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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. […]

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.

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

http://www.cheap-heat.com/tag-team-top-5-indypowerrankin-for-the-week-of-may-11th-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/tag-team-top-5-indypowerrankin-for-the-week-of-may-11th-2015/#comments Fri, 15 May 2015 15:19:06 +0000 IndyPowerRankings Indy/Puro/Lucha Daniels DGUSA Dragon Gate EVOLVE Hooligans Kaz Kazarian ROH The Addiction TNA http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11765 Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of May 11th, 2015 #1 The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian)-It's rare that you'd see the ROH World Tag Team Champions atop the Tag Team Top 5 in 2015. That's simply because we no longer consider ROH eligible for the Indy Power Rankings, thus any […]

#1 The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian)- It's rare that you'd see the ROH World Tag Team Champions atop the Tag Team Top 5 in 2015. That's simply because we no longer consider ROH eligible for the Indy Power Rankings, thus any matches wrestled there do not count. That being said, The Addiction did it without having to fall back on anything they've accomplished on actual ROH shows. They defeated The Coffey Brothers at PWE on 5/9 to retain the titles and then they beat The Hunter Brothers at SWE on 5/10 to once again retain the titles. Impressive weekend for one of the best tag teams in the world who proved that they can still succeed on the indies as a team.

#2 The Hooligans (Devin & Mason Cutter @BeardedBullys)- Well you just can't keep those bearded bullies down as the tag team from Brutalsville, USA find their way into the Tag Team Top 5 yet again. The #1 team in the 2014 Tag Team Top 50 are making a STRONG push for the #1 spot for 2015 after some early struggles. Over the weekend they defeated Diamond Ink at MEW on 5/8 and then defeated Agents of Chaos and Scott Parker & Kenny Jones in a 3 Way Tag Team Match at SNPW on 5/10. A 2-0 record on a relatively slow week for tags gets the masters of the "fat flippy style" into the #2 spot this week.

#3 Xceed (Go Shiozaki & Kento Miyahara)- It's the first time in the Tag Team Top 5 for this tag team as they won the All Japan World Tag Team Titles when they defeated Akebono & Yutaka Yoshie on 5/6. They then defeated Akebono & Takao Omori on 5/10 to go 2-0 for the week. With 8 victories in their last 9 matches, they are on a roll right now. Can they continue this success? With the prestige of their titles, they will definitely have plenty of chances to continue to get ranked as 2015 rolls along.

#4 Monster Express (Masato Yoshino & Shachihoko BOY)- For the 2nd straight week, the Dragon Gate Open the Twin Gate Champions grab the #4 spot in the Tag Team Top 5. They have been absolutely incredible recently with 11 wins in their last 12 matches. To get this week's #4 spot they defeated Dia.HEARTS (Masaaki Mochizuki and Big R Shimizu) at Dragon Gate on 5/5 to retain the titles and then defeated Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi HAGeeMee & Jimmy Kanda) on 5/8 to go 2-0 for the week. Dragon Gate has played a MAJOR role in both the Indy Power Rankings and the Tag Team Top 5 this year. Expect that to continue going forward.

#5 Io Shirai & Mayu Iwatani- This tag team gets their first ranking in the Tag Team Top 5 as they won the Goddesses of Stardom Titles in a tournament for the vacant titles. They defeated Kris Wolf & Star Fire at Stardom on 5/6 in the semifinals and then defeated Chelsea & Kairi Hojo in the final the same night to win the vacant titles to go 2-0 for the week. Tournaments always play a major role in our rankings, so it will be interesting to see if this tag team can continue this momentum and turn it into further rankings in 2015.

People's Champs. Rochester Wrecking Crew (Hellcat @hellcat420 & Rob Sweet @RobJust2Sweet)- Major props to the UPW Tag Team Champions as they defeated the FBI (Tony Mamaluke & Little Guido) on 5/9 to retain the titles. They don't just have that to be proud of. They have this week's People's Champ award to add to their many successes as they collected a mind-blowing 421 votes to win the online voting competition. For much of the day it looked like Ken Krevis & Max Havok might win, but they fell short at 311 votes. Another great week of voting in the tag team voting competition!

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/results-evolve-wrestling-evolve-39-32615-san-jose-california/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-evolve-wrestling-evolve-39-32615-san-jose-california/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2015 22:14:51 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha EVOLVE EVOLVE 39 http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10739 Evolve 39, live from the San Jose Fairgrounds in San Jose, California. Match #1 Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak The match started a little late for me due to issues with the WWN Live feed, but my end of the action starts with Gulak catching Thatcher with a German suplex before transitioning to an arm […]

The match started a little late for me due to issues with the WWN Live feed, but my end of the action starts with Gulak catching Thatcher with a German suplex before transitioning to an arm bar. Thatcher gets to the ropes to break the hold and Gulak continues working over the arm, Thatcher goes for an arm bar on Gulak and Gulak quickly grabs the ropes. Gulak regains control and he applies the ankle lock to Thatcher, Thatcher tries to power out before getting to the ropes.

Gulak tries to get back on top of Thatcher and Thatcher gets him down, Thatcher tries diligently to get an arm bar of his own on Gulak. Gulak does his best to escape and Thatcher holds him on the ground, Gulak eventually reaches the ropes to force Thatcher to let go of his arm. Gulak quickly latches onto the leg of Thatcher and he looks for a figure seven ankle lock, Thatcher counters by doing the same move to the free leg of Gulak. Gulak must be feeling more pain because he goes for the ropes first, Thatcher takes Gulak down with a judo throw before attempting a kimura. Gulak finds a way to stand while in the hold before reaching for the ropes, Thatcher gets a near fall after a suplex on Gulak.

Thatcher holds Gulak down before attempting an arm bar, Gulak breaks free and he locks Thatcher in an arm bar of his own. Thatcher breaks free and he picks up Gulak before slamming him back on the ground for a near fall, Thatcher shows his strength by carrying Gulak around the ring before landing a dead lift suplex. Thatcher backs Gulak in the corner to assault him with a few European uppercuts, Thatcher puts Gulak on the top rope to go for the Tower Of McGuinness. Gulak breaks free before catching Thatcher with a top rope shoulder block, Gulak is the first to his feet and Thatcher winds up catching Gulak in another ankle lock.

Gulak stands to break the hold and he catches Thatcher in an arm bar before transitioning to an ankle lock, Thatcher breaks free and looks for the arm bar. Gulak counters with a roll up for the three count.

The match kicks off with End attacking Busick with a few kicks, Busick counters one of those kicks to trip End and twist his leg a little bit. End gets up and locks up with Busick, but Busick shows his speen by catching End with a roll up for a near fall. End will gain a little edge with he catches Busick in a wrist lock, Busick breaks free to create a little space and check on his wrist. They lock up again and End uses a hip toss to take down Busick and work over his arm, End backs Busick in the corner and the referee separates them.

Busick is quick to whip End in the opposite corner before exchanging a few roll ups, End then catches a charging Busick with a kick to the midsection. Busick tries fighting back with a European uppercut and End halts his momentum by kicking him in the face, End then hits Busick with a knee to the rib cage before catching a near fall on him. End walks around Busick before deciding to just kick him in the face once more, Busick tries fighting back and End kicks him in the face once more.

The wrestlers reverse a few holds before Busick puts End down with a hard clothes line for the near fall, Busick misses a second rope dive and End makes him pay with a running knee strike to the face. End misses a top rope double stomp, but he catches a still hurt Busick with a few kicks. Busick tries fighting back again and End kicks him in the head again for the two count, Busick blocks a suplex and End catches him with another kick to the rib cage for another near fall.

End misses a running strike and Busick catches him in a modified rear naked choke and End passes out after a long struggle.

After the match, Biff Busick grabs the microphone and says he will beat Chris Hero tomorrow night like he defeated Tommy Endtonight because Hero fears Busick.
Prior to the match, Ethan Page grabs the microphone and he thanks Johnny Gargano for getting him into the WWN Live shows.

The match starts off with a gentlemanly handshake between the competitors, Hero gets the early edge as he works over the arm of Page. Page uses his speed to grab an arm on Hero and wrenching it behind his back, Hero shows his wrestling prowess as he exchanges holds with Page. Page tries taking Hero down with some shoulder blocks and Hero stands tall, Hero then fools Page by catching him with a running knee strike. Page recovers quickly to take Hero down for a near fall before locking him in a kravat, Hero breaks free and he catches Page with a boot to the midsection.

Hero sends Page to the corner before assaulting him with a few chops, Hero stops chopping Page to just kick him in the head. Page eats a few more chops from Hero before returning fire, Page tosses Hero in the corner before nailing him with a flurry of punches. Hero is quick to respond by dropping Page with a boot to the face, Hero stands over Page before hitting Page with a few more boots to the head. Hero gets a near fall after hitting Page with a senton bomb, Hero continues working over Page by catching him with an inverted jaw breaker and running drop kick.

Page attempts to fight back and Hero knocks him to the arena floor with a single elbow strike, Hero follows Page to the floor to continue attacking him with elbow strikes. Hero brings Page into the ring, Hero looks for another senton and Page gets his knees up before rolling Hero up for a two count. Page then eats a big boot from Hero, Page recovers in time though to catch Hero with a modified suplex. Page starts making his comeback by hitting Hero with a clothes line and back body drop, Page gets the two count after hitting Hero with a sit out power bomb.

Page drops Hero to the arena floor after nailing him with an inzaguri, Page then catches Hero with a suicide dive. Page sends Hero in the ring before hitting him with a springboard ace crusher, Hero quickly pops up to catch Page with a power bomb for a two count. Page slows Hero down with a boot to the face and then a leaping inzaguri for the two count, Hero tries to get a little time before catching an unsuspecting Page with a pair of big kicks to the face for another near fall.

Hero gets tossed into the corner before hitting Hero with an elbow strike, Hero goes for the moonsault and Page catches him on the way down with an ace crusher for a near fall. Page looks for his finisher and Hero pops him with an elbow strike, Hero then hits a kicking Page with a knee strike and elbow strike to the head. Hero picks up Page to plow him with a roaring elbow for the three count.

After the match, Hero grabs the microphone and he addresses what Biff Busick said earlier. Hero says that he is not afraid of Busick because he will knock Biff out before he gets choked out. Busick comes to the ring and he gets the microphone from Hero, Busick says Hero is afraid of him and he is afraid of his choke hold. Busick then says that he will allow Hero to crack him with an elbow strike for free, Timothy Thatcher comes to the ring to check out the activities for himself. Hero says he will not hit him tonightbecause he will kick his ass tomorrow, Hero tries attacking Busick and Busick almost catches him in a choke. Hero winds up escaping and Busick grabs the microphone once more to say that Hero is a dead man, Busick turns to have a staredown with Thatcher.

The Premier Athlete Brand (Caleb Konley, Brian Cage & TJ Perkins) w/So Cal Val & Andrea vs. Rich Swann, Ricochet & Uhaa Nation

This bout begins with Swann and Konley representing their respective teams in the ring, Swann tries to get in the head of Konley by doing a little dance number in the ring. Konley gets the early edge by dropping Swann with a shoulder tackle, Swann recovers by dropping Konley with a standing drop kick after a few reversals by both men. Cage tags in and Nations gets the tag as well, each team's biggest members test their strength against each other. Nation walks away with a moral win after clobbering Cage with a drop kick, Cage recovers well by catching a kneeling Nation with a flat liner.

Nation avoids a few clothes lines from Cage before nailing him with a big boot, Cage recovers by nailing Nation with a 619. Ricochet and Perkins tag in and Ricochet takes Perkins down with a head scissors, Perkins drops Ricochet with a head scissors of his own before knocking him out of the ring. Ricochet folls Perkins by quickly getting back in the ring to smash his face on the canvas, Nation tags in and he drops Perkins with a clothes line. Swann and Ricochet team up to attack Perkins with a series of kicks, Swann is the legal man and he exchanges blows with Perkins.

Nation and Cage come to the ring to confront each other, each wrestler takes turns attacking the other members of their teams. Swann looks for a dive and Perkins catches him with an assisted eat defeat, Perkins works over Swann with a few suplexes. Perkins brings Swann to the corner before Cage tags himself in, Swann tries attacking Cage and Cage nails him with a back breaker. Konley tags in and Swann gets destroyed with a triple team maneuver, Konley slows things down by locking Swann in the chin lock. Swann tries to build some momentum and Konley slows him down again with a fore arm strike that is followed by a back body drop.

Cage tags back in and he wears down Swann with a standing moonsault press, Cage again slows the action down with a chin lock on Swann. Perkins tags in and he puts Swann in the corner before nailing him with a running clothes line, Perkins locks Swann in a modified abdominal stretch. Perkins gets the near fall before tagging Cage back in, Cage brings Swann to the corner before hitting him with a few chops. Swann makes his comeback after nailing Cage with a trio of super kicks, Swann tags in Ricochet and Ricochet takes out his opposition quickly.

Cage quickly drops a flying Ricochet with a standing shoulder tackle, Nation tags in and he drops Cage with a few quick maneuvers. Nation then clobbers Cage with a leaping elbow and a German suplex, Cage avoids an inzaguri before hitting Nation with a wheel barrow slam. Konley tags in and he dropkicks Nation into the turnbuckles, Nation then catches a flying Konley with a Samoan drop for a near fall. Konley hits Nation with a few strikes before dropping him with a back cracker, Swann tags in and he nails Konley with a back heel kick and then rolling thunder.

Konley recovers by catching Swann with a flapjack slam before locking him in the O-Face submission, Ricochet breaks up the submission attempt. Ricochet, Swann and Nation do stereo suicide dives on The Premier Athlete brand after they were all knocked out of the ring. Swann brings Konley back into the ring before Perkins gets the tag, Swann hits both Perkins and Konley with stereo ace crushers. Perkins is then hit with a series of triple team maneuvers, Swann and Nation hit Perkins with a double team wheel barrow DDT for the near fall. All six competitors take each other out for a few near falls, Ricochet then hits a swinging Cage with a 360 inzaguri. Ricochet knocks Cage out of the ring before catching him with a suicide dive, Perkins accidentally nails Konley. Nation hits Konley with the Uhaa Combination for the three count.

After the match, Andrea nails Swann and Nation with low blows that allows Cage to dispose of Nation and Ricochet. Konley then cracks Swann with his title belt. So Cal Val argues with Perkins and Perkins walks away in disgust.

The match begins with Gargano and Fox going through a few reversals and holds, Gargano drops Fox and he starts working over his arms. Gargano applies a few head locks to Fox before dropping him with a shoulder tackle, Gargano looks for the Gargano Escape early and Fox avoids it. The wrestlers exchange slaps before Fox cracks Gargano with a kick to the face, Fox then hits Gargano with a springboard bull dog. Gargano tries escaping to the floor and Fox follows him out there, Gargano nails Fox with a few chops as he drags him around ringside.

Fox catches Gargano with a modified 619 as Gargano tried throwing him back into the ring, Fox then takes out both Gargano and Page with a suicide dive. Fox takes his chance to chop Gargano as he drags him around the ringside area, Fox tries getting fancy and Gargano makes him pay with a super kick. Gargano then catches Fox with a tornado DDT on the arena floor, Gargano finally brings Fox back into the ring for a near fall. Gargano takes a shot at Fox by catching him in the back of the head with a running drop kick, Gargano follows that up by catching Fox with a double knee strike to the rib cage.

Fox tries fighting back and Gargano slows him down with chips in the corner, Gargano trips up Fox before locking him in a modified Texas cloverleaf. Gargano releases the hold before manipulating the wrist of Fox, Gargano attempts a few rollups before catching Fox with a rolling kick to the head. Gargano brings Fox to the corner while catching him with a few punches, Fox makes the comeback after nailing Gargano with a springboard drop kick. Fox continues his beat down on Gargano by nailing him with a few clothes lines and a rope assisted neck breaker.

Fox gets Gargano on his shoulders, Gargano escapes to the ring apron and Fox knocks him to the arena floor with a super kick. Fox misses his dive and Gargano makes him pay with a super kick from the ring apron, Gargano then takes Fox out with a suicide dive of his own. Gargano brings Fox back into the ring before hitting Fox with a rope assisted DDT for a near fall, Fox counters a Hurts Donut attempt with a roll up and then a springboard ace crusher. Fox gets a near fall on Gargano after landing a swanton bomb, Fox stares down Page before missing a 450 splash. Gargano then catches Fox with a double stomped that is followed by a sit out power bomb for a two count.

The wrestlers are on their knees in the middle of the ring and the exchange of forearm strikes takes place, the wrestlers get to their feet and continue exchanging blows. Fox gets the upper hand by landing an inzaguri. Gargano recovers by nailing Fox with a trio of moves that concludes with a discus lariat, Fox eventually drapes Gargano along the middle rope before diving onto his back. Fox then misses his guillotine leg drop and stumbles to the arena floor, Gargano nails Fox with a suicide dive that breaks the ringside barriers a half. Gargano hurt his knee on the dive after he wound up in the crowd, Gargano recovers enough to toss Fox into the ring.

Gargano goes for his springboard spear and Fox kicks him in the head, Fox then hits Gargano with a Canadian destroyer for the near fall. Fox then places Gargano on the top turnbuckle and Gargano avoids whatever move he was going for, Gargano then propels Fox into the middle turnbuckle twice for the near fall. Gargano picks up Fox and he places him on the top rope, Gargano sets up for a move and Fox escapes to catch Gargano with a one man Spanish fly. Fox goes back up to catch Gargano with a 450 splash for a two count, Fox waits for Gargano to stand before nailing him with a pair of running kicks to the face. Fox gets trapped in the ropes and Gargano cracks him with a super kick,

Gargano puts Fox on the top rope to catch him with a top rope Hurts Donut. Gargano instantly applies the Gargano Escape and Fox taps out.

Winner: Johnny Gargano, still your Dragon Gate USA Open The Freedom Gate Champion

After the match, Lacey interview Johnny Gargano, who says that his knee is badly hurt and he will be watching Galloway defend the title next. Gargano said that he wants Galloway to retain his belt so he can defeat him and lead WWN Live into the future.

The main event kicks off with a gentlemanly handshake that turns into a sneak attack attempt by both men, Galloway locks up with Black and he holds him against the turnbuckles. Black goes to the top rope before catching Galloway with a leaping arm drag, Black uses his speed to catch Galloway with a roll up for a two count. Galloway grabs a hold of Black and he uses his power to slam Black a few times, Black eventually tosses Galloway out of the ring. Galloway quickly returns to the ring and Black gets clobbered with a clothes line, Galloway gets a near fall before attacking Black with some chops.

Black gets angry and he assaults Galloway with a plethora of chops and a leg kick, Black's momentum is cut short when Galloway catches him with another clothes line. Galloway wraps Black in the ropes before pounding on his chest with fore arm strikes, Galloway catches Black with a double under hook suplex for a near fall. Black uses his speed again to catch Galloway with a guillotine choke, Galloway breaks free by placing Black on top rope before knocking him to the arena floor with a chop.

Galloway follows Black to the arena floor and Black propels him into the crowd, Black then dives off the ringside barrier onto Galloway. Black tosses Galloway back over the barricade before nailing him with forearm strikes, Galloway responds by catching a running Black with a back body drop on the arena floor. Galloway brings Black back into the ring and the two exchange blows when Galloway returns to the ring.

Galloway drops Black with a punch before choking him in the corner, Galloway continues punishing Black by nailing him with a suplex. Galloway gets the near fall before applying a modified cross face on Black, Black tries moving to safety and Galloway kicks him in the face for his efforts. Galloway starts stomping on the ankle of Black to slow him down, Black uses a springboard head scissors to knock Galloway out of the ring.

Black follows that up by nailing Galloway with a pair of suicide dives, Black brings Galloway into the ring and quickly knocks him back out before landing a few more suicide dives.

Black throws Galloway into the ring before going to the top rope, Galloway quickly trips up Black to crotch him on the top rope. Galloway looks for a superplex before Black trips him up, Black causes Galloway to get caught up in the ropes. Black then lands a top rope double stomp on Galloway, Black goes back to the top rope with Galloway still tangled in the ropes. Galloway grabs a hold of Black and he propels him to the ground with a rope assisted German suplex. The wrestlers meet in the middle of the ring to trade strikes, Galloway then clobbers Black with an inverted Alabama slam for the near fall.

Galloway drops Black along the top turnbuckle before assaulting him with a running kick, Black is quick to recover before nailing Galloway with a trio of super kicks. Black follows that near fall up by hitting Galloway with a tornado DDT, Black then catches Galloway with a rope assisted tornado DDT. Black escapes the grip of Galloway to hit him with a springboard side kick, Galloway gets his feet up on a Black moonsault attempt. Galloway gets another near fall after crushing Black with a pile driver, Galloway brings Black back to the top rope. Galloway crushes Black with a middle rope air raid crash for another near fall, Black gets up to just slap Galloway. Galloway responds by laying out Black with a double under hook DDT for the three count.

After the match, Lacey asks Drew about his match with Johnny Gargano on Saturday Night, Drew first thanks Black for the match they just had. Galloway puts over the wrestlers and how they must always prove themselves, Galloway says that he will continue to bust his ass for all the fans out there. Galloway says that the fans should support shows like Evolve and the week should not be Wrestlemania Week, but simply Wrestle Week. Galloway then says that he respects Gargano, but he has beaten far better competition that Gargano has and he will take the gold from him on Saturday Night to become the best in the world. Gargano comes to the ring with his title belt in hand, the two champions have a staredown and exchange some words. The talk turns physical and a bunch of wrestlers hit the ring to separate everybody.

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/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!!!

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 […]

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/former-wwe-star-debuting-for-evolve-at-wwnlives-wrestlemania-weekend-events/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/former-wwe-star-debuting-for-evolve-at-wwnlives-wrestlemania-weekend-events/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2015 19:44:20 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Darewolf EVOLVE Gabe Sapolsky Justin Gabriel PJ Black Ricochet Wrestlemania WWE WWN WWN Live WWNLive http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9313 Gabe Sapolsky announced the following on Twitter: “Darewolf” PJ Black, FKA Justin Gabriel, will be in action at EVOLVE on 3/26 & 27 and WWN Supershow on 3/28! Info: http://t.co/VhjHJkbKEh — Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) January 27, 2015 We’ll have PJ Black’s opponents in the official press release this week. FKA Justin Gabrielwill be unleashed at […]

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 […]

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-evolve-wrestling-evolve-37-11015-winter-park-florida/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-evolve-wrestling-evolve-37-11015-winter-park-florida/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2015 18:18:06 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Anthony Nese AR Fox Biff Busick Bravado Brothers Caleb Konley Chris Hero Chuck Taylor Drew Galloway EVOLVE EVOLVE 37 Harlem Bravado Johnny Gargano Lancelot Bravado Moose Rich Swann Ricochet Roderick Strong Ronin Saka Otoshi Shane Strickland Su Yung Timothy Thatcher Trevor Lee Uhaa Nation http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8775 EVOLVE 37 January 10th, 2015 Winter Park, FL Singles Match Anthony Nese (with Su Yung and Caleb Konley) def Shane Strickland with a single leg crab Ratings Match: Timothy Thatcher def Roderick Strong with the Fujiwara arm bar Ratings Match: Trevor Lee def AR Fox via ref stoppage Ratings Match: Biff Busick def Uhaa Nation […]

Singles Match
Anthony Nese (with Su Yung and Caleb Konley) def Shane Strickland with a single leg crab

Ratings Match:
Timothy Thatcher def Roderick Strong with the Fujiwara arm bar

EVOLVE Championship Match:
Drew Galloway def Ricochet with the future shock to retain

Losing Team Must Split Up:
Ronin (Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann, and Chuck Taylor) def The Bravado Brothers and Moose after Gargano hit a lungblower followed by a kick from Taylor and a frog splash to Harlem.

– After the match Gargano stated that as Open the Freedom Gate championship he will strive to be the face of WWNLive and have it be the most prestigious title in the World. Drew Galloway came out and said that it is the EVOLVE Title that is the most important in pro wrestling .

http://www.cheap-heat.com/evolve-36-ippv-1915-ybor-city-florida-review-and-results/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/evolve-36-ippv-1915-ybor-city-florida-review-and-results/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2015 18:30:13 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Anthony Nese AR Fox Biff Busick Bravado Brothers Drew Galloway EVOLVE EVOLVE 36 Harlem Bravado Johnny Gargano Lancelot Bravado Moose Rich Swann Ricochet Roderick Strong Ronin Shane Strickland Timothy Thatcher Trevor Lee Uhaa Nation http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8745 The show opens up with Johnny Gargano thanking the fans for their support. He then starts putting over EVOLVE as the place for hungry young talent. Though the next bit was mentioned in WWN Live Newsletter, they make it sound like Gargano is the one who came up with having current EVOLVEwrestlers bring in young […]

The show opens up with Johnny Gargano thanking the fans for their support. He then starts putting over EVOLVE as the place for hungry young talent. Though the next bit was mentioned in WWN Live Newsletter, they make it sound like Gargano is the one who came up with having current EVOLVEwrestlers bring in young wrestlers. Rich Swann comes out and brings up Ronan as young wrestlers taking a spot. Swann is the first wrestler to bring in a younger wrestler and he has chosen Shane "Swerve" Strickland. The opening match is now Strickland versus Gargano and Gargano makes it for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship.

Johnny Gargano vs Shane Strickland for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship

Johnny Gargano won the title on the final night of WWN's China tour. This is Strickland's return toEVOLVE with his last appearance being in September of 2013 if cagematch.net is to be believed. The match is very much a standard indie undercard match. They work pretty even throughout. Probably the neatest thing that happened in the match was Gargano turning a double arm submission into a pinning attempt. Seemed like they really wanted to make Strickland look even with the face of WWN. Could not manage to get a connection with this match. Never found myself rallying behind either wrestler nor getting engrossed with the action. Hope Stickland gets brought back simply so he can work even more with some of EVOLVE's high flyers.

-Post match Strickland and Gargano shake hands. From the back comes Moose, the former NFL player and Bravado Brother's bodyguard, and spears Johnny Gargano. Harlem is not happy with Lancelot .

This is Trevor Lee's debut for the main EVOLVE show though he has wrestled on WWN through FIP. Biff Busick has cemented himself in EVOLVE through two years of putting exciting matches on inEVOLVE's Styles Battle. Both wrestlers came to fight and they delivered a rather rad contest . Busick dominated early on even running through Lee. I loved how they stayed active in holds. That makes it so much harder to look away when they are struggling into the next submission. Busick had some wonderful cutoffs which feels like something you see less and less of in independent wrestling. One was a brutal lariat that made me cringe and one was a half nelson suplex. It established a pecking order and got me excited for the Lee comeback. The comeback did not disappoint. The fact that Lee ran through Busick with a forearm strikem much like he was ran through earlier was fantastic. Lee's sweet striking barrage fit in well in there with Busick. Little too much empty space for me to love this but I certainly enjoyed it. There was a real grit to this match and that is something I hope to continue to see in EVOLVE.

This match had some things I like but on the whole this really is not my kind of match. I love the Bravado Brothers when they are working heavy on the schtick but this was more worked in the workrate style of things which was sorta expected given the babyface team of Nation and Fox. I thought it was fun for what it was and things like Harlem Bravado cutting off a Uhaa comeback onLancelot and creating a double team opportunity. Honestly, their streaks of double team offense may have been my favorite parts of the match. One glaring issues I have with this type of match is a spot where Fox does a giant dive to the outside has to have the ref check on Fox but as soon as he gets there he pops up and goes for a double team.

Looking forward to this show most on the card. Ricochet made his name across the planet last year while Thatcher just started to find himself in some of the more covered independents. These two represent opposite ends of the style spectrum. Thatcher is a throwback grappler with a few new age wrinkles while Ricochet is a dynamic high flyer. While I did not absolutely love this, it was fun simply watching how this would work. Thought this match was most enjoyable when Thatcher was on the offensive. This was not simply because I like Thatcher working over an opponent but I thought Ricochet ate the offense well as well. Favorite moment was easily Ricochet missing the Shooting Star Press as Thatcher slips out of the way and then he slips back into a Fujiwara Armbar. Ricochet was doing a good job selling the job that really drew me in as a possible finish. They built to a big moment and including the styles clash concept in that sequence. The only real downpoint for his selling was going for the Regalplex when it used his injured arm for most of it. One notable flub by Thatcher but really both things didn't bother me too much. Crowd did not do the match much favors and this is definitely in need of rewatch.

In concept this match is already working against itself being essentially a 10 minute "ironman" match. It continued to do itself no favors by jampacking ironman cliches into 10 minutes. Flash pin that wouldn't work in any other situation? You got it. The heel eating a DQ so he can get fall? Definitely there. Time expiring as the tying submission is latched on? You get the point. I sorta liked the work in between which saves this from being a bit of a dud. Only person who I would feel comfortable criticizing in this one is whoever decided to include those moments or who decided on doing this type of match.

-Post match the Bravado Brothers and Moose come out. They stare down the Premiere Athlete Brand but they back away. Moose and the Bravados beat up Rich Swann until Gargano comes out. This segment was hard to watch but what comes out of it is Bravados and Moose will wrestle Rich Swann, Johnny Gargano, and Chuck Taylor. Also, the losing team will never be able to team again. Yeah, can't make sense of that either.

Before the match even begins, Roderick Strong is trying to apologize to Galloway in the most unconvincing of manners. Honestly, it was a really good promo to get into this. The match itself felt like a really good ECW tribute match and I mean that in the best way possible. Of course, easily the FUNNEST match on the card and the most intense ends in a a double DQ which is something I will get back to. Both guys just took it to each other with stiff chops. These two brawl around the building . The camera crew annoyingly can't catch the action though at the same time there is a charm to the cameras running around trying to get an angle for the fight. Strong looks baby-esque in Galloway's arms and there is a couple times where he is just tossed into things including the outside of thebuilding. taking this match to the front of the building could easily have come across as dumb but these wrestlers were going at it in such an uncontrollable manner. When they get back inside thebuilding they exchange chops on top of the bar which is another signature moment in this match. The finish is both wrestlers swinging chairs at each other in the middle of the ring with the referee saying enough is enough. The logic that they seem to want us to buy is that once they took this stuff into the ring that it was too far. Really, it does not make much sense at all and was a poor way to end what was a really good fight.

It should be noted up front that the crowd for this show was rather bad which on a live viewing makes many of the matches come off flatter than they probably should. I don't know if they were simply unethusiastic individuals or what. Half of the card was at least good and each had a different feel. Two of said matches certainly felt like matches that said "EVOLVE" with Busick against Lee and the clash between Ricochet and Thatcher. Incredibly disappointing ending aside, the main event felt like a big time match. The other matches were nothing offensive and I can definitely see some getting more mileage out of Uhaa & Fox versus Bravados than me. Show moves quick and a match that strikes your interest is probably around the corner.