A few weeks ago, I was told that prior to the PWX show there were going to be a few interviews filmed for the website and they asked that I dress up for it so I did, considering it was the only time they asked me to dress up for a show. I always dress up for the FNW shows and I figured it would be cool to dress up for a PWX show too. The interview that was filmed was only five minutes and I wondered why they asked me to get dressed up for a five minute interview, but after wards I went to the commentary table to start calling the show.
During intermission, I was talking to wrestler, Tony Hansen and his mom when alot of the younger kids that were getting wrestlers to sign stuff wanted to get my autograph. I started signing everything they asked, notebook paper, Hansen pictures that I wasn't, and even a few shirts. It was cool that someone wanted my autograph and it was fun signing for the fans. As I was signing, one of the fans asked, "Are you a wrestler?" I said, "No, I'm an announcer." At this point, it became obvious that despite asking for an autograph, they had no idea who I was, but it was still cool to sign an autograph.
I guess because I was wearing a suit they thought I was someone important and it's probably another reason I should have read books instead of watching wrestling.
Here's a clip of one of the matches that I did commentary for
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Greatest Manager of All Time
The wrestling manager used to be a fixture of any show and during the 80s, most matches would feature a manager, who had the role of doing the mic work for the wrestler they managed and would portray themselves as handling the wrestler's contracts. In reality, a manager’s job was to help the talent get over with the crowd and enhance a match or storylines. Specifically, villainous managers were used to help further storylines through mic work and getting involved in matches. Some of the most entertaining performers in the history of the business have been managers, but who is the greatest manager of all time? It’s almost unanimous that the answer is Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, who has been involved in the business for over four decades and he started in the business in 1965 in Chicago.
Heenan would also wrestle, but was known for being a manager, which gave him the opportunity to work for the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota. After success there, he would go to the World Wrestling Federation in 1984 to manage the top talent in the company. During this time, Heenan would also become a commentator and he along with Gorilla Monsoon are known as one of the greatest commentary teams of all time. The wrestling industry expanded during the 80s and perhaps the peak of the era was Wrestlemania 3, where over 93,000 fans were in attendance in the Pontiac Silver Dome in Detroit to see Hulk Hogan battle Andre The Giant for the WWF title. Something that people might over look is that it was Heenan that was used to help set up the storyline that would lead to the title match.
After working in the WWF for nearly a decade, Heenan wanted to take some time off and would eventually sign with World Championship Wrestling in 1994 and would remain in the organization for five years before taking time off because of health problems.
Despite having several health problems the past few years, Heenan is still entertaining and his induction in the WWE Hall Of Fame as well as his follow up appearances to induct a few others, are considered highlights of the event.
Here is Bobby Heenan at the WWE Hall of Fame
Heenan would also wrestle, but was known for being a manager, which gave him the opportunity to work for the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota. After success there, he would go to the World Wrestling Federation in 1984 to manage the top talent in the company. During this time, Heenan would also become a commentator and he along with Gorilla Monsoon are known as one of the greatest commentary teams of all time. The wrestling industry expanded during the 80s and perhaps the peak of the era was Wrestlemania 3, where over 93,000 fans were in attendance in the Pontiac Silver Dome in Detroit to see Hulk Hogan battle Andre The Giant for the WWF title. Something that people might over look is that it was Heenan that was used to help set up the storyline that would lead to the title match.
After working in the WWF for nearly a decade, Heenan wanted to take some time off and would eventually sign with World Championship Wrestling in 1994 and would remain in the organization for five years before taking time off because of health problems.
Despite having several health problems the past few years, Heenan is still entertaining and his induction in the WWE Hall Of Fame as well as his follow up appearances to induct a few others, are considered highlights of the event.
Here is Bobby Heenan at the WWE Hall of Fame
The Origin of The Raging Bull
Some people might think that the film is based on violence, but it really depends of how you view the context of the film and it could be a metaphor for persevering through different obstacles in life. For example, I have spastic CP and it affects my leg muscles, but I still find a way to work wrestling shows being a commentator. The LaMotta name to me is that I didn’t let CP stop me from being involved in the wrestling industry.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining because everyone has problems to deal with and that’s why I think anyone reading this can take something from the post. You can either let things keep you down or you can overcome them. While situations can be frustrating, it’s important to keep trying to overcome them.
Here is a clip of the film
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Audio Interviews
This is a BC Steele interview and you can download it using the link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6Q37MYO1
This is a Tony Hansen interview and you can download it using the link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OLRPGRYW
This is a Tony Hansen interview and you can download it using the link
Monday, April 18, 2011
Who's The Caveman in the background?
If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you will notice that the once plain background has been replace with a neanderthal that appears to be bleeding in the photo. Frank Goodish, who is known around the globe as Bruiser Brody, is considered a legend in the United States, Japan, Puerto Rico, and many other places around the world.
Brody started training in the early 1970s and made his debut in 1975 wrestling in various territories in the United States. However, it was in the 1980s that Brody would become an international star as he toured Japan on a regular basis and has worked for every major wrestling promotion in the United States. His wild appearance and trademark chain were a draw for every promotion that he wrestled for during his career. He had alot of agility for a wrestler his size and also competed in many wild brawls. Some of the bloodiest and wildest brawls in wrestling history involved Brody and Abdullah The Butcher, a feud that was also showcased all around the world. During his time with All Japan Pro Wrestling, Brody would form a tag team with Texas native Stan Hasen, who was also known for being wild during matches and the team became an instant success in the promotion. Brody is also one of the most influential wrestlers in the history of the business as many wrestlers including Mick Foley and The Necro Butcher have used some of his style in matches.
Tragically, Brody was killed in Puerto Rico on July 17, 1988 when Jose Gonzalez, who worked for the WWC promotion stabbed him in the locker room. The story behind the murder is that Gonzalez told Brody that he needed to talk to him and then ambushed him when Brody walked into the locker room. The reason behind this is said to be that Brody did not agree with some of the business decisions for the company. A trial that many believe was corrupt took place in Puerto Rico and Gonzalez was acquitted of all charges. As a result of the corruption, many wrestlers refuse to wrestle in Puerto Rico and wrestling there remains sub par even now.
Bruiser Brody is one of my favorite wrestlers and I have collected many DVDs of his matches. It's a travesty that someone that had contributed so much to the wrestling industry was killed and the person responsible for it was not brought to justice because of a corrupt trial. However, over two decades after his death, Brody's legacy lives on as two books were released about his career and the WWE produced an action figure just within the past few years so despite the corruption that took place, Brody is still known as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Here are a few clips, including Tony Atlas talking about Brody's murder.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
NEVER Stop at a Gas Station in Dayton, OH at 2 AM...
The next post of wrestling ridiculousness only partially involves a wrestling show and is more of an example of how filthy it is in the state of Ohio Pennsylvania to enter the disgusting state of Ohio to attend a Ring Of Honor show in Dayton
After a four hour drive, we watched the show, including the insane green man, Delirious (pictured above) dive off of one of the scaffolds that was used for the lighting equipment. It was a decent show, but it was during a time when ROH was starting to struggle with booking so it wasn't exactly the best ROH show I've seen and even today, ROH still seems to struggle to maintain its draw being the top independent promotion, but still struggling in comparison to the multimillion dollar budgets that the WWE and TNA have to work with.
This story has a rather ironic conclusion as a few months later, I was at an International Wrestling Cartel show in
So what does all this mean to you, the loyal readers of Tales From Ringside? #1 it's a public service announcement to avoid gas stations in Dayton, OH or just the entire state of OH. #2 Delirious is very polite so buy some of his merchandise at a show. Finally, #3 it's another example that I would probably have better grades if I wasn't a wrestling fan.
Hopefully you've found this disturbing story entertaining, but if not here is a clip of Delirious that will provide some entertainment.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
RIP Larry Sweeney
I received a text earlier this afternoon informing me that independent pro wrestler, Larry Sweeney had passed away. Sadly, it’s usually not too surprising when a wrestler is gone too young, but I was extremely surprised when I was informed of Sweeney’s passing. At just 29, Sweeney began wrestling nearly eight years ago and was a main fixture of the PA indy circuit for years, appearing for both the International Wrestling Cartel here in the Pittsburgh area, the Chikara promotion around Philly, and even a stint in Ring of Honor at various spots around the east coast.
What made this particular death very tragic is that I’ve met Sweeney at several shows over the past few years and he was one of the politest wrestlers I’ve ever met. He was always really nice to anyone that would talk to him at the shows and the few people that I’ve talked to about his death have echoed the same statements. Sweeney was a tremendous entertainer and used an old school style. Weather it be as a heel or fan favorite, Sweeney could entertain a crowd.
Unfortunately, Sweeney had a very well documented battle with bipolar disorder over the past few years and it led to his appearances becoming sporadic as it caused him to leave ROH, make only a few appearances for Chikara, and only one appearance for IWC a few months ago. It seems as though Sweeney’s personal battles lead to the end of some of his working agreements, but sadly, it seems as though it was a battle that was too much for him. However, I think it’s important for the fans and people that knew him to remember the Larry Sweeney that entertained so many people in the past few years and not the Sweeney that was clearly suffering from a disorder during the final stages of his life. It’s an extremely sad situation that someone will so much talent did not live long enough to reach their potential, but a lesson that could be taken from this is that anyone that has any type of disorder should seek help.
Sincere condolences go to his friends and family.
Here’s a clip that will hopefully show how bright of a star Sweeney was in the ring.
Wrestlemania Review 27 Part 2
After the disappointing World Heavyweight title match, Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes was next and it was a decent match, but it was booked after a title match so it wasn't emphasized as much as it would have been if it was the opening match.
Following that, there was an eight man tag match and it was a three minute match. If a match is only getting three minutes of PPV time then why put the match on the show at all? More specifically, the Core has three titles, the IC and tag belts in the stable, but they were defeated in three minutes. Not only does it not make them into establish stars, it actually lessens the presentation that they are stars because they were defeated in a short match. I have to wonder, what was the logic of having a team with three titles be booked as basically jobbers on the biggest event on the WWE calendar?
Next up was CM Punk/Randy Orton and again, it seemed like a match that was booked between two debacles so it wasn't as emphasized as it could have been for the show. I've said it before and I will say it again, I'm not a fan of Orton and I think the pace of his in ring style is boring, but this was a decent match. Punk was defeated and it should be interesting to see if the WWE tries to put Orton back into the main event picture in the future.
The Jerry Lawler vs. Micheal Cole match was given way too much time and it certainly deserved the "boring" chant from the Atlanta crowd. The three minutes for the Core match should have been used here and the fact that it was given too much time really brought the show to a near halt in terms of momentum for the show. I understand that Cole's heel turn had months of build up, but it was Cole, who is an announcer and Lawler, despite being a wrestling legend is primarily an announcer.
The six person tag match that featured Snooki from the Jersey Shore was the celebrity involvement in the show, which is understandable because the WWE is trying to draw as many casual fans as possible, but this was another booking fumble. John Morrison, who I think could be a main event star if given was push was in the match and had two moves during the bout. Snooki had more involvement in a match than one of the WWE's most talented young star, which doesn't make sense to me. However, I will give Snooki credit, the flip she did during the match was cool.
Following that, there was an eight man tag match and it was a three minute match. If a match is only getting three minutes of PPV time then why put the match on the show at all? More specifically, the Core has three titles, the IC and tag belts in the stable, but they were defeated in three minutes. Not only does it not make them into establish stars, it actually lessens the presentation that they are stars because they were defeated in a short match. I have to wonder, what was the logic of having a team with three titles be booked as basically jobbers on the biggest event on the WWE calendar?
Next up was CM Punk/Randy Orton and again, it seemed like a match that was booked between two debacles so it wasn't as emphasized as it could have been for the show. I've said it before and I will say it again, I'm not a fan of Orton and I think the pace of his in ring style is boring, but this was a decent match. Punk was defeated and it should be interesting to see if the WWE tries to put Orton back into the main event picture in the future.
The Jerry Lawler vs. Micheal Cole match was given way too much time and it certainly deserved the "boring" chant from the Atlanta crowd. The three minutes for the Core match should have been used here and the fact that it was given too much time really brought the show to a near halt in terms of momentum for the show. I understand that Cole's heel turn had months of build up, but it was Cole, who is an announcer and Lawler, despite being a wrestling legend is primarily an announcer.
The six person tag match that featured Snooki from the Jersey Shore was the celebrity involvement in the show, which is understandable because the WWE is trying to draw as many casual fans as possible, but this was another booking fumble. John Morrison, who I think could be a main event star if given was push was in the match and had two moves during the bout. Snooki had more involvement in a match than one of the WWE's most talented young star, which doesn't make sense to me. However, I will give Snooki credit, the flip she did during the match was cool.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wrestlemania 27 Review Part 1
Originally, I was going to post a complete review of the show, but as I started writing, I noticed that if I posted a complete review of the show, it would probably be too long for anyone to actually want to read the whole thing so throughout the week, I will be posting a review of each part of the show. I'll start with the opening of the show and the match that started the event.
The show began at 7 PM Eastern Standard time and after a video package introducing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he did a 15 minute in ring promo where he said everything that has already been said building to the event so I asked, why have 15 minutes of what people have hear on TV for over a month? More specifically, why cut the US title match, one that could have been one of the highlights of the show so that The Rock say a few catch phrases at the beginning of the show? You would think that after nearly 20 minutes of opening shanagains that we would get a match, right? No way, there still needed to be a Wrestlemania opening video package as the video package for The Rock wasn’t enough of a waste of time.
At 7:24 PM there was an opening bell and what match was it? The World Heavyweight title match. Yes, the WWE decided that one of the main championships in the company was so important that it would start the show and subsequently seem secondary to most of the other events that took place during the show. The Edge/Alberto Del Rio match was about 11 minutes, which is about half the time that the total Rock opening was given for the show. Keep in mind, Del Rio won the Royal Rumble back in January and in years past, the Rumble winner was usually given the main event spot. Also, it should be noted that Del Rio has been given a huge push since debuting a little over six months ago and seems to have all the tools to be one of the future stars of the company so this is an easy booking decision right? The younger, up and coming Del Rio wins the title from a declining champion, who has stated in interview that he will probably hang up the boots within the next two years.
Well, that’s not what took place as Edge defeated Del Rio and I have to wonder if the WWE pushed him for six months, only to have him job at the biggest event of the year, why give him a push at all? In my view, all the result of this match did was neutralize any progress the WWE made of establishing Del Rio as a star and it makes it seems as though he can’t carry the title as a main event star. How is the audience supposed to believe that Del Rio is a legitimate star or even a legitimate heel if he isn’t given the platform to do so? More importantly, where do they go with Del Rio from here? Even if he is kept in the title picture and eventually wins the championship, it will not do as much to establish him as a legitimate star for the company as a Wrestlemania win would have. The other side of the coin here is Edge, who has been involved in the title picture at Wrestlemania for the past few years at this point. What does retaining the title actually do for him? He’s already a star and didn’t need the win. He’s had several injuries over the past few years and as was mentioned earlier, he has talked about retirement in interview so why have him retain the title? Dropping the title doesn’t hurt his status and considering the wrestling business is low on star power, it seems to make sense to establish Del Rio as a main event competitor. However, the opening bout was only the beginning in a series of fumbles for Wrestlemania.
The show began at 7 PM Eastern Standard time and after a video package introducing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he did a 15 minute in ring promo where he said everything that has already been said building to the event so I asked, why have 15 minutes of what people have hear on TV for over a month? More specifically, why cut the US title match, one that could have been one of the highlights of the show so that The Rock say a few catch phrases at the beginning of the show? You would think that after nearly 20 minutes of opening shanagains that we would get a match, right? No way, there still needed to be a Wrestlemania opening video package as the video package for The Rock wasn’t enough of a waste of time.
At 7:24 PM there was an opening bell and what match was it? The World Heavyweight title match. Yes, the WWE decided that one of the main championships in the company was so important that it would start the show and subsequently seem secondary to most of the other events that took place during the show. The Edge/Alberto Del Rio match was about 11 minutes, which is about half the time that the total Rock opening was given for the show. Keep in mind, Del Rio won the Royal Rumble back in January and in years past, the Rumble winner was usually given the main event spot. Also, it should be noted that Del Rio has been given a huge push since debuting a little over six months ago and seems to have all the tools to be one of the future stars of the company so this is an easy booking decision right? The younger, up and coming Del Rio wins the title from a declining champion, who has stated in interview that he will probably hang up the boots within the next two years.
Well, that’s not what took place as Edge defeated Del Rio and I have to wonder if the WWE pushed him for six months, only to have him job at the biggest event of the year, why give him a push at all? In my view, all the result of this match did was neutralize any progress the WWE made of establishing Del Rio as a star and it makes it seems as though he can’t carry the title as a main event star. How is the audience supposed to believe that Del Rio is a legitimate star or even a legitimate heel if he isn’t given the platform to do so? More importantly, where do they go with Del Rio from here? Even if he is kept in the title picture and eventually wins the championship, it will not do as much to establish him as a legitimate star for the company as a Wrestlemania win would have. The other side of the coin here is Edge, who has been involved in the title picture at Wrestlemania for the past few years at this point. What does retaining the title actually do for him? He’s already a star and didn’t need the win. He’s had several injuries over the past few years and as was mentioned earlier, he has talked about retirement in interview so why have him retain the title? Dropping the title doesn’t hurt his status and considering the wrestling business is low on star power, it seems to make sense to establish Del Rio as a main event competitor. However, the opening bout was only the beginning in a series of fumbles for Wrestlemania.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Trading Scars With the Hardcore Legend
Despite this being the internet, the "hardcore legend" mentioned in the title is a pro wrestling so anyone that is now disappointed that this post is still about wrestling can stop reading the blog. The legend I'm talking about is a former three time world champion and surprisingly, a New York Times #1 best selling author, Mick Foley. I guess it's even more surprising that wrestling fans can read, but than again, maybe some of them just look at the pictures in the books.
Ridiculous references aside, Foley has been wrestling over two decades and is known for taking more risk than just about anyone in the business. From explosions in Japan, to missing half of an ear in a match in Germany, to main stream success in the WWE, Foley is considered a legend in the industry. Aside from all his wrestling and literary accomplishments. Mick is known for being one of the nicest people in the business and has helped many charities as well as visiting injured troops. Who would have thought that someone that was the IWA Japan King of the Deathmatch would also be a humanitarian?
So, how does one actually trade scars with a hardcore legend? If you were brave enough to read past the missing ear in Germany then continue reading and you will get the answer. In 2004, Foley was scheduled to appear for the International Wrestling Cartel in Butler, PA as a special guest referee at the show. Foley is one of my favorite wrestlers and I went to the show, hoping to get a chance to meet the hardcore legend. Before the show, Foley was signing autographs for the fans and since I had some leg surgery when I was younger, I said that if I ever got the chance to meet Mick Foley, I would show him one of the surgery scars because he was known for scars during his career. As I got to the table to meet Mick he was really cool and as he was signing the book that I brought, I told him that I had some surgery and I had scars too. I asked Mick if I could show him a scar considering he's a legend and Mick said "sure." My mom reminded me that Mick was busy (Hey, I was 14 meeting a legend, in the moment I didn't realize there was a long line behind us) and before I could agree that Mick was too busy, he said "I have time for him" so I walked behind the table and showed him one of the surgery scars on my legs. Mick thought they were cool and I thanked him for the autograph. I also got a picture with him at the show and he was really cool. I've also met him two other times and while I didn't mention the scars, he was really cool each time I've met him.
I don't know how many people can say that they've showed a scar to a hardcore legend, but it was awesome.
Here's a clip of Foley
Ridiculous references aside, Foley has been wrestling over two decades and is known for taking more risk than just about anyone in the business. From explosions in Japan, to missing half of an ear in a match in Germany, to main stream success in the WWE, Foley is considered a legend in the industry. Aside from all his wrestling and literary accomplishments. Mick is known for being one of the nicest people in the business and has helped many charities as well as visiting injured troops. Who would have thought that someone that was the IWA Japan King of the Deathmatch would also be a humanitarian?
So, how does one actually trade scars with a hardcore legend? If you were brave enough to read past the missing ear in Germany then continue reading and you will get the answer. In 2004, Foley was scheduled to appear for the International Wrestling Cartel in Butler, PA as a special guest referee at the show. Foley is one of my favorite wrestlers and I went to the show, hoping to get a chance to meet the hardcore legend. Before the show, Foley was signing autographs for the fans and since I had some leg surgery when I was younger, I said that if I ever got the chance to meet Mick Foley, I would show him one of the surgery scars because he was known for scars during his career. As I got to the table to meet Mick he was really cool and as he was signing the book that I brought, I told him that I had some surgery and I had scars too. I asked Mick if I could show him a scar considering he's a legend and Mick said "sure." My mom reminded me that Mick was busy (Hey, I was 14 meeting a legend, in the moment I didn't realize there was a long line behind us) and before I could agree that Mick was too busy, he said "I have time for him" so I walked behind the table and showed him one of the surgery scars on my legs. Mick thought they were cool and I thanked him for the autograph. I also got a picture with him at the show and he was really cool. I've also met him two other times and while I didn't mention the scars, he was really cool each time I've met him.
I don't know how many people can say that they've showed a scar to a hardcore legend, but it was awesome.
Here's a clip of Foley
Monday, February 14, 2011
Blood, Brawls, and Buffalo Wild Wings
Now, before anyone calls the health department, let me say that there was no actual blood at Buffalo Wild Wings. To my knowledge, there weren't any brawls either, which would make this story a lot more interesting. So far, this blog has been primarily about the ridiculousness of independent wrestling and depending on your prospective, there could be better things to do than do commentary while people pretend to fight each other. However, this post will be slightly different, as I will tell you about a road trip that was worth the time and the effort to see the show.
Originally becoming famous in Japan, a "Deathmatch" tournament involves barbed wire, light tubes, and many other dangerous objects that no sane person would want to be near, let alone be in a match. While you wonder how insane the participants are, I guess you would also have to ask how insane the people that watch the violence are too. Light tubes are actually banned in pro wrestling matches in the state of Pennsylvania so you won't see a death match tournament in PA and there are not tournaments too often on the independent circuit because of the injuries that occur. That being said, on November 7, 2009 a road trip was set for West Virginia to see the IWA East Coast Masters of Pain tournament. Four of us decided to make the trip and Johanson was also supposed to go to the show, but was probably smart than any of us and stayed home to study for tests in a few classes.
The trip there was okay, but when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of no where, it looked like the set of Deliverance and it was the stereotypical West Virginia. We arrived to the show around 7 PM but there was still stuff being built for the show so while we waited outside, we talked to a few other fans and everyone was cool.
The show started and to review all the blood, barbed wire, and insanity would take too much time. That and anyone actually reading this wouldn't read it all anyway. Just to mention a few things, Yuko Miyamoto, the Big Japan Deathmatch Champion was in the tournament. I've watched Big Japan for years on boot leg tapes and downloading matches so it was awesome to get to see one of the stars from Japan live at a show. Mad Man Pondo was in the tournament too and he is also the promoter of IWA East Coast. He is really cool and while he doesn't promote too often now, he really tries to give the fans their money's worth, which is something not many promoters will do on the independent circuit. Drake Younger was in the tournament as well and he is one of the best deathmatch wrestlers in the world in my view so it was cool to get to see him in a death match tournament. Almost every participant in the tournament was good and it set up for a great show. The one word to describe it was insane. Light tubes, moon saults from a scaffold, and barbed wire were all used in the tournament. Miyamoto won the tournament, defeating Drake Younger in the finals. After the show concluded, I got a picture with Miyamoto and then Drake, which was awesome. After that, it was mentioned that there would be a post show gathering at a Buffalo Wild Wings that was less than a mile from the building.
Buffalo Wild Wings has some good food and it was close so we stopped to get some food before traveling back. The restaurant was almost completely empty and a few minutes after we arrived, the participants from the tournament arrived at the restaurant. Devon Moore and Whacks, two of the wrestlers that were hitting their opponents with light tubes just an hour before were now sitting at the table with us as the rest of the competitors were at the table next to us. It was slightly comical seeing people that were swinging dangerous objects at each other during the show now sitting there eating dinner. When the winner, Miyamoto entered, everyone applauded for him and all the wrestlers were really cool.
When we were ready to leave, we said goodbye to the wrestlers and thanked them for putting on a good show. Miyamoto doesn't speak english and I wanted to let him know it was a good show so I said "Miyamoto Ichibon." Ichibon means number one in Japanese and he seemed grateful as we both bowed. Pondo thanked us for coming to the show and we traveled another four and a half hours back. It was a crazy show, but it was a lot of fun.
Here is a clip of the show
Originally becoming famous in Japan, a "Deathmatch" tournament involves barbed wire, light tubes, and many other dangerous objects that no sane person would want to be near, let alone be in a match. While you wonder how insane the participants are, I guess you would also have to ask how insane the people that watch the violence are too. Light tubes are actually banned in pro wrestling matches in the state of Pennsylvania so you won't see a death match tournament in PA and there are not tournaments too often on the independent circuit because of the injuries that occur. That being said, on November 7, 2009 a road trip was set for West Virginia to see the IWA East Coast Masters of Pain tournament. Four of us decided to make the trip and Johanson was also supposed to go to the show, but was probably smart than any of us and stayed home to study for tests in a few classes.
The trip there was okay, but when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of no where, it looked like the set of Deliverance and it was the stereotypical West Virginia. We arrived to the show around 7 PM but there was still stuff being built for the show so while we waited outside, we talked to a few other fans and everyone was cool.
The show started and to review all the blood, barbed wire, and insanity would take too much time. That and anyone actually reading this wouldn't read it all anyway. Just to mention a few things, Yuko Miyamoto, the Big Japan Deathmatch Champion was in the tournament. I've watched Big Japan for years on boot leg tapes and downloading matches so it was awesome to get to see one of the stars from Japan live at a show. Mad Man Pondo was in the tournament too and he is also the promoter of IWA East Coast. He is really cool and while he doesn't promote too often now, he really tries to give the fans their money's worth, which is something not many promoters will do on the independent circuit. Drake Younger was in the tournament as well and he is one of the best deathmatch wrestlers in the world in my view so it was cool to get to see him in a death match tournament. Almost every participant in the tournament was good and it set up for a great show. The one word to describe it was insane. Light tubes, moon saults from a scaffold, and barbed wire were all used in the tournament. Miyamoto won the tournament, defeating Drake Younger in the finals. After the show concluded, I got a picture with Miyamoto and then Drake, which was awesome. After that, it was mentioned that there would be a post show gathering at a Buffalo Wild Wings that was less than a mile from the building.
Buffalo Wild Wings has some good food and it was close so we stopped to get some food before traveling back. The restaurant was almost completely empty and a few minutes after we arrived, the participants from the tournament arrived at the restaurant. Devon Moore and Whacks, two of the wrestlers that were hitting their opponents with light tubes just an hour before were now sitting at the table with us as the rest of the competitors were at the table next to us. It was slightly comical seeing people that were swinging dangerous objects at each other during the show now sitting there eating dinner. When the winner, Miyamoto entered, everyone applauded for him and all the wrestlers were really cool.
When we were ready to leave, we said goodbye to the wrestlers and thanked them for putting on a good show. Miyamoto doesn't speak english and I wanted to let him know it was a good show so I said "Miyamoto Ichibon." Ichibon means number one in Japanese and he seemed grateful as we both bowed. Pondo thanked us for coming to the show and we traveled another four and a half hours back. It was a crazy show, but it was a lot of fun.
Here is a clip of the show
Hey, Look Who's Under The Ring?
If there weren't fans then there would be no reason to have a show, but some fans get a little too rowdy and this story is a prime example of it. It was the Warriors debut show in January 2010 at the Ches-A-Rena in Cheswick, PA and the building was really cool with a stage. The lighting added to it and the show was good, but some of the building staff were too busy watching the show instead of doing their job. To increase the probability that there would be no problems with the crowd, there was a $15 all you can eat and drink, including beer, for the fans. Yeah, that was a good idea...
I was doing commentary with Jon Burton at ring side with the table set up next to the ring and in the front row, there was a group of fans that appeared to have paid the $15 for the all you can eat and drink at the building. About half way through the show, one of the fans walked up and sat down at the commentary table. JB and I were broadcasting for the DVD release and aside from the safety concerns, the fan being at the table could disrupt the broadcast. I told the fan it was a broadcast and that he would have to return to his seat. The fan did not return to his seat and it took JB going to look for security for the fan to go back to his seat. Problem solved right? Would this story be a blog post if that was the end of the story?
A few matches later, while the lights were down for an entrance, I look over and see the same fan crawling under the ring. A ring is made of metal and wood so it's extremely dangerous for a fan to be under the ring. I tried to tell JB, who was in the ring waiting to introduce the next match, but with the music, he didn't hear me and after that the fan crawled back from underneath the ring. The building staff should have been there to handle the situation, but since they were too busy watching the show, they didn't do anything. The fan didn't do anything else, other than look like an idiot for the rest of the show. Thankfully, there was no other fan incidents at the other Warriors shows.
I was doing commentary with Jon Burton at ring side with the table set up next to the ring and in the front row, there was a group of fans that appeared to have paid the $15 for the all you can eat and drink at the building. About half way through the show, one of the fans walked up and sat down at the commentary table. JB and I were broadcasting for the DVD release and aside from the safety concerns, the fan being at the table could disrupt the broadcast. I told the fan it was a broadcast and that he would have to return to his seat. The fan did not return to his seat and it took JB going to look for security for the fan to go back to his seat. Problem solved right? Would this story be a blog post if that was the end of the story?
A few matches later, while the lights were down for an entrance, I look over and see the same fan crawling under the ring. A ring is made of metal and wood so it's extremely dangerous for a fan to be under the ring. I tried to tell JB, who was in the ring waiting to introduce the next match, but with the music, he didn't hear me and after that the fan crawled back from underneath the ring. The building staff should have been there to handle the situation, but since they were too busy watching the show, they didn't do anything. The fan didn't do anything else, other than look like an idiot for the rest of the show. Thankfully, there was no other fan incidents at the other Warriors shows.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Welcome To The Business
If you were brave enough to read the first blog then you know that I said I would try to provide an entertaining blog even if someone isn't a wrestling fan. Well, hopefully you will find this at least somewhat entertaining, but more than anything, it's probably an indication that I really should have read more books instead of getting involved in wrestling. I could write about being involved with the local wrestling scene in chronological order, but then again, I wanted to tell you something that might give you a better indication of what you can expect from this blog.
A year after becoming a photographer for the Pro Wrestling Xpress promotion,which runs shows about two minutes from Penn State Greater Allegheny, I heard about a new promotion staring in Butler, PA, where Far North Wrestling runs shows and I helped out at their shows setting up before so I was familiar with the type of wrestling crowds in Butler, a family type of crowd. This new promotion was called "Extreme Wrestling Alliance," which is a blatant rip off of Extreme Championship Wrestling that was a national company, but closed in 2001. Since the demise of ECW, many company tried to copy it, but they all end up shutting down because people know a rip off when they see it. Knowning this and seeing that EWA had booked two former ECW "stars," I basically knew it wasn't going to work, but since I'm a communications major, I e mailed the EWA and asked them if they needed a commentator for the show. A few e mails later I was booked for the show and I was getting paid so even if it only lasted a few shows, at least it was a start. I even got a few of my buddies spots as "security guards," which worked out for everyone because I didn't know anyone at the show so I bought them along and they got into the show for free. This sounds as if it's going a little too much according to plan...
We arrived at the building at 5 pm with the bell time being at 7:30 and after we got there, we introduced ourselves to the "promoter," Joe Rogers. Over the next two hours, anytime we tried to ask the promoter a question, we would get a "I'll be right with you" response and literally thirty minutes before bell time, I did not have a run sheet of what was booked for the show. Thankfully, BC Steele, who works PWX too was also booked for the show and brought note cards about ten minutes before the show was going to start.
I called four matches and it was fun to get to work with Ben, who was also doing commentary for the show. Intermission started and the ring announcer said the two ECW "stars," Mahoney and Justin Credible would be taking Polaroids in the ring, but a few minutes later the ring was empty so I went to see what was going on towards the front of the building. I've seen some ridiculous things at a wrestling show, but as I got to the front of the building I was told that the promoter, Joe Rogers took the money and ran during intermission. After hearing this, I seen Mahoney, who was still bleeding from the match he wrestled a few minutes earlier, leaving a vulgar voice mail for the promoter. The phone call was captured on video and was posted on YouTube following the show, but was deleted. Eventually, the second half of the show was organized so that the fans didn't get ripped off, but there was no reason to commentate the rest of the show if it wasn't going to be on DVD so my buddy, Johanson and I left to go to the nearest restaurant to watch the UFC pay-per-view that was starting about thirty minutes after we left the building. Yes, the first show I get to work where I would get paid, the promoter runs away and no one gets paid. I told you I should have read books instead of watching wrestling.
To sum up this story, since this blog is getting too long and I doubt anyone will read this much of it anyway, the promoter did actually send me the money for the show six months after it and I appericate that he did the right thing to pay everyone for the show. Check back in a few days and I should have another post explaining how I actually got started announcing for some of the local wrestling promotions. Since I mentioned ECW in this post, if I can use technology correctly, I'm going to include a cool clip from the promotion. Thanks for taking the time to read the blog and I hope you will check back for the next post for the blog.
A year after becoming a photographer for the Pro Wrestling Xpress promotion,which runs shows about two minutes from Penn State Greater Allegheny, I heard about a new promotion staring in Butler, PA, where Far North Wrestling runs shows and I helped out at their shows setting up before so I was familiar with the type of wrestling crowds in Butler, a family type of crowd. This new promotion was called "Extreme Wrestling Alliance," which is a blatant rip off of Extreme Championship Wrestling that was a national company, but closed in 2001. Since the demise of ECW, many company tried to copy it, but they all end up shutting down because people know a rip off when they see it. Knowning this and seeing that EWA had booked two former ECW "stars," I basically knew it wasn't going to work, but since I'm a communications major, I e mailed the EWA and asked them if they needed a commentator for the show. A few e mails later I was booked for the show and I was getting paid so even if it only lasted a few shows, at least it was a start. I even got a few of my buddies spots as "security guards," which worked out for everyone because I didn't know anyone at the show so I bought them along and they got into the show for free. This sounds as if it's going a little too much according to plan...
We arrived at the building at 5 pm with the bell time being at 7:30 and after we got there, we introduced ourselves to the "promoter," Joe Rogers. Over the next two hours, anytime we tried to ask the promoter a question, we would get a "I'll be right with you" response and literally thirty minutes before bell time, I did not have a run sheet of what was booked for the show. Thankfully, BC Steele, who works PWX too was also booked for the show and brought note cards about ten minutes before the show was going to start.
I called four matches and it was fun to get to work with Ben, who was also doing commentary for the show. Intermission started and the ring announcer said the two ECW "stars," Mahoney and Justin Credible would be taking Polaroids in the ring, but a few minutes later the ring was empty so I went to see what was going on towards the front of the building. I've seen some ridiculous things at a wrestling show, but as I got to the front of the building I was told that the promoter, Joe Rogers took the money and ran during intermission. After hearing this, I seen Mahoney, who was still bleeding from the match he wrestled a few minutes earlier, leaving a vulgar voice mail for the promoter. The phone call was captured on video and was posted on YouTube following the show, but was deleted. Eventually, the second half of the show was organized so that the fans didn't get ripped off, but there was no reason to commentate the rest of the show if it wasn't going to be on DVD so my buddy, Johanson and I left to go to the nearest restaurant to watch the UFC pay-per-view that was starting about thirty minutes after we left the building. Yes, the first show I get to work where I would get paid, the promoter runs away and no one gets paid. I told you I should have read books instead of watching wrestling.
To sum up this story, since this blog is getting too long and I doubt anyone will read this much of it anyway, the promoter did actually send me the money for the show six months after it and I appericate that he did the right thing to pay everyone for the show. Check back in a few days and I should have another post explaining how I actually got started announcing for some of the local wrestling promotions. Since I mentioned ECW in this post, if I can use technology correctly, I'm going to include a cool clip from the promotion. Thanks for taking the time to read the blog and I hope you will check back for the next post for the blog.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Finally started a blog...
Usually, if someone asked me about blogging, I would go on a rant about it being a self important element where some people try to talk about everything just because they think something they have to say is important. WHO CARES? would be my ending statement. However, in an attempt to become more modern with the technology based world and more importantly to get a good grade in a required class, I have finally started a blog. If you were brave enough to click the link for this blog, I want to say thank you. If you meant to click on a link above it and accidentally clicked this one, I want to say thank you anyway for at least reading this far.
Before this becomes a blog ranting about blogs, I guess I should tell anyone that actually read to the second paragraph the things I'm actually going to discuss. I'm a commentator for a few local wrestling promotions and some of the things that I've witnessed at shows can be entertaining even for someone that isn't a wrestling fan. My main goals for this blog are to get a good grade and to be entertaining for anyone that takes the time to read it.
I'll discuss local shows, main stream wrestling, some wrestling history, and probably the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Yes, I know the UFC is mixed martial arts rather than pro wrestling and there's obviously a major difference between the two sports, but if some UFC content appears, consider it a "bonus" for reading the wrestling stuff. Hopefully if technology cooperates (I'm sure we've all wanted to hit a computer with a steel chair at least once) I'll be able to post some YouTube videos as a way to add some extra things to the blog.
Check back over the next few days and hopefully, I will have some interesting stuff for you to read and all jokes aside, thank you for reading the blog.
Before this becomes a blog ranting about blogs, I guess I should tell anyone that actually read to the second paragraph the things I'm actually going to discuss. I'm a commentator for a few local wrestling promotions and some of the things that I've witnessed at shows can be entertaining even for someone that isn't a wrestling fan. My main goals for this blog are to get a good grade and to be entertaining for anyone that takes the time to read it.
I'll discuss local shows, main stream wrestling, some wrestling history, and probably the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Yes, I know the UFC is mixed martial arts rather than pro wrestling and there's obviously a major difference between the two sports, but if some UFC content appears, consider it a "bonus" for reading the wrestling stuff. Hopefully if technology cooperates (I'm sure we've all wanted to hit a computer with a steel chair at least once) I'll be able to post some YouTube videos as a way to add some extra things to the blog.
Check back over the next few days and hopefully, I will have some interesting stuff for you to read and all jokes aside, thank you for reading the blog.
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