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http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sun, 20 Sep 2015 01:35:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/scraping-the-barrel-lethal-lockdown/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/scraping-the-barrel-lethal-lockdown/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:04:52 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Top Lists Abyss American Wolves Awesome Kong Brian Myers Brooke Brooke Adams Cage Match Cage Matches Cat Videos Davey Richards Dixie Carter Drew Galloway Eddie Edwards Ethan Carter III Gail Kim GFW Global Force Wrestling Impact Wrestling James Storm Jeff Hardy Jeff Jarrett Jeremy Borash Karen Karen Jarrett Kia Stevens Knockouts Championship Lei'D Tapa Lethal Lockdown Mahabali Shera Matt Hardy Pro Wrestling Professional Wrestling Rockstar Spud Tag Team Tag Team Champions TNA TNA Impact Tyrus Videos Wolves wrestling http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=14249 Welcome to “Scraping the Barrel” — Cheap-Heat‘s official TNA Impact Countdown, brought to you by B+ Players Radio. This week was Lethal Lockdown—a former pay-per-view event and fitting choice for a week overflowing with pro wrestling excitement. With much to discuss from this broadcast, picking a Top Five was nearly impossible, but we managed to do it. Check […]

Welcome to “ Scraping the Barrel ” — Cheap-Heat ‘s official TNA Impact Countdown , brought to you by B+ Players Radio. This week was Lethal Lockdown— a former pay-per-view event and fitting choice for a week overflowing with pro wrestling excitement. With much to discuss from this broadcast, picking a Top Five was nearly impossible, but we managed to do it. Check out this week’s “ Scraping the Barrel ,” complete with full length video clips.

Like this article? You can follow Mark Haggerty and B+ Player Radio on Facebook and Twitter . B+ Player Radio is a network of professional wrestling podcasts produced by writers, comedians, musicians, and most importantly— professional wrestlers! Listen to hours of exclusive content available every single week on iTunes – TuneIn Radio – SoundCloud and Cheap-Heat.com !

http://www.cheap-heat.com/scraping-the-barrel-tna-impact-82615/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/scraping-the-barrel-tna-impact-82615/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2015 14:27:48 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Reviews Abyss Bobby Roode Bubba Ray Dudley Bully Ray Dixie Carter Dollhouse Drew Galloway GFW Global Force Wrestling Impact Wrestling James Storm Jeff Jarrett Karen Jarrett Knockout's Manik Pro Wrestling Revolution Sonjay Dutt Taryn Terrell Tigre Uno TNA TNA Impact Velvet Sky WWE WWE Network WWE Universe Youtube http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13871 It’s been a long week but I’m finally back! Welcome to "Scraping the Barrel"—the once-weekly video countdown series that tries to pick at least five enjoyable moments from TNA Impact on Destination America. I thought this was at least an enjoyable two hours of wrestling; nothing incredibly offensive in terms of booking caused me to […]

It’s been a long week but I’m finally back! Welcome to "Scraping the Barrel"—the once-weekly video countdown series that tries to pick at least five enjoyable moments from TNA Impact on Destination America. I thought this was at least an enjoyable two hours of wrestling; nothing incredibly offensive in terms of booking caused me to step back in horror. Perhaps it's coming off an incredibly jam-packed WWE weekend, but I went into this week's episode of Impact with higher hopes than usual. I think I was probably just ready for something different. Let's start Scraping the Barrel , and see what comes in at number five.

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News !

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 IndyPowerRankings Indy/Puro/Lucha Aaron Epic Chris Hero Davey Richards Drew Galloway Drew McIntyre FIP I Believe in Wrestling IPW UK JT Dunn Samoa Joe wXw 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 […]

#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.

#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

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

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/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-4/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-4/#comments Mon, 11 May 2015 10:19:11 +0000 DPM Interviews Drew Galloway WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11644 Welcome back for the fourth – and unfortunately last – part of our chat with Drew Galloway. Hear what he has to say about a wrestler's lifestyle, getting over and… well, a lot of things. WtW: Do you prepare your promos thoroughly? DG: Oh, no, never! Usually I have an idea of what to […]

Welcome back for the fourth – and unfortunately last – part of our chat with Drew Galloway. Hear what he has to say about a wrestler's lifestyle, getting over and… well, a lot of things.

DG: Oh, no, never! Usually I have an idea of what to say, with the 1314 promo I only knew the points I wanted to put through and I ended up talking for at least 15 minutes, maybe 20. I made it up as I went along.

DG: Yes, six: I just won the sixth in SWA last Saturday [April 25 ^th ] . I won the first against Chris Hero in my first match back in the indies, in Evolve.

DG: Yes, with Dreamer, then… a four-way elimination match with Brian Cage, Uhaa and Chris Hero, I was the last eliminated [by Cage] after a low blow from his manager. Roderick Strong also beat me in a Cage Match, he kicked me against the cage at least twelve times.

WtW: Does each title still count for you as much as they would if you weren't holding so many?

DG: Yes, absolutely. My goal is to be the best wrestler in the world, not only in Scotland or in America. So my goal is making the titles bigger than they ever were. Paraphrasing JFK, "Ask not what the title can do for you: ask what you can do for the title". The title doesn't define me, I define the title. When people see me I want them to wonder what's the title I'm holding, so maybe they'll look up the promotion, and the promotion gets some buzz.

DG: Sure. Once I drop a title… well, I'd like to think I'll have helped build the name of the title, make it bigger.

DG: First of all, my contract with them allows me to keep appearing anywhere, in the indies. That was my request. Then… I want the title. I'm happy to keep adding titles in different countries, and the goal is to get the TNA title. My goal, as I keep telling everybody, is to be the first travelling world champion since Ric Flair, if I'm not already; I think the TNA title would cement this. Brian Elliott [editor of Fighting Spirit Magazine] was the first one to put his finger on it, he told me that nobody had really done it, wrestling in all those places, since Flair, he said that I could be the first in so many years, so that's my main goal now. If I win the TNA title while still doing all this travelling, that would be the icing on the cake. So far I've achieved every short-term goal I had set myself when I parted ways with WWE, people gave me great opportunities within the first three months, so I had to keep setting bigger goals… that's the big goal right now.

DG: Before the WWE it must be Sheamus, we wrestled all over the place. In WWE, I wish Sheamus and I got to wrestle, because we would have had unbelievable matches, they would have been legit fights with a good story. But we never got a chance to have a match one on one except in FCW. If I end up back there one day, even though I'm having so much fun right now with what I'm doing, we would have a storyline ready. The night I won the Intercontinental Title, he won the Heavyweight Title, and everyone knows we are such close friends…

DG: Not really, no. I always try to get along with everybody, I've got no time for negativity.

WtW: How do you cope with this lifestyle, wrestling in at least two different continents every week?

DG: I don't know. Just… I'm driven, obsessed. This is all I ever wanted to do, and when I left WWE I set myself such big goals that it feels easy. And to think that I don't really like to travel. This is a hell of a job to pick when you don't like to travel, but I love wrestling. Even when I'm tired, I feel like I can't go on, I'm lying down backstage, people look at me, then I go and have my match and I give my best, often people who saw me tired just minutes earlier are surprised. But I love wrestling, it's the only thing I can do, no matter how I feel. I'm always able to switch on and have fun whenever I'm in the ring, it's the only place where I feel safe. It's easier to perform in front of thousands of people than to talk to people one-on-one, it's easier to talk into a camera than in a social situation.

DG: Think of DCT: his facial expressions are what really set him aside. Last week I wrestled Mark Coffey in SWA – by the way, Mark is also a brilliant wrestler – and at the end the whole Polo Promotions did a run-in, allowing me to win with a roll-up after a big confusion. Then they all beat me up, Joe Coffey and Damo O'Connor made the save, then they threw DCT on the ring and… just the facial expression he made when he looked up and saw me was absolutely hilarious, I almost burst out laughing.

Yesterday I was coaching an intermediate class at Damo's school and they asked me how to get on the shows. I told them that they need to figure out what makes each of them different. ICW is everyone's goal, or at least it should be, so they need to think how they can get on a show that has characters like Joe Coffey, who is a wrestler, the wrestler, but also created a great character, you have Damo who is 6'4", maybe 6'5", 23 stone, hairy and moves like the little guys, you got fantastic high flyers, you have Jester the hardcore guy, you have Grado the everyman, the most over guy ever, you have all those guys, so you need to understand what is going to make you different. I used DCT as an example: one day he figured out that he could make very funny faces and grew a pornstache.

It's up to each and every individual to figure out what will get them over. Get in your underpants and be honest with yourself: if you are 5'5" and not in the best shape, you're not going to tell yourself that you'll use the same gimmick I use, you can't be the big aggressive guy. Being honest with yourself is the 90% of the battle. See how you look, what you are good at, what interests you. For instance if you have a weird hobby you can turn it into a character, and that will get you over.

You need to get yourself over, not your moves: one day you may not be able to do them any longer, for any reason. Injuries maybe… or age.

Also, a small detail: take your time on the ring, don't try to rush move after move. Give the fans time to react. I was discussing this with Tommy End the other day…

DG: Yeah, a fake Scotsman. I only spent my entire life in Scotland. I am 100% Scottish, I lived here my entire life. I'm very proud to be Scottish.

WtW: Talking about "fake": what do you say to people who tell you that wrestling his fake?

DG: Well, if you ask Lionheart he will just point at his neck… those whose minds are set aren't going to be convinced, so I don't waste my breath. If someone is just curious, I just say… well, we're not lying to you, we're not saying it's not predetermined, all I say is… well, Brock Lesnar left WWE because he couldn't take the schedule and the bumps any longer, and went to UFC where he became the champion. And that's Brock Lesnar.

It's so physically demanding, we don't have an off season like the other sports, we go on until we break and that's when we can afford to take a holiday; we travel every single week, to different countries or, in America, to different States which is pretty much the same, multiple flights every single week, driving for hours and hours, you get very few days off… if you have a family and kids you'll rarely see them… I've been on the road for six weeks now… I mean, I am back home in Scotland, I'm not technically on the road, but I do live in the US… if I had a wife and kids… I don't even know. I would still do what I'm doing, but I don't know how the guys cope with never seeing their kids, I would crack up.

I've been gone for six weeks now, and I'm lucky that I've been in Scotland for this time… but travelling to all those different countries, living out of hotel rooms with people I don't know, often speaking languages I don't speak… the only thing I know is what I do when I get in the ring, in those twenty minutes, but then you can get lonely, you can get depressed… it's very physically taxing, very mentally taxing… more mentally than physically. The bumps and the miles are very real. But it's so very rewarding.

And also… if you think it's fake, watch my match and see if you see me stamp my feet when I'm punching somebody: if you do I'll shake your hand. I mean, why would you stamp your feet when you're punching someone? I try to use believable strikes that make noise and leave a mark. Of course I'm not going to injure my opponent, but… he's a man, a trained wrestler, he can take a hit, right?

DG: Well, Santino is Canadian… there is this guy who trains in Glasgow, at Damo O'Connor's school… Massimo Italiano. He seems pretty good. I know that some time ago there was a promotion, I think Rikishi wrestled there for a while: once, before going to America, I stayed in Sheamus' s house in London while he was in Italy wrestling. How is wrestling over there?

WtW: It's growing a lot. There are some good promotions, one is called Italian Championship Wretsling, ICW (and it's older than the Scottish ICW, too)…

WtW: The champion is called Red Devil, a very good and pretty experienced wrestler, a very tall high flyer who's also very technical.

WtW: Almost everyone. You have him, Charlie Kid, Mr. Excellent, OGM the genetically modified wrestler…

DG: Ah, OK. I imagine that Mr. Excellent must be a technical wrestler, right? I always kept my own name. I've always been Drew Galloway, in WWE I was Drew McIntyre, I never wanted to have a ringname that doesn't at least sound like a name, I think that the most successful guys are always the real people with the volume turned up. Not that there's anything wrong with strong characters, mind, but it's harder to make them work. I mean, you have The Undertaker… sure, it was the man who made the character a legend. They gave him a mega-gimmick and he made it work. And for years they didn't really let him wrestle, he was this stiff guy… it was only with his feud with Bret Hart that the people finally saw he could wrestle very well, even for the standards we have now.

What I mean is that there are matches that once seemed huge, think of Hulk Hogan against André the Giant at Wrestlemania III, who are not exactly… special now. Although I still find good the match between Hogan and Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania. The crowd went absolutely daft, that's what matters.

With this we conclude our long and – hopefully – interesting chat with Drew Galloway. We hope you enjoyed it, and… until next time!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-3/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-3/#comments Wed, 06 May 2015 10:26:53 +0000 DPM Interviews Drew Galloway http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11560 In the second part of this great interview, Drew told us about WWE: how it felt to be at Wrestlemania, how fun it was being in 3MB and what happened when he left. Let's see now what happened just after that day. WtW: In Scotland, you were the very first champion in ICW history. […]

In the second part of this great interview, Drew told us about WWE: how it felt to be at Wrestlemania, how fun it was being in 3MB and what happened when he left. Let's see now what happened just after that day.

WtW: In Scotland, you were the very first champion in ICW history. How much has the promotion changed since then?

DG: There's no comparison. When we first started in Maryhill there were probably less than 50 people at the shows, but Mark Dallas had a vision and he stuck to it. The first time it didn't go so well, then he tried again, he was losing money, so he stopped. Later he restarted again, he started working with Duncan Gray who works backstage, he runs concerts, they got really good stuff going, then the first documentary came and things just exploded. One time I came back, I was backstage, I looked out and the Classic Grand was sold out: I couldn't believe how big it was.

WtW: As soon as you came back to Scotland, you appeared in ICW. Why did you pick it?

DG: As soon as I left WWE I knew I was going to come back to ICW, I wanted to make my mission statement there. So I called Dallas and told him about the plan that I had in mind. We arranged everything to make sure that my presence was kept a secret from everybody, three people knew.

DG: Just me, Dallas and Chris Renfrew, who helps him write the shows and was also involved in the angle. And Jack Jester as well, it was actually four people.

DG: No problem. A bunch of promoters had messaged me as soon as I was gone from WWE. If I had been upset I would probably be pretty pissed off, they all immediately started harassing me. Luckily I was not upset, I was excited. Dallas was the only one who did not contact me. So I called him saying "Hey, motherf**ker, why didn't you call me?" and he said that he thought I might need some time. I appreciated that. Anyway, I told him my plan of coming back to ICW making a huge bang. I mean, a lot of eyes were on me at the time, many were surprised I was gone from WWE, which was very nice to hear. When I came here for the show I was hiding in the basement, I could hear the reaction for the "Still Game" guys ["Still Game" is a very popular Glasgow-based sit-com whose cast appeared, unannounced, at that same ICW show] , who also were a surprise. I wondered if the fans would even care when I came out. Then when I did come out, hooded, I saw and heard the reaction, there were so many people… I thought "Oh my God, this is the coolest place ever". ICW is the coolest place ever, every time I go. The fans are cheering me everywhere except Glasgow, but even if they are booing, as long as they are reacting and having a good time, I'm having a good time. The fans are so passionate… a friend of mine was watching On Demand last night, he's not a big wrestling fan, and he was just amazed. No matter where ICW goes, the fans are just crazy and passionate. It is great. I mean, the worst thing for a wrestler is if the crowd doesn't react.

DG: You know what they are like. So many support the heels. I mean, the NAK are the biggest babyfaces, in Glasgow. They are supposed to be heels. Every time I come out I embrace the booing. At this point I am trying to make the people, at least in Glasgow, think that I'm a bit of a dick.

Now Grado, he is the most over wrestler in any show – except for the ICW events in Glasgow. He needs to start adding layers to his character, that's what we are working on when he's on the ring with me or with Lee [Jack Jester] . He is getting more aggressive, I slapped him about, Lee made him use the corkscrew, he's freaking out a bit because, if you ever want to do something different in Glasgow… and he will have to, because those fans are the way they are… they do what you don't expect them to do. They are booing me, I mean… of course I embrace them, my point of view is that, as long as you are making noise, I don't care if you cheer me or if you boo me. If you are making noise, I am winning. I'll change the match to suit however the crowd reacts, I don't mind, as long as you, the fans, are entertained.

Take for instance my match with Joe Coffey [at ICW Barramania] : he was by far the babyface, and we structured the match around that. I had just flew in from America, I had just won the Dragon Gate USA title, I was in the building at 8pm and I was wrestling Joe at 10pm. I heard the crowd reaction when Simon Cassidy announced my name; I thought it would be somehow like that, but probably me being with TNA put the Glasgow fans totally against me, many must have thought I was leaving.

But I'm sure that if Coffey had won the title, even though now he is probably the only one who is over with everyone, within two months the fans would turn on him.

In ICW nobody can know what is going to happen. I mean, Lionheart came back after a broken neck and the crowd booed him!

Mind, I love it: they are like part of the roster, they force to always think on your feet, you always need to ask yourself how you can change, adapt. They keep you creative, because they have watched the whole thing grow, and they have grown with it. You must adapt, but you also need to make sure you still are the puppet master. Certain guys get upset if the crowd turns on them, you see them moping around �cause they got booed when they weren't supposed to. I keep saying that it's entertainment, and if the fans are making noise, they are entertained and you are doing your job. If at the end of the match you say "F**k, that was a good match", then I did my job. And also if I manage to make you think that the other guy is going to win.

WtW: Sure you did it with me in the match with Joe Coffey, I didn't expect him to win before the match but I believed he was going to, in the last five minutes.

DG: I'm glad. I always structure a match to make it look like the other guy is going to win. Also my match with Renfrew [at the Square Go] , he did his Stunner, I kicked out, then he did the SuperStunner off the second rope and I heard everybody, I thought "They think this is it". That was good.

WtW: How much of you there was in those feuds in ICW, especially the one with Jack Jester that ended with you winning the title and the two of you embracing in the centre of the ring?

DG: 100%, especially in that one, it was totally real. Everything we did, we made it as real as possible. Everything we said, everything we did we had to believe. On the night I was really emotional, we put so much into the feud. It was also two years since my mom had passed, so I dedicated the match to her. It was a big deal for both of us, and we were both very happy with it. I almost never cry in front of my family, if I was going to do it it'd be in front of 1,600 people.

DG: Yes, when I was in the ring with Sabu, some weeks ago. He is so unpredictable. Also, the first time I touched him during a match, I kicked him right in the face. We were outside the ring and there was a wet spot, somebody had spilled a beer, so as I went to boot him I just slipped and hit his face with full strength. He looked at me as if to ask why. Afterwards I fell so bad, we were in the tour bus and I spoke with Renfrew, I got myself so worked up… I mean, I had just legit battered a 50-year-old man… but he was OK with me.

With this, Drew told us everything about ICW, whose Heavyweight Title he holds. In the next (and last) part of this interview, we'll talk about something more personal.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-2/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-2/#comments Mon, 04 May 2015 10:11:48 +0000 DPM Interviews Damo O'Connor Drew Galloway WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11541 Let's go back to that bar in Ayr, where Drew Galloway just told us about his WWE debut! WtW: You were the first and only Scotsman to ever wrestle at Wrestlemania. How is it different from the other WWE PPVs? DG: Night and day. It is a week-long event, with the Access, all the […]

Let's go back to that bar in Ayr, where Drew Galloway just told us about his WWE debut!

WtW: You were the first and only Scotsman to ever wrestle at Wrestlemania. How is it different from the other WWE PPVs?

DG: Night and day. It is a week-long event, with the Access, all the signings, the appearances… the fans are in the area for the entire week, it is non-stop. When they did it in New Orleans, for example, pretty much everybody was on Bourbon Street every night. There were 80,000 people at the show, there must have been at least 20,000 on Bourbon Street every given night. To walk down it was insane, it was all wild wrestling fans.

One night Sheamus and I were there, in New Orleans, with Finlay and his wife; we took over a balcony and we watched. You feel like a Hollywood celebrity when you are at �Mania, you risk being trampled to death by the fans, and everyone is so knowledgeable, so cool. The biggest wrestling fans from all over the world are there.

This year I did the Evolve show there, in the �Mania week. I told everybody we should call it Wrestling Week, not �Mania Week. All the biggest wrestling fans in the world come together for �Mania, but they also go check out the indy shows. The smart marks… and I'm the biggest smart mark, I'm the one who took it too far and became a wrestler, really, at 10 I used to send out for autographs, I'm the biggest smart mark there is… they all come together in one place and they are so knowledgeable, every single person you talk to. It's not like going to small-town America, where most only know what they see on television and they believe it. Which is cool, by the way. At �Mania you have fans who can tell you more about your career than you actually remember, matches you've forgotten about, which is so cool.

Then you get to the actual show and the atmosphere is so different, everybody wants to give everything because… first of all, it's Wrestlemania. Then… you see. when I was The Chosen One I couldn't sell how I was feeling, when I walked out I had to keep a straight face, I couldn't look around, I just had to look straight ahead, but in my head I was exploding, I thought "Oh my God, this is insane". The one I did when I was in Team Johnny against Team Teddy I wasn't a particular character, I was just Drew McIntyre, so I walked out and during my entrance, you see it if you watch it back, I just burst out laughing because there were just so many people, incredible, I was at Wrestlemania… it was not prepared, it was a legit reaction, I looked around and I saw all the people, I realised that I really was a wrestler at Wrestlemania and 80,000 people were just looking at me and I couldn't help laughing. I thought "This is all I ever wanted to do, and I'm doing it right now".

In the first one I was in a Ladder Match, I took a blow to the balls… it did not feel good, but it was worth it because in the future people well watch that Wrestlemania and see me fall off a ladder and black and blue my balls. It did not feel good, but it was Wrestlemania, if you are ever going to do a spot like that, it is the place to do it.

WtW: Do you think you have already met the next Scotsman who will perform at Wrestlemania?

DG: I don't like to single people out, and you never really know for sure. But I do think Damo O'Connor has a good chance: he's so different. They are not looking for cookie-cutter characters any longer, they are not all models now, in the WWE there are a lot of different looks, and Damo is as tall as I am, 6'4", he is gigantic, hairy, he looks like a bear, he's Irish and moves like a cruiserweight. If anybody has a chance, it's probably him. I would sign him.

WtW: Let's move on to 3MB (that, with Hornswoggle, became 3MB + 1KB). It looked like you were having fun. Were you, or are you just that good an actor?

DG: Well, if you are handed something like that… first of all, it was supposed to be different from what it was: nobody had told the boss that I needed surgery on my wrist the following week. I mean, it was always going to be somehow comedy, but not as ridiculous as it was. But I broke my wrist, I got surgery, I couldn't be touched nor I could touch anyone for six months, so the other two guys had to do all the work.

But yes, we could either be upset and complain or accept the fact that after all we still were on television every single week in multiple segments, millions of people were watching, we were still living the dream. And we are friends, we decided to have a laugh embracing those silly characters. Fighting them was not going to work anyway. We were making jokes at each other the whole time, backstage. We went out partying and video it, then we'd say that we did it because it was our character. And then we put them online: it was just us drinking and partying.

It's like Damian Sandow, he embraced everything he was given. He got the big opportunity with the Money in the Bank briefcase, everybody cashes in… he didn't. He got a silly character and he embraced, and now he seems to have a good chance to get back in the title frame.

DG: I have no idea. They had lost a lot of money with the launch of the Network and 3MB was… I mean, we were pretty over, especially in the rest of the world; somehow the fans were having a good time with us, because we were having such a good time. But I think they thought: "Do we really need this on the show right now?" I couldn't logically be put in anything serious again, after being so silly for so long… it was the right time for me to go. After eight years, six of which on television, it was a right time to take a break from each other. And after I was gone, it was up to me to re-invent myself instead of just disappearing like most people do.

I was actually sleeping, when I woke up I saw all the messages and then a missed call from a number I recognised… and then I understood I was out. I called back, they were trying to break the news to me in a really nice way, I was all nonchalant. Everybody thought I'd be f**king devastated.

Immediately after I was gone everybody tried to contact me, Chris Jericho asked me to be on his podcast the following week… Jinder Mahal messaged me to tell me he had been let go and asking if I had heard anything… I was fine though, no problem. Sure, it was a little scary, but when I sat down to think about it I felt like a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And I started having all those ideas, 1314 to start with…

DG: Never say never, but WWE is WWE, they are pretty much self-running. They don't need anybody, the name WWE is what matters, it's such a global juggernaut. Now I'm having so much fun, I'm part of companies that are growing, that rely on people working hard to grow the company. I like the idea that I can be part of growing different companies: ICW, Evolve, even TNA… and I'm helping with my creativity and my knowledge of wrestling, I'm using what I've learned to benefit a lot of people including myself, I'm allowed to come up with ideas on what to do, while in WWE it's like a TV show, you are given your role and your lines, you are part of a machine that's already in place.

For me the biggest thing is to be creatively fulfilled, and right now I totally am, in the ring and out. I'm not in any rush whatsoever to be back, but… never say never.

DG: The biggest and the most obvious story of all is a feud between myself and the McMahon family. The kid who was promised the world and ended up stuck in a band and then fired, then Seth Rollins got their endorsement and did win the title, and all that jazz. Really, the most obvious feud in the world, me going back to terrorise the McMahons and Rollins. If you watch my old videos, I looked so young. If I went back now, with a beard… I was a kid and I'm a man now. It's a money-making storyline. That's the thing that would entice me to go back, if they offered me to do that storyline. It's very entertaining, like when Stone Cold feuded with the McMahons, he was the everyman who ended up doing everything to his bosses. Of course I'm not Stone Cold, I couldn't do exactly the same things, but there would be a good build-up, at 23 I was promised the world, I was the chosen one, a future world champion… cut the video montage to me stuck in a band… cut again to them cutting their losses and boom letting me go. Some of the guys, older and more experienced people, told me that it's a feud waiting to happen, have McMahon talking some sh*t and me popping up and attacking him, people wondering who the f**k I am… the smart fans recognising me, knowing I've gone away, made a name for myself… the kid who was promised the world is back and went crazy, he is now terrorising Rollins… the chosen one attacking… well, attacking the new chosen one…

In the third we'll be discussing what Drew did as soon as he left WWE, focussing in particular on ICW and its fans! Don't miss it!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-1/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-1/#comments Sat, 02 May 2015 06:58:21 +0000 DPM Interviews Bad News Barrett Drew Galloway Drew McIntyre Sheamus WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11475 Hello everyone. This is the first part of a long interview that my friend Marco Piva made to Drew Galloway, for our italian website, wethewrestling.altervista.org After a series of botched attempts at this interview, after a number of miscommunications worth of a Mel Brooks movie (only the last one being a man giving me […]

Hello everyone. This is the first part of a long interview that my friend Marco Piva made to Drew Galloway, for our italian website, wethewrestling.altervista.org

After a series of botched attempts at this interview, after a number of miscommunications worth of a Mel Brooks movie (only the last one being a man giving me the wrong directions), after an impressive number of Facebook messages and emails, I'm finally in Ayr, sitting in front of the hottest commodity in pro wrestling today, the one and only, the (formerly?) chosen one, the current holder of no less than six titles, THEE… DREW GALLOWAY . Who, as a teenager, used to work in this very bar to pay for his wrestling lessons. Thanks to that bar too, then.

It won't be easy to hammer our very long chat into the shape of an interview, even split in four parts, but I'll be doing my best. And I promise, I won't cut anything important.

DG: When I first started there was no wrestling school here in Ayr – actually, there was no wrestling school in Scotland. I needed to travel twelve hours by train to go to Portsmouth, in southern England, right at the bottom of the country, for three-day or week-long training camps with the FWA guys. I went on every possible holiday I had. And this was when I had just turned 15, fourteen years ago. There were some good trainers there, Doug Williams, Mark Sloan, James Tighe… of course everything was focused on the British style of wrestling, that's how I was trained. Every match was mostly chain wrestling (actually, Robbie Brookside calls it simply "wrestling"), a little bit of heat, a small comeback and that was it.

WtW: In the first part of your career, you had a fantastic feud with Sheamus O'Shaunessy and Stu Sanders, two wrestlers we now know as Sheamus and Bad News Barrett – and then the three of you went together to the WWE; can you tell us how it happened, and how did you help each other to excellence?

DG: The first time I met Sheamus I was working for Irish Whip Wrestling (IWW), who had a TV show on The Wrestling Channel; it was the first season. I went over for a show with my then-manager Charles Boddington. Sheamus was a bouncer at the time. We went for a night out after the show, I was 18 or 19 at the time; I met a girl, disappeared and missed my flight. The next day I finally showed up, Graham [Charles Boddington's real name is Graham McKay] was desperately looking for me. But to get a new flight would have been really expensive, to change flights without a fee I'd have to wait two days. So Sheamus said I could stay with him, we got to know each other, we realised we had similar goals, we wanted to go to America, we both loved the same wrestlers (Bret Hart was our favourite), we had the same philosophy in wrestling, so we became very good friends in those couple of days and we started talking about what we could do together in wrestling. And he's still one of my best friends in the world today.

Then the promoter in IWW wanted to set up a feud between Sheamus and I in the second season of the show; I didn't have Charles with me any longer, so I wanted a faction. He let me know about a big guy he saw in Wales (Stu lived there at the time), there also was a French guy Sheamus liked, Pierre Marceau, who is now in NXT with the name of Marcus Louis: we were The Foreign Legion. Sheamus and I were wrestling all over Ireland, we started trying lots of different stuff, the promoter gave us a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, we recorded it with Sheamus's own video camera and watched it back to try to get better; then we asked for a Submission Match, and we did that… we watched Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect and we tried to emulate that match… we were constantly testing each other trying to get better. Then, on the TV show, there was The Foreign Legion against Sheamus. At that point he had been undefeated for, like, two years, he had the belt. Finally I defeated him for the belt, which was a big thing.

Then some stuff happened, they kinda forced Sheamus out of the company. Then, when they eventually asked me to drop the belt at a show I said no, because I was unhappy at the way they had treated him, he was and is my friend. So I just gave them back the belt, telling them I didn't think I'd be going back because they f**ked over my friend. They asked me to go over and do a match and I refused to work with them again and I haven't worked for them since. They thought I'd go back because I wanted to wrestle… but Sheamus and I had big goals, we wanted to go to America, no matter what; we were going to help each other get there, and if anybody f**ked us over we'd tell them to go f**k themselves, and that's what I did, even though I was the champion at the time.

Then Sheamus got some information about a tryout for the WWE and gave me all the details, he gave me their email and told me what to do, I emailed the person in charge at the time and got everything set up, we went in at the same time. The first time it was in Manchester, but John Laurinaitis wasn't there. We still wrestled each other, but we were told to go back the next time when Johnny Ace would be present. So the following tour, six months later, we went to London. I was 21 at the time. Arn Anderson put two big guys in the ring, two giants. One was Rob Terry, I can't remember who was the other. They had never wrestled in their lives, so… I mean, this other guy couldn't even do a forward roll. Then he said "You and you", pointing at me and Sheamus. So we looked at each other and said "Sweet, he picked us together, thank God". We had what we fell was a really good match, the agents were really complimentary afterwards, they told Johnny Ace he had to sign us. Johnny grabbed me first, I walked with him towards catering and said to me "I think I'll bring you to America" [here Drew does a pretty good impression of Laurinaitis] , so I looked at him and I said "I'm thinking of letting you". I had just turned 21 at the time, that was amazing. I got signed right there and then. Then I spoke to Stu, he was there as well, and he said he got signed too. So we looked for Sheamus, and Johnny had not spoken to him yet. I told him to go find him, so he did. And he got signed too. All three of us got signed together, which was amazing. We had gone through the whole journey together, especially Sheamus and I.

So we went to the concession stand and got a beer. And then the real journey begun.

WtW: Wow. That was a story. Anyway: when you finally went to America, did you have to change your wrestling style?

DG: I became more strike-based. Again, that was just me listening to the others. Nobody actually changed me: like with anything, if you are smart you take what you like and disregard what you don't. I was getting taught by so many good people. I mean, in England I had some good trainers, but there everyone was great, and they gave me their different views and told me how to stand out, how to think outside the box. I took what I liked from it to make it a believable style, as I didn't think that the style of wrestling I had at the time was very believable. I wanted people to think "I know wrestling is not real, but when I watch that Drew Galloway I'm having some doubts".

DG: On my first week in OVW the WWE writers were there. At the time they only visited every six months, although I thought they'd be there all the time. Just luck. They needed an opponent for somebody, and they decided to take a look at the new guy. So they just threw me in, let me do a promo and a match, clearly they liked me: the following week I was on television, on Smackdown . I had just turned 22. It was insane. Three weeks after getting to America, I was already on television. I was in Gorilla [the Gorilla position is the area just behind the scenes where wrestlers wait to be called for their matches] just before my match, and Stephanie McMahon asked me: "Is Galloway your real name?". When I said it was, she insisted that I changed it, at the time they were making sure they could retain the rights to the wrestlers' names. So Michael Hayes and I ran to Talent Relations and asked somebody to Google for Scottish surnames. I wanted a name with three syllables, it seemed easier to chant. Like GAL-LO-WAY, you see? So we started scrolling down the list.

For a second I nearly was Drew McDonald, but… no, there was already one, you know, and the stories they told about him… well, I really didn't want to be confused with him. Mind, he is… he was a good friend of mine, I miss him a lot, but I really didn't want Vince to think that the stories they told about him were about me, you see.

Then Michael Hayes saw "McIntyre", I looked at him and we both said "That's it", and we ran back to Gorilla for my match. Seconds before I walked out they buzzed the ring announcer to tell him about the change. When I walked out to the ring for my first match, it was against one of the Major Brothers [it was Brett Major, now known as Zack Ryder] , the Titantron was flashing the name "Galloway". You couldn't see it on television, they cut it to make sure you couldn't, but it was.

DG: I remember the time getting cut. I was not used to that. We were supposed to have six minutes, but when we already were on the ring the referee casually said that we had three. I had never been in a situation in which I had to stick exactly to a time … but I called the match and we did. I had to figure out how to do it, on television, as I went along. Nobody had taught me how to work a hard camera either. I was figuring everything out as I went along.

We conclude here the first part of our long interview with Drew. In the next, he'll tell us about Wrestlemania, 3MB and the end of his working relationship with the WWE. Don't miss it!

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 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

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

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

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

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/total-non-stop-analysis-tna-impact-11315/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/total-non-stop-analysis-tna-impact-11315/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2015 05:30:59 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews Angelina Love Beat Down Clan Bobby Roode Bram Brooke Tessmacher Dixie Carter DJ Z DJ Zema Drew Galloway EC3 Eric Young Ethan Carther III EY Impact Jesse Godderz Kenny King Low Ki Magnus Mickie James Mr. Anderson MVP Robbie E. Rockstar Spud TNA Tyrus wrestling http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10420 Total Non-Stop Analysis TNA Impact 3/13/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's another Saturday afternoon here in the United States of Destination America, and the sun is just now starting to set on the West Coast. After much procrastination I finally sat down to watch last night's episode of TNA Impact, and have returned here—to […]

It's another Saturday afternoon here in the United States of Destination America, and the sun is just now starting to set on the West Coast. After much procrastination I finally sat down to watch last night's episode of TNA Impact, and have returned here—to CHEAP-HEAT.com—to spit the 411 with my most recent edition of "Total Nonstop Analysis." My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and for the next few paragraphs, I'll be your tour guide through the confusing world of "Dixieland."

The show begins just as any other episode of Impact with a shadowy vignette connecting several programs together through a common thread. Tonight's episode revolves around three friendships that have been "shattered"—Eric Young and Bobby Roode, Magnus and Bram, and EC3 and Rockstar Spud. I'm happy the narrator didn't say, "Good Friends, Better Enemies." Instead, he ended the shot with "Once friends, now the fiercest of foes." That's pretty good alliteration, and anybody that knows my work, knows I love to pass alliteration off as good writing. The crowd is excited inside the Wembley Arena, as TNA continues its tour of the UK in London, England.

The opening match is a "Last Man Standing" bout between former best friends "Showtime" Eric Young and the "It Factor" Bobby Roode. Young appears before the British audience wearing his now-trademark green vest. He's still rocking the "Taxi Driver" cut, with the Mohawk extending all the way around the back, as the rest of the fuzz fades in. His opponent Bobby Roode appears to a raucous ovation—once again, I don't really get it. I think Bobby Roode is a fine competitor, but he's very generic. Both men go hard at one another as EY starts strong, fighting Bobby into the corner. Roode gets the advantage and starts punishing Eric with a series of dirty maneuvers such as back rakes and closed-fist punches. Not that those illegal or anything. Bobby cleans Young's clock from pillar to post, until the wily EY could turn the tables and slam his former best friend into the steel barricade. The crowd chants "you sold out, you sold out," which is fast becoming the most clichéd chant in all of wrestling. Eric and Bobby fight up the ramp where EY tries for a vertical suplex, which is reversed by Roode, sending Eric Young up toward the locker room area. Young makes it to his feet, allowing Roode an opportunity to blindside the eccentric Eric with a vicious lariat. Roode walks back toward the ring and pulls a table out from underneath, setting it up in preparation of finishing Young for the night. EY is back on his feet however, and stops Roode in his tracks before he can deliver the crippling blow. Away to commercial and back again, Eric Young is in control, using the ring as a tag team partner by hitting Bobby Roode with various knee and elbow drops on the lip of the apron. EY hits Roode with a precision-based neck breaker, playing his insanity to the crowd as the referee counts Roode down for the count. Back on his feet by six, and Bobby Roode summons an inordinate amount of energy to take on EY, but is immediately thrown into the steel steps. Bobby Roode is down once again as the referee counts. Eric Young lifted Bobby by the five count and slammed his face into the steel steps. He prepared to piledrive Roode on the steps, but was countered off and onto the floor. Roode collapsed out of exhaustion and the referee started counting both Eric and Bobby. The audience chanted "TNA, TNA, TNA," as both men struggled to regain their vertical based. Eric Young drags a steel chair out from underneath the ring, while Bobby Roode does the same from the ringside area. They collide as steel meets steel, sending them on a reverb run around the ring until both were down. Bobby Roode and Eric Young now slid into the ring, and Roode started to "Hulk Up," pulling on the ropes like the Ultimate Warrior and meeting EY in the center of the ring with Rock-like right hands. I write these reviews as I watch the action unfold in the side screen of my computer and I can honestly say that while I couldn't see the value in Bobby Roode just fifteen minutes ago, I'm starting to dig his appeal by the end of this match. Roode falls victim to Young's lunacy once more, taking a steel chair to the gut and the back before hitting the ground. EY was nearing victory until he shoved the referee, thus interrupting the count on Bobby Roode. Roode stood and hit EY with a piledriver on the steel chair, grounding EY yet again until the count of 9. When he stood, Bobby was ready with a "Roode Bomb," but EY countered with a suplex attempt to the outside. Both men ended up on the lip of the apron, and Eric Young signaled for the piledriver, but was countered by the "Roode Bomb" off the apron and through the table. Eric twitched in pain as Bobby showed no signs of life. The referee counted Eric Young out at 10 just as Bobby Roode made it to his feet at 9. This was a hell of a match.

Drew Galloway hits the arena with a microphone in hand, dressed for combat as he's wearing his ring gear rather than jeans and a t-shirt. "I feel the passion from all of you," he began. "I feel the passion from real fans of professional wrestling." Drew talks about how he use to come to Wembley Arena as a kid and wants to "feel the passion" from the crowd. He heads into the audience and stands on a chair in the first row. "This feels a little better." He says that he use to re-watch the shows at Wembley so that he could spot himself in the crowd and invites nearby fans to gather in for a "group photo." Drew begins with what he refers to as "Story time with Drew Galloway." He talks about how the fans use to have a voice in professional wrestling, but MVP and the Beat Down Clan like to play god, which hinders that voice. Before he can continue his gibberish about "real wrestling fans," MVP appears dressed to fight Drew Galloway. MVP tells Drew that he isn't "playing god—he IS god." MVP starts running down Drew's history as the "Chosen One," and says the biggest defect with Drew's act has been his lack of a brain. "You been chosen alright," MVP yelled over the deafening roar of the audience, "You been chosen by the Beat Down Clan." MVP orders his colleagues to step to the backstage area so that he can "have Drew Galloway all to himself." Away to the commercial and once we return, Senior Official Earl Hebner is the third man in the ring amongst a brawl between Drew Galloway and Montel Vontavious Porter. MVP is the first to get any sort of advantage, hitting Drew with an impressive barrage of landing drop kicks, axe handles, and questionable tactics bordering on the illegal. He choked Drew in the ropes, and slammed his face into the turnbuckle before setting up his trademark big boot. Galloway ducked the boot, and suddenly the Scotsman was on fire and in control of the match. Galloway signaled for the "Future Shock DDT," and prepared to put things away, when the rest of the BDC arrived and engaged in a three-on-one assault. The bell rings and the match will go to Drew Galloway by disqualification, but the end of the match won't stop Kenny King, Low-Ki and MVP from taking turns on attacking Galloway. They tossed him out of the ring and into the steel post where MVP and King held him in place, as �Ki prepared a running kick. Low-Ki set to strike but Samoa Joe stopped him—only to hand him the same steel pipe with which Galloway debuted last month. Low-Ki smashed him over the head as retribution, dropping him to the floor. The BDC held Drew Galloway before the television camera as blood poured from his forehead, and MVP shouted, "Welcome to Impact Drew!"

After entirely too many vignettes and promos for the upcoming "Hair vs. Hair" match, we're finally back in the arena as Bram is on his way to the ring. Magnus enters down the ramp and invites his former-best buddy to meet him in the entryway. They engage one another and Magnus proceeds to subject Bram to the sights of the ringside area including but not limited to the steel steps and concrete floor. Every time Magnus brings the bout back inside the ring, Bram is able to take advantage. Bram tosses Magnus's skull into the canvas, effectively confusing the former TNA champion in the process. Bram pulls Magnus head-first toward the outside of the ring and continues the assault on his cranium, this time using the edge of the apron to his advantage. Back in the ring, Bram delivers a series of beautiful neck breakers on the already-injured neck of Magus until a powerslam attempt breaks the monotony. Magnus held his shoulder tight, signalling some discomfort, but still pressed on against Bram who leveled his opponent with a modified sit-down powerbomb. Bram remained in control, and upon attempting another neck breaker, was reversed into a short arm clothesline by Magnus. Bram ducked, and Magnus ran into the corner, but returned with a shot putting both participants on their backs. Both Magnus and Bram lie on the canvas, unable to move, when Mickie James runs down to ringside after being told not to interfere. She starts pounding on the canvas with her big fat arms, and gets her husband back to his feet. The brutal Brits traded shots back and forth until Magnus's technical prowess was able to best the brawling aspects of Bram's repertoire. Magus flew from the top rope with a flying elbow; just as things began to come to a close, Bram hit Magnus below the belt, ending this match by DQ. This is the second match of the night—in a row—to end by disqualification, and the third of Bram's bouts in as many weeks. Of course the bells in TNA mean just as much as the points on "Whose Line is It Anyway," so the action will of course commence with Bram tying Magnus to the rope and striking him with an inexplicable cue ball. With Magnus tied to the rope, Bram grabbed Mickie and a microphone, "I will take away everything that you love!" Bram tells Magnus that he'll only let his wife go if he kisses his boot. Magnus contemplates the consequences and agrees, although Mickie tells him not to. They reach for one another and hold hands just before Magnus makes the decision to kiss the boot of Bram. After the deed is done, Bram lets Mickie loose and leaves the ring with Magnus still tied to the rope.

The next match is an inter gender match with Brooke and Robbie E. During a time when the WWE has decided to hold back on all man-on-woman violence, it's peculiar how much it's happening in other promotions such as TNA and Lucha Underground. I really like Robbie E—he has a great personality and character, plus I think he's rather talented between the ropes. I understand why he's paired with Brooke in this program coming off of their time together on the "Amazing Race," but I really can't stand Brooke, especially in a company filled with really hard-working female wrestlers. I don't think there's any place for her. DJ Zema Ion introduces Robbie E as being from New Jersey, which earns the Bromans a ton of heat from the English audience. He also says that Robbie is undefeated against his opponent tonight, both in the ring, as well as "during their heated arguments." Robbie enters the arena with the "eye of the tiger," wearing a hood and shadow-boxing in preparation for his battle against Brooke. She comes out moving way too fast to a poorly choreographed dance routine that ends with a big wave to the audience. Nobody cares about this match, and I'm not just talking about myself, I'm referring the fans in attendance at the Wembley arena. Robbie takes a seat in the corner on a number of occasions, just as any boxer would, taking a drink of water and toweling off courtesy of Jesse Goddard and Angelina Love. When Brooke inevitably gets the upper hand, she uses her time in the spotlight to sit in Robbie's corner and drink his water. Robbie doesn't care for this course of events and hits back with a series of underhanded sneak attacks. Brooke attempts a cross-body on Robbie, but is caught in midair. With the referee distracted by DJ Z, Jesse Goddard entered the match and tried for a drop kick on Brooke, but hit his tag team partner instead. Brooke gets the win and walks out of Wembley th a victory over her ex-boyfriend.

The main event of TNA Impact tonight is the "Hair versus Hair" contest between Rockstar Spud and Ethan Carter III. Spud receives a "Rockstar" reaction from his fellow countrymen and women. TNA heads away to commercial break. Back again and Spud is in "trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble"—EC3 slowly saunters down to ringside to his rogue scoundrel theme song. He takes his time but by the moment he gets to the six-sided ring, Spud is ready to attack before the lights can ever come up. Spud is in complete control of this match, beating Carter within an inch of his life, and even biting the "third generation" Carter square in the center of his face. Spud continued the hardcore onslaught until Carter could muster a slight advantage, only to have Spud return by biting Carter's hand. EC3 and Rockstar Spud trade lefts and rights before Carter comes off with a flattening clothesline. The show goes to commercial again, but upon returning, we are met with a warning in regards to the content we're about to see. Back in the ring with Carter choking Spud on the middle rope with referee Brian Hebner ordering the break. Spud was able to separate himself from Carter with the referee in between, and used this time to build some momentum, which allowed for him to make his comeback. Spud sent Carter flying from the ring apron, and capitalized with a somersault over the top rope onto EC3. Carter climbed back into the ring and proceeded to distract the official; before Spud could reenter the ring, Tyrus appeared at ringside and power bombed Spud on the outside. Carter tried for a pin, but was unable to use Tyrus to his advantage. This kept the former Funkasaurus interested in the action, and he began to pace around in front of the ring. Mr. Anderson—close friend to Rockstar Spud—emerged from the locker room to even the odds against Tyrus and Carter. Rockstar Spud and Ethan Carter III were now one-on-one once again, as blood began to pour from the skull of Spud courtesy of EC3. His face was a "crimson mask"—to borrow a line from Gordon Solie—and when Spud fell over, his face spread a thick layer of blood across the chest of Ethan Carter. Jeremy Borash looked on from ringside, astonished at what was happening to his friend. The crowd started to chant, "you can't wrestle," which I hope was directed toward Jeremy Borash as both Ethan Carter and Spud are highly capable in-ring performers. Borash grew sick of the scene playing out before his eyes and decided to take matters into his own hands—LITERALLY. He stormed the ring behind Brian Hebner's back and delivered a debilitating low-blow to Ethan Carter. Spud sought to capitalize with a stunner of sorts for a 2 and ¾'s count. Rockstar Spud is now bleeding so heavily that Destination America is forced to turn the screen black-and-white whenever Spud is featured—I guess that accounts for the aforementioned "warning," huh? Ethan Carter is sitting in the corner, looking severely panicked, although I'm not sure if it's because he almost lost or because Spud looks like he's going to die. Ethan Carter stumbles out of the corner and hits Spud with a fireman's carry variation, dropping the dainty-yet-deadly Rockstar Spud to the canvas below. Carter proceeded to HAMMER Spud's bloody face into the canvas, leaving a visible trail of human DNA scattered about the ring. But Spud would not quit. He fought back from the ground-up until Carter was down to one knee; he hit him with kicks and clotheslines and punches and cross body's and finally grounded the silver-spoon-sucking Ethan Carter III. Spud pranced around the ring, hitting the ropes ala the Warrior, eager to kick victory's door down. Finally, Ethan was able to lock Spud in a front headlock, leaving Rockstar Spud completely vulnerable to Carter's finishing maneuver, the "One Percenter" headlock driver. Brian Hebner counted one… two… and three so that Ethan Carter III may go undefeated in both TNA wrestling, as well as Luchas de Apuestas—that's hair versus hair stuff.

As blood poured from Spud's face and dripped off of Ethan's head and neck, EC3 refused the congratulatory arm-raise by the referee, instead choosing to stare blankly ahead at the fallen Rockstar Spud. He picked up the microphone before heading to the clippers: "Rockstar Spud—without a shadow of a doubt, you have the most heart and determination I've ever seen in a professional wrestler." The crowd went wild as Spud backed into the opposite corner. "Look—I've done some heinous things to you, I've attacked you're friends. It was misguided, it was severe—I was just trying to make a statement. But there was a time when we were best friends, and I ruined that. I ruined that. Spud—in front of your home people, your mom, and your dad, you proved you belong in Impact Wrestling." Once again the United Kingdom crowd erupted, both for their local hero Rockstar Spud, as well as the otherwise genuine heel that's opted to put him over. "You proved that despite your size, your heart weighs more. You proved, there's a chance one day, you could be a world heavyweight champion. You have the intangibles, you have �IT'—I'm not going to shave your head tonight, I'm not going to embarrass you in front of your people." Spud looked on in questionable relief, as nobody believed Impact would end without somebody getting a little "something off the sides." Carter swore he was serious, "No! He doesn't deserve to have his head shaved. He belongs. He's proved he's one of you! He's proved he's a fighter! He's proved he's a tiger, a gazelle, and DAMN IT, you proved you were a man!" Carter told Spud that he knows that they can't go back to how they were, but will offer his hand nonetheless to end this on good terms. Spud walked forward and they spoke quietly to one another until Spud finally reached out and shook hands with Ethan Carter. They stood side by side with their hands held high in comradery, soaking in the shared adoration of the audience. Ethan continued with the cordial attitude, holding the ropes for Spud so that they could each exit the ring. As Spud stepped down, Carter grabbed him by the hair and dropped him in the center of the ring. "Spud! Spud! It's time to pay! Time to pay!" Carter was in fact just as disingenuous as anyone would have guessed. Josh Matthews was so angry about this, and called Carter an "S.O.B." Ethan Carter beat Spud into the "tree of woe" against the turnbuckle and proceeded to get down in his face, "Where's your mom? Where's your high school girlfriend? Where's your dad?" Ethan Carter III laughed as he shaved Spud's head with no remorse, blending the falling hair with his bloody face, giving Destination America another reason to change the color of the broadcast. "Take notice," Carter continued, "Take notice! This ring, this company, this industry, and this world—it's mine now!

This was an exceptional night for in-ring action on TNA Impact, and was paced similar to a pay-per-view with very little talking mixed in with the matches. I thought this week's episode was a step forward compared to last week, but I'd really like to start judging wrestling shows for how good they are, instead how bad they aren't. If that makes sense. Hopefully this upward momentum can continue next week, instead of tapering off as we've seen in the past. Next week's show will feature the world heavyweight championship match between Bobby Lashley and Kurt Angle. Until then, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty with "Total Nonstop Analysis," inviting you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggety's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-evolve-38-ippv-card/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-evolve-38-ippv-card/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2015 17:26:29 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Anthony Nese AR Fox Biff Busick Bill Carr Caleb Konley Chris Hero Dan Barry Drew Galloway Drew Gulak EVOLVE EVOLVE 38 FIP Full Impact Pro Matt Cage Roderick Strong Team TREMENDOUS Trent Baretta http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10005 Gabe Sapolsky announced the updated card for the next EVOLVE ippv: EVOLVE 38 Sunday, March 8th, 2015 Belltime – 8pm EST. The Sportatorium 435-13 Brook Avenue Deer Park, NY 11729 Tickets are on sale now in the DGUSA.tv Shop or by calling 267-638-6583! Watch on live iPPV at www.WWNLive.com in HD! Watch on the WWN […]

EVOLVE 38

Sunday, March 8th, 2015
Belltime – 8pm EST.
The Sportatorium
435-13 Brook Avenue
Deer Park, NY 11729

Tickets are on sale now in the DGUSA.tv Shop or by calling 267-638-6583!

Watch on live iPPV at www.WWNLive.com in HD! Watch on the WWN Roku Channel!

Steel Cage Match – Non-Title – Must Be A Winner By Pinfall, Submission Or Knock Out
EVOLVE Champion Drew Galloway vs. FIP World Heavyweight Champion Roderick Strong

Special Challenge Match
AR Fox vs. Trent Baretta

Grudge Match
Chris Hero vs. Drew Gulak

Title Match On The Line
Biff Busick vs. Caleb Konley

Special Attraction Match
Anthony Nese vs. Matt Cage

Plus: Team Tremendous of Dan Barry & Bill Carr and others!!!