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

http://www.cheap-heat.com/best-of-bash-at-the-beach/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/best-of-bash-at-the-beach/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:27:08 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Blogs Reviews Top Lists Bash at the Beach Beach Blast Cage Match Chris Jericho Dave Meltzer DDP DDP Yoga Dennis Rodman ECW Hulk Hogan Karl Malone Randy Savage Rey Mysterio Ric Flair Rick Rude Star Ratings Sting The Giant Top Matches Ultimo Dragon Vader WCW wrestling WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13305 Summer is in full swing so let's celebrate with a WCW Classic—Bash at the Beach! The Bash—formerly known as Beach Blast—was a wrestling tradition for nine years and hosted some of the most definitive moments in World Championship Wrestling history. The NWO formed, Hulk Hogan debuted, the late Roddy Piper wrestled Ric Flair! I've been […]

Summer is in full swing so let's celebrate with a WCW Classic— Bash at the Beach! The Bash—formerly known as Beach Blast—was a wrestling tradition for nine years and hosted some of the most definitive moments in World Championship Wrestling history. The NWO formed, Hulk Hogan debuted , the late Roddy Piper wrestled Ric Flair! I've been doing a ton of research for an upcoming analysis I think you'll all really enjoy, and have thus been paying particularly close attention to Dave Meltzer's Star Ratings. Instead of writing about why you should watch each Bash at the Beach extravaganza, I've listed Dave's highest rated match and my favorite match, to give you an idea of what kind of action went down at these particular shows.

Note: The "Combined Star Rating" is the average for each show based on match ratings and number of bouts.

Beach Blast 1992 – Mobile Alabama 6/20/92
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Sting versus Cactus Jack – Falls Count Anywhere – 4 ½ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Rick Rude versus Ricky Steamboat – Iron Man Match – 3 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 3 Stars

Beach Blast 1993 – Biloxi Mississippi 7/18/93
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: TIED

Mark's Favorite Match: Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham – NWA World Heavyweight Title – 2 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1994 – Orlando Florida 7/17/94
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Steve Austin vs. Ricky Steamboat – U.S. Title– 3 ¾ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair – WCW World Heavyweight Title – 3 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1995 – Huntington Beach California 7/16/95
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Ric Flair vs. Macho Man – Lifeguard Match – 2 ¾ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader – Cage Match World Title – 2 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 Star

Bash at the Beach 1996 – Daytona Beach Florida 7/7/96
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis – 4 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: The Outsiders & Hulk Hogan vs. Sting, Macho Man, & Lex Luger – 3 Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 Вј Stars

Bash at the Beach 1997 – Daytona Beach Florida 7/13/97
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: TIED

Mark's Top Match: Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair 3 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1998 – San Diego California 7/12/98
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero – Hair vs. Hair – 3 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman vs. DDP & Karl Malone –   -1 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1999 – Fort Lauderdale Florida 7/11/99
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: The Triad vs. Chris Benoit & Perry Saturn – 3 ½ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Hardcore Junkyard Battle Royal – N/A
Combined Star Rating: ВЅ Star

Bash at the Beach 2000 – Dayton Beach Florida 7/9/00
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Mike Awesome vs. Scott Steiner – U.S. Title – 3 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett – World Heavyweight Title – 3 Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 Вѕ Stars

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

http://www.cheap-heat.com/legends-house-2-8-potential-names/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/legends-house-2-8-potential-names/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2015 05:16:48 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs APA Bradshaw Chris Jericho David Von Erich DDP Diamond Dallas Page Dok Hendrix Dusty Rhodes ECW Fabulous Freebirds Farooq Great American Bash Hall of Fame Hillbilly Jim HOF Jake Roberts JBL Jesse Ventura Kerry Von Erich Legends House Macho Man Michael Hayes Million Dollar Man Nation of Domination NWA Pat Patterson Randy Savage Ricky Steamboat Ron Simmons Ted DiBiase TNA Vader War Games WCCW WCW Wrestlemania WWE WWE Network WWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9876 Legends House 2: 8 Potential Names Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's been one year since the world was first introduced to the WWE Network—a 24-hour streaming service featuring the best of WWE's current product as well as unfettered access to wrestling TV from yesteryear. Among the most popular content on the �Network is the […]

Legends House 2:
8 Potential Names
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

It's been one year since the world was first introduced to the WWE Network—a 24-hour streaming service featuring the best of WWE's current product as well as unfettered access to wrestling TV from yesteryear. Among the most popular content on the �Network is the original material, including WWE Legend's House . Originally produced for cable television, Legend's House was the WWE's answer to the "Surreal Life" . Seven Hall of Famers and Hillbilly Jim converged in Palm Springs and proceeded to pull back the curtain like never before. Of course there were an enormity of activities to keep the Legends busy, but the real magic of the show came from the bond between eight brothers of the locker room. Since the show concluded, there's been talk of developing a second season, but the question as to who might make up the cast remains unanswered. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm here to make some predictions and suggestions as to who I'd like to see stuck inside the Legend's House .

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
Starting off our list is a man whose name was synonymous with the WWF during the late 1980s. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase was the top-drawing villain of his day, squaring off against the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, the Ultimate Warrior, and Dusty Rhodes. He arrived in the WWE where he was outfitted with luxurious tuxedos, extravagant jewelry, and most precious of all—the Million Dollar Championship. Though never officially winning the world title, DiBiase did buy one from Andre the Giant, and even became the 1988 King of the Ring. Ted DiBiase retired from in-ring competition in 1994 and continued to work in the industry as a manager for such Superstars as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the 1-2-3 Kid, the Steiner Brothers, and the NWO. "The Million Dollar Man" would make a fine addition to the Legend's House based solely on his dynamic legacy, but a TV show needs more than famous wrestlers. Everybody involved needs to have a decisive quirk to set them apart—on the first season Tony Atlas was annoying, Roddy Piper was crazy, and Pat Patterson was gay. In addition to being a world-class wrestler, Ted DiBiase is also an ordained minister, and is said to be the one responsible for several wrestlers "finding Jesus." I suggest his calm demeanor could play greatly against some of the more explosive personalities in the wrestling business.

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat entered the wrestling industry in 1976, traveling the North American territory system while also learning to hone his craft overseas. "The Dragon" earned a sterling reputation specifically in the NWA promotions along the East Coast, and would eventually become an NWA/WCW Triple Crown champion when he won each the U.S., tag team, and world's heavyweight titles. Ricky had a brief stint in the WWF during the 1980s where he was met with minimal success. However it was a match from this time with "Macho Man" Randy Savage that helped make Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat a household name. Ricky returned to his roots and the WCW where he remained until the final days of his in-ring career. In 1994, the "Dragon" received his pink-slip via FedEx—from Eric Bischoff. Ricky has remained loyal to the industry but has only stepped inside the squared-circle on rare occasion, including a pair of bouts against Chris Jericho in 2009. Ricky Steamboat is an incredibly nice guy who won't do much to push buttons while living in the Legend's House. At the same time however, the former NWA champion has a dry wit about him, which could make him the straight man to some of the more outrageous members of the cast.

Michael “PS” Hayes
In 1995 the WWE hired a mustachioed color commentator with sandy-colored hair and a raspy voice. I was only 9-years-old at the time, so I had no reason to think this guy was anybody other than "Dok Hendrix"—boy was I wrong! The legend of Michael "PS" Hayes began long before his time in the broadcast booth, down in the murkiest depths of America in 1977. Hayes learned to work in his home state of Florida, and soon moved on to larger markets in Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Hayes and his running-mates dubbed the "Fabulous Freebirds" were proud of their Southern Rock routes and chose to wear the confederate flag no matter where they performed. The �Freebirds engaged in landmark rivalries with the legendary Von Erich Family, most notably against David and Kerry. Over the course of his illustrious 20-year run, Michael Hayes captured tag team gold on a number of occasions in every notable promotion—except the WWF. Hayes has garnered something of a notorious reputation behind the scenes in WWE where he currently works as head-producer. It would seem that every year around Wrestlemania, Michael Hayes gets drunk and says something racist. While I'm certainly not defending racism, I'd like to remind people that he's a sixty-year-old redneck from the Florida panhandle—I think we're lucky he keeps those remarks to himself as often as he does. Regardless, I think a man known to make as many faux pas as Freebird is made for reality TV.

Diamond Dallas Page
Don't knock yoga until you try it—Diamond Dallas Page is helping extend the careers and lives of legendary wrestlers and everyday people through his proven system of "DDP Yoga." Page is an inspiration in more ways than one; after debuting well into his prime, Diamond Dallas Page went on to have an extraordinary career which included every title in WCW as well as the WWF European and tag team championships. Now at the age of 58, Page is still active and in such peak-condition that he entered the 2015 Royal Rumble just last month ago, delivering a Diamond Cutter or two along the way. He is also the man who helped deliver Jake "the Snake" Roberts from "Death's Door" to the WWE Hall of Fame, a near impossible feat, accomplished by an unprecedented individual. Diamond Dallas Page is the most positive person on the planet, to the point where his energy is infectious and could benefit some of the other housemates who don't possess the same sunny disposition as Page. While most members of the Legend's House will probably find the WCW "People's Champion" endearing, there are bound to be a few grumpy guys unwilling to do yoga in the morning, making for some hilarious repartee.

Ron Simmons
There has still never been an African-American WWE champion, unless you count the Rock—which I don't think anybody does. But the first African-American world champion in WCW earned that honor on August 2, 1992 after defeating Big Van Vader—of course I'm talking about Ron Simmons. Unlike other names on the list, Simmons started wrestling after his football career was at an end. He debuted in 1986 and by the early �90s was known the world over as one-half of the dreaded tag team Doom. He and Butch Reed were managed by future Smackdown general manager Teddy Long, and held the WCW world tag titles before disbanding, leaving Simmons to try his hand at singles action. Following his title run and subsequent time with WCW, Ron Simmons moved on to ECW, but eventually arrived in the WWF as the "Modern Day Gladiator" Farooq Asaad. Farooq captained the fearsome Nation of Domination, one of the most revered stables in wrestling history, and alongside John Layfield formed the APA, an equally destructive tag duo. I think Ron Simmons would be an excellent member of the cast because he's a WWE Hall of Famer, he's renowned for his barrier-breaking achievements, and he's been known to drink a beer or two. Plus—if Michael Hayes is going to be around, they'll need somebody to keep him in line.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Every Legend's House is going to need a wild card, so unless Roddy Piper wants to return, we've got to find a replacement. Jake "the Snake" Roberts is a fabled character in professional wrestling, whose name echoes in the ears of those who don't even follow the sport. Jake, a second-generation wrestler, debuted in 1975 after being told repeatedly by his father Grizzly Smith NOT to become a wrestler. Jake signed with the WWF in the mid �80s amidst the "Rock �N' Wrestling" campaign. "The Snake" wasn't as family friendly as some of his contemporaries and made his presence felt through much darker means, including cryptic promos and threatening his opponents with fear—fear of his pet snake Damian . Although active for forty years in numerous promotions including WWF, WCW, ECW, TNA, WCCW, and others, Jake "The Snake" Roberts never won a major singles title. Jake is a very interesting character who's managed to defeat several demons, all the while still battling with others. He had some recent health issues, but the 2014 Hall of Famer appears to be getting better than ever. If you thought it was hard keeping "Hot Rod" locked up inside a house, imagine dealing with Jake Roberts. And plus—he'll probably bring the snake!

“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes
Just like the Hall of Fame or Wrestlemania itself, Legend's House needs a couple of headliners to give the people what they want! And who better than the 3-time NWA world heavyweight champion, the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes? �Dream made his debut in 1968 and established himself as a cagey tag team competitor. Dusty was a long-time supporter of the National Wrestling Alliance, and remained under its promotional umbrella for most of his career. He made a brief appearance in the WWF during the early 1990s, feuding with the "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. Dusty is accredited with creating some of the most spellbinding spectacles in wrestling including War Games and the Great American Bash. A highly decorated legend and WWE Hall of Famer like Dusty Rhodes has the potential to steal the show. He's never at a loss for what to say, and seems like he can offer up some poignant knowledge to his fellow cast mates once the final episode rolls along. The Legends are quite often asked to sing and dance and act outrageous—even at 69-years old, nobody gets "funky like a monkey" quite like Dusty Rhodes.

Jesse “The Body” Ventura
I dare say Jesse "The Body" Ventura would be the most entertaining cast member of Legends House: Season 2 POSSIBLE . Jesse started his wrestling career after serving his country during the Vietnam War. He received his training in his home state of Minnesota from the iconic trainer of superstars, Eddie Sharkey. Jesse Ventura's career would only last eleven years, but in that time he managed to create a legacy that would extend more than forty years. In 1986 Jesse joined the announce desk where he was most remembered by people from my generation; he served as color-commentator at the first several WWF pay-per-views such as Summerslam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Wrestlemania. Jesse moved on to do the same type of work for WCW before leaving the industry all-together. In 1998 Ventura, now known as the "Mind," won the Minnesota gubernatorial election and served from 1999 until 2003. In addition to his public service and professional wrestling careers, the former Navy Seal is also an author, actor, and—oh yeah, he's absolutely insane. Jesse hosts a podcast every week where he describes his life living off the grid, without cell phones or computers, and ridiculing everyone who trusts in technology. I would very much like to see a show where Michael Hayes and Dusty Rhodes, two WWE employees required to carry cell phones, get lectured by the "Body" over government surveillance. Now that's good TV!

Whether you agree with me or not, I think I made some valid arguments as to why these eight individuals belong trapped together in the middle of the Southern California desert. I hope the WWE Network decides to order a second season of Legend's House, or at the very least, introduces a similar behind-the-scenes program to satiate my appetite when I'm not keen on Kayfabe. Until next time, this has been Mark Haggerty, reminding you to check out Cheap-Heat.com for all the latest and greatest news, columns, countdowns and coverage.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-7-bandits-of-the-bout/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-7-bandits-of-the-bout/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2015 00:02:19 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Top Lists AJPW All-Japan Pro Wrestling America's Most Wanted AWA Barry Windham Bart Gunn Beer Money Billy Gunn Blackjack Lanza Blackjack Mulligan Bob Holly Bob Orton Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Bobby Duncum Jr. Bobby Roode Brawl for All Chris Harris Chris Jericho Cowboy Bob Orton Cowboy James Storm Curt Henning Dory Funk Dory Funk Jr. ECW GWF Henry Godwinn Hulk Hogan Jake Roberts James Storm JBL Jim Crockett Jimmy Wang Yang John Bradshaw Layfield John Layfield Lance Cade Master P New Blackjacks NWA Outlaw Ron Bass Paul Orndorff Phineas Godwinn Randy Savage Revolution Road Dogg Roddy Piper Ron Bass Sam Houston Shanghai Pierce Shawn Michaels Stan Hanson Steve Williams Sunny Ted DiBiase Terry Funk Tex Slazenger The Blackjacks The Godfather The Smoking Gunns TNA Trevor Murdoch Vader Vince McMahon WCCW WCW West Texas Rednecks Wrestlemania WWC WWE WWF WWWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9750 Lucky Thirteen #7 Bandits of the Bout Written by Mark Adam Haggerty When other sites are counting down from ten, we take it to the next level and give you the Lucky Thirteen. Why? Because we're Cheap-Heat and we believe in kicking things up to the extreme! Today we’re talking about Bandits and Outlaws, otherwise […]

Lucky Thirteen #7
Bandits of the Bout
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

When other sites are counting down from ten, we take it to the next level and give you the Lucky Thirteen. Why? Because we're Cheap-Heat and we believe in kicking things up to the extreme! Today we’re talking about Bandits and Outlaws, otherwise known around these here parts as Cowboys. Since the dawning of the age of Sports Entertainment, professional wrestling has featured an enormity of wrestling roughnecks who would appear just as comfortable on the back of a horse than they would inside of the squared circle. Let's start things off with one of the most modern members of our countdown and a graduate of the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy…

13. Lance Cade
Lance Cade was a superior talent who first happened upon the professional wrestling scene in Japan alongside fellow Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy classmate Bryan Danielson. Cade had developed a penchant for tag team wrestling and in 2005 was called to the main roster in the midst of the "Ruthless Aggression Era." Originally sporting a cowboy hat and leather chaps, he was saddled with the equally talented and deceptively athletic Trevor Murdoch. Together these rugged ruffians captured the world tag team titles on three separate occasions. While Murdoch was depicted as a chaw-chewing Redneck, Lance Cade was cast as the smooth-talking cowboy with devilish good looks. The character carried him farther than he would have imagined into his singles career, eventually aligning with then-heavyweight champion Chris Jericho in 2008. Sadly on August 13, 2010, Lance Cade died at the age of 29 due to heart failure. Two months later medical examiners declared Lance "Cade" McNaught's death accidental, an apparent reaction to the mix of prescription drugs he'd been taking. Although his career was cut tragically short, "Cowboy" Lance Cade will never be forgotten and was even honored in 2011 by a local tribute show in his adopted hometown of San Antonio.

12. Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce
Don't go messing with the country boys, because these two future Godwinn Cousins are far more dangerous than Phineas and Henry would ever prove to be. Well, in theory that is. While they're more familiar to most fans as the former WWF tag team champions, these hard-edged hillbillies got their first taste of fame wrestling as the fearsome Tex Slazenger and the mysterious Shanghai Pierce. Tex was a rootin' tootin' Texas roughneck complete with a ten gallon hat and all the appropriate accoutrement you'd associate with any accurate cowboy costume. Shanghai was a bit different as he opted to sport a luchador mask with a singlet—uh, not so much a cowboy, but definitely intimidating in its own way. Although they never captured championship gold under their southwestern pseudonyms in WCW, Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce were also never adorned with the prestige of "Worst Tag Team in Wrestling"—an honor they received from Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 1996. And then again in 1997.

11. Jimmy Wang Yang
Perhaps the most charismatic individual on our countdown comes in at number eleven. Not only is he one of the youngest Superstars on the list, he's more than likely the only Korean Cowboy in wrestling history. Jimmy Yang was a skilled performer in the dying days of WCW and a key component in its highly inventive Cruiserweight Tag Division. After spending time on the independent circuit and in the WWE playing minor roles, Yang was brought in as a member of the main roster with "Wang" inserted between his first and last name. However instead of playing the Young Dragon whom audiences had already come to know, the WWE was going to draw upon Yang's affinity for country music and NASCAR in order to create an all new type of Superstar. Needless to say 2006 wasn't the most progressive year for the WWE, and a white-trash Korean character was probably just as suitable as The Wrestling Zombie or Paul and Katie Lea Burchill's incest angle. Despite never winning a championship title during his WWE run, Jimmy Wang Yang will always be remembered as one of the most iconic and original cowboys in pro wrestling history.

10. Bobby Duncum Jr.
Bobby Duncum Jr. was a refined second generation wrestling superstar who struggled to make his name after the decline of the territory system. Debuting in 1992, Duncum initially worked as a tag team competitor with the Global Wrestling Federation in Dallas, Texas. Two months into his debut, Bobby Duncum Jr. won his only championship ever —the GWF tag team titles alongside future WWE Champion and Monday Night Raw commentator Johnny "Hawk" Layfield. Although he worked around the world for countless promotions including ECW and All Japan Pro Wrestling, Bobby Duncum Jr. was most famous for his time in WCW as part of the "West Texas Rednecks." Joined by Kendall and Barry Windham, in addition to their leader Curt Hennig, the �Rednecks ran rough-shod over the WCW for a short period in the late 90s, claiming that "Rap is Crap," and entering into a rivalry with hip-hop recording artist Master P. In January of 2000, Duncum was recovering from reconstructive rotator cuff surgery, and accidentally overdosed on a cocktail of pain killers. He was 34 years old, and less than eight years into his career.

9. Sam Houston
The name "Sam Houston" tends to elicit both passion and pride from Texas natives, but unfortunately for Michael Smith, it's not the WWF cowboy whom they happen to admire. Sam Houston was the son of "Grizzly" Smith, and half-brother to both Jake "the Snake" Roberts and "Rockin" Robin. Houston was a well-known enhancement talent throughout the 1980s and 90s, working for Jim Crockett Promotions before finally breaking through to the World Wrestling Federation. He participated in several television matches which usually resulted in his shoulders being pinned to the mat, but even Sam Houston had a "Wrestlemania Moment," when he competed in the 20-man battle royal at Wrestlemania IV. Houston was also in the very first Royal Rumble match with his brother Jake, and though the audience wasn't privy to their relationship, Houston helped save the "Snake" from elimination on a number of occasions. In 2005, Sam Houston was sentenced to ten years in prison for repeated DUI offenses; according to his ex-wife, Houston had an average of 2 DUI-related arrests per year over the previous decade.

8. The Smoking Gunns
You can't say, "wrestling cowboy" to a �90's kid and expect him to think of anything other than The Smoking Gunns. Billy and Bart were a redesigned cowboy for a post-modern, pre-millennial world. They wore spandex made to look like skinny jeans and carried starter pistols which they shot into the air during their entrance. Wrestling cowboys were oftentimes out-of-shape and angry, swinging a cowbell with little regard for the surrounding audience members. But the Kayfabe brothers were different, smiling and shaking hands on their way to the ring and sporting far less menacing facial features than some of the more rugged individuals on our countdown. The �Gunns would become tag team champions on three separate occasions, owing their final title reign to their short-lived manager Sunny, eventually breaking up and going their separate ways. While Billy Gunn's career skyrocketed alongside the Road Dogg and Degeneration X, Bart Gunn stayed true to his roughneck roots, engaging in the highly dangerous, experimental "Brawl for All" shoot-fighting tournament in 1998. After defeating four other Superstars including Bob Holly, Steve Williams, the Godfather, and John Layfield, the last man standing was none other than Bart Gunn.

7. “Outlaw” Ron Bass
While a great deal of wrestling cowboys have been based out of the "Lone Star State," Ron Bass was one such individual proud of his roots in Harrisburg, Arkansas. The "Outlaw," as he would come to be known, was a ruthless heel during the late 1980s in the World Wrestling Federation. Prior to his would-be rivalries with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake, Ron Bass enjoyed a steady career touring the vast NWA territory system of the 1970s. He spent time with Jim Crockett as well as several years in Japan, but was most famous for his time in the WWF. In 1988, Ron Bass fought to the end of the King of the Ring tournament, and qualified for the finals by defeating future WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. However the "Outlaw" would not advance to the main event against Randy Savage—instead choosing to "sell" his victory to the "Million Dollar Man," who would lose to Savage later that night. After nearly 20-years in the squared-circle, Ron Bass retired in 1991 and currently resides in Tampa, Florida.

6. The Funk Family
If I can include a tag team as one entry, then how about an entire family? Even though Dory Funk Sr. was born in Indiana, he will forever be known as the Patriarch of the "Double Cross Ranch" in Amarillo, Texas. After serving in the United States Navy, Funk Sr. began wrestling in Texas and would become a promotor in the Amarillo region where both his sons Dory Jr. and Terry would thrive as superstars. Dory Jr. was regarded as a master in-ring technician, famous for created the "Texas Cloverleaf" finishing hold. His younger brother Terry was the "wild child," much more akin to the cowboy lifestyle of the Amarillo Ranch. The Funk Brothers would make history, by becoming the only brothers in wrestling to each hold the NWA world heavyweight championship. In 2009, Dory and Terry were both honored as they were simultaneously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Both brothers are still active in the wrestling industry; Dory Funk is the proprietor of the "Funkin' Conservatory" wrestling school in Amarillo, while Terry Funk is well beyond "middle-aged-and-crazy," as he still steps into the ring today at 70.

5. “Cowboy” James Storm
The only cowboy on our countdown that is still currently active inside a televised American wrestling ring is the 13-time tag team champion and former TNA world heavyweight champion, the "Cowboy" James Storm. Storm debuted in 1997 working for various NWA affiliates and the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico. After the collapse of WCW, the National Wrestling Alliance sought to fill a void by creating a weekly-PPV series known as Total Nonstop Action. James Storm signed with TNA in 2002 after working an impressive string of matches with then-tag partner "Wildcat" Chris Harris. Over the next four years, the duo known as "America's Most Wanted" would capture the NWA tag titles on six separate occasions. After spending a year on his own, Storm would once again "saddle up" with a partner—this time the "It Factor" Bobby Roode. Storm and Roode came to be called "Beer Money," based on either gentleman's Kayfabe affinity. Today James Storm is the leader of the cult-like "Revolution," and has therefore traded the cowboy hat for a veil of secrecy, and his beer bottle for a solo cup of "Kool-aid."

4. “Cowboy” Bob Orton
Fans of the modern WWE product who are familiar with the "Legend Killer," ought to know that Randy Orton comes from a long-line of wrestling royalty, including his father—"Cowboy" Bob Orton. Bob Orton was a main event attraction around the country during the 1980s but would become world-famous during the Rock �N' Wrestling Connection. Orton was fast friends with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, so it was no surprise when the second generation star known as "Ace" was in "Hot Rod's" corner at the inaugural Wrestlemania in Madison Square Garden. Bob Orton was a key component during the period of time in which wrestling truly became "Sports Entertainment," providing back-up during several renditions of Piper's Pit. Although never achieving a championship during his time with the WWF, "Ace" held numerous titles across various territories in the United States and was named "Rookie of the Year" by PWI in 1973. In 2005, "Cowboy" Bob Orton was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside fellow Wrestlemania pioneers Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and Paul Orndorff.

3. John "Bradshaw" Layfield
Since 2004, JBL has been known as an arrogant aristocrat, riding to the ring in his limousine and winning his bouts by any means necessary. But John Layfield began just the same as many other Texas wrestlers, working for the Global Wrestling Federation in Dallas. He won the tag team titles in 1992 alongside Bobby Duncum Jr., and spent the next three years earning a wrestling education on the independent and international circuits. Layfield debuted for the WWF in 1995 as Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw, a badass brandishing a branding-iron who set to "stamping" each of his conquered opponents. In 1997, "Hawk" joined second-generation Superstar Barry Windham to form the "New Blackjacks," a team drawing on their real-life familial connections to the original "Blackjacks" Mulligan and Lanza. The "Bradshaw" character would continue to evolve over the next several years and although he's primarily known today as a talking head for both the WWE and Fox Business, John Layfield is a Grand Slam winning champion, making him THE most decorated cowboy on this entire countdown.

2. The Blackjacks
Transitioning away from the "New Blackjacks," it's about time we discuss the genuine article—the tag team of Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan. The tall, dark duo clad in black leather were amongst the most feared tag teams of the 1970s, earning their reputation by standing tall atop numerous fallen combatants. The Blackjacks were an AWA attraction, managed by the incomparable Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, and also competed in Texas for Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling. The Blackjacks eventually made their way to New York where they would continue their reign of terror against a brand new roster of unsuspecting victims. While working for Vince McMahon, the Blackjacks aligned themselves with Captain Lou Albano, who helped guide the already world-renowned wrestlers to the WWWF tag team championships. Of course then in 1997, a "tribute" team was created, comprised of Mulligan's son Barry Windham and Lanza's nephew John Layfield. The Blackjacks were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006; Blackjack Lanza currently works as a producer for the WWE, while Blackjack Mulligan has two grandsons working on the main roster—Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt.

1. Stan “The Lariat” Hansen
Stan "the Lariat" Hansen is a performer whose mythos goes beyond the realm of cowboys and Indians, and further transcends the atmosphere of professional wrestling entirely. When the sport of sports entertainment was outwardly declared "fake," Stan Hansen lit the international scene on fire with his brand of explicit violence and a charismatic streak that ignited something inside fans across the globe. Stan Hansen was the AWA World Heavyweight champion and even competed for the WWF before earning his true place in history, across the Pacific in the "Land of the Rising Sun." During an infamous encounter with future WCW champion Vader, Hansen managed to clip Leon White with his cowbell, dislodging his eyeball and forcing the "Mastodon" to compete with his eye ajar inside his mask. Although claiming to be from Borger City, Texas—with a "big fat wife and a bunch of kids," the mild-mannered Hansen is actually a resident of Knox City, and has two sons, each of whom is a nationally-recognized baseball player. During his active wrestling days, Stan Hansen garnered a reputation for his no-nonsense approach to business, both inside the ring and backstage with promotors. Since retiring from the squared-circle in 2001, the "Lariat" has made numerous appearances in Japan, where he still receives the same standing ovation he did during his peak in 1981.

Thank you for joining me for this SEVENTH edition of the "Lucky Thirteen." Do yourself a favor and bookmark Cheap-Heat on your computer and in your mobile device so you don’t miss any of our countdowns, columns or coverage. As for me—I think it's about time for this Old Cowpoke to hit that there dusty trail. So until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been "Lucky Thirteen: Bandits of the Bout."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwe-nxt-review-january-21st-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwe-nxt-review-january-21st-2015/#comments Sat, 24 Jan 2015 04:09:14 +0000 Scott Hayes Reviews WWE Network Reviews Adrian Neville Aiden English Baron Corbin Bayley Becky Lynch Buddy Murphy Bull Dempsey Charlotte Curtis Axel Finn Balor HBK Hideo Itami Kevin Owens Lucha Dragons NXT Sami Zayn Sasha Banks Simon Gotch The Vaudevillains Tye Dillenger Tyler Breeze Tyson Kidd Vader Wesley Blake William Regal WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9203 Sometimes stuff happens and so recap columns happen 2 days late. Well? Better late than never, right? What time is it? VADER TIME? Clobberin' Time?! Its TIME for the best weekly wrestling show! RECAP! A few weeks ago we learned that Kevin Owens = a bit of a jerk. Jump ahead: Last week Zayn and […]

Sometimes stuff happens and so recap columns happen 2 days late. Well? Better late than never, right?

What time is it?

VADER TIME?

Clobberin' Time?!

Its TIME for the best weekly wrestling show!

RECAP!

A few weeks ago we learned that Kevin Owens = a bit of a jerk.

Jump ahead: Last week Zayn and Neville tore the house down.

Also last week? Kevin Owens: really really intent on displaying his jerkdom.

REGAL!

He's backstage in his incredibly middle management office. He announces the next NXT special will take place on February 11th! Giddyup! Also we'll have a tournament to establish a Number One Contender, AND Sasha Banks gets another shot at Charlotte since she pinned her last week!

OPENING VIDEO!

IN RING!

Sami's music hits. Crowd Roars. No dancing. No joy. No smile from the NXT Champion. He's AAAALLLLLLLLLL Bidness as he stomps to the ring in his gear. Slides under the ring and starts WAILING away on Tye Dillenger. Throws Dillenger out of the ring and gets a mic. Sami isn't happy and is screaming "OWENS!"

No Owens as Regal's music hits. Regal admonishes Sami's behavior. Sami is like "I do WHATEVA I WANT! Gimme OWENS!" Regal answers with "Owens isn't going to take short cuts and jump people to climb above people to get title shots." Sami is like "It can be non title. I just need it." He even asks nicely. Regal mulls it over and says, Sami can have his match with Owens at the next Takeover. And… Good luck Fastlane competing with THAT. Crowd chants "Thank you Regal". Couldn't agree more.

HYPE! Later tonight we have Charlotte vs. Sasha (we knew that) – Also Axel vs. Balor and Itami vs. Breeze are first round #1 Contender matches… TONIGHT!

BACKSTAGE!

More REGAL! Next week there will be a contract signing between Owens and Zayn! … Sure that will go smoothly…. no violence or tables being broken. You can bet the house on it!

IN RING!

Curtis Axel's music hits and he's on his way to lose. I mean… well… yeah the match ups are fun, but the first round of this tourney is pretty predictable. Balor's music hits. Crowd chants FINN-FINN-FINN-FINN. Some smoke and awesome lights later. Finn is in ring. They feel each other out (keep your heads out of the gutter…) Axel gets the early advantage. But a big Balor Dropkick and a somersault plancha later Finn Balor is in control. Match a little more methodical. Axel lures Finn in and kicks out the knee. Then a nasty clothesline to the back of Balor's head and Lil' Perfect is back control. Axel hits a nice dropkick, crowd chants "YOU SUCK". Nasty knee lift from Curtis got 2 and change. Axel went for second rope axe handle smash, but… NOBODY HOME! Balor on the offensive. Pele. Slingblade (Shouldna-done that- he's juss a boy… mmmm hhmmmm…) Double stomp called Coupe de Grace by PbP Rich… I think its Rich. So they've named his double stomp. I dig the name. Works with his theatrics for sure. Balor moves on.

ANNOUNCE TABLE!

RICH! ALBERT! GRAVES! Hyping the rest of the field. Itami/Breeze. Neville/Kidd. and Corbin/Dempsey.

RECAP!

Women's tag team match from last week. Sasha wins with a first full of tights. C"mon Charlotte. You're dad's the Dirtiest Player in the game. You gotta see that coming!

BACKSTAGE!

Sasha silences a question. Then says she's gonna beat Charlotte and be the new NXT Women's Champion. One dismissive hair flip later? She walks off.

BACKSTAGE?

Or wherever Bull Dempsey is. He's looking at his hands. His hands are gonna do something and people are gonna chant "BULL! BULL! BULL!" and that means bad news for Baron Corbin.

IN RING!

Banks is out with Becky Lynch in tow. Charlotte out second. Championship Ring Intros. Jaw jacking and a shove kick us off. Charlotte flaunts her size and strength advantage. Collar and elbow with some nice mat grappling. I like how each time these two are in the ring there is a different feel. They stay in the collar and elbow and end up falling through the ropes. Charlotte stays on the attack. Lynch comes in for an attack, but Charlotte is like, "NUH UH!" Back in the ring. Knee drop gets two. Sasha reversed a whip into a Thesz Press and right hands. Then Charlotte hits a Thesz Press of her own and goes to brawl, but Lynch is in and attacks Charlotte. Bell rings. Sasha shoves Becky in frustration, but then the two on one beat down is on. Bayley is out for the save! Bayley spends a little TOO long holding and ogling Charlotte's title. So Ms Flair gets grabby and snatches the belt back. This doesn't sit well with Bayley who spins Charlotte around into a big Bayley to Belly!

REGAL!

Regal is back. As this special addition of NXT: Regal continues! He makes a fatal four way between Charlotte, Bayley, Becky, and Sasha. Huge Women's title match that should be excellent. A second "THANK YOU REGAL" Chant from Full Sail. Once again, I agree.

BACKSTAGE!

Owens is on his phone. I assume KO is playing Angry Birds. He seems like an Angry Birds dude man. Some guy walks and wants Owen's time and thoughts and words and whatnot. Owens eyeballs this suited mic stand and gets a hearty chuckle from your humble recapped with this line "DO YOU WORK HERE?!" Owens barely suffers this fool. Says whatever he has to say to Sami he'll say to him at the contract signing NEXT week. Hopefully Suited Mic Stand's second interview goes better.

IN RING!

Black and White and the sound of a projector can only mean ONE Thing. Time to get MANLY! Vaudevillains are on the way. Graves lets us know Gotch and English are doing "Dinosaur Training". Yyyyeah… I'm just gonna let that one go. Already in the ring are the Vaudevillains' Victims, Buddy Murphy and uhh… Something something… Blake? ooh… Wesley! That's right. Music-less entrances aren't a good sign for Murphy and Blake. Dig Wes and Buddy's matching tights. [/red carpet comentary] English in control early. Hits a nice back kick in the corner. Gotch in. Quick tags and working over Buddy. English backbreaker sends him nicely into Gotch who hits a nice vertical suplex and floats over for two. English keeps wearing on Murphy. Blake should make the most of his time by selling popcorn. They try the back breaker into a vertical suplex double team, but Murphy flips out of English's attempt and makes the desperate tag! Good thing Blake wasn't out slinging popcorn, after all! House of fire. Spring board forearm. Kips up. Hits a big power slam. Gets two and change. Gotch breaks it up. Murphy and Gotch brawl a bit and Murphy ends up on the outside. Blake reverses a whip into the ropes and ducks and as English follows in and ends up between the ropes he eats a kick from Murphy from the outside. Blake makes a cover… ONE… TWO… THREE?!?! Whoa upset!

BACKSTAGE!

Prince Pretty is gonna move on in this tournament no matter what the Uggos think.

BACKSTAGE!

Blake and Murphy are celebrating. And… SUITED MIC STAND WANTS MORE THOUGHTS! Oh Buddy is Australian…

Pretty standard promo. Not great. Not awful. They want to challenge the Lucha Dragons next week. We'll see about that, fellas.

HYPE!

Next week's Contender tourney matches. AND CONTRACT SIGNING!

IN RING!

LOOK EVERYONE ITS TYLER! Announcers sell that someone/something was behind Tyler on the ramp. I wonder if it was Marcus Louis. Breeze lounges in the corner, HBK style.

Hideo's music hits. Breeze runs and hides from Itami's kicks. Uses the ref as a human shield and hits a nice kick. Knee to the gut and vicious kick to Breeze's chest puts Hideo in the driver's seat. Breeze grabs some tights and pulls Itami into the corner. TIDE…TURNED!!!! Breeze punts Itami's ribs. Breeze showing a mean streak. Working Itami over with stomps. Kicks. A snap mare, and now… REVERSE CHINLOCK… O' … .DOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!! A neck breaker gets Breeze a two plus count. They take a break. Come back. The RCOD is still locked in.

Announcers let us know the tag titles will be on the line NEXT WEEK!

Itami starts to fire up. Three clothesline. Nice leg sweep. Running knee in the corner. Tornado Hot Shot and flying clothesline. He gets the TWO PLUS! Breeze teases hitting a piledriver?! Itami reverses with a knee and a fisherman's suplex. They wrestle and counter wrestle and Breeze hits a WONDERFUL Superkick! TWO PLUS that bordered on THREE MINUS! They struggle to get up. Crowd chanting their approval. Tyler goes aggro in the corner. Has to be pulled off Hideo two different times. Breeze puts Itami up on the top rope. Kick caught by Breeze. Then a crucifix driver by Breeze! Nice!!! He got two plus outta that. Breeze starts yelling at Itami while wailing away on Itami who starts hulking up, so to speak. Series of open palm strikes, kicks, a back hand drives Breeze back into the corner. Stalling dropkick into the corner. Running high speed kick to Breeze and BOOM! Itami wins!

IN CLOSING!

This kicked off an amazing road to their next live special. The tournament set up is amazing. We already have two matches for the next Takeover both of which can be amazing, and once again NXT will be lined up to out perform the WWE PPV that it shares a month with. Main Event was match of the night. Breeze had a great match with Itami. He really impressed me. I was STUNNED by the Vaudevillains loss. I liked it, though. Everything else, while entertaining was pretty predictable and this added some spice/surprise to the show. Plus the tag division is a little stagnant. Hopefully Buddy and Wes can spice it up a bit.

I saw in a tweet that Itami/Balor have never had a one on one contest… ANYWHERE. So that immediately makes that semifinal so insanely special. I hope it gets twenty or forty or the whole damn show. I'm already insanely stoked for the next Takeover!

See ya next week!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.cheap-heat.com/global-force-wrestling-presents-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestlekingdom-9-on-ppv-in-north-america/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/global-force-wrestling-presents-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestlekingdom-9-on-ppv-in-north-america/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2014 23:57:07 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha AJ Styles Antonio Inoki Big Van Vader Brock Lesnar Bullet Club Doc Gallows Dusty Rhodes Global Force Wrestling Great Muta Hiroshi Tanahashi Hulk Hogan IGWP Jeff Jarrett Kabuki Karl Anderson Kazuchika Okada Masahiro Chono New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW Randy Savage Riki Choshu Steiner Brothers Sting Vader http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6025 Global Force Wrestling sent out the following: GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING TO PRESENT NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING'S "WRESTLE KINGDOM 9" ON PPV IN NORTH AMERICA NASHVILLE — Global Force Wrestling is proud to announce that the first event under its banner will be in conjunction with New Japan Pro Wrestling and its Jan. 4 show from […]

Global Force Wrestling sent out the following:

GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING TO PRESENT NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING'S "WRESTLE KINGDOM 9" ON PPV IN NORTH AMERICA

NASHVILLE — Global Force Wrestling is proud to announce that the first event under its banner will be in conjunction with New Japan Pro Wrestling and its Jan. 4 show from the Tokyo Dome.

"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 your pay-per-view provider, including 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.

"This is one of the great events on the wrestling calendar every year, and for GFW to have the opportunity to bring it to the American audience is an honor and a privilege," GFW founder and CEO Jeff Jarrett said. "This event has a history that involves not only the greatest names in Japanese wrestling history but some of the greatest names in U.S. wrestling history."

NJPW founder and wrestling icon Antonio Inoki has appeared on the Jan. 4 dome show five times. Other legends to appear include Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, Sting, the Steiner Brothers, Big Van Vader, Randy Savage, Brock Lesnar, the Great Muta, the Great Kabuki, Masahiro Chono and Riki Choshu.

This year's card is headlined by an IGWP heavyweight title match between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. The Bullet Club, of which Jarrett is a member along with A.J. Styles and IWGP tag team champions Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, is expected to appear on the show as well.

The show will be available in English and in Japanese via the second audio program (SAP) button on your TV. GFW will reveal the North American announcers for the event in the near future.

#JoinTheForce
#GFWJan4
www.GlobalForceWrestling.com

Contact: Global Force Wrestling at PR@globalforcewrestling.com

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-top-10-wcw-halloween-havoc-matches-of-all-time-plus-honorable-mentions/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-top-10-wcw-halloween-havoc-matches-of-all-time-plus-honorable-mentions/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2014 03:59:23 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Top Lists "Stunning" Steve Austin Alex Wright Barry Windham Big Van Vader Billy Kidman Bobby Eaton Brian Knobbs Brian Pillman Cactus Jack Chris Jericho Chuck Palumbo DDP Dean Malenko Diamond Dallas Page Disco Inferno Dr. Death Dustin Rhodes Eddie Guerrero Flyin' Brian Goldberg Halloween Havoc Jerry Skaggs Kidman Lex Luger Muta Natural Born Thrillers NWA Raven Rey Mysterio Rey Mysterio Jr. Ric Flair Rick Steiner Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Ricky Morton Ricky Steamboat Scott Steiner Shawn Stasiak Sid Vicious Spin the Wheel Make the Deal Stan Lane Steve Austin Steve Williams Sting Syxx Terry Funk The Boogie Knights The Filthy Animals The Great Muta The Midnight Express The Nasty Boys The Perfect Event The Steiner Brothers Thundercage Tommy Rich Vader WCW http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5758 In the spirit of Halloween I decided that the best way for me to spend my day, was to watch as many Halloween Havocs as possible. As I was bouncing around I started jumping around from one of my favorite matches to the other. This gave me the idea to rank my favorite WCW Halloween […]

In the spirit of Halloween I decided that the best way for me to spend my day, was to watch as many Halloween Havocs as possible. As I was bouncing around I started jumping around from one of my favorite matches to the other. This gave me the idea to rank my favorite WCW Halloween Havoc matches of all time.