Wrestling News

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Mug Shots

Drunk in Kentucky. :1orglaugh :tongue:

Hard to believe a piece of ass like Velvet Sky messes with a goof like Helms!:dunno:

 

[Will E Worm]

Bobby Lashley Set To Fight Tomorrow Night On Showtime

TNA star Bobby Lashley fights Saturday night against Wes Sims on the Strikeforce Miami event.

The show airs live on Showtime at 10PM ET.

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[Will E Worm]

Could The Road Dogg (BG James) Be Returning To WWE?

During an interview with In Your Head Online., BG James (a/k/a Road Dogg) said he recently spoke to WWE officials about returning to the organization, but noted, "it wasn't meant to be."

James said he feels he's too old to keep up with the younger wrestlers, but believes he can contribute behind the scenes. He said his best memories in the industry took place during the Attitude Era, mentioning selling stunners for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

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Could Kip James and BG James be a tag team again?

I mean TNA has the Nasty Boys in the ring.

The TNA Outlaws

 

[Will E Worm]

Rob Van Dam: The Monday Night Wars, TNA/WWE Return?

Rob Van Dam recently spoke with Fanhouse.com, here are the highlights

On The Spirit Of ECW Returning: It's gone. Those wrestlers, those of us who carry on that spirit will take it with us wherever we go, but it's not a small flame waiting to ignite again, it's not.

I could restart ECW with a few people I have in mind and some independent wrestlers and unknown wrestlers.

On Bret Hart Coming Back: I think it was really good for Bret. I know he's been wanting to return for a long time but didn't think that it was realistic, so these special circumstances of him showing up there for a limited time, the fans were obviously very excited about seeing Bret back in the WWE. It was huge. On a night when TNA had talked everybody into checking out their first Monday night show, it made them split back and forth to see Bret as well.

On Helping To Spice Up Wrestling: I would say bring back the day of the jobber. When I was a fan, when I was younger, wrestlers were larger than life because I would watch them totally annihilate some local scrub, some guy that was in the ring, I didn't know who the jobber was. We called those enhancement matches and they hardly ever do them anymore. That to me was how you build the wrestler, and when I found out two of these superstars would be battling each other, whether it was near me at a live show or when it was on Saturday Night's Main Event, that was huge and it drew great interest and enthusiasm because I got to see these two big wrestlers who I've seen just destroy everybody actually face each other. Ever since Monday Night Wars, every single match from the bottom to the top of the card seems like it has to be main-event quality -- superstar vs. superstar, superstar vs. superstar -- and then you gotta find a political way to go into the finish, you know, to try to deck one guy while doing what you want with the other. It's a bunch of bulls**t I think. You know, I really think that the enhancement matches were what brought everybody into WWE in the '90s.

I remember those matches. Does the Brooklyn Brawler ring a belt?

On His Possible Return To The Ring: I mean, it's possible that I could be interested in either TNA or WWE if it was the right amount of work vs. pay ratio. That's basically what it is, and I haven't had that deep of conversations with anyone yet, really. So I don't know if it's out there or not, since I haven't been the active one out there pursuing, you know, the information comes to me as it comes when they're reaching out to me.

Rob Van Damn vs The Brooklyn Brawler in TNA.

I guess he will be the next guy Hogan and Bishoff bring in. :tongue:


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[Will E Worm]

RVD talks WrestleReunion, indy shows, and, maybe, TNA

Saturday January 30th will be a big night for fans of Rob Van Dam. At Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Kurt Russelmania he steps into the ring for his first independent appearance in North America since leaving WWE in 2007. The show is part of WrestleReunion 4 in Los Angeles, which will also feature RVD signing autographs.

"The truth is, they met my price. Usually when people contact me about my price domestically I don't even give it to them because I am very expensive and I have run wrestling shows, I know what they have in mind. The kind of money I take for an appearance fee is more than they are even planning on bringing in," Van Dam told SLAM! Wrestling. "This is a really big show. It is in Los Angeles which is really easy for me because I don't have to fly it is a 30-minute drive. I was contacted and it went down just like any other booking from a third party. I am not out there on that circuit so I don't have a fee to give to people, I have 'diva demands' which may offend some people. I got all of my money up front so I am smiling no matter what happens this weekend. I think it is going to be a great show."

Fans planning on attending are already buzzing about the match, a triple-threat bout against Roderick Strong and Chris Hero. RVD admits he is not familiar with either opponent but has high expectations.

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[Will E Worm]

Wrestlereunion draws from far and wide

A sailor in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Singapore has worked 37 days straight on the relief mission for victims of the tsunami disaster. He is given a couple of days off for a vacation. So where does he take his new wife for a little rest and relaxation? Australia? Japan? Hawaii? Well if you're John Mastendrea, you take your new wife for a nice vacation to Tampa, Florida.

Now, not that Tampa isn't a wonderful spot for a vacation....but....why go halfway around the world to Tampa? Well, you see, a half a lifetime ago, John Mastendrea's circle of friends used to refer to him as "Handsome" John Mastendrea--old school wrestling fan. So John and his bride made the trek --over 24 hours worth -- to come to Wrestlereunion. This wasn't an opportunity to see such stars as HHH, Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho or Kurt Angle. This was a chance to see the men that John regarded as the heroes of his youth. Men like Bruno Sammartino, Bill Watts, Jack Brisco & Roddy Piper. There were legendary tag teams like the Midnight Express, the Rock-N-Roll Express, Barry Windham & Mike Rotunda and the Fantastics. These men all gathered in Tampa at the DoubleTree Hotel for the biggest convention in wrestling fan history and their presence meant enough for Mastendrea to travel halfway around the world.

The convention lasted from Friday, January 28 thru Sunday, January 30, and one of the constants was the fans milling around the lobby of the hotel hoping to catch a glance of one of their heroes. There might be a little less hair, or maybe a few more gray hairs, and maybe (for certain wrestling fans also...ahem) a couple of more inches around the middle--but back in what these fans regard as wrestling's "heyday", the chance to interact up close and personal with the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Jimmy Snuka and Tully Blanchard just wasn't there.

One common theme was found on the first day and all through the rest of the weekend was just how unbelieveably gracious all the performers were. Oh, the egos were still there, but they seemed to have been checked at the front door.

The only complaint that one could really have, and it was certainly a legitimate one, was that there was a sense of disorganization on the first day--especially during the autograph sessions. The lines moved very slowly, as the event coordinators were plagued by line jumpers, those in search of a quick photo with a star, or those who wanted to violate the mandated two item per star limit. Many events of this type are unfortunately cursed with some people who only want have items signed in bulk so that they can turn around and sell them on a site such as Ebay. This only makes it hard for those fans who are there because they really want to see one particular star or all of them. More in the link.

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WrestleReunion in Los Angeles January 29-31, 2010

 

[Will E Worm]

Hulk Hogan Leg Drops TNA To Failure!

This article is not in any way setting out to bash Hulk Hogan. The point of this article is to highlight the failure by TNA creative to make use of Hogans inclusion into the TNA roster.

Ever since he made a first appearance in a TNA ring Hulk Hogan has been saying the same thing over and over. He along with Eric Bishoff promise change that has yet to arrive. This article focuses on the biggest changes in TNA since Bishoff and Hogan arrived in TNA.

Hogan and Bishoff can be seen in numerous backstage segments.

These segments are simply terrible and only remind me about how annoying Vince Russo ideas can be. The images of Hogan and Bishoff behind a desk is simply a spin off of the old WCW powers that be. Not only are these office segments poorly acted but they just result in people changing the channel. This is pro wrestling folks if wrestling fans wanted to see this they could watch court tv.

Hall and X pac walk around the arena.

Ok, could this be anymore unentertaining? The veteran NWO members can be seen talking about how the band is back together. This is not only a terrible idea but these segments are pointless. Hall and x pac are not booked in any meaningful matches. The only thing that they do is distract the viewers from any actual pro wrestling. I am not putting the blame on them of course but rather on creative. Hogan can be more creative than just saying they need to earn their spot all the time.

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The Nasty Boys are wrestling again.

The Nasty Boys do not belong in a wrestling ring at this point in their lives. A match with them and the Dudley boys would only result in one of the worst matches of all time. I can only imagine what Hogan had to say to get his friend Knobbs competing for the tag team titles. I apologize to any fans of the Nasty Boys but I do not consider them wrestlers that should not be in TNA especially if they want to go up against WWE.

Hogan and Angle recreated the Montreal screw job and then Bishoff came out firing Mick Foley.

This is by far the worst storyline that I can remember in several years. It is terrible considering that it is copying a WWE incident exactly as it happend. Not only that but Angle mentions to Hogan that he would leave to WWE. That was terrible considering that Angle saying that made me feel like watching RAW. When Bishoff came out bleeding it really made me want to change the channel.

Mr. Kennedy is buried in his TNA impact debut.

TNA decides to get Kennedy over by making him look weak and unintelligent against Abyss. I thought they might use him right but I guess not.

An email and regular mail campaign needs to be started to have Hogan and Bishoff fired from TNA.

Bring back the six-sided ring and push younger talent.

It has to happen soon or TNA is finished.

 

[Will E Worm]

Taz Blogs: ECW Shutting Down + Criticizes Vince

Yo,

So, WWE version of ECW is not alive anymore and VKM didn't acknowledge the past accomplishments of the true pioneers of the brand name. Ok, so Taz is angry about this? Taz is surprised about this? Taz is losing sleep because of this? No, no & no.

So Taz is a little confused because...
--I know for a FACT how proud Vince is of the WWE HOF! And he should be!
--I know for a FACT how proud Vince is that his highly successful company is in a position to ACKNOWLEDGE the past success of those who have paved the way for the industry!
--I know for a FACT that Vince feels its his (and his company) responsibility to recognize the successes of the wrestlers of the past...even if they never wrestled for the WWF/WWE!

I know all this as fact because I have heard Vince say these things! Every time (behind the scenes) Vince would speak on these topics it made me very proud to work under the WWE! I would bet the FARM that VKM STILL feels that(about WWE HOF) way!

In my tweet from last night, I closed it by saying "Classy Move". I think that that was a little extreme. See, saying that VKM's promo was a little vague when he mentioned "all the Superstars" that made ECW a success would have captured how i actually felt!

Point is, why not acknowledge the Paul Heymens contributions to the industry? Or, saying thanks to all the ECW original wrestlers? A lot of blood, sweat and tears were dropped during the original ECW's life! If you are going to thank cameramen & directors (etc) than acknowledge the past history because its well deserved.

If you utilized the letters ECW to make a lot of $$$ over the past several years I would assume that your respect the history of ECW? If you would produce and sell a successful DVD documenting the companies history...I would assume you feel that the original ECW history has value....than why not give it a proper send off?

Now, am I a little sensitive when it comes to the legacy of the original ECW? Well yes. Can some say that, "hey Taz... you sold out and left ECW to go to the WWE".....well yes. Unfortunately, this is a business and I did what I needed to do (at the time) for my family and have ZERO regrets!

Now, when WWE gave Tommy Dreamer his send off, they were 1st Class all the way and I went public and acknowledged that WWE did the right thing! So, do you think that WWE will build a 1 or 2 minute video package in next weeks show with shots of ECW's past? Hmmm.

Bottom line, I'm very happy the letters ECW will finally get to rest in peace....THAT'S well deserved!

In the mean time don't forget to watch TNA iMPACT on Spike TV this Thurs 9pm est!! The Tourny we got going on is a good one!!

Thanks for reading!

FTW
Taz

Article

 

[Will E Worm]

Tommy Dreamer & Taz Blast The Demise Of WWE's ECW

Last night on ECW, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon announced that the ECW brand is being put to rest once and for all this month. WWE will be introducing a new brand, dubbed WWE NXT, which will feature the "next generation" of WWE superstars.

ECW originals Taz and Tommy Dreamer have posted messages on Twitter about McMahon's announcement and neither sounds happy with how it was handled.

Future TNA star Tommy Dreamer was vague with his comments, but expressed general frustration:

"Many people have asked me why I left WWE. If you watched ECW tonight, a piece of the puzzle was revealed for my actions. Stay tuned."

TNA announcer Taz on the other hand criticized Vince McMahon for not giving credit to the people who actually made ECW the force it once was. He wrote:

"So, WWE ending their 'vision' of ECW (thank god). ANY ORIG ECW wrestlers get a thanks? How about Paul Heyman did he get a thanks? Classy move!"

Article

 

[Big Poppa Pump]

I'm glad to see WWE's ECW go. It was like they reformed Nirvana with members of N*sinc. ukey:

 

[Will E Worm]

Jack Brisco dead at 68

At his induction into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005, Jack Brisco was introduced as having "brought more respect and dignity to this business than anybody." With his passing today at age 68, the former NWA World champion leaves a legacy matched by few.

That same year, Don Leo Jonathan introduced Brisco at the Cauliflower Alley Club banquet, calling him, "probably the greatest champion of the 20th century."

"He was like wrestling glass. He was that smooth," recalled Rip Hawk.

And that's just his peers talking.

Here's another different example. A New Zealand businessman named Trevor Turnock was passing through Las Vegas in 2003, and found out that the Cauliflower Alley Club was meeting there and immediately bought a ticket, rearranging his itinerary. During the banquet, he ran up to SLAM! Wrestling contributor Steven Johnson and exclaimed, "You’ll never believe my luck, mate! They seated me at a table with Jack Brisco."


There will be no shortage of praise for Jack Brisco following his sudden death on Monday.

He was born Freddie Joe Brisco on September 21, 1941, in Blackwell, Oklahoma. Brisco won two state wrestling championships while in Blackwell High School in 1958 and 1959, and he played fullback Blackwell's football team, which went to the 1959 Class A state title game.

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[Will E Worm]

Sonjay Dutt Talks Being The Guru, TNA Run, Future, More

Sonjay Dutt Interview Recap By: Bob Colling

- To listen to the full interview go to http://www.InYourHeadOnline.com

- In Your Head Online Wrestling Radio hosted by Jack, Oneinchbiceps and Barbie Richads.

- Sonjay Dutt says that he hasn't ever seen a legend take a young guy underneath his wing. Dutt has never asked a legend how his match was. Jack asks about his working experience with Kevin Nash. Dutt puts over Nash as a "all around great guy" and really helped out the X-Division. Dutt says that the characters was just Vince Russo trying to make comedy and that Lethal's gimmick fell right in Russo's lap. When it came to Dutt's character he enjoyed it and liked that he was finally a heel in TNA. Dutt says that he made some pretty good money on the house show scene when he would collect money.

- Dutt says that it was cool at the beginning to work for CZW and John Zandig. Dutt says at the end of his run in CZW a lot of people left the company and it wasn't like it was before. Dutt also believes it is hard to ignore the hardcore matches that take place in the company, but their were some great matches in the company.

- The Guru gimmick evolved into becoming a con man as he was trying to get the girl (So Cal Val). It evolved into a sleaze bag and con man. He didn't like the whole "peace, love and happiness" type of gimmick.

- Dutt really enjoyed the love saga between So Cal Val and Jay Lethal. Dutt says that he and So Cal Val are really good friends to this day. Dutt believes that Val should have been able to continue the angle.

- Sonjay says "never say never" when it comes to a return to TNA because "everyone needs a paycheck".

- Dutt enjoys working with Ring of Honor as their aren't as many restrictions that TNA has. Dutt mentions the ROH show on HD Net on Mondays at 8pm.

- Dutt competed in ROH for a short time in 2003/2004 and says that the company has many different wrestlers today then back then but they have a lot of similarities.

- Dutt said that it was a "surreal moment" when he went to India for TNA in 2005.

- A prank caller chimes in but his prank falls flat as Dutt mentions he used to prank rap stations locally. Dutt says it would be rather to not tell a story as "some things are better left unsaid".

- A caller asks Sonjay Dutt how he feels about Christian stealing his move where he kicks his opponent in the corner. Dutt tells a story about confronting Christian that just has to be heard! You will be surprise with what he has to say on that subject.

- Jack and Sonjay go over his appearance in Clayton, North Carolina on February 27th, 2010.

- Jack thanks Sonjay for coming on the show to end a interesting interview.

- The post show consists of the ever entertaining Year End Awards for 2009!

- Listen to this interview at www.inyourheadonline.com and you can also check out their 5+ year archive which include interviews from Bruno Sammartino, Sid Vicious, Scott Hall, Mick Foley, Eric Bischoff and many more, and weekly Wednesdays at 8:05PM Eastern.

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[Will E Worm]

Georgiann Makropoulos Passes Away

Georgiann Makropolous, who has been involved in the wrestling fan club and newsletter business dating back to 1959, passed away earlier today after suffering a heart attack. She was 68.

To this day, Makropolous remained a beloved figure among those in the wrestling industry. In recent years she worked for WrestlingFigs.com and continued doing her Wrestling Chatterbox newsletter. Note from TNAWrestlingNews.com: We had talked with Georgiann numerous times via email and she was such a kind person. We looked at some of her emails in our draft folder today and it reminded us of how generous and kind she really was. A really sad loss and we send our condolences to her family and friends. You'll be missed Georgiann (baby!).

Wrestlingfigs.com released the following statement this evening regarding her passing:

Georgiann Makropoulos Passes Away

WrestlingFigs.com has just learned that our very own Georgiann Markopoulos passed away today at the age of 68.

Georgiann Makropoulos was well known and sincerely admired throughout the world of professional wrestling. After conquering a bout of meningitis as a teenager, her grandfather took her to a wrestling show at Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, New York in November of 1959 and she fell in love with the sport. Her favorite wrestler at the time was Bruno Sammartino and she became Fan Club President not only to the Living Legend, but to other greats such as Bob Orton Sr., Ken Patera, Bill Dromo, & Buddy Rogers.

It wouldn't be long before her interest in the business brought wrestling publications interested in her talents asking her to submit content for them. It began with listing wrestling Fan Clubs, writing stories and taking photos but would eventually culminate in her own newsletter Wrestling Chatterbox, a postal mail publication with exclusive news, photos and content that has been published monthly for over 22 years.

It should also come as no surprise that Georgiann's talents made their way to the internet. She worked for 1Wrestling.com for seven and a half years before leaving that site and working for Ringside Collectibles fan site, WrestlingFigs.com. Georgiann gave her readers tireless, constant news updates, eyewitness accounts from signings and live events, and had a one of a kind, unique bond with fans keeping them connected with the world of professional wrestling.

Georgiann was a huge Elvis fan. She also enjoyed reading wrestling books and watching television including soap operas and of course, professional wrestling. She was married to her husband George in 1974 and had a Siamese cat named Rocky.

Known as the Godmother of Professional Wrestling, Georgiann was close friends with many in the wrestling business and was always there to lend an ear or a helping hand to someone in need. Not only was she well liked by wrestling talent, journalists, and fans alike, she had a sparkling personality and an infectious spirit that made her easy to speak to and will no doubt make her missed.

WrestlingFigs.com would like to offer Georgiann's friends, family, and loved ones our deepest condolences.

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[Will E Worm]

Bret Hart Says He Wouldn't Work With Bischoff & Hogan

-- On his Facebook account, Bret Hart made some interesting comments regarding TNA. He wrote the following:

"It was nice seeing Jeremy Borash, a longtime friend of mine, from TNA while I was in Nashville. He hung out with me and we never once talked wrestling. Some feeble minded idiot who saw us in plain view tried to start the rumour that I might be heading to TNA next; although why anyone would ever think I'd let Hogan and Bischoff anywhere near my Hitman persona again is truly beyond me."

Bischoff referred to Borash as a "mark" last week on his Twitter account for posting a photo of himself and Hart after their dinner, which also included several other TNA staffers.

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I can't blame him.

 

[Will E Worm]

Ontario indies merge for Maximum attention

The announcement of a new tag team has captured the attention of the Ontario independent wrestling fans. The recent merger of Windsor-based Border City Wrestling and Mississauga's BSE Pro Wrestling, from which the new entity Maximum Pro Wrestling has been created, could be a game-changer on the local scene. SLAM! Wrestling sat down with the owners of the new entity to discuss their plans.

Former TNA Wrestling producer and on-air personality Scott D'Amore is the name most people associate with Border City Wrestling. With 15 years at the helm of BCW, D'Amore is very excited about waving the Max-Pro flag, and is optimistic that the new company has what it takes to take things to even higher levels.

"We're aiming to instantly make Maximum Pro Wrestling a major force in independent wrestling. Border City is very proud of our long and rich history in Windsor, and the merger will allow us to bring quality wrestling to a much bigger fan base," said D'Amore.


While not all of the duo's plans have yet been revealed, the press release of February 3rd indicates that the new company will be presenting a large number of live shows, DVDs, pay-per-views, and develop a regular TV show. While this may seem quite ambitious for an indy company, the partners see it as a challenge they're up for.

"We're so proud of what we have built over the past five years," said BSE Pro's Jason Brown, who also goes by the moniker Burt the Hurt. "We have toured extensively throughout Ontario, in Western Canada, and even in Nunavut. We've had TV deals with Persona Network and The Fight Network. But to have someone with Scott's leadership and skill, it's like when the Rangers got Gretzky... you don't pass an opportunity like this up."


While neither man would get too specific about what changes will result from the new company -- for example, how the company's roster will be selected, or whether shows that have already been announced under each respective legacy company's name will be changed -- they both want their respective fan bases to know that no sacrifices will be made to the quality of the product.

"The merger will not affect the quality of events that Windsor fans have been accustomed to," promised D'Amore. "Rather, Maximum Pro Wrestling will allow us to bring the best that we have in Windsor, and combine that with the best that BSE has brought to the Toronto area, and deliver a product that is new, exciting, and, literally, the best of both worlds."

Brown echoed D'Amore's sentiment.

"I honestly think that Maximum Pro will be greater than the sum of both parts. Not to take anything away from the success both companies have had -- on the contrary, both Scott and I are so proud of what we've built with BSE Pro and BCW. But we anticipate even bigger news from Maximum Pro Wrestling in 2010 and beyond. We think the fans of both companies will like what they see."

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[Will E Worm]

Bob Cook returns to the past

American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel once said: "You come to a point in your life when you can't pull the trigger anymore."

For wrestler Bob Cook, those words echo loud and clear. But despite his better judgment and Knievel's epithet, Cook plans to pull the trigger one more time by coming out of retirement to wrestle in the main event at Rumble on the River III: A Night of Legends, as his alias, The Masked Superstar.

For wrestler Bob Cook, those words echo loud and clear. But despite his better judgment and Knievel's epithet, Cook plans to pull the trigger one more time by coming out of retirement to wrestle in the main event at Rumble on the River III: A Night of Legends, as his alias, The Masked Superstar.

"I guess you could say I'm a Masked Superstar, not The Masked Superstar," Cook recently told SLAM! Wrestling, referring to Bill Eadie who wrestled as The Masked Superstar throughout the '70s and '80s, and made the name famous. "I'm wearing the mask for several reasons, and one of them is because I have long hair and it keeps my hair out of my eyes. I also can't see without my glasses, and when you're in a mask you naturally squint. Also, if I embarrass myself, no one will know who I am. I can also back out at the last minute and let somebody else wear the mask so I can sit in the back and watch. So as you can see, I've got it all covered."

More in the link.

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[Will E Worm]

ECW: Beginning of the end

Tonight on ECW on Syfy: So begins the burial of the Land of Extreme. This week's edition of the show is here to set up next week, where there will be not one, but two title matches. Tonight, though, there's a No Count Out, No Disqualification Match between Shelton Benjamin and Vance Archer. Should be a good one?

The ECW roster is backstage when Tiffany comes up to address them. She says it's a great thing that ECW is going off the air because everyone will be free agents and can sign wherever they want. She says seize the day and have fun and then puts on Mardi Gras beads and picks up a drink. Zack Ryder says they own got two weeks left and she's just gonna party? And in Tiffany's best line ever, she tells Ryder, "Woo woo woo, you know it!"

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Match #1 - No. 1 Contender Match For Unified Tag Team Championship - Yoshi Tatsu (Tokyo, Japan) & Goldust (Hollywood, Calif.) vs. Trent Barreta (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) & Caylen Croft (Youngstown, Ohio)

Winners via pinfall and No. 1 Contenders for the Unified Tag Team Championship: Yoshi Tatsu & Goldust

Match #2 - Ezekiel Jackson (Harlem, N.Y.) vs. Perry Wallace (Baton Rouge, La.)
Winner via pinfall; Ezekiel Jackson


Match #3 - No Count Out, No Disqualification Match - Shelton Benjamin (Orangeburg, S.C.) vs. Vance Archer (Dallas, Texas)

Winner via pinfall; Shelton Benjamin

 

[Will E Worm]

Wrestling in the Canadian West a rich and fascinating book

Wrestling in the Canadian West
By Vance Nevada
Published by Crowbar Press
221 pages

With Wrestling in the Canadian West, author and wrestler Vance Nevada takes the reader on a fact-filled journey, through the many years of professional wrestling that's origins go back to 1911 in Western Canada.

Wrestling enthusiasts will appreciate the top-notch research, exacting attention to detail, along with many photos of wrestlers that have competed in the region, as well as the wrestling posters from past promotions that are displayed throughout the book.

This work is an encyclopedia of wrestling activities that have occurred in Western Canada. There has been over 18,000 live events in the region since 1911; Nevada is trying to shine a light on much that has been overlooked.

Continued...

 

[Will E Worm]

Last of famed Baillargeon brothers dead at 92

The last of the famed Baillargeon brothers, Charles, died Wednesday in a Quebec City hospital at the age of 92. The six strongmen brothers captivated North America in the 1940s with their feats of strength before turning to other means of celebrity -- like professional wrestling.

The six Baillargeon brothers -- Jean, Charles, Adrien, Lionel, Paul, and Antonio (Tony) -- were the Ice Capades or Harlem Globetrotters of their day, taking their strongmen act from town to town. Dressed in a weightlifting singlet showing off their impressive physiques with a maple leaf and a beaver on the front, the Baillargeons wowed crowds. Charles would pull a bus with his teeth, Paul would lift a horse. They would make human pyramids with Jean or Paul at the base, supporting three or four people above. They brought in acrobats to complement their act.

By 1949, all six brothers had grown tired of the road and having to arrange their own shows across North America. When the opportunity arose for them to train at wrestling in Massachusetts came, they took it. Their fame was their calling card in the ring. "Their feats of strength have been recorded by the newsreel cameras and no doubt you have seen them in your local theaters," wrote The Ring magazine in April 1950.

Continued...

 

[Will E Worm]

The Sad Story of the NWA (National Wrestling Aliance)

For any wrestling fans who have been around awhile, the initials N.W.A. carry great meaning. The NWA at one time was the largest wrestling company in the World, now they are only a blip on the wrestling world's radar.

The NWA started out as a Governing body for all regional wrestling promoters involved. Basically they divided up the US, Canada and Japan into sections, where each section was run by a different promotion. They were called territories.

The main advantage of this was that the promotions could lean on each other if another company tried to encroach on their territory. They did this by sending major stars to the area in question to try and shut down whatever competitor was coming in.

The NWA had one true World Champion who would travel from Territory to territory to defend the belt against the top stars of each area. This system allowed for many young stars to appear as if they could beat the champion but always came up a bit short in the end.

This system worked well for decades, with legends such as Ric Flair and Lou Thesz holding the World Title and going from promotion to promotion to help the local TV shows.

The Article Continues...

I'd like to see a form of the Territory System make a comeback.

Matches and tournaments between territories and foreign wrestling promotions would be great to see.