the advantage toward the BDC. MVP and Samoa Joe maintain control throughout the majority of the first part of the match as announcers speculate that Austin Aries will not be making an appearance because the Beat Down Clan "threw him out the door of the arena." I find that sort of strange as it was clearly snowing in Scotland and he's a world-famous athlete who's schedule to be in the building. I'm pretty certain if he had to get back inside he could find a way. But that's breaking Kayfabe, and that's not what I'm here to do. The BDC used the strength in their numbers to run roughshod over the champion and Kurt Angle for a long period of time, every now and then met with resistance, but not having any real trouble in managing match. Angle and Lashley rope-a-doped their opponents into a dizzying haze until the bout began to go back-and-forth with both teams earning considerable offense until all four men were inside the ring. The champion, obviously no stranger to success, saw victory in his sights and prepared to Spear Samoa Joe. He positioned himself, but stopped midway as Kurt Angle dragged Joe to the mat with the Ankle Lock submission. The divide between the two created a rift so catastrophic that MVP was able to take advantage, earning the pinfall on Lashley with a roll-up and a handful of tights. Now having suffered a loss, the two stood toe-to-toe inside the six-sided ring. Just as Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley were about to come to blows, the screen went black and we were privy to a preview for next week.
I think Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Impact on Friday nights is really coming into its own as a viable professional wrestling product. It still suffers from much of the same stigma established through years of questionable booking, but the men and women featured on Destination America could finally be finding their "sweet spot" in terms of industry appeal. Next week's show will also emanate from Glasgow, headlined by the 20-Man Number One Contender's Gauntlet. On a scale from one to ten—one being December to Dismember and ten being Wrestle Kingdom 9—I'd give this episode of TNA Impact a 6 for above average performances, but not nearly as much
wrestling
as I'd like to see on a show called
"IMPACT WRESTLING."
Until next time my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been "Total Nonstop Analysis."
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Mark Adam Haggerty
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Lucky Thirteen #2 Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that […]
Lucky Thirteen #2
Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that contained the first five Wrestlemanias. From that day I was hooked. I began tuning into WWF Superstars and WCW Saturday Night every single week, and by the spring of 1993 I was begging my parents to order Wrestlemania 9 on pay-per-view. Over the past 20 years I’ve had my share of favorite moments, but I often ask myself, what was the best year in professional wrestling? Maybe not best, but how about the most influential? Most impactful? Okay here it is: What was the Most Important Year since I Became a Fan? When other sites limit their lists to Top Ten, we take it a Step Further with the Lucky Thirteen—counting down the Top Years of the Past 2 Decades.
13. 2003
The list had to start somewhere and after cutting away seven years of nonsense I thought, what better place to begin than with 2003. Looking back I feel as though the year felt much bigger than it really was. Momentous occasions like Wrestlemania XIX and Stone Cold's retirement drew considerable attention but it's hard to isolate many other memorable moments. By this point Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor were both open and doing business, although nowhere near the level of success that they'd each see within a few short years. WCW had been closed since 2001, so WWE was slowly filtering out the Turner-holdovers and rebranding wrestlers like Booker T and Rey Mysterio as WWE Superstars. Twenty-oh-Three was the year Bill Goldberg made his long-awaited debut on Monday Night Raw where he famously told Dwayne Johnson, "You're next Rock!" In addition to a handful of interesting gimmicks and storylines scattered across the calendar, 2003 featured must-see-TV for anyone curious as to what lurked beneath the red and black mask of "The Devil's Favorite Demon" Kane. While it may appear dull in hindsight, 2003 was a fun time featuring the sex and violence of the Attitude Era, mixed with the incredible in-ring action so many of us value today.
12. 2010
Twenty-Ten proved to be an auspicious time for all wrestling organizations. Wrestlemania 26 featured the final match in the venerable career of "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels when he failed to defeat The Undertaker in Glendale. But as one man's career ended, eight more were just getting started; the initial NXT program was a far cry from the extraordinary show we see each week on the WWE Network, but it did introduce the WWE Universe to Superstars such as Ryback, Wade Barrett, Darren Young, and even the future WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. Twenty-Ten was the year in which the unimaginable happened when Bret "The Hitman" Hart made his return to WWE television after a thirteen year hiatus. But 2010 was big for the competition as well. Not only were independent promotions the world-over hitting their stride due to the added exposure brought-on by social media, but TNA was enjoying one of its most visible years to date thanks to signing Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and a number of other established talents. In addition to inflating their roster, TNA made several changes to their product; they would begin to implement a traditional four-sided ring, and even attempted to compete live on Monday's with WWE Raw. The year 2010 was an exciting time for wrestling fans across the planet, and is the most modern year on my countdown.
11. 2007
It’s true that 2007 can hardly be considered a great year for professional wrestling, let alone the WWE. For a while it seemed that active wrestlers appeared on Nancy Grace more than they ever did on Raw or Smackdown. But if I'm here to countdown the most important years in wrestling, this certainly had its share of newsworthy events. In the summer of 2007, the WWE suspended more than half of its active roster in response to a litany of wellness violations for a variety of substances, most notably Human Growth Hormone. This year was historic for being the official end of "The Ruthless Aggression Era"—a period of time significant for exposing younger talent and transitioning the product out of the overtly controversial Attitude Era. In 2007 TNA expanded its flagship show IMPACT to two hours and embarked on what would be a defining age for the promotion. One of my favorite events in history happened in 2007, "The King of Europe Cup." The �Cup was a one-off event that took place over a two day period in the United Kingdom. A must-watch event that is readily available on YouTube and features well-known workers such as Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Matt Sydal, Davey Richards and a man who won the ROH World title in 2007—Nigel McGuinness. Sadly it's safe to say the most infamous moments of 2007 occurred between June 22nd and June 25th as the world became aware of the chilling circumstances surrounding Nancy, Daniel, and of course "The Crippler" Chris Benoit. Unfortunately for all of the positives, 2007 will forever be marred by the heinous actions of a troubled man that led to irreparable changes across the industry and what has been dubbed, "The PG Era."
10. 2006
It would appear as though 2006 was the last year representing any semblance of what was once regarded as a pop culture phenomenon. The ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view the previous year was such a success that WWE officials opted to resurrect Extreme Championship Wrestling complete with a one-hour timeslot on the Sci-Fi Channel. Edge and Rey Mysterio each made history in 2006 by becoming world champion; first Edge at New Years' Revolution and then Rey at Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago. Poised to be a contributing factor in the �New ECW', former champion Kurt Angle shocked the world in 2006 when he signed with TNA Wrestling. This year was famous for launching the career of current TNA Champion Bobby Lashley, as well as helping to define that of former Ring of Honor World Champion CM Punk. There were over a dozen debuts throughout the year due to ECW on Sci-Fi and Smackdown's "New Superstar Initiative." In Ring of Honor, the world title picture was dominated by Bryan Danielson who secured his spot atop the card from September 2005 until December 2006. In addition to WWE and TNA, MTV delivered an over the top unreal wrestling experience known as "Wrestling Society X." WSX only lasted one short season but familiarized fans with future names such as Matt Sydal and reintroduced established stars like Sean Waltman and Vampiro. Twenty-oh-Six was a great year for good storytelling that included Vince McMahon's rivalry with Shawn Michaels, Booker T becoming King Booker, and the continuing drama between Edge and John Cena. Rounding out the top ten, 2006 was an enjoyable year without much in the way of defining moments but never short on excitement.
9. 2000
When the new millennium dawned on the world of professional wrestling, so too did a number of landmark milestones and controversial occurrences. WCW released the unsuccessful "Ready 2 Rumble," starring a variety of World Championship Wrestling athletes and the man who would soon become WCW Champion—David Arquette. Not only was 2000 the year all WCW titles would be stripped and reassigned, it was also the year in which the World Championship was devalued and strapped to a B-list Hollywood celebrity. But not all was bad in the world of sports and entertainment as 2000 marked the first time Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted Saturday Night Live, which he did to rave reviews. While Eric Bischoff returned to WCW, a new set of "Radicalz" debuted in the WWF; Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko all jumped ship and began appearing on WWF TV in the early months of the new millennium. The Year Two-Thousand was a defining era for the Undertaker who chose this year to swap his demonic demeanor for the apparel of the "American Badass." Hulk Hogan would say his final goodbye to his WCW fans thanks to a scenario gone wrong involving the Hulkster, Jeff Jarrett, and head-writer Vince Russo. An exciting year for wrestling of course with Kurt Angle capturing his first of many world titles, but perhaps the biggest thing to happen in 2000 was the debut of Vince McMahon's now defunct football league—The XFL. Whether you're a football fan or an admirer of the "Scream" film franchise, 2000 had something for everybody to get excited about.
8. 2005
If ever a year signaled things to come it was 2005. For fans of the WWE, 2005 was the year Monday Night Raw returned home to the USA Network after a five year run on Spike TV. Two first-time world champions were crowned at Wrestlemania—John Cena and Dave Batista. But TNA had its own share of successes in 2005: the company made its highly anticipated debut on Spike TV; Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe had the only 5-Star Triple Threat Match in history; and Christian Cage signed a deal, opening the gates to a deluge of ex-WWE Superstars. ECW was in the midst of a resurrection that would culminate in 2006, but 2005 was the year the WWE hosted the first "ECW One Night Stand," in New York City. On the independent scene, a former backyard wrestler named Phil Brooks won the ROH World Heavyweight Championship from the highly decorated Austin Aries, thus placing CM Punk on WWE's radar. Later that year another future WWE Champion would capture the ROH World Title and hold it for over four hundred days—"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. Back in the WWE, six daring individuals were getting ready to introduce the world to "Money in the Bank," and later that year Shawn Michaels faced Hulk Hogan for the first time ever at Summerslam. Chris Jericho was fired by Eric Bischoff and then Bischoff himself was released resulting in Eric leaving the arena in the back of a garbage truck. But even in the silliest of times, sadness rears its ugly head and it was in 2005 that the world was forced to say goodbye to the former WWE Champion, "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero. From the highs to the lows, 2005 was an important year that no one will ever forget.
7. 1994
Not such an enormous year for the industry-leading WWF, but a landmark time period for much of the competition. Having survived his battle with the US Government, Vince McMahon was back in full control of his company; 1994 was the year of Wrestlemania X and the infamous bout between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels that would set the bar for ladder matches to come. The Undertaker mysteriously disappeared at the Royal Rumble and come Summerslam, the WWF fans were privy to not one—but TWO Undertakers! Of course this was the year that the Hart Family rivalry between Bret and Owen kicked into high gear, including a match of the year contender at Wrestlemania and a championship cage match at Summerslam. But outside the confines of the WWF, events began to take place that would lay the foundation for the Attitude Era. The NWA was the longstanding governing body of professional wrestling in the United States and Japan for several decades. In 1994 the NWA title was to be decided in Philadelphia at Todd Gordon's Eastern Championship Wrestling, with Shane Douglas set to win the gold. Instead Douglas disregarded the title, disgracing the NWA in the process by claiming he would not represent a company that, "died, R.I.P. seven years ago!" ECW broke away from the NWA and declared themselves Extreme Championship Wrestling with "The Franchise" as their champion. Down in WCW, Eric Bischoff was moving ahead by leaps and bounds thanks to an array of positive changes in production, including the debut of WCW Saturday Night at Disney's MGM Studios in Orlando. But perhaps there was nothing in '94 as monumental as when WCW signed Hulk Hogan. Bischoff wasted no time in booking the dream contest WWF refused to feature at Wrestlemania VIII two years earlier. In his debut match alongside Mr. T and Shaquille O'Neil, Hulk Hogan defeated "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the WCW Title. Who's to say if things had gone differently in �94, the industry of today might be something else entirely.
6. 1998
The Attitude Era might have started in �97, but 1998 was the year in which the world was introduced to the brand new World Wrestling Federation. WCW turned up the heat on the competition by introducing a brand new Thursday night program on TBS titled, "Thunder." This was the year that saw The Four Horsemen reunite on Monday Nitro including Ric Flair who had since left the company. The NWO was continuing to grow and would eventually split into two entities: NWO Hollywood with Hulk Hogan, and NWO Wolfpac lead by Kevin Nash. WCW cornered the video game market in �98 with one of the most prolific wrestling games in history—WCW/NWO Revenge for the Nintendo 64. Over in the �Federation, Superstars were beginning to get "hardcore" and a new title with a 24/7 stipulation was introduced on TV. Not only were the �falls' taking place backstage and in the audience, but from on top of the Hell in a Cell as Mick Foley was launched from the structure, and then drilled through it at the 1998 King of the Ring. WCW continued to beat the WWF in the Monday Night War due to a consistent strategy based on booking their top matches on cable, rather than pay-per-view. Bill Goldberg, who had already made a name for himself by maintaining an unprecedented winning streak made history when he became the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. But Bill was far from the only bald-headed badass to win gold in 1998. Earlier that year, Stone Cold Steve Austin captured his first world title after defeating Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XIV in Boston. It was a profitable year for all wrestling companies including ECW, but 1998 would be the last year WCW would succeed in dominating the WWF in the ratings.
5. 1996
Maybe it's because Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream came true at Wrestlemania XII; or the initial formation of the NWO at Bash at the Beach; even the insane rivalry between "The Excellence of Execution" and "The Texas Rattlesnake." Whatever it was, my personal favorite year in professional wrestling was 1996. The spring began with a bang as Scott Hall made his first appearance on Turner Television, joined just a few weeks later by Kevin Nash. In June of 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin broke from Ted DiBiase and became the King of the Ring; during his royal coronation, Stone Cold uttered a phrase that would change his career forever—"Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!" But just as heels began to turn face, so did longtime heroes turn to the dark side. Along with the debut of the New World Order was the introduction of the evil Hollywood Hogan, who won the WCW title in August 1996 and held it just six days shy of one year. The Survivor Series that fall was famous for memorable main event matches as well as a number of debuts including that of the first ever third generation WWF Superstar, Rocky Maivia. Paul Bearer made the turn on �Taker in favor of the far more deranged Mankind; The Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts returned for a short period, each feuding with Jerry Lawler; Roddy Piper was featured on both WWF Wrestlemania and WCW Starrcade; ECW was beginning to break out nationwide. But most importantly—the Monday Night War was just getting underway. WCW debuted Nitro on TNT in the autumn of �95, and it was in 1996 that WCW finally succeeded in stealing Vince McMahon's spotlight.
4. 2001
In terms of the industry changing forever, 2001 might have been the most cataclysmic year in wrestling history. It was this year that WCW fans became aware of what was to become of their preferred promotion. Although many familiar faces were involved in negotiating the resurrection of WCW, it was Vince McMahon who purchased his competition for a mere $2.2 million dollars—a price that included licensing, tape libraries, and the contracts belonging to twenty-two WCW performers. In addition to the end of World Championship Wrestling, Paul Heyman signed a deal with Vince McMahon in 2001 some months after ECW was unseated by the WWF as Spike TV's premier wrestling program. The World Wrestling Federation was the winner of the Monday Night War and the Attitude Era was at an end. The summer of 2001 was highlighted by the Invasion storyline featuring an enormity of former WCW and ECW talents rallying together against the WWF with Shane and Stephanie McMahon leading the charge. This would be the year that Stone Cold Steve Austin would turn heel twice, first by joining forces with Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania and then by turning on the WWF and joining the Alliance. Speaking of Wrestlemania, Houston hosted the Seventeenth annual extravaganza—an event like none other that included the highly revered TLC triple threat tag match won by Edge and Christian. On September 13th, Vince McMahon and the WWF Superstars set a national precedent by appearing in Texas just days removed from the World Trade Center attacks in what Vince called, "the largest public gathering of its size since the events of Tuesday." In December of 2001 the two world titles were unified in a competition that would see Chris Jericho beat The Rock as well as Steve Austin in the same night to become the first ever Undisputed WWF Champion in history. The year 2001 was a peculiar period for the wrestling industry as it was the only year in which the WWF was faced with no immediate competition.
3. 1999
With the Attitude Era in full swing, 1999 was an enormous year for the WWF both inside the squared circle as well as on Wall Street. The WWF became the first wrestling promotion in history to go public in 1999, and followed the success with a series of groundbreaking business decisions still in effect today. The company introduced Smackdown on the UPN Network on Thursday Nights as competition to WCW's Thunder on the TBS Superstation. The Rock was enjoying his inaugural championship title reign and would face Steve Austin for their first of three �Mania encounters at Wrestlemania XV in Philadelphia. Unfortunately the good can often be overshadowed by the tragic; on May 23, 1999 the world of professional wrestling lost one of its favorite stars when Owen Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri. Owen will never be forgotten as his passing was one of the most earth-shattering moments in history—wrestling or otherwise. Behind the scenes, longtime WWF head writer Vince Russo had become disenfranchised by the �Federation and jumped ship to rival WCW where Eric Bischoff was forcibly removed from his post as president. As WCW struggled during turbulent times, the WWF continued to prosper with the continuation of the McMahon/Austin saga, the further explored escapades of Degeneration X, and the debuts of The Big Show and Chris Jericho. The WWF would experience its first Monday night ratings victory since 1996 when Mick Foley defeated The Rock for the WWF Heavyweight Championship on a taped episode of Raw airing January 4th 1999. Titles changed hands that same night on TNT when Hollywood Hogan won the WCW title from Kevin Nash for a fifth time thanks to a booking misstep nicknamed "The Finger Poke of Doom." The Land of Extreme was also abuzz in �99 as this was the year ECW would debut on national cable television thanks to The Nashville Network, soon-to-be-known as Spike TV. The last year of the 20th Century was a period of growth for the WWF, but proved to be an unpredictable era for WCW, making it difficult to compete in the coming years of the new millennium.
2. 2002
If 2001 was the end of an era, 2002 was the dawning of a new age across the varied landscape of professional wrestling. The WWF began by changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in light of a conflict regarding the World Wildlife Fund. The campaign was dubbed "Get the �F' Out" and would help introduce audiences to an entirely new breed of "Ruthless Aggression," in the now-WWE. Two new promotions would rise from the ashes of the fallen WCW and ECW. There was former WCW Champion Jeff Jarrett's Southern-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling—a subsidiary of the National Wrestling Alliance. TNA was originally intended to be a pay-per-view only promotion hosting ten dollar events once a week. In 2002 they crowned their very first Heavyweight Champion, former UFC and WWF competitor "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock. Meanwhile RF Video—a pro wrestling video distribution company, was looking for a new promotion now that ECW was gone. Rather than working with established groups such as CZW, RF owner Rob Feinstein founded Ring of Honor and ran their first event, "The Era of Honor Begins" in April 2002. Back in the WWE, the entire roster was split into two warring halves—one set for Smackdown and the other relegated to Raw. The year was infamous for the seemingly relentless parade of surprise appearances that lasted the entirety of 2002. Former Superstars like Mr. Perfect and Scott Steiner became part of the current roster once more; Eric Bischoff debuted as the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw; the NWO opened No Way Out; but perhaps most surprising of all was the return of Shawn Michaels after more than four years away from the ring. Michaels captured the World Heavyweight Championship in the first ever Elimination Chamber Match when he defeated five other superstars including Triple H. Maybe one of the greatest years in the past two decades, but not quite number one.
1. 1997
The Number One Year of the Past Two Decades is 1997, and it shouldn’t be hard to see why. This year was the official launch of The Attitude Era in the WWF, signifying Vince McMahon's intention to compete with WCW on a whole new level. The competition didn't waiver however, as World Championship Wrestling was eager to meet the demand of audiences across the world. The "New Generation" made way for D-Generation X, a heel group similar to the NWO featuring Shawn Michaels and Triple H at the forefront. It was DX at the center of one of the most scandalous nights in wrestling—"The Montreal Screwjob." WCW was having its best year since Eric Bischoff took control of the company and bested their direct competition every week thanks to compelling storylines and the introduction of a former Atlanta Falcon named Bill Goldberg. The NWO storyline had yet to run its course and was complimented by the slow-build and impending confrontation between Hollywood Hogan and Sting at Starrcade. The Undertaker would become the WWF Champion for the first time in nearly six years when he defeated Psycho Sid at Wrestlemania XIII in Chicago, the same night Bret Hart and Steve Austin would wrestle their Match of the Year to a stunning conclusion. Paul Heyman's third party promotion dubbed Extreme Championship Wrestling would present their first ever pay-per-view event Barely Legal thanks in part to the promotion they received during the ECW Invasion of Monday Night Raw. The WWF became far more innovative during this period and introduced audiences to the Hell in a Cell and by circumstance the demonic younger brother of the Dead Man, Kane. It was also in 1997 that a hapless play-by-play announcer named Vince McMahon became one of the most detestable villains in professional wrestling history. The WWF would also begin debuting a number of midcard titles including the European Championship first held by The British Bulldog, and the Light Heavyweight Championship won by Taka Michinoku. WCW continued to maintain their edge in the ratings due to quality in-ring performances as well as plot twists and surprise appearances from WWF Superstars-turned-WCW Big Boys. It's not really a question: when asked about the single most action-packed and influential year from the past two decades of wrestling, I don't hesitate when I say 1997.
Conclusion
This list is ripe for discussion and debate, just as any other countdown featured in The Lucky Thirteen. You might agree, you probably disagree, I may have even listed your favorite year toward the bottom. It’s nothing personal, I promise. This list lives outside of the WWE Universe, but is of course greatly influenced by it. In regards to not including 2014, I didn’t want to include a year that hadn't yet concluded when I began compiling my information. I will say however with NJPW, the birth of the WWE Network, the salvation of TNA, and the first ROH Classic PPV, 2014 is sure to climb higher than any other year of the “Reality Era.” Whatever your feelings may be, I hope to see you again next week for another exciting countdown exclusively at Cheap-Heat. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been—The Lucky Thirteen.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-non-stop-analysis-tna-impact-1715/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-non-stop-analysis-tna-impact-1715/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2015 20:50:25 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Other Reviews
Reviews
Abyss
Angelina Love
Austin Aries
Awesome Kong
AXS
Bobby Lashley
Chris Candido
Davey Richards
Destination America
DJ Z
EC3
Eddie Edwards
Eric Young
Ethan Carter III
Gail Kim
Havok
Impact
Impact Wrestling
James Storm
Jeff Hardy
Jeremy Borash
Jessicka Havok
John Cena
John Gaburick
Josh Mathews
Knockout's
Kong
Kurt Angle
Low Ki
Manik
Marc Predka
Matt Hardy
Mike Tenay
MVP
New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW
Ring of Honor
Robbie E.
Rockstar Spud
ROH
Samoa Joe
Sanada
Seiya Sanada
Taryn Terrell
Taz
The American Wolves
The BroMans
The Great Sanada
The Revolution
The Wolves
TNA
Tyrus
Unlocked
Velvet Sky
Verne Gagne
wrestling
WWE
X-Division
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8683
Total Non-Stop Analysis TNA Impact 1/7/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I think it's safe to say that 2014 was a turbulent time for the second most visible wrestling company in America as they struggled to find a home without losing the one million viewers they had already worked thirteen years to win. Everyone knows […]
Total Non-Stop Analysis
TNA Impact 1/7/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
I think it's safe to say that 2014 was a turbulent time for the second most visible wrestling company in America as they struggled to find a home without losing the one million viewers they had already worked thirteen years to win. Everyone knows by now that Impact did in fact find a new home on Destination America, and things seem to be off to a good start. I didn't hear any direct mention of T-N-A except when referring to the championship titles, and that's only because they're each embroidered with three enormous diamond-studded letters, glistening under the hot lights of the Manhattan Center. Instead the product appears to now be known simply as "Impact Wrestling," a superior name as far as I'm concerned because Impact Wrestling doesn't mean, "boobs" and "butts"—uh, I like to keep things clean around here. This was a really great episode and a spectacular way to reboot the program on a brand new network. While there were a few moments when I had to rewind and say to myself, "Wait—WWE just did that," this show was well-constructed and all-together entertaining. Let's quit with the introductions and get right down to the random thoughts running �round my head in this week's edition of "Total Non-Stop Analysis."
Worried at first as to how the show would lead off, my fears rapidly retreated into my brain when Impact Wrestling began with a very well-produced montage of wrestlers preparing for the big return to television. Included therein was Bobby Lashley, Gail Kim, Samoa Joe and several others depicted in their hotel rooms just prior to the TNA Reboot at the Manhattan Center. Overtop the behind-the-scenes footage played what I believe was John Cena's rapping cousin Tha Trademarc, although I could be wrong. But given his past relationship with TNA, even performing Kurt Angle's entrance theme, I'm willing to bet that was none other than good old Marc Predka. As wrestlers arrived at the Manhattan Center a literal street fight broke out between every member of the roster including all main event talent, the Knockouts, and even Rockstar Spud! The carnage spilled inside where the live audience was excited to see a video-game style wrestling brawl come to life; more than twenty-five men and women picking their spots and opening Impact in a huge way. As security started to get a handle on the action, Executive Director Kurt Angle made his entrance asking, "Security—what do you think you're doing?" After he laid down the law declaring all TNA championships will be defended this evening, MVP wanted to know whether or not Kurt was "going to announce how he assaulted" MVP the last time they saw each other. He even went on to say, "The Kurt Angle of 1996 was an Olympic Gold Medalist. The Kurt Angle of 2015 wears a suit and tie and has no balls. Professional wrestler? Kurt—you're done." Kurt responded the only way he knew how; the first match for The New Impact of 2015 would see Kurt Angle battle MVP dressed in street clothes, in what would prove to be a thrilling contest of catch-wrestling regardless of attire. I have to give credit where it's due and congratulate MVP for training so feverishly in recent years, because the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo are beginning to pay off in regard to the former United States champion's repertoire. Kurt looked phenomenal as always despite being shelved for the better part of the last year, utilizing a litany of his own signature maneuvers such as The Hat Trick and even his Olympic Slam. The fans in New York City were really getting into this bout as they chanted, "M-V-Penis," toward the ring for a good three or four minutes. Of course Kurt Angle would come out on top but I'll venture a guess that 2015 could be the year we see Montel Vontavious Porter in possession of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Until now we've only heard his voice but it's time to put a face to Taz's new broadcast colleague, Josh Matthews. Matthews gives a basic introduction and introduces Taz as, "a former three time world champion." Uh—okay, I guess ECW still counts. They run down the changes we the viewer might expect going forward, including a new hidden camera-feature displaying heels and heroes intermingling backstage. Matthews says they're going to pull the curtain back like never before; I guess just because something didn't work for the XFL, doesn't mean there's no hope for Impact. I give it two months before they abandon all of the "behind-the-scenes" garbage in favor of a standard broadcast, because that's what the fans have been clamoring for. In addition to seeing The Broman's paling around with Samoa Joe in the locker room, the camera gave us an unprecedented look at John Gaburick producing the show from the "Gorilla Position." Following an awesome EC3 promo we're back in instructional mode, but that's okay because this time we've got The Professor Mike Tenay telling us all about, "Impact: Unlocked." �Unlocked will be a new program on Destination America each week similar to other sports highlight shows including news, stats, opinions and interviews. Tenay gives us a sneak peak of what to expect when he sits down in an empty arena to discuss the formation of The Revolution with James Storm.
Following the prerecorded conversation between The Professor and The Cowboy, James Storm and Abyss emerged from the back to defend their tag titles against The American Wolves. I find it kind of quirky how Storm carries both belts for he and his partner Abyss, what an original concept that I don't think I've ever seen before. I'm sorry, that's rude. I don't like writing sarcastically because it doesn't translate very well to the reader, but come on! I find James Storm far more favorable-a-performer than The Miz, but the facts are clear and I'm pretty sure I saw Mike Mizanin performing this shtick starting several months back. Not a huge deal when you take into account the quality of workrate on Impact versus the more mainstream alternative. In fact if The Revolution falls flat, The Wolves are always enough to make me forget about the sad state of the WWE Tag Division. Before the bell could sound both Matt and Jeff Hardy wandered out from the locker room, presumably to scout the champions or perhaps to gain a better vantage point of Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards. The Wolves appear to have gotten some new ink since last we saw them in the six-sided ring, but the added sizzle has done nothing to hinder the flavor of the steak. I guess maybe four consecutive suicide dives performed by both Edwards and Richards was a bit much, but who's to even make that decision when the name of the game on the indie level is, "Can You Top That?" The match was on fire which is pretty cool considering the advanced ages of both Abyss and Storm when contrasted with their much younger opponents. But age isn't any more than a number, especially in the world of professional wrestling—just ask Shawn Michaels who was widely considered better in his 40's than he ever was in his 20's. That's a pretty sweet (chin music) segue into the final moment of the match—a Superkick! "The Last Call" is my favorite superkick in wrestling, and yes I'm including The Young Bucks and Adam Cole in the conversation. I just don't think anyone hits the move with more fluidity while maintaining a perfectly straight leg the way Cowboy James Storm does. A hard-contested war between the reprehensible Revolution and the former tag title holders, The American Wolves.
Ethan Carter III and his staunch sense of entitlement have returned for the year 2015, wearing the shiniest mafia suit you've ever seen in your life. I think EC3 gives what is probably the best promo in all of TNA. He's a far cry from the best wrestler on the roster, but what Carter lacks in ring presence he makes up for with cunning ingenuity. Aside from the standard retort, "No, I'm very good," every time the crowd would chant, "You suck," Ethan Carter invited the New York City fans to join him in celebrating as, "2015 is the year of our wrestling lord, EC3." I question the use of saying "fact" after every sentence because once again, I'm fairly certain somebody else has already cornered that market of the industry. But all things considered I really enjoy Ethan Carter whenever he's in possession of a microphone, so I'm inclined to ignore that. His back and forth with Jeremy Borash and Rockstar Spud was well-received, I just wish the camera didn't fail to pick up the slap from JB to EC3. I find head-shaving and hair-cutting to be a little too �rasslin' for my modern day taste but the uneven crewcut given to Jeremy Borash was quick and concise enough to ensure I didn't lose interest in an otherwise very stimulating story. I've never been a fan of Jeremy Borash and might even go as far as to say I don't like him. But given his thirteen year commitment to TNA, there are few tenured employees as beloved as Jeremy thus making him the perfect ponzi for EC3 to target.
While everything inside me says to declare Austin Aries versus Low-Ki match of the night, I'm less inclined to do so as I've seen far too much of these wrestlers in recent months. The X-Division is becoming a two-to-three man show with Samoa Joe still not cleared to compete, and I don't think the title is done any justice when it's tossed around between the same wrestlers on a semi-monthly basis. That being said you can't take anything away from either Low-Ki or Aries in the performance department. I noticed that Josh Matthews appeared very keen on getting historical statistics correct, several times referencing WWE and Ring of Honor, even referring to Austin Aries as a 3-time world champion—just like Taz, I guess. It's weird whenever I see Austin Aries in the six-sided ring because perhaps more than anyone else on the roster, I'm used to seeing him wrestle independently inside the standard squared circle. Despite an earnest effort and a highly effective "Bite of the Dragon," Low-Ki was bested by one of the greatest wrestlers on earth. Following a debilitating Brain Buster, it was only a matter of time before A-Double picked up his sixth X-Division title win.
Then there was a Knockouts Battle Royal. I don't want to be labeled a sexist but I can't stand the Knockouts Division and if being honest means being called prejudice, then I guess I'll have to make due. This isn't a discussion comparing Knockouts to Divas, this is about looking at the storylines the women in TNA are subjected to. This was a seven-woman battle royal for the Knockouts Title which in itself should be insulting, not only to the champion Taryn Terrell but to proven women's competitors such as Gail Kim and Jessicka Havok. Even the Beautiful People deserved more than they received on this landmark broadcast which brings me to another point. Why was this the designated moment to reintroduce Robbie E? I'm originally from the Great Garden State with a special place in my heart for Guido's, but I don't get the logic in allowing the Bromans to cut a promo directly before a Knockout's Title Match? Is the creative team in TNA so uncomfortable with women's wrestling that they opted to lead in with Robbie E? Nonetheless the match was terrible and paced even worse with pockets of inaction spread across the ring. It's not the women or their abilities that I loathe, but the obvious second-string approach Gaburick and his team take to some of the best wrestlers in the world. Luckily all was not lost thanks to a moment which might go down as the coolest Knockout spot in history. When Havok failed to conquer Taryn Terrell, she went wild and attacked anybody in her path—that is until the lights went out and the Manhattan Center was greeted by an unfriendly yet very familiar face. It was Awesome Kong! Returning to do damage and reclaim her Knockout Title, Kong made quick work of Havok to set up one of the biggest dream matches in women's wrestling. It was very cool to see Kia Stevens back in TNA as Kong was one of the only reasons the Knockout Division was so fun to watch.
Kurt Angle and Josh Matthews each dedicated time to declaring tonight's main event a potential Match of the Year contender—before it even happened, mind you. I didn't think that was true, in fact I had very little hope that this match would be anything more than a five minute brawl complete with inconsistent selling and outside interference from MVP. While we did see our share of Montel and his faction of masked marauders, the actual match surprised the heck out of me. Last week I released my Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014 and came very close to adding Bobby Lashey's name to my list. Lashley has come an exceptionally long way since his days of defending Donald Trump's head of hair from Vince McMahon, even employing what I consider the deadliest Spear in all of professional wrestling. Bobby Roode is a classic wrestler's wrestler who could be dropped down into any decade and still have an amazing career whether battling it out with Verne Gagne or Chris Candido. Roode seems to have a far superior understanding of ring psychology than does the rest of the TNA Roster. I have nothing but respect and admiration for both Bobby's but it's when their conflicting styles collide that I begin to worry as to the outcome. Bobby Lashley looks utterly ridiculous when relegated to running the ropes and selling moves such as Suplexes. All the while Roode lacks the ability and body type necessary to sell Lashley's power holds. I thought Lashley/Roode Number One sucked; I thought Lashley/Roode Number Two was a letdown; when it came time for their third encounter I had no hopes higher than what their previous bouts allowed me to expect. Once things got underway many of my fears were realized, however I was happy to see both men adapt greatly to the others' style and strength, making this a much more enjoyable match within the first few moments.
The technical end of things caught me by surprise as I didn't see this match breaking down to the mat, but that is where they stayed until the cavalry arrived around the ring. MVP returned to the Manhattan Center alongside Kenny King and two masked men that weren't going to let security stop them from entering the arena. Back in the ring Lashley's face is leaking blood from inside his mouth as he engages in battle with Bobby Roode. Once the masked men made their way onto the apron, they were revealed as Samoa Joe and Low-Ki, here to ensure Lashley walks away with the title around his waist. Just as soon as they arrived however, MVP's band of baddies was seemingly scared away by the former TNA World Champion Eric Young who came to his best friend's aid swinging a steel chair.
But this wouldn't be wrestling if everybody got along; after faking out the NYC crowd as well as Roode himself, Eric Young drilled the edge of the steel chair deep into Bobby Roode's ribs, then to his back. As EY vacated the ring, leaving MVP and his minions scattered around watching the action unfold, Bobby Lashley came to his senses and delivered the most impressive Spear you've ever seen. The referee counted one, two, three and The Destroyer Bobby Lashley is once again the TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
About halfway through the broadcast I sent a text to one of my Cheap-Heat colleagues insisting that he check out the "New TNA." His response was something to the effect of: "I just can't with TNA anymore, they've been doing the same storylines for five years." While I want my friend to give the show a chance regardless of his preconceived conceptions, I can't help but wonder how many hundreds—or even THOUSANDS of former fans feel the same way. Impact is going to have to pull out all the stops without, "jumping any sharks" if they want to survive in the most competitive wrestling environment since The Attitude Era. Nobody is going to unseat the reigning King Vince McMahon, but everyone else including Lucha Underground, Ring of Honor, and NJPW on AXS stands the same chance of stealing Impact's spot and becoming the official number two show in the country. Remember starting next week Impact Wrestling will begin airing in its normal timeslot, Friday Nights at 9PM EST on Destination America. I think the original plan was to remain on Wednesdays but now that NXT is moving to Wednesday in response to Smackdown moving to Thursday, it appears Impact went the safer route by booking on a night devoid of any in-ring competition. Wait—that means there's a new wrestling show on Monday through Friday every single week? The dream. Ladies and gentlemen as always it has been my pleasure spending some time with you here in cyberspace. My name is Mark Haggerty and I hope you'll join me again next week for another entertaining edition of Total Non-Stop Analysis.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-all-american-wrestling-aaw-one-twisted-christmas-122714-berwyn-illinois/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-all-american-wrestling-aaw-one-twisted-christmas-122714-berwyn-illinois/#comments Sun, 28 Dec 2014 13:13:19 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
AAW
ACH
All American Wrestling
Benjamin Boone
Brett Gakiya
Chris Sabin
Christian Faith
CJ Esparza
Colt Cabana
Dan Lawrence
Davey Richards
Davey Vega
Dick Justice
Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page
Greg Iron
Gregory Iron
Heidi Lovelace
Jimmy Jacobs
Josh Alexander
Justice Jones
Louis Lyndon
Marion Fontaine
Markus Crane
Matt Cage
One Twisted Christmas
Ryan Boz
The Iron Curtain
The Monster Mafia
Tony Kozina
Uhaa Nation
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8298
The following results are from a recent All American Wrestling live event. The event took place on December 27th, 2014 at the Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois. 6 Man Tag Team Match Brett Gakiya, CJ Esparza & Marion Fontaine defeated Justice Jones, Tony Kozina & Davey Vega. Singles Match Louis Lyndon vs. Matt Cage went […]
The following results are from a recent All American Wrestling live event. The event took place on December 27th, 2014 at the Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois.
6 Man Tag Team Match
Brett Gakiya, CJ Esparza & Marion Fontaine defeated Justice Jones, Tony Kozina & Davey Vega.
Singles Match
Louis Lyndon vs. Matt Cage went to a time limit draw.
Tag Team Match
Colt Cabana & Dick Justice defeated The Iron Curtain (Gregory Iron & Benjamin Boone).
Singles Match
Davey Richards defeated Uhaa Nation.
Fans Bring The Weapons 2 On 1 Handicap Match
Ryan Boz defeated Dan Lawrence & Markus Crane.
AAW Heritage Championship Match
Christian Faith (c) defeated ACH.
Singles Match
Chris Sabin defeated Heidi Lovelace.
Tag Team Match
The Monster Mafia (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) defeated Jimmy Jacobs & Eddie Kingston.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-combat-zone-wrestling-czw-cage-of-death-xvi-121314-voorhees-new-jersey/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-combat-zone-wrestling-czw-cage-of-death-xvi-121314-voorhees-new-jersey/#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2014 04:20:57 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
Alex Colon
Alex Reynolds
Alexander James
AR Fox
Biff Busick
Bill Carr
BLK Jeez
Buxx Belmar
Cage of Death
Caleb Konley
Chris Dickinson
Combat Zone Wrestling
CZW
Dan Barry
Dave Crist
Davey Richards
David Starr
Devon Moore
DJ Hyde
Drew Gulak
Eddie Edwards
Greg Excellent
Jake Crist
Joe Gacy
John Silver
Jonathan Gresham
Lucky tHURTeen
Matt Tremont
Mike Bailey
Ohio Is For Killers
OI4K
Papadon
Pepper Parks
Rich Swann
Sexxy Eddy
Shane Strickland
Sozio
Team TREMENDOUS
The American Wolves
The Beaver Boys
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8010
The following results are from a recent Combat Zone Wrestling internet pay-per-view event. The event took place on December 13th, 2014 at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. Singles Match Chris Dickinson defeated DJ Hyde. Tag Team Match Papadon & Pepper Parks defeated Lucky tHURTeen & Devon Moore. Tag Team Match The […]
The following results are from a recent Combat Zone Wrestling internet pay-per-view event. The event took place on December 13th, 2014 at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees Township, New Jersey.
Singles Match
Chris Dickinson defeated DJ Hyde.
Tag Team Match
Papadon & Pepper Parks defeated Lucky tHURTeen & Devon Moore.
Tag Team Match
The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) defeated Team Tremendous (Bill Carr & Dan Barry).
CZW Wired Television Championship Match
Joe Gacy defeated Shane Strickland to become the new Champion.
Norman Smiley Memorial Bunkhouse Brawl Ultraviolent Food Fight Of Life & Death Match
Greg Excellent & Sexxy Eddy defeated Matt Tremont & Buxx Belmar.
6-Way Scramble Match
Jonathan Gresham defeated AR Fox, Alex Colon, Caleb Konley, David Starr and Mike Bailey.
Singles Match
Alexander James defeated Rich Swann.
CZW Tag Team Championship Match
OI4K (Dave Crist & Jake Crist) (c) defeated The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards).
Cage Of Death Match For The CZW World Heavyweight Championship
BLK Jeez defeated Biff Busick, Drew Gulak and Sozio to become the new Champion.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/9-questions-with-kyle-oreilly/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/9-questions-with-kyle-oreilly/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2014 20:12:27 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Interviews
Bobby Fish
Davey Richards
Kyle O'Reilly
New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW
reDRagon
Ring of Honor
ROH
Tony Kozina
WWE
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=7761
Myself and Carlos Canales recently sat down and spoke to ROH & New Japan Pro Wrestling Star Kyle O’Reilly. В Below are the highlights of our interview: 1) What originally drew you to pro wrestling? Who would you say is most responsible for getting you into the sport?Kyle: В Like most of us who begin […]
Myself and Carlos Canales recently sat down and spoke to ROH & New Japan Pro Wrestling Star Kyle O’Reilly. В Below are the highlights of our interview:
1) What originally drew you to pro wrestling? Who would you say is most responsible for getting you into the sport?
Kyle:
Like most of us who begin a life as a pro-wrestler, I was captivated by watching wrestling as a young child. I guess I just never grew out of it. I idolized a lot of different wrestlers during those early ages. I think I knew I wanted to be a wrestler because of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
2) This is your 3rd tenure as Tag Team Champion, how important is your relationship with your reDRagon teammate Bobby Fish in maintaing your dominance?
Kyle
:
Bobby and I constantly support each other and have each other's backs regardless of who we're wrestling in any given situation.
3) With your continued success at every level, people are wondering if you've put the WWE in your sights. Are you planning on taking your style there and furthering your career?
Kyle
:
Like in any occupation, one wants to grow, adapt and advance themselves in any given profession. Wrestling is no different, I want to get better and move on to places where that's possible. That being said, I am perfectly happy and content where I am now.
4) You've worked with professionals from every level, is there someone whose work ethic and dedication truly inspires you?
Kyle
:
Bobby Fish.
5) I know that you used to spend a lot of time on the road traveling with Davey Richards, and Tony Kozina. I saw the three of you wrestling in Kingsport, TN for NWA Smoky Mountain on numerous occassions. I feel that both Davey and Tony were very influential in your career, has there been anyone else that you would credit your success too?
Kyle
:
Yes, that's true. I feel anyone I've encountered during this wacky ride as a wrestler has influenced me in some shape or form for better or for worse. One learns from both positive and negative experiences and this pursuit has shaped me to be who I am now.
6) At 27 years old you've accomplished quite a bit in your career, is there a moment that sticks out more than the others for you?
Kyle
:
As of now, I think my greatest accomplishment is capturing the IWGP Jr. Tag Championship with Bobby.
7) What's next for reDRagon? Where do you and Bobby Fish want your reign to take you?
Kyle
:
To remain on top of the tag-team world for a long time. There's many challenges that lay ahead.
8) You have been spending a lot of time wrestling in Japan recently. I assume that you do not speak Japanese, so has there been a language barrier to break? Does this have any effect on your ability to work with Japanese wrestlers?
Kyle
:
Wrestling is a universal language. It's something that transcends language and region and can be experienced through raw emotion.
9)
Along with being a part of the ROH's Tag Team Champions you are also the reigning PWG World Champion, and most recently you two won the NJPW Super Junior Tag Team Tournament, how do you find the time to kick so much ass?
Kyle
:
It’s a constant struggle to juggle a solid training regimen, travel and ass kicking. But someone’s gotta do it!
