http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Wed, 15 Jul 2015 07:14:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-evolve-wrestling-evolve-43-ippv-53015-queens-ny/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-evolve-wrestling-evolve-43-ippv-53015-queens-ny/#comments Sun, 31 May 2015 06:12:41 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha DGUSA Dragon Gate USA EVOLVE EVOLVE 43 Evolve Wrestling http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12095 EVOLVE 43 May 30th, 2015 Woodside, Queens, NY Rey Horus def Anthony Nese Davey Richards def Caleb Konley Davey grabbed the mic and cut a promo about wanting an Evolve Championship match. He popped the crowd when he requested So Cal Val take off her top and they could talk business all night long. T.J. […]

EVOLVE 43
May 30th, 2015
Woodside, Queens, NY

Rey Horus def Anthony Nese

Davey Richards def Caleb Konley

Davey grabbed the mic and cut a promo about wanting an Evolve Championship match. He popped the crowd when he requested So Cal Val take off her top and they could talk business all night long.

T.J. Perkins def Mike Bailey

Chris Hero def Trevor Lee with Tombstone Piledriver

DGUSA Open The United Gate champions Johnny Gargano & Rich Swann def Drew Gulak & Tracey Williams, his new protege, to retain the Tag Titles.

Swann cut a post-match promo about how awesome facing men like that is. Gargano then cut a promo saying DGUSA is the past. They vacated the Tag Titles and also retired the titles. They said they want a new title made called the Evolve Tag Team Championships.

DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate champion Drew Galloway def Biff Busick to retain the DGUSA Title. Great Main Event.

Galloway cut a post-match promo about his match tomorrow night at EVOLVE 44 against Roderick Strong. Johnny Gargano came out and asked Drew Galloway to retire the DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship, but Drew Galloway said kiss my ass and offered Johnny Gargano a re-match, which I am very excited for. Galloway made his exit. Gargano then cut a promo on “All Ego” Ethan Page for their match tomorrow at EVOLVE 44. He thanked the crowd for coming to close the show

Credit: PWtorch.com

http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-wwn-live-event-cards-for-wrestlemania-31-weekend/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-wwn-live-event-cards-for-wrestlemania-31-weekend/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2015 18:36:39 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha AR Fox Austin Aries Biff Busick Brian Cage Caleb Konley Chris Hero DGUSA Dragon Gate USA Drew Galloway Drew Gulak Drew McIntyre Ethan Page EVOLVE Johnny Gargano Justin Gabriel PJ Black Rich Swann Ricochet Roderick Strong SHINE SoCal Val Timothy Thatcher TJ Perkins TNA Tommy End Uhaa Nation Wrestlemania WWE WWN WWN Live http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10467 EVOLVE returns to Florida on April 17th and 18th. Tickets go on sale today in the DGUSA.tv Shop. The events are: EVOLVE 41 The Orpheum 1915 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City, FL Belltime: 9pm EVOLVE 42 4801 W. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32808 Double header with FIP! FIP Belltime: 4pm EVOLVE Belltime: 7pm he following […]

EVOLVE returns to Florida on April 17th and 18th . Tickets go on sale today in the DGUSA.tv Shop. The events are:

EVOLVE 41
The Orpheum
1915 E. 7th Ave.
Ybor City, FL
Belltime: 9pm

EVOLVE 42
4801 W. Colonial Dr.
Orlando, FL 32808
Double header with FIP!
FIP Belltime: 4pm
EVOLVE Belltime: 7pm

he following events are taking place as part of the WWNLive Experience in San Jose:

EVOLVE 39 – Thursday, March 26th – 8pm PST , 11pm EST – www.WWNLive.com

EVOLVE Title Match
EVOLVE Champion Drew Galloway defends vs. “Darewolf” PJ Black

New Stipulation: DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Title Match
DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Champion Johnny Gargano defends vs. AR Fox

A Wrestling Odyssey Rematch
Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak

Just Announced: Six Man Tag Team Attraction
Ricochet, Rich Swann & Uhaa Nation vs. Caleb Konley, TJ Perkins & Brian Cage w/SoCal Val

First Time Ever Match
Chris Hero vs. Ethan Page

Pro Wrestling Clinic
Biff Busick vs. Tommy End

EVOLVE 40 – Friday, March 27th- 3pm PST , 6pm EST – www.WWNLive.com

First Time Ever Dream Match
Ricochet vs. PJ Black

Bonus Main Event – Non-Title
EVOLVE Champion Drew Galloway vs. Uhaa Nation

Grudge Tag Team Match
Johnny Gargano & Rich Swann vs. Caleb Konley & Brian Cage with So Cal Val

Special Challenge Match #1
Chris Hero vs. Biff Busick

Special Challenge Match #2
Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommy End

Special Attraction Match
AR Fox vs. Ethan Page

Just Added: Pro Wrestling Clinic
Drew Gulak vs. TJ Perkins

WWN Supershow – Saturday, March 28th – 4pm PST , 7pm EST – www.WWNLive.com

Champion vs. Champion (if both retain their titles at EVOLVE 39)
EVOLVE Champion Drew Galloway vs. DGUSA Champion Johnny Gargano

Generation Next vs. The New Generation
Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. Ricochet & Uhaa Nation

Dareworlf vs. Daredevil
PJ Black vs. AR Fox

Grudge Match
Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher

SHINE Presents A Six Woman Tag Team Match!

Plus more with Rich Swann, Biff Busick, Drew Gulak, Tommy End, Ethan Page and Premier Athlete Brand members Caleb Konley, TJ Perkins and Brian Cage with So Cal Val

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-5-hallowed-halls-of-headlocks/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-5-hallowed-halls-of-headlocks/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2015 01:45:04 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Top Lists AJPW AWA Baron Von Raschke Billy Graham CHIKARA CMLL Dragon Gate USA ECW EVOLVE Global Wrestling Federation GWF Hulk Hogan Jim Crockett Madison Square Garden MSG New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW NOAH NWA Pat Patterson Pro Wrestling NOAH Sgt. Slaughter Starrcade Terry Bollea TNA Verne Gagne Vince McMahon WCCW WCW WCWA WWE WWF wXw XPW http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9459 Lucky Thirteen #5 Hallowed Halls of Headlocks Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Do you remember the first wrestling match you ever went to? How about the first event you ever saw live on TV? Can you recall where it was? WCW and New Japan set the all-time attendance record for professional wrestling in 1995 when […]

Lucky Thirteen #5
Hallowed Halls of Headlocks
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Do you remember the first wrestling match you ever went to? How about the first event you ever saw live on TV? Can you recall where it was? WCW and New Japan set the all-time attendance record for professional wrestling in 1995 when they attracted over 300 thousand people to the Mayday Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea over the course of a two day event. Wrestlemania XXXII will take place inside the state-of-the-art AT&T Stadium in 2016; regardless of whether the WWE's attendance record is 93,173 or 80,335—the show in Arlington is without question set to surpass all previous box office numbers by ten-to-twenty thousand tickets. With all this talk of extravagant events and sold-out stadiums, it's easy to overlook some of the more humble places where sports entertainers have �laid their cap.' An arena doesn't need a retractable roof to host a five-star match when any old armory or bingo hall will do the trick. You've heard of Top Ten Lists before, well this is the "Lucky Thirteen"—this week we're counting down the Top Thirteen Venues in Wrestling or what I'd like to call "Hallowed Halls of Headlocks."

13. Tennessee State Fairgrounds
Highest Claimed Attendance – 1,300 on May 5, 2003 by NWA TNA

The first location on our list can still be found in Nashville, Tennessee—in fact, the Tennessee State Fairground Sports Arena has been the home to every episode of Ring of Honor TV since the beginning of 2015. The makeshift community center was built in 1922 by a band of carpetbaggers sent down from South Dakota, and served as a flea market until professional wrestler Nick Gulas took over in the 1960's. Gulas would go on to promote his own events in the arena throughout the �60s and �70s; the building would later be referred to as the "Nick Gulas Sports Arena." In 2002 the National Wrestling Alliance sought to salvage their reputation by running a series of weekly pay-per-view events under the name "Total Nonstop Action." TNA began in Alabama but by week six moved operations to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, a little-known wrestling arena that would soon be known to the world as the "TNA Asylum." TNA ran 95 of its 110 weekly pay-per-views from the Asylum until moving once more down to Orlando, Florida. Since losing its longtime tenant, the �Fairgrounds have continued to host a litany of exciting wrestling events, including the first televised Ring of Honor pay-per-view, "The Best in the World" on June 22, 2014.

12. San Francisco Cow Palace
Highest Claimed Attendance – 14,600 on November 15, 1988 by WWE

The Cow Palace has been a staple in American athletics since it was originally opened in 1941. Located in Daly City, California—just on the border of San Francisco, this multi-purpose sports facility has hosted the NHL's San Jose Sharks, the NBA's San Francisco Warriors, and an array of minor league teams. The Cow Palace has a storied history when it comes to hosting bull riding competitions. In fact the name "Cow Palace" comes from a joke made by a local radio personality, angry with the money being spent on the local cattle industry during the depths of the Depression: "Why, when people are starving, should money be spent on a palace for cows?" The Cow Palace has been an iconic epicenter for professional wrestling in the Pacific Northwest ever since. Talents from California up through Portland and into Seattle worked the Cow Palace, as did members of the NWA, Vince McMahon's WWF and Verne Gagne's AWA. The �Palace was famous for hosting legendary superstars such as Pat Patterson, Ray Stevenson, Roddy Piper, and the Wild Samoans. The most famous Cow Palace moments in modern wrestling history included three WCW Superbrawl events (1997, 1998, and 2000) as well as WWE No Way Out 2004.

11. Pontiac Silverdome
Highest Claimed Attendance – 93,173 on March 29, 1987 by WWE

The largest venue on our countdown also happens to have hosted the fewest wrestling events as well. The Pontiac Silverdome, located just a stone's throw from Detroit, Michigan served as the stage for one of the biggest events in sports history—Wrestlemania III. Although the WWE's reported figure of 93,173 is considered erroneous, the event was undoubtedly the largest wrestling event up until that time. The Silverdome began as a dream and came to fruition as a college project. The facility was opened in 1975 and served to host several different events including John Paul II's visit in September 1987 which achieved a legitimate audience of 93,682. The Detroit Pistons called Pontiac home for ten years until 1988, and the Detroit Lions played on the field until 2001. The stadium was closed in 2006, and then reopened in 2010. In 2012, the Pontiac Silverdome once again made attendance history when the NBA All-Star Game garnered 108,713 basketball fans. In 2014, the owners of the Silverdome announced that all of the contents within the building would be sold at auction including the fixtures and seats.

10. Arena Mexico
Highest Claimed Attendance – 16,500 maximum capacity reported by CMLL

The largest facility specifically designed for professional wrestling is located in Mexico City and seats over 16,000 Lucha Libre fanatics. Construction began in the 1950's when CMLL owner Salvador Lutteroth decided to build his own wrestling arena. After spending years developing what would become one of the largest sports complexes in Mexico, the venue was finished in 1956. Since opening, Arena Mexico has played host to thousands of CMLL events including weekly shows, television tapings and pay-per-views. In 1968 the Arena was chosen by the Olympic Committee to house the Summer Games' boxing competition. The interior of Arena Mexico is painted with an assortment of colors including those of the Mexican flag, and the letters CMLL stand prominent over the ring at all times. While it might not be the only brand-specific arena in the world, it is most certainly the biggest as it dwarfs TNA's Impact! Zone as well as the WWE Performance Center at Full Sail University.

9. The Omni Coliseum
Highest Claimed Attendance – 13,693 on May 3, 1997 by WCW

One of the most synonymous sounds with both Georgia Championship Wrestling and WCW has got to be "Omni." Whenever Ric Flair was hyping an upcoming altercation down in Atlanta odds are he'd mention the infamous Omni Coliseum. The arena was first constructed in the early 1970s with a plan in mind to withstand the tests of time. The roof was designed to purposefully rust so that a permanent protective cover would later form—uh, what? Needless to say this �redneck science' didn't work as city planners failed to take Georgia's humidity and precipitation index into account. The complex opened in 1972 where in its heyday, the Omni was home to both the Atlanta Hawks basketball team, as well as the NHL's Atlanta Flames. By the early 1990s however, holes began to form in the rusted-out roof and along the exterior walls, turning this once gargantuan spectacle into an enormous eyesore. The Omni hosted wrestling classics from the day it opened until weeks before its demolition; the attendance record was set on May 3, 1997 by WCW Nitro just two months before the Omni was destroyed.

8. The Manhattan Center
Highest Claimed Attendance – 1,100 on January 9, 2015 by TNA (Grand Ballroom) &
2,600 on December 3, 2000 by ECW (Hammerstein Ballroom)

The Manhattan Center is the oldest building on our countdown and features not one, but two highly revered performance venues—the Grand Ballroom and the Hammerstein Ballroom. The latter is named for Oscar Hammerstein, who in 1908 opened what was then known as the "Manhattan Opera House." Located at 311 West 34th Street, the building features a state-of-the-art recording studio and has hosted countless musicians from a myriad of different backgrounds across several generations. The Manhattan Center currently belongs to the Unification Church, who in 1976 bought the building for just $3M. The Manhattan Center began its foray into the wild world of wrestling by hosting Monday Night Raw a staggering 28 times, including the debut episode on January 11, 1993. The �Center has also been known to get Extreme as ECW set the wrestling attendance record for the Hammerstein Ballroom in 1999. Similarly TNA broke the Grand Ballroom record just a month ago when they ran their January 9, 2015 TV tapings for Destination America.

7. The 2300 Arena
Highest Claimed Attendance – 1,700 on January 16, 1999 by ECW

The 2300 Arena is the most recent name given to a factory warehouse in Philadelphia, formerly known worldwide as the ECW Arena. The story behind the most inauspicious wrestling facility on our countdown begins back in the 1970s when the building was used as storage for local warehouses. Within a matter of years, 2300 South Swanson Street was up for sale and soon purchased by law partners Stein & Silverman. They rented the empty space to the local Viking Club who used it as a midnight bingo hall until 1993. At which point, the empty space was alternately configured and repurposed for a third-party wrestling promotion known simply as ECW. Extreme Championship Wrestling called 2300 home from '93 until the promotion folded in 2001, using the building to run events, produce television, and house merchandise. Since then the facility has been used by almost every American wrestling promotion including TNA, ROH, WWE, Chikara, EVOLVE, XPW, as well as international companies such as Dragon Gate, wXw, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. In 2013 the once-grungy auditorium was exponentially upgraded in terms of production, including an increase in seating potential to 2300.

6. Korakuen Hall
Highest Claimed Attendance – 3,000 on November 28, 1980 by AJPW

Much the same as the ECW Arena, this sports entertainment staple has hosted nearly every conceivable wrestling promotion in Japan, as well as a variety of American companies. But Korakuen Hall is no South Philly warehouse, and it is considered by many to be the "Madison Square Garden of Puroresu." Korakuen Hall opened in 1962 and has been a cultural mecca for Japanese wrestling fans ever since, hosting some of the most highly regarded bouts from New Japan, All Japan, NOAH, HUSTLE, and dozens more. Korakuen Hall is located in "Tokyo Dome City," a tourist destination built atop a decommissioned Japanese military arsenal dating back to World War I. The �City' also features an amusement park as well as the legendary Tokyo Dome, itself. In 2014 TNA made history when they chose to run their top event of the year at Korakuen Hall, crossing the Pacific for a pay-per-view for the very first time. In 2008 a second wrestling venue was opened in Tokyo Dome City dubbed "Korakuen 2," however it failed to reach the legendary status of the original. Like Arena Mexico, Korakuen Hall was chosen to display Olympic boxing matches, and continues to host various combat sports including mixed martial arts to this day.

5. Comiskey Park
Highest Claimed Attendance – 30,000 on August 14, 1970 by AWA

Although it's not the oldest venue on the countdown, Comiskey Park was at one time the oldest Major League ballpark in the United States. There was a time when wrestling, boxing, and horse racing were the only three sports Americans were keen to watch. That is until baseball swept the nation and became the undisputed pastime, leading to the construction of such colossal facilities as Chicago's Comiskey Park. Known to many as "White Sox Park," the building was home to the Chicago baseball franchise an astonishing 80 years until the park was closed in 1990. Though it was clearly intended as a baseball diamond, Comiskey Park had its share of high profile wrestling interactions over the years including numerous AWA events from the 1970s and �80s. Verne Gagne set the attendance record in 1970 when he defended his AWA World Heavyweight Championship against Baron Von Raschke, and made history again in 1985 when he partnered with the NWA and WCCW for the first "Clash of the Champions." But the biggest thing to happen inside a wrestling ring at Comiskey Park was just one year after the doors opened, when in 1911 an American by the name of Frank Gotch defeated the European-born George Hackenschmidt for the World Heavyweight Championship.

4. The Dallas Sportatorium
Highest Claimed Attendance – 4,000 on January 2, 1988 by WCWA

The Dallas Sportatorium is unmistakably the most disgusting excuse for a wrestling venue this side of the Mississippi River. Back east, I suppose that distinction might go to the ECW Arena. The Sportatorium was a derelict airplane hanger-sized facility located at 1000 South Industrial Boulevard in Dallas Texas. Built in 1935, the structure was never in pristine condition and suffered greatly from ventilation problems, especially during the hot Texas summers. The Sportatorium was notorious for its rodent infestation, as well as structural damage that made for large holes in the middle of the floor. Despite all of its flaws, the Dallas Sportatorium was still sacred and passed through many hands from the day it opened until its destruction in 2003. A total of ten owners laid claim to the Sportatorium, including Big Time Wrestling, the NWA, the Global Wrestling Federation, and of course World Class Championship Wrestling. WCCW and the Von Erich's put both the Sportatorium and Texas wrestling on the map in terms of exciting entertainment. After the tragedies surrounding Fritz and his family began to mount, other promoters tried their hand at finding the same success, but failed miserably. In 2001 a fire ripped through the 70-year old frame of the building, rendering the already-dilapidated complex uninhabitable. The Sportatorium was officially demolished in 2003.

3. Greensboro Coliseum
Highest Claimed Attendance – 21,427 on April 26, 1998 by WWE

While it's easy enough to establish a home base for the WWE, ECW, even TNA—where was the WCW's "Madison Square Garden?" The Greensboro Coliseum is located deep in the heart of Flair Country, right in the hotbed of what was once Jim Crockett Promotions' territory. The �Coliseum hosted an unfathomable number of NWA and WCW events over the years including the first four Starrcade events. The Carolinas have always been Basketball country, and the Greensboro Coliseum has a long history as host to both NBA and college teams; the �Coliseum is currently home to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro "Spartans" men's basketball team. The venue was opened in 1959 and has since undergone an array of renovations including massive additions in 1972, 1993, 2003, and most recently in 2011. Although hosting a plethora of NWA and WCW action over the years, it was the WWE who in 1998 set the wrestling attendance record for the Greensboro Coliseum with the very first Unforgiven pay-per-view.

2. The Tokyo DomeВ
Highest Claimed Attendance – 70,000 on April 4, 1998 by NJPW

The largest sports complex in Tokyo, Japan opened in 1988; nicknamed the "Big Egg," the Tokyo Dome is the focal point of the Tokyo Dome City tourist destination. The �Dome has hosted several musical performances from both Japanese and internationally renowned talents including Britney Spears and Guns N' Roses. But the Big Egg is perhaps best known as the home field to the Yomiuri Giants—the local baseball franchise. Known outside of Japan as the "Tokyo Giants," the team is owned by the Yomiuri media conglomerate and are comparable in popularity to the New York Yankees. In fact the Yankees have even played inside the Tokyo Dome, as have a number of other MLB, NBA, and NFL teams. The Tokyo Dome has hosted puroresu action since it opened, including the annual January 4th NJPW show that was most recently broadcast to a worldwide audience for the very first time. The �Dome hosted a variety of WCW/NJPW events in the 1990s that would go on to be marketed under the Starrcade banner. The vast size of the Tokyo Dome makes it a preferred venue for performers of all kinds; NJPW attendance inside the Dome has ranged from 16,000 to 60,000 at any given time, with the record set in 1998 with 70,000 people on hand for the "Inoki Finals."

1. Madison Square Garden
Highest Claimed Attendance – 22,292 on January 23, 1984 by WWE

It should come as no shock that the number one venue for professional wrestling is the "House that Bruno built." After comparing no fewer than three other locations to MSG over the course of this countdown, you've probably been waiting for it to make an appearance. But believe it or not, the modern-day coliseum that sits atop Penn Plaza is the fourth in the evolutionary lifespan of Madison Square Garden. The first was opened in 1879 near the actual Madison Square, but lasted only 11 years as it lacked any sort of coverage—an impractical design for a city dipping below zero during the winter. The second was also near Madison Square and existed an astonishing 35 years until it was deemed a financial failure in 1925. The third Madison Square Garden lasted from 1925 until 1968 on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th Street. The current MSG was built over the old Penn Station Railway tracks where it remains to this very day. It was the fourth and final Madison Square Garden that housed wrestling icons such as Bruno Sammartino, Superstar Billy Graham, Roddy Piper, and hundreds more. In 1984 Vince McMahon and Terry Bollea introduced the world to Hulkamania—a multifaceted phenomenon that continues to run wild in 2015. Madison Square Garden was the home base for the WWF during its meteoric rise to the top of professional wrestling, hosting blood-thirsty bouts like the battle between Sgt. Slaughter and Pat Patterson, as well as entertainment masterpieces such as the "War to Settle the Score." Madison Square Garden was the location of the very first Wrestlemania in 1985 in addition to the tenth and twentieth installments of the event in 1994 and 2004. The history of World Wrestling Entertainment directly relates to the success of Madison Square Garden as is clearly demonstrated by the WWE-inspired decorations that continue to adorn MSG throughout the year.

Thank you for joining me on another whimsical walk down memory lane. Although some of the sanctified structures we've come to admire have been demolished, many of the most iconic "temples" in professional wrestling still stand tall including each of the Top Three Venues. Who's to say that Korakuen Hall won't one day go the way of the Sportatorium or that Madison Square Garden won't move three more times over the next hundred years? All we can do is enjoy them while they still exist. Perhaps twenty years from now we'll speak of the Impact Zone or WWE Performance Center with the same veneration that we use to talk about the Greensboro Coliseum. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty asking why stop at Top Ten when you could instead count down the "Lucky Thirteen?"

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-4-nifty-looking-title-belts/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-4-nifty-looking-title-belts/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2015 19:43:42 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists AAA AJ Styles American Wrestling Association AR Fox AWA Big Vis Bob Backlund Bobby Lashley Bret Hart Brian Christopher Brock Lesnar Cheerleader Melissa Chessman Chris Hero CIMA DGUSA Diva's Title Dr. Wagner Jr. Dragon Gate Dragon Gate USA Drew Galloway Drew McIntyre ECW EVOLVE FTW Hiroshi Tanahashi Hulk Hogan Impact Wrestling Iron Sheik IWGP Jeff Hardy John Cena Kazuchika Okada King Mabel King of the Ring Kurt Angle Larry Zbyszko Latin American Championship Light Heavyweight Championship Mabel Matt Hardy Million Dollar Championship Monday Night RAW Monday Nitro National Wrestling Alliance New Japan Pro Wrestling NWA Paige Paul Heyman RCP Ric Flair Right Coast Pro Ring of Honor Sara Del Rey Saraya Knight Shawn Michaels SHIMMER Smoking Skull Belt TAKA Michinoku TNA Ultimate Warrior Vader Verne Gagne Vince McMahon Viscera WCW Willow Winged Eagle World Championship Wrestling WWE WWF WWWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9173 Lucky Thirteen #4 Nifty-Looking Title Belts Written by Mark Adam Haggerty You know a belt can do more than keep your trousers from falling down around your ankles. The right accessory around your waist might mean you're the best at what you do. Of course I'm only referring to one type of belt—those leather straps […]

Lucky Thirteen #4
Nifty-Looking Title Belts
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

You know a belt can do more than keep your trousers from falling down around your ankles. The right accessory around your waist might mean you're the best at what you do. Of course I'm only referring to one type of belt—those leather straps coated in gold made to distinguish super humans from every day citizens. Championship title belts come in many forms and represent a slew of action sports from mixed martial arts to boxing, but perhaps are most synonymous with the over-the-top world of professional wrestling. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and this week I'm counting down "Nifty-Looking Title Belts"—the most aesthetically pleasing championships in professional wrestling history.

Honorable Mention
I don't always do an honorable mention, but I figured one was most certainly warranted given this week's subject matter. For the purpose of variety, I excluded Superstar-specific championship belts such as the spinners worn by John Cena and the ghastly Willow-inspired TNA belt created for Jeff Hardy. I also left out the Million Dollar Championship, the current Matt Hardy Title in Ring of Honor, the Smoking Skull Belt and anything else designed to fit one specific superstar. I wanted this list to focus on "real" titles, rather than gimmick belts—but who knows? Perhaps that's another list for another Lucky Thirteen?

13. Impact Wrestling – TNA Heavyweight Championship [Present Design]
Our countdown begins with a championship still in use today, the TNA World Heavyweight title belt. When Total Nonstop Action broke from the National Wrestling Alliance, they needed to establish their own world title apart from the NWA. The TNA Championship was introduced in 2007 and first held by the Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. The current belt was unveiled in 2011 and closely resembles the IWGP Heavyweight title in New Japan in its magnificently decadent design. Sitting atop an already extravagant set of plates are the words, "TNA Heavyweight Champion," embroidered in cubic zirconias. The front plate extends higher than the average belt, making it almost impossible to ignore this glistening piece of hardware, especially around the waist of the current champion Bobby Lashley.

12. WWE – WWF Heavyweight Championship [Winged-Eagle Design]
I grew up in New Jersey during the 1990's, so in many ways this was the only world title I ever knew. Worn by the greatest champions in history, the "Winged Eagle" design features a deep-blue globe positioned in the center of, you guessed it—an eagle! The bird's massive wingspan encompasses the words "WWF World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion," with classic representations of modern professional wrestling along the edges and side plates. This was the championship belt passed down from Hulk Hogan to Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels, with names like Ric Flair, the Ultimate Warrior and Yokozuna each having their opportunity to carry the gold. Unfortunately the "Austin Era" signified the end of the "Winged Eagle" belt, and introduced the round-faced Attitude Era championship.

11. Right Coast Pro – RCP World Heavyweight Championship [Present Design]
The most indie of independent titles on our countdown, the Right Coast Pro Heavyweight belt debuted in 2013 after a lengthy design process involving RCP executives and the engineers at Top Rope Belts. This belt is the largest on our countdown, including massive side plates each depicting a certain set of skills required to win a chess match. Looking closely at the front, you can see that the plate is covered with nearly microscopic inscriptions. Don't try and read too closely unless you're familiar with Latin—the dead language of the Catholic Church extends across the entire faceplate, fading into the background behind the all-original RCP logo.

10. Shimmer – Shimmer Championship [Present Design]
Feeling the need to represent women in wrestling, I scoured the internet in search of the coolest looking lady's championship title in the world. While the pink WWF Women's belt and current Diva's title are unmistakably original, I decided to instead go with the most-sought after title in women's wrestling, the Shimmer Championship. Made from soft leather, the Shimmer belt includes a perfectly-rounded set of face and side plates, with the word Shimmer stretched across the front and extending over the sides. Shimmer is the premier league for women's wrestling, meaning the title has only been held by highly skilled competitors such as Cheerleader Melissa, Sara Del Rey, and mother of WWE Diva Paige, Saraya Knight.

9. AAA – AAA Latin American Championship [Present Design]
Let's venture across the southernmost border of the United States for number nine, the AAA Latin American Championship. The L.A. championship belt was first introduced in 2011 and originally worn by the second generation luchador Dr. Wagner Jr. As opposed to most belts, this AAA title doesn't feature a circular centerpiece, but a sharp angular shape with more than thirty separate sides. In the middle sits a globe focusing on Central and South America with the Mexican flag beneath. On the right and left of the map are ten more flags, each representing a different nation in Latin America. The current title holder is Chessman, a near 20-year veteran who's managed to retain the championship for over 300 days.

8. AWA – AWA World Heavyweight Championship [Last Redesign]
If the WCW title was referred to as the "Big Gold Belt," then the final belt representing the American Wrestling Association should surely be known as the "Big Silver Belt." When the sport of sports entertainment began to go global, Verne Gagne stuck to his all-American roots, outfitting his belt with the red white and blue of the United States. The face plate makes this among the most reflective championship titles in history, serving to mirror anyone who looked directly at it, but only belonging to one man at a time. The middle of the centerplate simply reads: "AWA World Heavyweight Champion," without any sort of star-studded bells and whistles aside from the standard red jewels and fake diamonds that any belt of the time was designed with. Sadly the title was retired nearly a year before the AWA closed when the final champion Larry Zbyszko signed with WCW.

7. WWE – WWF Light Heavyweight Championship [Original Design]
WCW's Monday Nitro on TNT maintained a solid lead over WWF's Monday Night Raw on the USA Network, partly because of the innovation on display each week from the cruiserweight division. High flying luchadors from every corner of the planet converged on World Championship Wrestling to practice their craft and it was only a matter of time before Vince McMahon sought to cash in on the junior weight division. In 1997 the WWF dusted off the Light Heavyweight Championship, a 1980s title that had since been retired. The new belt was red and featured the same sort of prestigious styling as the "Winged Eagle." The first champion to hold the crimson championship was Taka Michinoku who defeated Brian Christopher in the tournament finals. The belt was soon replaced with a classic black strap, and then once again retired in 2001 when Vince McMahon bought WCW and the cruiserweight championship.

6. WWE – WWF King of the Ring [1995 Prototype]
Alright so I cheated with this one. I promised I would keep the countdown focused on real titles worth wrestling for, and sadly this was a one-time only concept. But how cool is the WWF's King of the Ring title designed in 1995 for King Mabel? Whether the original idea was to have the late Big Vis defend his Kingly crown on a regular basis, or simply display his reign in classic championship form, we may never know. The faceplate is similar in shape to the classic WWF tag team titles of the 1990s, but features castle towers raising off the words "World Wrestliing" with "Federation beneath the "King of the Ring" logo. On either side the strap are the flags of several noteworthy wrestling nations such as Mexico, Japan, the UK, Australia and—South Korea? Unfortunately the only man to ever own this title has passed, leading me to wonder whether his widow is still in possession of this one of a kind piece of wrestling folklore?

5. EVOLVE – EVOLVE World Championship [Present Design]
The Evolve Championship title looks like it belongs to the Springfield Nuclear Powerplant with all of its atomic elements including the EVOLVE logo in the center. The entire faceplate has a symmetrically wavy style to it, representing both the unpredictability of nuclear energy and the action inside the EVOLVE squared circle. EVOLVE is an extension of Dragon Gate, and therefore adheres to a variety of the same principles as both DG and DGUSA. The first ever EVOLVE champion was AR Fox crowned in April of 2013, and since then there have been two additional title holders: Chris Hero and the current champion Drew Galloway AKA Drew McIntyre.

4. ECW – ECW World Tag Team Championship [Last Redesign]
It's about time for this countdown to get EXTREME. ECW was always relentless when it came to designing their championship titles in a way that reflected the sharp-edged style of Hardcore Wrestling. Their belts always seemed to have some barbed wire or broken glass—hell they even had an FTW championship that stood for "Fuck the World." But perhaps the most interesting-looking belts ever produced by Paul Heyman were the final tag title belts, redesigned for ECW on TNN. In addition to the barbed wire motif, the ECW world tag team championship featured an entire prison fence torn to shreds with a black and white globe crashing through the middle.

3. New Japan – IWGP Heavyweight Championship [Present Design]
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship might possibly be the most prestigious championship in all of professional wrestling. Currently held by the record-setting Hiroshi Tanahashi, the IWGP championship has been passed from men like Vader and Brock Lesnar to stars of today such as AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada. The most recent title design makes for a near-30 pounds of brushed silver and gold plates, making it one of the more massive belts on our countdown—most certainly the heaviest. Although defended in the "Land of the Rising Sun," the IWGP heavyweight title features roman lettering and English phrases such as "Heavyweight Champion." The side plates lining the strap are used to display the names of all former champions, so that the current title holder never forgets the historic significance of his championship.

2. WWE – WWWF Heavyweight Championship [Big Green Belt Design]
Everyone's heard of the "Big Gold Belt," but somewhere lost in the shuffle of history is the championship belt that represented the era between Vincent J. and Vincent K. McMahon. Only ever held by three men including Bob Backlund, the Iron Sheik, and Hulk Hogan—the WWWF Heavyweight Championship consisted of several heavy gold-plated slabs affixed to a bright green leather strap. In the center was a perfectly circular plate depicting the earth underneath the words, "World Wide Wrestling." The length of the belt was covered in rectangular pieces of metal, each displaying the length of reign for all previous champions. The above photos display the original belt as it was in the early 1980s, as well as a fully restored replica created by Wild Cat Belts.

1. Dragon Gate – Open the Dream Gate [All Designs]
The number one title belt in the world is the Dream Gate championship title awarded to the best and brightest stars of Dragon Gate. The Dream Gate belt is considered the equivalent of the world title in Dragon Gate, and has been held a record number three times by the first ever champion Cima. Unlike virtually every other title belt in existence, the Dream Gate championship opens up to display a championship compartment where the current title holders name may rest. When a competitor is named number one contender to the Dream Gate championship, they're given a key which "Opens the Dream Gate." Should the challenger best the champion and take his title, he may use his key to remove the former champions name and replace it with his own. However, should the champion retain his title, the key is then added to a bar along the bottom of the belt; many keys hanging from the Dream Gate championship means a series of successful title defenses. Not only is the outside stylish, compete with black and bronze colored plates topped with silver accents, but the hidden compartment and "contender's key ritual" represents an entirely new level of innovation in championship belt design. That is why I've named the Dragon Gate Open the Dream Gate the number one championship on this countdown of "Nifty Looking Title Belts."

Whether their style be classic like the Winged Eagle, or radically adventurous such as the titles seen in Dragon Gate; some date back fifty years, while others were introduced in the past two. Regardless of who's gone before, each championship belt tells a story and it's up to the current title holder to keep that tale alive. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been another installment of Lucky Thirteen, exclusively at Cheap-Heat.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-wwn-live-tour-of-china-2014-day-4-111614-beijing-china/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-wwn-live-tour-of-china-2014-day-4-111614-beijing-china/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:16:13 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Allysin Kay AR Fox Biff Busick Caleb Konley Chuck Taylor CITIC Cup Dragon Gate USA FIP Fire ANt Full Impact Pro Harlem Bravado Ivelisse Ivelisse Velez Jody Kristofferson Johnny Gargano Lance Bravado mia yim Rich Swann Ricochet SHINE Silver Ant Su Yung The Bravados Timothy Thatcher Trent Baretta WWN http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6380 The following results are from a recent WWN Live event. The event took place on November 16th, 2014 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, Hebei Province, China. FIP Heavyweight Championship Match Rich Swann (c) defeated AR Fox. Singles Match Allysin Kay defeated Su Yung. Singles Match Chuck Taylor defeated Jody Kristofferson via countout. Singles Match […]

The following results are from a recent WWN Live event. The event took place on November 16th, 2014 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, Hebei Province, China.

FIP Heavyweight Championship Match
Rich Swann (c) defeated AR Fox.

Singles Match
Allysin Kay defeated Su Yung.

Singles Match
Chuck Taylor defeated Jody Kristofferson via countout.

Singles Match
Timothy Thatcher defeated Biff Busick.

SHINE Championship Match
Mia Yim defeated Ivelisse Velez to become the new Champion.

Dragon Gate Open The United Gate Championship Match
Caleb Konley & Trent Barreta (c) defeated The Bravados (Harlem Bravado & Lance Bravado) and Fire Ant & Silver Ant.

CITIC Cup/Dragon Gate Open The Freedom Gate Championship
Johnny Gargano defeated Ricochet to win the cup and become the new Champion.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-wwn-live-tour-of-china-2014-day-3-111414-emeishan-city-china/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-wwn-live-tour-of-china-2014-day-3-111414-emeishan-city-china/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2014 17:49:36 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Allysin Kay AR Fox Biff Busick Caleb Konley Chuck Taylor DGUSA Dragon Gate USA Earl Cooter FIP Full Impact Pro Ivelisse Ivelisse Velez Jody Kristofferson Johnny Gargano Larry Dallas mia yim Rich Swann Ricochet Su Yung Timothy Thatcher Trent Baretta Valkyrie WWN http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6329 WWN Live Results November 14, 2014 Emeishan City, Sichuan Province, China Estimated attendance: 2,500 (said to be a record for any WWNLive promotion)   – Johnny Gargano defeated Chuck Taylor. – Biff Busick defeated Jody Kristofferson with Larry Dallas & Earl Cooter by countout. – Valkyrie (Allysin Kay & Su Yung) defeated Ivelisse & Mia […]

WWN Live Results
November 14, 2014
Emeishan City, Sichuan Province, China
Estimated attendance: 2,500 (said to be a record for any WWNLive promotion)

– Johnny Gargano defeated Chuck Taylor.

– Biff Busick defeated Jody Kristofferson with Larry Dallas & Earl Cooter by countout.

– Valkyrie (Allysin Kay & Su Yung) defeated Ivelisse & Mia Yim.

– Caleb Konley with Trent Baretta & Su Yung defeated Timothy Thatcher.

DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship
– Ricochet defeated AR Fox to retain

FIP Heavyweight Championship
– Rich Swann defeated Trent Baretta to win the FIP Heavyweight Championship. (This reportedly could have been the first Title change in China in pro wrestling history)

source: PWInsider

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-wwn-live-tour-of-china-2014-day-2-chengdu-china/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-wwn-live-tour-of-china-2014-day-2-chengdu-china/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:46:48 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Allysin Kay AR Fox Biff Busick Caleb Konley Chuck Taylor DGUSA Dragon Gate USA Earl Cooter EVOLVE Fire ANt Harlem Bravado Ivelisse Ivelisse Velez Jody Kristofferson Johnny Gargano Lance Bravado Larry Dallas mia yim Rich Swann Ricochet SHIMMER SHINE Silver Ant Su Yung The Bravado Brothers The Colony Timothy Thatcher Tracy Williams Trent Barreta WWN http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6274 The following results are from a recent WWN Live event. The event took place on November 12th, 2014 at the Wen Jiang Sports Center in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. Singles Match Johnny Gargano defeated Jody Kristofferson (w/Larry Dallas). Singles Match Tracy Williams defeated Earl Cooter (w/Larry Dallas). Singles Match Mia Yim defeated Su Yung. […]

The following results are from a recent WWN Live event. The event took place on November 12th, 2014 at the Wen Jiang Sports Center in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China.

Singles Match
Johnny Gargano defeated Jody Kristofferson (w/Larry Dallas).

Singles Match
Tracy Williams defeated Earl Cooter (w/Larry Dallas).

Singles Match
Mia Yim defeated Su Yung.

Singles Match
Biff Busick defeated Timothy Thatcher.

DGUSA Open The United Gate Championship Match
Trent Barreta & Caleb Konley (c) defeated The Bravado Brothers (Harlem Bravado & Lance Bravado).

SHINE Championship Match
Ivelisse Velez (c) defeated Allysin Kay.

6 Man Tag Team Match
Ricochet, Rich Swann & AR Fox defeated Chuck Taylor & The Colony (Fire Ant & Silver Ant).

http://www.cheap-heat.com/early-information-on-dgusaevolve-wrestlings-wrestlemania-weekend-events/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/early-information-on-dgusaevolve-wrestlings-wrestlemania-weekend-events/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:58:16 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Axxess DGUSA Dragon Gate USA Drew Galloway EVOLVE Wrestlemania WWN WWN Live http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5638 WWN Live sent out the following: The WWNLive Experience is coming to San Jose on the biggest weekend wrestling weekend of the year! There will be multiple events happening on March 27th & 28th at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds at Fiesta Hall on 344 Tully Rd. in San Jose. This is just a few […]

WWN Live sent out the following:

The WWNLive Experience is coming to San Jose on the biggest weekend wrestling weekend of the year! There will be multiple events happening on March 27th & 28th at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds at Fiesta Hall on 344 Tully Rd. in San Jose.

This is just a few minutes from WWE Axxess and Wrestlemania. EVOLVE Champion Drew Galloway is the first talent confirmation. We will have the complete lineup of events and ticket info soon. Major cards will be happening on the evenings of March 27th & 28th in San Jose, CA.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwn-announces-matches-for-upcoming-tour-of-china-dgusa-evolve-fip-shine-and-more/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwn-announces-matches-for-upcoming-tour-of-china-dgusa-evolve-fip-shine-and-more/#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2014 23:27:58 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha AR Fox Biff Busick Caleb Konley Chuck Taylor DGUSA Dragon Gate USA EVOLVE Fire ANt Full Impact Pro Ivelisse Johnny Gargano Larry Dallas mia yim Rich Swann Ricochet SHINE Silver Ant The Bravado Brothers Trent Baretta WWN http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5501 WWN sent out the following: 28 members of the WWN Family are getting ready to fly to the other side of the world for the WWN tour of China. The four events will feature title matches from the WWN promotions. All the non-title matches featuring male competitors will have an effect on the next EVOLVE […]

WWN sent out the following:

28 members of the WWN Family are getting ready to fly to the other side of the world for the WWN tour of China. The four events will feature title matches from the WWN promotions. All the non-title matches featuring male competitors will have an effect on the next EVOLVE ratings. This historic tour is going to feature high-flying, cutting-edge and technical wrestling. China has never seen pro wrestling like this! Will will now give you the basic lineups and will be back with another Alerts to explain things more.

We are excited to present these cards in China:

11.10.14 – CITIC Guoan Grand Epoch City, Xianghe Province, China – Golden Sport Hall

DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Title Match
Ricochet defends vs. Chuck Taylor

DGUSA Open The United Gate Title Match
Trent Baretta & Caleb Konley defend vs. Fire Ant & Silver Ant

SHINE Title Match
Ivelisse defends vs. Su Yung

Special Challenge Tag Team Match
AR Fox & Rich Swann vs. The Bravado Brothers

EVOLVE Ratings Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Biff Busick

SHINE Showcase Match
Allysin Kay vs. Mia Yim

Plus more with Timothy Thatcher, Jody Kristofferson, Earl Cooter, Larry Dallas, Lacey and others!

11.12.14 – Chengdu City, Sichuan Province – Wen Jiang Sport Center

Special Six Man Tag Team Main Event
Ricochet, Rich Swann & AR Fox vs. Fire Ant, Silver Ant & Chuck Taylor

DGUSA Open The United Gate Title Match
Trent Baretta & Caleb Konley vs. The Bravado Brothers

SHINE Title Match
Ivelisse defends vs. Allysin Kay

The Rivalry Goes To China Part 1 – EVOLVE Ratings Match
Biff Busick vs. Timothy Thatcher

SHINE Showcase Match
Mia Yim vs. Su Yung

Special Attraction Match
Tracy Williams vs. Earl Cooter

Plus more with Johnny Gargano, Jody Kristofferson, Larry Dallas, Lacey and others!

11.14.14 – Emeishan City, Sichuan Province – Emei Sport Hall

DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Title Match
Ricochet defends vs. AR Fox

FIP World Heavyweight Title Match
Trent Baretta defends vs. Rich Swann

Classic Feud Comes To China
Johnny Gargano vs. Chuck Taylor

Grudge Tag Team Match
Fire Ant & Silver Ant vs. The Bravado Brothers

EVOLVE Ratings Match
Timothy Thatcher vs. Caleb Konley

SHINE Showcase Tag Team Match
Ivelisse & Mia Yim vs. Allysin Kay & Su Yung

Plus more with Biff Busick, Jody Kristofferson, Earl Cooter, Larry Dallas, Lacey and others!

11.16.14 – Beijing – The MasterCard Center (Formerly Wan Shi Da Stadium)

DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Title Match
Ricochet defends vs. Johnny Gargano

Special DGUSA Open The United Gate Three Way Match
Trent Baretta & Caleb Konley defend vs. The Colony vs. The Bravado Brothers

SHINE Title Match
Ivelisse defends vs. Mia Yim

The Rivalry Goes To China Part 2 – EVOLVE Ratings Match
Biff Busick vs. Timothy Thatcher

Special Attraction EVOLVE Ratings Match
Rich Swann vs. AR Fox

EVOLVE Ratings Match
Chuck Taylor vs. Jody Kristofferson

Plus more with Allysin Kay, Su Yung, Earl Cooter, Larry Dallas, Lacey and others!

All these events will be available to watch at www.WWNLive.com On Demand. The complete WWNLive production team is going to China. We will upload these shows as quickly as we can after they happen.

We want to take this moment and give you the a deep, very sincere thank you. It is only with your support that these wrestlers are able to perform in China. You have made WWN into a worldwide brand. You are the reason this historic tour is happening. China has never seen anything like the action that these cards will showcase. You are giving it to them. Thank you.