http://www.cheap-heat.com/hall-of-fame-hopefuls-part-one-tag-teams/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hall-of-fame-hopefuls-part-one-tag-teams/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2015 02:32:39 +0000
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10036
Hall of Fame Hopefuls Part One: Tag Teams Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Forgive me for being festive my wrestling brothers and sisters, but I'm in a joyous mood! I always like to say that wrestling is my religion—sort of jokingly, but there's no greater display of my dedication than during Wrestlemania season. Fastlane was […]
Hall of Fame Hopefuls
Part One: Tag Teams
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Forgive me for being festive my wrestling brothers and sisters, but I'm in a joyous mood! I always like to say that wrestling is my religion—sort of jokingly, but there's no greater display of my dedication than during Wrestlemania season. Fastlane was the last stop on the "Road to Wrestlemania," a course set to shred the sports entertainment landscape all the way to Santa Clara, California. One of the most enjoyable evenings during the week-long festivities of Wrestlemania is of course the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Although considered by many to be a political gathering of Vince McMahon's closest friends, the Hall of Fame is a night where the WWE Superstars relinquish their spotlight to honor the iconic legends of yesteryear. With over 120 inductees since 1993, only
SIX
tag teams have ever been added! I thought that was sort of strange, so I compiled a list of TEN renowned wrestling duos whom I feel deserve credit for their contributions to "Sports Entertainment."
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers
Members: Raymond Rougeau & Jacques Rougeau
Some of the greatest tag teams in history have been family, so it's no surprise that the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers are still remembered nearly 30 years after their WWF debut. Raymond and Jacques were from the Great White North, where their family controlled the highly lucrative Montreal wrestling territory until it was absorbed by the World Wrestling Federation. The brothers debuted together in the late 1970s and were signed by Vince McMahon in 1986. Originally brought in as white-meat babyfaces, the French-Canadians did little to win over their American audiences, and quickly became a pair of detestable heels. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers never held the WWF tag team championship belts, but they did engage in memorable programs against legendary teams such the British Bulldogs, the Hart Foundation, and the Killer Bees, and even competed at Wrestlemania. Following their run as tag team competitors, Ray Rougeau found a new home behind the French broadcast desk. His brother however, would go on to earn greater accolades than ever before—finally winning the tag team titles alongside Pierre Ouellet, as well as the coveted intercontinental championship during his time as the Mountie. Although the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers never enjoyed the same success as some of their contemporaries, their contributions to the industry are greatly appreciated, as was their insanely catchy theme music. Let's hope these "All American Boys" can find their way into the WWE Hall of Fame sometime in the near future.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express
Members: Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson
One of the most iconic wrestling tandems in history is a duo of singles competitors that might never have met, had another tag team not gotten over in the way that they did. Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were a pair of high-flying adrenaline junkies who helped develop the faster pace of the 1980s. In 1983, longtime promotor and world champion Jerry "The King" Lawler booked Morton and Gibson as an alternate to the wildly popular
Fabulous Ones
. Soon enough, the Rock �N' Roll Express surpassed the mold in which they were sculpted and carved out a legacy of their own. The �Express is considered by many to be the greatest tag team in history, perhaps hindered only by their lackluster run in WWF. During their time together, Morton and Gibson won the NWA world tag team titles on four separate occasions, and set the bar with an unprecedented
TEN
title runs in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. The Rock �N' Roll Express still leaves the station now and again, having made their mark in the NWA/WCW, WWF, ECW, WWC, SMW, USWA, AWA and dozens more around the world. They might not be the greatest team in
WWE History
, but the Rock �N' Roll Express is certainly worthy of being added to the illustrious WWE Hall of Fame.
The Fabulous Freebirds
Members: Michael "PS" Hayes; Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy; Buddy "Jack" Roberts; Jimmy "Jam" Garvin
If you're wondering why there are four names, you might be surprised to learn that the Fabulous Freebirds revolutionized the rules of tag team wrestling, by creating what's commonly referred to as the "Freebird Rule." When the group took possession of a tag team championship, any two members of the group were allowed to defend the belts interchangeably. The �Freebirds began as a trio comprised of Michael "PS" Hayes, Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, and Buddy "Jack" Roberts. Eventually they would grow to include Jimmy "Jam" Garvin, and created a legacy which spanned several promotions including the AWA, WCCW, UWF, NWA, WWF and WCW. The �Birds were awarded championships in a variety of territories, but were most highly-regarded for their work in World Class Championship Wrestling down in Dallas. In addition to wrestling, the Fabulous Freebirds fancied themselves a group of songwriters, and recorded a few original anthems such as "Badstreet, U.S.A." The group splintered away from one another throughout the years, with the final incarnation of Hayes and Garvin going their separate ways when Michael "PS" Hayes became Dok Hendrix with the WWF. Since then both Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts have passed, in 2001 and 2012 respectively, leaving but two living members to accept the honor, should the WWE decide the Fabulous Freebirds belong in the Hall of Fame.
Harlem Heat
Members: Booker T & Stevie Ray
Another set of siblings made famous by their tag team acumen are the 10-time WCW world tag team champions Booker T and Stevie Ray—Harlem Heat. They made their debut in 1989, wrestling under their real names before earning their reputation as the Ebony Experience. They were signed by World Championship Wrestling in the early-to-mid �90s where they were renamed Harlem Heat and positioned with Colonel Rob Parker. By the end of 1994, Harlem Heat captured the WCW world tag titles for the very first time. Both Booker and Stevie had successful singles careers following their eventual split; Stevie Ray became the new leader of NWO Black and White as well as a heel faction with Ahmed Johnson and Clarence Mason called "Harlem Heat 2000." Booker T and Stevie Ray each held the world television championship, but Booker did something his big brother never could—he became WCW world heavyweight champion. Booker is already a member of the Hall of Fame due-in-part to his stellar career with the WWE, but also thanks to his extraordinary success as a tag team competitor. Harlem Heat is quite possibly the best tag team in WCW history, but their legacy will forever be held in limbo until the WWE inducts them as a duo.
The New Age Outlaws
Members: The Road Dogg & Billy Gunn
The number one tag team during my childhood was the impractical pairing of the "Road Dogg" Jesse James and "Bad-ass" Billy Gunn. The New Age Outlaws arrived on the scene just as the WWF had all-but given up on two undesirable characters—"Rockabilly" and the "Roadie." The �Outlaws were infused with the same Attitude for which the WWF would soon be known—wearing South Park t-shirts, talking about marijuana, and making sexually explicit gestures became part of their routine on a nightly basis. Billy Gunn was already a proven tag team specialist, and provided the athletic edge, while the Road Dogg functioned as their colorful mouthpiece. In lieu of traditional pre-recorded theme music, Jesse James used their entrance as an opportunity to work the crowd with his refined verbal abilities. In 1998, the New Age Outlaws joined Triple H, X-Pac and Chyna for the second generation of Degeneration X. The �Outlaws won the tag titles five times during their initial run, and once more nearly 15 years later in 2014. Despite a short hiatus while working with TNA, both men are WWE employees once again; Billy Gunn is a trainer for the WWE Performance Center and Brian "Jesse the Road Dogg" James is a producer for Monday Night Raw. No matter what you think of their presentation between the ropes, nobody can deny the fact that the New Age Outlaws were the most popular tag team during the Attitude Era, which is most certainly Hall of Fame-worthy.
The Steiner Brothers
Members: Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner
The first tag team in history to win the WCW, WWF
and
IWGP titles were Detroit-natives Rick and Scott Rechsteiner, otherwise known as the Steiner Brothers. After competing at the collegiate level, Rick and Scott decided to try their hand at professional wrestling. They made their professional debut in 1989 and would go on to become the NWA/WCW tag team champions seven times. Through WCW's working relationship with New Japan, the brothers were afforded the chance to travel overseas and on two occasions captured the coveted IWGP heavyweight tag team titles. The Steiner Brothers signed with Vince McMahon in 1992 and made their WWF pay-per-view debut at the Royal Rumble 1993. The Steiners won the WWF tag straps twice, but left the company in 1994 shortly after Scott failed to qualify for that year's King of the Ring. They spent the better part of 1995 working for Paul Heyman in Extreme Championship Wrestling, and in 1996 returned home to WCW. Both brothers were the penultimate champions of WCW; Rick dropped his U.S. heavyweight belt at WCW Greed, and Scott lost his world championship just one week later on the last episode of Nitro. Both men relinquished their gold to Booker T. The Steiners have had an historic career that's lasted nearly 30 years and continues to play out on the independent scene today. Maybe the next time Wrestlemania goes to Michigan, we might expect to see the "Dog Faced Gremlin" and the "Big Bad Booty Daddy."
The Dudley Boyz
Members: Bubba Ray Dudley & Devon Dudley
They've been called the most decorated team in professional wrestling history, and it doesn't take more than a minute's worth of research to understand why. Devon and Bubba were originally cast as two members of an ECW stable that also included Spike, Big Dick, Sign Guy, and several others. But it was the synchronistic style of Devon and his "brother" Bubba Ray that wowed audiences and achieved championship accolades all around the world. Their accomplishments are comprised of nearly two dozen distinct title reigns including eight ECW, nine WWE, two TNA, two IWGP, one NWA, and one WCW. The Dudley Boyz are regarded as trailblazers in tag team ladder match competition, and helped introduce the entire world to a concept known simply as "Tables, Ladders, and Chairs." Although they're considered strict tag team wrestlers, both Bubba and Devon have had their share of singles success in the WWE, as well as in TNA. Last month, Bubba Ray Dudley shocked the world when he entered the Royal Rumble at number three, eliminating R Truth and the Miz before being sent over the top rope himself. After nearly a decade working for the number
TWO
promotion in America, it appears Bubba Ray has finally returned home. Does that mean Devon is also on good terms with the WWE? And if so, when can we expect to see these
TNA Hall of Famers
honored by the WWE?
The Hart Foundation
Members: Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
Bret "The Hitman" Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, but might never have become a household name if it wasn't for his brother-in-law. When Bret burst onto the scene, he was "saddled" with the identity of a cowboy, with plans in place for him to ride a horse to the ring. Bret argued against the character, and instead petitioned to work with his sister's husband, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Vince McMahon was against the idea because he didn't feel Bret possessed the right skillset to convey the evil intentions of a heel. Months later, the WWF finally gave him what he wanted, and booked him alongside both Neidhart and "Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart. The Hart Foundation made their pay-per-view debut at Wrestlemania 2, competing in the 20-man battle royal. The Hart Foundation's greatest rivalry would be against their real-life relatives, the British Bulldogs. The Hart Foundation beat the �Bulldogs on February 7, 1987 to win their first tag team championship. After ten months on top, the Hart Foundation dropped their belts to Strike Force. Bret and Jim turned �face during their dispute with the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, and eventually split following Wrestlemania 7. The Hart Foundation lasted longer than most WWF tag teams and made history on several occasions against the biggest names in the sport. Bret might already have a Hall of Fame ring, but he's due another so that this legendary tag team may be properly honored.
Demolition
Members: Ax & Smash
It was Steve Jobs who said, "Good artists copy,
great
artists steal." The WWF has always been regarded as the pinnacle proving-ground for top-drawing talent. Look at the WCW roster in the mid-to-late �90s—
ALL
former competitors from the World Wrestling Federation. But that isn't to say Vince McMahon hasn't "borrowed" ideas from other promotors throughout the years, most notably his vain attempt at recreating the Road Warriors. In 1987, Animal and Hawk were signed to World Championship Wrestling, the flagship promotion for the National Wrestling Alliance. Fearing he may never get the chance to reap the rewards of the Road Warriors, McMahon opted to craft his own version and introduced the world to Demolition that very same year. Bill Eadie portrayed the hulking powerhouse Ax, while Barry Darsow competed under the name Smash. The pair was booked with Mr. Fuji as their manager, and quickly climbed the ranks of the tag team roster. Ax and Smash won the WWF tag titles from "Strike Force" at Wrestlemania IV and held them a record-setting 478 days before being defeated by Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. During their first title reign, Demolition turned babyface and feuded with their former manager Fuji and the "Powers of Pain." Both Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow enjoyed longevity as singles performers, but it was as the leather-clad, silver-studded, face-painted Demolition, that either man will always been remembered. Regardless of whether they started in the shadow of the Road Warriors, Demolition created an identity of their own, and deserve recognition for their unprecedented run on top of the WWF tag division.
The British Bulldogs
Members: Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid
During the early 1970s, David Smith was an aspiring professional wrestler, working throughout the European territory system with his cousin Tom Billington. After years of working side-by-side, the duo was drafted to Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta. It was there that the real-life cousins were torn apart and made to work against one another, culminating in what was perhaps the
BIGGEST
program in Stampede history. The quality of their work was so impressive that it attracted eyes from yet-another ocean away, this time in the "Land of the Rising Sun." They brought their battles to New Japan where their rivalry heated up due to the presence of the IWGP junior heavyweight championship. Their feud was incredibly controversial for the time, revolving around whether or not David was a "test tube baby," however the two managed to squash their beef just in time to win the Stampede International tag team championship. They were dubbed the "British Bulldogs" and continued to defend their titles until the WWF bought-out the original Stampede Wrestling, as well as dozens of talent contracts in 1984. The �Bulldogs debuted for the WWF that year and were named "Tag Team of the Year" by the Wrestling Observer in 1985. Smith went on to enjoy a mildly successful singles career, calling himself the "British Bulldog." He was the first-ever WWF European champion, as well as a multiple-time tag team champion. There are quite a few loyal fans lobbying for Davey Boy's inclusion in the Hall of Fame, and I'm most certainly one of them. But where does that leave Tom Billington? I suggest
both
�Bulldogs have earned their rightful spots in the annals of Sports Entertainment history, and would very much like to see David Hart Smith return to do the honors of inducting both his dad and the "Dynamite Kid."
What do you think? Did I list some of your favorite tag teams, or am I completely off-base? If you're curious about other "Hall of Fame Hopefuls," then you won't want to miss my next installment suggesting some serious
CELEBRITY
induction scenarios. Until then, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty for Cheap-Heat.com, inviting you to "Like" and follow me on Facebook by searching "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."
http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-21415/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-21415/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2015 17:34:10 +0000
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9815
Honorable Mention ROH TV 2/14/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Love is in the air, everywhere you look around! It's Valentine's Day at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia and Ring of Honor is back in action with another star-studded hour of power, just two weeks away from the Thirteenth Anniversary Show in Las Vegas. I'll […]
Honorable Mention
ROH TV 2/14/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Love is in the air, everywhere you look around! It's Valentine's Day at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia and Ring of Honor is back in action with another star-studded hour of power, just two weeks away from the Thirteenth Anniversary Show in Las Vegas. I'll be heading out to Sin City, as it's just a quick car ride out of Southern California, and I'll be looking forward to shooting some dice with the Young Bucks and perhaps having an appletini or two if Chris Daniels is around. This week's episode of ROH TV helped further establish the rivalries going into their biggest show of the year so far. What was the match of the night and what could we have done without seeing? Let's waste no time and get right into the thick of things with our commentators Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino, and very special guest ROH world heavyweight champion Jay Briscoe.
The show begins as Ring of Honor world champion Jay Briscoe makes his way to ringside, getting set to join the usual duo of Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino on commentary. Tonight's episode of Ring of Honor TV will include four bouts, three of which feature participants in the upcoming four-way championship match in Las Vegas. Jimmy Jacobs is set to go one-on-one with the "Sicilian Psychopath" Tommaso Ciampa. Jacobs has been making waves in recent weeks, scouting the Top Prospect Tournament in search of the Decade's newest "young boy." The match is off to a rough start for the "Zombie Princess," as Ciampa quickly resorts to his signature blend of striking offense. Announcers at ringside made mention that Jacobs has just as much fight as anyone, despite weighing-in at just 185 pounds. The onslaught of lariats and running knee-strikes took its toll on both Jacobs and the Philadelphia audience; the fans inside the 2300 Arena were silent during the unnecessary roughness of Ciampa, except for one man who yelled, "What a maneuver!" Ciampa obliterated Jimmy Jacobs in less than five minutes, leaving the Decade member broken on the outside of the ring. The official opted to forgo a count, and declared Ciampa the winner. This breathtaking display by the �Psychopath left the champion speechless. He stood to face Ciampa, sizing up what could be his most
violent
competition at the Anniversary Show in two weeks.
Before ROH hit the air I knew we'd be getting a dose of The Romantic Touch—it is Valentine's Day, after all! �Touch enters the arena with a heart-shaped box of chocolates and two beautiful ladies hanging on each of his arms. As he struts to the ring, Kelly and Corino question whether the champ has enough time for romance when preparing to defend his title in two weeks. Jay Briscoe says, "Well, we've been married for seven years…" Steve Corino immediately cuts him off, "Oh don't tell me the romance is all gone!" But Jay was quick on his feet, joking back, "Oh shoot no, I'm just tryin' not to have another kid!" The Romantic Touch has a prerecorded promo wherein he warns viewers at home to treat their ladies well, otherwise he's prepared to do so. His opponent tonight however, is a little less loving than �Touch might have hoped. This is the second exhibition featuring the three number one contenders to Jay Briscoe's world title, and this time it's "Warbeard" Hanson. The impressive Hanson stands at 6'2" and weighs in at 275 pounds—not a massive individual by "New York" standards, but a menacing force inside the Ring of Honor locker room. The Romantic Touch and "Warbeard" Hanson meet to engage in the "Code of Conduct," where �Touch offers Hanson a chocolate. Hanson responds with a disastrous kick, dubbed the "Spin Kick of Doom." Hanson defeated the Romantic Touch in less than thirty seconds, and even ate one of the chocolates when he was through. After the match, Hanson met eye-to-eye with Briscoe, just the same as Ciampa before him. Hanson shouted, "Look what I did," in reference to laying out his opponent. Jay responded in kind, letting Hanson know that he "ain't no Romantic Touch."
The third and final bout featuring challengers for Jay Briscoes coveted belt pits the undefeated Moose against the former Ring of Honor world heavyweight champion Michael Elgin. Moose is escorted to the ring, per usual, by Veda Scott and Stokley Hathaway. Since defeating R.D. Evans at Final Battle in December, Moose has established the "New Streak" in Ring of Honor, and will put it on the line tonight in his greatest test to-date. Elgin enters to a chorus of boos, but doesn't allow the Philadelphia fans to breach his skin as he prepares to dismantle Moose. Both men adhere to the code of conduct before quickly engaging in battle. Elgin takes advantage of the former Atlanta Falcon within the opening seconds, lifting him into a brain buster position, and holding him there for over 10-seconds before driving him into the mat. But Moose was back up just as quick as Elgin, ready to continue with a dropkick, sending the former champion barreling to the outside. This match is already more competitive than both previous bouts on the card, which makes sense; aside from Jay Briscoe, Michael Elgin is certainly the odds-on-favorite heading into Las Vegas. Michael Elgin returns to the ring and dodges a clothesline, returning with a big boot of his own. Elgin pumped his arm, mocking the choreographed way in which Moose and his entourage enter the arena. The former champion climbed the ropes, but was distracted by Veda Scott. Elgin fought her away and cartwheeled off the turnbuckle and away from and imposing Moose. He proceeded to deliver a devastating powerbomb, and then lifted the 300 pound athlete from the canvas, into the air, for another grueling power bomb. A near-three count and the contest continues with both men reeling against the ropes. Moose then shoved Elgin through the ropes and to the outside where he was face-to-face with Jay Briscoe. Just the same as Ciampa and Hanson, Elgin stared into the eyes of the champion, but unlike the �Psychopath and "Warbeard, Michael Elgin
pushed
Jay Briscoe back and over his chair. Briscoe wasn't going to stand for such disrespect and immediately charged the ring where he was caught in the line of fire between Elgin and a Spear by Moose. The referee called for the bell and before long all four combatants in the Thirteenth Anniversary main event were warring inside the squared-circle, with a great deal of focus placed on the reigning world champion. Luckily Jay Briscoe was saved by his brother Mark who engaged all-comers before being put down by Moose's spine-shattering Spear.
It's time for the main event at the 2300 Arena—a trios match with Ring of Honor babyfaces squaring off against Bullet Club villains. ACH, Matt Sydal and Cedric Alexander are the first team introduced, and although all three men are among the most-over in ROH, their popularity pales in comparison to their opponents. The Bullet Club coming to America and performing on Ring of Honor TV is akin to British rock bands touring America or the Harlem Globe Trotters playing in North Korea. The Young Bucks enter first wearing black pants with fringe complete with a Bullet Club logo on the side. Just before they make it to the ringside area, the lights go down and the music slowly begins. It's as if a spiritual leader of some sort has just entered this holiest of hallowed halls; the audience is almost completely silent until AJ Styles makes his dramatic appearance. They chant, "AJ, AJ, AJ," as both Styles and the Bucks cruise into the ring amidst a sea of colored streamers. All six wrestlers shake hands before returning to their respective corners and this match is underway. It's interesting to note, as this was filmed several weeks ago, AJ is without the IWGP championship title belt. AJ, of course, won the IWGP world heavyweight championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi just this past week in Japan. The �Bucks begin by each taking turns on Matt Sydal who soon trades out to his former tag team partner ACH. The Bucks work like a well-oiled machine, working their opponents down to the mat in whatever way possible. When AJ tags into the contest he is met with immediate praise from the live audience, and sets to work attacking ACH just the same as his fellow Bullet Club members. The show goes to a commercial and when we return ACH and AJ Styles are standing in the center of the ring trading knife-edge chops with deadly precision. Nick Jackson tagged back in, hitting ACH with his patented blend of Young Bucks chicanery, poking the decorated superstar in the eyes and "too sweeting" his tag team partners in the corner.
The action heats up with all six combatants seeking to get involved at the same time. Sydal finds himself alone inside the ring with the Bullet Club, who triple team the former WWE tag team champion, before Matt Jackson takes the lead, continuing to take the fight to "Reborn" Matt Sydal. The quick tags from the Bullet Club work to their advantage as one-by-one AJ and the Bucks trade shots on their opponent, isolating him from his partners. After managing to reach his corner, the contest works toward the favor of the ROH wrestlers. Cedric Alexander takes to the skies, performing an exhilarating splash, followed by "two-out-of-three Amigos." Nick Jackson countered and proceeded to superkick ACH, who was standing on the outside, from the apron. He spring-boarded into the ring where he face-busted Cedric Alexander, only to slide back out of the ring and hit ACH once more, this time with a Tornado-DDT. Not to be outdone by his brother, Matt Jackson joined the action with a misguided Swanton bomb, crash-landing on the knees of Cedric Alexander. Cedric lifted Matt Jackson up into a powerbomb predicament, complimented by a jumping knee smash courtesy of Matt Sydal. Sydal then went toe-to-toe with AJ Styles in a battle of rights-and-lefts until he was taken off his feet by a superkick from Matt Jackson. Nick and Matt Jackson were ready to deliver superkicks to whomever may ask for one, but were caught off guard with the equally-quick superkick-game of ACH. AJ attempted a 450-splash but to no avail, once again countered by the educated knees of Cedric Alexander. This time ACH would be the one going for a 450, landing expertly on Styles. Matt Sydal would hope to follow-up with his own high-risk maneuver, the Shooting Star Press. As Sydal leapt from the top turnbuckle, he was forced to make an emergency landing on his feet, met almost immediately by duel superkicks. Nick and Matt then proceeded to superkick ACH and Cedric Alexander out of contention. The end would come for Matt Sydal as the trio put him through a combination of the "Meltzer-Driver," a hanging upside down double superkick, followed by a "Styles Clash" for the 1-2-3. Your winners are the Bullet Club.
This was an excellent edition of ROH TV, which believe it or not, I'm almost getting sick of saying each week! Ring of Honor delivers at least three—in some cases FOUR highly athletic wrestling contests every time it airs. In addition, ROH isn't bogged down by heavily scripted talking segments, instead allowing for the story to be told inside the squared-circle. That might sound like a cliché, but that's only because I've said it before. Just two more episodes of ROH TV to go until Sunday March 1st and the Thirteenth Anniversary Show in Las Vegas. Next week will feature two main-event caliber bouts—Alberto El Patron will go head-to-head with ACH, and the world television champion Jay Lethal will battle Roderick Strong. Until then, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been "Honorable Mention."
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
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9173
Lucky Thirteen #4 Nifty-Looking Title Belts Written by Mark Adam Haggerty You know a belt can do more than keep your trousers from falling down around your ankles. The right accessory around your waist might mean you're the best at what you do. Of course I'm only referring to one type of belt—those leather straps […]
Lucky Thirteen #4
Nifty-Looking Title Belts
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
You know a belt can do more than keep your trousers from falling down around your ankles. The right accessory around your waist might mean you're the best at what you do. Of course I'm only referring to one type of belt—those leather straps coated in gold made to distinguish super humans from every day citizens. Championship title belts come in many forms and represent a slew of action sports from mixed martial arts to boxing, but perhaps are most synonymous with the over-the-top world of professional wrestling. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and this week I'm counting down "Nifty-Looking Title Belts"—the most aesthetically pleasing championships in professional wrestling history.
Honorable Mention
I don't always do an honorable mention, but I figured one was most certainly warranted given this week's subject matter. For the purpose of variety, I excluded Superstar-specific championship belts such as the spinners worn by John Cena and the ghastly Willow-inspired TNA belt created for Jeff Hardy. I also left out the Million Dollar Championship, the current Matt Hardy Title in Ring of Honor, the Smoking Skull Belt and anything else designed to fit one specific superstar. I wanted this list to focus on "real" titles, rather than gimmick belts—but who knows? Perhaps that's another list for another Lucky Thirteen?
13. Impact Wrestling – TNA Heavyweight Championship [Present Design]
Our countdown begins with a championship still in use today, the TNA World Heavyweight title belt. When Total Nonstop Action broke from the National Wrestling Alliance, they needed to establish their own world title apart from the NWA. The TNA Championship was introduced in 2007 and first held by the Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. The current belt was unveiled in 2011 and closely resembles the IWGP Heavyweight title in New Japan in its magnificently decadent design. Sitting atop an already extravagant set of plates are the words, "TNA Heavyweight Champion," embroidered in cubic zirconias. The front plate extends higher than the average belt, making it almost impossible to ignore this glistening piece of hardware, especially around the waist of the current champion Bobby Lashley.
12. WWE – WWF Heavyweight Championship [Winged-Eagle Design]
I grew up in New Jersey during the 1990's, so in many ways this was the only world title I ever knew. Worn by the greatest champions in history, the "Winged Eagle" design features a deep-blue globe positioned in the center of, you guessed it—an eagle! The bird's massive wingspan encompasses the words "WWF World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion," with classic representations of modern professional wrestling along the edges and side plates. This was the championship belt passed down from Hulk Hogan to Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels, with names like Ric Flair, the Ultimate Warrior and Yokozuna each having their opportunity to carry the gold. Unfortunately the "Austin Era" signified the end of the "Winged Eagle" belt, and introduced the round-faced Attitude Era championship.
11. Right Coast Pro – RCP World Heavyweight Championship [Present Design]
The most indie of independent titles on our countdown, the Right Coast Pro Heavyweight belt debuted in 2013 after a lengthy design process involving RCP executives and the engineers at Top Rope Belts. This belt is the largest on our countdown, including massive side plates each depicting a certain set of skills required to win a chess match. Looking closely at the front, you can see that the plate is covered with nearly microscopic inscriptions. Don't try and read too closely unless you're familiar with Latin—the dead language of the Catholic Church extends across the entire faceplate, fading into the background behind the all-original RCP logo.
10. Shimmer – Shimmer Championship [Present Design]
Feeling the need to represent women in wrestling, I scoured the internet in search of the coolest looking lady's championship title in the world. While the pink WWF Women's belt and current Diva's title are unmistakably original, I decided to instead go with the most-sought after title in women's wrestling, the Shimmer Championship. Made from soft leather, the Shimmer belt includes a perfectly-rounded set of face and side plates, with the word Shimmer stretched across the front and extending over the sides. Shimmer is the premier league for women's wrestling, meaning the title has only been held by highly skilled competitors such as Cheerleader Melissa, Sara Del Rey, and mother of WWE Diva Paige, Saraya Knight.
9. AAA – AAA Latin American Championship [Present Design]
Let's venture across the southernmost border of the United States for number nine, the AAA Latin American Championship. The L.A. championship belt was first introduced in 2011 and originally worn by the second generation luchador Dr. Wagner Jr. As opposed to most belts, this AAA title doesn't feature a circular centerpiece, but a sharp angular shape with more than thirty separate sides. In the middle sits a globe focusing on Central and South America with the Mexican flag beneath. On the right and left of the map are ten more flags, each representing a different nation in Latin America. The current title holder is Chessman, a near 20-year veteran who's managed to retain the championship for over 300 days.
8. AWA – AWA World Heavyweight Championship [Last Redesign]
If the WCW title was referred to as the "Big Gold Belt," then the final belt representing the American Wrestling Association should surely be known as the "Big Silver Belt." When the sport of sports entertainment began to go global, Verne Gagne stuck to his all-American roots, outfitting his belt with the red white and blue of the United States. The face plate makes this among the most reflective championship titles in history, serving to mirror anyone who looked directly at it, but only belonging to one man at a time. The middle of the centerplate simply reads: "AWA World Heavyweight Champion," without any sort of star-studded bells and whistles aside from the standard red jewels and fake diamonds that any belt of the time was designed with. Sadly the title was retired nearly a year before the AWA closed when the final champion Larry Zbyszko signed with WCW.
7. WWE – WWF Light Heavyweight Championship [Original Design]
WCW's Monday Nitro on TNT maintained a solid lead over WWF's Monday Night Raw on the USA Network, partly because of the innovation on display each week from the cruiserweight division. High flying luchadors from every corner of the planet converged on World Championship Wrestling to practice their craft and it was only a matter of time before Vince McMahon sought to cash in on the junior weight division. In 1997 the WWF dusted off the Light Heavyweight Championship, a 1980s title that had since been retired. The new belt was red and featured the same sort of prestigious styling as the "Winged Eagle." The first champion to hold the crimson championship was Taka Michinoku who defeated Brian Christopher in the tournament finals. The belt was soon replaced with a classic black strap, and then once again retired in 2001 when Vince McMahon bought WCW and the cruiserweight championship.
6. WWE – WWF King of the Ring [1995 Prototype]
Alright so I cheated with this one. I promised I would keep the countdown focused on real titles worth wrestling for, and sadly this was a one-time only concept. But how cool is the WWF's King of the Ring title designed in 1995 for King Mabel? Whether the original idea was to have the late Big Vis defend his Kingly crown on a regular basis, or simply display his reign in classic championship form, we may never know. The faceplate is similar in shape to the classic WWF tag team titles of the 1990s, but features castle towers raising off the words "World Wrestliing" with "Federation beneath the "King of the Ring" logo. On either side the strap are the flags of several noteworthy wrestling nations such as Mexico, Japan, the UK, Australia and—South Korea? Unfortunately the only man to ever own this title has passed, leading me to wonder whether his widow is still in possession of this one of a kind piece of wrestling folklore?
5. EVOLVE – EVOLVE World Championship [Present Design]
The Evolve Championship title looks like it belongs to the Springfield Nuclear Powerplant with all of its atomic elements including the EVOLVE logo in the center. The entire faceplate has a symmetrically wavy style to it, representing both the unpredictability of nuclear energy and the action inside the EVOLVE squared circle. EVOLVE is an extension of Dragon Gate, and therefore adheres to a variety of the same principles as both DG and DGUSA. The first ever EVOLVE champion was AR Fox crowned in April of 2013, and since then there have been two additional title holders: Chris Hero and the current champion Drew Galloway AKA Drew McIntyre.
4. ECW – ECW World Tag Team Championship [Last Redesign]
It's about time for this countdown to get EXTREME. ECW was always relentless when it came to designing their championship titles in a way that reflected the sharp-edged style of Hardcore Wrestling. Their belts always seemed to have some barbed wire or broken glass—hell they even had an FTW championship that stood for "Fuck the World." But perhaps the most interesting-looking belts ever produced by Paul Heyman were the final tag title belts, redesigned for ECW on TNN. In addition to the barbed wire motif, the ECW world tag team championship featured an entire prison fence torn to shreds with a black and white globe crashing through the middle.
3. New Japan – IWGP Heavyweight Championship [Present Design]
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship might possibly be the most prestigious championship in all of professional wrestling. Currently held by the record-setting Hiroshi Tanahashi, the IWGP championship has been passed from men like Vader and Brock Lesnar to stars of today such as AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada. The most recent title design makes for a near-30 pounds of brushed silver and gold plates, making it one of the more massive belts on our countdown—most certainly the heaviest. Although defended in the "Land of the Rising Sun," the IWGP heavyweight title features roman lettering and English phrases such as "Heavyweight Champion." The side plates lining the strap are used to display the names of all former champions, so that the current title holder never forgets the historic significance of his championship.
2. WWE – WWWF Heavyweight Championship [Big Green Belt Design]
Everyone's heard of the "Big Gold Belt," but somewhere lost in the shuffle of history is the championship belt that represented the era between Vincent J. and Vincent K. McMahon. Only ever held by three men including Bob Backlund, the Iron Sheik, and Hulk Hogan—the WWWF Heavyweight Championship consisted of several heavy gold-plated slabs affixed to a bright green leather strap. In the center was a perfectly circular plate depicting the earth underneath the words, "World Wide Wrestling." The length of the belt was covered in rectangular pieces of metal, each displaying the length of reign for all previous champions. The above photos display the original belt as it was in the early 1980s, as well as a fully restored replica created by Wild Cat Belts.
1. Dragon Gate – Open the Dream Gate [All Designs]
The number one title belt in the world is the Dream Gate championship title awarded to the best and brightest stars of Dragon Gate. The Dream Gate belt is considered the equivalent of the world title in Dragon Gate, and has been held a record number three times by the first ever champion Cima. Unlike virtually every other title belt in existence, the Dream Gate championship opens up to display a championship compartment where the current title holders name may rest. When a competitor is named number one contender to the Dream Gate championship, they're given a key which "Opens the Dream Gate." Should the challenger best the champion and take his title, he may use his key to remove the former champions name and replace it with his own. However, should the champion retain his title, the key is then added to a bar along the bottom of the belt; many keys hanging from the Dream Gate championship means a series of successful title defenses. Not only is the outside stylish, compete with black and bronze colored plates topped with silver accents, but the hidden compartment and "contender's key ritual" represents an entirely new level of innovation in championship belt design. That is why I've named the Dragon Gate Open the Dream Gate the number one championship on this countdown of "Nifty Looking Title Belts."
Whether their style be classic like the Winged Eagle, or radically adventurous such as the titles seen in Dragon Gate; some date back fifty years, while others were introduced in the past two. Regardless of who's gone before, each championship belt tells a story and it's up to the current title holder to keep that tale alive. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been another installment of Lucky Thirteen, exclusively at Cheap-Heat.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-1315-review/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-1315-review/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2015 04:52:40 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
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NJPW
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http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8717
Honorable Mention ROH TV 1/3/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Everyone will always remember 2014 as the year ROH stepped onto the "Sports Entertainment" battlefield with huge successes including their first-and-second classic pay-per-view events, the return of many former ROH stars, but most importantly for me? The ACTION FIGURES! Ring of Honor signed a merchandising […]
Honorable Mention
ROH TV 1/3/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Everyone will always remember 2014 as the year ROH stepped onto the "Sports Entertainment" battlefield with huge successes including their first-and-second classic pay-per-view events, the return of many former ROH stars, but most importantly for me? The ACTION FIGURES! Ring of Honor signed a merchandising deal this year that includes a variety of Ring of Honor Action Figures! How cool is that? Yes 2014 was a cataclysmic year for professional wrestling which is why I decided to write about this week's episode of ROH TV, even though it was nothing more than a "Best of 2014" clip show. We're going to cover an array of bouts from earlier in the year, including the Ring of Honor Match of the Year. If you would instead prefer to read more recent match reviews then I suggest you check out my extensive reaction to Wrestling Kingdom 9 or the reboot of TNA Impact, also available here at Cheap-Heat, otherwise let's get right to business.
The first match that Ring of Honor would like you to remember this year was the duel between former Ring of Honor World Champion Roderick Strong and then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles. While the fundamentals were sound enough and the bell-to-bell was without flaw, I still found it awfully peculiar that ROH would want to highlight this match above any else. But more on that when we come to it. I enjoy Roderick Strong despite the mixed-to-negative reaction he seems to elicit from the majority of wrestling fans. I think that has a lot to do with how he's been booked and how quickly he was pushed in relation to his post-championship career. I think it's similar to several other wrestlers and superstars, I've even referred to him once-before as the "Randy Orton of Ring of Honor." I think he's got all of the necessary tools needed to build an outstanding career, but at the end of the day he lacks originality and the charisma needed to carry him beyond his current surroundings. Styles on the other hand is a man who made the most for himself in 2014. He abandoned what appeared to be a sinking ship in favor of uncertain waters, but has been met with unprecedented success by becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a title which I consider the most prestigious honor in the world of wrestling. From the moment the bell sounded it appeared as though AJ might have underestimated Strong who had no trouble in putting AJ through his paces. The war between aerial and ground based maneuvers is an ever-present backdrop in Ring of Honor, brought to the foreground in this contest. I wonder—is New Japan's most decorated champion allowed to lose a match in America? In the old days of the NWA, promotors would book accordingly so as to protect the champion without damaging the territorial stars. I'm curious if Ring of Honor's Roderick Strong ever stood a chance of winning, or if the politics of professional wrestling protected AJ clear through the summer. That leads me to the final moment of the match, and the reason I'm surprised ROH would want the fans to remember this contest. Twenty-fourteen was the year AJ Styles came under fire for continuing to use a supposed dangerous finishing maneuver—"The Styles Clash." More than one worker came forward including Roddy Strong claiming the move is not only unsafe but goes against the core instincts developed by professional wrestlers. As AJ lifted Roderick Strong into position to perform the �Clash, you could clearly see Strong tuck his head at the last moment—a reflex that's almost impossible for any wrestler to ignore. By the end, the match belonged to Styles, although I debate whether or not this was his best showing in Ring of Honor all year. Maybe his best SINGLES match, or his best match against ROH talent. Three stars, although I don't generally award star ratings in my ROH reviews. But I figured this edition was a special occasion.
Up next is one of my favorite matches from 2014, the heartfelt farewell bout between Steve Corino and "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen. On the one hand you have a much-despised villainous wrestler and heel commentator combination in Steve Corino who, on the flip-side, is the close friend and mentor to one of the most visible professional wrestlers in the world, Kevin Steen. For those who have followed Ring of Honor for the past few years, I don't need to define the depth of the relationship between Corino and Steen. Former tag partners but more often-than-not opponents, Kevin Steen was given the chance to wrestle anyone he wanted in his last match and he chose the semi-retired Jerry Lawler of ROH Steve Corino. The first thing you'll notice about Corino is his ridiculous wardrobe, as well as his uncanny ease of movement despite having succumbed somewhat to middle-age. One of the most amazing parts of Ring of Honor is the "Code of Honor" and the inherent personal accountability that appears to come with it. I know from speaking to several �Universe Residents,' they don't like the handshake because it doesn't make for a provocative storyline. "Why are they fighting if they like each other? It doesn't make sense" Why are football teams playing one another? Why do karate students kick their friends in the face? Tennis players don't HATE other tennis players, do they? Ring of Honor is about competition and not comedy; for fans of professional wrestling and not soap operas. I was entirely too emotionally invested in this match due to the way in which both Corino and Steen interacted. You could tell that both were taking great care not to injure the other all while at the same time trying to give the fans a match of the year contender. Part of the story of course were the words not being mentioned: what of the relationship outside of this ring when all is said and done? Would it be too far to venture a guess that some little part of Steve Corino might be jealous that Steen's been called up? Or does he view Kevin more through the eyes of a big brother, simply proud of the man that this kid has become? None of these question-marks found sentences as we were riddled with a machine-gun fire of exclamation points. Stiff chops made way for harsher clotheslines and even package pile-drivers. When Kevin Steen got the pin and had his hand raised, the local fans were in tears as they chanted, "Thanks, Steen, Thanks," while wearing t-shirts adorned with the same sentiment. Ring of Honor is known for borrowing the streamer aspect of their presentation from Japan; as Steen stood in the squared-circle, the audience proceeded to decorate the former champion and future NXT Superstar, tossing what must have been miles of colored paper into the ring. If you're looking for another Star Rating, I'd have to think about that. On the one hand you have one of the most emotional match-ups of the year fought between two industry legends. On the other the contest was kind of hindered by neither man wanting to hurt the other, a result of Steen moving to Florida maybe? Regardless I'd be willing to meet halfway and then-some so I'll award this match: Three and a Half Stars.
After an array of vignettes highlighting some of the more impactful programs from the previous year, we're back to the action and this time it is the 2014 Ring of Honor Match of the Year featuring reDragon taking on the Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Team Titles. The Ring of Honor tag teams are in many ways an extension of NJPW's vibrant junior-tag division. Both the Bucks and reDragon have held both sets of titles, in fact both teams have held both sets of titles simultaneously! If it's Ring of Honor or NJPW, you've got about four or five teams you can always count on to provide an engaging show. At the top of the mountain however has to sit the best team in the world, and this match proved worthy of declaring the kings of tag team wrestling. The Young Bucks are always being discussed in some capacity or another; traditionalists mock their flamboyant attitude while we—the hipsters of wrestling—consider their antics an homage to the wrestling that we grew up with. Too sweet me! The "Superkick Parties" as they've been nicknamed are only abhorrent if you consider the super kick a viable finishing move—which I do not. I really love how Nick and Matt Jackson have been able to modernize a move made popular by Chris Adams in the 1980's so that it works in a variety of settings. The Young Bucks are way beyond super kicking chins, but more on that in a moment. Across the ring are the challengers, the equally talented and highly decorated duo of Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. O'Reilly has been named one of the best wrestlers on the planet but I think Fish does more than his fair share to ensure reDragon is a team name that strikes fear in the hearts of their opponents. Much the way The Young Bucks do inside the squared circle, reDragon has been able to evolve outside of the ring by taking their promos and interviews to a whole new level. When not competing you might catch Fish and O'Reilly sporting sweater vests and spectacles, but once the bell sounds it's all about business—it's MOUTH GUARD TIME! Now that I'm done selling you on both teams and what they're doing to further the industry as a whole, let's discuss what made this The Ring of Honor Match of the Year.
This contest of course went down at ROH's joint-venture with NJPW in New York City, War of the Worlds. Going in I think the crowd was split regardless of who may be pegged a heel and who's the babyface, because like most of ROH's big money matches, this was about respect. As soon as the bell sounds we're hit with the flagrant disregard of authority that is The Young Bucks. The match seems to go off the rails rather early as tagging one's opponent quickly loses all merit. The Bucks appeared to gain the offensive from the onset even delivering a yet-to-be-named Meltzer driver to a member of reDragon in the early going. It seems like Kyle O'Reilly is always bleeding from his mouth, which I guess is why he should keep that mouth guard in! There were some incredible spots scattered throughout this match, the first that really caught my eye featured the Bucks once again on offense stacking O'Reilly and Fish in "Tombstone Pile driver" formation, and then super kicking Fishes knees, thus drilling his partner in the process. This wasn't enough to stop reDragon however, and O'Reilly took the lead as Fish provided support; it seemed as though Kyle O'Reilly was insistent on winning the match and the titles by making the Jackson's submit. His hubris almost got the better of him toward the finale, when Nick Jackson proceeded to drop a 450 springboard splash on O'Reilly who had his brother on the verge of tapping out. Once the move was hit and the pin was attempted, the audience in NYC and around the world got to see what was perhaps the nearest fall in history—close but no cigar for the ROH Tag Champs the Young Bucks. That's when Fish found his way back into the action to help O'Reilly fend off the tireless Jackson brothers. Once again, O'Reilly set out to make the squirrely Bullet Clubbers tap. After all of the insane acrobatics and innovation that this match has become known for, the decision was eventually decided by a crippling Fujiwara Armbar—performed by Kyle O'Reilly! Your new tag team champions and still champions to this day are Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish of reDragon! Was this the Ring of Honor Match of the Year? Without going back and digging too deep I'd say it's a number one contender, for sure. I'm happy to give this remarkable altercation for the coveted ROH tag titles a near perfect: Four and a Half Stars.
I don't generally waste my keystrokes on clip shows but in the case of this 2014 Ring of Honor Retrospective, I was happy to make an exception. From Michael Elgin's Cinderella-story victory over Adam Cole to Kevin Steen's final match with his friend and mentor Steve Corino, this was the first year in some time that Ring of Honor felt in any way relevant. Join me next week for the January 10th edition of Ring of Honor TV where I'll be dissecting and discussing every aspect of the fastest growing promotion on the planet. Until then my name is Mark Haggerty reminding you to be safe and make this week count for something other than a paycheck because life is too short not to have fun.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-lineup-for-the-new-japan-pro-wrestling-new-beginning-events-on-211-214/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-lineup-for-the-new-japan-pro-wrestling-new-beginning-events-on-211-214/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 01:59:58 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
A.J Styles
AJ Styles
Alex Shelley
Bobby Fish
Bullet Club
Chase Owens
Doc Gallows
Hirooki Goto
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
IWGP
Jushin Thunder Liger
Karl Anderson
Katsuyori Shibata
Kenny Omega
KUSHIDA
Kyle O'Reilly
Matt Jackson
Meiyu Tag
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Nick Jackson
NJPW
reDRagon
Rob Conway
Ryusuke Taguchi
Shinsuke Nakamura
The New Beginning
Time Splitters
Togi Makabe
Tomohiro Ishii
Young Bucks
Yuji Nagata
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8609
Here are the updated card for the NJPW New Beginning events, which will be available via New Japan World… The New Beginning in Osaka, The Bodymaker Coliseum, February 11th: * IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (ReDRagon) vs. Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA (Time […]
Here are the updated card for the NJPW New Beginning events, which will be available via
New Japan World
…
The New Beginning in Osaka, The Bodymaker Coliseum, February 11th:
* IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (ReDRagon) vs. Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA (Time Splitters)
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
* IWGP Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata (Meiyu Tag) vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows (Bullet Club)
* IWGP Heavyweight Championshi: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. AJ Styles
The New Beginning in Sendai, Sendai Sun Plaza, February 14th:
* NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Chase Owens
* NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Rob Conway vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
* NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yuji Nagata
http://www.cheap-heat.com/global-force-wrestling-announces-participation-in-pre-wrestlekingdom-9-festivities/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/global-force-wrestling-announces-participation-in-pre-wrestlekingdom-9-festivities/#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2014 22:32:33 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
AJ Styles
Bullet Club
Doc Gallows
GFW
Global Force Wrestling
Grand Pro-Wrestling Festival 2015
Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP
Jeff Jarrett
Jim Ross
Karl Anderson
Kazuchika Okada
Matt Striker
New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW
Scott D'Amore
Shinsuke Nakamura
WK9
WrestleKingdom 9
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8248
Global Force Wrestling sent out the following: GFW SET FOR NJPW EVENTS SURROUNDING WRESTLE KINGDOM 9 NASHVILLE – Global Force Wrestling Vice President of International Scott D'Amore said GFW founder and CEO Jeff Jarrett and the North American announce team will address the media as part of Wrestle Kingdom 9's festivities the day before the […]
Global Force Wrestling sent out the following:
GFW SET FOR NJPW EVENTS SURROUNDING WRESTLE KINGDOM 9
NASHVILLE –
Global Force Wrestling Vice President of International Scott D'Amore said GFW founder and CEO Jeff Jarrett and the North American announce team will address the media as part of Wrestle Kingdom 9's festivities the day before the big show at the Tokyo Dome.
Hall of Fame play-by-play man Jim Ross and Matt Striker will appear at the Jan. 3 "Grand Pro-Wrestling Festival 2015" news conferences at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, as will all of the NJPW stars, such as Tanahashi, Okada and Nakamura. The Bullet Club, which includes Jarrett, D'Amore, A.J. Styles and IWGP tag team champions Doc Gallows and "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson, also will be on hand. There will be autograph signings and meet-and-greets with Japanese and international fans in attendance between and after the news conferences. The festival even includes two matches.
"We're pleased to be invited to attend the festival and to further the budding relationship between GFW and NJPW," D'amore said. "When you have an event of this magnitude you always want to include the fans and do what you can to enhance their experience."
GFW announced its partnership with NJPW in June and revealed that it would promote WK 9 in North America on Nov. 4. Ross came on board on Nov. 11, and Striker was added on Dec. 18.
"NJPW is one of the hottest promotions in the world right now, and all eyes will be on Tokyo for Wrestle Kingdom 9," Striker said. "It will be an honor and a privilege not only to sit beside Jim Ross again but to call the action involving many of the best performers this business has to offer on such a grand stage."
"GFW Presents New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 9" will air live in North America at 2 a.m. ET on Jan. 4, which is 4 p.m. in Tokyo. The four-hour telecast also will air in primetime in North America at 7 p.m. ET on DirecTV, Dish, AT&T U-verse, Comcast, Verizon Fios and all cable systems in the United States, and in Canada on Bell ExpressVu TV, Rogers, Shaw, Sasktel and Telus. Check your local listings for availability. The show also will be available on the Flipps app on iTunes or Android.
Wrestle Kingdom 9 will be the 24th consecutive year for the Jan. 4 dome event, which kicks off the year in Japan and annually is the largest wrestling show in the world outside of the United States, drawing in excess of 40,000 fans.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-card-for-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-card-for-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:15:34 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
Alex Koslov
Alex Shelley
Bobby Fish
Forever Hooligans
Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP
Kazuchika Okada
Kazushi Sakuraba
Kenny Omega
Kota Ibushi
KUSHIDA
Kyle O'Reilly
Matt Jackson
Minoru Suzuki
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Nick Jackson
NJPW
reDRagon
Rocky Romero
Ryusuke Taguchi
Shinsuke Nakamura
Time Splitters
Togi Makabe
Tomohiro Ishii
Wrestle Kingdom
Wrestle Kingdom 9
Young Bucks
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6278
The following matches have been announced by NJPW to take place at Wrestle Kingdom 9: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Kenny Omega Four-way tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: […]
The following matches have been announced by NJPW to take place at Wrestle Kingdom 9:
IWGP Heavyweight Championship:
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
IWGP Intercontinental Championship:
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship:
Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Kenny Omega
Four-way tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:
reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) (c) vs. Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) vs. Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)
NEVER Openweight Championship:
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Togi Makabe
“Knockouts and Submissions only” match:
Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
http://www.cheap-heat.com/ring-of-honor-news-update-huge-weekend-for-redragon-tv-syndication-notes-and-more/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/ring-of-honor-news-update-huge-weekend-for-redragon-tv-syndication-notes-and-more/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:53:09 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
Bobby Fish
Christopher Daniels
Evan Bourne
Frankie Kazarian
IWGP
Kyle O'Reilly
Matt Sydal
Moose
New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW
RD Evans
reDRagon
Ring of Honor
ROH
The Addiciton
Veda Scott
WWE
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6222
– For those that may have missed it, Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Time Splitters (KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley) at the New Japan Pro Wrestling "Power Struggle" event to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. – Ring of Honor have announced an exclusive […]
– For those that may have missed it, Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Time Splitters (KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley) at the New Japan Pro Wrestling "Power Struggle" event to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
– Ring of Honor
have announced
an exclusive Q&A session with The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) in San Antonio prior to the ROH Glory By Honor XIII pay-per-view.
– Sinclair Broadcasting Group announced in their latest press release regarding their third quarter earnings that there will be new syndication deals for Ring of Honor writing, "In September, the Company announced that its Ring of Honor wrestling franchise ("ROH") entered into its first syndication agreement with WATL-TV in Atlanta, GA. Since then, another 4 markets with various companies have been added, as well as COX Sports Television that covers 12 additional markets, including Cleveland, San Diego and New Orleans. In total, ROH's syndicated deals reach over 3 million TV households and over 4 million cable homes. ROH also entered into a licensing agreement to develop, market and manufacture a line of collectible ROH figures and accessories."
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-presents-power-struggle-2014-11814-osaka-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-presents-power-struggle-2014-11814-osaka-japan/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2014 05:34:32 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
AJ Styles
Alex Koslov
Alex Shelley
Bad Luck Fale
Bobby Fish
Bullet Club
BUSHI
Captain New Japan
CHAOS
Chase Owens
Doc Gallows
El Desperado
El Fuege
Forever Hooligans
Hirooki Goto
Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP
Jushin Liger
Jushin Thunder Liger
Karl Anderson
Katsuyori Shibata
Kazuchika Okada
Kazushi Sakuraba
Kota Ibushi
KUSHIDA
Kyle O'Reilly
Mascara Dorada
Matt Jackson
Minoru Suzuki
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Nick Jackson
NJPW
NWA
reDRagon
Rocky Romero
Ryusuke Taguchi
Shinsuke Nakamura
Suzuki-gun
Taichi
TAKA Michinoku
Takashi Iizuka
Tetsuya Naito
The Young Bucks
Tiger Mask IV
Time Splitters
Togi Makabe
Tomoaki Honma
Tomohiro Ishii
Toru Yano
YOSHI-HASHI
Yoshitatsu
Yujiro Takahashi
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6215
The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on November 8th, 2014 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan. Pre-Show Match BUSHI & Mascara Dorada defeated Tiger Mask IV & El Fuego. Triple Threat Tag Team Match The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) […]
The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on November 8th, 2014 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan.
Pre-Show Match
BUSHI & Mascara Dorada defeated Tiger Mask IV & El Fuego.
Triple Threat Tag Team Match
The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) defeated The Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) and Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado).
Tag Team Match
Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano defeated Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka).
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Chase Owens to become the new Champion.
8 Man Tag Team Match
BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Bad Luck Fale) defeated Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & Captain New Japan.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Match
reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) to become the new Tag Team Champions.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
Ryusuke Taguchi (c) defeated Taichi.
Singles Match
AJ Styles defeated Yoshitatsu.
NEVER Openweight Championship Match
Tomohiro Ishii (c) defeated Hirooki Goto.
Tag Team Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi defeated CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI).
IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) defeated Katsuyori Shibata.
